by Laney Smith
Ryan paused for a moment as he raised the glass to his lips, drinking the water as his eyes locked on hers. As he drank the water down, he tried to figure out what she was referring to. He decided against assuming. After he drank the water, he lowered the glass, cupping his hand over his mouth, wiping away the splash from his upper lip.
“How long does what take me?”
Corlay dropped her shoulders and sighed. “Ryan, it’s been such a long time. I don’t know how to do this. I’m trying to get things to go a certain way, but I’m nervous. I want this. I do. I just don’t know what you want me to do,” she said as she leaned her backside against the sink.
Ryan found her confession amusing. He fought back a smile, his eyes absently trained on his thighs as he slid off the counter top. He stared into Corlay’s eyes as he walked toward her, creating a cage around her body as he reached around her to refill his glass. The look in his eyes, the closeness of his body . . . his breath on her skin . . . the fact that he was that close, driving her crazy, without even touching her - she wanted him.
He lowered his mouth to her ear as the water overflowed his glass. “You’re overthinking it,” he whispered. “It’s there. It’s gonna happen. Let it.”
Corlay’s breath raced and her heart felt as though it would beat her to death. Ryan stepped closer, pressing his body against hers as his eyes scanned her face. He turned off the water and smiled a flirty smile.
“Just let me make you want it.”
Corlay swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded as she breathily answered, “OK.”
Ryan took the glass from her death grip, smiling sweetly as he placed it on the counter. He took her hand, his eyes locking on hers as he nodded.
“Come on. I’ll tuck you in.”
Ryan tugged her hand, pulling her away from the counter leading her toward the living room. He smiled at her over his shoulder. She returned a nervous smile.
When they got to the living room, Ryan released her hand, sitting as he fell into the cushions. He spread his arms along the back of the sofa, like wings, teasing her.
“Please, sit anywhere you like.”
Corlay let out a shy, nervous laugh as she sat on the edge of the sofa, beside him. “Is anyone sitting here?”
He leaned forward, wrapping his arm around her waist as he moved to kiss her lips. “Yes,” he whispered. He pulled her closer to him, lifting her legs and draping them over his own, cradling her body against his. “I saved this seat for you, though.”
His fingers played with the pretty tendril of hair that hung alongside her face. He smiled and let out a soft groan.
“I love your hair,” he offered as he leaned in for another kiss.
His lips softly brushed against hers before his tongue slowly swept through her mouth. He gently sucked on her lips before he kissed her again, this time with a more aggressive, passionate need. He could feel her submitting to his touch as their kiss deepened. He slid his hand up the outside of her thigh, gripping her butt, massaging as their breath quickened and their hearts pounded wildly. As they became lost in the passionate kiss, Corlay’s fingers raked through Ryan’s hair. He felt wetness on his cheek from the tears that fell from her eyes. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes.
“Are you OK?” he muttered.
Corlay wiped the tears from her cheek. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I’m just emotional. I don’t know.”
“It’s OK. We can slow down.”
Corlay smiled, cradling his head in her hand, pulling him close enough for her mouth to reach his. As her lips met his, she whispered, “Oh no. You started it.”
The kisses became more passionate. The petting became more intense. When Corlay put her hand on Ryan’s crotch, he stood and bent over her, bracing himself on the sofa back, placing his hands on either side of her head, leaning down to kiss her neck. His words were smooth as velvet.
“Let’s go upstairs.”
She could hardly stand taking the time to climb the stairs. She wanted him. Now! She hugged him as they climbed the stairs together. Ryan stopped by Nathan’s room, peeking in on the sleeping child. Corlay pulled his arm as he closed the door.
“Wanna see my room?” she flirted as she kissed him.
Ryan wrapped his arms around her, pushing her body toward her room. She quietly giggled as he nuzzled her neck, playfully growling as they entered her room. Corlay spun around, lifting her hair and glancing at him over her shoulder.
“Can you unzip me?”
