“Kate, I can’t stay away from you. I don’t know what it is about you, but I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”
He kissed me, hard. I responded with equal passion. I was completely naked while he remained clothed. I took his shirt and pulled it over his head, wanting to feel his skin on my skin. Determined, I unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them slowly over his hips. I desperately wanted this man inside me.
“Ryan, please,” I begged.
Ryan took his jeans off and pulled his boxers off. I couldn’t take my eyes from him. He climbed back on top of me and kissed me sweetly.
“Ready, beautiful?” he asked.
“Yes, please.” I whimpered.
With that, he plunged into me. Our bodies both moved to our synchronized rhythm. He took my hands and clasped them over my head. There was something very erotic about the way he held me in place, thrusting deeply into me. He never took his eyes from mine. I had never felt so sexy, so wanted, in all my life. His cock pumped swiftly into me and all the while, he stared in my eyes. I was lost in this man. I was totally his in that moment. He possessed me, claiming me as his. Ryan pumped harder, his thrusts growing more urgent. I was on the brink.
“Ryan, I’m going to come,” I murmured.
“Come, Kate. Don’t hold anything back.”
I didn’t. I came undone right there in his arms. When I came down from my orgasm, he was staring at me with this wickedly hot grin.
“We’re not done, beautiful,” he said as he flipped me over onto my stomach.
I was a little shocked, but I also had a thrill run through me. Ryan took my arms and put them behind my back. He held my hands in place as he brought my ass up to meet him. Wow, this was hot, I thought to myself.
“I’m going to put myself inside you, Kate, and make you come again.” He breathed heavily.
I didn’t say anything. The pool between my legs spoke volumes. I had never been this turned on in my life. How could this man do this to me? He entered me, and I cried out in pleasure. He kept my hands behind my back so I couldn’t move. It was hot—really fucking hot. Ryan pumped in and out of me, slamming into me, hard. I was on the verge of another orgasm.
“That’s it beautiful, let it go. This time, I’m going to come with you.”
I let myself soar. I flew to heights I had never been to before and Ryan came with me. Exhausted, we both collapsed on the bed. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me on my forehead. It was the last thing I remember before falling asleep.
The morning light came through the large bay window of my room at the inn. I opened my eyes reluctantly. I immediately felt a sense of panic when I realized Ryan wasn’t in bed with me. I turned to see him sitting in the chair next to the bed, staring at me.
“Hey,” he said lazily.
“Hey,” I said back, “what are you doing over there? Why aren’t you in bed?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I’ve had a mighty fine time watching you sleep, though. You’re beautiful, Kate.” I smiled shyly up at him.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Nine. I’ve got to get going soon. Can you meet me for dinner later, say around six? I’m working this morning and afternoon but want to spend some time with you today. You up for it?”
“Yes, I’m up for it.”
“Good.”
With that, he leaned down and kissed me. My body responded immediately. The kiss deepened, and Ryan tore his mouth from mine. I was disappointed.
“If I don’t stop now, I’ll never leave and won’t make it to work,” he said breathlessly, “meet me at The Pub at six. I’ll see you then.”
He kissed me on my forehead and walked out the door.
Chapter Eleven
Six o’clock couldn’t come soon enough. I spent the day shopping on Main Street, walking through the sweetest stores. I could definitely see the appeal of living in a place like this. Everyone was so friendly. The laid-back lifestyle was a welcome change from the hectic pace of Tampa.
I went through waves of emotions throughout the day, from exhilaration to guilt, to joy then sadness. My emotions were like a boomerang. I had lunch on the river in a quaint little cafe, where I sat outside by myself and let my thoughts wander. I didn’t know how I got to this place in my life but looking at my future, I honestly had no idea where I would go.
On one hand, there was Daniel, wanting to work things out and keep our marriage alive. Part of me wanted to be hopeful, but I knew deep in my heart, he had changed and would never be the Daniel I fell in love with. He loved the power and financial status he wielded now. He would never give that up for me. He also loved women. Lots of them. Seeing him flirting with the waitress at The Pub yesterday showed me he wasn’t really willing to change. I could admit, it hurt. My heart hurt for so many different reasons, but I think the rejection from him was what hurt the most.
Then there was Ryan. I know this can’t go anywhere. Yes, he is a welcome distraction from my life right now, but if I’m honest, this can’t go anywhere. How could it? We live worlds apart. Our lives are so different—he’s a bartender, for God’s sake. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but his lifestyle is so different from mine and we don’t even live in the same state. There’s no substance to any of it. Only this amazing, mind-blowing sex.”
I smiled and blushed at the thought. That man did something to me that I couldn’t even explain. I couldn’t wait for six o’clock to come.
After lunch, I walked along the river, needing the time to myself. I had two days left in this small, beautiful town. I didn’t want to go back to my reality. It was painful. I knew deep within my heart that I had to leave Daniel. There was just no way we could ever work. We were too different. I hated the thought of leaving—there was so much history between us—but how could I stay with a man I was no longer in love with and that surely wasn’t in love with me? Oh, he might think he was but honestly, I believed he was in love with the idea of me. The history between us was not reason enough to stay.
