by Reese Ryan
Did she have what he thought in mind? God, I hope so. He licked his lips and quickly erased the distance between them. He took her mouth with greedy kisses, his tongue exploring, tangling with hers. The sound of his pulse thrummed in his ears. Her sweet, floral scent filled his nostrils. They stripped out of their remaining clothing, her naked ass pressed into the edge of the billiard table as he slid her moist heat along his thigh. Her appreciative murmurs drove him insane, stretching his cock so tight it nearly hurt. He needed to be inside of her. Now.
Gripping her waist, he lifted her onto the table. She lay in the center, legs spread wide, her sex glistening with her want. His overwhelming desire to taste every inch of her grew. She was a four-star feast. He wasn’t sure where to begin, but he knew he needed the right tools to get the job done.
He leaned down to kiss her, his cock brushing against her plump folds. “I’ve gotta grab a condom. Don’t you dare move an inch.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed him against her, her eyes meeting his. “We don’t need it,” she whispered. “I trust you.”
He studied her face. They’d both been tested recently, and she was on the pill. Still, she’d been insistent that not using protection would never be an option. He tried not to let himself get too excited, though his cock was already twitching at the prospect of being consumed by her damp heat. “Babe, are you sure about this?”
She nodded, her face beaming as she pressed her fingers into his flesh, tugging him down. The intense sadness that was there was gone, even if only for the moment. He wanted to refuse. What if she later regretted breaking her rule? But as he studied her eyes he knew this was about much more. Little by little she’d been unfurling, like a rare flower. He’d learned to recognize and celebrate each small triumph—each secret revealed, each emotion shared—even if he only did so inwardly. Maybe Jamie wasn’t ready to put a name to her feelings for him, but she was giving herself to him in a way she hadn’t before because...she trusted him. Now if he could just get her to say those other three little words.
He nodded knowingly, settling his weight between her legs and restraining a moan as his naked length pressed against her sex. The feeling was heavenly and sinful all at once. His body could barely contain its excitement at the prospect. He squeezed her nipples, now thick and tight, between his fingers, enjoying her guttural response. She felt incredible, and she was gorgeous. Her eyes, so open and trusting, locked with his. A playful smile curled the edges of her mouth. His heart danced in his chest. She was funny, maddening, and sometimes crazy. But he loved this girl, and he desired her with a passion that consumed him.
Crushing his mouth to hers, he sucked her bottom lip between his, savoring each murmur as she slid against him.
Jamie broke their kiss, her green eyes imploring him. She pressed her lips against his ear. “I need to feel you inside of me. Please.”
His heart banged against his rib cage so hard, its beating seemed to sway his whole body. He’d wanted to be sure this was what she wanted. Her furtive plea, her alluring gaze and the way her body clung to him in all the right places left him in no doubt. She trusted him, and he trusted her, too. He’d been in love before, but never like this. He was hers—heart, body and soul. He didn’t want anyone but her, not now or ever. Deep down, he knew she felt the same.
Miles raised himself on one forearm and grasped the base of his length in the other hand. He inched slowly inside of her, unable to take his eyes off the connection between them, enraptured by the sensation of his bare cock buried inside her sex—pink and glistening. His biceps strained as he supported most of his weight with his arms, rather than driving her into the hard slate beneath the blue carpet. She hooked her legs over his shoulders and dug her fingers into his skin, pulling him forward, allowing him to enter her as deeply as possible.
She murmured into his neck as he moved against her until she cried out his name, her walls clenching him, like a sweet caress, bring him closer...closer...until he was fucking gone. No longer able to support his weight, he collapsed on top of her, their damp, warm bodies melding, both of them trying to catch their breath.
Rolling onto his back, he pulled her against his chest and kissed her forehead. “That was incredible.”
Jamie raised her eyes to his, her lips parting. She wanted to say something but didn’t. Instead, she pressed her lips to his, cradling his face in her hands. Then she settled against him, her arm and leg wrapped around him tightly.
He kissed her shoulder, smiling to himself. I love you, too.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jamie sat in Miles’s kitchen, watching the muscles of his back as he stood barefoot at the stove in his pajama pants. She fiddled with the button of the matching top.
Quit being a fucking baby. Just tell him.
She opened her mouth, but all that came out was, “Mmm...smells delicious, and I’m starving.”
“Good,” Miles called over his shoulder. “I don’t want to lose any more of those luscious curves. I’ve been worried. You haven’t eaten much lately.”
Jamie lowered her eyes and sighed, embarrassed that he’d noticed. She’d lost more than ten pounds in the weeks since Jo had disappeared, her appetite practically gone. Lisa had teased that maybe she should try the unwarranted guilt diet to lose that ten pounds she’d been trying to melt off for the past two years. “I know. But today I want the works.”
“I thought I gave you the works last night.” He gave her a sinister smile that made her laugh.
“Can’t disagree with that.” She climbed off the stool and took the juice out of the refrigerator. She set the pitcher on the counter and leaned against the huge stainless steel refrigerator as she watched him.
