Returning Home: A Second Chance Homecoming (Return To Me Book 4)

by Parks, AL

  “Don’t close your eyes, Rissa. Whatever you do, just don’t close your eyes. I want you to see that it’s me - only me. I won’t hurt you. You can trust me.”

  They moved to the bed, and slid onto it together. One of his legs was nestled in between hers. He caressed her face gently with one hand. Her eyes were wide and he could feel her body tense slightly under him. He knew he had to go slow with her, make sure she knew exactly what he was doing. Reinforce that she could stop if she felt uncomfortable.

  His movements were slow and deliberate. He didn’t want to rush anything. He wanted to savor every minute he had with her. Something deep inside him was drawn to her. Damned if he knew what it was. It didn’t matter, he wasn’t going to fight it. She made him feel things on a level he hadn’t experienced before, and it made him feel alive. She made him feel alive.

  Kissing along her jaw and down to her neck, he followed the curve of her neck as it met her shoulder. His hand slid over her breast. He took her already hard nipple and rolled it between her fingers. She gasped and her body stilled.

  “It’s okay, Rissa. Relax, baby.” He moved his mouth over the top of her breast, dragging the tip of his tongue over her nipple. A moan escaped her lips and she arched her back into him a little bit. Her hand moved to the back of his head, gripping his hair in her fingers. Her body was still tense, but it had shifted to desire, passion. She was letting go a little bit at a time. He needed to respect that, not push it. Just keep things slow, allowing her to get comfortable with him. With his body and the way he moved. He wanted to make sure this was not the last time he made love to her.

  He moved his leg so that it pushed against her sex. There was so much heat building between them. His hand moved over the slick skin. He raised his eyes to hers, watching for any sign that she wasn’t ready for this. The dark emerald had a dreamy look to them, expectant and wanting. He separated the folds of skin and gently pushed one finger inside of her.

  Shit, she was so tight he nearly lost his mind. He wanted inside her so desperately, but knew he needed to get her comfortable with having him there. And he needed to make some room, because there was no way he could get his erection in her without some pain. He pulled out and added a second finger, sliding back inside her gradually. He could feel her body calm and he eased in and out of her. Her legs opened wider for him, inviting him deeper.

  “I want to make love to you, Riss, but only if you’re ready.” He watched her face go blank. He was in jeopardy of losing her to a memory. “If you don’t want to do this now, tell me and I’ll stop. You’re worth the wait, baby. I only want this if you want it, too.”

  Her features softened. “Make love to me, Griff.”

  He leaned his head down, kissing her tenderly at first, slipping his tongue inside her mouth. Their tongues slid together. Soon his fingers were moving faster in and out of her wet core, his tongue matching their fervor. Her hands slid over his back, grasping at his buttocks.

  He released his claim on her mouth, but continued working her with his hand between her legs. Desire was raging through him and it was taking every ounce of restraint he had not to crawl on top of her and get what his body was demanding. But this wasn’t just some girl he picked up at a bar. She wasn’t just a pretty face and nice body to be used as a stress reliever. She was special, and he planned on making sure she knew exactly how much she meant to him.

  He ran his thumb over her clit until it was hard and she was pushing her body back against his hand. A sweet, low moan came from her. She was loosening up, letting go. She arched her back so her breasts pushed against his chest. Her body clenched around his fingers. His restraint was waning, and his quest to be inside of her was at a fever pitch.

  “Rissa, I want to be inside you, baby.” Her watched her head bob up and down. He pulled his fingers from her and spread her legs farther apart.

  “Protection,” she breathed out. He stopped for a minute, thinking. Did he have a condom? He hadn’t prepared for this after their friendship discussion the previous day. He slid off the bed, praying he had one. Relief washed over him as he pulled the package from his wallet and crawled back on the bed beside her.

  “Almost ruined the whole show,” he joked, looking into her eyes and making sure she was still on board with moving forward.

  She smiled. “Yeah, that would’ve sucked. I’d have to start calling you ‘Tease’.” He rolled the condom on and moved back between her legs. He positioned the tip over her opening and pushed into her little by little.

  “Just relax, Rissa. This is going to probably hurt just a bit at first until your body gets used to me there.” She exhaled, and he felt her body slack beneath him. He pushed in a little farther, sinking deeper into her. It felt like heaven being there, sharing this moment with her. He wanted her to enjoy sex, to move past the fears she had. Her eyes were locked onto his, softening a little bit at a time as he moved unhurriedly inside her. When he was completely inside her, he pulled out slowly and then moved back in gradually.

  Her body was expanding around him, accepting him. He picked up the pace of his movements. The anticipation had nearly drove him mad, but this - this was the sweetest torture he could have imagined. He could feel her trust building with every deliberate movement he made. Nothing was unexpected or rushed. Or self-serving. He was there for her, but he was getting so much more than he had anticipated.