I let my thoughts continue to wander, remembering the good times—the times when the kids were young, when we struggled to make ends meet but somehow did. The beautiful times when I could feel Daniel’s love for me and knew it was pure and true. Why did he have to get so caught up in himself? Maybe he was always like that and I was too blinded by love to see it.
“Either way, when I go home on Thursday I will let him know it’s over.” A quiet sadness overtook my heart. So much would be lost, so much would have to be sorted out. I didn’t know how Daniel would handle it all. Would he make it easy, or would he be difficult? Only time would tell.
Wearied by the emotional debate, I returned to the inn and treated myself to a nap, something I seldom did back home. I woke up at four-thirty and showered. Emotions were exhausting, and I found myself second guessing going to meet Ryan. As excited as I had been earlier, what was the point? Nothing would ever come of it. I would pay dearly for it in the end by having to say another goodbye. Yes, the distraction was nice. Okay, it was more than nice, but what was I to make of all of this? I wrapped myself in a towel and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror.
“You’ve got a fucked-up life right now, Kate Jones,” I said out loud.
I had half an hour before I had to meet Ryan, and I decided I wasn’t going to go. This man, this gorgeous, sweet, sexy man, didn’t need to get tangled up with my mess. It wasn’t fair to him. He deserved someone who was available. He deserved someone whose life wasn’t such a mess. My life was a hot mess and he didn’t need to be tangled up in it.
God, Kate, you should really just go home and deal with your life. I should just head home. Why did I continue to put it off any longer? I knew what needed to be done. Fresh tears stung my eyes. I hated where I was right then. I didn’t ask for any of it.
There was a soft knock at the door. I rolled my eyes because I didn’t want to deal with anyone right now. I debated about whether or not to answer it when another soft knock so
unded. Whoever it was didn’t intend to go away. I slipped a sundress on quickly and moved toward the door. I tried to look through the peephole, but it was covered. Who could it be? I figured I was safe since I was in a public place with other inn guests constantly milling around. I opened the door and there he stood, all 6’4 of him. He had a bouquet of sunflowers in his hands. No vase but tied with a beautiful white satin ribbon.
“Ryan,” I whispered.
“Hey, beautiful. Why the sad eyes?” he asked.
“I’m okay. It’s been a long day of thinking, that’s all. My emotions are kinda raw and all over the place,” I stammered.
“Well, I have just the thing to cheer you up. First, these are for you. I’m not a rose kinda guy but thought you would like these.”
“Sunflowers are my favorite. How did you know?”
“Lucky guess.” He laughed. “Are you ready to go?”
“I…I don’t know, Ryan. I’m struggling right now.”
“Kate, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but I have something fun planned that will take your mind off all your problems for a while. Say the word and I’ll leave you be, but I hope you say you’ll come.”
How could I resist this man? Sunflowers, of all things! I hadn’t received flowers in years. “Okay, I’ll go. I could use some fun right now.”
Chapter Twelve
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise. You’ll see as soon as we get there. We’re close.”
We walked along the river and into the downtown marina. Our route took us past the boats until we stopped in front of a magnificent sailboat.
“Wow, she’s beautiful,” I said aloud.
“She is,” he said, “and we’re going to take her out for a cruise.”
“What?” My eyes grew wide. “Are you serious? We get to go sailing?”
“Well, we’ll see how much sailing we actually do. The winds aren’t great tonight, but we can cruise for a bit.”
“Oh, Ryan, you have no idea how much I love being on the water. Thank you!”
I was giddy. I could have jumped up and down like a little girl right then and there, but I caught myself.
“Hey, Ryan,” an elderly gentleman said while walking toward us. “She’s ready to go. Everything’s set. You should have a beautiful sunset tonight. I’m glad to see you’re taking the old girl out. She’s been neglected for some time.”
“Thanks Jon, I appreciate it. It’s a good thing I have you looking after her. This is Kate.”
“Please to meet you, Ms. Kate,” he said and shook my hand.
“Nice to meet you as well, sir.”
“Call me Jon. None of that sir stuff around here, young lady.”
I giggled and said, “Yes, sir—I mean, Jon.”
He had a sparkle in his eye. I immediately liked him.
“You two better get going so you don’t miss that sunset.”
“You’re right. Thanks again, Jon. We’ll see you when we get back.”
“I’ll be here. I’m never anywhere else. Now, go have fun.”
Ryan helped me onto the boat.
“What’s her name?” I asked.
“Susie.”
“Why’d you name that?”
“After my mom, who has been my biggest support. I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for her. She was always there for me, always cheering me on, telling me I could make my life whatever I wanted to make it. I’d have been lost without her.”
“She sounds amazing. That’s sweet of you to name your boat after her.”
He smiled. His smile had a way of melting my heart.
“She is amazing,” he whispered. Ryan steered the boat effortlessly out of the marina. We cruised down the intercostal, and my soul was happy. The water was my happy place. I watched Ryan as he managed the boat. He looked as though he had not a care in the world. The place fit him. He was easy going and laid back, just like this sweet little town. We cruised for a while, chatting easily. Ryan pointed out different landmarks and filled me in on some of their history. It was a beautiful evening, and I was so glad he’d convinced me to come.