Ryan stared at her, finding beauty in the way she looked in that moment. He stepped closer to her and put his arm around her waist, hugging her to him as he kissed her neck. His fingers fumbled with the zipper on her dress.
“You’re beautiful, you know that?”
Corlay tucked her chin to her shoulder as she glanced back at him. “I want you to think so.” She turned to face him. “I don’t know why I care, but I do. The way you are with Nathan, the way you are with me, the way you make me feel, and the way you kiss me . . . I watch you, sometimes, when you get out of your car. You’re living perfection, the way you move, your mannerisms, your personality, and oh my God! Your eyes . . . There’s nothing about you that doesn’t make me want -” she paused as though she were reining herself back in. “I really want you to think I’m beautiful.”
Ryan cradled her face in his hands and kissed her lips. “I want to make love to you.”
His arms tightened around her waist as he showered her with tender kisses. His fingers caressed her shoulders as he slid her dress off her body. The heat in his eyes set her on fire. He didn’t just rip her clothes off. She felt love in each touch as he removed every stitch of her clothing, seeming to know and understand every touch she needed from him. With a tingly soft touch, his fingers brushed over her bare torso as his eyes studied her body.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said, choking back the lump in his throat.
Corlay stepped out of her shoes as she smiled, reaching for his shirt, sliding her hands under it to touch his bare skin. She raised his shirt, planting kisses across his chest. She noticed the scar on his right shoulder and she lightly kissed it. When she gave him a sympathetic look of pity, Ryan shrugged.
“Would’ve been better if I could’ve had some heroic, military battle story to go with it, huh?”
Corlay slowly blinked and shrugged. “If everyone went to battle, who would entertain the soldiers when they were ready to watch a baseball game?”
Ryan chuckled and kissed her lips. “Thanks for trying.”
Her fingertips traced over his abdomen as she stepped around behind him, kissing his back between his shoulder blades. Her bare breasts pressed against his back as she reached around him and unfastened his jeans. She tucked her finger inside the waistband of his jockey shorts, stretching them away from his body, sliding both garments off his hips. Curious as to if his butt looked as solid as it felt, she glanced down as he kicked off his shoes and stepped out of the crumpled jeans at his feet. The sight of him made her giddy as she stepped around in front of him, stealing a peek at his manhood.
Her eyes met his and she smiled a seductive smile. “You’re like a dream, only so much better.”
Though Ryan took his time, making love to her, the moments flashed like clicks of a camera shutter - the soft kisses on her flesh; his soft touch as his fingers raked over her body; his mouth sucking on her erect nipples; her silent emotional, tearful release; his hand slowly moving up her thigh as his breath rushed over her skin; the butterflies at the anticipation of his fingers entering her; the moment he officially penetrated her; the muscles in his back flexing under her fingers with each deep, gentle thrust; the sweat of their bodies; the moment when everything culminated into sheet gripping, waves of pleasure and the way he kissed her as her orgasm finished.
As his body covered hers and his fingers raked through her hair, Corlay’s fingers softly brushed up and down his back. His eyes studied every detail about her face be
fore his lips gently pressed to hers. He smiled as he looked at the relaxed, satisfied woman beneath him.
“Hi, Beautiful.”
“Hi,” she smiled.
“I hate the way this is going to sound, but I have to get going.”
“What? Now? No! Stay with me.”
Ryan looked at his watch. “It’s almost five in the morning. My buddy is going to be waking up soon. I’m trying to teach him right. I don’t want him thinking this is how a first date works,” Ryan said with a sly smile.
“It’s almost five in the morning?” Corlay snapped. “I gotta get ready for work.”
“Shh! Sleep,” he insisted. “Nathan is going to be up in a little bit. I’ll come back and keep him company. You sleep.”
He kissed her and started to lift his body off hers. Corlay playfully wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding his body to hers. She lifted her hips, pressing against him.
“Mmm . . .” he hummed and kissed her with the same hungry passion she had sampled before he made love to her. He suddenly broke the kiss and quickly lifted his body off hers. “We have to teach him right,” Ryan said and ran his hand over the top of his head. He sat on the side of her bed and gathered his pants from the floor.
