Chapter Five #2
He groaned, his thrusts slowing, and with a final, shuddering rush, he came. His arms went slack, and they rode the aftershocks together, breath mingling in the quiet glow of lamplight. Outside, the world waited, but in this moment, they neither needed nor wanted anything beyond each other.
****
Seth rolled away from her, pushed himself up from the edge of the bed and trudged into the bathroom.
The tiled floor was cold beneath his bare feet.
He peeled the condom off and dropped it into the trashcan.
He turned the shower on, and steam curled in the air as he stepped into the glass shower stall.
The rush of scorching water splashed between his shoulder blades. He exhaled a groan.
“Well, that was a dumbass move, Harrison,” he murmured into the steam, but couldn’t deny how hot every moment had felt.
The shower door clicked open, and he turned, heart thudding, when Ryan slipped inside, steam outlining her silhouette.
She reached for the bar of soap, its scent mingling with the heat, and worked it into creamy lather between her palms before gliding her soapy hands over his chest. The suds glided slick and cool across his skin.
“Ryan—” he began, his voice rough.
“No. I will not let you ruin it for me.” She leaned close, her breath warm against his chest.
“Ruin it?” he echoed, chest rising under her touch.
“I know you’re regretting it, Seth. It’s no secret you don’t like me, but you do want me, and that was the hottest sex I’ve ever had. You will not ruin it. You can berate yourself all you want, but not in front of me.” Her tone was soft but firm, as immovable as the tiles behind her.
He bit his lower lip to keep from grinning. “Yes, ma’am.”
She paused, soap foam clinging to her hands, then laughed softly, a low, amused sound that vibrated in her chest. “Now you’re getting it.”
Seth’s chuckle died away into something more serious. He traced a thumb over her collarbone. “I just don’t want either of us to get hurt, Ryan. Once this is over, we go back to being strangers, never seeing each other again. I sure as hell don’t want a broken heart.”
Her fingers stilled on his skin. “Do you think I’m the kind of woman who can sleep with any man and move on? I want to get married one day. I’m not a slut.”
He cupped her cheeks, his palms warm. “This isn’t going to work, Ryan.” He let the words hang for a few seconds. “I knew it would be hot, but there’s no future in it. I’m not into sleeping around either.”
“Oh, please. I’m sure you take a woman out for sex.” She pressed closer, steam swirling around them like a veil.
“That’s different.”
“Why? Because you’re a man?”
He shook his head, water dripping from his hair. “No, it’s not that. When I go out with a woman, I’m hoping it will lead to something. If we end up in bed, that’s usually when I know it’s not going anywhere. You need chemistry in a relationship.”
She tilted her head, droplets sliding down her neck. “We have that.”
“But we can’t have a relationship. This is just asking for trouble.”
Ryan sighed, the sound soft. “Okay. I understand. I’ll stay away from you.”
Seth’s lips curved downward. “I just hope I can stay away from you. You make my dick hard all the damn time.”
She glanced down, and his heart hammered as he saw her take in his growing arousal. When she met his eyes again, there was something both gentle and hungry in her gaze.
“Like now?”
“Yes,” he growled, voice husky. “Damn, I wish I had a condom in here.”
Ryan placed her hands on his chest and looked into his eyes.
“I believe you,” she said with a smirk.
“About what?” Seth frowned.
“When you told me no woman has ever kicked you out of bed,” she said, making Seth chuckle.
She opened the shower door, sending a wave of steam into the air, and picked up a towel from the rack.
She patted her hair dry, shoulders gleaming with water, then paused and looked back at him.
“I’ll be in the bedroom.” With a small, knowing smile, she left.
Seth leaned both hands against the cool tile wall, head bowed, chest heaving. He knew he’d never stay away. He turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and toweled himself dry before following her.
****
The light sifted through the slats of the window blinds, bathing the bedroom in a gentle, golden haze.
Crisp cotton sheets rustled beneath them as Ryan lay with her head pillowed against Seth’s broad chest, her fingers drifting lightly across the peaks and valleys of his muscles.
She let her nails skim the hard curve of his pecs, then traced the firm planes of his six-pack, and slid her hand around his solid biceps, marveling at the way each muscle felt beneath her touch.
“How do you get these muscles?” she murmured, tilting her head to watch the rise and fall of his chest.
“I work,” he replied, voice low and amused.
“Just work doesn’t do that.” Her fingers paused on his skin, as though daring him to expand on the mystery.
