She immediately wanted to take the words back. She didn’t want him to know how much he’d hurt her. That she’d harbored that hurt for ten years. He’d doubtless forgotten about her and moved on.
He closed the distance between them and took her arm. “It’s never too late.”
She jerked away and turned to face him. She wanted to wipe the grin off his face.
But he wasn’t smiling now. His eyes bore into hers with a simmering intensity. He was definitely too close now. She could see the shards of gray that mingled in his blue eyes.
He ran his thumb along her cheek, and the fight went out of her.
“We were young,” he said, his breath against her lips. “And you have to admit that seeing your girl morph into a tiger isn’t something someone, especially a teenager, could possibly expect to see.”
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. When she wasn’t mad at him or missing him, she couldn’t help but see the humor in imagining what that teenage boy must have been thinking.
“If it hadn’t been for your Uncle Nate, I would have checked myself into a mental hospital.”
She chuckled. “What did Uncle Nate have to do with it?”
“He turned into a bear.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. Then she laughed. And some of the weight she’d been carrying since that night under the stars lifted.
“Actually,” he said. “I’d seen some of the Hunter brothers shift, so I was familiar with the concept. But you and I dated for two years, and you never said anything. So, needless to say, I was surprised. Besides, I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly in the moment.”
“Apparently, I wasn’t either. In the heat of the moment, I just wanted to share myself with you. All of it.”
He ran a finger over her bottom lip, and she closed her eyes. She wanted him. She wanted his hands on her. His mouth. She’d become very accustomed to his mouth long before they’d gone all the way that night. But that was then. He’d been with others. She could sense it on him; this was one of the drawbacks of being a shifter. “No.” She stepped back and turned away. She willed her body to stop throbbing before she did something she’d regret.
“Riley.” His voice was pained.
She laced her fingers together, but didn’t turn to look at him. “I won’t be just another of your conquests. I know you’ve been with many women.”
“Of course, I have.” He admitted. “Don’t tell me you’ve been celibate for ten years. If you do, I won’t believe you.”
She turned back to face him then. “Yes. I’ve been with other men.”
“Riley. Help me understand the difference.”
Every time she heard her name on his lips, he chipped a little away at her resistance.
“It’s different because I know you.” She blurted.
He stared at her a moment, then laughed. “So, you only have sex with men you don’t know?”
She rolled her eyes at him.
“That’s intriguing.”
And something she never told anyone. “Forget I said anything.”
“Oh no.” He took a step toward her. “You can’t just say something like that and expect me to forget it.”
“I didn’t want a repeat of what happened with you.”
She gave him credit for looking guilty. “Maybe you could give me another chance.” And that charming smile was back on his lips.
“No.” She turned and straightened her hangers – one inch between each one. “Again, not one of your groupies.”
“Riley.” She shot a seething glance at him. “Come on. I’m not asking for sex. Though it would be nice. Surely we can at least talk and catch up on the last ten years.”
She turned and pointed toward the door. “Go.”
“But--”
“I know what you’ve been doing for the last ten years. And I’m willing to bet that you’ve managed to keep up with me whether you wanted to or not.”
“A little, but…”
“A little is more than enough.”
He crossed his arms and glared at her.
“Go.” She repeated.
Chapter Four
Tyler closed Riley’s door behind him and stood for a moment in the hallway.
The teenage girl he’d fallen in love with had grown up and matured in every way possible.
She’d grown strong and resolute. He’d given her a hard time, but the truth was, he’d adopted the same policy she had. He only slept with people he didn’t know.
It hadn’t been a conscious decision. Just something that happened while he was on the road. It had been easy to avoid attachments. Sure, there had been a couple of girls that he’d gotten close to over the years. But no one he’d brought home.
No one he’d committed to.
Because Riley had been the love of his life.
Shaking off the sentiment, he went downstairs, remembering a moment too late to slow down on the steps. His knee gave way from the torn ACL, and he caught himself with the railing, then slowed his pace. It was a constant reminder that he was a washed-out baseball player.
Riley was right to keep away from him. She deserved better. He went into the kitchen and made a sandwich.
He managed to stay away from her for almost twenty-four hours. He’d come into the lodge to check with Nate about tomorrow’s schedule. There was a new group of tourists coming in, and he needed to know how many horses he’d need to have ready to go up the mountain. They always went for the horses. Who could blame them?
Riley was curled up in an oversized armchair in front of the fireplace with a book in her hands. The book was open, but turned upside-down in her lap. She stared into the flames with a far-too-serious expression.
“How’s your father?” He sat on the chair opposite her, giving her time to recognize him.
“Stubborn. As always.” She swiped the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ears, but left a strand falling across her face.
Sexy. That was his one-word description of her in that moment. If given two words, he’d add vulnerable.
“He’s still refusing to go to the doctor in Denver?”
“Won’t even budge.”
“Well, if you can’t convince him, no one can.”
“I don’t understand his reluctance.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to know.”
