Chapter 18

eighteen

. . .

Ruby

The sun camethrough the curtains, and I used my hand to shield my eyes. Something shifted beneath me, and I turned quickly, realizing I was sprawled over River’s body.

Flashes of the night were coming back to me.

We’d dozed off and woken up in the middle of the night for round two. Then he’d taken me to the kitchen and fed me cheese and crackers and fruit, which I’d teased him about.

I’d expected a refrigerator full of beer and leftover pizza. But River had a lot of food in there. His house was immaculate. He didn’t live like the wild child I’d imagined.

And then we’d gone for round three, and I’d fallen asleep a few hours ago.

“Hey,” he said, his voice gruff. “How do you feel?”

I shifted slightly and groaned because I was sore, which had never happened after sex.

I’d also never had sex three times in one night.

It had never lasted for hours either.

And I’d never been with anyone that was as large as River.

“I’m definitely a little sore this morning,” I admitted, because there’d be no hiding it when I tried to walk out of here.

He sprung forward like I’d just told him the house was on fire. “I hurt you?”

I chuckled. “No. Your dick is unusually large, and we did it multiple times. That’s not something I’m used to.” Nor was I used to orgasming during sex.

All. Three. Times.

And that wasn’t even counting the time with his fingers and tongue.

I was this weird mix of sore and sated this morning.

His gaze narrowed, and he looked so freaking sexy first thing in the morning. I was in this weird, hellish place of want and discomfort. I wanted nothing more than to pull him close again, but the thought of having sex right now had me squirming and wincing at the same time.

He was out of bed and striding toward the bathroom. The sound of the water turning on had me sitting forward. I pulled the sheet up to cover myself when I remembered I was still naked. He came striding back toward me, not a stitch of clothing; he was hard once again, and my eyes widened as I took him in.

Wild, unruly dark hair, strong muscles, colorful ink, and all the confidence in the world.

He didn’t so much as hesitate as he reached for my hand and tossed me over his shoulder.

Naked.

I was freaking naked, and the bastard had tossed me over his shoulder like a rag doll.

I slapped his ass and tried to act angry over my laughter. “What the hell are you doing?”

He carried me straight into the large walk-in shower and set me down on my feet beneath the hot spray of water, and he stepped in and stood in front of me. I shook my head with disbelief, although I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that it felt damn good.

He just smiled as the water splashed off his handsome face, and he reached for the body wash and poured it into his hands. I put my hand out, but he ignored me.

“Turn around,” he commanded, and I raised a brow in challenge, but I did what he said because I’d pretty much do anything he asked right now, seeing as I was still in some sort of sex haze from last night.

“You better not do anything weird back there,” I grumped over my shoulder.

He chuckled against my ear as his soapy hands found my shoulders, and he massaged them. His thumbs pressed into my lower neck and up toward my scalp, and I was done for.

Putty in his hands.

Well, naked putty in his hands.

He reached for another bottle and proceeded to wash my hair, taking his time and massaging my scalp. This was like a head orgasm, and I moaned as my eyes closed when he rinsed my hair with a separate hose that he held in his hand. The rain shower continued pouring down on me from above. He rinsed my hair and then proceeded to condition it.

“Are you a hairdresser on the side?” I asked, my voice playful. My eyes were closed, and my back rested against his chest.

“Well, you’ve pointed out that I’m not very lawyerly, right?”

I chuckled, and he rinsed the conditioner out of my hair. “So, you moonlight at a salon?”

“I’ve been washing my own hair for a long time, so it’s not that difficult to wash yours.” He turned me around to face him.

“Do you wash all your lovers’ hair after you spend the night with them?”

“I’ve never showered with a woman, so it would be weird to wash their hair when it was dry.” His gaze narrowed. “Spread your legs.”

I was still processing the never showered with a woman before comment, before I realized what he’d asked me to do. “Why? What are you doing?”

“Just stop fucking arguing and spread your goddamn legs,” he hissed, dropping down on his knees and tipping his head up to look at me. Water droplets ran down his cheeks, and his lips turned up in the corners.

God, he was a beautiful man.

I moved my feet apart and sucked in a breath, unsure what he was up to.

He reached for the body wash and poured it into his hands before massaging his way up my legs and then, ever so gently, washing between them.

Holy shit.

I’d normally find this kind of care appalling, but for whatever reason, it was sexy and romantic and sweet.

Completely unexpected after the way he’d ravished me a few hours ago.

He had a filthy mouth, and he didn’t hold back.

And I’d loved every second of it.

But this?

This was the kind of shit someone put in a romance book. He continued gently stroking me as he kissed my lower stomach.

And then he pushed to his feet, reached for the handheld nozzle, and rinsed my soapy body.

“Thank you,” I said, as a lump formed in my throat.

Had anyone ever cared for me like this?

He didn’t say anything, just turned off the water, opened the door, and reached out for a towel, which he wrapped around my body. Then he grabbed another one and wrapped it around his waist before we stepped out of the shower. He opened the cabinet beneath the vanity, pulled out a smaller hand towel, and proceeded to pat dry my hair before he started brushing it. I watched him in the mirror as he stood behind me.

I didn’t make any jokes about it because it meant something to me.

I’d told him that I was sore, and he’d done everything he could to make me feel better.

There was nothing funny about that.

“Better?” he asked.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“I mean, you gave me one whole night. I couldn’t send you out of here in shambles, right?” He chuckled as I followed him into his bedroom.

“I was supposed to be gone before the sun came up,” I teased, since we were back to our playful banter again.

“Well, seeing as I kept you up awfully late, I think it’s fine that we extended it a few hours.”

