But Erin wasn’t like Marla. He was sure of that. She was sweet and genuine and everything Marla could never be.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her, and he still had at least an hour before he could go to her place. So he walked a couple of blocks off Main Street to the Winchester Public Library. He hadn’t been there since high school and he wondered if it still looked the same inside. The lawn outside the library was green and the trees were budding. He admired the stone work of the building and started walking up the ramp to the door when he heard his phone ringing in his jeans pocket.
He smiled as he flipped the phone open and held it to his ear. “Hi there, beautiful.”
He heard Erin’s laugh, rich and deep. “How’d you know it was me?”
“You should know you rate high enough for your own ringtone.”
“I do?”
“Of course, you do.” He laughed too, pausing and holding the railing with his free hand.
“So, what is it?
“What? Your ringtone?”
“Yeah.”
“You should know…”
“I should?” Riley chuckled and started scatting the opening bars to Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher.” Erin laughed. “Yeah, I guess I should have.”
“So, what’s going on?”
“I left work earlier than planned and wondered if you wanted to come over now.”
Shit…that was like asking a man dying of thirst if he’d consider having a glass of water. “Sure. I’ll be a few minutes.” He started walking back down the ramp toward the sidewalk. “I’ve been wandering around downtown, checking out what’s changed and what’s stayed the same.”
“What do you think?”
He grinned. “I think I should come home more often.” It almost surprised him hearing it come out of his mouth, but it was true.
“Has it changed that much?”
“No…it’s been that long.” He inhaled a deep breath. “See you in a few minutes.”
* * *
When Riley got to Erin’s apartment, he really had intended to just sit on the couch or at the kitchen table with her and talk. But when he saw her and she looked happy and content, he couldn’t resist her. When she peeked her head out the door and saw him, she grabbed his wrist and yanked him inside, a mischievous look on her face.
Even then, he figured he should talk, knew that was probably what she wanted, but she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. Complete forgiveness? That’s certainly what it felt like. He held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair, and accepted it. So much had happened over the past week, not just with Erin but with his family, and it was almost too much to process at once. But there in her arms, it all felt okay.
And he couldn’t stop his hand from moving up her back and into her hair. She responded by looking up at him and, as though moving with a will of their own, his lips were on hers in seconds. She seemed to sigh in satisfaction as she parted her lips to take him in.
He felt something strong wash over him just then, an emotion that threatened to take him over. But he restrained himself and pushed it to the back of his mind. Right now he had to quit focusing on himself and give Erin his full attention. What was she thinking and feeling? Did she really still want him, even after he’d tried several times to monumentally fuck it all up?
If her response to his kiss was any indication, that was all past history. Not only had she warmed up to him, if he wasn’t mistaken, this wasn’t just a kiss. They were going to make love before all was said and done.
And he wouldn’t complain about it.
He didn’t think he’d ever quite understand how women felt about sex, but he knew that was one thing he loved and excelled at, and the only girl he wanted right now was Erin. So why not enjoy each other?
He didn’t want to be presumptuous, though, knowing that the way he was feeling could be overshadowing his judgment. Erin would have to let him know that’s what she wanted. Otherwise, he’d just be content holding her in his arms kissing her.
So when her lips did leave his, he expected her to invite him into the kitchen for a cold drink or to sit on the couch. He didn’t expect her to take his hands in hers and lead him down the hallway to her bedroom. He wasn’t about to protest, though, even though his only thought was wondering if this was going to be like her revenge on him at the hotel earlier in the week. But she didn’t have handcuffs and, really, if she were plotting any kind of revenge, he had it coming.
But when they got to her bedroom, her lips attacked his and she ran her hands up under his shirt, her fingers dancing on his bare skin. That’s all it took for all his thoughts to dissipate into the ether. He couldn’t think of anything else now except pleasuring her and himself in the process.
I’m all yours, babe, he thought, not wondering where it came from, but relishing her hands on his skin. He gathered her hair up in his hand so it was up and off her neck and then kissed the delicate flesh under her ear. She inhaled sharply, giving him a sign he was on the right track. She pulled his shirt up his torso and he grabbed it with his free hand, maneuvering it over his head and then dropping it to the floor. He moved his lips back to her neck. He could feel her warm breath on his chest, feel her nipples grinding into him. Good, he thought. She was as turned on as he was. He moved his hands to the front of her blouse and unbuttoned it, kissing a trail down to her bra, then licking and kissing the skin between the cleavage just above the bra until all the buttons were unfastened. He pushed the blouse off her shoulders, letting it fall down her arms. She let the blouse drop to the floor.
Then he picked her up under her thighs, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he moved toward the bed. He set her down on the bed and cupped her face in his hands. God…he wanted to say so many things, but now wasn’t the right time. He’d fuck it up for sure in his present state of mind. So instead he kissed her again, slow and deep. Her fingers were digging into his pecs, and he knew she was as turned on as he was.
He wanted his focus to be just on her. He could wait. He considered going down on her again, but she kept pulling his lips back to hers. She wanted him close and he was going to give her what she wanted. So he unfastened her bra and urged her to lie back.