“Probably. And I get that. But the possibility of getting better outweighs that in my mind.”
“I’m sure he has his reasons.”
She smiled. “I’m sure he does. Still. It’s frustrating that he won’t take advantage of modern medical care.”
“Don’t give up on him yet. Maybe he just has to work up to it.”
“Maybe.” She stared into the flames, watching as the logs fell, sending embers up the chimney.
He was content, sitting here with her. They’d sat here in this chair many times, years ago, wrapped together like two kittens.
He wondered if she remembered.
Chapter Five
Riley stared at the flames in the oversized fireplace. How many hours had she sat here in this very same chair cuddled together with Tyler?
He probably didn’t even remember. They had been so innocent then. That was before she’d revealed a part of her that no one knew about. And before the world had taken away their innocence.
She’d had dinner with her father tonight, but he’d said he was tired and wanted to sleep, so she had gone to her room. But her room was cold, so she’d put on some sweatpants and a sweater and come downstairs to read in front of the fire.
Her thoughts had wandered down their familiar path to Tyler. She’d heard he was injured during a game. She didn’t have details, but knew it involved his knee. So, he’d come back to the ranch. Home. People always went home.
What would he do now that his career in baseball had been cut short? Retire at twenty-seven? It was not unheard of in the sports world. It depended on what he had done with his money. For all she knew, he was biding his time until h
e could get back to baseball.
She’d heard him walking toward her before he sat next to her and spoke. Everything about him was imprinted on her brain.
She had to find a way to get him out of her head. She had other things to think about besides him. Getting her father to the doctor in Denver, for one.
“Did you know that it’s snowing?” He asked, drawing her attention back to him. He leaned back in the chair, his long legs stretched toward the fire. He looked relaxed, except for his eyes. He watched her every move.
“No.” She looked toward the window, but it was too dark to see.
“Come on. Let’s walk outside.”
She gazed into those intense blue eyes he had trained on her. Who could resist a moonlight walk in the snow with Tyler Vargas? She couldn’t. “Okay.” She closed her book and set it aside. “I have to get a coat.”
He stood up and held out his hand. She put her hand in his and allowed him to help her stand up. “You can wear mine.”
Before she could protest, he’d shrugged out of his wool baseball jacket and held it up for her. She backed into it, put her hands in the pocket, and wrapped it close. He reached down to her thighs and zipped it. The jacket was warm from his body heat, and she was enveloped in his familiar scent.
He took her hand and they walked toward the back door.
Riley caught her breath as they stepped out onto the veranda. It was already Spring in New York, but here in the mountains, winter lingered. There was something magical about snow in the mountains. Maybe it was her inner tiger longing to scamper up the mountainside, snow in her fur. Or… maybe it was standing next to her high school sweetheart. Whatever it was had her eyes misting.
“Are you okay?” He asked, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. She didn’t protest. The least she could do was to share her warmth since she had his jacket.
As they stood together watching the fat snowflakes float to the ground, she knew she was lying to herself. She would take any excuse to be wrapped in Tyler’s arms. “It’s beautiful.”
“I remember how much you love to watch the snowfall in the mountains. It’s different, isn’t it, than snow in the city?”
He was reading her mind now? She shifted to look at him, and the fog of their breath mingled.
She wasn’t sure she could take much more. Between being enveloped in his arms, his scent, and now his breath against her cheek. She wanted his hands on her.
He may have fucked his way across the country, but she had been his first, and they’d been in a relationship at the time. Surely that made her different from the others he’d been with.
She closed her eyes as he cupped her chin in his hand. Then his lips were on hers, and every nerve in her body shot to life.
His lips moved on hers, and she thought he might devour her. He sucked on her bottom lip, then his teeth grazed hers as she pulled against him.
The door opened, and a couple with a child came outside.
He tore his lips from hers and placed them against her ear. “We should go inside.”
“Yes.” Yes. Take me inside and put your hands on me.
Hand in hand, they walked past the little family oohing and aahing over the falling snow. “I’ll walk you to your room.”
She nodded.
As they crossed the lobby, she stopped. “My book.”
“I’ll get it.” As Tyler dashed off to retrieve her book, she looked toward the front desk. Uncle Nate was on the phone, one hand pressing against his forehead. His eyes were closed, so he didn’t see her.
“Got it.” Tyler was back at her side with her book in his hands.
They walked upstairs toward her father’s suite. She laughed to herself.
“What’s funny?”
“It’s like we’re teenagers again.”
“Ha. Yeah. I live across the way in my cabin, and you’re staying with your father.”
It’s probably a good thing.
“I don’t want you to go inside yet.” He pulled her toward a little alcove at the top of the stairs.
She should have protested. Would have protested. After all, anyone passing by could look their way and see them. The inn was quiet tonight, though, and she was so turned on that her panties were wet. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad – just to kiss him a little longer.
