Riley's Journey (17 page)

“Are you finished?” His voice came softly.

“Wha—” she stammered, “finished with what?”

“Mentally undressing me? Or would you rather do the real thing?”

Caught in the act, her face flamed in embarrassment. “I wasn’t doing any such thing!! I was merely wondering what you were going to do.”

“Do?” he breathed softly. “I’m going to take a shower. Want to join me?”

Rendered speechless, mental images flashing enticingly through her already stimulated cortex, her mouth dropped open in surprise. “I don’t
think
so!” She sputtered. “Besides, I had my shower earlier!”

“Really? I thought you were hiding under the bed earlier!” He pulled a twig from one errant curl, and then reached for the bucket and began ladling hot water from the basin. “There’s plenty here for both of us. I don’t mind sharing.”

Traitorously, her mind leaped ahead, visualizing the scenario—his gloriously masculine body glistening under the rush of cascading water, sparkling droplets meandering their way slowly down and around his torso and flowing from each limb. She swallowed convulsively, awkward and uneasy. “I...I think I’d better go do...something,” she finished lamely.

“Suit yourself, but if you change your mind...” He turned away, sinfully pleased by the knowledge that his last comment was wriggling its way into her muddled brain, and thoroughly enjoying her obvious discomfort. Riley’s mind usually worked on a much faster wavelength, but right now, she was floundering.

Demon yipped at her, his head tilted, clearly questioning. “Lot of good you are,” she scolded. “You could at least have done your usual and bit something.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to join me,” Nathan’s voice called from the back room. “The water’s great, temperature’s perfect. You can be on top.” Riley ground her teeth in frustrated desire. “I’ll hold your place,” he teased.

“Don’t bother. I don’t like on top.”

His voice echoed cheerfully. “Or the bottom; makes no difference to me. I’m ambidextrous.”

“How convenient for you.” Beginning to relax without the weight of his stimulating nearness, Riley enjoyed the repartee. “Do you mean to say you can plug in anywhere? I wouldn’t brag about that if I were you.”

Silence from the back room.

“Are you in there?” Riley called softly, giggling in spite of herself.

“I was checking to see how wounded I am.”

“Wounded! What do you mean ‘wounded’?” Guiltily, she ran a quick mental image. Maybe he had been injured while he was scouting the newcomers and she hadn’t noticed.

“By your comment. I was checking to see how far my legs had been cut off. I think you chopped me off at the knees!”

Laughing in spite of herself, Riley had to admit defeat at his one-upmanship. “Your legs are fine—it’s the other parts I’m worried about.”

“Have you been thinking about my other body parts, and if so, which one in particular?”

Riley groaned. “Sheesh! Can’t you think about anything else?”

Nathan stepped through the door, wrapped only in a short piece of felt. “Actually, no! Lately, that’s all I’ve been thinking about—body parts, and not my own.”

Heat crept up Riley’s face, triggering pleasurable responses by its warmth. A tingling sensation began in her fingertips, working its way up her arms and then trickling slowly down her torso, centering in the pit of her stomach. It totally amazed her how just talking to Nathan lately caused her hormonal response to jump at least one hundred and eighty degrees. Even splotched as he was by the insect bites, he was still overpoweringly male and exciting. He was the epitome of masculine beauty, broad shoulders, bulging pecs, long, firmly muscled legs, and a slight furring of hair in all the right places, accentuating his sleek maleness. Maleness which, at this moment, was blatantly obvious!

Studying her face, he looked for rejection, but all he saw was his own desire reflected in her gaze. “I want you, but I want you to feel the same,” he stated bluntly. “And not because you’re the only female within miles—but because there’s something between you and me.”

Riley’s eyes dropped. “I know what you mean. How do we know if what we’re feeling is special or only because there’s no other choice? I want you, too, but what happens afterwards?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, will we continue as always or will this be the next step?” She looked away, fully aware of the ramifications of her question.