  Her fingers flexed into his ass, drawing him into her. She said nothing, and kept her eyes on him at all times. But her eyes had turned dark and sultry. Her body began to move with his, matching his thrusts. He could feel his orgasm building and knew it wouldn’t take much for him to climax. He had never been that concerned if he provided his partner satisfaction. This was different. He wanted to make sure Rissa felt the amazing release that came with truly great sex. He wanted her to know what it was like to be completely sated, to know that sex can be wonderful when shared between two people who cared about each other.

  And he wondered where the hell all this had come from, because he usually didn’t consider sex anything more than just sex. Rissa was different, and he wanted her to be happy. One hundred percent, full-on, over-the-top happy.

  She shifted beneath him, and he let out a long moan. Whatever she had done, sent him into another realm of ecstasy. He pushed inside her harder than he had intended, but she didn’t flinch. She pushed harder against him. Her breaths were short and choppy.

  “Oh my God, Griff.” Her eyes had searched his, seemingly confused by what was going on with her body. He could feel her muscles clench tightly around him and then release. She was close.

  “It’s all right, baby. Let go. You’re safe with me.” He felt her body tremble beneath his, until she contracted around him. She called out his name and he could feel the waves of her orgasm rolling through her body. It was more than he needed to explode inside her. His body jerked a couple more times and then completely relaxed. He leaned his head against hers, dragging in deep breaths.

  Tears streamed down her face when he looked at her. He leaned in and kissed her, his hand caressing the side of her face. When he pulled back again, she was smiling, and mouthed the two words he hadn’t known could mean so much.

  “Thank you.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Griff rolled over and snuggled into Rissa’s back. He moved her hair aside and kissed along her neck. She mumbled something he couldn’t make out. She took his hand and pulled it so that his arm was wrapped around her. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear.

  “I’m starving. Let’s go get breakfast.”

  “But then we would have to get out of bed,” she whined.

  “It’s Monday morning, Rissa. I have to get out of bed anyway. I have a business to run, bikes to build. Partners to answer to.”

  “I heard your partner is a real bitch.” She rolled onto her back, and he pushed the hair out of her face so he could look into her beautiful eyes. They looked like jewels sparkling in the early morning sun that was brightening t
he room.

  “She’s not so bad. She’s growing on me. I kind of like her now.” He nipped along the edge of her jaw. Her hands went into his hair, tugging it in her grasp.

  “Is that right? Anything in particular you like about her?”

  “Mmm, lots of things.” He looked into her eyes and smiled.

  “Such as?” She had that quirky little smile that nearly drove him insane with desire.

  He slanted his mouth over hers, stopping just before their lips touched. “I like her soft, extremely kissable lips.” He kissed her gently before gliding over her neck and kissing her just behind her ear. “And I like the sound she makes when I kiss her right here.”

  “But what I like most,” he said, moving in between her legs, “Is waking up next to her in the morning.” He could feel her wet heat on his erection. God, nothing in the world compared to being here in this moment with her, knowing the trust she was placing in him. This was more than sex. It was an agreement between them to always offer the other a safe place. A place where there were no monsters - no demons that came through dark memories to destroy these precious moments.

  Her hands slid down his back and over his backside, squeezing the meaty flesh. He moaned into her mouth, pushing his tongue in deeper. She broke away from his lips.

  “Condom.”

  He glanced over to the nightstand on the other side of the bed where the box of condoms lay open on its side. Thank God he had run out last night and hit the drug store. He knew after that first time, there was no way he would let it be the last. He rolled off of her and grabbed the first packet his hand landed on. Rissa had scooted next to him and took the package from his hand. She tore it open and his eyes were glued to her hands as they worked the condom over his erection. He thought there was a very good chance he may blow his wad just from that. Why that simple act seemed so damn erotic to him, he didn’t know, but he was sure that he was about to go insane if he couldn’t get inside her. Now.

  He was about to push her onto her back when she swung her leg over his body and positioned herself above him. Her hand fisted around his shaft ,and she guided the head to her opening. Slowly, she slid down onto him. They moaned together. She was like a glove around him, tight and hot. When he was completely inside her, she slowly rocked her hips back and forth.

  “Oh, God, Riss. That feels so good.” He hadn’t noticed his fingers digging into her hips until she cried out. He watched her eyes turn a deeper shade of green and flame alive. She put her hands on either side of his head, leaning over him. Slowly, she moved up and down along his thick length. She guided one of her breasts to his mouth. He let the tip of his tongue swirl around her nipple, bringing it to a hard peak. He sucked it into his mouth and felt her shudder around him.

