Chapter 17

seventeen

. . .

River

I carriedher down the hall. The taste of her was fresh on my tongue.

I couldn’t wait to bury myself deep inside her.

But I was determined to take my time.

When Ruby said she was giving me one night, I should have been fine with that.

It was all I’d ever offered anyone else.

But I knew it would never be enough. So I’d enjoy every fucking minute until it was over. And that meant going slow. Staying in control.

This wasn’t just a fuck for me.

I didn’t know what it was, because that was all sex had ever been before now.

But this was different.

She was different.

She was so fucking different!

I dropped her down on my bed, and she bounced with a fit of laughter. Hearing Ruby laugh felt like I was witnessing something special. Something you earned. Something you cherished.

She pushed up, resting her ass on her heels as she glanced around my room. “It’s very you.”

“Yeah? How so?” I leaned down, my knees moving between her thighs as I tipped her back and took her in. Dark waves of hair tumbled around her as her chest rose and fell rapidly.

“It’s sort of dark and mysterious. The black bedding. Moody lighting.” She smiled, and she was so sexy I didn’t know what the fuck I’d done to deserve to have her in my bed.

“There are no lights on. That’s the moon coming through the curtains.”

“And there he is. Moody, just like the lighting.”

“I’m not really very mysterious,” I said, leaning down and kissing along her jaw.

“Trust me, you’re mysterious.”

My lips moved down her neck. “What you see is what you get with me.”

She arched up as my tongue traced a path down her neck and chest, moving between her perfect tits as her tee dipped low between her breasts.

“I see a guarded man who keeps to himself most of the time,” she whispered.

I wasn’t used to talking to a woman when we were in my bed, but for whatever reason, I liked the sound of Ruby’s voice.

I lifted my head, and my gaze locked with hers. “I keep to myself because I like it that way. I’m not guarded for any particular reason other than I don’t feel the need for more.”

She smiled. “We’re two peas in a pod. I feel the exact same way.”

“Then we have nothing to worry about.” My fingers found the hem of her tee, and she raised her arms so I could pull it over her head before tossing it onto the floor.

And fuck me.

Red lace covered her perky tits, and I nearly came in my pants at the sight of her.

A woman’s breasts covered by lacy fabric had never gotten me off before.

But here we were.

“Jesus. Look at you,” I said, my fingers tracing over her hard peaks. I couldn’t fucking handle how beautiful she was.

Her eyes watered the slightest bit; her lips were swollen from where I’d kissed her, and her teeth sank into her juicy bottom lip, as if she needed to stop herself from saying something.

I tugged the fabric down, exposing her tits, and I tweaked her nipples with my fingers before leaning forward and flicking them with my tongue. Twirling around the outside and teasing each one over and over as she started rocking her hips beneath me. My hand moved behind her back to unsnap her bra because I didn’t want anything between us. I pulled the straps down her arms and let it fall to the floor with her shirt as I covered one of her perfect tits with my mouth.

I’d thought about this for weeks, and now that I had her here, I wanted all of her.

I moved my lips to the other side, tasting her again, as her hips bucked faster beneath me.

Her breaths came hard and fast, just from my mouth on her tits.

Damn, I was going to enjoy this.

“River.” She panted. “It’s too much.”

I pulled back to look at her. “Buckle up. I’m just getting started, Queenie.”

I sat back on my feet and pulled her skirt down her legs as my fingers traced the skimpy lace covering her beautiful pussy. I teased the edge with my fingers before pulling her panties down her legs and taking her in. My hand moved between her thighs, finding her soaked, and my mouth covered her breast again. My tongue swirled around her hard peak as I dipped one finger inside, feeling her walls tighten around me. My thumb found her clit, and she bucked against me as I slid my finger in and out of her before adding a second. My mouth devoured her tits as I felt her start convulsing.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. She writhed frantically, her fingers finding my hair and tugging hard as she gasped over and over.

I continued moving, letting her ride out every last bit of pleasure.

Loving the little noises that escaped her sweet mouth.

I lifted my head, needing to see her. Her eyes were half-mast, and her lips were open as she tried to catch her breath. Her dark hair was a wild mess, and her skin was covered in a layer of sweat.

I’d never seen anything more beautiful.

Ruby Rose coming apart for me was fucking better than anything I’d ever experienced.

I pulled my hand back when her breathing settled, and I stroked her hair away from her gorgeous face. “You have perfect tits.”