“Of course it’s the next step, but if you aren’t ready, or it isn’t what you want, we have plenty of time to work things out.” He stepped back and made to move away, disappointment dripping from his every move, leaving Riley bereft of his comfort.

“You asked me awhile ago if you were my woman. I didn’t answer before because I didn’t really know you, but now that I do, my answer is yes, you are my woman if you’ll have me.” He said it like a marriage proposal and in another life, Riley suspected that’s exactly what it would have been.

“To have and to hold from this day forward?” She questioned hopefully.

Taking a deep breath, Nathan struggled for the right words. “I know this whole thing has really been damnably unfair to you, and I’ve said many times how sorry I am. But in all honesty, I am having a hard time being sorry right now. Right or wrong, having you here has made all the difference to me. I can’t take you back, but I can do my best to make you happy here.”

Riley’s heart constricted pleasurably at his confession. Everything about this man drew her like a magnet. “Let’s take it one step at a time. We both know we’re stuck with each other, and don’t get me wrong—from my point of view, it’s a good thing. Whatever your aunt did, she did it because she loved you. I just happened to be the lucky one she picked.”

Nathan’s eyes twinkled. “You aren’t sorry?”

“Not today! Ask me again in twenty years.” She moved forward until they touched, rubbing against him. “Now where were we?”

Laughing, he picked her up, whirling around. “We were just about to the spot where I was going to seduce you!”

“Are we there yet?”

Nathan stopped spinning, his eyes warm and inviting. “We’re about as close as we going to get without actually doing the dirty deed.”

Riley squirmed, forcing him to put her down and retreating a few steps. Reaching for the hem of her loose leather tunic, she pulled it slowly up and tossed it away, all the while watching Nathan closely. His face hardened perceptibly, eyes narrowing and burning hotly. Trembling slightly and with clumsy fingers, she untied the leather strap holding up her leggings and pushed them from her hips, dropping them to the floor, and stepping daintily back until her legs met Nathan’s cot. Crazily, for a moment, she heartily wished she had spent more time watching adult-rated movies for some inspiration, but gauging from Nathan’s reaction, she was doing pretty well. The small towel hanging from his hips barely covered his bulging manhood. More confident now, she slid out of her panties and lay back on the soft animal furs covering the bed, her eyes never leaving his face.

Sensuously, she ran her hands down her body, over the peaked mounds and continuing down, watching his face, trying to gauge his response. Dropping the towel, he tested her reaction as well. Riley’s eyes widened in surprise—the sheer size of his burgeoning package was much more than she had ever anticipated. He grinned seductively—his perfect lips curved and inviting. “Do you like what you see? Because I can tell you, without equivocation, that the view from here is the best I’ve ever had.”

Unable to think clearly, sexual excitement welled in a hot rush, culminating in a growing ache at the apex of her thighs. Moisture pooled and liquid fire raced through her veins. Need, greater than any she had ever known, welled up. She needed him at the very core of her being—craved him with every lust-filled atom. Conscious thought flew in the face of Nathan’s nearness and the emotions he evoked.

Kneeling on the cot, his eyes glistening mysteriously, he tenderly stroked her legs, gently nudging her knees apart, his long fingers caressing and teasing as they roved upward, cupping her overly sensitive breasts, and massaging lightly. His head dipped, branding the inside of her thigh as his tongue tasted her essence. Riley arched, savoring his touch, moaning with pleasure. His lips continued their upward onslaught, tongue swirling and licking, until every fiber burned with desire. His mouth devoured her lush lips while at the same time, he pressed down, molding his entire length against her, arms braced on either side, possessively trapping her in the circle of his arms. Trailing nips and small bites down her neck, alternating between subtle pain and pleasure, he captured an engorged nipple, his tongue laving it to a heated peak.

Laying full length between her spread legs, Nathan’s hips rocked against her, stimulating a violent response. His mouth was everywhere, while his fingers stroked her most sensitive spots. Nathan’s face swam in her vision—his eyes burning with hot intensity. She felt as though she was drowning in their fiery depths, spiraling down into his molten caramel eyes. She gasped as his engorged member found entry, stroking secret places as he moved, filling her completely and deliciously. Reaching down, he wrapped her long legs around his waist, gaining freer access to her silken sheath. Tremors pulsed along his shaft as he pounded in, groaning as her muscles clenched in response.

