by Reese Ryan
Raine kisses my forehead, my eyelids, my nose then either side of my mouth. I squirm, anticipating the next kiss. I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him into me. I’m lost in his delicious kisses. Our tongues dart in and out, playing tag. I can barely wait until we’re safely inside the condo, doors locked, blinds closed.
The elevator door slides open. Raine grabs my hand, and we hurry out of the elevator, laughing, eager to get on the other side of the door.
I freeze in my tracks, like a spider that’s been spotted on a white wall. Raine, still holding my hand, comes to an abrupt stop, too.
“What’s the matter?” He studies the look of concern on my face.
“Hello, Melanie.” Jaxson, who’s standing in front of my door, offers a spastic wave. His six-foot frame appears smaller. A streak of crimson crawls up the sides of his face.
“Jaxson, what are you doing here?” He’s never been beyond the first-floor lobby. Why today, of all days, has he ventured to my front door, uninvited? “Did we have an appointment?”
“No, we didn’t.” He takes a few steps away from the door. “I just...I scored a couple of tickets for the game against Boston tomorrow. You said you’ve never seen them play, so I thought you’d want the extra ticket.”
“You should go, babe.” Raine squeezes my hand. It’s the first time I’m conscious of his presence since seeing Jaxson at my front door. “I’ll be okay here.”
I manage a smile and squeeze his hand back. “Raine Mason, I’d like you to meet Jaxson Payne. Jaxson is a friend of mine from high school. He’s been helping me meet new business contacts.”
Raine lets go of my hand and steps forward to give Jax a firm, mine-is-bigger-than-yours handshake.
“Jaxson, this is Raine Mason, my boyfriend.” There’s no question in my mind as to how to introduce Raine to Jax. I say the word boyfriend with no hesitation, no wavering, no doubts. “He flew in from San Francisco for the weekend to surprise me.”
Raine puts his arm around my waist, creating a wall of solidarity. We both seem to enjoy the tortured expression on Jaxson’s face.
“Wow, good for you, Mel. You guys look great together.” He straightens his collar and sniffs loudly. “I’m happy for you, kid.”
“Thanks.” I smile sweetly, allowing Raine to guide me to the front door. Raine pulls out his key ring and opens the door with the spare key I loaned him. The gesture isn’t lost on Jaxson, who edges a few more steps backward.
“Well, that’s it. That’s all I wanted, but I can see you guys are busy.” Jaxson swallows hard. No doubt a mental image of what Raine and I will be busy doing has just popped into his head. “Hey, why don’t you and Raine go to the game? It starts tomorrow at three.” He shoves the envelope into my hands.
“Jaxson, I can’t take these...”
“I insist.” His usually million-watt smile is dimmer than a twenty-watt bulb. The sadness behind it tugs at my heart a little. “My daughters have been begging me to go to Chuck E. Cheese’s. Tomorrow, I think we will. They’ll love that.”
“Thanks, man, that’s really generous of you.” Raine smiles broadly and nods toward Jax. “Enjoy your family.”
Jaxson nods silently, turns on his heels and waves good-bye. I close the door behind us, the tickets still in my hand.
“We don’t have to do this, Raine. You’re only here for a few days, and my mother has already shanghaied us for dinner tomorrow. I can see Boston play some other time.” I toss the tickets on the entry hall table and slip out of my coat.
Raine folds his coat over the chair and approaches me. He lifts my chin, gently, until I’m standing upright. He kisses me softly. “I want to go,” he manages between kisses.
“Really?”
“Really.” He trails kisses down my neck.
“Well, if you really want to go...”
“I do.”
“Then we’ll go. But only because you want to.”
Raine laughs then kisses me once more.
He stands back against the opposite wall and watches at me for a moment, an uneasy expression perched on his striking face. I can see the gears turning in his brain. I shift my weight from my right foot to my left, fold my arms across my chest and wait.
“I’m not seeing anyone else,” I say finally.