Her nipple was firm against his tongue and her skin tasted so sweet. He heard something guttural stir in her throat and she arched her back. His hand fingered the other nipple while his tongue lapped at the one in his mouth, and then he moved his fingers to just above her cleavage where they brushed her skin, then moved below.
He started kissing back up, moving his lips toward her neck, but she bent her head, encouraging him to kiss her on the lips again. While he obliged her, his thumb and finger unfastened the button on her slacks and maneuvered the zipper down. She was wearing some kind of tiny lacy panties. He wanted to move slowly now, let her enjoy herself as much as possible, so he ran his finger along the sculpted edge of the panties before sliding his hand inside. He was glad his right hand was the hand he held the guitar pick with because he had more feeling in those fingers and fewer calluses, so he could actually sense something. His left hand, the fretting hand, was full of fingers that would have been clumsy, numb feeling, and unable to work her delicately.
Instead, though, he had his more sensitive hand doing the job. As he maneuvered underneath her panties, he ran his middle finger down her slit. He passed over her clitoris and went further. Jesus…she was wet. A good sign. He slowly moved his finger back up to the firm knot that begged for his attention. He barely touched it, swirling his fingertip on it, and she gasped, no longer able to concentrate enough to kiss him back. So he moved his lips back to her neck.
He slowly, carefully increased the intensity and speed of the motion of his finger. As he did, she dug her nails into his back and her breathing grew deeper and deeper as she got close. “That’s it, babe,” he muttered into her neck, letting her know it was okay to let go, to give in. And she did, her legs tightening as a low moan th
at started in her chest made its way out of her mouth. When she cried, “Oh, Riley,” he couldn’t help the smile that covered his face, despite the fact that he was now so aroused he could come with just a touch.
Chapter Thirty-four
HOLY SHIT. RILEY had to be one of the best lovers Erin had ever had. It didn’t matter what his technique. He was good at sex.
How many orgasms had he given her in the few short days they’d been together? She didn’t know. All she knew as her brain began to function again, coming off the high of her orgasm, was that she wanted him, desperately needed him inside her. She began fumbling with his zipper as she felt him pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. He must have read her mind.
She pressed against his chest, urging him to lie back on the bed, and she pulled her slacks and panties off. His jeans and underwear weren’t all the way off and she wasn’t about to mess with them. Instead, once he had the condom on, she straddled him. Then she looked down at him. God, he was gorgeous. His brown eyes looked even darker than usual, filled with questions and…hope. He licked his lips and Erin rubbed herself against his cock but didn’t take him in. She wanted to tease him a little.
He let out a breath and a small smile turned up one side of his lips. His hands were firm on her hips, but he wasn’t forcing her down. He seemed content letting her control the action. She smiled back and then slid him in, but she moved down slowly. His eyelids fluttered and she gulped as he filled her. She knew she could come again as her thigh muscles grew taut once more. She didn’t care if she climaxed again or not. He felt good no matter what happened now.
But she rocked her hips, back and forth, and his breathing grew ragged. His hands gripped her hips more firmly now as she heard her own breathing deepen. And so she sped up, changing her angle slightly for more pleasure, grabbing the headboard for leverage, and Riley let out a low grunt as all the air escaped from his lungs, and another orgasm washed over her at the same time.
As her breathing slowed and her muscles relaxed, she rested her head on her arm. She let out a long sigh and eased herself off him. Without a word, she snuggled her head on his chest, resting her hand on his abdomen. For some inexplicable reason, Riley felt like her man now. And that was stupid, because Erin knew in the back of her mind that he’d be leaving in just a few days, and all this would be a fading memory.
* * *
“Are you hungry?”
Riley had been drifting off, even though he hadn’t wanted to, but Erin’s voice made him stir. Once his brain registered her question, he said, “No, not now. Maybe later.” He stretched his neck and pulled Erin a little closer. He loved the feel of her smooth, soft skin up against his body and wanted to relish the sensation. “Unless you’re hungry.”
“Mmm…maybe a little.”
She started to stir and Riley tightened his grip. Playfully, he said, “Oh, don’t go.”
Erin giggled. “I won’t be long.” He released her and she sat up. “Do you like bowties in garlic sauce?”
God, he was sleepy. “What?”
“Bowtie pasta. Al dente, of course, in a buttery garlic sauce.”
“That sounds awesome, actually.” He opened one eye and looked at her. “Carb loading, huh? What the hell do you have in mind for me later?”
She started giggling again. “It just sounds good. Doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it does.” Much as his muscles protested, Riley sat up. “Let me help you.”
Erin was already out of bed, sliding a thin cotton robe over her shoulders. “I don’t need any help, but I’d sure love your company.”
He stretched and draped his legs over the side of the bed. He’d just removed his jeans and underwear before they’d snuggled under the covers. And they were right next to the bed where he’d expected to find them. He pulled his shorts out from inside his jeans and pulled them on. Erin was standing next to him, her hands held out in an invitation. He smiled and took them, then stood. He pulled her close again and kissed her. God, these feelings were inexplicable, dangerous, and unstoppable. He knew there was no reason why his feelings for this girl he hadn’t even known for an entire week should be this deep, this consuming, but they were, and that’s what made them dangerous. She wasn’t going to be easy to walk away from.