“You have perfect fingers. And perfect lips.”

I chuckled as I pushed forward and moved to lie beside her. Her head settled against my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her. Breathing her in.

“Wait till you see what my dick can do.”

Her shoulders shook against me, and she chuckled. “I’m sure he’s just as impressive as the rest of you.”

“I think he might be my best feature.”

She pushed up on her elbow to look at me. “Thank you for helping my brother. I’m sorry I was such a bitch about it. I’m not used to anyone helping me. And I’m used to that, you know? So, I didn’t know how to handle it.”

“Is this how I get you to apologize? Just make you come over and over and you’ll be putty in my hands?” I teased.

“I mean, it’s hard to be angry when my entire body is tingling,” she said as her hand moved between us and stroked along my denim-covered dick.

I hissed when she reached for the button of my jeans and pulled down the zipper, slipping her hand into my briefs like she couldn’t wait one more second.

I shoved my jeans and briefs down, letting my cock spring free, as she continued running her hand up and down my shaft. My mouth found hers, our tongues tangling, desperate for more.

“Ruby,” I said, pulling back. “I need to be inside you right fucking now.”

She nodded, her breathing frantic once again. I pushed to my feet, shoving my pants and briefs down my legs and kicking them aside.

Ruby pushed up on her elbows and watched me. Her tongue slid along her lower lip, making me harder than I’d ever been. I yanked open the nightstand drawer, grabbed a condom, and tore the top off the wrapper, covering myself as quickly as I could without tearing the condom.

“You’re even more impressive than I remembered. Seeing you completely naked, with all that ink covering your arms—damn, you’re the whole package.”

I climbed back over her, my eyes locking with hers. “And you’re fucking beautiful. I want you to ride me. Set the pace. Do what feels good.”

“What feels good for you?” she asked, and I loved seeing this side of her. She had such a tough exterior, but she was all sweetness beneath that fa?ade.

Vulnerable and real.

“Your pussy wrapped around me is all I care about. I want you to take control.”

“I’m happy to oblige.” Her voice was all tease as I rolled over, taking her with me. I was flat on my back, and she settled above me, one leg on each side of me.

Fucking perfect.

Round tits, with her long hair falling all around her. My fingers traced down between her breasts and along her flat stomach before gripping her hips as she ground up against me.

Teasing and taunting me as I groaned.

She gripped my dick and moved it along her entrance before slowly sliding down. Her gaze was on mine. The moonlight allowed just enough light to see everything in her gorgeous gaze.

Dark sapphire, emerald green, and pops of gold.

She took me in—inch by glorious inch.

I was fucking mesmerized by her.

She paused, a sigh escaping her perfect mouth. She was adjusting to my size, and it was sexy as hell.

“Breathe,” I said, and her eyes locked with mine. “You can take it, Queenie. All of it.”

My hands moved up to cup her breasts, and I teased her nipples, knowing just what she needed. Her head fell back, and she slid further down my shaft until she took all of me in.

A feral groan escaped my lips at the feel of her around me.

This woman was fucking made for me.

She started moving, finding her rhythm.

I pushed up to sit forward, my back against the headboard, my hands wrapped around her waist, running up and down her back, as my mouth covered her breast.

I couldn’t get enough.

And she rode me, slow at first.

We found our rhythm, and nothing had ever felt better.

She met me thrust for thrust, and we moved faster.

Harder.

Needier.

I reached up, tangling my fingers in her hair and pulling her mouth down to mine. I wanted to feel her cry out my name on my tongue when she came.

She continued riding me into oblivion.

I felt her tighten around me, and our kiss was a mix of moans and pants and desperation. But I kept her right there.

Needing all of her.

And she moaned my name against my lips before her head fell back, and she shattered in the most glorious fucking way I’d ever witnessed.

Her tits bounced, and her hair grazed the tops of my thighs, and I gripped her hips and drove into her three more times before going right over the edge with her.

“Fuck,” I hissed, as we continued riding out every last bit of pleasure.

It was fucking euphoric.

I’d even venture to say it felt life-changing in the moment.

And I wasn’t a man who got emotional over sex, but this was next level.

This was fucking powerful and beautiful and not like anything I’d ever experienced.

I didn’t know what to make of it.

She fell forward and collapsed on top of me, and our breaths were the only audible sound in the room.