Relief washes over his face. “I know you said you want to take it slow. No commitments, no obligations. I agreed. So, if—”
“Raine,” I say, then lower my voice, not wanting to sound defensive. After all, I haven’t done anything wrong. “Jaxson is one of my clients and an old friend from high school. He’s helped me land several new accounts since I’ve been here, but we are not seeing each other.”
“But you were.” It isn’t a question.
“We were.” I try not to show my surprise. “But that was a lifetime ago.”
Raine nods as he slowly closes the gap between us in the narrow entry hall. He stands in front of me and takes my hands. “If you say you’re just friends, I believe you. But if you weren’t, you know you could just tell me, right?”
I take his face gently in my palms. He forgot to pack his razor, and I can feel the stubbly new growth on his skin. I look deeply into the soft gray eyes that seem so transparent. “I know I could, and I know that’s what we agreed to, but I don’t want that anymore. I want you.” I kiss him. “Only you.”
He nods, his forehead against mine. “Me, too.” He bends down, slowly unzips my left boot then slides it off my foot. He unzips the right boot and removes it, too.
Raine stands, pressing me against the wall. His thumbs trace my cheekbones. Each stroke on my skin sends electricity down my spine, awakening every nerve ending in my body. Some more than others.
I can barely breathe and it feels like my heart is beating double time. My gaze locks with his. I bite my lower lip then take a deep breath, my lips parting slightly.
He leans in to kiss me. My body melts into his. Still, I want him even closer. I wrap my arms around his waist and lean into him, closing the sliver of daylight that remains between us. I can feel him, hard, against me.
Tugging his shirt out of his jeans, I slide my hands underneath it. He raises his arms to allow me to pull the shirt over his head and toss it on the floor. I gently trace the large tattoo on his right arm with my fingertips. The colors are so vibrant on his caramel-colored skin. The sword is nearly the length of his arm, between his shoulder and elbow. A bright red rose is in the center of the hilt. Thick, thorny green vines snake around the blade.
He slides my blouse over my head and tosses it onto the floor. Then he unhooks my bra and slides it off as he trails kisses down my neck and shoulder. He presses his bare chest against mine as he finds my mouth and kisses me again.
My fingertips sink into his skin as I glide my hands up his back.
Raine breaks our kiss and places his hands on my left breast. His open mouth hovers just above my taut nipple as he blows a steady stream of warm air, heightening my senses. I arch my back in response. He places his hand underneath my breast and teases it with his tongue as I grip his shoulders so tightly my fingers leave red marks.
He unzips my pants and slides them down, pushing them off with his foot. He shifts aside my already dampened panties and slides his finger gently inside of me. I moan softly, moving against him, encouraging him to explore further.
Impatiently I unhook his belt and unzip his jeans. He helps me slide them off then kicks them away. When he slides his underwear off, I shimmy out of mine.
As he kisses me again, my hands drop lower, tracing the distinctive scar on the side of his hip.
He grips my waist and lifts me higher against the wall. I wrap my legs around him, and he braces them with his muscular arms. Now his strong hands are planted firmly on my ass, squeezing the flesh and pulling me toward him as he s
lowly inches inside me.
I ride the length of his shaft, coated with my slickness. A muffled moan escapes my lips. I press my shoulders into the wall, forcing him deeper inside of me. He uses his arms to lift my legs higher then thrusts deeply.
“Ohhhh... Ohh...shit!” I dig my fingers into the flesh of his back. “Yes. Right there. Like that.”
He grins like he’s just won a prize. Crushing his mouth on mine, his tongue darts between my lips. Its motion mimics the intensity of our lovemaking.
Our movement is rhythmic, graceful, beautiful. Like a sensual dance. And it feels so damned good. Like another stroke will send me over the edge. I want it, need it.
I’m fucking gone, trembling, moaning and completely overwhelmed by an intense pleasure that surges from the crown of my head, through my core and into my curled toes.
An intense, guttural growl signals that Raine is reaching his crescendo, punctuated by the pulsing of his cock inside me.
