As I begin to whisk, I decide I need to explain why I left the benefit. “Lana?”
She looks up at me with raised eyebrows.
“I feel like I owe you an explanation as to why I left the benefit,” I say softly.
“You don’t owe me anything, honey,” she dismisses.
“But I do. All my life I had this preconceived idea that if I did what my parents asked of me, then they’d love me. They were the ones who introduced me to Todd. My parents knew that he’s always had an interest in running for the presidency. They’ve always been the type of people to be constantly concerned about their image. They set Todd and I up, we went out on a few dates, and those few dates turned into six months, which turned into a year. So when he proposed, it only seemed natural to accept. Even though I didn’t love him, the thought of disappointing my parents is what prompted me to say yes.” I look at her and see unshed tears in her eyes just waiting to break free.
“The day of my wedding, it was like the clouds parted and clarity shined down on me.” I shake my head at my memories of the day I started a new life. “I realized I was about to sacrifice my happiness, my heart, for what? My parents were never going to change. I couldn’t make them love me any more than they could make me marry Todd. He didn’t love me anyway and our relationship wasn’t the greatest. So I walked out. I found out who I really was and not a day goes by that I regret what I did. It was the best decision I ever made.” I smile at her.
Lana stands there wearing a shocked expression on her beautiful face and I can tell she wasn’t expecting me to admit all of this to her. Hell, I wasn’t expecting to admit any of this to her, but I needed for her to know what I went through before I tell her the reason for me leaving the benefit.
“So, the reason I left the last time I was here was because when I heard you and Ron asking Riley to consider the backlash that would come from the spectacle Todd and I created at your benefit. I thought it was best if I gave him some space.”
“Space for what?” Lana asks her eyebrows dipped in confusion.
“Space for him to decide what was more important to him. You all have an incredibly close relationship and I respect that, especially because I never had that with my own family. I wanted him to make the choice he felt was right for him,” I answer sadly.
“Honey,” Lana sighs with a shake of her head.
“There was never a decision to be made.” Riley’s deep voice sounds out from behind me, and I spin around to see him standing a couple of feet in front of me. “Mom, do you mind if I steal your sous chef for a little while?” he asks as he steps forward, takes the bowl and whisk out of my hand, and places them on the counter behind me before taking my hand in his.
Lana looks from me to Riley and back to me before she smiles. “Do I have a choice?” She laughs.
“Not really,” Riley answers as he pulls me towards the back door. Reaching blindly behind him, he fumbles for the knob, turns it, and leads me outside with him.
“How long were you standing there listening?” I follow him down the stairs of the back porch.
“Not that long,” he answers as we walk out onto the plush grass.
“Where are we going?”
Riley points out to an old, gorgeous weeping willow in the distance butted up against a pond. Full golden leaves, the color of wheat, fall like a waterfall off the sweeping branches as they hang inches from the ground. My breath catches the closer we get to the massive beauty and all I can do is stare at it in awe
Riley reaches out to push some of the branches out of the way, creating a passageway into our own little alcove. As I step through, the sight of a white quilt spread out on the ground brings a smile to my face. On one of the corners sits a dark brown blanket. I take a seat on the quilt and look to Riley as he steps through and the branches move back into place, cloaking us inside their beauty.
Instead of sitting, Riley lays down beside me with his hands behind his head and stares up into the tree. “It was never a decision, you know? Between you and my family or my family’s business,” he says softly.
I lay down, resting my head on his shoulder and look at the leaves swaying softly in the breeze. He lifts up for a second, grabs the brown blanket, and covers us both. The cashmere fabric feels soft against my cheek as Riley and I resume our positions.
“You mean everything to me, Kels,” he whispers. “Even when I brought you here the first time, you meant everything to me.”
I don’t say anything. I remain quiet and let him say what he needs to.
