Chapter Ten
Chapter Nine
Ryan’s gaze kept drifting to Seth’s strong jawline, the way his dark lashes framed those green eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled.
How was she going to return to the sun-drenched beaches of California when her heart ached to be with him?
Those precious days would slip through her fingers like grains of sand, and she’d board that plane leaving behind the only man who made her pulse quicken with a single glance.
But Seth hadn’t uttered a word about her staying, and pride kept her silent. The mere thought of him suggesting she should leave sent a knife-sharp pain through her chest, stealing her breath.
Her appetite vanished in an instant. She carefully folded the foil around her half-eaten burger, the scent of grilled meat suddenly nauseating, and rose from the sofa.
“Where are you going?” Seth’s voice was husky with concern.
“To put this in the bag. I’ll take it back to the cabin with me. I guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought.” She shrugged, forcing casualness into her movements as she escaped the suffocating tension of the room.
In the kitchen’s privacy, she stuffed the wrapped burger into the paper bag, then gripped the cool granite countertop until her knuckles whitened.
Hot tears spilled down her flushed cheeks, leaving salty trails.
She startled at the warmth of Seth’s strong arms encircling her waist, his familiar scent of his aftershave and leather enveloping her.
She turned within his embrace, pressing her tear-dampened face against his shirt.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“For what?” he murmured, his breath warm against her hair.
“For crying.” She blinked up at him through wet lashes.
“It’s alright. Trust me, I get it.” His thumb gently brushed away a lingering teardrop.
Ryan gazed into his eyes, losing herself in their bottomless depths. “You were right.”
“It doesn’t make it easier, but I knew I should have stayed away from you.
Now, it seems I can’t.” His lips, warm and tender, pressed against her forehead, and when he pulled back to study her face, his expression was filled with longing.
He lowered his mouth to hers, the kiss gentle yet hungry.
“I know this is wrong too, but I want you to stay with me tonight, Ryan.”
“I want that too. Take me to bed, Seth.”
“Yes, ma’am, with pleasure.” He picked her up and carried her to his bedroom where he gently placed her on the bed, then lay down beside her.
His hands moved all over her and she was losing patience as she tugged his red T-shirt up over his head and tossed it across the room. Seth wasted no time in stripping her until she lay in her blue lace bra and matching panties.
“You are stunningly beautiful,” he whispered before taking her lips in a hard, passionate kiss.
Ryan stared into Seth’s eyes, dark and hungry as she lay sprawled on the bed, her skin glowing under the dim light of the bedroom.
Seth’s lips crashed against hers in a kiss that was soft, yet hard at the same time.
His hands were everywhere, tangling in her hair, cupping her breasts through her bra.
She moaned into his mouth. Her nipples were hard beneath the lace, begging for attention, and Seth didn’t disappoint.
He unclasped her bra, freeing her breasts, and sucked one nipple into his mouth like a starving man.
His teeth grazed the sensitive bud, and Ryan gasped, her back arching off the bed.
Seth tore off her panties with a single, ruthless yank, leaving her completely bare, sprawled out, waiting for him.
Her hands reached for his belt buckle. She unbuckled it, unsnapped his jeans and slid the zipper down.
She cupped her hand over his hard cock through his boxer briefs. She’d never get enough of this man.
****
Seth’s cock throbbed in his jeans just looking at her. He stood, stripping with quick, impatient movements, until he was naked, his hard dick springing free.
He grabbed a condom from the nightstand, his fingers trembling with fucking desperation, and rolled it on, his cock twitching as he smoothed the latex down his shaft.
Then he was at the foot of the bed, crawling up between her legs like a predator stalking its prey.
He placed hot, open mouth kisses against her inner thighs, and Ryan whimpered, her hips lifting off the bed, begging for his mouth.
Seth buried his face between her legs, his tongue dragging a slow, torturous path up her slit.
He groaned at the taste of her, fucking heavenly and salty-sweet, and he dove in deeper, his tongue grazing her clitoris in quick, strokes.
Ryan cried out, her hands fisting the sheets, her thighs clamping around his head as she came undone on his tongue.
When he finally pulled back, his cock was so hard it hurt. He moved up, the head of his cock pressing against her and paused, just for a second, to look into her face.