“No? Try hoisting eighty-pound bales of hay before sunrise,” he said. “Riding a restless horse that bucks and spins at a moment’s notice, day after day, and wrestling fence posts into the hard earth. Hell, should I keep going?”
Ryan chuckled. “No. I believe you.” She tipped her head back, narrowing her eyes in playful challenge. “What did Cull whisper to you?”
“When?” Seth asked, with a frown.
“The day you told me I should learn to saddle the horse myself.” She raised an eyebrow, waiting.
He sighed. “He told me to calm the fuck down.”
Ryan sat up, tossing a tuft of dark hair over her shoulder as she laughed. “I do like him.”
In a single smooth motion Seth pulled her atop him, then gently rolled her onto her back, his weight warm and reassuring.
“Is that right?” he teased, his breath feathering across her cheek.
“I like you more.” She shrugged. “Even though we both know this won’t go anywhere. I do like you, Seth.”
He brushed a finger across her lips. “I like you too. Probably too damn much. I get angry because I know how easy it’d be to fall for you, and also because I know you’re leaving.”
She frowned. “Do you think the ranch hands know what we’re doing?”
Seth laughed. “Without a doubt.”
“Oh, my God!” Ryan cupped her cheeks in her hands, muffling her laughter. “I’ll be so embarrassed to see them.”
He rolled onto his side to face her, eyes soft. “I’m sure they saw it coming. I’d catch them trying not to grin when we’d argue. Trust me, they know.”
“I’m a grown woman. I shouldn’t be embarrassed.”
“But you are,” he said with a grin.
“A little.”
“Then let’s make you a little more embarrassed,” Seth murmured as he lowered his lips to hers.
Ryan’s heart raced as she locked eyes with him. His strong jawline and piercing gaze made her pulse quicken. She bit her lower lip, feeling a familiar warmth between her legs. Seth opened the nightstand drawer, removed a condom while he gazed into her eyes, making her mouth water.
He leaned down, whispering in her ear, “I have such a hard time keeping you out of my mind, sweetheart.”
Ryan shivered at the feel of his breath against her skin. She reached up, running her fingers through his tousled hair, pulling him closer. Their lips met in a passionate, hungry kiss.
Seth’s strong hands cupped her cheeks sending waves of pleasure coursing through her.
He slowly made his way down her body, leaving hot, open kisses along her skin.
When he moved to her breasts, he leaned down, capturing her nipple between his lips, teasing it with his tongue until it hardened to a peak.
Ryan moaned, arching her back, as Seth lavished the same attention on her other breast. She felt a surge of confidence and desire, knowing how much he wanted her.
His hand slid down her body and between her slit, finding her already wet and eager for him. Ryan gasped as he expertly stroked her clitoris, sending jolts of pleasure through her body. She could feel her orgasm building, and she clung to Seth, desperate for release.
As Ryan came apart, crying out in pleasure, Seth quickly reached for the condom and rolled it over his rock-hard erection. He positioned himself between her legs, his tip teasing her. Ryan looked up at him, her eyes filled with desire, and whispered, “Please, Seth. I need you inside me.”
Seth plunged into her, filling her completely. He took her hard and fast. She wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him deeper into her as he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately.
Ryan felt the flutter of her belly and knew she was going over fast. Then he picked up the pace even more, never taking his lips from hers, and she burst apart in his arms, crying out his name as she felt him throbbing inside of her.
Seth growled out her name against her lips.
He softly kissed her, then rolled to his side, pulling her against him while they tried to catch their breath.
Ryan sighed, pushing her hair back. “So, are you going to take me to the field today or do I have to go with Cull?”
He sat up and touched her cheek. “I wanted to check the oats, but first I had to shower, I was stacking hay and got filthy, then you waltzed in and pissed me off, which, let’s be honest, is par for the course. But yeah, I’ll take you with me.”
“Okay.” She swung her legs over the mattress, bare feet touching the sun-warmed floorboards. She scooped up her jeans and slipped into the bathroom. “I’ll meet you in the barn,” she said over her shoulder as she closed the door.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you still have paperwork to do?” she called through the door.
“I’ll knock it out tonight. Now get the hell out of here, will you?”
“Yes, sir.” Ryan opened the door, saluted with a grin, ducked out of the room, and walked to the kitchen. She topped her head with her dusty cowboy hat, took a deep breath, then pushed open the back door.