The Trouble with Sexy (7 page)

Her laugh escaped with a raw, smoky edge. She reached out her hand to touch him and he stopped her. He reached over the side of the bed for his wallet, pulling out the little foil package of a condom. She reached for it and opened it swiftly, sliding it over his length with shaking hands. He took her wrists when she finished and pulled her hands up and over his neck.

“If you touch me anymore, I'm going to explode.”

She let out another laugh as he laid her back again, sliding his firm muscular body over hers. Her breasts pressed against his chest as he adjusted himself to fit his hard length against the opening at the center of her thighs. She placed her feet on the bed and lifted her hips to give him a better angle. At the feel of the round tip slipping inside her wet warmth, Ryan started trembling again. Gregg was moving slowly, slipping inch by glorious inch into her tight wet folds, but the slow pace was making her crazy. She slid her hands down his back, over his tight butt, and gripped his cheeks in her palms. His eyes popped open with surprise, and she gazed back at him, eyes pleading with need. “Please, Gregg, I need all of you.”

He leaned on his forearms and thrust home, causing her to cry out loudly as he stretched her. He slipped halfway out and pushed forward again, catching her next cry in his mouth as he thrust his tongue inside the warmth. She slipped her arms back up and held onto his shoulders as his pace increased. Ryan's moans were coming closer together and her fingers gripped his muscular arms as he swirled in and out, in and out. The pressure inside her built again with every stroke. He shoved inside her one more time, his hard cock sliding over her pleasure spot. She came again, lifting her body off the bed, and tore her mouth from his. “Oh my God, yes. Yes.”

She came back down from heaven to feel his mouth trailing kisses along her neck and chin. She felt his rhythm start to slip, and lifted her hips to meet him as he came, his body stiffening on top of hers. He caught himself before he put all of his weight on her, and she kissed him. She still had a hard time believing it had happened, that she'd had the most mind-blowing experience with a man. A man she had fallen hopelessly in love with.

Her whole body tensed as that crazy thought settled in and took root. She'd been in love with him as a person, as a friend, and her crush had always been that. A hopeless infatuation with a man she would never have. Now that he was attainable, her heart had taken that last leap over the edge and it belonged to him. She'd wanted him for so long, and now that he was hers, she had a hard time slowing her heartbeat.

Is he really yours, though? He says that he's always wanted you, and maybe that's true, but what if it's not? What is he's just here because he likes the Gracie version of you?

She nibbled her lip and tried to push the little voice of doubt from her mind.

She caught him watching her in the dim light and flushed. She moved her hand up to run her finger over his mouth and whispered, “That was wonderful.”

He let out a breathless chuckle. “Just wonderful?”

She smiled softly and offered, “Amazing?”

He flashed a grin in the dark. “Better.”

“Mind-blowing?”

“Keep 'em coming.”

He covered her laugh with a kiss and rolled to his side. He leaned up on his elbow, looking down at her. She lost her smile and whispered softly, “How was it for you?”

He reached out to stroke her face, leaning over her again, his lips hovering. “You are the most beautiful, intoxicating, and extraordinary woman I have ever been with.”

She caught her breath and whispered, “Really?”

His mouth took hers deeply, making the moths dance and her eyes flutter. When he pulled away he whispered back, “Really.”

Six days until Valentine's Day . . .

I
T FELT LIKE
she had only been out for a few minutes before the feel of warm hands on her stomach woke her up from a weird dream about puppies eating her socks. She smiled sleepily, her eyes still closed. “Are you ever satisfied?”

She felt his lips against her neck, and he breathed his reply across the sensitive skin, “No. I'll never get tired of feeling you come apart in my arms.”

She felt her body tighten at his hushed words and pressed back into him, only she felt rough cloth instead of naked skin. Her eyes popped open in surprise and she turned over to find him fully dressed. He laughed at the wide eyes and slightly opened mouth. “I went out to get breakfast.”

Her stomach rumbled at the mention of food, and he kissed her open mouth quickly. “Come on lazy, I've got plans for you.”

She grabbed the blanket and held it to her breasts. “I thought you had things to do today?”

