Chapter 16
Emma heard the motorcycle coming long before it reached her apartment. Hoping it might be Ryan, she climbed out of bed and tiptoed toward the front door. His familiar form came riding out of the darkness and pulled into the driveway. He parked, killed the engine, and then just sat there in the dark, head down, shoulders hunched.
She opened the door and went to him. The cool nighttime mountain air slithered across her bare skin, raising goosebumps over her flesh. She walked toward him, the cold pavement stinging against her bare feet.
“I don’t know why I’m here,” he said, his voice low. “It’s late. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“I was awake. I’m glad you’re here.” She touched the sleeve of his jacket. “You okay?”
His silence spoke for him.
“Want to take me for a ride?” she asked, since he didn’t seem eager to talk.
His hungry gaze settled on her pink nightgown, making her sizzle beneath it.
“I’ll be right back.” She dashed inside, yanked her gown over her head, and pulled on a blue top and her skinny jeans. She zipped up her boots and her jacket and went back outside.
Ryan hadn’t moved. Something was definitely up with him.
She put on her helmet and climbed onto the bike behind him, sliding her arms firmly into place around his waist.
He revved the engine and guided the bike back onto the road, roaring over the deserted mountain roads outside Haven with the moon as their guide, the night as their witness. It was just as magical as that first night when he’d given her a ride home after work.
Beneath her palms, Ryan vibrated with tension, his body wound as tight as the machine below them. She’d seen him with Trent’s parents at Off-the-Grid this afternoon, and she hoped like hell they weren’t the source of his current mood.
He turned off the road onto a paved path, and she realized they were at the bluffs. The spot where they’d shared their first kiss, right here on his motorcycle. He cut the engine, and the night fell heavy and silent around them. They were hidden from sight from the road, stars winking overhead as the forest rustled around them.
Emma took off her helmet and slid off the bike, turned, and swung around in front of him, facing him, her fingers fisted into his jacket.
“Emma.” His voice rumbled through her fingers.
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
He groaned, yanking her into his lap as his lips crashed into hers. His kiss was explosive, lighting her up like a stick of dynamite. Her knees hooked over his thighs, bringing her hips against his. His hands gripped her ass, pressing her closer, rocking her against his erection.
They kissed, touching and teasing, until she was about to combust. Beneath her fingers, Ryan’s muscles were so taut she could have bounced a penny off him. She reached between them and unbuttoned his jeans, pushing down the zipper. His cock pressed into her fingers, thick and hot. Her body throbbed as she stroked him, feeling him grow even harder beneath her touch.
Ryan swore roughly, thrusting his hips into her hand.
He fumbled with the button on her jeans, shoving them down her hips. She sucked in a breath as the night air met her overheated skin. Ryan reached into his back pocket, and then he was rolling on a condom.
Sex on a motorcycle. It sounded so exciting that her whole body was humming with anticipation. The reality? Slightly less glamorous. No matter how she positioned herself above him, her jeans were in the way. She laughed as they fumbled in the moonlight, struggling frantically to bring their bodies into alignment.
“Emma,” he breathed against her neck, his arms tightening around her. She felt him smile against her skin. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?” she asked.
“You make me laugh,” he said. “I’m so hard for you right now I might just explode, and there’s a hole in the wall of my living room where I punched my fist through it just now. And…you take it all away.”
She absorbed that information, grateful to the night for hiding the love that had to be stamped all over her face. “I’m glad.”
“I can take anything with you in my arms.” He pressed his lips to hers with another kiss that stole her breath.
“Did you really punch a hole in your wall?” she asked when they’d come up for air.
“Yeah.”
“You want to tell me why?”
“Not while we’re in this position.” His hands came down to palm her bare ass. His cock strained against her belly, and her skinny jeans were still bunched around her hips like a damned chastity belt.
“I hate these jeans,” she whispered.
“I fuckin’ love them. They’re sexy as hell, but right now, they are not my favorite thing.” He smiled against her lips.
“I have an idea.” She reached down and rolled the condom off him.
Ryan let out a groan of defeat.
“Hold that thought,” she said, pressing her palm against his cock. She hitched her jeans back into place, then slid off the bike and knelt beside him.
“Emma—” he growled.
“Stay right where you are,” she whispered. She leaned in, licking the bead of moisture that had gathered at the tip of his cock. He swore, and his cock jerked against her tongue. She took his head into her mouth, licking and sucking. His hands fisted in her hair.
She tilted her head and took him all in. Her position was awkward, with one shoulder wedged against the side of his bike, her knee braced against the pavement, but as she looked up and saw him looking so sexy and badass on his bike, his head thrown back, eyes closed, it was so worth it. It was the most erotic thing she’d ever seen.