Corlay curled her body around his, planting kisses on his back as her fingers traced circles on his skin. He put his feet in the legs of his jeans before he stood and pulled them on. He sat back down and stretched his arm across her waist, resting on his knuckles. He kissed her and stared into her eyes. He swallowed hard.
“I love you,” he whispered.
The butterflies fluttered within her stomach. She pulled his head to her shoulder, hugging him. “I love you, too.”
He lifted his head and looked at her, again. “I have to go.”
“I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you,” he insisted. “I’ll be back in a little bit. You should sleep. Dream about me.”
“I have to go to work. He will fire me if I don’t go, today.”
Ryan tilted his head. “Tell him to shove it up his ass. You have a different job, now.”
“Oh, it’s going to be like that?” Corlay asked with an incredulous smirk.
Ryan chuckled. “No, no, no! Mmm . . . Hold on! Wait a minute . . .” he teased. His orneriness gave way to a more serious expression. “No. I need you to help me with something. We’ll talk about it later. For now, I want you to sleep without worrying about anything. Just close your eyes and dream. Because as much as I don’t want to leave, you need to sleep and I need to set an example.”
“I love you,” Corlay smiled.
“I love you, too.” He stood and kissed her forehead. “I gotta go.”
He gathered his shirt and went to her door. He turned the knob and cautiously peeked out. He looked back at Corlay.
“Bye,” he whispered before he slipped out of her bedroom.
She sat in the middle of her bed and smiled as she listened for the sound of him descending the stairs, but heard nothing. She got up and put on pajamas before she crawled back into bed. She fell back on the pillow, replaying the events of the night. She smiled, contentedly. She closed her eyes, hugging the bedding to her nose, still able to pick up on the way he smelled – just a hint – as she drifted off to sleep.
~TWENTY-EIGHT~
It seemed as though she had just drifted off to sleep when Nathan came bounding onto her bed. The sound of his precious voice was startling. Corlay sat up in a panic.
“What time is it? Oh no! What time is it?” She looked at her alarm clock. “It’s seven-fifteen? Oh no!”
She threw the blanket back and started scrambling to get out of bed. Nathan smiled at her.
“Want me to make you some cereal?” he happily offered.
“No, baby. I’m late. Where’s Ry . . . an?”
“He’s not here, yet.”
She smiled as the memories from the night before flooded back in. She sighed and scooped Nathan into her arms. She laid back on the pillow.
“How long have you been up?” she asked, cradling her son in her arms.
“For just about . . . maybe . . . five hours,” he offered.
Corlay laughed. “No. You haven’t been up for five hours.”
She tickled her son. The sound of his laughter made her laugh even more. He smiled at her.
“OK! OK! Enough,” he giggled. “Enough! E-nough!”
Corlay stopped tickling him, hugging him tighter. “I love you!”
“I love you, too, Mom,” he said as he snuggled closer to her for a moment. Too busy to sit still for very long, Nathan sat up. “Are you staying home, today?”
“I don’t know.”
“You could play with Ryan and me. I think he likes you - like a girlfriend.”
“Oh, yeah?” Corlay smiled.
“He said I can’t ask you to be his girlfriend. But, would you be his girlfriend if we don’t tell him I asked you to be?”
“Maybe we should see what happens,” Corlay offered.
“Do you have a baby in your tummy, now?”
“What?” Corlay snapped.
“Ryan could be the dad. He wants to be a dad because he took you to eat food you like. I told him that when girls eat too much, their food turns into a baby. Even he said that boys have to be the dad. He took you to eat dinner because he wants to be a dad with you. He really does, Mom. I’m serious.”
Corlay giggled as she stared at her son. “And you told Ryan that girls have a baby if they eat too much food?”
“Uh-huh,” Nathan answered confidently. “It’s OK, Mom. He doesn’t even care. He wants to make you eat too much so you will have a baby and he can be the dad.”
Corlay covered her mouth with her hand, hiding her smile as she stared wide eyed at her son. “And, Ryan told you that’s how mommies have babies?”
