I nod. “I’ll try.”
Reece starts munching on my burger. “It’s not going to be that easy for you. I can see that. But I’ll accept the ‘I’ll try’ for now.” He coats some of my fries with ketchup and shoves them into his mouth, grinning.
“That’s gross,” I point out.
“Callie thinks it’s hot.”
“Uh, I think you’re delusional. There is no way that is hot.”
“What’s hot?” Liam asks, joining us.
I shudder in revulsion as Reece does it again.
“That.” I wave my hand toward Reece.
Liam smirks. “It’s a guy thing.”
“Hmm. I bet Callie’s really thinking about something else when you do that in front of her,” I add.
Reece gets a look of mischief in his eyes. I narrow mine and tell him, “Do not say a word. Let’s just agree it’s gross and that’s the end of it.”
Suzie deposits a longneck on the table in front of Liam, which he picks up and takes a swallow from.
I raise my brow in question.
He laughs. “Lewis, Mia’s dad called round, and Mia wasn’t home. I hate having to deal with him alone. I’m always worried about telling him exactly what I think of him for keeping us apart. I promised Mia I’d let it go, but I’m really not sure I’m going to be able to until I’ve had my say. I just don’t want to piss her off.”
Ryder slips behind me and places a kiss on my neck, causing goose bumps to erupt on my arms. He sits beside me, placing his hand on my thigh for all to see.
Trying to ignore the sensations running through me at Ryder’s touch and closeness, I turn back to Liam. “You wouldn’t piss her off for long. She loves you Liam and she isn’t going to let words—between her father and you—get in the way.”
Liam offers a small smile before taking another drink of his beer.
I glance back to Reece, who’s demolished all the food on my plate, and left me a burnt fry.
Reece smirks. “I’m a growing boy.”
“That doesn’t work on me anymore, brother.”
“Yes it does.” He washes the food down with his Pepsi and gives Ryder his full attention.
My body goes tense as I wait for him to say something to Ryder and I’m praying it’s nothing to really annoy him, or me.
“Dal has let you in, which she never does. So I’m going to rely on her judgment and trust you in taking care of her . . . but, if you hurt her, then I won’t be too friendly.”
Ryder gives my thigh a gentle squeeze. “My intention has never been to hurt Dahlia, and that hasn’t changed.”
I slide my hand under Ryder’s and entwine our fingers together. All it takes is a slight touch from him and all I want is to be naked back in his apartment—our apartment.
The need to know what his lawyer and his parents had to say is keeping my want for him silent. Although he’s so in tune with me, it wouldn’t surprise me if he knew what he’s doing to me with just that simple touch.
My sexual experience is very limited, and what I know, I know from romance novels rather than hands on. I’d really like to put my knowledge to use with the man sitting so close to me.
Our thighs touching, Ryder plays with my fingers in a caress, causing my blood to heat. He turns his head and meets my gaze before zeroing in on my lips. I’m teasing him by moistening them with the tip of my tongue. I want him to know I have a wicked tongue, and that I want it on him.
He dips in closer and captures my lips in a light caress, sending blood thrumming through my body. I rub my thighs together.
Pulling back, he offers a knowing smile, and I almost groan at the need in his eyes. I don’t know how he has the will to wait. I want him. I’ve wanted him since the first time I laid eyes on him, and his sexy smile. Since then, my body’s been reacting in ways I’ve only ever dreamed about.
“You two do know we’re still here, right?”
We turn and meet the frown on Reece’s face before glancing at Liam and seeing the smirk he’s hiding behind his longneck.
“I knew . . . why do you think Dahlia’s still sitting in her chair and not in my lap?”
Liam clears his throat. “Let’s talk about something else,” he suggests, looking at Reece. “Do you and Callie want to go up to the cabin in the mountains? It’s about a ten minute car journey from Stowe.”
Well, that out of the blue question certainly deflected the glare Reece had been throwing at Ryder and me.