I lean back against the wall in a slightly dazed euphoria. He collapses against me, warm and sweaty, as I ease my feet down to the floor. We both try to catch our breath. I sigh contentedly. Back-against-the-wall sex just may be the best position ever. Nothing can bring me down from this high.
He leans his head against mine, his lips brushing my earlobes when he says, “I love you.”
Oh, shit.
Chapter Twenty
I do not acknowledge those three little words. Not when he said them last night. Not over breakfast this morning. Not as we trudged through the snow to The Q—Cleveland’s basketball arena.
There is no awkwardness between us. Just avoidance and pretending. I avoid acknowledging Raine said he loves me by pretending I didn’t hear it. He pretends my avoidance doesn’t bother him. Everything else remains the same. There’s the same lightness and affection between us. The same intense heat. We’ve been intimate since he uttered those words. Thankfully, he hasn’t said them again.
At the game we buy overpriced, but delicious, nachos, beer and Italian sausages. We enjoy the game.
Afterward we drive to Mom’s house and park at the edge of the driveway. My feet grow heavier with each step as we make our way to the front door. Raine’s mood is light and happy. He’s genuinely excited to meet the rest of the Gordon clan. I’m sweating bullets underneath my blue parka.
We climb the front steps. I stand there, my hand balled into a fist, frozen in midair, inches from the door. I turn to him.
“Listen, I appreciate you agreeing to meet my family,” I say. “But my mom totally pressured you into it. If you don’t feel like it, we can get right back in the car and go home. Just spend a nice, quiet evening together.”
“If you’re asking me if I’d like to have dinner with your family, the answer is yes, I do. If you’re not ready for—”
“That’s not what I’m saying.” I squeeze the bridge of my nose and sigh. “I haven’t brought anyone to family dinner in a really long time and—”
Raine silences me with a kiss. “It’ll be fine.” A smirk curls the corner of his mouth. “I’ve had all my shots and I’m completely housebroken. I swear.”
“Aha, I see. Guess who’s coming to dinner? It’s Mr. Smart-Ass.” I poke his chest with my index finger, trying to repress a grin. “Fine. Dinner with the Gordons it is. But when you leave here a bitter, broken, bleeding man, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Duly noted.”
Raine rings the doorbell. The front door swings open, and a gust of warm, delicious air rushes out to meet us. My mother has gone all out today. The smell of ham, greens, sweet potatoes, her famous scalloped potatoes and a fruit pie of some sort waft through the air.
“Raine, Melanie!” My mother looks gorgeous in a pair of casual black slacks and a cream-colored Liz Claiborne sweater twinset. Her hair is down in soft curls framing her face. She’s wearing full makeup and the perfume we bought her for Mother’s Day two years ago. If it weren’t for the soft, fluffy, pink house shoes, I’d think she was on her way to an office somewhere. “I’m glad you could make it!” She leans in and gives me a warm kiss on the cheek before giving Raine a hug. “Let me take your coats and shoes. Raine, you’ll find a couple of pair of slippers by the door. I’m sure one of them will fit you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Gordon.” Raine sits on the bench in the entry hall to remove his shoes. “Everything smells good. I hope we didn’t miss dinner. Melanie says you’re a fantastic cook.”
My mother puts her hand to her cheek and smiles. “I’m not Paula Deen or anything. I just like to cook and I’ve been doing it for a very long time.” She laughs.
I pull my shearling boots off, push them into the corner and sink my feet into the cozy pair of slippers Mom bought to replace my old ones.
“Come on in when you’re ready.” Mom hangs our coats in the front closet then heads back to the kitchen.
“So, are you ready for this?” I whisper to him.
“You act like I’m going to be tortured or something.”
“Some might call it that,” I say, no hint of joking in my voice or expression. He looks a little worried. I laugh. “Okay, I’m just kidding. Kinda.”
“Am I ready to meet my girlfriend’s family? You bet I am.”
Something in his voice chokes me up a little. I open my hand and he places his inside it.