She slid him in and out of her mouth, finding the tempo he needed. He swore, the sounds coming from this throat growing increasingly desperate as she worked, until he stilled with a hoarse, “I’m going to come.”
She increased the suction with her mouth, and boy, did he ever. His whole body tensed as he came in a series of hot spurts that she swallowed, reveling in his guttural cry as he lost control.
He slumped forward, his arms shaking as he cradled her. “Fuck.”
She slid to her feet and climbed back onto the bike in front of him. “Better?”
He hauled her up against his chest and kissed her senseless. “Baby, that was so much better than you could ever know.”
“You working tomorrow?”Ryan nuzzled his face into Emma’s hair, breathing in her fresh scent. They’d made it back to her place after their little rendezvous on the back of his bike and he’d fucked her senseless here in her bed. Funny how his need for her never seemed to lessen. If anything, it grew stronger each day.
She shook her head in answer to his question. “You?”
“Not ’til noon.”
“You want to stay?” she asked, her arms tightening around him.
“Yeah.” He wanted it more than anything. “But I may need to make a run for some food. I’ve been hungry all damn day.”
“You missed lunch,” she murmured.
“And supper.”
“Oh wow.” She sat up. “You are hungry, then. I think I have steaks in the freezer. We could toss them on the grill?”
“Sounds great.” He climbed out of bed and started pulling his clothes back on.
Emma did the same. She went into the kitchen while he went out onto her patio to start the grill. By the time he had it nice and hot, she had the steaks thawed and seasoned. “I threw a couple of potatoes in the oven, too.”
“Steak and potatoes. You know the way to a man’s heart.” He had no idea where those words came from, but he’d blame it on being famished.
Emma gave him a funny look but said nothing.
They didn’t talk much while they cooked, and while he was still somewhat tongue-tied over what he’d just said, the silence didn’t feel uncomfortable. Once he’d devoured enough food to fill the aching void inside him, he sat back with a satisfied sigh.
Emma slid closer, her shoulder bumping into his. “You want to tell me about it now?”
“Yeah.” He did, too. “Trent’s parents came to see me tonight.”
“And it didn’t go well.”
“No. And then I lost my cool, which was stupid.”
“You’re only human, and they’ve been awful to you.” She ran a hand down his back. “You did wait until after they’d left to punch your fist through the wall, though, right?”
He choked on a laugh. “Yeah.”
“Good.” She smiled, but it looked sad. “I’m sorry. I thought this would be your chance to finally set things right with them.”
“Yeah. I was hoping that, too.” And now he felt only a bone-deep weariness. “Trent’s an adult now, legally. They can’t stop him from visiting, but I hate for the kid to feel like he has to choose between us.”
“They never should have kept you apart,” she said softly.
“No.” In that word, he felt all the pain come crashing down on him, the pain of being an eleven-year-old kid all alone in the world, of being an eighteen-year-old who’d aged out of the system with nothing to show for it. No home, no family, no place in the world. The pain of all the years he’d spent searching for Trent, when all it would have taken was one phone call from the Lamars to set it right.
Emma was stillin bed when Ryan left the next morning. They’d been up late, really late, and she wasn’t feeling in any hurry to move. She rolled over, replaying in her mind the naughty things they’d done on his motorcycle. Ryan pushed her outside her comfort zone, except he didn’t—because he was never the one pushing. She pushed herself out of her comfort zone when she was with him, and she liked that. She really liked that.
She liked everything about being with him, and she wasn’t even trying to deny—to herself at least—that she was in love with him. Nope. She was all in, but she was a big girl. She’d always carried a torch for Ryan, and she could continue to bear it after they broke up. If they broke up. Because she wasn’t an idiot. This thing between them wasn’t just sex.
He’d come to her last night when he was hurting. He’d opened himself to her, let her comfort him. They’d shared things, done things, that spoke to a much deeper connection.
Would he ever be ready or willing to admit it? She didn’t know. For now, she was content with things the way they were. They’d only been together a few weeks, after all, and Ryan was still adjusting to a more stable life here in Haven.
If she got accepted at the University of Georgia, then it would be time for them to have a serious talk about their future together. Otherwise…
With a sigh, she climbed out of bed, sending an offended Smokey stalking off in the direction of the living room. Already naked from her mostly sleepless night with Ryan, she headed straight for the shower.
Her reflection in the bathroom mirror stopped her. Her tattoo had gone through an icky, scabby phase while it healed, but now…now it looked…wow. She touched it with a smile. It was pretty and sexy and delicate. She loved it even more than she’d thought she would.
The poppy represented both her work and her love for her brother. It reflected so much about her, but it was private. No one had to see it unless she showed them. Yeah, she loved it. It was perfect.