“What? Do I have toothpaste on my chin or something?” He gave her a nervous laugh as he flipped the sausage in the skillet.
“No,” she shook her head. “Just enjoying the view. I’m an artist. When I see a blank canvas, I begin envisioning murals. She brushed her fingers across his firm chest. “I was thinking that would be the perfect place for a tattoo.”
“Did I forget to mention that I’m unequivocally opposed to needles piercing my skin for any reason whatsoever?” They both laughed. He nodded toward her. “It’s apparent which one of us has the balls of steel in this relationship.”
“And don’t you forget it, baby.” She lifted on her toes and kissed him.
“Yes, ma’am!” He slapped her playfully on the bottom as she walked away.
* * *
Jamie put the last of their breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and then washed the sticky syrup remnants from her hands. Grabbing her waist from behind, he surprised her. He nuzzled his face into her neck.
“Miles,” she said quietly, “there’s something I need to tell you.”
His whole body tensed. No man liked to hear those words. It either meant you’d fucked up royally, or you were about to be fucked. He loosened his grip on her waist and turned her, so that their eyes met. He tried to hide the concern in his voice. “What is it, babe? Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine.” She gave him a reassuring smile as she ran her hands down his arms, but he wasn’t convinced.
He gripped her hand and led her to the table. “So then tell me.”
She lowered her eyes and bit her lower lip before returning her gaze to his face. “I need a little time away.”
Miles stomach knotted. Just breathe, buddy. Just breathe. Maybe that’s not what she means. “Like a vacation?”
“Yes.” She nodded, seeming relieved.
“That’s a great idea. I’m kind of slammed at work right now, but if you give me another month or so, we can do a long weekend somewhere, maybe Paradise Is—”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” She raised her hand in protest. “I mean just me.”
“Oh. Family vacation?”
“No.”
“Girls-only retreat?”
“Not exactly.”
“Are y
ou breaking up with me?”
“What? No. How could you think that after last night?” she asked, mouth twisted, eyes dancing with amusement.
He inhaled deeply then released. Okay, so whatever else this is, we can get through it. No problem. “So what do you mean?”
“Nazirah and her daughter are returning to Mexico for a few weeks and she’s invited me for a visit while she’s there. She has a place by the beach that no one’s using. It’ll be an artist’s retreat.”
“Oh,” he said, relieved. “Well, that sounds like a brilliant idea. In fact, why don’t I meet you for the weekend at least? It’d be fun.”
“It would be,” she said carefully, “but that’s not what this trip is about for me. I need some time alone to get my head together, paint, really examine where I am in my life, you know?”
He’d done the same thing after a particularly bad bout with depression after Evie’s death. It was the two months he spent in a Costa Rican rain forest that he credited with snapping him out of his dismal slide. “I do understand. It’ll be great for you. You should go.”
“Really?” She raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised he’d given in so easily.
“Really.”
“Good, because I’m going completely off the grid. My phone isn’t international anyway, so it’s perfect. I’ll call you guys to let you know I’ve arrived, and again before I leave, but you won’t be able to reach me while I’m gone.”
Now he was worried.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her. He just didn’t like the idea of her being in a foreign country alone, without a phone. “Babe, I know you want to retreat from the world, but you still need to be safe. The only person you know there is Nazirah, and she won’t even be staying with you.”
“It’s a condo. It’s not like I’ll be alone on a mountain or something. I’ll be fine. But it’s nice that you’re worried about me.” She flashed him a dirty little grin. “In fact, it’s kind of sexy.”
He laughed but then leaned forward, his hands folded on the table. “Speaking of condos, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about. You mentioned last week that your lease ends this summer, and I was thinking... I mean, if it’s something you’d like to do—”
“Are you asking me to move in here with you?”
He nodded, smiling sheepishly. “And doing a very poor job of it.”
She bit her lip, her eyes narrowed. “Have you ever even had a roommate, rich boy?”
He hated it when she called him that, especially when the point she was making was a valid one. He’d always had his own apartment, even in college. He shook his head. “No.”
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll seriously consider it, but you should do the same,” she said definitively.
Before he could argue, she’d leaned over the table and pressed her warm lips against his. It was a distraction technique, like a mother giving her fussy baby a binky. But as she tugged his lower lip between hers, he didn’t much care.
* * *
Jamie shielded her eyes from the sun, her toes digging into the sand on Manzanillo Beach as she watched a flock of birds splashing in the water. Her glorious vacation had nearly come to an end. She’d completed dozens of sketches and taken so many photos that she’d had to buy another memory card for her camera. She sighed, leaning back on her hands, the sun warming her face and throat. And what memories they were. She’d never forget the beautiful scenery and friendly locals. They would always be part of her and inspire her work.
She regretted her decision not to let Miles and Mel come for the weekend. It would’ve finally been her opportunity to tell Mel about him. Things had gone on so long that by the time she’d decided Miles was for keeps, she figured it’d be better if she told her in person.
