“If the words ‘I want to fuck you’ come out of your mouth, I think I might knee you in the balls,” I warn him.
“I didn’t say a thing,” he muses.
“I can see the smirk in your eyes.”
“You’re no fun, kitten,” Fallon rejoins and flops down next to me.
I turn my head on the bedspread and look around Ryder’s room. It’s exactly the same as I remember. Walls painted a dark blue color. Posters of motorcycles and exotic cars plastered to the walls. Various trophies and photos adorning the dresser and desk. So many childhood days were spent up here with us playing board games, doing homework, or just chilling and talking. I hope they still have the firepit out back. That was one of my favorite places. I shift to turn on my side, but my long coat catches under my hip. I shed my outerwear and toss everything on the chair next to Ryder’s desk.
“You seem to know your way around the house. Did you come over often?” I ask Fallon. You would think I would have noticed Fallon hanging around, but I remind myself that old me was apparently so oblivious, she couldn’t see the forest through the trees.
“On occasion, Ry would sneak me in late at night when I needed a place to crash or escape my dad’s fists.”
“Fallon,” I begin when Ryder opens the bedroom door.
“Ready to come back downstairs?”
“I guess so,” I reply, but feel unsure.
“I’m starving,” Fallon announces. “Going to go raid your fridge.” He pats Ryder on the shoulder as he squeezes past.
Ryder closes and locks the door behind him, his gorgeous lips curling in a naughty curve.
“What are you up to?”
“You look fine as hell splayed across my bed. You don’t know many nights I laid awake as a teenager thinking of you like this,” he says as he stalks forward. And just like that, I am soaking wet for him.
“Ryder, your family is waiting for us downstairs,” I half-heartedly argue as my legs fall open to accommodate his muscular width, my body addicted to him and so needy for his touch. He bends over me, dark hair tousled on top, a black long-sleeved Henley stretched tight across his chest and ripped jeans that ride low on his waist. So incredibly sexy.
“They can wait a little longer.”
Gripping my wool leggings, Ryder pulls them down, sliding me down the bed at the same time. His mouth is on me before I can blink, his tongue on my clit skyrocketing me into a quick haze of shuddering tingles. Ryder’s mouth should be considered one of the seven wonders of the world. My man definitely is a master at oral. I let go and succumb to the pleasure he’s giving me with nips of his teeth and glides of his silky tongue. Gripping his head with both of my hands and my thighs, I purse my lips tight to hold in the moan that wants to escape, but I can’t prevent the loud gasp from making its way in.
He furls his lips and pulls hard on my tight bundle of nerves as he slips two fingers inside my wetness and plunges them deep. My hips violently arch up off the bed and the vibrations of Ryder’s murmur of approval add gasoline to my impending orgasm. One more thrust and flick of his fingers is all it takes, and I come hard, grabbing his pillow to smother the sound of my long vocal release. If his objective was to get me to relax, he can pat himself on the back for a job well done. My muscles are nothing but jelly at this point. Ryder crawls up my body and I meet his mouth hungrily, tasting myself on his lips.
“You know, that’s not really fair because you’re not going to let me return the favor.”
Ryder shoves his callused fingers under my sweater to fondle my breasts, playing with my hardened nipples until I’m panting.
“With everyone else and Fallon in the house, I foresee us having to get very inventive with finding places to be together.”
I scratch my nails along the sides of his head and through his soft, dark hair, tilting his head up to expose his neck. I take advantage and lick up the masculine column, then bite gently down on his chin. “We’re two educated people in college. I’m sure we can figure things out. There’s always your dad’s garage,” I suggest. That’s where Ryder and I kissed that first time.
“Smart girl.” Through my sweater, he administers a love bite above my breast and then lifts himself off me. “Let’s get downstairs before the fam decides they can’t wait any longer.”
I tug my leggings back on and smooth my hair down. Before I unlock the door, I spin around and shove my hand down Ryder’s jeans, finding him hot and hard for me. “One more thing before we go downstairs,” I say and seductively go down on my knees in front of him, pulling his zipper along the way.
“Hell yes,” he moans and lets me have my way with him.
