Unworthy Heart: The Donnellys, Book 1 (17 page)

“Nightstand.” She brushed her hair back from her face.

Fishing a condom from the drawer, Ryan tore the package with his teeth and rolled the latex down his shaft. Cupping his heavy balls in his palm, he groaned, then focused on her again. Long legs spread for him, cunt slick and glistening with her juices. The sight was enough to drive a sane man mad.

“I’m going to make you come, then I’m going to put my cock in that hot pussy and make you beg to come again.” He slid down the bed and lay between her legs and then gripped her hip with one hand to keep her still. Ryan spread her labia with his fingers and sucked her clit between his lips. Her flavor hit his tongue and the head of his cock throbbed.

Raising her legs over his shoulders, she got to her elbows and then went off like a rocket. Her head rolled back and she moaned deep and long, and her body trembled. At once, he rose from between her legs and pushed her down on the bed. He gripped her thighs and scooted her closer. Tucking the head inside her opening, he paused, ready to drive into her in one thrust.

She was still panting, her walls pulsing around the head of his dick from her orgasm. Ryan gritted his teeth and his balls tightened. Call him a merciless bastard, but he wanted to be deep inside her snug sheath while it spasmed and clenched in release. And he wanted to see if she’d come again when he drove his thickness inside her.

“Ppp… Mmm… Please?” Her voice was thick with need.

Covering her body with his, he slid his hands under her ass. “Hold on to me.” He angled her hips off the bed, and with one thrust, drove the rest of the way inside her. Maiya cried out and grabbed his ass, digging her nails in.

He pulled out and plunged deep again and then rolled his hips, grinding against her clit. He let out a curse when her cunt rippled and tightened around his shaft, another orgasm rolling through her. They were both slick with sweat. Ryan’s chest slid against her breasts as he drove into her with punishing thrusts.

Soft whimpers escaped Maiya’s lips and she ran her hands up and down his back. Gripping her jaw in his hand, Ryan increased his pace and kissed her hard, swallowing her cries. He rose to his knees, hauled her hips off the bed and slammed into her cunt, grunting with each slap of his pelvis to hers. “I love fucking you.” Ryan gritted his teeth, nearing his climax. “I can’t get enough of your tight cunt.”

“Don’t stop. Oh God, don’t stop.”

He gripped her full hips harder. “Mine.”

“Yes!” Arching her back, she came, her channel squeezing his dick like a vice.

Ryan drove into her one final time, and the muscles in his body seized with his climax, his prick jerking over and over inside her as he orgasmed. Gasping for breath, he fell forward with her in his arms, collapsing to the side of her. Maiya’s body shook and she rolled over, curling against him.

Wrapping his arms tighter around her, Ryan smoothed her hair down her back. “Holy shit.”

She sat up and pulled the blankets over them.

“Hang on a sec, baby.” He got up and headed to the bathroom to take care of the condom. When he returned she’d shifted onto her side. He climbed in behind her and tucked her close to his body.

“Mmm.” Maiya turned her face toward his.

He kissed her cheek, and then her lips. “Sleep, babe.” He ran his hand along her arm to her side, caressing her soft skin. She lay her head back down on the pillow.

Pressing his face into her hair, he breathed in her now familiar scent of lavender and coconut. Ryan explored her soft curves, stroking down her waist to her hip and back again, listening to her breathing even out. He smiled when her body jerked a little as she fell into a deeper sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Maiya woke with Ryan’s warm body pressed against her back. She snuggled a little closer, enjoying the weight of his arm around her waist and his hand cradling one breast.

“Morning, sleepy head.” His whispered words wrapped around her, warming her further.

She sighed when his lips landed on her shoulder.
He’d woken her a few times during the night for more sex. It’d been incredible. The last time had been slow and gentle. He explored her face, her neck and damn near every centimeter of her body with his fingertips—like she was some kind of fine china. No one had ever touched her with such tenderness before. It
did
scare her, but she’d been so enraptured by the look in his eyes and the feel of his hands on her body, she couldn’t have run away if she tried. Besides, where would she have gone? They were at
her
house, after all. “What time is it?”

