The Closer You Get (22 page)

“I doubt it. I’m not a hundred percent sure Sullivan is straight. I’m not sure he even experiences sexual feelings at all.” The breeze blew dust around their ankles and wafted loose tendrils of her hair around her cheeks.

She turned to meet his eyes and froze. Her smile grew slowly, matching Rye’s. He leaned down to kiss her. A light brush of their lips turned into a hard embrace, his arms wrapped all the way around her, lifting her off her feet. God, he was crazy about holding her. Crazy about touching her, kissing her, just being near her.
 

He sat her down. “You do like me, right?”

She grinned. “I’ve told you I do.”

“I mean, it’s important because, God, this is really happening fast for me. You like me? I mean, really, really like me?”

With a giggle, she nodded. “I really, really like you.”

“So…we’re in the same place?”

“As far as I know.”

“Good. Great. Because I like you so much it…it hurts. Right here.” He pounded his fist to his chest. “You know?”

She placed her hand over his chest. “You are so cute, Rye.”

He was about to object to the compliment when Franny came jogging over with Sullivan trailing behind. Franny was hugging a big teddy bear. “Look what my date won for me!” she squealed.

They wandered around the fair, playing occasional games, stopping at craft booths to browse. Rye let Cora introduce him to people she considered friends. He enjoyed meeting several of them. They bumped into Cash and Adam again. Somehow, Rye found himself walking next to Cash, trailing behind the other four friends.
 

“What do you think?” Cash asked.

Rye knew he was talking about the town. About life there. He shrugged. “Things look…promising.”

Cash nodded.
 

Since they hadn’t bought tickets to the concert, they bought some fair food and sat in the grass under the bleachers so they could still hear the music. Franny was like honey attracting flies. By the time the concert started, there were three men sitting near her, flirting and talking. By all accounts, she’d forgotten all about Sullivan, who must not have cared since he was napping against one of the braces holding up the bleachers.
 

Cash and Adam kept close to each other, barely breaking eye contact, frequently leaning in to whisper or kiss.

Rye didn’t notice any of it. He sat with his legs sprawled and Cora seated at an angle between them, her hip pressed to his crotch. Once the music started, it was too loud for conversation, so he leaned in and nibbled at her ear and neck. When she turned her lips to his, everything outside of himself and Cora vanished. There were no sights or sounds, only the feel of her hot mouth on his.
 

The heat had her drenched in sweat. The passion of Rye’s kiss had her drenched in other ways, as well. By the time he pulled away, she felt as though she’d been stripped naked and licked all over. Right in front of her friends and community. But when she looked into his eyes, she found she didn’t care.

He licked his lips and swallowed. “Nice, boss,” he said.

She heard him, which meant there was no music playing. She looked up and saw people exiting the bleachers. “Time flies when you’re making out.”
 

Rye tipped her chin down, catching her eyes again. There was no humor in his expression. “Can I come over? To your place?”

She bit her lip and glanced around. Cash and Adam were getting to their feet. Sullivan was still snoozing. Franny was nowhere to be found. Cora didn’t know what to say in response to Rye’s question. Practicality was her fall-back defense. “Um. It’s a work night, you know. And it’s late already, so…”

He blinked, his brow creasing just a hint. “I don’t have to stay long. I just thought; maybe we could shower together or something, and then…”

She nearly bit through her bottom lip. Shower with him? Naked? He wanted to see her naked? Of course he wanted to see her naked. That was what two people did when they were attracted to each other. Besides, he wanted to eventually have sex with her. She wanted to eventually have sex with him. They would naturally have to see each other naked to do that, wouldn’t they?

“Cora?” he asked.

She blinked back into focus. “I have to talk to Franny.”

“Wait…what?”

She ignored him and jumped to her feet. She kicked Sullivan in the shin, jolting him awake. “The fuck?” he muttered as he rubbed his eyes.

“Where’s Franny?”
 

“I don’t know…”

“She’s over there by the concession stand with that guy,” Adam said. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Girl stuff.” She caught sight of Franny, flirting blatantly with a guy who looked familiar. Cora thought he might be the high school football coach. It didn’t matter. Franny could get a date anytime.

