As Bryan went to get a bucket, Ryne leaned forward, a teasing glint in his eye. He spoke in a voice that was menacingly slow and creepy. “I’ve heard that evil drops of water often stalk fair young maidens in the middle of the night.”
“That’s not funny.” Mel pushed ineffectually at Ryne’s thighs. “Will you get off me?” She hissed.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m quite comfortable.”
“Well, I’m not. Now get off!” She noticed that he’d focused his eyes on her chest and she could only imagine what he must be seeing; the t-shirt wasn’t that heavy and the room was cold.
Bryan walked in carrying a bucket just as she spoke. He chuckled. “Mel, would you mind waiting until I’m gone? I’d rather not be here to see Ryne ‘getting off.’ We’re good friends and all, but I don’t particularly want to witness his sexual exploits.”
Mel was sure her face was as red as a tomato by now. She crossed her arms protectively over her chest, while chastising Bryan. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it!”
Bryan said nothing else, merely setting the bucket in place and walking out of the room snickering.
Chapter 17
Mel awoke wrapped in a cocoon of warmth. She sighed contentedly and snuggled in closer to the source of the heat. Mmm, now this was the way to wake up. Funny, she’d never realized how comfortable her body pillow was before. It smelled good too—sort of spicy and masculine…
Wait. That wasn’t right. Her pillow smelled like the lemon-fresh scent of her laundry soap. She moved her fingers, exploring the surface beneath her… uh-oh. Last time she checked, her body pillow didn’t have a rib cage. This was not good.
Cautiously she opened one eye and saw a muscular pectoral just inches from her face. Oh great, what had she done now? Without thinking, she gathered her strength and pushed hard against the body that was pressed to hers, twisting away with the intent of creating as much space, as fast as possible, between herself and the person beside her.
As escape attempts went, it was highly unsuccessful. She barely made a quarter turn before strong hands caught her, pulling her back.
“Not so fast, sweetheart.” Ryne’s voice was rough with sleep.
Yep. Just as she suspected. She was in Ryne Taylor’s bed and he was in it as well. Finding herself effectively trapped, Mel looked up at him and scowled. After last night’s incident, he’d refused to let her stay alone, claiming she’d just have more bad dreams and he didn’t want his sleep disturbed anymore than it already was. Of course, she’d protested and in the end, the annoying man had simply picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.
Once in the bedroom, he’d dropped her onto the mattress, turned off the lights and climbed in beside her before she even had her wits about her. His arms had held her tightly against him, thwarting her attempts to leave. In the end, under the threat of being tied and gagged—he wouldn’t really do that would he?—she’d finally stopped her struggles. Lying stiffly at his side, she’d listened as his breathing fell into a steady rhythm, indicating he was nearing sleep. At some point, she must have dozed off too, though her intention had been to sneak out as soon as he slept.
“I see, from the frown on your face, that you aren’t a morning person.” Ryne rose up on his elbow beside her. His dark hair hung messily about his face and the morning stubble on his chin made him appear more handsome than ever.
How dare he look so sexy first thing in the morning, Mel thought to herself. She scowled thinking that her own morning appearance was probably less than appealing. It just wasn’t fair!
“Tsk, tsk. I can’t have a grumpy woman in my bed. I have a reputation to uphold, you know.” A crooked grin appeared on his face and his eyes twinkled with devilment. “I definitely have to do something about this.” Without another word, he tilted her chin up and kissed her.
In shock, Mel gasped which provided him the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. Instinctively, she struggled, but he merely chuckled against her lips and continued on with the kiss, using his weight and superior strength to keep her in place. She pushed against his shoulders, and twisted her head trying to break free, with no effect. Annoyingly, even as she began pummelling him with her fists, she realized her lips were moving against his, returning the kiss.
