“Want to go to a movie this weekend?” she asks.
“I thought you were going to that thing at Trip’s new place,” I reply.
When she doesn’t say anything, I turn to face her.
She’s standing next to me with her hands on her hips and an annoyed expression on her face. “I’m not going to be friends with him now.”
“Kace, you don’t have to do that.”
“I can be civil to him, but I don’t have to hang out with him. Jake already said he would help him move.”
“Fine, but only if we go to that movie theater where we can drink.”
She grins.
“I’m going to go grab my next load of laundry from the dryer,” I mutter.
She waits for me and then once I’m back, helps me put my clothes away.
“Want to go to Lola’s?” she asks, once we’re done.
I frown. The last thing I want to do is risk a run in with either Trip or Tad.
“Can we stick around here?
“You can’t hide out forever,” she replies.
“I know. Gavin and I are covering the adoption fair at the animal shelter tomorrow. Is it cool that we stay in today?”
“What do you want? I can go pick up lunch for the both of us,” she replies.
“See, this is why I love you.”
My cell is sitting on my small counter and lights up with an incoming call.
Holding it up for her to see I say, “It’s Trip. Should I answer it?”
“You’re not going to be able to avoid him forever. You might as well get it over with,” she murmurs.
“If I ever start liking a guy again, will you promise to punch me in the face?”
She crosses her heart.
I take a deep breath, and then accept the call. “Hi.”
“Did you get my text?”
I move back toward the sofa, and ignoring his question, say, “Listen, Trip. I think it would be best if we tried to be just friends.”
Friends?
“Look I was an asshole last night. I shouldn’t have left,” I argue.
“No, I wanted you to leave. Here’s the thing, I’m not even angry but I wasn’t lying when I said I want kids. I get that we weren’t a couple or anything but I think it would be smart if we cut our losses now. You seem like a nice guy, so yeah, hopefully someday we can be friends.”
I glance over at Walt, curious to see if he’s listening in. He’s talking to another one of the guys.
“I don’t want to be just your friend, Reilly,” I hiss.
“We both want different things, and that’s okay,” she replies.
The thought of not touching her again, not kissing her has my insides tensing. “I’m not ready for us to be done.”
“That doesn’t change anything, Trip.”
“It does. Why can’t we keep seeing each other for now?”
There’s a pause and then a sigh before she says, “That’s not a good idea.”
I can sense her hesitation, and I jump on it. “I still want you.”
“Trip,” she argues.
I’m done here and don’t want to go back to that empty room at the inn. “Can I come over?”
“What? Now?” she asks.
I stand and raise my hand in a silent goodbye to the guys. “Yeah, are you home?”
“I am, but—“
I interrupt her, not wanting to finish that sentence. “I’m on my way.”
Pressing my screen to end the call, I grin down at my phone. I like her and am not going to let her end what we’ve got. She just needs some convincing.
It’s a short drive from the station to her house. It takes effort not to go faster than I should. One rule for being a police officer in a small town is not speeding. Otherwise you get it thrown in your face when you pull a neighbor over for the same thing.
As I turn onto her street, I watch Kacey Albright pull away. Does that mean she was there for our call?
I park and am not even out of my car before Reilly is at my door. She’s wearing a Ferncliff softball championship tee and a pair of snug yoga pants. Her hair is damp, pulled back in a ponytail. She’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.
“Trip, you should go.”
She steps back, moving out of the way as I push open my door. Taking her hand in mine I tug her toward the house.
“Trip,” she huffs, pulling her hand but I don’t let go.
“We need to talk, and we don’t need that talk to happen in your front yard,” I explain as we hit her porch.
“Fine,” she grumbles once we’re inside.
When I start toward the door to her stairs, she digs in her heels. “We’re inside. We don’t need to be upstairs.”
“I’d rather not have your roommate hear my business.”
She narrows her eyes at me and still manages to be cute doing it. “I guess.”
I follow her up the stairs, my eyes on her ass. When we reach the top of the stairs, she steps to the side and I’m stunned by how different her place looks.
The space is different but her reaction to my being in it is the same. Her eyes flit to the sink now empty of dirty dishes. Is this what she’s done all day? Clean?
She twists her hands in front of her. Is it the change in her space or our conversation that has her so nervous?
“Come here,” I order.
She shakes her head. “Just say what you came to say.”
“Will you sit?” I ask, motioning to her sofa.
She nods and then follows me to it. I sit first and she positions herself as far away as possible from me.
Angling my body toward her, I move closer and rest my hands on top of hers. “What I did last night was a mistake.”
She pulls her hands out from under mine and folds her arms across her chest. “This isn’t a conversation I would ever have with a guy this soon but, did you mean what you said about never wanting kids?”
I look away, dragging my hand over my face. “That’s complicated.”
“It’s still a yes or no question,” she argues.
“Right now, I don’t see kids in my future.”
“Right now?” she presses.
I nod.
“What does that even mean?” she asks, standing.
“Can’t we figure it out as we go?”
Her hands are back in front of her, fingers twisting again. It takes all that I have not to go to her and take her hands in mine.