Fal, Dad, and I are sitting outside around the fire pit while Elizabeth, Mom, and my sisters are inside the house talking. I’m completely antsy which makes my right leg jiggle up and down. I want to be with my girl right now. She, Mom, Brea, and Jamie have been inside way too long for my liking. After I had Fallon take Elizabeth upstairs, I chewed everyone out for making her uncomfortable. I felt guilty as hell when Mom started crying. Then she kept insisting she call Freda, Jay and Jules’ mom, and I had to put a stop to that idea real fucking fast. The guys don’t know we’re here yet, and I don’t want to spend my first day back home in a fistfight with my two best friends.
“So, Fallon, how have you been?” my dad asks him. Fallon may look relaxed and laid back in his chair, but I notice how his eyes keep sliding to the back door of the house.
“Doing good, Mr. Cutton,” he replies, again with the eye slide. My leg bounces faster.
“Are you boys going to make me pull teeth or are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?”
Dad—always straight to the point. “What do you want to know?” I offer, knowing any question he throws at us will have to be navigated like a minefield.
“Is Elizabeth okay?”
That’s an easy one. “Yeah, Dad. She’s good. Her memory came back.”
“I heard about that. But I mean, is she okay? How is she handling things? Does she remember everything?”
He’s asking about that night. I can’t go there with him right now. I promised Elizabeth. Fallon and I both look over at the house. If she’s not out here in five more minutes, I’m going in after her. She doesn’t need Mom, Brea, or Jamie pestering her with questions like Dad is doing now with me and Fallon.
Fallon steps in. “She’s better now. Not so much before. She’s been with me the past several weeks.” Fallon leaves out the part where I joined them in Barcelona.
“What did Jayson have to say about that?”
“What the hell does that mean?” I snap.
My dad narrows his eyes at me trying to figure things out. “Jayson told Freda and Mitch that he and Lizzie were back together, but something came up and she wouldn’t be coming for Thanksgiving.”
Fallon starts laughing. “God, I hate that jackass. Of course, that’s what he would say.”
“Dad, Elizabeth isn’t with Jayson. She’s with me.” I guess now’s a good a time as any to fill him in on all the stuff I’ve been keeping to myself. “She and I started dating and we kind of moved in together.”
Dad looks totally taken aback. “You’re not living at the condo with the boys anymore?”
I shake my head no. “I moved in after—” Fuck, I can’t tell him about the baby or all the other shit that went down. “Yeah, I moved in with her and have been staying at her place. About four weeks ago, her memories came back.”
“That’s where I come in,” Fallon explains. “She needed time to get her head on straight, so I whisked her out of town, and we got the hell out of Dodge. Once I felt she was ready to come back, I called my boy up and flew him out to Barcelona to meet up with us.”
Dad sits forward. “Hold up. You’ve been in Spain and you didn’t tell us?”
I cringe slightly at his tone just as I used to when I was a boy if he was upset at me. One thing I never want to do is lie to or disappoint my dad.
“It was
a very last-minute thing and I had to leave immediately. But yeah, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, and Australia,” I inform him, thankful for the passport they made me get when our families had planned for us to go to London together the summer after we graduated high school.
“Huh,” he mumbles and sits back. “So, you and Elizabeth?”
“Yeah, Dad. Me and Elizabeth. I love her and she loves me.”
“About damn time. I’ve watched the two of you dance around each other almost your entire lives. I’m happy for you, Son. How is Jayson handling it?”
“Jay can go fuck himself,” Fallon casually says. My dad scowls at Fallon’s language but remains silent. He knows how Fallon is and lets it slide, just like I do. “Jay thinks that because she has her memory back, she’ll run back to him.”
“You know he and Julien are home, right?”
“I know, Dad. We’re going to drop by tomorrow, but they can’t know we’re here yet.”
“It’s going to be a shit-show is what Ry isn’t saying. Myself? I can’t wait,” Fallon gleefully grins, the light from the fire casting a devilish glow on his face. Fallon thrives on chaos.