Cora hurried to her side, grabbed her arm, and pulled her away from the man. “I need advice.” She glanced over her shoulder. Rye was gathering food trash with Cash and Adam.
 

“I’ll call you,” Franny said to the handsome man before turning her attention to Cora. “What is it, sweets?”

“He wants to shower with me.”

Franny laughed. “Well good. You’ve been out here in the heat and dust. You need a shower.”

“I know, but…I don’t know. What if it leads to sex?”

“Jesus, Cora, you should hope it leads to sex.”

“But…but…he’ll see me naked, right?”

“In the shower? I should think so.”

“Franny, please!” Cora grabbed her arms and shook her.

Franny sobered up and leaned in, speaking more quietly. “Don’t do it if you’re not ready. But don’t not do it because you’re scared. I’ve seen you naked. There’s nothing there that’s going to repel him, trust me.”

Cora glanced back at Rye, who was now leaning on the bleachers alone. Sullivan was gone. Cash and Adam were gone. Rye’s arms were folded over his chest, and he was staring at her expressionless, chewing gum, his ball cap turned backward. He looked very much as he had the first night they’d played pool together. “It’s just,” Cora said, “he’s seen a lot of women naked. A lot.”

Franny sighed. “And that’s unfortunate, really. I know he’s got a past, and I’m sorry it’s there. But it’s there. You have to find some way to get past it and forgive him. You have to trust that he’s not comparing you to the other women because he’s not. And you have to be secure with the fact that you are a gorgeous, intelligent woman, every bit as deserving of this kind of happiness as the women you seem to think are better than you.”

Cora was nodding along. “So tonight, I should take him back home with me? I mean…I should just…go with it?”

“The way you two were going at it earlier? Absolutely. It’s obvious you two are on the verge of nuclear meltdown if you don’t do something about it.”

As Cora walked away from Franny and toward Rye, she realized she’d only wanted validation. Permission, even. She’d wanted someone stronger than her to tell her it was okay to take Rye home with her. If she’d wanted to be talked out of it, she’d have gone to Adam.

Rye dropped his arms and stood up straight as she approached. “You okay?” he asked, his expression still neutral.

“Yeah.”

“So?”

“So…okay. You can come over if you want.”

He let out a sharp laugh. “You doing me a favor, Cora?”

“No! No. I mean, I’d like it. If you came over. Please. And thank you.”

He was grinning by the time she got through bungling the invitation. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand and leading her back to the truck. “Cash got a ride home with Adam. Does Franny need a ride?”
 

They passed the gate, and Franny scanned the parking lot. Sullivan was leaning against his car, clearly waiting for Franny. “No, looks like her ride didn’t abandon her.”

“Great.” Rye held the door of his truck open for her.

They rode back to her house. The sun had set and the evening was growing darker. Maybe they could leave the lights off in the bathroom so he wouldn’t have to look at her and be disappointed.
 

Her heart thundered in her chest.

“I enjoyed hanging out with your friends,” Rye said.

His voice intruded on her thoughts, making her jump. “Oh. Good. Franny likes you.”

“What about Sullivan?”

“Who can tell? I don’t even know if he likes me.”

“I’m thinking he’s not very happy with this town. I’m thinking Franny might be right. He’s got secrets.”

Cora studied him. “Interesting. What are you basing your theory on?”

“Intuition. Cora, all I wanted to do while we were sitting there under the bleachers was rip your clothes off and fuck you senseless. I almost didn’t care if anyone saw.”

She didn’t even have the ability to answer him.

“I don’t know where you are, and you know I’ll wait however long you want, but I’m ready when you are.”

She just sat there with her mouth hanging open. They pulled into the driveway of her house. He climbed out of the truck, walked around, and opened the door for her. She couldn’t even look him in the eye.
I must be the most sexually repressed woman on the planet
.
 