He grinned at her. “I'd rather be with you.”

Sweet warmth spread over her and she reached out to him. She climbed onto her knees and pulled him into her arms, kissing him softly, running her fingernails along his neck. He groaned aloud and pulled back gently. He stared down at her, his eyes stormy. “Ryan, if you don't stop that, we'll never leave this bedroom again and we'll starve to death.”

She sighed and started to climb off the bed. “Okay, I'll go take a shower.”

He pulled her back into his arms and glowered at her. “Wow, that wasn't much of a fight. Did I wear you out already?”

She gave him a sultry smile and slid her hands down his body, sliding one hand over the hard bulge under the fly of his jeans. “Hmmm, somehow I don't think so.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled it up, kissing her palm. “Come on, you hussy. Daylight's a-wasting.”

Ryan smiled as she stumbled into the bathroom, wrapped in the blanket for modesty's sake. She stared at herself in the mirror and gasped in horror. Mascara and eyeliner were smeared around her eyes like a raccoon's mask and her lips were swollen from kissing. She scrubbed her face with bar soap, cringing when some of the stinging liquid got into her eye, frantically rinsing it. Then, looking at her face again, scrubbed clean and her hair looking like rats had been living in it, she couldn't believe she was standing in her bathroom after a night of mind-blowing sex and the most gorgeous, wonderful man was waiting in her kitchen with breakfast.

Humming to herself, she pushed all the little niggles of doubt to the back of her mind as she turned on the shower. She scrubbed her body, her hand trailing over places that Gregg had spent extra time kissing, her eyes closing and a smile spreading over her lips as flashes of the night before made her body sizzle. The hot water sprayed over her skin, loosening tight muscles that had stretched and flexed in ways they hadn't before. But it wasn't just what he'd done to her body. He'd told her things about himself, about his mother and sister, and how hard it had been after his dad left. He'd talked to her like he never had when she'd been just Ryan the friend. That had to mean something, right?

She turned off the water and climbed out of the shower. She tried to get ready quickly, drying her long tresses and brushing her face lightly with the mineral base and a little mascara, trying to separate the black lashes like Megan at Macy's had shown her. Satisfied that she looked presentable, Ryan slipped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and went back into her bedroom, where she opened the dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of white briefs and a cotton bra, shrugging off Gracie's advice for today, at least. There was no way she would be comfortable running around with scratchy lace creeping up her hind end.

After clipping the bra into place she called through the door, “So what are we doing today?”

“What?”

She heard his footsteps coming down the hallway and cried, “Don't come in! I'm not dressed.”

She could hear the grin in his voice when he replied, “So what? I've already seen and tasted most of you.”

Oh man, the moths were back and wreaking havoc. “It was dark.”

He started to open the door. “Not that dark.”

She rushed to stop him, leaning against the door. “Stop it! I just asked what we were doing so I know what to wear.”

He stopped trying to open the door. “Dress warmly, and I'd wear snow boots.”

“Snow boots?”

He didn't answer, just whistled his way down the hallway. She finished throwing on a T-shirt, jeans, and a sweatshirt, and made her way out to the kitchen. Gregg stood by the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand, chewing on a muffin as he held out a white bakery bag to her.

“Gracie said to tell you hi.” His smile was sheepish, and she groaned out loud. Gracie was going to be hell-bent on yanking all the gory details from her. Awesome. She pulled a muffin out of the bag and took a bite, moaning when the sweet swirls of flavor hit her taste buds.

“I swear, Gracie is a nosy pain in the butt, but she bakes the most orgasmic things.” She caught his weird expression and wiped at her mouth. “What?”

“Did you just say, ‘orgasmic'?” His eyes were wide, and she blushed.

“What? It's a word. Gracie said it the yesterday when we were shopping.” When he burst out laughing, she glared at him, preparing to give him a severe tongue-lashing, but the phone rang. Instead she stuck her tongue out at him as she answered, “Hello?”

“Hi, honey! How are you?” Her mother's voice was loud and cheery.

Ryan turned her back on Gregg and answered, “I'm good, Mom. What's going on?”