Nathan ground into her, over and over again, holding back, waiting for her cry of release, his own pent up emotions and need rampaging uncontrollably. He needed every part of her, wanted her beyond anything ever before. Images flashed through his mind—her skin was the texture of expensive velvet, but firm and smooth, hair the consistency of fine silk. Flipping her over, he entered from behind, forcing her head down and reaching around to rub at her core, laving her nape and back with hot kisses. Over and over again, he kept up the motion, feeling her stiffen, almost to the edge.

Rolling over in one smooth motion, he thrust in again, her muscles convulsing around his engorged member, pulsing with pleasure, as he pushed her further over the edge.

Panting and moaning deliriously, Riley’s head thrashed, desire trembling on the verge of white hot release. Her hands clutched at his taut backside as she bucked wildly against him, urging him on with a passion that, until now, had lain dormant and untapped. She wanted—she didn’t know what she wanted. She only knew that if he stopped, she would die! Running her hands down his back, she grabbed his tight butt, urging him on, gasping as he drove into her.

He tongued the lining of her soft outer ear, delighting as she arched against him, her body tight and throbbing. Small spasms trembled along her sheath, drawing her higher and higher until she exploded, wailing uncontrollably, her cry of abandon echoing in the small room. Nathan plunged deeper, long, hard strokes, pounding over and over until he jerked, stiffening abruptly, his face contorting, moaning as a rush of warm liquid spread down as he came with blinding force. Pulsing waves of ecstasy fused them as one. Gasping, their breath intermingled, they gripped each other while the tremors slowed and then—ceased. Totally replete, Nathan collapsed, spent and drained.

Riley’s breathing settled down and her mind slowly cleared. Nathan’s relaxed weight imprisoned her in a comfortable cocoon. Next time, she decided, she would end up on top. Contented, reveling in his nearness, Riley was reluctant to let him go. Nathan made no move to pull away, only gathering her closer and pressing a soft kiss on her lips. Lethargic, she rested, wanting nothing more than to enjoy this time. Five years alone hadn’t caused his abilities to rust, she silently granted. No “slam, bam, thank you, ma’am” in this room! Her inner thighs were numb and her crotch ached from the exercise. Leisurely, his thumb circled her nipple, as it peaked in response.

Below, his swiftly bulging penis pressed against her again. So soon! “Good grief,” she squeaked, “don’t tell me you’re ready again!”

“I’ve been alone for a long time and as the saying goes,” he paused, “it wasn’t money I was saving up.” Rolling on top of her, eyebrows wagging, he quipped, “How about another deposit?”

Riley laughed, her eyes darkening in response. “Well, it’s not five o’clock yet, so the banks are still open.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

J
onas scrutinized the SUV as it careened through the main gates, a surreptitious smile molded his lips. Bethany had taken the bait and arrived earlier than he had anticipated. The SUV came to a screeching halt in front of the main building, brakes squealing as Bethany stomped down hard. Throwing open the door, Bethany leapt from the vehicle and strode up the steps to the main entrance. From the set of her shoulders and stiff march up the stairs, it wasn’t hard to guess what her current mind-set was. His grin blossomed to a full scale smile. Unless he was mistaken, Miles was in for the tongue-lashing of his life and Jonas wasn’t going to miss out on one second. Hurrying to catch up, Jonas mentally envisioned the encounter. He, of course, would be the concerned onlooker, and ultimately support Bethany in whatever decisions he helped her make—decisions which placed particular emphasis on Nathan and the young woman, and wherever they were.

Doors slammed ahead of him and he could hear Bethany’s voice fervently cursing and damning the whole establishment. He almost laughed out loud, but thought better of it. Bethany was one smart bird and it wouldn’t do for her to witness his amusement, especially given her obvious hostility at having to return.