Beach Reads Boxed Set

by Marie Force

  With a heavy, sinking feeling she got up and went into the bedroom to get her phone, so she could take advantage of Ryan’s absence to call Henry.

  He answered so fast she suspected he had been willing the phone to ring. “Susannah.”

  “Hi.”

  “I’ve been so worried. Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she said, but she barely managed to convince herself.

  “You don’t sound fine. Is he treating you all right?”

  “Yes.”

  “When are you coming back to the city?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Oh, good,” he said with a deep sigh of relief. “I’m dying here, honey, imagining you in a secluded cabin with him.”

  “I’m sorry.” All she could think about was Ryan pleading with her not to marry this man. “I know it’s terribly difficult for you.”

  “Difficult. Yes, you could say it’s difficult. The woman I’m going to marry later this month is alone in the woods with the man People magazine recently called the sexiest athlete alive. Yes, Susannah, it’s difficult.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said again, this time in a whisper. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You sound funny. Are you sure everything’s okay? He’s not badgering you for sex, is he? I wouldn’t put it past him.”

  She winced. “No, he’s not.”

  “That’s a relief. My imagination has been a little overactive, to say the least.”

  Anxious to change the subject, she said, “You should know there’s going to be some news regarding Ryan and the team in the next few days.”

  “What kind of news?”

  “I can’t really say much about it right now, but I wanted you to know because there might be...talk...about me and him.”

  “What kind of talk?”

  “It’s nothing to worry about. It’ll blow over in a day or two. Well, I’d better go. I’ll call you when I get back to town tomorrow.”

  “I can’t wait to see you. I’ve missed you, honey. I love you.”

  Her eyes filled and her throat closed. “Yes,” she managed to say. “Me, too. Bye.”

  She turned off her phone and curled into a ball on the bed. “Oh, God, what am I going to do?” she whispered to the empty room.

  Chapter 13

  Ryan blazed through the new powder on one of his favorite trails. The storm had left behind the kind of Colorado day he loved best—bright sunshine, cold, crisp air, and an endless stretch of blue sky. When the glare of the sun off the snow made his eyes water, he pulled a pair of Oakley sunglasses from his coat pocket. Only the piercing pain from his injured ribs detracted from his enjoyment of the perfect day. He’d almost passed out from Susie’s well-placed hit to the gut. In hindsight, he could see why she thought he deserved it. But damn, it had hurt! Mixed in with his pain, though, was grudging respect. He liked knowing his little debutante could take care of herself if she had to.

  He took as deep a breath of the sharp, cold air as his ribs would allow and gazed at the spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains. As a good old boy from Texas, he’d never imagined he would love a place outside his home state as much as he loved it here. After these last few days with Susie, however, he knew he wouldn’t come here again without her. If they were unable to salvage their marriage, he would sell the cabin.

  Things were changing. In just over twenty-four hours, his professional football career would be over, and a few days after that, maybe his marriage, too. Those were two awfully big things to lose within the scope of a couple of days. His decision to retire still felt like the right one, but as the time approached to pull the trigger, he was filled with so many thoughts, memories, and emotions. Tied up in those emotions, inevitably, were his worries about his marriage.

  His mind wandered to the clauses in the divorce agreement. That judge sure is a sly, old coot, Ryan thought with a chuckle, remembering Susannah’s face when the judge had ordered an additional six-month waiting period before he would grant their divorce. He’d said he didn’t believe for a minute that they really wanted a divorce, which was certainly true for Ryan. Susie had sputtered with indignation, but the judge had dismissed her arguments with the wave of his hand. After they left court, she had accused Ryan of bribing the judge, but he couldn’t have paid for the kind of ally he’d found in the old man.

  Ryan was still hopeful there would be no more days in court, but if Susannah insisted on going forward with the divorce, he wondered how they would get around telling the judge that not only had they spent several nights together under the same roof, but they’d had some damned good sex, too. Just the thought of it made Ryan want more. He turned around to go back to the cabin and was hit with a piercing pain in his chest that took his breath away.

  Propping himself against a tree, he fought his way through pain that brought tears to his eyes. He gasped for air and wondered if he was having a heart attack as his legs gave out under him and he slid down to the snow.

  “Ryan!” Susannah screamed as she scrambled into a squat next to him. “Oh my God, Ryan! What’s wrong?”

  “I’m okay,” he whispered. “Just a pain.”

  She cradled his face in her hands. “You’re all clammy and pale. How long have you been here?”

  “Maybe an hour?”

  She gasped. “Do you think you can get up?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Come on, let me help you.” She hooked the arm on his good side over her shoulder. “Ready?”

  He grunted.

  Susannah made a futile attempt to haul him up, and he howled with pain.

  “What’re we going to do? We’ve got to get you out of here. You’re wet and cold.”

  “Give me a second. It’s getting better.” With his eyes closed he rested his head against the tree, taking shallow breaths in and out. “Okay,” he said a couple of minutes later. “Let’s try again.”