  “Griff,” she called to him. “Don’t stop. Don’t. Stop.” Her body was moving faster, banging into his, forcing him to thrust inside her. He moved to her other breast, which elicited a long, deep moan from her. Griff’s climax was building. He knew he was about to explode. He lightly nipped at her hard nub, which sent her reeling into an orgasm. Her body bucked against his, as she screamed his name. He finally let loose his own release, groaning loudly as the waves of his orgasm moved through his body.

  She collapsed on top of him, burying her head in the crook of his neck. She was breathing heavy, and was still. Finally she lifted her head and gazed at him. The smile he loved barely tipping the corners of her mouth.

  “Now, I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”

  ***

  It was a new and exciting feeling for Clarissa. She and Griff held hands as they walked into the restaurant, stealing kisses, embracing, being a normal couple in the very beginning of a relationship. Normal. Clarissa had very few normal relationships on any level, but a romantic relationship, well, normal was not ever the word that could be used to describe them. It was almost difficult to even label them as romantic.

  Being with Griff felt so right. Everything about him called to her. He was so strong and protective outwardly, yet so gentle when they were intimate. He was a total smart ass, had a sharp tongue, and rarely held back. So much like her personality. And yet, when she was feeling most vulnerable and scared, when the memories would ravage her mind, he was there. He never pressed her for answers, just accepted that she had been deeply hurt by a man from her past.

  The hostess showed them to a booth with a view of the busy street outside. They sat across from each other, but held hands over the table. Not even the lure of coffee encouraged them to break the connection they had. Griff was telling stories about Neal and his many wives - and ex-wives - that had Clarissa laughing. Not the normal, run-of-the-mill laugh, but a toss your head back and just let loose laugh. The kind that reawakened the soul and got blood pumping through the heart. The kind that reminded her she was still alive. Laughing had not been a part of her life for so long, she had nearly forgotten how amazing it was just to let go and enjoy life.

  “Well, this looks cozy.” Both of them glanced up at the woman standing at the end of the table. Her gaze dropped to their entwined hands resting on the table. Clarissa could have sworn she felt fire coming from Brandi’s eyes, burning their skin where it connected one to the other. She went to pull her hands away, but Griff squeezed them, not letting her go. Griff had a wide grin across his face, but his eyes were shooting daggers at Brandi.

  Without another word, Brandi turned sharply on her heel and walked to the other side of the restaurant and sat down.

  “What was that all about?” Clarissa pulled one hand free from Griff’s grip and picked up her coffee cup. Suddenly she needed the caffeine in her system to steady her nerves. Clarissa was a seasoned coffee drinker. The only time it made her jittery was when she hadn’t met her intake quota for the day.

  “I’m guessing Widow Brandi is not happy that the two of us have become so close. It certainly will make it harder to convince you to give her your shares of the business if we actually like each other.” He turned his head towards where Brandi sat. He snickered, “In fact, I’d bet good money that if she knew what we did all last night and again this morning, she might actually turn into a fireball and explode.”

  “As if I would ever give her my shares of the business. If I hated you, I would keep them just to irritate the hell out of you. As it stands, I don’t want that she-devil anywhere near you.” She felt an odd sensation course through her body. What was that? Protectiveness? Maybe. The thought of Brandi trying to get close to Griff, touch him in anyway, made Clarissa want to run across the restaurant and beat the living crap out of the woman.

  “If I’m not mistaken, that’s exactly what you were doing in the beginning - making my life hell.” He pulled her hand to his lips, forcing her attention away from her slutty stepmother and back on his ruggedly handsome face.

  “And now?” She fell into his dreamy eyes, nearly forgetting there was anyone else around.

  “Now, you drive me crazy in a way that makes me want to skip breakfast and take you back to bed.”

  She leaned over the table, and whispered, “You need to eat and get your strength up. I have a lot of catching up to do, and you get to be the recipient of my years of…inactivity.”

  He leaned in and kissed her, murmuring against her lips. “I like the sound of that.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “East Coast Bikes,” Griff answered the phone on his desk.

  “Hello, Robbie,” Gram greeted him. “I wanted to make sure you’re still coming for dinner tonight.”

  “Of course, I wouldn’t miss it.” He cringed. He had told Rissa he would swing by her place after work. There was no way he was going to be able to get there, have some quality sex, and make it to Grams on time. “Mind if I bring a friend along?”

  “The more the merrier.” Gram always made room for anyone at her table that needed a good meal. Food nourishes the soul. Another one of her favorite sayings. Griff could write a book with all the tidbits of wisdom the woman could bestow with just a few
words.

  He hung up with Gram, and grabbed his cell phone. Hitting the speed dial for Rissa, he waited for her to answer.

  “Hello, handsome.” She answered after the third ring.