Ryne lifted his head and grinned down at her. “Ah, no more scowl, but… hmm… still not quite the look I was hoping for, maybe… ” Suddenly, Mel found her arms pinned over her head.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
“Experimenting.” And with that, he kissed her again. This time it was slow and gentle, his lips pulling and sucking on one of hers, tenderly nibbling then licking. Abandoning her mouth, he trailed his lips lightly over her jaw to her ear. Taking his time, he left butterfly kisses on her forehead, down her nose, across her cheeks before finally settling on her mouth once again. Mel felt every nerve ending tingle to life as something inside her instinctively responded to him.
At some point, she had stopped her struggles and was now kissing him back with growing enthusiasm. Ryne lifted his head and whispered into her ear. “You liked that didn’t you? Me, holding you down.”
That jolted her to awareness. No—this couldn’t be happening! Mel grabbed onto a remaining bit of sanity and wriggled, trying to work herself free again. Ryne moaned in approval and shifted his attention to her neck, his teeth grazing the skin there. He rolled so that his body only half covered hers, his leg insinuating itself between hers. She could feel his erection pressing against her thigh, hot and heavy. For the first time, she became aware that he was nude. The realization had her struggling even more, but perversely, her resistance was increasing her own excitement; the touch of domination proving to be highly erotic.
Her blood was thrumming through her veins now; her heart was pounding. An intimate ache grew within her. Struggles to escape became undulations, inviting him to explore and satisfy the need she could no longer deny. A thrill ran through her as he rocked his swollen member against her and his hand brushed her stomach. With a sigh, she gave in to the craving inside her.
After that everything got a bit blurry. At some point, her wrists had been freed and she was able to wrap her arms around him, splaying her fingers over the hot muscled surface of his back. Ryne grabbed the edge of her t-shirt and worked it up to her armpits. He pressed their bodies together and her breasts compressed against the solid wall of his chest. The scattering of hair abraded her skin and made it tingle.
He nipped at her chin and nuzzled her neck; the feel of his hot breath trailing across her collar bone, sending shivers up and down her spine. Working his way down her body, he buried his face in her cleavage while rhythmically kneading her breast. Mel moaned in pleasure at the feel of his calloused hand on her soft skin. Her nipple stiffened as he drew his thumb back and forth across the taut peak before giving it a little pinch and twist. Pleasure shot through her and she felt moisture gather between her legs.
It had been so long since she’d been with someone; since she’d felt that sweet release. Tension quickly built within her as she thought of Ryne’s strong muscular body possessing hers, of wrapping her legs around his waist, her fingers digging into his back while his long thick shaft moved within her…
Suddenly she realized that she had parted her legs and Ryne was probing her with his finger. When had she lost her panties? And did she even care? Stroking her silken folds, Ryne gently slid a digit into her and she gasped, jerking at the onslaught of sensations. He moved his finger in and out, barely brushing against her sensitive spot. The feeling was incredible yet left her squirming and pleading for more.
“Patience, Melody.” Ryne murmured against her breast before enveloping her aching nipple in his hot mouth.
She arched her back as the sensations caused by his sucking mixed with the stroking of her swollen nub. Need was coiling inside her and she abandoned his back in favour of gripping the bed sheets. He switched to her other nipple and she began to whimper, tremors st
arting to build. His stroking changed pace and he added another finger inside her, then a third. With the extra thickness stretching her, Mel went over the edge, convulsing as her release swept through her from head to toe, leaving her panting, and limp.
“Hmm… A much better morning expression; all happy and relaxed.” Ryne smoothed his hand down her body, sounding much too smug. If Mel hadn’t been so pleasantly relaxed, she would have slapped him. Not knowing—and probably not caring—about her thoughts, he continued on in a teasing tone of voice. “But, you look so much more relaxed than I do and we really should be a matched set, don’t you think?” With that, he put on a condom, moved over her and settled between her thighs.
“Again?” Mel managed to make her mouth move.