Ryan began to slow the boat and said we were going to anchor for a while so we could watch the sunset. After getting the boat settled, he went below into the cabin.
“I’ll be right back, hang tight.”
I admired the view as I waited for him to come back. I was peaceful. I hadn’t felt peaceful in a very long time.
“Hey, beautiful,” he whispered in my ear.
I was caught off guard as I hadn’t heard him sneak up behind me. I turned to face him and as I did, he kissed me. A soft, sensual kiss that made my knees weak. He ended the kiss and held up a picnic basket.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“I’m actually starving.” I giggled.
“Good. I have dinner.”
With that, Ryan went about setting the table, right down to the white table cloth, linen napkins, and candles. He opened up a bottle of Sonoma Cutrer and poured each of us a glass. He held up his glass and said, “Cheers, to you, beautiful. You walked into The Pub that night and everything changed. Here’s to you and to beautiful messes.”
I wanted to cry. This man was absolutely everything I longed for.
I held up my glass. “Cheers.”
We ate and laughed. We talked about anything and everything. The sunset was gorgeous. It was more than I could have asked for, and I felt content.
“Tell me, Ryan, why aren’t you married? Someone like you must have women throwing themselves at you all the time.”
“Well, that part is true.” He chuckled. “I was married once. It ended and took me a long time to recover.”
“I’m sorry, Ryan. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s fine Kate. It’s good for me to talk about it. I married my high school sweetheart, Laura, a year after we graduated. We were nineteen. I don’t know what our parents were thinking, letting us get married that young. We both went to college and then settled into Beaufort after we graduated. We wanted to start a family, so we did. Our daughter, Emily, was born and she was our world. She was everything we wanted and more. When Emily was six months old, Laura got into a fatal car accident. She died on impact. My world shattered. There I was, a twenty-four-year-old widower. I had no idea how I would raise a baby on my own. If it weren’t for my mom, dad, and sister, and Laura’s parents, I wouldn’t have made it. We all raised Emily together. That girl is loved beyond measure.”
“Ryan, I had no idea. I’m so sorry for all you’ve been through,” I whispered.
My heart broke for this man. To have lived through something so unimaginable and be here in this moment, thankful for those around him who helped him through.
“I never wanted anyone else after Laura. My focus was on raising my daughter. I gave her all of me to try to make up for the mom she was missing. She’s nineteen now, a sophomore in college. She’s in NYC, of all places. My little southern, country girl, in New York City. She comes home for the holidays and every now and again, I’ll venture north to see her. The city isn’t my thing, but I go for her.”
I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. He had been through so much in his life and come out on the other side of it, strong and steady.
“And then you walked into The Pub,” he continued, “and everything changed. I felt a shift the moment I looked into your eyes.”
“Ryan, I…I don’t know what to say,” I stammered.
“There’s nothing to say, beautiful. Just enjoy this moment. I don’t want to think about anything past this present moment.”
With that, he leaned down and kissed me. The kiss was full of wanting and desire. He was claiming me. I could feel it in his kiss. Oh, how I wanted to give all of myself to this man. Ryan took my hand and led me below deck.
He never took his mouth from mine. He walked me backward to the master stateroom and laid me gently on the bed.
“Beautiful, I’m going to make l
ove to you now. Slowly,” he whispered while looking directly in my eyes.
“Yes,” I murmured breathlessly.
Ryan began a slow descent down my body. He began at my lips, then moved to my neck. He took the straps of my sundress and pulled them slowly down my arms. He dragged the dress just below my breasts and began sucking and licking, taking turns on each one. I was in heaven. This man made me feel things I had never felt before. He paused for a moment and looked up at me, smiling that sexy smile.
“I love looking at you, beautiful.”
He then reclaimed my breasts. It was heavenly torture, and I didn’t want him to stop. He slowly pulled my dress further down, making his way over my stomach down to my navel. He kissed me all over my body to my panty line. Ryan slipped my dress over my hips and pulled my panties down with it. I was exposed in front of him.
“God, you’re beautiful. Open for me.”
I did. I opened for him and he licked me. Sucking me, putting two fingers inside of me, he made me feel incredible.
“God, Ryan, that feels so good,” I said aloud.
Ryan continued to lick and suck and I could feel myself building.
“That’s it, beautiful. I want you to come.”
“Ryan, I’m so close.”
“Let it go, Kate.”
With that, I pushed myself down so that I could have his fingers further inside me and have his mouth sucking harder on my clit. I exploded. I couldn’t contain myself any longer.
“That’s it, beautiful. Mmmmm, so beautiful watching you come undone,” he murmured into my thigh. Ryan then flipped me over onto my stomach. It caught me by surprise.
“I’m not done with you yet, beautiful.”
He began to kiss me on my ass cheek. I had never been kissed there before. I didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or enjoy it.
“Relax, Kate. It’s okay.”
He must have felt my hesitation. He put his finger at the entrance to my behind and I startled. “Relax, beautiful. I won’t do anything to hurt you,” he whispered.
Ryan made his way up my back, kissing me the entire time. He lay on top of me and I could feel his large cock at the entrance of my pussy.
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