“After everything went down, I was just confused. Here we’d been dating for what, six months already, and not once did you allude to the fact that you’re related to one of the wealthiest families in America or that you were engaged to a governor. I understand your reasoning for not wanting to tell me, but I had thought we were in this together.” Riley heaves a deep sigh before asking, “Why didn’t you want to tell me?”
Silence grows around us as I try to formulate a response. The only sounds to be heard are the leaves rustling in the wind. “I didn’t want you to judge me off my past. When I walked out of that church over two years ago, I found a new life. I found me. Yes, I was accustomed to the finer things in life, but I traded all of that so that I could have happiness. So that I could fall in love with someone I chose, someone who would love me in return. Me walking out on my wedding created a media storm for a while. I knew it would when I chose to leave, but I didn’t care because I also knew everything would eventually die down.” I lift up onto my elbows, catching his attention. My eyes connect with his and I hold his gaze. “I thought I could run from my past. I thought I could act as if it never existed. But I was wrong. My past has shaped me into the woman I am today. The only difference is I broke the mold. I didn’t turn out like my parents,” I whisper.
Riley rolls over, wrapping his arms around me. “Thank you for telling me,” he murmurs into my hair.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before,” I whisper into the crook of his neck.
“It’s over and done with. Let’s just move forward, deal?”
I smile into his neck as I remember the first deal I made with him. It was the best arrangement I’ve ever made. It led me here, to him.
“Deal.”
Riley pulls back, lifting my face to his. He stares at me for a few moments before he leans down, capturing my lips with his. In a slow, steady pace, he kisses me, showing both of my lips equal attention before his tongue sweeps against the seams of my mouth. I open for him, offering no hesitation as his tongue delves in and meets my own. Our tongues and mouths dance to a staccato of their own.
Slowly, I’m rolled onto my back and Riley hovers over me, never breaking the kiss. “I love you so much,” he whispers around our kisses.
“Me, too,” I whisper back as my arms wrap around his neck.
Riley lifts my leg, hitching it up and around his hip and he settles in between my legs. I feel his erection straining against his jeans as he presses against my aching core. A low moan grumbles up from somewhere deep inside of him as he repeats the process again. I tilt my head back against the blanket beneath us, effectively breaking the kiss, and my unsteady breaths become pants.
“Let me make love to you,” Riley mumbles as he kisses a trail of fire down my neck and across my collarbone.
“God, yes.” My answer is breathless and husky, filled with desire and need.
Riley pulls back to sit up on his haunches. Picking up both of my feet, he slips my ballet flats off as he looks me in the eyes. I lie there under his penetrating gaze not uttering a word, afraid to break the spell that’s been cast upon us. There are some issues that still need to be worked out between the two of us, but this feels right. This moment, right here, cloaked by the beauty of this willow tree.
He leans forward, pops the button on my jeans, and, as he tugs them down, his thumbs catch in the elastic of my thong, bringing it down as well. Once my pants and panties are off, Riley leans forward,
capturing my hands as he helps me to sit up. At this moment, I feel so precious to him because we haven’t broken eye contact while he undresses me, not even for a second. As the straps of my bra slip down my arms, I toss the material to the side.
“You are so fucking beautiful.” The rasp in his tone engulfs my body in goose bumps. Desire courses through me, making me burn with a need that only Riley can fulfill.
Lifting up onto my knees, I reach out, taking the hem of his shirt in my hands. Slowly, I pull the soft fabric up and over his head, tossing it next to my bra. My fingers find the button on his jeans. Releasing the clasp, the tension in the denim gives way under the strain of his bulging erection, obviously thanking me. My hands slightly tremble as I pull the zipper down. Riley assists me as I remove his pants and black boxer briefs.
He tosses his clothes in the pile we’ve created and leans forward, blanketing my body with his. His forearms rest on either side of my head as he holds the majority of his weight off me. With one arm, he reaches back and pulls the cashmere blanket over us to protect us from the cool autumn air.