“I want you so much, Ryan,” he growled, his voice rough and raw.
“Please,” Ryan whimpered, her voice breaking. “Seth, I want you too.”
That was all he needed. He slammed into her in one brutal thrust, burying himself to the hilt.
Ryan cried out, her nails digging into his back, and Seth groaned, his hips already moving, fucking her with punishing strokes.
He could feel her clenching around him, tight, wet and perfect, and Seth leaned down, capturing her mouth in another deep kiss.
Their bodies were slick with sweat, their moans mingling in the heavy air of the room.
Seth’s hand gripped her hip, lifting her up off the bed so he could fuck her deeper, harder, until the headboard was banging against the wall.
Ryan’s legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him in closer, and she came again, clenching around his cock.
Seth wasn’t far behind. His thrusts turned harder, and with a guttural groan, he came, his cock pulsing inside her. He collapsed on top of her, their chests heaving, their skin sticking together, and for a moment, the only sound in the room was their ragged breathing.
“God, it’s always so good,” she said between breaths.
“Yes.” Seth moved onto his back, put his arm over his eyes, wondering how he’d ever get used to not having her with him once she left him.
Ryan rolled toward him, running her fingers over his chest. Seth lowered his arm and looked at her.
“How about a shower?”
“Are you going to stay with me tonight?”
“Yes.”
He sat up. “Alright, let’s take a shower then get some sleep.”
“Sounds good to me.” She got up from the bed and walked toward the bathroom
Seth couldn’t take his eyes off her ass, then she glanced over her shoulder at him.
“Are you going to join me?”
“Definitely. Start the water. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Ryan nodded, then disappeared into the bathroom. Seth’s heart ached at the thought of losing her, but he knew he would, and he’d have to learn to live with it. He blew out a frustrated breath, then followed her into the bathroom.
Silvery moonlight spilled through the bedroom blinds, casting Ryan’s bare back in an ethereal glow as she slept on her stomach, one arm tucked beneath her pillow.
Seth felt desire stir in his chest at the sight of her, the gentle curve of her spine, the constellation of freckles across her shoulders.
He inched closer, the sheets whispering beneath him, and pressed his lips to the warm hollow between her shoulder blades.
She stirred slightly, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
Encouraged, he traced the ridges of her spine with his mouth, propping himself up on one elbow, his palm gliding down the smooth plane of her back to the swell of her ass.
He cupped the firm flesh, savoring its perfect weight in his hand while continuing his trail of kisses along the subtle dip of her lower back.
As he lifted his hand to skim his fingers along the delicate curve of her waist, her drowsy voice stopped him cold.
“Do not slap my ass. Some women like that and that’s fine, but I am not one of them,” she murmured into the pillow, her words slightly muffled but unmistakable.
Seth’s chest tightened with suppressed laughter. He pressed his forehead against the warm skin between her shoulder blades, his hand still resting on the curve of her ass, as the first snort of laughter escaped him.
“You sure know how to kill a mood, darlin’,” he managed between chuckles, his voice thickening with amusement. He leaned over and kissed her back. “Damn, I’ll miss you,” he said, then went completely still. “Shit,” he swore as he rolled away from her and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Seth—”
He quickly stood, pulled on his clothes, then walked to the window and stared out at the darkness, seeing nothing but his reflection in the glass. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face her and saw her blinking back tears but one escaped down her cheek. He shook his head.
“Seth, I only have the rest of this week and next. Please,” her voice caught on the word.
“You have to leave, Ryan,” he said in a quiet voice.
“What?”
“You have to go. I can’t do this anymore. It’s best to just end it now and get it over with. Why torture ourselves with another week? Let’s just rip the band aid off.”
“But I still want to get more photos.”
“Cull will take you. I don’t want to know when you go or see you again before you do. It’s best for both of us.”
“Is it?” She climbed from the bed and pulled on her clothes.
“Yes.” He nodded as he stared at her, knowing she was taking his heart with her. “Ryan, I told you in the beginning that no good would come of this. You’re leaving and I’ll learn to live with it, but this ends here and now.”
“What if I can’t live with it?”
“You’ll have to.”
Ryan walked across the floor toward him, stopping within inches as she stared into his face.
“Ask me to stay,” she whispered.
“No.”
“I would, if you’d ask.”