“And then what? What if one of us develops actual feelings beyond appreciating the physical stuff? The smartest thing to do would be walking away now.”
“I don’t want to walk away,” I snap.
I don’t even want to call her out on her “appreciating” the physical bullshit. She knows damn well we both do a fuckava lot more than appreciate it. She balls her fists and attempts a shrug, it’s supposed to be nonchalant. I can read her. She’s faking this bravery. She still wants me, wants to see where this will go, but is too scared of getting hurt to do it.
“Has sex ever been as good with anyone else?” I ask.
She turns, giving me her profile. “We have chemistry. So what?”
“So what?” I repeat.
Her chin dips and then comes up.
I close the distance between us and press my front to her back, my fingers digging into her hips.
My mouth at her ear as I say, “You think this is just chemistry?”
She doesn’t move, either against or away from me. She can’t decide what to do.
“Reilly, you can’t deny there is something more than simple chemistry here.”
“That doesn’t change anything,” she whispers.
“That doesn’t mean we should stop,” I push, my arms sliding until she’s circled by them.
“Do you remember me from high school?”
Her tone is off, and I blink at her question.
“What?”
“Me,” she repeats. “Do you remember me from high school?”
Loosening my grip, I
spin her so she faces me. My gaze moves over her face. Why is she asking this?
“Why does that matter?” I ask.
She reaches to wrap her arms around my neck. “I want to know.”
“It was a long time ago,” I reply.
She smiles, but it’s halfhearted at best. “I was curious.”
“I’m sorry.” It’s her crestfallen expression that makes me apologize.
“I remember you.”
Why does that sound like a bad thing? I comb through my memories of Ferncliff High. She’s two years younger than me, or three?
“I had the biggest crush on you,” she murmurs.
“I—“
She presses her fingers to my lips and then moves them to gently kiss me.
When she pulls away, she says, “Sometimes it’s best that you not get what you wished for when you were younger. That way you aren’t disappointed when it isn’t everything you dreamed it would be.”
“Hey.”
She pulls away. “I think you should go.”
“I think we need to talk this out.”
She shrugs. “I’m not sure what the point of that would be. We want different things. That isn’t changing. I’m bummed but whatever.”
She’s trying to be nonchalant, which pisses me off. I like her. I screwed up but I don’t want this to end, and she isn’t leaving me any room to change her mind.
I can’t seem to reach her with words. Framing her face with my hands, I kiss her. This kiss is not a goodbye. This kiss is a hell no to her pushing me away. This kiss is a dare, a physical wager that she will not stop me.
My hands move and so do hers. We’re frantic, full of emotion and need. We’re plain and simple want.
Her hands tug at my shirt, mine push into her hair, holding her mouth to mine. She can’t argue if I’m kissing her. She was right earlier; this thing we have will only end in one or both of us getting hurt. I don’t care; I don’t want to lose her.
“Trip,” she groans against my lips.
I haul her into my lap, her legs falling to either side of mine as she straddles me. “Don’t talk.”
She tugs my shirt over my head and lets it fall to the floor. Her hands move over my skin. I return the favor, stripping her down from the waist up until only her bra remains. My hands cup her through the lace as she lowers her lips to mine. She moves against me. I need to be inside her.
Reaching for my wallet, I break our kiss. Her hands move to my fly. My hips shift as she lowers my jeans, freeing me. She drops to her knees, and then takes me in her mouth.
“Babe,” I grunt.
She pushes her hair back from her face and locks eyes with me. I’m fucking mesmerized by her. Not only has sex with her been out of this world, she could win awards for what she’s doing to me with her mouth.
“Do that from up here,” I order, hitting the couch cushion next to me.
She stands, but I stop her from moving to strip her bare. Once there isn’t a stitch of clothing on her, I let her kneel next to me and continue. Now that she’s on the couch, I can play as well.
Stretching out my arm, I reach for her. “Spread your legs, Reilly.”
Shifting her knees further apart, she opens for me. I caress her, my fingers moving over her sex before I press one into her. She’s soaked. I ease another finger into her and start fucking her with them. Her body moves against my hand, taking what I’m giving her and still wanting more.
With my other hand, I hold her hair back and push up with my hips. Watching her take me. My thumb moves to her clit, and I almost come watching her groan in pleasure around my dick. I can’t look away from her. She’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
My thumb circles her little nub, her hips shifting and grinding against my hand. “That’s right, fuck my hand.”
She moves her hips faster and sucks me harder. Fucking hell. If she doesn’t come soon, I’m going to blow. I press a third finger into her and watch as her eyes roll back. I don’t stop. I keep at her, even as she lifts her head so she can gasp out her orgasm.
My hand releases her hair, and I pass her the condom. With shaking hands, she eases it onto my cock. My fingers leave her as she moves to ride me. My hands go to her hips as she lowers herself onto me.
“Jesus. You feel good,”
She braces her hands on my knees and gives me one hell of a show. Her back is arched, her breasts bouncing as she moves up and down. My fingers bite into her skin as I thrust up into her. Hard, I want to take her hard.