On their own accord, my legs part, ensuring that he’s able to make contact with the one place that needs him most. With a tenderness that I’ve seen before, Riley sweeps a few stray strands of hair out of my face as he stares at me. My hands glide up his ribs, over his shoulders, and up his neck until I finally cup his cheeks in my hand. The day old stubble feels rough beneath my hands as we stare at each other.
The questions he’s too afraid to voice reflects in his eyes. Are you sure you want this? Are you sure this is okay? Will we really ever come back from what happened between us?
“I’m sure,” I whisper as I bring his lips down to meet mine. As soon as our tongues connect in a slow, leisurely pace, Riley thrusts forward, causing me to gasp.
Only one word comes to mind as he fills me over and over again. My emotions run rampant, never staying on one for too long as our gasps and moans fill the air around us. But no matter what, that one word is always at the forefront as Riley shows me an ecstasy that only he can give me, that only our love can give me, and I know, no matter what happens between us, this, him, us is home.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” I hear Riley say in my groggy just woken state.
My head turns to the right, in the direction of his voice and peeking one eye open, a lazy smile tugs at the corners of my lips. “Mmm-hmm.”
“Are you going to wake up any time soon?” he asks as he crawls over to lie on top of me.
I shake my head back and forth and look up at him, enjoying the comfort of his bed and his body on top of mine.
Slowly, Riley lowers his head and kisses the side of my neck. “I love having you in my bed,” he whispers huskily against my skin. A spark ignites deep inside of me from the vibration of his words, from the heat of his lips on my skin, from the weight of his body pressed against mine. “Are you awake yet?” he asks, his voice soft and quiet and full of desire as he trails his lips up my neck to behind my ear.
“I’m getting there,” I pant. “What about your parents?”
“And she speaks. They’re downstairs, but let’s not talk about them.” He chuckles against the shell of my ear. “Instead, let’s see if you can moan.” He groans as his finger trails against the exposed skin between my black tank top and hot pink boy short panties before dipping below the elastic band. Automatically, my legs spread for him, granting the access he demands.
I gasp as his finger slides further and further down before finding purchase in my slick heat. My eyes flutter closed as he dips a finger into me. My gasps turn into pants.
Vaguely, I feel him slide my panties down my legs before his hard voice penetrates my lust filled brain. “I didn’t ask if you could gasp or pant. I asked if you could moan,” he states as he replaces his finger with his thick cock and slams into me hard.
My eyes snap open, connecting with his carnal blue irises as air lodges itself in my throat. Riley leans back on his heels, grabs a hold of my hips, and yanks me forward to where my ass rests on his strong thighs. Slowly, he pulls out only to thrust into me harder and deeper than he did last time.
“You like that, baby?” he asks, his face pulled tight in focus. “You like me being rough with you?”
His thumb goes to my clit where he begins massaging the bundle of sensitive nerves as he pounds into me over and over again.
“Please, Riley… please,” I beg as my head thrashes back and forth. My back arches off the bed when I feel an impending combustion about to explode, but just like that, it’s gone as I’m flipped over onto my stomach. Riley yanks me up onto my knees. Just as I clamber up on my elbows for support, he’s back inside me, punishing me with relentless thrusts.
“Did you like it when all those other motherfuckers were in you?” he bites out in between pants.
He grabs a fistful of my hair and pulls my head back, angling it in a way where I can see him behind me out of the corner of my eye. “Did any of them fuck you like I do, fuck you like they own you?”
I groan at his words as he continues his delicious, torturous assault on my pussy. All coherent thoughts have evaded me.
“This sweet cunt is mine,” he groans out, slapping my ass, “to worship, to fuck, to do with as I please. Do you understand?” He slaps me a second time, harder, and I can’t help but push back against him.
The pain mixed with pleasure is an aphrodisiac I’ve never known before. He’s showing a whole other realm of ecstasy I didn’t know existed. Riley’s spanked me in the past, but he’s never been this rough. But little does he know, I. Am. Fucking. Loving. It.