  This time they succeeded. With his arm around her shoulders, they made their way slowly back to the cabin. “You said you wouldn’t be gone long, so I didn’t know what to do when you didn’t come back. I followed your path through the snow.”

  “Glad you did. I was getting cold.”

  “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure. I think it was a bad cramp. Seems to be gone now, but I’m afraid to move too fast. I don’t want it to come back.”

  She whimpered. “It’s because I hit you.”

  “No, baby. I probably overdid it again.”

  “You’re just being nice.”

  He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.

  A slow twenty minutes later, they reached the cabin. Susannah helped him inside and disposed of his wet coat.

  “We should get you to a doctor.”

  He shook his head as he shivered uncontrollably. “I don’t need a doctor.”

  “But Ryan—”

  “Do you know what would help?”

  She shook her head. “What?”

  “Hot tub.”

  “All right, but I still say you need a doctor. I’ll go open up the tub. Will you be okay?”

  He nodded, and Susannah rushed toward the deck off the kitchen.

  By the time she returned, he had stripped down to his boxers.

  She took his hand to lead him outside.

  His movements were slow and careful as he dropped his shorts and eased into the bubbling water.

  “Feel good?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. “Come in with me.”

  “I’m going to go deal with your wet clothes.”

  “I want you with me.”

  She hesitated before she said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Hurry.”

  After she went inside, Ryan relaxed as the warm water and jets worked him over. His skin tingled from the sudden heat after the cold, and he wondered what he would have done if Susie hadn’t come along when she did. The pain had passed by the time she arrived, but he
’d been left drained by the ordeal.

  The sliding door opened and Susie came out with her hair in a high ponytail, wearing a skimpy red bikini that stirred a whole other ache in him as she joined him in the tub.

  He reached for her.

  She took his hand and slid closer to him. “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better, except for this new pain I seem to have.”

  “Where?” she asked, alarmed.

  He guided her hand to his erection. “Here.”

  “Ryan! Stop!”

  “Why?”

  She tugged her hand free. “You’re hurt, and you need to take it easy.”

  “I am taking it easy. Come here.” He guided her onto his lap, arranging her so she faced him. He tugged her closer and sighed when she pressed against his erection. “Susie,” he sighed. “You know I love the red bikini.”

  She kneaded the tension from his shoulders. “It was the only bathing suit I could find.”

  “You’re so sexy,” he whispered. “Just thinking about you gets me hard, and then you come out here in the red bikini. That’s not fair.”

  She smiled. “Only you could go from being incapacitated to thinking about sex in half an hour’s time.”

  “I’m resilient.” He cupped her breasts and teased her nipples.

  “Ry,” she said as her bikini top floated away. “Your cramp might come back. Stop...”

  He slid her up and rolled his tongue over her nipple. “Don’t fight me,” he whispered. “Doesn’t it feel so good?” Lifting his warm hands off her breasts, he watched as her nipples hardened in the cold air. “Oh, look at that...”

  “Ryan...”

  He ran his thumbs in little circles around her breasts, taking his time getting to the main event. “What?”

  “It hurts,” she moaned.

  “Mmmm, we can’t have that.” His tongue settled on one of the pebbled points, infusing it with warmth.

  Completely unaware of the effect she was having on him, she gyrated against his erection. He took it out on her breast, pulling the nipple deep into the hot center of his mouth and running his tongue back and forth.

  She gripped his hair as he gave her other breast the same treatment.

  “Ry,” she panted. “I need...”

  He could feel her control slipping away. “What, baby? What do you need?”

  “More.”

  He tugged on the bows at her hips, and the bottom half of her suit went the way of the top. Using only the tip of one finger, he brought her to a hard, fast climax.

  When she had recovered, she wrapped her arms and legs around him and rested her head on his shoulder as the bubbling water embraced them in heat and steam. “What about you?”

  He held her snug against his pulsating erection. “I’m saving it until I can get you horizontal in a bed.”

  “We shouldn’t.”

  “Why the hell not?” he snorted.

  “You’re supposed to be resting and healing. Instead you’re having mad sex and taking walks in the cold.”

  “I’ll give up the walks if you let me keep the mad sex.”

  She laughed, and his heart was so full of her that he was left breathless for reasons that had nothing to do with her being naked and wrapped around him.

  “Let’s go in,” he said several quiet minutes later.

  They disentangled themselves, and Susannah reached for her suit and their towels. Once they were inside, Ryan smelled something coming from the kitchen that made his mouth water. “What did you make?”

  “Stew.”

  “I love cabin food.” With his hands on her hips, he directed her to the master bedroom.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To snuggle.” He tugged her towel free and dropped the one he had slung around his hips.

  “You don’t like to snuggle,” she reminded him.

  He slid between the flannel sheets and invited her to join him. “I do now.”

  “Who are you and what have you done with Ryan Sanderson?” she asked as she got into bed with him.

  “Are you knocking it? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

  “Yes. It is.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “Then why so solemn all of a sudden?”

