Chapter 25

twenty-five

. . .

River

“It’sstupid to go to the Fourth of July party separately. You’re here. Who gives a shit?” I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.

She’d spent the night at my place.

Again.

Hell, we’d managed to spend the night together every single night over the last few days. We used different excuses to appease ourselves.

We opened a bottle of wine, and we shouldn’t drive.

Even though we live within walking distance from one another.

One night, we’d both said it was too cold to get out of bed, so we might as well stay there. It was fucking July. It was hot as hell outside.

We were both full of shit, and neither of us cared.

We had a deal. We’d agreed to do this until we didn’t want to do it anymore. But the thing was, I liked being with her.

In and out of the bedroom.

It didn’t matter. She was leaving in a few weeks, so I wasn’t going to overthink it.

She burrowed into me, jasmine and orange flooding my senses.

“We don’t need everyone thinking there’s something going on between us.” She tipped her head back to look up at me.

This morning, her eyes were emerald green with sapphire blue rings surrounding them. I loved the way the color of her eyes changed depending on her mood.

Right now, she was relaxed.

“You do realize that everyone already thinks something’s going on, right?”

“No. They think we hate each other. Because we do—most of the time.”

I chuckled. “Your dad asked me if something was going on.”

She reared back. “What? What did you tell him?”

“I said we were hanging out. You were leaving soon. That was all there was to it.”

“Why did you tell him that?”

“Weren’t you the one who was pissed that your dad lied to you about what was going on with his health?”

Her brows furrowed as she thought it over. “That’s true. But there is nothing going on. We’re just hanging out while I’m here. It’s nothing.”

I’d always been the guy who’d made it clear I didn’t want anything. But I was getting fucking tired of her telling me the same shit over and over.

We were nothing.

I got it.

Yet, here we were, in bed together, day after day.

I didn’t know what exactly qualified something to be an actual relationship because I’d never had anything serious with a woman before.

But this sure as shit isn’t nothing.

I placed a hand on her cheek, waiting for her gaze to meet mine. “I’ve seen you every day over the last couple of weeks. We text when we aren’t together. I’ve woken up with you every day this week. I know you aren’t staying. I know this isn’t going anywhere. But stop fucking saying that it’s nothing. It’s more than I’ve ever had with anyone else, and it’s starting to piss me the fuck off that you keep saying that.”

She pushed up, placing her hand on my chest as her gaze searched mine. “You’ve said it, too.”

“No. I haven’t said it in a while. You’re the one who reminds me daily that this is nothing. I got it. I know there is an end to this, but right now, we’re in it. And I want to go to the fucking Fourth of July party with you.”

A slow, easy smile spread across her pretty face. “You like me, don’t you?”

“Don’t get cocky. I just don’t like you belittling this.”

She sighed. “Fine. I like you, too. I’ll go with you to the Fourth of July party.”

“Thank you. Was that so fucking difficult?” I asked as she settled her cheek against my chest.

“No. None of it has been difficult, if I’m being honest.”

“What do you mean?” I stroked her long, silky hair away from her face, and her fingers traced along my shoulder and down my arm.

“When I was with the professor, and even the two guys I dated before him, I had rules. I didn’t like spending the night more than once a week. It wasn’t like this.”

“I get that. I’ve never had a woman stay the night repeatedly. I usually need my space, and I get irritated pretty easily.”

She chuckled and tipped her head back to look at me. “Really? You? Say it isn’t so.”

“It is so, you smart-ass. But I like having you in my bed.”

“Maybe it’s because we both know it’s ending soon, so we don’t have to worry about it becoming anything.”

“Yeah, that’s probably it,” I lied. Our connection was something I’d never shared with anyone before. And I knew it terrified her because it terrified me, too. And not for the reasons that it should.

I wasn’t afraid of falling for Ruby Rose.

Hell, I’d already fallen.

I was afraid of what would happen when she left. So I was doing my best to keep things under control, but somewhere along the way, I’d lost control with this woman.

I didn’t want her to leave, and that thought alone was fucking with my head.

“You should come with me to Fresh Start to see the boys this week. Duncan is going back home on Friday,” she said.

Terrence had reached out to Ruby after our visit, and she was going out there to work with the kids whenever she could. She had her afternoons free before she went to the bar, and she was volunteering there.

“I’ll see if Cassie can clear my schedule in the afternoon. You’ve been going out there a lot, huh? You like it?”

“Yeah. I hadn’t planned on going daily, but I made a schedule, and you wouldn’t believe how many of them signed up to talk to me next week. I think they’re just wanting someone to tell them that they’re going to be okay.”

“And they all have big, fat crushes on the hot doctor.”

“You’re ridiculous. I like talking to these kids. I feel like it’s making a difference, you know? Terrence said they’re talking more about their futures now, as well. So it feels good.”

