Chapter 8
Ripley
The wall of well-wishers and couples doing the New Year’s kiss thing closed around me.
I was a head taller than most, but I still lost sight of Mercy in the absolute mayhem. Everyone wanted to congratulate the happy couple. My mother was bawling her eyes out and hugging everyone who would allow it.
I caught Jessie giving one of the firefighters the let’s-find-a-nearby-corner-and-make-out glance.
The firefighter in question actually dated my brother a time or two.
Lily maybe? Then again Cash had dated every single female in the tri-state area until Parker had tamed him during his come-to-Jesus community service for stealing a duck statue from the park.
Only in Indigo Valley.
Jessie gave me a glance and I just waved her away to find her fire princess.
All hope of the wedding processional had been dashed the moment the clock struck midnight anyway. People were more excited for the revelry and the booze tent than to stand on tradition.
In the center of it all was my brother and the love of his life getting their flowers—quite literally. There had been a basket of roses for people to take, but instead Nora had an armful of them and the overwhelm was apparent on her face. But for once it was the good kind.
That all these people came out for my brother and Nora. Even my eyes stung a little at the outpouring of love. My brother deserved it. He did everything in his power to make sure he supported this town. It was really nice to see everyone giving it back to them.
All in all, it was a damn good wedding.
I pushed through the crowd, getting a slap on the back from my brothers and hugs from people I’d known since I was a kid. This was the kind of chaos I expected from a wedding, but I only wanted one thing.
To find Mercy.
A flash of red caught my attention and then there she was.
The breeze lifted and a curl danced around her face. She tucked it away as our gazes locked. She nibbled her lower lip, the flash of white against red making my belly tighten. God, she was stunning.
Gone was the rounded face that I remembered of when we were kids.
Instead, her husky blue eyes glowed out of a smokey fringe of lashes.
Her heart-shaped face was all woman now.
She was only a handful of years younger than me, but the look she was giving me had nothing to do with the sweet summer memories I had of her hanging around the fringes of my friend group.
I pushed at the bodies in my way, threading my way around them, barely hearing the congratulations. I hoped that my smiles and murmurs were enough, but right then I didn’t give a damn.
When I finally got to her, her wide red mouth was turned up in a sly smile. “How about we give that backseat of yours another try?”
I groaned. “You sure about that? I might not let you come back to the party. And I can guarantee that mouth won’t look the same.”
She swallowed. “As long as you’re good with wearing my lipstick, Rip.”
“Fuck, yes.” I trailed my finger down her arm, the little strings of her black wrap slithering around my skin. I found her hand and laced our fingers together. “You sure?”
“More sure than I have been about anything in a long time.”
I lifted her hand to my mouth and nipped at her wrist. Her mouth fell open and I had the strongest urge to drop a kiss on that mouth, but there were too many people around. Especially for how badly I wanted to taste her again.
I drew her against my chest for a second and almost did it, damn the consequences of every busybody in this damn town around us. She took a step back and drew me through the crowd, breaking the spell between us.
I caught up to her long-legged gait and crowded into her, urging her toward the parking lot. I caught my brother Cash doing the same with Parker, but luckily, they didn’t spot us in return.
They were far too into one another.
I’d been a little jealous of the intense connections my brothers had found over the year.
Now that I knew what it tasted like, I understood why they were so preoccupied.
I took a left into the depths of the endless lines of cars.
I’d parked back near one of the large trees—for one reason, I wanted to be able to find my damn car—and the other, I didn’t want some drunk idiot to smack their door into mine.
I wanted to thank past me right now for the bit of privacy.
I dug into my pocket for my keys, groaning when her hands snaked around me to untuck my shirt.
“I always wanted to know what was under your coveralls.”
I groaned. “You did?”
“I did. And sometimes I caught you driving your Harley down Hope Street. I wondered what was under those tight leathers.”
“A grease monkey.”
“Hardly,” she purred against my ear.