“I guess bending the rules and spending a little more time with you isn’t the worst thing that could happen.”

“That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Queenie.”

My head fell back in laughter. I couldn’t remember a time that I’d laughed this much.

He opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of black boxer briefs as I reached for my panties and bra and started getting dressed, as well. He pulled a tee over his head and slipped on a fresh pair of jeans just as his phone vibrated on the nightstand. He glanced down to read it as I shimmied my skirt up my legs and tugged my T-shirt over my head.

“Hey, Demi’s mom is out of town, and Romeo said they’re going to have a barbecue over there. Eat, swim in the lake, relax a little. Do you want to go?” he asked, not even the slightest bit hesitant.

I cleared my throat as my phone vibrated in my purse. I reached for it and read the message from Demi, inviting me over.

“She just texted me. I just—I don’t know. I’ve got things I should do.”

“It’s Saturday. The bar isn’t even open until later, and Doreen always works the early shift on the weekends, right?”

I huffed and sat down to pull on my black boots and lace them up. I wasn’t used to being asked to go places. I normally just always worked. Or I hung out on my own. When I was dating Dereck, we’d go to dinner and occasionally a movie. But we both worked a lot, and I didn’t like attachments, so I appreciated that he never pushed for more.

“Look at me,” he said, making it clear that he was losing his patience.

I turned around to face him. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“I did just get down on my knees and wash your pussy, so how about you lose the attitude?” He smirked.

My mouth fell open. The nerve of this guy. “I didn’t ask you to do it.”

“You didn’t have to. That’s not what I’m saying.” He groaned as he ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I was happy to do it. You’ve got the best pussy I’ve ever been acquainted with.”

Now I was laughing again. “Who knew? An award-winning vagina and gold-medal breasts.”

He nodded, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “Anyway, stop overthinking it. It’s a fucking barbecue. No one’s proposing marriage here. We both know what this is. A one-and-done. I got it. You’ve got it. But we’re still going to see each other at the bar and the hospital every day, so no reason we can’t have a fucking burger with friends together.”

“Ahhh… there’s the poet again. Fine. I could eat. Turns out, being felt up in the shower really works up a girl’s appetite.”

I texted Demi back to let her know I’d be coming over and then followed him toward the front door and outside as he pulled open the passenger door to his car.

I gaped at him. “I’m walking home. I have to change my clothes.”

“You’re walking like you just got bucked off a badass bull. I’m giving you a ride home. Get in the fucking car.”

“Such a gentleman,” I hissed, because it was just our schtick, I guess. Maybe we’d been too nice this morning, and we needed to get things back to normal. I climbed into the passenger seat, and he slammed the door dramatically.

The heathen.

He drove me home in silence, and that bothered me.

“So now you’re not talking to me?”

“You know, there are a lot of women in this town that wouldn’t mind spending a night with me and getting a ride home. You act like I’m going to fucking murder you.” His hands were gripping the steering wheel so hard I could see the whites of his knuckles, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

He looked over and glared at me, and I just kept laughing because now that I’d started, I couldn’t stop. He pulled up in front of my house and turned to face me.

“Are you done?”

I pulled myself together. “Sorry. I don’t think you’re going to murder me.”

“You’re just laughing because…?” He raised a brow.

“Because you’re just kind of cute when you get your feelings hurt.” I shrugged.

“I hardly have hurt feelings. It’s not really my style. I’m offended that you’re so ridiculous. We fucked. It’s not that big of a deal.” Wow. He was really worked up. I had a feeling there was more going on here than my moodiness because that certainly wasn’t new.

“First of all, the reason I didn’t want a ride home was because I thought you’d want me to ride with you to the barbecue after I changed clothes, and then everyone would think something was going on between us.”

He rolled his eyes and then glanced out the window like I was boring him. “I hate to break it to you, Queenie. Everyone already thinks something is going on between us. Kingston is convinced we’re fucking. What’s the second thing?”

“How do you know there’s a second thing?”

“Because you said, ‘first of all,’ which usually implies there’s something else.”

“Fine. Secondly,” I said, clearing my throat because I was sure I’d offend him with this one. “You seem so defensive about us having sex and saying it wasn’t that big of a deal, but I think you liked it. And I think that’s freaking you out.”

“You think I’m freaking out?” He smirked.

The cocky bastard.

“Shall I say it again, slower?” I moved closer to him, my mouth a breath away from his as I spoke annoyingly slowly. “I… think… you’re… freaking… out.”

He glared at me, and before I could stop myself, I lunged forward and kissed him.

I freaking kissed him.

After insisting this was a one-and-done deal.

Insisting I wouldn’t ride with him to the barbecue.

Here I was, mauling this man in the front seat of his car in broad daylight.

He tugged me over the center console and onto his lap as we made out like savages.

I pulled back to look at him, and he looked quite pleased with himself.

“Am I still the one who’s freaking out?” He smiled.

I climbed off his lap and back into the passenger seat. “That was just a goodbye kiss to thank you for, you know, washing my hair and my lady business.”

His head fell back, and laughter echoed around the car. “Your lady business? So proper, Queenie.”

I groaned. “Goodbye, River. I’ll see you at the barbecue.”

“I’d offer you a ride, but I wouldn’t want anyone to think anything was going on.” He oozed sarcasm. “Unless one of the nosy neighbors who saw you climbing me like a tree just now. Word travels fast here in Magnolia Falls.”

I flipped him the bird and pushed out of the car. “Don’t flatter yourself. This is over.”

“Pending, you can keep your hands to yourself this afternoon.” He winked.

I slammed the door and stormed up the walkway to my front door.

I was definitely irritated, but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.