“No, he didn’t even know,” Nathan proudly said. “I told him.”
“And what did he say?”
“He told me not to ever say ladies with babies in their tummy are fat. Then, he told me not to tell them that they have to be keep the baby in their tummy for five days.”
Corlay laughed, shaking her head. “I think I’m going to have to talk to him about family education conversations.”
“Hey, Nate,” a loud whisper came from the stairs.
“I’m in my mom’s room,” Nathan called out.
“Shhh,” Ryan hissed as he came to Corlay’s door. “Come on. Let’s go find breakfast. Your mom is sleeping.”
“No, silly. She’s not. She’s awake. She has a baby in her tummy, maybe.”
Ryan jerked his head back, flashing Corlay a questioning glance.
“She ate too much food. Now, you have to be a dad.”
“Ah,” Ryan nervously chuckled. He held his finger up as a guilty looked crossed his face. “I can . . . I can . . . Actually, I can explain this,” he defended.
Corlay laughed as she watched him stutter and stammer. “Yeah. He told me how that happens.”
“Uh-huh! He did? OK, then. I didn’t . . . I had nothing to do with that.”
“You told him not to call pregnant women fat? And for him not to tell them that they have to be pregnant for five days?”
“Well . . . it might’ve gone a little different than that. But . . . No! You know what? You’re supposed to be sleeping. We’re going out for breakfast. Come on, Nathan. Let’s beat feet.”
“Yeah!” Nathan laughed. “We’re gonna beat feet, Mom.”
“Go get your shoes on,” Ryan coached.
Once Nathan left the room, Ryan tossed his thumb over his shoulder. “I did not tell him that, just so you know. He enlightened me on the ways of baby making. I don’t even remember how it came up. But, I didn’t do it.”
Corlay laughed. “Good morning.”
Ryan smiled as he moved close enough to kiss her. “Good morning! Go to sleep.”
“You do realize I should be going to work, right?”
“If
you could do any job in the world, what would you do?”
“I already told you. I want to own my own greenhouse, filled with exotic, rare plants.”
“So, do it.”
“I can’t. I don’t have . . . I can’t do that right now.”
“What if you had an investor?”
“A what?”
“Mom, Ryan’s an inventor. He believes in dreams,” Nathan interrupted.
Ryan smirked as he looked at the child. “My, my! Aren’t you just a plethora of information, today?”
“An inventor . . . investor,” Corlay said as she recalled what Nathan had said before. “No way! I’m not looking for a handout. I don’t want anything from you. Well, not like that. No!”
“Oh, yes,” Ryan insisted.
“No, Ryan. I can’t let you do that.”
He shrugged and flashed her a cocky smile. “You can’t stop me, if that’s what you’re thinking. I need a greenhouse. Then, I need someone that knows what the hell to do with plants.” He looked over his shoulder at the stair railing. “I’d be stupid to look to anyone else when I’ve seen what you can do. I need a tax break. So, I need your help. I’ll front the money. Once it starts turning a profit, you pay me back, penny for penny, and it’s yours. This is your dream, and your dream helps me, too. It’s not like I’m giving you anything, so there are no handouts. I’m serious. Let’s do this.”
Corlay covered her face with her hands. “Oh my g-- Ryan!” She stared at him in disbelief as she shook her head. “I can’t . . . You shouldn’t . . . I don’t want . . . Oh . . . my . . . God! I don’t know what to say. Are you serious?”
He sucked on his lower lip as his eyes absently scanned the room. He nodded his head once. “I’m serious.”
Corlay shifted so that she was on her knees at the edge of the bed. She threw her arms around his neck, placing kisses all over his face. He hugged her to him as he looked over at Nathan, squinting one eye as Corlay wildly kissed his face. Nathan covered his mouth, giggling, as he watched the two.
“She’s sliming you,” Nathan teased. “See, Mom, I told you he’s an inventor.”
She looked at Ryan with worry in her face. “What if I can’t make it work?”