  She shrugged.

  “What is it, baby? Tell me.”

  “Where was all this before? When I was asking for it? It’s like you went away to camp and learned how to be the husband I always wanted.”

  “I was sent away,” he reminded her. “And I discovered the only life I want is the one I had.”

  “I’m still having trouble believing you’ve made permanent changes.”

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  Tilting her head so she could see his face, she nibbled on her lip and appeared to be thinking it over. “What do you think of snuggling so far?”

  He chuckled. “I’ve definitely been missing out.”

  She pressed her lips to his chest. Careful to avoid his injured side, she left a trail of soft, wet kisses down to his belly.

  “Susie,” he gasped. “What are you doing?”

  “Snuggling,” she said with a coy smile.

  Ryan was slick with sweat and panting by the time she finished with him. “Jesus,” he said on a long exhale. “Where did you learn that?”

  “I read about it in Cosmo.”

  He laughed. “You don’t read Cosmo.”

  “It was in the waiting room at the dentist.”

  “Must’ve been one hell of a trip to the dentist.”

  She giggled, and her cheeks turned a fetching shade of pink. “I thought you might like it.”

  “Can I ask you something?” he asked, running his fingers through her hair.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “When you read about it, did you imagine trying it out on Henry or me?”

  Her smile faded. “I don’t remember.”

  “Be honest, Susie.”

  Her eyes, when they met his, were serious. “You,” she said in a tiny voice.

  He tugged her into his arms and held her tight. Tears burned in his eyes at the realization that she had thought of him during their long separation, that she wanted him, that she imagined herself performing an intimate, selfless act of love for him. No gift she could ever give him would mean more.

  “Tomorrow, when we get back to town, I’m going to tell Henry it’s over.”

  Ryan’s heart stopped for the briefest of instants. Okay, that gift meant more. “Really?”

  “Yes,” she said with a sigh. “You were right before when you said I shouldn’t marry him. If nothing else, the time we’ve spent here has shown me that. But just the thought of telling him makes me sick.”

  “I know it’ll be hard for you.”

  “It’ll be impossible. He’s waited his whole life for me, and all I’ve ever done is disappoint him.”

  “Susannah, listen to me.” With his hand on her chin, he forced her to look at him. “While he was waiting for you, he was also hoping for our marriage to fail. If he really loved you the way you think he does, why would he wish for you to be unhappy with the man you’d chosen to marry? That doesn’t make him a very good friend, does it?”

  “No, I guess not.”

  “You’re doing the right thing, baby. You’d never be happy with him.”

  “This doesn’t mean you and I are back together. I don’t want you jumping to any conclusions.”

  “Why would I jump to conclusions? Just because you’re naked and all over me at the moment...” When she pinched his rear end, he jolted and then laughed softly. “And clearly you can’t keep your hands off me. But no, we’re not back together or anything.”

  “Oh, shut up, will you?”

  “Why don’t you shut me up? I’m sure you can think of some way to—” He was cut off when her tongue invaded his mouth. Burying his hands in her hair, he devoured her. The kiss was endless and thorough and deep. When she would have pulled back from him he held her still, infused
with hope after hearing she planned to end her relationship with Henry. She was coming back to him, one small step at a time, even if she didn’t realize it quite yet. In a burst of passion, he rolled over her, ignoring the protest from his ribs.

  “I’m supposed to be doing all the work,” she reminded him.

  “Shut up,” he whispered, kissing his way to her breasts. Running his thumbs over her nipples, he watched her eyes go liquid and her mouth form his name. He replaced his hands with his lips, and her back arched into him. “I could spend a whole day right here,” he said the instant before he drew her deeply into his mouth.

  “Please...”

  He looked up to find her eyes wild with desire. Knowing she wanted him that much aroused him more than anything ever had. But he thought nothing of his own needs, instead focusing all his care and attention on her. With his hand, he urged her legs apart. His fingers caressed her as he nibbled first on one hipbone and then the other. Finally, he settled between her legs.

  “Ry,” she gasped, burying her fingers in his hair. “Oh my God, what are you doing?”

  “I’ve been reading Cosmo, too.”

  The statement was so ridiculous that she laughed, but her laughter quickly turned to a moan that was followed soon after by a sharp cry of ecstasy.

  Chapter 14

  Susannah insisted on driving them back to the city the next day. They were quiet as they left the cabin, each wondering if they would ever again be there together and anxious about what was waiting for them outside their idyllic cocoon. She glanced over and found Ryan staring out the window as they made their way down the hill to Breckenridge. The plow hadn’t been back for a second pass since the storm, so Susannah kept the Escalade to twenty miles per hour.

  “I love the new car smell,” she said.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “What did you do with the other one?”

  “Donated it to the Boys Club.”

  She was impressed by his gesture. The Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver would probably get more than a hundred thousand dollars for the car Ryan had been given as the Super Bowl MVP two years ago. “I’m sure they appreciated it.”