“I didn’t know you had a cabin near Stowe,” Reece queries.
“It belongs to Mia’s family and we should have been heading up there, but we have a couple of things that have cropped up. One of which is another ultrasound of our baby.” He grins, his face full of excitement. “So if you want it for a couple of weeks, it’s yours.”
“How exciting,” I comment. “I bet you’re both looking forward to seeing the images of your child, again; seeing how he or she has developed since the last one.”
“We are.” Liam smiles.
After a comfortable silence, Reece goes back to Liam’s original question, “The cabin sounds good. I’m just not sure it’s the right time to be away. Let me ask Callie and I’ll get back to you.”
“Okay.”
I’ve always wanted to visit Stowe in Vermont, and I’m only slightly disappointed that Liam didn’t offer it to Ryder and me.
It would be nice to get away from everything. It would also be nice to experience a real vacation.
“Hey, are you all right?” Ryder whispers.
“I’m good.”
He gives me a worried look, which tells me I didn’t quite keep the sadness out of my voice.
“Can we go upstairs now? Just the two of us, and talk.”
Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, he gives me a thoughtful glance and says, “We can do that.” He kisses me on the forehead.
“We’re going to head up and talk. We’ll see you both around.” Ryder pulls me up with him.
I turn into him and whisper, “Give me a minute.”
Walking over to Reece, I wrap my arms around his neck. “Thank you for keeping me company today.” I kiss him on the cheek before glancing at Liam. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Dahlia.”
As Ryder wraps his arm around my neck, I slide my arm around his waist and hold on, knowing that, at least for now, I really do have him.
Chapter Eight
Ryder
Opening the door to the apartment, I feel like a teenager sneaking off with a girl for a quickie. My blood has been south of the belt since we kissed. Baseball . . . accounts for the bar . . . Damn, nothing is working to cool the desire burning in me.
I’m going to have to do, or think, of something, because there’s only so much I can take. I’m not a teenager, even though my dick thinks I am. The urge to make love to the woman I love is only going to grow stronger the more naked time we spend together.
Last night had been glorious, but painful for me staying loaded when I’d been hard as fuck.
Ugh. I really need to change the direction of my thoughts, as we need to talk. All I want to do is strip her clothes from her body to reveal her smooth, luscious curves beneath.
“Oomph.” All the breath whooshes out of my lungs when Dahlia backs into me, and rubs her ass against my straining cock.
“Babe,” I groan.
Reaching back, Dahlia grips my hips, sealing my groin to her body. Unable to stop myself, I press into her, slipping my arms around her waist. My hands slide over her belly and further down to rest against her pussy. I really want my hands inside, but we need to talk before playing.
We can’t make love . . . not yet, but a little harmless foreplay is okay.
I drop my face into her neck, and nibble along her shoulder. I hold back a groan when she grinds her delectable ass against me.
My dick jumps and tingles, releasing precum and nearly bringing me to my knees.
We’re going too far, pre-discussion.
/> “Ryder . . . I want you.”
Beautiful words.
“I think we both know how much I want you.”
One handed, I slip it under her shirt and tickle my fingers over her rib cage before cupping her lace-covered breast. She feels so good in my arms, as though she was made just for me.
With my thumb, I rub circles around her aroused nipple, and take great pleasure when she moans and drops her head back to my shoulder while covering my hand with hers.
“Can we get naked?”
I kiss her cheek and lightly pinch her nipple. “I’d love to . . . but we can’t yet. I don’t want to get down and dirty with you until I’ve told you about today. Afterwards though,” I move my other hand under her shirt and massage both her breasts, “I’m going to put my mouth between those sexy thighs. And I’m going to watch while you play with these.” I pinch her nipples. “And I’m not going to let you up for air for a long time—even if it kills me.”
“Oh . . . that’s not fair.”
She turns in my arms and smirking, grabs hold of my junk and squeezes.
“Fuck!”