He chuckled against her lips as he leaned down for a kiss. “Yes. Again.” Mel felt him probing and pressing against her, sliding into the mouth of her tunnel, as if testing her ability to receive him, before pushing forward inch by inch until he was fully sheathed.
The feeling of fullness was delicious and Mel was sure her eyes were already rolling back in her head. When he began to move, her already sensitized body quickly responded. With just a few strokes, he had her panting again, pulling at him, craving more and more until the second wave crashed over her leaving her writhing in ecstasy.
Vaguely, Mel felt Ryne finishing then collapsing on top of her, a contented rumbling sound emanating from his chest. Hazily, she thought it was a curious reaction to good sex but found it innately comforting in some way. She was too satiated to follow through on the thought any further. Wow! It had been ages since she’d had sex, and for some reason, she didn’t remember it being quite this good. She lay there enjoying the aftershocks and letting her mind drift. Only when Ryne moved did she force herself to actually begin to gather her thoughts together.
“Now this is how a man and woman should look and feel in the morning.” Ryne planted a quick kiss on her before rolling away. Mel tipped her head to the side and watched him get out of bed and head towards the garbage. The muscles in his back and thighs rippled and flexed as he crossed the floor. What a great specimen, she thought lazily. And just imagine, I’ve only know him—her thinking screeched to a halt.
Oh. No. Reality sunk in. She’d just had sex with Ryne Taylor! Ryne Taylor who she was supposed to be interviewing. Ryne Taylor who she didn’t really even know and wasn’t even sure if she liked! Good heavens, where had her brain gone?
She blinked and realized that she was staring at Ryne and he was staring right back at her, a half-smile gracing his face.
“From the look you’re giving me, I’d say that the after effects of morning sex don’t last long with you, do they?” Ryne strolled back to the bed and sat beside her, appearing completely unconcerned that he was naked. Mel flushed and averted her gaze from his body, though it wasn’t easy. “Still, I suppose I have enough time to try it again. Maybe that happy mood would stick around longer with one more orgasm. What do you think?”
Mel jerked as she felt him run his hands down her body. Her naked body. Oh God, she’d forgotten that she was naked. Well, almost naked. Her T-shirt was bunched up under her arms, but the rest of her was bare. Realizing that even her legs were still splayed, Mel quickly brought them together and tugged the t-shirt down to cover herself.
“Not in the mood for more?” Ryne flicked the end of her nose. “Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I’m going to take a shower, get dressed, and then go see about clearing the driveway.” He stood up, took a step towards the bathroom, and stopped. “Do you want to join me? The shower stall is large enough.”
“No!” Mel barely managed the strangled response, totally mortified at her own behaviour. Ryne just chuckled and left.
Sitting up, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She’d just had sex with a man she barely knew. That wasn’t like her. It wasn’t like her at all. What had she been thinking? Well, she hadn’t been thinking, that was the problem. She’d only been feeling and it had felt good. Hmm… When was the last time she’d had sex? Furrowing her brow, she searched through the past year, surprised to find no one had interested her sufficiently to reach that level of intimacy. Okay. That explained this morning’s aberration. A long period of abstinence had short circuited her common sense. But now that she’d had her bit of fun, she’d be fine. No more nookie with Ryne!
Feeling somewhat better, she got out of bed and eschewed observing her surroundings in favour of looking for her panties. When she found them, they were in shreds, so she hurriedly stuffed them in the garbage pail. This was just great. She’d have to go commando. She began to pull open the drawers of Ryne’s dresser looking for a pair of track pants or shorts. She might not have underwear on, but darned if she’d walk around with no pants at all!
After finding a suitable pair of shorts, she snugged them around her waist as best she could. They were still a bit big and rode low on her hips, but with the t-shirt hanging halfway down her thighs, it wasn’t noticeable. Ryne came out of the bathroom just as she was pushing the drawers shut. He had a towel slung around his hips and little drops of water clung to his chest. Mel felt her knees go weak.