We step into the living room, where Mimi and Marcus are sitting on the couch in front of the television. Mickey and Dusty are playing with a jumble of Tonka trucks on the floor. They crash each other’s cars loudly, narrowly avoiding smashed digits. Then they sprawl out on the floor, laughing.
“Hi, guys,” I say once things have simmered down a bit. “Sorry we missed dinner. I got last-minute tickets for the game.”
“We know.” Mimi smiles. “That’s why we waited. Mom insisted on not eating until you guys got here.”
“I’m so sorry. You weren’t supposed to wait for us, I told her we’d drop by for dessert.”
“You know Mom’s policy,” Mimi says. “No belly left behind.”
“And I’m starving!” Mickey declares, standing and crossing the room toward us. He wraps his arms around my legs. “I’m glad you’re here, Auntie Melanie!”
I hug him back. “I’m glad we’re here, too.” I lean down to rub his stomach. “Please apologize to your tummy for my lateness.”
Mickey giggles. He steps back and points up at Raine. “Who’s he?”
“A very good friend of mine. His name is Raine.”
Dusty walks over to us. “He’s not your friend, he’s your boyfriend.” Saying the word cracks Dusty up. Mickey, however, is not amused. He looks at Raine suspiciously.
Raine waves and squirms under the condemning gaze of my four-year-old nephew.
“You’re right,” I say. “Raine is my boyfriend. And he came here to see me this weekend. All the way from San Francisco, where I used to live.”
“You took an air-o-plane?” This excites Mickey enough to ease his misgivings about the stranger who’s his auntie’s new boyfriend. “Woooooow! When I get bigger I’m gonna get on an air-o-plane, too. I’m gonna even drive the air-o-plane. I’m gonna drive it just like this...” He buzzes around the room, his arms spread, making what presumably are airplane sounds to a four-year-old boy who’s never been on one.
Dusty joins him, and they buzz around the room.
My brother-in-law approaches us. “I’m Marcus, Mimi’s husband. These are my boys.”
“Great to meet you.” Raine shakes his hand firmly. “You have a beautiful family. You’re a lucky man.”
“I am.” He nods, looking back at Mimi. She smiles. “So, can I get you a beer or something, man?”
Mimi raises an eyebrow. She’s probably wondering why Marcus never offers to get her anything.
�
�I’m good,” Raine says. “Thanks.”
Mimi crosses the room and shakes Raine’s hand. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You, too, Michele.” He shakes her hand warmly.
“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so go ahead and get washed up for dinner!” my mother calls to us from the kitchen.
“Where’s Jamie?” I ask.
“She and Miles ran to the store to get some ice cream for dessert. They should be back any minute.” Mimi reaches down to rake her fingers through Dusty’s ruffled head of hair. She sticks her thumb in her mouth then smooths down a few hairs.
“Ewwww!” Mickey squeals. “That’s unsan-ary.”
“Unsanitary,” Marcus corrects him, laughing. “And you’re right.” He looks over at Mimi, who’s giving him the stink eye. “Except when mommies do it. Then it’s okay.”
“I’ll show you where the bathroom is,” I say to Raine.
“I gotta go to the bathroom!” Dusty says suddenly. “I gotta go real bad!” He makes a dash for the guest bathroom—my father’s last remodeling project.
“Sorry,” Mimi says. “He gets so distracted when he’s playing. He waits until the last possible minute.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “We’ll go upstairs.”
We climb the narrow stairs that are the reason my mother could never have the king-sized bed she wanted. I take Raine to the main bathroom, where we wash our hands for dinner. On the way back we pass my bedroom. The door is slightly ajar. One of the boys has likely been in there again.
Raine peers inside. “Was this your room when you were growing up?”
I nod. “What tipped you off, the New Edition posters?”
“Yeah, that and the periwinkle blue.” He laughs. “Do you mind if I take a look inside?”
I furrow my brows. It’s like someone asking to peek inside your medicine cabinet. But since Raine has seen parts of my body that even I haven’t seen, I figure there couldn’t possibly be anything in my old bedroom more personal than that. I shrug. “Sure.”