“Look at you, Queenie. Out there, making a difference in the big, bad world.” I kissed the top of her head. “Did you send the contract back to the university with the changes I made?”

I’d looked over the contract that the dean had sent over, and the wording was vague, so I’d made a few suggestions for her before signing it.

“Yeah. They didn’t seem thrilled that I’d requested the wording to be changed, but they said they’d get to it after the holiday weekend,” she said. “I don’t think they expected me to have an attorney on hand.”

“Not a bad thing to have, eh? And contracts can be complicated. You always want to have an exit strategy because you don’t know where life is taking you most of the time.”

“Is that what you do? Have an exit strategy at all times?” she asked.

“I always know how to leave a situation I don’t want to be in.”

“Do you think it’s because of losing your parents so young? You don’t like to get too comfortable?”

“Are you analyzing me again, Dr. Rose?”

“I mean, I am in your bed. You gave me free legal counsel. The least I can do is tell you what I see.”

“And what is it you see?” I asked, thrusting against her as my morning wood was aching with her hot little body pressed against mine.

Her hand slipped between us, as we were both naked, which was how I preferred it when I was with Ruby. She stroked me a few times, and I groaned.

“I see a man who fiercely loves the few people he lets in. But he doesn’t trust easily. He doesn’t like most people, but the ones he likes, he’ll walk through fire for them. And he has the sexiest eyes and a very impressive dick.”

A gruff laugh escaped my lips, and I ran my hand up the side of her hip before cupping her breast. I flicked her nipple with the tip of my thumb, then rolled her onto her back and settled between her thighs.

She sucked in a breath, both hands on each side of my face now. Her eyes searched mine for something, but I didn’t know what.

“Tell me what you want,” I said. Because I’d fucking give this girl the moon if she asked me for it. I’d do whatever it took to put a smile on her face every goddamn day if I had the chance.

“I want to feel you. All of you.” Her lips parted, and her gaze was wet with emotion. “I’ve never been with anyone without protection. And I’m on the pill. I’ve just always doubled up.”

“I’ve never been with a woman without a condom either. Never actually wanted to before now.” I’d always feared being trapped by someone. Never trusted anyone enough to go there. But I trusted Ruby. I wanted Ruby in a way I’d never wanted anyone. “But I want to feel all of you, too, Queenie. Every goddamn inch of you.”

“No catching feelings, Wild River,” she whispered.

“I can turn them off when it’s time. But right now, I want to feel all of it,” I admitted, and a single tear ran down her cheek. I swiped it with the pad of my thumb. “No one’s stealing your puppy. No one’s hurting your father. This is just two people who want to have sex without a condom. Don’t go freaking out on me.”

She smiled. “I won’t.”

“You ready to take all of this with nothing between us?” I asked, thrusting the tip of my dick against her core.

“Yes,” she hissed, as her head fell back, and she squeezed her eyes closed. “Please. I want you right now.”

I flipped her over in one fast movement so I was lying on my back and she was straddling me. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders, falling across her luscious breasts. I gripped her hips and lifted her, and she slowly slid down my erection, inch by motherfucking inch.

And I felt everything.

All of her sweetness.

All of her warmth.

It was the most erotic thing I’d ever experienced. There was nothing between us.

Just me and her.

She bit down on her bottom lip as her gaze locked with mine, and she took me all the way in on a moan.

She was wet and tight and so fucking perfect.

“Don’t move yet. I want to savor every second of this. You’re fucking perfect.”

She stayed completely still, and I wrapped a hand around the back of her head and tugged her down before kissing her hard. My tongue explored her mouth just as she started to move.

She rode me slowly at first before we found our rhythm.

She pulled back, and her fingers interlocked with mine as she slid up and down my cock, meeting me thrust for thrust.

That was the thing about Ruby.

She always met me thrust for thrust. If we were sparring verbally, fucking our brains out, or laughing our asses off.

She was right there.

Almost like she was made for me.

She moved faster, her breaths more labored now.

Cheeks flushed, lips parted, and eyes deep and soulful.

“River,” she groaned, and I felt her start to tighten around me. I pulled one hand away, moving it between us.

Knowing just what she wanted. What she needed.

I circled her clit with the pad of my thumb and watched as she gasped and bucked against me, desperate and needy.

So fucking sexy.

And when she cried out my name, I realized it was my favorite sound in the world.

The sound of her coming apart.

Wild and free.

Like the fucking queen she was.

She went over the edge right before my eyes, tits bouncing and body trembling as I thrust into her two more times.

Hard.

Fast.

Lights exploded behind my eyes, and a guttural sound left my lips.

I followed her into oblivion.

And I didn’t ever want to return.