Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
McGuire stood there, his heart somewhere between a dead stop and completely out of control. He still couldn’t believe Riven had called him out — dared him to deny the connection he’d felt since that Hail Mary save. The spark that had flashed the day she’d walked into the bar.
How could he when he’d felt as if he’d been slowly going insane all these months? Wanting to jump in but feeling unworthy. Or maybe he’d been unable to commit because, as crazy as it seemed, his heart already belonged to Cinder. Learning Riven was both…
It had messed with his head. Made him reconsider their situation. A little less as punishment. A whole lot more as what might be the best decision of his life.
Riven stared up at him, blue eyes wide, lips rosy and kiss-swollen. She blinked, smiled, the simple action nearly dropping him. “Pretty sure I’ve been falling since Colombia.”
“Good, then you’ve almost caught up to me.” He leaned in. “You might want to hold on, the ride’s about to get bumpy.”
He moved, slipped one arm around her waist, took them both back on the bed. It groaned, the springs creaking in protest as he shifted her to the middle, hair fanned out around her, her pale skin gleaming in the moonlight.
She cocked her head to the side, shook her head. “While I love where this is heading, shouldn’t you lose the boxers?”
He chuckled. “I’ll get there. But first…”
He traced his fingers down her hip, along her legs to her foot.
Started rubbing his thumbs in circles along her arch.
She inhaled, moaned, head pushing into the mattress, chest rising a bit faster as he worked his way up her thigh before switching to the other foot — smiling at the way she twitched beneath him.
McGuire went to his knees once he’d loosened all the tension in her muscles, had her exactly where he’d been picturing since he’d finally gotten his head out of his ass.
Riven snagged her bottom lip, pushing onto her elbows as he stared at her. “McGuire. I’m barely hanging on, and you’ve hardly touched me. If you put your mouth on me…”
He chuckled, drawing a finger along her thighs, dipping between them. “You’ll what? Explode?”
Her breath caught, a deep pink hue flushing her skin before she fell back on the mattress. “Christ…”
He took that as his signal to delve deeper — take her to the edge before letting her ease back down, recover enough he could do it all over again.
One of her hands landed in his hair, fisting the strands as he worked her higher, stopping just shy of sending her over — moving to the soft spot behind her knee. The sensuous curve of her hip.
Harsh pants filled the room, interrupted by the occasional murmur. What he suspected was really a string of curse words directed at his methods. He smiled against her skin, took her up one more time before she huffed, pushed to her elbows.
Her fingers tightened in his hair, practically yanking his head toward her. “Either take me over, or I’m switching our positions — taking care of myself.”
He circled his finger across her flesh, loving the way her eyes rolled a bit, some of that fight waning. “I thought it was all about the foreplay?”
She cried out when he leaned down, lightly nipped her. “It’s been over two years, and I’ve been waiting on you for months. Kissing was enough foreplay.”
“I’m just trying to do this right. Give you a reason to come back for more, later.”
Her eyes softened. “I’ve wanted more from the moment I met you.” Her lips twitched. “Unless you leave me like this. Then, I might just shoot you in the ass. Let Patch dig out the slug.”
He chuckled. Damn, he was crazy about her.
McGuire sighed, prowled up the bed until she slipped one hand around his neck. “I can’t help it if I don’t want this to end. If I need more time.”
She drew him down, brushed her mouth over his. “I meant what I said. All I need is you, loving me, for as long as it lasts. And I’d like it to last for more than just this night. This mission. Not sure I can be any clearer.”
She kissed him. Hard. Her body rising against his hand as he smoothed it along her ribs, settled between her thighs, again. Only, this time, he didn’t stop.
Riven gasped in a breath of air, head tipped back, eyes squeezed shut as her muscles strained, hands balled into fists.
He nuzzled her neck, bit at her pulse point. “No more teasing, sweetheart.”
She cried out, hips arching, her body convulsing around him as she slipped over the edge, shattered in his arms. He kissed her neck, savoring the increased strum beneath his lips. The woman was more than he’d imagined, and he knew, once he loved her, he’d never be the same.
Never be complete without her in his life.
The thought caught him off-guard, though, it didn’t scare him as much as he’d anticipated. In fact, it felt right. As if that one mission had finally come full circle.