“Almost seven. Mind if I use your shower?”

“Good God, seven?” She turned over and pressed her face against his neck. “Don’t wanna get up yet.”

Chuckling, he stroked his fingers through her hair and caressed her back. Maiya shivered and wrapped an arm and leg around him. He smelled wonderful still, even after all the sex and sweating. Fuck’s sake, the man was perfect.

“Come take a shower with me,” he whispered.

She kissed his throat. “Start the water, I’ll be right there.”

“Don’t leave me hangin’, woman.” He pinched her ass and rolled away, getting out of the bed.

She yelped and tried to swat his ass, but missed. “I do love to watch you walk away though.”

Turning when he reached the bathroom, he winked at her and then escaped through the door. She heard the water start and then minutes later he yelled from the bathroom, “Maiya, come onnnnn in, baby. It’s nice and warmmm.”

Oy, this man! With a shake of her head, she tossed the covers back. Maiya groaned when her stiff muscles protested. Her body ached in places she didn’t know even existed. She took her time getting to the bathroom. Couldn’t let him think she was too eager. It was a wonder she hadn’t raced after him though. What would he do to her in there?

When she reached the steam-filled bathroom, she paused in front of the glass shower doors and admired the view. Ryan had his back to the spray, spreading soapsuds over his body with his hands. The water and bubbles sluiced down his lean muscled chest, and then his taut stomach muscles…and lower, lower…
Sweet Jesus.
Lust coiled tight like a spring in Maiya’s belly. Her gaze followed the path of his hands, and when he stroked his semi-erect penis in his soapy palm, she bit her bottom lip and groaned.

“Like what you see, Maiya?”

Busted.
She jerked her gaze to his face.

Ryan opened the shower door wearing that devilish smile of his. “Coming?”

“God, I hope so.” She stepped into the space with him and kissed him.

An hour later Maiya stood at her kitchen counter, making coffee. They’d spent at least forty-five minutes in the shower, and the water had run cold by the time he had his way with her. He’d pressed her against the cool, tiled wall and fucked her. And that was
after
he’d gone to his knees and devoured her sex like a man who was starving to death.

Ryan came in and helped himself to some bagels in the breadbox and toasted up two. One for each of them. How sweet. She watched him from the corner of her eye as he made himself at home.

“Cream cheese?”

She filled the coffee pot with water and turned it on. “Yep, in the fridge. Get the jelly too.”

“Jelly too?” He chuckled and retrieved the items. “Living on the edge, huh?”

“You know it.” Grabbing some utensils and plates, she set them on the counter. “What time is your flight?”

“Eleven. Still trying to wake Jimmy’s ass up. Haven’t heard back from him yet.”

“I’ll call Heather. She never turns off her cell.” Heather’s phone rang and rang and went to voicemail. Maiya hung up and re-dialed.

This time she was greeted by a sleep laden, grumpy voice. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Yep. But I bet you don’t.” Maiya laughed. “Could you hand the phone to Jimmy please?”

“He’s not here. Dropped him at the hotel last night.”

“Oh. Well, shit. All right. Go back to sleep.” Maiya disconnected the call.

Ryan grabbed a coffee mug from her cupboard. “What’s up?”

“Heather dropped your brother at the hotel last night.” She crossed her arms. “Kinda shocked. I figured they hooked up.”

“Still possible. Knowing Jimmy he took off afterward.” Right then, Ryan’s phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. “Speak of the devil.”

He answered and then turned and walked to her living room, cell pressed to his ear.
Guess he needs privacy.
After pouring herself a cup of coffee, Maiya spread cream cheese and jelly on her halved bagel.

Ryan wandered back in, planted a kiss on her cheek and then poured his own coffee. “Thanks.”

“Welcome,” she said around a mouthful of bagel.
Oh yeah. Talk with my mouth full.
Keep ’em coming back for more.

He raised both brows, a slight curve on his edible lips, and leaned against the counter next to her. “He’s going to meet me at the airport.” Grabbing the other half of her bagel, he took a bite.

