Chapter 10 #2
Riley didn’t know what to do with himself or the rampant desire that gripped him like an extra heartbeat, and there was no way he could hide what the encounter had done to him. So he leaned back against the counter, crossed his feet at the ankles and focused on breathing as he watched her intently.
By the time she turned to face him, he had himself more or less under control—until she rolled her plump bottom lip between her teeth and fixed her gaze once again on his mouth. It was all he could do not to groan out loud.
“I… I haven’t done anything like that in a long time,” she said, each word seeming to cost her something vital.
“Why not? You’re quite good at it.”
Her eyes widened with surprise.
“You didn’t know you’re good at it?”
“I…” She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself in that protective thing she did.
He wondered if she knew she was doing it. Standing up straighter, he held out a hand to her. “Come here.”
“I’m here.”
“Closer. Only if you want to, that is.”
He watched her screw up the courage to step back into his embrace.
With his arms around her and her body flush against his, where there’d be no doubt in her mind how their kisses had affected him, he rested his hands on her shoulders.
“Tell me why you think you’re not good at this,” he said, punctuating his words with kisses to her forehead and lips.
“I haven’t done a lot of it. Something happened… when I was in college.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
She shook her head and then closed her eyes when they filled with tears.
“Nikki, sweetheart.” Devastated by her tears, he hugged her close to him and buried his face in the fragrant silk of her hair. “Please don’t cry. You don’t have to tell me.”
“I do have to. It wouldn’t be fair not to.”
“Not now. Not if you aren’t ready.”
“I want to be ready… for you, for this. I want…”
“What do you want, sweetheart?” Now that he was allowed to touch her, he couldn't seem to stop himself from sliding his fingers through her hair or rubbing soothing circles on her back. “Tell me what you want so I can get it for you.”
“I want you.”
He smiled down at her, filled with giddy elation that was all new to him. “That’s the best news I’ve had all day.”
“It’s just that I don’t know how… I dated a guy in college who… He got tired of waiting for me to put out and took what he wanted.”
“Oh my God,” he said, his elation of a minute ago turning to rage at the thought of someone hurting her that way. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, Nikki.”
“It was a long time ago, but sometimes it feels like it only just happened. I’ve mostly kept my distance from men and dating ever since.”
“I can’t say I blame you. Tell me he was charged at least.”
“He was. It was a total nightmare. I ended up leaving school.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through such an awful thing.”
She smiled up at him, and the ground seemed to shift beneath his feet as the most profound feeling of falling overtook him. He’d never experienced anything like it.
“Whatever happens between us is completely up to you. I’ll never ask you for anything you don’t want to give.”
“You have no idea how much that means to me.”
He traced his fingertip over her soft cheek, his stomach and heart aching for her and what she’d been through. “I wish I could have five minutes alone with the guy who hurt you.”
She looked away, seeming to collect herself before returning her gaze to him. “I wanted you to know why I’m so… weird.”
“You’re not weird.”
“Yes, I really am.”
“No, you’re really not.” Keeping his eyes open, he kissed her again, returning to the initial soft sweetness in light of what she’d told him.
“I don’t want to be weird with you.”
Riley laughed as he hugged her, bewitched, enchanted and getting deeper by the second into something that had the power to change his life.
Hot damn, the man could kiss. Sweet fancy Moses, as Gram would say.
Nikki wanted to dance with glee around the kitchen.
She’d kissed the sexy, thoughtful, handsome, sweet Riley McCarthy, and she’d survived it.
She hadn’t done anything overly embarrassing besides shed a few tears that had come mostly from the sheer relief of having gotten that first kiss out of the way, confirming the hum of attraction she felt for him wasn’t at all one-sided.
He’d said and done all the right things when she told him about what’d happened in college and how it had affected her ever since.
As they ate the spaghetti and salad she’d made, she was thankful she’d decided not to make garlic bread. Now that she’d kissed him once, the only thing she could think about was when she might get to do it again. Thank goodness garlic breath wouldn’t be a concern.
Everything was different between them now, the air charged with an aura of expectation and anticipation that made her unable to focus on anything but the lips that had kissed her with such tenderness.
“Quit it,” he said gruffly after taking a sip from his beer.
Startled, Nikki said, “Quit what?”
“Staring at my lips.”
Mortified, she had no idea what to say to that until those sinfully sexy lips curved into a smile that had her toes curling inside her fleece-lined slippers. He was teasing her, and she’d fallen for it.
“Stare all you want, because that means I get to do it, too.”
“You want to stare at me?”
“Hell yes, I want to stare at you. I’ve been trying not to since the second I first saw you.”
“And that’s taken some effort, has it?”
“You have no idea.”
She hid her smile behind her hand.
He took hold of her other hand and brought it to his lips.
“The best thing to happen to me since last fall was you coming back. You should’ve seen me when I heard you were here.
I was out with my brother and our cousins, and I basically ditched them and took off with my dad’s car, which I haven’t done in years. ”
“You must’ve really wanted to see me.”
Giving a gentle tug on her hand, he had her rising from her seat to move to his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. “I really, really wanted to see you.”
“I wanted to see you, too,” she said, feeling breathless from the kisses he placed on her neck. “The whole way from LA, I hoped you’d still be here. I had no idea if you would be.”
“I think you’re the reason I stayed. I hoped you might come back.”
“I guess I ought to thank Jordan for going back to Zane. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have any reason to be here.”
“I’m not sure we should go that far, but I’m glad you had a reason to come back.”
“So am I.”
“Today was a really rough day but being here with you made it better.”
She smoothed her fingers through his hair. “What happened?”
“My cousin Shane found out his ex-wife died, possibly of a drug overdose.”
“Oh God, that’s terrible. Is he okay?”
“He’s shocked, of course, and really upset.”
“The poor guy. Have they been divorced for long?”
“A couple of years now. He found out after they were married that she was addicted to prescription pain meds, and things kind of went downhill from there. For a long time, he was in a really bad place. He’s been a lot better lately…
” Riley took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Sorry, I don’t mean to unload on you.”
“Don’t be sorry. You’re worried about him, which is very sweet.”
“We’re all worried about him. It’s such a shock for him and such a sad loss for her family. And while I’m sad for him, I feel selfish, too, because all I can think about since I kissed you is when I’m going to get to do it again.”
Smiling, she touched her lips to his. “Do you still want to go to your other cousin’s house tonight?”
“Not as much as I did earlier.” His hands moved over her in a gentle caress that had her thinking about more for the first time in years. No one had ever made her feel the way Riley did with a few heated kisses.
“What would you rather do instead?” she asked, loving the way his blue eyes went dark with desire.
“More of this.” He kissed her again. “But I want you to meet my family, too.”
“We could go for a little while.”
“Mmm,” he said against her lips. “Okay.”
“Riley…”
“Hmm?”
“You have to stop kissing me if we’re going to your cousin’s.”
“Don’t wanna stop kissing you.”
Nikki couldn’t recall the last time she’d enjoyed anything more than the feel of Riley’s strong arms around her and his sweet lips devouring hers. “Just for now. You can kiss me more later.”
“Promise?”
She nodded, charmed by him. “I promise.”