Once they were inside the little alcove, he unzipped her jacket, nudged her against the wall, and wrapped himself around her, shielding her from view.
And his lips were back on hers. His hands cradled the back of her head and tangled in her hair. She put her arms around his waist, drawing him closer. Their bodies were pressed together, her breasts pressed against his chest, with only her bra beneath her sweater and his white t-shirt between them. Her nipples hardened as she rubbed them against him. The sensation sent more fire to her core.
She groaned and moved her mouth against his. He moved his hands from her head, wrapping them around her inside his jacket to caress her back. In a smooth movement that she barely noticed, he had his hands beneath her sweater and on her bare skin.
He moved his lips to the corner of her mouth, then across her cheek to her ear. As he nibbled on her earlobe, his hands skimmed beneath the edges of her bra.
She was on fire. Powerless against this onslaught of her senses, she surrendered and held on as he moved his lips back to hers. With one hand, his fingers found their way beneath her bra and caressed her breast. His other hand slipped beneath her pants and cupped her butt, pulling her closer against him. His hardness pressed against her mound, through her sweatpants and his jeans.
He moved against her, angling her butt up with his hand and grinding his penis against her clitoris just as his other thumb edged up and swept against her nipple. Then his hand caressed her breast while massaging her nipple.
She couldn’t move. The bombardment of sensations – his body against hers and the scent of his desire – was more than she could withstand.
She was going to climax. Right there in the hallway, fully dressed, with his hands on her bare skin. She moved against him, wanting to get closer. Not wanting him to stop.
She knew he wouldn’t stop. She held onto him as the sensation built. She moaned. She was so close to the edge, she thought she was going to explode.
He slid his arm under her thigh and pulled her leg up against his waist. “Ohhh.” With her legs apart now, barely touching the floor with one foot, she went over the edge and climaxed. Her body went limp, but he held her against him, caressing her back as the waves of pleasure shot through her.
It had been so long since someone had known how to touch her – how to make her come. Most men just wanted to slide inside and showed little concern for her needs. She’d learned to take care of her needs herself, but an orgasm was so much more intense when it was shared.
As her body settled, reality began to seep back in. Tyler Vargas had always been good with his hands – especially since she’d taught him what she liked long ago, but he seemed to have gained some experience along the way.
He eased her back on her feet. “Tyler… I-”
She didn’t even know what she was going to say when she was interrupted.
“Riley!” Uncle Nate was rushing down the hallway toward her. Tyler straightened her sweater. “There you are.”
She took a step forward. “What’s wrong?” Fear shot through her. What had happened while she was in Tyler’s hands?
“Joel – your father – is having some trouble breathing. I’ve called an ambulance. They should be here any minute.”
She dashed past him and was down the hall before he finished talking.
“Father!” He was sitting up in his chair by the window, but his skin was ashen. She knelt in front of him. “What’s happened?”
“I can’t quite catch my breath.”
“What else? Do you hurt anywhere?”
“My chest is a little tight. And my ankles.”
She pulled up his pajama legs and saw that his socks were co
rding his legs. “You’re swollen.”
She sat back. She needed to clear her head. To think.
Shortness of breath and chest pain. “Did you take an aspirin?”
He shook his head.
She turned to the doorway where Uncle Nate and Tyler stood. “Uncle Nate, do you have an aspirin and some water?”
Tyler came to kneel next to her. “How can I help?”
Her body was still reeling from the orgasm. “Help me think,” she said.
“He needs to pack a bag for the hospital.”
Riley went to the closet to get his overnight bag.
“I’m not going to the hospital!” Joel sat up straight.
“Father, the ambulance is on its way.”
He crossed his arms and leaned back. “I won’t go. I’m just fine here.”
“Mr. Harrison, you’re scaring Riley. She’s concerned that you might be having a heart attack.”
“I’m not having a heart attack. I have some kind of autoimmune disease. It’ll pass. It always does. I never should have called Nate to bring me a hot toddy.”
Riley came back to her father’s side, her hands shaking now. “This has happened before?” She’d worked in a hospital long enough to know that this was not a good sign.
“Now and then. It’s part of my autoimmune.”
“It doesn’t sound like autoimmune to me. It sounds like you’ve been having heart attacks. Or else you’re about to have one.”
He waved her off. “Nonsense.”
Riley went back and threw some clothes into the bag. She was shaking so badly, she couldn’t even think about what he might need.
Tyler came to her side and put a hand gently over hers. “Just something to wear home.” His voice was soft. Gentle. “Some basic toiletries. And his wallet and cell phone.”
“Of course.” She turned her hand over, took strength from his palm against hers. “Thank you.”
“I’ll go talk to him.”
She nodded and finished packing his bag. By the time she had everything packed, the ambulance was there. The paramedics took her father’s stubbornness in stride. But within minutes, they had him on a stretcher and on his way out the door. They wouldn’t let her ride with him in the ambulance, so she grabbed her keys and dashed down the stairs to get her car.
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