My hand moves between her legs, my fingers stroking her. One of her hands moves to her breast, my mouth watering as I watch her tug and twist at her nipple. Leaning forward, I suck its mate into my mouth, my tongue swirling around the tight bud.
She pushes my shoulders back and follows me, gripping onto the back of the couch as she keeps riding me.
“There,” she gasps. “I’m right there.”
My fingers continue to stroke her clit as I nip at her breast.
“Trip,” she cries, coming hard.
I shift her off me, lifting from the couch as I turn her. Once her back is to me, I press her down till her cheek hits the seat and thrust back into her. Her hands move to the back cushions to hold herself steady as I pound into her. Echo pulses of her orgasm stroke me from within.
I bend over her, my hands gripping the back of her couch as I take her hard. This isn’t lovemaking, this is pure fucking. It’s rough, intense, and insane. She needs to get that, remember that and never forget what it feels like when I’m deep inside her. No one else can give her what I can. I come hard, my teeth biting down on her shoulder as I do.
Out of breath, I suck in air as my heart finds its regular rhythm again. Lifting my chest, I shift my arm under her and pull her up with me. We’re still bent, just at less of an extreme angle.
She’s eerily quiet.
“Was I too rough?” I ask.
Shaking her head, she lifts one hand to cover my arm, hugging me to her. There’s a mark where I bit her. Turning my head, I press my lips to it.
“Did I hurt you?”
“I liked it,” she murmurs, making my dick twitch inside her.
My lips move up her throat, kissing and licking until I reach her ear. “No more talk of stopping this.”
“Okay,” she sighs.
That sign turns into a gasp when I scoop her up, my cock slipping from her. Not done with her, I carry her like a groom would carry his bride, into her bedroom.
“What are you doing?” she laughs.
Her laughter is like a balm. Before I kissed her, she was holding back tears. Now she’s naked and laughing in my arms.
“We’re not done making up,” I reply, tossing her onto her bed.
She bounces and waits, watching me with hungry eyes as I remove the condom. Tying off the top, I toss it into her trashcan. Then, I join her on the bed. Her hands slide up my back as I cover her, before threading into my hair.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I say, looking down at her.
She is easily the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. It’s no shock she works on TV. Every guy in Ferncliff probably wishes he were me right now. She comes off so poised and buttoned-up during her reports. She’s nothing like that in bed.
I kiss her, long and deep, before shifting down to nip at her jaw.
As I start to move downward, she tries to stop me.
Lifting my head, I pin her with my gaze. “You got your mouth on me earlier. It’s my turn now.”
Her lips part as what I said sinks in. She makes no move to stop me again once I lower my mouth back to her. Taking my time, I explore her curves with my tongue. Her skin is so soft and smooth as silk. She’s restless beneath me, becoming more anxious with each touch.
“What do you want?” I ask, once I’m right where she wants me.
“You know,” she pleads, lifting her hips.
“I want you to tell me,” I reply, my breath teasing her skin.
�
�Lick me,” she all but begs, her hands fisting the comforter.
I shift one of her legs over my shoulder, my tongue sliding up the inside of her thigh. “Is that how you ask nicely?”
Her back arches, making my mouth water for her. “Please, Trip.”
I don’t make her wait any longer, sliding her other leg onto my shoulder and giving her exactly what she wants. She tastes like our earlier sex, and I can’t get enough. Without moving my mouth from her, I glance up at her. I can’t see her face, only the bottom of her chin. Her chest rises and falls as she pants.
She’s moaning now, the sound goes right to my dick. I feel like a teenager around her but still needed time to recover from earlier. Considering how hard I am, less time than I expected.
My hands move under her, lifting her to me. She can’t decide what to do with her hands. They move back and forth from her breasts to the comforter.
She presses her heels into my back, thrusting her hips as I pleasure her. I can’t imagine ever not wanting her. The thought is impossible.
She begins to breathe heavily before going completely still to the point of being rigid. Then, she breaks, her body sagging with the waves of her release.
I lower her legs to the bed and slowly kiss my way up her body. She wraps her arms around me and pulls my mouth to hers as soon as I’m near.
My arms shift under her before banding around her. She shifts her hips and my cock slips inside her.
Fuck, she feels incredible all hot and wet around me. I should pull out and put on a condom. I thrust into her again and again telling myself I’ll do it, only to push deep again.
Pure will power has me finally reaching my hand into her nightstand for one. It takes only a moment to get it on, and then I’m inside her again. I miss there being nothing between us.
Pushing that thought aside, I wrap her in my arms and take her gentle this time. With Reilly, all of it is good, rough or soft, fast or slow, all of it. Her breasts are smashed against my chest, and sweat coats our skin. Her fingers move back into my hair. I’ve had sex that managed to feel impersonal even during the act. This, being with Reilly, is never like that, not even close. We’re all hands, our arms and legs coiling around each other as if we can’t get close enough.
I’m not sure where she ends and I begin.
Why Not? (Love Riddles Book 3) Page 6