Walking away from me, she lets her hips roll seductively. Looking back over her shoulder, she grins. “You coming?”
I’m so excited that answering ‘yes,’ wouldn’t be a lie.
Inhaling, I pull myself together and follow her to the living room before dropping my ass into a chair so I’m not tempted to lay her under me on the sofa.
Talk, talk, talk.
If I say it enough times, hopefully, my erection will behave.
“Was it as bad as you looked when you walked into Kix?” Dahlia starts, looking cute and cuddly with her legs curled under her.
I so want to join her.
Later.
“It wasn’t really. It’s just the stress of the day tiring me out. I’m good now that it’s over with and I’m back here with you.” And I mean every word.
Walking into Kix, all I’d wanted to do was wrap myself up in my woman and never let go. It really had taken it out of me—setting the long overdue divorce in motion—talking to my parents—and I’d wanted to be back with Dahlia. Just being with her makes everything all right—as though I can survive anything.
“Don’t say that when I need to stay over here while we talk. All that does is make me want to climb into your lap and curl up.” She smiles.
After a few minutes of debating whether or not I’m insane for passing her up on the offer—insane—I grip the arms of the chair and take a deep breath.
Today could have been a lot worse and for now, there isn’t anything to worry about. It’s just a matter of waiting for all the paperwork to be drawn up. But . . .
“Tell me, Ryder. I’m not going anywhere . . . for now.”
I’m not sure I like the for now part, but the sooner I tell her, the sooner we can head to bed, for a couple of hours at least.
I really need to stop my thoughts from wandering to my junk. Christ, I’ve managed close to six years without being so damn frustrated and now I can’t stop imagining her touching me.
Moving my ass in the chair, I try to discretely rearrange my squished erection, but hearing Dahlia’s laugh, I’m guessing I wasn’t as discrete as I hoped.
“I could help with that.” She smirks.
“No way. I need to get my brain off body parts and reengage it on conversation.” I shake my head and offer her a wicked grin.
Her eyes narrow.
Chuckling, I continue, “Ryan doesn’t see a problem, and thinks, providing he can get her signature, that it shouldn’t take too long to have the divorce finalized. He isn’t going to be sending Brittany the papers until next week.” I pause, not sure if she’s going to like the next part. “The reason I specifically requested he wait is because—although I don’t want to—I feel like I should go and see her and tell her myself. I seriously don’t want to, but I can’t just let the papers show up out of the blue. I’m also not sure how well she’ll take it, and with how she is, I’m worried receiving them without any warning might set her back. There’s also the fact that Brittany and her family has had enough time to initiate the divorce themselves over the years, but they haven’t, which I’ve never thought about before. Now that I am thinking again, I’m not sure how they’re going to react. Ryan said no matter the reaction, there isn’t much they can do considering we’ve been separated for years. I’m still worried, though.”
I’m more than worried about Brittany, about my future, about how long Dahlia will wait. I don’t want Dahlia to know how much I’m worrying and it stings a little. Since admitting to my mistake, I haven’t lied to her about anything.
Brittany wasn’t too bad before we married, but after she had the stroke and I discovered her deception, I wanted to murder the bitch. Because of how she ended up, I’ve been holding the anger I have inside, instead of confronting her and letting her know just how pissed I am about the lies she told.
“I asked him about an annulment, but in the end, we decided because of the time gone that a divorce was probably going to be the quickest and least stressful to finalize.” I rub the cropped hair on my head and remind myself that I need a cut. I haven’t worn it long since before I joined the Marines. “I don’t know, but I’ll go along with whatever he recommends. I mean, he’s a lawyer, right?”
Dahlia unravels herself from where she’s curled up on the sofa and moves toward me. Standing in front of me, she spreads my legs apart and kneels between. Her eyes are full of heat as she slides her hands up my thighs to lean in toward me.