As soon as they walked in the door, Rye spun her in his arms and locked lips with her. She heard him kick her front door shut. He pushed her so she was backpedaling toward the bathroom, his arms still wrapped around her, his lips still moving against hers, returning her to that hot, liquid haze of lust she’d been in under the bleachers. As soon as they stepped into the bathroom, he broke contact to lean into the shower and get the water running.

He peeled his shirt off in one efficient motion. Cora stared in shock at his absolutely perfect torso, down to the rippling six-pack and the just-right smattering of hair across his chest and abs. “Fuck me,” she sighed in appreciation.

Rye laughed and kissed her. “I hope that’s an invitation.” He reached for the hem of her tank top, pulling it up. She grabbed it and pulled it back down.
 

“I don’t look like—”

“Don’t. Don’t do that, Cora. Please.”

“I can’t help being insecure.”

“You can help saying it out loud. Don’t make me feel like that, Cora. Like I’ve completely destroyed your confidence. I love your confidence.”

He loved her confidence. For some reason, those were the right words. He was right. In all other aspects of her life, she was no delicate flower. She owned and ran a construction company for crying out loud. Surely she could take her clothes off in front of a man without going timid. She lifted her chin, stepped back, and peeled off her tank top.

Rye grinned.

She removed her bra.

Rye’s grin fell from his face, his eyes now locked on her chest. Cora watched with satisfaction as his Adam’s apple bobbed.

She figured since she’d come this far, she might as well go the rest of the way. She unfastened and pushed down her shorts. That was that. There she was, completely naked in front of a man who was way out of her league. She nodded toward his jeans, hoping to nudge him into action since he was standing stock still.

He finished undressing like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like he wasn’t revealing something to her she’d never before seen in real life. She bit her lip and tore her eyes from his fully formed erection. He was grinning again. “Scary, huh?” he asked.

She laughed nervously and reached up to him when he came for her. He brought her against him, flung aside the shower curtain, and swung her in. With the water cascading down her back, Rye proceeded to touch her from the top down. Her hair, her face, her neck, and shoulders. Her breasts. There he lingered, massaged, and teased. Her waist, her hips, her thighs. In between her thighs.
 

He touched her there. Cupped her gently, and looked up into her eyes. “Feel good?”

She let out another nervous laugh that abruptly came to a halt when his fingers parted her folds and stroked her. “Stop,” she gasped. It was instinct. His touch was so intense, her fear sky-rocketed.

“Okay,” he said gently, withdrawing his hand and putting it to other uses.
 

In between kisses, they washed each other. Cora relished Rye’s touch on her sensitive skin. Touching him in return made her hands shake, and her stomach grow fluttery. She tentatively ran her hands over his shoulders and chest. Down his abs.
 

She looked up at him through her wet eyelashes. He was staring down at her hand, resting just beneath his navel. “Rye?”
 

His eyes bounced up to hers. With a determined look, he grabbed her hand and wrapped it around his erection. He held eye contact, raised his brows in concern, and asked, “Okay?”

Cora nodded.

He used her hand to stroke himself up and down, and then again. “Still okay?”

“Um…”

He let go of her hand and once more reached between her legs. She stroked him again, and continued the motion because it kept her mind from what he was doing with his hand. “Fuuuuck, slow down, honey.”

She relaxed her grip on him and slowed her motion. His fingers slid over her clit, and she jolted, releasing his erection and grasping his shoulders.
 

“Okay?” he asked.

She shook her head no, but found herself saying, “Yes,” in an airy, high-pitched whisper.

His slid his free hand around her waist and pulled her body snug against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck while his fingers worked her down below. “You just say when, Cora.”

“When?”

“When to stop.”

“How will I know?

He slipped a finger inside of her, and she cried out in shock and pain. She was about to cry ‘when’ when his palm landed in just the right spot and she felt pleasure begin to build. She adjusted herself and ground herself against his palm. His erection dug into her abdomen. She reached between their bodies and stroked him, eliciting a low rumble of pleasure from deep in his chest.
 

She knew from books and movies and listening to girl talk with her friends what was happening inside of her. Even so, the sensation frightened her. Just when she thought she could climb no higher, it continued. When would it end? When would she reach that final climax?