I hissed as her cool fingers snuck under the black dress shirt. I tried to wiggle out of the restrictive suit jacket, but she was curled around me like a vine. Her intoxicating vanilla scent warred with the crisp winter air.
I finally managed to get the door open and she pushed me inside onto my back.
I grunted and scooted back on the big bench seat. She drew her skirt up and I got a flash of endless legs for a moment before she climbed on top of me.
“What’s the rush?”
“Cake cutting is early for this wedding,” she said against my mouth. She fumbled with my buttons. “For once, I want fast.”
I grabbed her hips. “For once?”
Her wide mouth slid into a smile that made my dick sit up and take notice. “I generally need a little extra time to get my motor running, but I’ve been humming since your arm was between my thighs.”
“Is that all it takes?”
“Not usually. Don’t be cocky, I can lose interest damn fast, Murdock.”
I laughed. “Can’t have that.” I nipped her jaw and moved over to ear. “Does that mean you’re still wet for me?”
“Why don’t you find out.” She rubbed against me like a cat.
The happy hard on between us urged me to go right for the scrap of panties I got a flash of, but the masochistic side of me dragged my knuckle over the line of her throat and down to the deep vee of her wraparound dress.
I slipped my fingertip under the slinky material.
It hugged every curvy inch of her and I found I wanted to take the time.
Even as I felt it ticking away.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears as her eyes flashed in the dark. Her breath hitched when I found the lace beneath the red dress. The line of her bra dipped low and gave just enough space for me to be able to cup her entire breast.
She hissed and I groaned at her silky warm skin.
“Can I taste these first?”
Mercy struggled out of her shawl and pushed the stretchy material of her dress off her shoulders for me.
“Want my lips on you, darlin’?”
“You gonna keep talking about it, or do it?”
I laughed and dipped my mouth to meet hers as I pinched one nipple. “So impatient.”
“Clock’s ticking,” she said and bit my lower lip.
“Some things are worth taking the time.”
She tipped her head back and I raced down to the vee of the black lace and nosed the material to the side. I drew the perfect tight tip into my mouth and sucked strongly. “That’s it.” I gripped her hips as she rubbed that sweet bit of lace against my bulge. “Take what you need first.”
“I don’t just want second base in your car, Rip.”
“Pretty sure we’re well into third base.” I sucked hard enough to make her nipple pop before I pushed at the straps of the bra so I could get to both of them at once. “You have the prettiest tits.”
“Thanks. It’s a push up bra.”
I shoved it down so they were free and nibbled my way around the lower curve of one, dragging my nose along the slope until I got to the nipple again. “Perfect.”
She gripped the back of my head. “Less talking.”
“I like talking.” My brain was threatening to short out. “I like you grinding on my cock.”
She groaned.
“Can you come like this, Mercy?” I rocked her hips and growled at the friction. I wanted to extend it just a little more. If I got inside of her, I knew she’d pop off and drive me into a quick orgasm.
I could feel the tension inside of her.
Something told me she’d try to fuck and run.
I had one chance to make this memorable enough to make her want more.
I curled my hands over her lush ass and opened her wider so I could line my shaft up along her slit. “That’s it. I can feel how hot you are under there.”
She gripped my shoulder, then moved her hand to the headrest and arched her back offering up those goddess worthy breasts to me again.
From one to the other I tasted her as the car steamed up with our hot breath.
“Oh, fuck,” she cried out.
“That’s it.” I upped the pace as she rode me. I raced up her throat and sucked and bit the whole way. Her raven hair tangled around us as she lost herself to the moment.
She shuddered and I wanted to taste her first orgasm.
I twisted my hand to get between us and under the scrap of her thong, delving two fingers inside her as she detonated. She yelled and I closed my mouth over hers to swallow every curse and moan.
I was so hard, my heart raging in my chest, sweat slicking my back, but I held on.
She pressed her forehead to mine and panted out my name as she shook around me.
When she collapsed against me, I curled my arms around her and knew I was in serious trouble.
Because I really didn’t want to let go.