“Answer me,” he says in between gasps, pulling completely out of me, leaving me bereft, and wanting for more. I have no other option but to answer him if I want the eternal bliss that only he can provide.
My eyes find his as I breathe out harshly. “Did you like sticking your dick in all those other women?” I ask my voice hard and angry. “Did you picture me when you were fucking them?”
I’m slammed forward as Riley impales me from behind. I moan from the force behind his powerful thrust. “They didn’t matter to me,” he grunts. “You matter to me. You always have. You always will,” he pants out, increasing his thrusts. The smoldering flame of my brewing orgasm turns into a raging inferno, consuming my body when his hand comes down hard on my ass for a third time. “Now tell me you understand me,” he demands through gritted teeth.
“I understand… I understand,” I pant out as I’m pushed over the edge, my orgasm absorbing every cell in my body. My elbows buckle beneath my weight and the driving force behind Riley’s thrusts send me face first into the mattress. Seconds later, Riley collapses on top of me before rolling over onto his back.
The room fills with the sound of our heavy breaths. We lay there, not moving and the thought occurs to me that I might have received my first punishment fuck. I can’t help the grin that pulls at the corners of my lips. I lift up on languid arms and turn to look at him. Riley must feel my stare because seconds later he turns his head in my direction.
“I’m sorry,” he sighs out, still breathless. “I have no idea what came over me.” His defenseless excuse is just that. Defenseless.
“Did I just receive a ‘fuck me senseless’?” I ask shocked that it happened, shocked that I’m not the least bit pissed off that it happened, shocked that I loved it.
He rolls over onto his side, tucks one arm under his pillow before he traces his fingers up and down my sweaty back. “Like I’m said, I’m sorry. I’ve been repressing all these emotions about knowing that you’ve slept with other men.” His voice is low and raw.
“Why haven’t you said anything before now?” I ask as I revel in the feel of his fingers dancing across my skin.
“Because I have no right to be pissed off about it. We weren’t together and I’m no saint either.”
I nod in understanding. As much as I hate the thought that he was with other women, he despises the thought of me with other me
n. “We’ve both made mistakes, Riley. What matters now is that we’re together and that we love each other,” I whisper and just like that, the moment is ruined when my stomach lets out the mother of all growls.
I erupt in laughter as Riley smiles at me.
“You hungry?” he asks.
“Very, obviously.”
Riley pushes up off the bed, leans over, and slaps my ass. “Come on. Get up so we can take a shower.”
“What time is your mom serving dinner?” I ask as I get up and slip my panties back on.
“In a couple of hours. She’s been up since five or so this morning. She likes to do a late lunch so she can rest before she joins the hoards of shoppers tonight.”
I arch an eyebrow at him. “And how do you know she’s been up since five?”
“Because that’s what time I woke up. When I’m home for Thanksgiving, which is every chance I get, I get up and help my mom with the turkey.” He shrugs. “It’s kind of like a tradition for us, our thing. We’ve been doing it ever since I can remember.”
With this confession, I think I just fell even more in love with him.
As I stand in front of the sink, the only words that come to mind are ‘Tryptophan is the devil’. I ate a little bit of everything and went back for seconds of dressing and turkey. Needless to say, that was the biggest mistake ever. I’m pretty sure I’m in the beginning stages of food coma.
Not long after we ate, I offered to clean up. Lana tried to help me, but I argued that since she cooked, it was only fair that I clean up. Finally, she relented. When Riley and Ron tried to join forces and kick me out of the kitchen, I used the all mighty word ‘football’. When I said that they might miss the game, both men were gone in the blink of an eye.
I pick up the last china plate off the counter next to the sink. Submerging it in the dishwater, I’m startled when I hear, “Thank you for coming for Thanksgiving.”
I look over my shoulder to see Ron leaning against the bar across from me. I smile at him and nod. “It was my pleasure, really. But thank you for extending the invitation to me.”
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