“Making yourself at home, I see.” His blue eyes twinkled as he grinned at her.
Nervously, she pushed her hair from her face. “Umm… yeah. I hope you don’t mind, but I needed—”
“No problem. Help yourself.” He casually brushed past her, pulled open a drawer, and took out some underwear.
Realizing he was going to get dressed in front of her, Mel turned her back just as he pulled the towel off. It landed lightly on the bed beside her and she gave a little start.
“Still shy after all we’ve shared?”
“Yes!” Mel heard her voice crack and winced. She cleared her throat and gathered her courage to speak. She wasn’t sure of the proper protocol for this type of a situation. “Um, about this morning… ”
Ryne placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. Mel gave a surprised squeak and scrunched her eyes shut. He gave a quick bark of laughter. “You can open your eyes. I’m dressed.” He waited patiently until she complied. She stared up into his handsome face. His blue eyes were intense yet there was a shadow to them as well. What was it? Caution? Regret? Unable to interpret it, she focused on his words instead.
“Melody, this morning was fun. It was great sex and maybe we can do it again, but that’s all it was, okay? Now I’m going to get the guys and move that tree from the driveway. Feel free to use the shower—I set a towel out for you—and look for something to eat in the kitchen. We’ll probably be back in about an hour if all goes well.”
With that, he kissed her forehead and left.
She watched him leave, her mouth hanging open, only one thought in her head.
Jerk!
*****
Mel stood in the entertainment room, staring out the window. She’d showered, found her bra and jeans, and dressed, though she still felt strange not wearing panties. Every step she took had the crotch seam rubbing against her sensitive core—definitely not comfortable. Nor was it comfortable thinking about Ryne and how they’d parted. He’d basically blown the whole incident off and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
Her first instinct had been to be angry at him, but then her more practical side had intervened. They didn’t have a relationship, so she had no right to any sort of anger or hurt. The thought that he was actually interested in her had briefly flashed through her mind, but his words upon leaving the shower had squashed that idea. It had just been sex; fulfilling a need they both felt at that moment. Even if it wasn’t the sort of thing she usually did, it obviously was for him. Remaining casual about what happened would be the best course of action. Yes, the sex was good, but now it was time to focus on the real reason she was seeking him out, the interview for Greyson and the money it would bring her.
After finding the makings for some toast in the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of
coffee and wandered around the house trying to fill her time. She checked out the view from various windows, found it unremarkable, and then decided to investigate the book shelves. Books could tell a lot about a person, she mused as she began to scan the titles. Horrors, mysteries, war stories, ancient history… Which ones were Ryne’s and which ones belonged to the other two?
She pulled out several old leather bound books, their titles barely readable due to age, and sat down to look through them. One was entitled Mythology and Cryptozoology, while another was on Lycanthropy. In the second book, the sections dealing with werewolves were the most worn and someone had made notes in the margins, underlining certain passages. The penmanship was bold, written in black ink, and she wondered if it could be Ryne’s, though the topic didn’t seem like one he’d pursue.
Studying the comments, she chuckled. Words such as ‘idiots’ and ‘as if’ were written near some of the illustrations of werewolves. “Almost got it right’ was penned near a passage about the effects of the full moon and the word ‘allergic but not deadly’ was beside a bit about silver bullets. It almost appeared as if the owner of the book took the topic seriously. She raised her eyebrows at the thought of any intelligent person believing such stuff. Get a life, she muttered. Still, it was interesting that people would devote so much time to create such a realistic myth. Having nothing better to do, she started to read.
It proved to be quite fascinating and she was surprised to hear the sound of voices approaching the house. Mel shoved the books back on the shelf and grabbed her coffee cup. Intent on heading to the door to check on their progress, she took a sip from her cup and grimaced. It was cold. Changing direction, she went towards the kitchen instead. The guys could let themselves in. She needed fresh coffee.
The Keeping Page 18