We hear female voices and Elizabeth’s laughter as she, Mom, Brea, and Jamie come outside. Dad and I table the rest of our conversation for later.
My mom has her arm wrapped around Elizabeth’s shoulders and their heads are together. I scan Elizabeth’s face to make sure I see no worry or tension, but all I see is her beatific smile and bright green eyes. As soon as she gets close enough, I snag her wrist and pull her down into my lap.
“Everything go okay?” I whisper in her ear.
“Yeah,” she whispers back, and because she smells so damn good and I missed her, I tilt her chin up and kiss her soundly.
“I knew it!” Brea shouts. “Every time your name came up, Lizzie would blush,” she announces, looking pleased with herself.
My mom says, “Oh, my sweet babies, finally together,” and starts crying again. Dad pulls her to him and pats her back.
“Mom, that’s just gross,” Jamie complains and fake gags a little to make her point. “You make it sound like incest.”
“Lizzie knows what I mean. She’s always been like a daughter to me,” she sniffles.
I feel Elizabeth tense up in my arms.
“Fallon and our son were just telling me about their trip,” Dad cuts in.
“What trip?” Brea asks.
“Why does it feel like we’re in trouble?” Elizabeth asks me. I settle her back against me and shrug.
“Girls, apparently we missed something while we were inside,” Mom says.
“Did you drop out of college?” Jamie exclaims bluntly.
“Our son forgot to mention that he was in Europe with Fallon and Lizzie. And they’ve been living together.”
“You’re living with Fallon at the frat house?” Mom’s voice rises.
Fallon holds his hands up, “Hey, don’t drag me into this.”
“Not with Fal, Mom.”
“Then… Oh my!”
“What ‘oh?’” Brea wants to know.
“The ‘oh’ where he’s shacking up with a girl,” Jamie leans over to Brea and clarifies.
“You’re cheating on Lizzie?” Brea shrieks.
Holy hell. My family. “No!”
“Um, he lives with me. Or at least, I hope he still wants to,” Elizabeth timidly says, raising those emerald beauties up to look at me, questions and hope swirling in their depths.
“He definitely wants to,” I tell her, and then, “I never left.” I bring her lips to mine again and kiss her, slipping my tongue in, completely forgetting we’re not alone. Every time my mouth or hands are on her, nothing else exists in my reality. Well, nothing except for what I hear Mom say next.
“Randy, we’re going to have such beautiful grandbabies.”
I break our kiss. “Oh my God, Mom!”
“Lizzie’s pregnant?” Brea and Jamie both shout.
Elizabeth’s face turns bright red, and she hops off my lap like she’s sitting on a mound of fire ants. “Fallon, can I get your help with something. Inside.” She pulls him out of his chair and practically runs inside the house.
Needing to nip the current train of conversation in the bud, I say, “No, she’s not pregnant. Can you guys chill the hell out.”
Dad and Mom start snickering while Brea and Jamie talk animatedly to each other about who is going to be the better aunt.
“Remind me not to come home for Christmas,” I grumble and stomp off after Elizabeth and Fallon to the sounds of my parents’ laughter behind me.
Chapter 15
“Kitten, I don’t like this one bit.”
“Babe, we’re coming with you whether you like it or not. I’m not letting you do this alone.”
Faith made us an early Thanksgiving supper because I wanted to go see Jayson and Julien this afternoon. I can’t avoid them any longer. I also know the two men in front of me are not going to budge on their demands. I need to start repairing those broken bridges. However, the trepidation I feel over the possibility of seeing my childhood home makes me more than a little nauseous. The twins’ house is right next door. How can I expect to go there and not come face-to-face with what happened that night?
“I don’t want any fights. I mean it. Let me handle things my way. Please.”
“Can’t make any promises,” Fallon says, folding his hands behind his head as he watches me from Ryder’s bed.
“Then you can sit your ass on the driveway and wait,” I warn him.
“We won’t come inside. We’ll wait outside on the curb,” Ryder suggests. I agree to his compromise.
“Thank you. Both of you. I know you’re just trying to protect me, but I’m a big girl. I can do this. New Elizabeth, remember?”