With a happy smile, she stepped into the shower. Now that it had healed, she could take hot showers again. Long, hot showers. Or soak in the tub. Both sounded good, but right now her stomach was instructing her to hurry so she didn’t linger too long beneath the shower’s hot spray. Instead, she hopped out, dressed in a white tank top and jeans, and headed for the bakery. She was starved, and only one of Carly’s cinnamon buns would do.
“Hey there, stranger,” Carly said with a wide grin when she walked in.
“Hey yourself.” Emma snagged a seat at the counter.
Carly set a cup of coffee and a plate with a cinnamon bun in front of her with a smile.
“Am I that predictable?” she asked. “Yeah, I am, and I don’t even care.”
“Nothing wrong with knowing what you want,” Carly said. “So how are things with Ryan?”
“Good.” She sipped her coffee with a happy sigh. “Really good, actually.”
“You do have that happy glow about you,” Carly said, eyeing her up and down.
“That might be partly due to what you’re feeding me,” she said around a mouthful of cinnamon bun.
“Aw, you’re sweet, but this looks like more of a man-made glow.”
“The glow of someone who…” She lowered her voice, giving a sly glance around her. “Gave a blow job on a motorcycle last night?”
Carly’s eyebrows lifted. “You naughty girl, Emma. That sounds technically…awkward.”
She giggled. “It was a little bit, but it was also amazing.”
The bell above the door chimed, and she and Carly looked over to see a tall, slender brunette enter. Emma straightened in her seat. “Good morning, Mrs. Lamar.”
The woman glanced at her, seeming at first not to recognize her, but after a moment’s pause, she walked over with a polite smile. “Emma, right? And please call me Kate.”
“Yes. Thanks, Kate.” Emma motioned for Kate to take the seat beside her.
“What do you recommend?” Kate asked.
“The cinnamon bun, definitely. Carly’s cinnamon buns are pretty much the best breakfast food ever created.”
Kate glanced at Emma’s plate. “That does look good.”
“It’s delicious.”
Carly smiled from the other side of the counter. “I should hire her to work for me. Would you like to taste a sample?”
“No, thank you,” Kate said. “I’ll take Emma’s word for it. Two cinnamon buns, please. One for here and one to go. For my husband,” she added, glancing at Emma.
“Are you guys enjoying your time here in Haven?” Emma asked.
Kate nodded. “It’s a lovely town.”
“Your son’s a great kid. We’ve all enjoyed having him here.”
The older woman’s expression was pained. “It’s not that I object to him being here exactly…but he should be in college right now. Instead he’s here, playing around, riding zip-lines and DJ’ing in a club. He’s headed down the wrong path.”
“And no one has tried to convince him of that more than Ryan,” Emma said quietly.
“Excuse me?” Kate gave her a sharp look.
“Ryan didn’t get to go to college, you know. He couldn’t afford it so he just worked his ass off to make up for it, and he’s done well for himself. Really well, I think. He doesn’t like the club thing any more than you do, and he’s been riding Trent hard about getting back into college. He doesn’t want his brother to make a mistake he’ll regret later on.”
Kate was silent as Carly set a plate with a cinnamon bun on it in front of her.
“Coffee?” Carly asked.
Kate nodded. “Please.”
“I actually warned him to back off,” Emma said. “I told him if he pressured Trent too hard about it, he’d push him away.”
“I didn’t know,” Kate murmured.
“He’s really a great guy, you know? He had a crap start in life, but he made something of himself anyway. He’s kind and generous and one of the most hardworking people I know. Trent’s lucky to have him as a big brother, Kate. And you should support that, instead of trying to drive a wedge between them.”
“But the tattoos…and the motorcycle…”
“What about them? Spend a little time with him, and you’ll see. Give him a chance.”
“You love him,” Kate said, giving her an assessing look.
“Yeah, I do,” Emma said softly.
On the other side of the counter, Carly dropped a plate with a crash and a muffled swear.
“Don’t even pretend you didn’t hear what I just said.” Emma shook her head with a smile. “But don’t you dare repeat it either.”
Carly straightened with a shit-eating grin and mimed zipping her lips.
“Ryan doesn’t know?” Kate asked.
“This thing between us is…well, to say it’s complicated is cliché, but we’ve been friends most of our lives, and this new step is well…new. He’s nowhere near ready to hear or say those words yet.”
“I see,” Kate said. “Well, we don’t leave until tomorrow evening. I don’t suppose he’d have an opening for a rock-climbing lesson in the morning?”
Emma couldn’t contain the smile that creased her cheeks. “You’d have to ask him, but on a Monday morning? I’m guessing he could fit you in.”
Kate nodded briskly. “We’ll just see about that.”