But did he want to? He didn’t know that he did. Instead, his mind was doing some acrobatics, trying to figure out a way to make the whole thing work.
What a fuckin’ idiot. How many times did he have to be hurt before he decided to stop even trying?
But that was dumb too. Erin hadn’t done anything to make him think she was going to hurt him. It was just his damned insecurities. Erin was not Marla. How many times did he have to remind himself of that?
He forced the thoughts from his head and let her lead him to the kitchen. Erin started moving around the kitchen with efficiency, pulling food and other items out of her cabinets in such a whirl, Riley could barely keep up. “Mind if I get a glass of water?”
“Help yourself.” Erin walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a cube of butter while Riley filled a glass from the tap. “Your offer to help still stand?”
“Sure.”
“Do you want to mince some garlic?”
He grinned. “Uh…I can try. I’ve never done it before.”
Erin smiled at him. “It makes the dish. But, uh…we’ll have garlic breath.”
“We won’t know if we both have it, right?”
Erin nodded. “And it keeps the vampires away.”
He rolled his eyes. “Oh, yeah, that. I’m glad you reminded me. Bring on the garlic.”
Erin peeled several cloves off the bulb in her hand and used a paring knife to cut off the end of each. Then she started stripping the papery skin off each clove, setting them down on a cutting board. She said, “This is how I mince it,” and started cutting a clove down one side in tiny millimeter-thin slices. Then she sliced it the same way on its side and finally started cutting the thin strips on the end so that she ended up with tiny squares of garlic that were barely bigger than grains of salt. “Easy, right?”
Riley chuckled, holding out his hands. “You think these clumsy things can do what your tiny fingers just did?”
She set the knife down on the cutting board and placed her hand in his. “You said you’re playing guitar now, right?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s precision work. I’m sure this’ll be a piece of cake, don’t you think?”
He shook his head, a small smile plastered on his face. “Well, with that kind of confidence, how can I not try?”
Erin smiled and busied herself, putting a pot of water on the stove to boil. Then she put another pot on the stove, this one smaller, and cut off half the stick of butter and dropped it in. Then she started seasoning the butter with garlic powder other herbs and spices Riley missed because he was too busy making sure he didn’t slice his finger along with the garlic. He was pretty sure he saw oregano go into it, but beyond that? No telling.
He already knew Erin was a good cook. Her meal the night before had been spectacular. And he hadn’t even said anything about that, had he? “Where’d you learn to cook?”
“My mom.” She kept her eyes on the butter, stirring it as it melted slowly in the pot.
“What you made last night was incredible. Sorry I didn’t tell you that before.”
“Oh, you did.”
“I did?”
“Yeah…you said it was really good or something like that.”
Well, at least his subconscious wasn’t a total asshole. He finished the last garlic clove. “There. Done.”
She looked over. “Nice. See, I knew you’d be a natural.”
God, that smile. He wanted to sweep her up in his arms and consume her with another long, deep kiss, but he knew he should wash the sticky, stinky garlic off his fingers, so he just kissed her on the nose and turned to the sink. “So, speaking of your mom, tell me about your parents. You know mine, so I’m at a disadvantage here
.”
“Oh, no, Riley, I don’t know your parents. I’ve met them and I deal with your mom because she’s on the board, but I don’t know them by any stretch of the imagination.”
“Fine…be particular. I can fill you in on anything you want to know.” He hoped she didn’t want to know shit, because anything he had to say would not be kind. “But I don’t wanna talk about them, and I asked first.”
The water on the stove started to boil and Erin dropped a box of bowtie pasta in it, stirring it with a long wooden fork. “Touchy.” She rested her hip against the stove, her hand lazily stirring the pasta without looking, so she could see Riley’s eyes. He was leaning against the sink, hands resting on the edge of the counter. “When I graduated from college, both my parents retired and decided to travel the country. They sold their house and most of their belongings and bought a fifth wheel and they’re flitting from state to state, having the time of their lives.”
He could see hurt in her eyes. “You an only child?”
She nodded, clenching her jaw, a look of strong resolution on her face. “I’m happy for them. They worked hard all their lives and they’re enjoying themselves.”
“I can tell it bothers you, though.”
She sighed and reached over to turn the burner down so the pasta would simmer without boiling over. “Well, yeah, but that’s just the selfish part of me. My parents weren’t able to have kids, so they adopted me. They were already in their forties when they did, and my dad’s in his early seventies now. I’m glad they’re enjoying themselves. They deserve it. I just…miss them.” She turned back to the pot, watching her hand move in a circle. Riley could tell from how Erin said it that she loved her parents very much. “I talk with them on the phone about once a month and they send postcards. Mom even bought a laptop a year ago and she’ll send an email once in a while. She even tried Skype once, but she’s not technologically savvy, so I think she prefers the postcards and the phone.”
Tangled Web Series Box Set Page 33