Ryder catches me in a reassuring embrace. “I know you can take care of yourself, baby. You’re the strongest person I know. I trust you.”
I trust you. I won’t give Ryder any doubt about my love for him. I’ve made my choice. Now I have to find a way to tell Jayson. I also need to face Julien.
“I’m ready.”
We don’t have a car because we came straight here from the airport in one of Fallon’s corporate sedans. I’m assuming Fallon’s car is still at the marina, and who knows where Ryder’s is as I haven’t asked how he got to the airport to meet up with Fallon’s jet. So, we walk. I have my gloved pinky finger wrapped around Ryder’s. Several families are out, enjoying the crisp Thanksgiving Day weather. A few do double-takes and give me odd looks. I recognize Mrs. Weatherby and her husband. I tip my head down and keep walking, not wanting to be recognized.
It’s cold but the sky is clear, and a sliver of a crescent moon is showing in the late afternoon sky. I love it when both the moon and the sun share the sky together. When I was little, I used to tell Hailey how the sun must be lonely being up there all by itself. The moon had stars to keep it company, but the sun lived alone in solitary existence. The first time I saw the moon out on a sunny day, I was so incredibly happy that the sun had a friend and wouldn’t be alone anymore. It was the same day I met Ryder for the first time.
The closer we get to the end of the street, the more nervous I become. I train my eyes on Jayson and Julien’s house and I try my best to ignore the dark house right next to it. I stumble to a halt when I see the old oak tree. It’s lit up, like a beacon calling to me. Did Jayson turn the lights on? Does he know I’m here? I turn to Ryder.
“They promised they wouldn’t say anything,” he says, reading my thoughts.
I let go of Ryder and take a tentative step forward along the walkway that leads from the street to the front steps of the Jameson’s house. A torrent of memories assails me. This is going to be so much harder than I could possibly have imagined. I loved Jayson. I still do, just not in the way he wants me to. Twelve years of my life were so deeply entangled with his. He’s the father of our daughter. He was my first kiss, my first date, my first everything. We lost our vir
ginity to one another. Jayson gave me so much. I don’t want to hurt him, but that is exactly what I’m about to do.
I wipe away the tears which are dripping like melting icicles down my cheeks and ring the doorbell. I take a quick look behind me but allow myself only a millisecond to glimpse back at Ryder and Fallon standing like sentinels at the end of the driveway.
A male voice filters through the closed door and I know exactly who it is before it swings opens.
“Hey you,” is all I get out before Jayson slams into me and buries his face in the scarf tied around my neck.
“Holy fuck, princess. You’re here!”
My hands convulse around him. I don’t think I can do this. Why does it hurt so much? I can’t breathe. Black spots start to swirl in my vision, so I clutch Jayson tighter trying my best not to pass out.
He lifts his head and I know the moment he spots Ryder and Fallon because I feel his entire body go rigid with tension.
“What the hell is going on? Why the fuck is he here?” I don’t know whether he’s talking about Ryder or Fallon. Probably Fallon.
“Jayson, can we go inside and talk?”
“Have you been with him the entire time? What the hell, Liz?” Yep, definitely about Fallon. “Why is Ry here?”
“Jay, Mom said the turkey is ready. Time to eat. Who’s at the door?”
I spot Julien coming out of the living room into the front foyer. He turns white as a ghost when he sees my face poking over Jayson’s shoulder.
“Liz?” I watch as Julien goes from sheet white to flush with anger, his silver eyes flashing with scorn. He aims an almost sneer at me, turns around and walks off. Holy crap. Julien has never been angry with me before.
Jayson tries to pull away and charge down the steps to confront Fallon and Ryder. I yank at his arm to stop him. “Jayson.”
He suddenly spins around and lifts me up, smashing his mouth onto mine. Is he trying to prove a point? Rub this kiss in Ryder’s and Fallon’s faces? A tiny part of me that is still clinging to Old Elizabeth rejoices, wanting a repeat of the night she returned and ran to Jayson then screwed his brains out. But I’m not her anymore.
Broken Butterfly: Fallen Brook Series: Book 3 Page 15