Besides, the trip hadn’t been for recreation; it was restorative. A much-needed rest for her mind, heart and soul. A chance to be refreshed, renewed and inspired. The landscape with its kaleidoscope of colors made her feel warm all over, like being welcomed home. As she created, inspired by the breathtaking views out her window, she’d given her heart an opportunity to heal. Nazirah had recommended that she take part in daily yoga and meditation on the beach. She’d been reluctant at first, but now she looked forward to the time each day and sometimes found herself meditating in the evening, alone in her room. Her mind had never felt so calm. And in that stillness she finally allowed herself to dwell on and be surrounded by the emotion she felt for Miles. She still couldn’t say the words, but she could see with clarity the beauty of what she felt for him. Being able to open up her heart to him didn’t make her weak; it made her strong. And she’d never felt more beautiful.
Slowly she’d begun to see herself with the same love and admiration he had for her. It made her chest ache, thinking of how completely she’d given in to a sense of self-loathing, and her resulting behavior. No wonder she hadn’t been able to give her heart to anyone else. How could she, when she’d never truly learned to love herself? She closed her eyes against the harsh realization of how cruel she’d been to Ex. She’d never intended to hurt him, but deep down she’d always known how he felt about her. Her needs had always been more important than his—or anyone else’s, for that matter. She’d used the traumatic experiences in her life as an excuse to be cruel and uncaring to others. That wasn’t the person she wanted to be anymore.
The trip was exactly what she needed. A chance to reflect on her life, especially everything that had happened the past few months. But she was desperate to see Miles. She’d missed him more every day. Kari’s words at lunch echoed in her head. If you love him—you couldn’t imagine your life without him. She couldn’t imagine her life without him anymore. He was in her every thought. She longed for his touch, the sound of his voice and his smile. He’d come into her life and turned her world completely upside down. She would never be the same. Thank God for that.
Jamie reached out to grab a red ball that the wind had carried down the beach. She smiled and handed it to a little girl with shining dark hair and large, expressive brown eyes. “Here you are, beautiful.”
Whether the little girl understood her or not, she beamed, nodding as she reached out for the ball. “Gracias.” She headed back down the beach toward her family.
A few months ago she would’ve begrudged the little girl for having what she didn’t—parents who loved and cared for her. But now she smiled, waving down the beach at the family. For an instant, in the tiniest recesses of her mind, she could envision a smiling little girl with twinkling blue eyes and sandy brown hair.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jamie smiled as she waved at Ellie, who nearly passed her as she stood curbside at the airport.
“Jamie? Is that you? Oh, my goodness! You look gorgeous!” Ellie parked the car and rushed to the curb to hug her.
“Geez, you leave the country for a little while and people forget all about you.” A broad smile pressed the corners of Jamie’s mouth north as Ellie squeezed her in her arms.
Ellie beamed, combing her fingers through a handful of Jamie’s cut and highlighted hair. “I just can’t believe it. This is your natural hair color. I haven’t seen it in years.”
“It’s just highlights,” Jamie said, patting her hair self-consciously.
Varying shades of auburn were mixed throughout her dark head of hair, and she sported a fresh new haircut, something she hadn’t bothered with in years. She’d gotten a mini-makeover during a splurge at a day-spa with Nazirah and her little girl, Liana. When the stylist and makeup artist asked Jamie whom she wanted her makeover to resemble, her answer was the same. “Myself,” she’d breathed, as if it were a revelation. Both women smiled at her but showed her pictures of celebrity styles they thought would work well for her.
She’d spent so many years trying to look like someone other than herself. She hadn’t wanted her mother’s distinctive auburn hair, so she’d died it black to match Ellie’s. Later she’d embraced the Goth look because it reflecte
d her own perpetually dark mood. Now that the mood had lifted, she wanted a look that was fresher and lighter, but still very much her. So the hair stylist suggested that she gradually move toward her natural hair color. And the makeup artist replaced her smoky eye shadow with a warm, subtle palate that reminded her of the terrain in Manzanillo Beach.
“It’s perfect. Serious and playful. Unexpected. Just like you. Miles is going to love it.”
“Will he? I don’t think he knows my hair doesn’t come out midnight black at the roots.”
“Unless you’ve suddenly stopped buying your hair dye in bulk, I’m pretty sure the jig is up. Overnight guests always snoop in your cabinets.” Ellie offered a knowing grin. “And yes, I know he’s going to love it. Speaking of that handsome man of yours, why didn’t you call him? The man called me in a panic. You didn’t tell him you were staying an extra week?”
Jamie scrubbed her hand across her face. “The connections weren’t very good. Whenever I tried to use the phone to call him it was down. I barely got that call out to you. He must be furious with me.”
“He’s just concerned. Besides, he left this morning for a conference overseas, and he’ll be there until next Friday.”
“An entire week?” Even she realized she was whining. She sighed. “Anything else?”
“Yes, he said to tell you he noticed your truck was leaking oil. He’s arranged for a mechanic to pick it up and he left his car at your place. Mrs. Jacobs has the keys.”