“Nothing, I just hadn't heard from you in a few days and wanted to make sure you were still coming over tonight for dinner.”

Crap. She'd forgotten about dinner. “Yeah, of course I remembered. Can you hold on a minute?” She covered the phone with her hand and whispered, “I'm supposed to go to my parents for dinner. Will we be back before four?”

He shook his head. “I was thinking we'd head out to the City of Rocks and take some pictures. Even if we left right now, we wouldn't be back until almost five-thirty.”

She bit her lip with regret. “Can we do something closer to home? I promised my parents that I'd come over.”

“Ryan? Who are you talking to?” Her mother's voice had taken on a shrill note.

“Hold on, Mom.” She covered the phone again and asked, “Is that okay?”

He shrugged. “Sure, although we could just compromise. We'll go somewhere close to home and then I'll go with you to your parents later. That way I can spend more time with you.”

Ryan's eyes widened and she whispered loudly, “You really want to go?”

“Unless you think they'd mind.”

She uncovered the mouth piece and said, “Mom, would it be okay to bring a friend to dinner?”

“Who is this friend? You haven't mentioned you had a friend.” Her mother's voice had a disapproving tone.

“It's my boss, Gregg. I've told you about him.”

She glanced over at Gregg and blushed when her mother whispered, “Is he handsome?”

She lowered her voice and hissed back, “Yes.”

“Then by all means, bring him along. You know I always make enough to feed the whole county.”

Ryan said good-bye quietly and hung up.

“So what were you whispering about?” Gregg asked. She turned toward him, noting the wicked gleam in his eye.

“Nothing, just mother-daughter stuff.” She backed away from him as he reached out to her ribs. “What are you doing?”

He wiggled his fingers. “It isn't nice to tell lies. And I'm prepared to use torture if necessary.”

She squealed and tried to run, but he caught her around the waist. She was laughing and gasping as he wreaked havoc on her ribs. “Handsome! She asked if you were handsome!”

He stopped tickling her and kissed her swiftly. “There. Now was that so hard?”

She pretended to slap at him, and he grabbed her wrist gently, bringing her palm to his mouth for a light kiss. The air around them heated up, and she reached out to bring him close so her lips could exact their own form of torture. Muffins and coffee forgotten, it would be a while before he would again care that daylight was being wasted.

T
HEY PULLED UP
to the large ranch house and Ryan hopped out with a nervous smile on her face. They'd had such an awesome day, and now that they were standing in front of her parents' place, it seemed she was more nervous than Gregg. Most guys freaked about meeting parents, but he simply came around the Tahoe and took her hand in his. They walked up the steps to the porch and across the wooden planks to the whitewashed front door. Gregg was about to knock when Ryan reached out and turned the knob.

“We don't have to knock,” she said, pushing the door open and hollered, “Mom? Dad?”

“In the dining room!” a merry voice called.

Ryan led him through the entryway to a large room with a long oak table and high ceiling. Her mom appeared and held out her hand to Gregg. “I'm Brianne. One thing Ryan forgot to mention was what a good-looking man you were.”

Ryan rolled her eyes. “No, actually I didn't, Mom . . .”

Her mother turned to look at her and gasped, “Ryan! You cut your hair!”

Ryan shifted uncomfortably. “I just got a few layers.”

Her mom looked her over, and Ryan relaxed when she smiled. “It's very becoming,” her mother said. “Is that a new top?”

Ryan had pulled on a purple long-sleeve blouse that bared her left shoulder. It covered everything important, but still she could hear the touch of disapproval in her mother's tone. “Yes, my friend Gracie and I went shopping for some new clothes.”

Her mother clucked her tongue. “Well the color is very nice on you.”

Ryan was disappointed by her mother's lack of enthusiasm, but her attention shifted when her dad came around the corner. “Was that my baby I heard?”

Gregg laughed as Ryan's face flamed. “Geez . . .”

Ryan's dad pulled her into a tight bear hug. She hugged him back, inhaling the cedar smell that always seemed to cling to him. She loved her parents deeply and enjoyed the close relationship they shared.