I sit forward and seal my lips with hers. My tongue pushes past her lips and chases her tongue around her mouth as one of my hands cups the back of her head, and the other caresses her neck—all to keep her close and attached to me.
All too soon, she breaks from the kiss, and I’m happy to see a soft smile on her beautiful face.
“You, more than anyone, know you have to live with the decisions you make. The last thing I’d want is for you to make a decision about your divorce or how it’s handled because of me. I’m angry on your behalf because of how she tricked you into marrying her in the first place—I’m damn right pissed.”
I grin, which she returns.
“It’s hardly been two days since it all kind of blew up in my face, but after last night and sleeping wrapped up in your arms, I’m starting to feel less like the other woman and more like your woman.” She smiles, and squeezes my thighs. “I’m not one-hundred percent there yet, but I just wanted you to know I’m getting there.”
My hand tightens in her hair. “Let me know when you’re one-hundred percent so I can take you to the stars.”
“You’ve already shown me the stars.” She climbs onto my lap, and wraps her arms around my neck, as my hands move to grip her hips.
Until I know the conversation is over, the last thing I want is for her to be wiggling around on my erection.
“Then I’ll show you the solar system.” I smirk.
“I’m up for that,” she sucks the breath out of me when she rubs against my dick with her hand, “just like you are.”
“That’s cruel.” I remove her hand and sigh in relief, although my dick aches for her touch again.
“You need to relax after the day you’ve had, and I want to be the one who gets you there.” She cups my face.
I turn into her palm, and closing my eyes, kiss the center.
“You’re everything to me, Dahlia.” I pull her against me and gently press her head down to rest on my chest. “My folks are going to love you. They’re both okay with what I’m finally doing.”
While I’m recapping the conversation with my folks to Dahlia, I’m gently caressing her lower back. I’m beginning to realize that there’s nothing more enjoyable than just holding the woman you love in your arms.
I love her and I find I’m eager to be done with my past to move forward with Dahlia by my side.
She hasn’t had the family life that I was brought up in, but, hope
fully, she’ll eventually grow comfortable enough to look at my family as hers because that’s what I want. I want her to realize she now has me to rely on and to be there for her.
Which brings me to my brother. Sighing, I admit, “My brother, Jace, is a former detective and now works as an Instructor over at the police academy. He occasionally does consultancy work for the Sherriff’s Department, and, well, he likes to flirt or did—no one used to be safe.” I frown, realizing I’ve no idea how he’s going to react anymore.
Dahlia sits back up. “I’m immune to anyone but you.” She leans forward and places a quick kiss to my nose. “I promise . . . if there’s anything else, can we talk about it tomorrow because I can feel how tense you are?”
I lose all train of thought when she yanks her tee shirt over her head, before making quick work of her bra. Letting it drop to the floor with her tee shirt, I’m mesmerized by the beautiful woman sitting astride me.
Her ample breasts are swollen with arousal, just like her cherry nipples. With the creamy breasts beckoning me to taste, I lean forward and swirl my tongue around each one in turn. My dick swells to full arousal with just her flavor bursting forth on my tongue.
Smiling around her nipple, I imagine the other flavor of her, which I’d rather have on my tongue.
“Are you all right if we move this to the bedroom?”
“I’d thought you’d never ask,” she replies, sliding against me and pressing down on my shaft. I groan at the pleasure building in my body.
Before I can make any move, she finishes unfastening my dress shirt and shoves it off. Her hands caress all over my torso with extra attention to my sensitive nipples.
“God, babe. Hold that thought,” I growl.
I wrap an arm around her as I stand. Her legs go around my hips as her arms wrap around my neck. I shudder and nearly lose my hold on her when I feel the hard buds of her nipples digging into my chest.
“Hurry, Ryder.”
I don’t need to be told twice.
Dahlia
As Ryder dashes to his room, my body is awash with desire for the delicious man I’m currently wrapped around. I’m starting to crave having his dick inside me—wanting to know how it feels to have him sliding back and forth.
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