“Hey, get your own, thief.”

He swallowed. “Yours needed sampling.”

“You need a ride?” She sipped her coffee.

He bit into his own bagel and tilted his head side to side.

She licked some cream cheese off her finger. “Was that an answer?”

“I don’t want to put you out. I can take a cab.” He sipped his coffee, but his gaze was focused on her mouth.

She licked her lips.

“Woman.”

“Ohhh come onnnn!” She rolled her eyes. “You cannot tell me you want more sex? Really?”

Looping a finger in a belt loop on her jeans, he tugged her close.

She set her coffee cup on the counter. “Keep doing that and you’re going to rip my pants.”

He kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’ll buy you new ones.”

“I’ll have you know I can buy my own jeans, mister.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “But you do owe me a pair of underwear. And they weren’t cheap.”

He sucked her bottom lip. “I don’t think I can ever have too much sex.”

With me?
Please, say me.
“Nympho.” She should let him take a cab. “Suit yourself.”

He swatted her ass. “Yeah, well. What can I say? Sex with you is… Mmm…” He kissed her again. “Unlike anything else.”

Her heart brightened; at least it wasn’t only her thinking the sex was nuclear.

He nuzzled her neck. “You really want to take me to the airport?”

“It’s the least I can do.” Desire sizzled in her veins and she tried to douse it. “I owe you one for taking me yesterday.” There. She’d said it without sounding too breathy or affected by his attention. Damn, she was screwed. She needed to get some space from him and clear her head. He’d go home today and then she’d have two weeks to get her head straight before going back to L.A. and facing him again.

“Okay.”

Pulling away, she sat at the table. “Good. Now eat your breakfast.”

“Told you I’d be here for breakfast.” He chuckled and bit into his bagel.

She laughed. “Whatever.”

“Mmm, music to my ears.” He took the seat across from her and, with a smile a mile wide, ate his bagel and drank his coffee.

Maiya shook her head and thought—for about the hundredth time—she was going to get her heart broken.
Gotta find a way to get it back out of his reach.

Ryan kissed Maiya goodbye in the car after she parked at the airport’s curb. The night they’d spent together had been incredible. But he sensed she was holding a part of herself back. Not that he blamed her. He was holding back a degree or two also.

He still wasn’t sure what they were doing or what had started to develop between them. She’d asked him last night and he didn’t have an answer, he just knew he wanted more time with her. He really wished she lived in L.A.

“How do you know Maiya?” His brother shifted in his seat on the plane.

“Have I told you you look like hell today?” Ryan flipped through the magazine he’d found in the seat pocket. “I know her from work.”

“You’re fucking someone from work?” Jimmy cracked the cap of his water bottle. “I’m getting too old for this shit, bro.”

“You can say that again. We both are.” Ryan glanced out the window at the clouds.

“Looking at her I wouldn’t have suspected you worked together. What does she do there, admin assistant, or something?”

“She’s the associate director of development and testing. She hides all the tats when she’s in the office. Most of them anyway.”

“No shit? Sounds like a big deal. More than meets the eye, huh?”

“Jimmy, you have no idea, man.” Ryan looked at his brother. “Every time I think I have her figured out, she knocks me on my ass again.”

Jimmy laughed and sipped his water.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re falling for her.”

“Don’t be stupid. Not going to happen. She’s way too wild for me.” Ryan looked away. “I like her though.”

“Mom meet her yet?”

“Hell no… Jacob did though.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You think she’s like Tammy? I mean…she’s wild like Tammy was.”

“Let me get this straight. She outranks you at work—which means she may even make more money than you do.” Jimmy took another swig of water.

“Yeah, and?”

“She’s got her own car, house, career—”

“She also plays in mosh pits and is covered in tattoos.” Ryan closed the magazine. “I don’t know what to think. She’s a goddamn anomaly.”

“Dude, chill.” Jimmy fanned Ryan with his napkin until he batted it away. “Nah, I don’t think she’s like Tammy. Tammy was on a one-way road to nowhere. ’Bout time you let that shit go too.”