Riven curled against him, breathing through a few more shivers before she finally opened her eyes, stared up at him. A relaxed smile curved her lips. “Maybe it is all about the foreplay.”
He shook his head. “That sounds like a challenge.”
“Get naked, and we can find out.”
He held her gaze as he eased off the bed, stripped off the only swath of clothing between them. His cock sprang free, heavy, hard. Feeling like a damn pipe between his legs.
Riven pushed upright, ran her palms up his thighs, across his ribs, then down. “Christ, McGuire. The things I want to do to you.”
She reached down, ran her closed fist the length of him. “Thinking I can start by returning the favor.”
McGuire tsked, slipped on a condom from his wallet, then took them both back onto the bed, settling between her thighs. “If you’re still motivated, you can play in the shower, after. But for now…” He dipped lower, kissed her. “I need more.”
Riven tugged him down to her, holding his forehead to hers as he tilted his hips, slowly inched inside. Her breath left her on a ragged moan as she wrapped herself around him, kissed him.
Promise.
That’s what she felt like. The glimmer of tomorrow. How his life could be if he played his cards right. Proved he was worthy of the chance she’d given him.
Riven clung to him, meeting each gentle thrust, mouthing his shoulder as he picked up the pace, started rocking the bed. The old frame creaked, tapping out a rhythm against the wall as fire raced beneath his skin, threaten to burn him from the inside out.
She rose with him when he went to his hands, needing the extra leverage to keep moving — push her higher. She whispered his name, the soft sound snapping whatever control he had left.
He paused, wrapped one arm around her back, then dipped his shoulder, rolled them. She caught her balance, her legs straddling him before he pushed up — trapped her between his thighs and chest. Another strangled moan clawed free as she pulsed around him, her head falling back.
That did him in.
Had him hissing out a breath as she eased up, stopped just shy of him slipping out, then slammed back down, pushing him fully inside her before moving again. Repeating everything until her chest heaved from the pressure, her eyes rolling a bit.
He took control, started meeting each thrust, adding an extra kick. Not so hard she shattered, but enough her pulse fluttered, every stroke pushing her closer to the edge. He increased the pace, watched her slowly unravel in his arms as her breath caught, held.
She broke.
Cried his name, the ragged sound taking him with her. He tightened his hold, started pounding into her, one hand fisted in her hair, the other palming her hips. Holding her still until the coil snapped, had him emptying in a series of stabbing thrusts.
He moved through his release, finally dropping his forehead on hers, every nerve singing, his heart so full he thought it would pound out of his chest. Force its way into hers.
Riven wrapped her arms around his neck, held him in place, shared every shuddering breath until the fever passed. The air finally settling around them.
His fingers cramped, her hair still gathered in his hand until he eased it free. It took several tries, but he managed. Let his hand fall to the small of her back. His palm moving over all that soft skin.
She shivered, and his heart kicked, bruising his ribs before he eased back, rolled them over again. He smiled down at her as he brushed aside some hair, wondering how he’d ever thought he could survive without her.
Without this.
A soft caress of her thumb along his jaw had him leaning in, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.
He nuzzled her cheek, humbled by the hint of wetness on her skin. “You okay?”
She snorted, her chin quivering for a moment before she smiled — pushed his hair out of his eyes. “Way past okay. That…”
Another quiver and she swallowed, hard, as if she’d held something back. Something dangerously telling.
He sighed. “I’m barely holding on, too — in case you were wondering.”
Tears pooled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. “I knew you were trouble when I saw you on that feed.”
“Somehow, I don’t think you’d want it any other way.” He kissed her nose. “You up for a shower? Or do we just say fuck it.”
She laughed, the lilting sound like music. “I believe you made me a promise.”
“I said if you were still motivated.” He grinned. “You look as if you can barely keep your eyes open.”
“Glad you’re not smug about it.” She lifted her head, nipped at his lip. “I bet the second that water hits me, I’ll find my motivation.”
“Deal.”
He eased off her, still wanting to lick every inch of her skin, before disposing of the condom and gathering her in his arms — carrying her out the door and into the bathroom.
She stumbled a bit once he’d placed her on her feet, as if her legs weren’t quite strong enough, before leaning against the cracked counter, watching him as he grabbed some towels, turned on the taps.