I rolled her to the side and pushed all that silky, long, dark hair away from her face. Her lips parted, eyes blazing gold as she looked up at me, and we just lay there, staring at one another for a few seconds.

“That was… impressive,” she said, her voice silky and sexy.

I shifted her and pulled out slowly, trying to process the fact that I missed the feel of her the minute I wasn’t inside her.

That was some crazy shit right there, because I normally started working on my exit strategy the minute sex was over.

But I wanted to keep her right here.

To bury myself inside her again and again.

“I don’t think that word does what just happened any justice,” I said, keeping my voice light because this was the deal.

One-and-done.

I pushed to my feet and made my way to the bathroom, pulling off the condom and tying a knot at the end before dropping it into the trash can. I turned to look in the mirror and splashed some water on my face.

It was just really good sex. Don’t overthink it.

I made my way back to the bedroom, and she was sitting up in bed, reaching for her clothes.

“You’re not fucking leaving. You said one night, and I told you I was going to take my time.”

“Oh. You don’t strike me as a cuddler.” Her voice was all tease.

“I’m not.” I ran a hand through my hair and dove back onto the bed, pulling her down beside me. What the fuck was I doing?

“Are you holding me hostage?” she said, over a fit of laughter.

“We had a deal. I’m holding up my end of the bargain. Plus, you might want to go a few more rounds,” I said.

She rolled to her side, and I did the same so we were facing one another. “Fine. I’m yours until the sun comes up.”

“And then what? You’re a vampire, and you disappear in the daylight?”

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. “Something like that.”

I stroked her hair, and my fingers trailed down her neck and across her breasts. “I’ve never seen more perfect tits. Seriously, they’re works of art.”

Her head tipped back in laughter. I loved seeing this side of her, all light and relaxed. “That’s awfully poetic. I’ve never been very impressed with them. They aren’t big, but they aren’t too small either. They’re just… average.”

“Nothing average about them,” I said, my fingers trailing from one to the next, and her nipples were hard enough to cut glass now. “They’re the perfect handful, with pretty pink nipples, full enough, yet I can still get my mouth around them.”

“Oh my God,” she groaned. “Stop talking about my boobs.”

“Fine. I’ll stop talking about them if I can keep touching them.”

“They’re yours till the sun comes up, remember?”

“I remember, Queenie.”

We were quiet for a few minutes, and now she was running her fingers up and down my arm.

“Tell me about the ink you’ve got. I love all the colors, and I’ve tried to make out the writing, but you never stand still long enough for me to do that,” she whispered.

“My parents’ names are in script here,” I said, placing a hand over hers and moving it to my right shoulder.

“They passed away when you were young, right?” she whispered.

It was quiet again. This was not something I talked about with anyone. Hell, I didn’t even talk about it with Kingston very often.

“They were killed in a car accident when I was five years old. That’s when Kingston and I moved to Magnolia Falls to live with my grandparents.”

She stilled for a moment before her fingers trailed along my arm again. “I’m so sorry, River. Were they the only ones in the car?”

“No. I was in the back seat. They were taking me to my first hockey game for my birthday. Apparently, I wanted to be a hockey player when I was young,” I said, trying hard to keep my tone light, when the back of my throat was already burning. I didn’t like to talk about this shit.

“Were you hurt?”

“I spent six months in the hospital, recovering. My grandmother stayed with me the whole time.”

“King wasn’t in the car with you?”

“He was home with the babysitter because he was too young to go. The dude had the attention span of a Labrador puppy back then. Hell, he’s the same way now. He doesn’t really remember much about them or about that time, which I guess is both a blessing and a curse.”

She pushed up on an elbow, one hand resting on my chest as she looked down at me. “But you remember them? You remember the accident?”

“I remember things about them. The way they loved us, I guess. I remember my mom’s smile and my dad’s laugh. I remember being in the hospital and feeling really fucking sad. But that’s as deep as it goes.”

She ran a finger over my eyebrows, down the bridge of my nose, and along my bottom lip. “That’s pretty deep. Those memories can’t be easy.”

“Shit happens, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I guess shit does happen. But that doesn’t mean you can’t grieve or be sad or struggle with it.”

“Okay, Dr. Rose. That’s enough psychoanalyzing for the day.” I pulled her down and wrapped my arms around her.

I’d never slept with a woman in my arms.

Never wanted to.

But I really wanted to keep her right here.

At least for now.