Ryan focused on his brother’s face but said nothing. Jimmy was right. Ryan did need to let it go. His guilt and resentment over what happened still held him hostage. But he knew, deep down inside, Maiya was nothing like Tammy. “You’re one to talk. You haven’t been serious with anyone since you ended it with—”

“Don’t even say her name, Ry.” Jimmy cleared his throat. “Besides, we’re talking about you, not me right now. What did Jacob think of her?”

“Go easy, Mr. Sensitive. Jacob likes her, thinks she’s pretty.” Ryan shrugged. “Kids, right? What do they know?”

“Shit. Dude, sometimes kids know everything.”

The flight attendant handed Ryan the coffee he ordered. “So, Heather?”

Jimmy scrubbed his hand over his face. “Let’s not go there, either. I was gonna, but wasn’t feelin’ it. I sent her home.” Leaning forward, he pulled a business card from his back pocket. It was the one the blonde woman had given to him in the club.

Ryan motioned to the card in his brother’s hand. “That why you weren’t feeling it?”

“Maybe.” Jimmy studied the card. “Dunno.”

“Gonna call her?”

Jimmy flicked the edge of the card with his thumb. “I want to, but then again…dunno.”

“She’s different for you. As different as Maiya is for me.”

“Who knows, maybe there’s hope for both of us then, right?”

“We sound like a couple of chickies.”

“Like I said, getting too old for this shit.” Jimmy ran his fingers over the embossed lettering on the card. “We’ll see.”

Turning back to the window, Ryan thought about Maiya, and then an idea came to him. When the plane touched down in L.A., he sent an email to Joe from the finance team.

Maiya loved and hated that Ryan had come and gone. She started the week like normal: Worked from her home office, talked to Ryan during work hours—about work things only. But at night he would call her after he’d gotten Jacob to bed. In between they exchanged text messages.

In a feeble attempt to keep her heart from seeking his attention, Maiya refused to be the one to initiate contact. Each day she’d wait for him to text, or call first. She’d lounge on the couch, ready to read a book or watch some TV, and sure enough, her phone would ring. Sometimes she’d let it ring a few times before answering, wanting to make him sweat a little, but she answered. She always answered.

Not a day passed where Ryan didn’t communicate with her in some way. What the hell was this exactly? If he didn’t want a relationship with anyone, least of all her, then why was he acting this way? Maiya couldn’t figure it out. He’d managed to dodge the question last weekend at the bar, and there was no way in hell she’d ask him again. Whatever it was, she wasn’t going to let herself get used to it. Eventually he’d get bored and move on from her.

And then? No more Ryan. A lump rose in Maiya’s throat, thick and tight in her airway. He was worming his way past her defenses because, Lord, the idea of no more Ryan made her insides ache.

Wednesday she took her mother to her doctor’s appointment where they took four vials of blood. The way Joanie bitched, they may as well have taken thirty. Her mother had taken off the technician’s head, poor kid. The doctor expressed his concern—in a calm tone—regarding her mother’s now bronchitis, the visible jaundice in her eyes and skin and her distended belly. Which, of course, were the exact things Maiya worried most about. Never mind how her lung function had deteriorated.

The doc wanted her mother to schedule an appointment and get the fluid drained from her abdomen. Of course, Joanie told him she’d rather wait. Things were not looking good in the Mom department. Maiya tried to broach the subject again in the car, but Joanie shrugged it off. When they got home, her mother promptly made herself a drink. The woman must have a death wish. Either that, or a major case of denial. Maiya was willing to bet the house on the latter. And there was nothing she could do about any of it. Not like the woman could be declared incompetent because she was a stubborn drunk.

The following week, Maiya slipped, mentioning her mother’s appointment to Ryan when she talked to him. The accidental comment had opened a can of worms she wasn’t prepared to dive into. He wanted to know what happened, how her mother was, was anything treatable, how Maiya was handling the stress. To her horror, she found herself answering all his questions, including the details of how frustrated she felt, and even how worried she’d been.