Nick

I digested everything Rayne had told me while I finished eating. Evidently, she didn’t realize the longing that could be heard in her voice when she talked about the time they spent living in Virginia. Or the fear I could hear when she talked about love and a family. She was afraid of being hurt. She didn’t believe that she could stay in one place because it was in her blood. But, it was just an excuse. No matter what she said, it hurt her when her parents left her, and she was determined to leave before someone else could abandon her.

It was clear that convincing her to stay wouldn’t be easy. But, I was one determined son of a bitch when I wanted to be. And, I wanted Rayne.

She seemed nervous and was playing with the wrapper for her food more than eating it.

“My childhood was pretty stereotypical,” I told her, trying to put her at ease. “My mom’s a teacher and Dad’s a lawyer. It’s always been expected that I would take over his practice one day.”

She brushed her hair back over her shoulder as she turned to look at me. “Is that what you want to do?”

“Yeah. Mostly,” I said with a teasing smile, throwing her word back at her.

Her smile was beautiful, and I wanted so badly to taste it. “What does that mean? Mostly?”

“I love this town. I want to spend my life here, be a lawyer, raise my family here. I stayed close to home for college and came right back here when I graduated to work for my dad. But, a part of me has always longed to travel and see the world.”

“Why didn’t you?”

I contemplated my answer for a moment. “Because I didn’t have anyone to share it with.”

Her eyes widened a little with surprise, but she quickly masked it with a smile that played at the corners of her lips. “Being alone isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you’re on an adventure. You can make all the choices, do whatever you want, anytime you want.”

“Arguing about those choices is half the fun, babe,” I teased. “And makeup sex is the other half.”

She laughed and hopped off the tailgate to gather up our trash. I joined her and together we cleaned up, throwing everything away in a nearby trashcan.

Afterward, she turned and faced the view, silent as she stared at it. I walked up behind her and slipped my arms around her waist. She tensed for a moment, then melted back into me.

“I can’t quite figure you out, Nick,” she murmured.

With one hand, I pushed her hair to one side, sliding it over her shoulder, then returned my arm to around her waist. I placed a gentle kiss on her exposed neck and she moaned so softly that I almost didn’t hear it. The sound caused my body to start heating up, my blood draining right down to my groin.

“I’m an open book, Rayne. What you see is what you get.”

She turned her head and leaned it back, so that she could look up at me. “You may think that, but you’re wrong, Nick Stevenson. You have so many layers and sometimes, they seem so opposite. They should clash like Jekyll and Hyde but somehow, you make them flow together.”

I arched a brow as I contemplated what she’d said. “Perhaps you bring out the Hyde in me,” I growled in her ear as I pulled her deeper into my embrace. “The guy who can’t stop thinking about ravishing your beautiful lips. Slowly peeling off your clothes and kissing every inch of your body.” She gasped, and her breathing sped up. “He wants to know what you taste like, how it feels to be buried inside you, what you look like when you come.”

She turned and lightly rested her hands on my arms, but the more I said, the tighter her grip became until her nails were digging into my flesh. Her body had coiled tight and her brown eyes flashed with hunger as they stared up into mine.

I bent my head and brushed my mouth over hers before whispering, “Let me take you home, baby.”

She was silent for a couple of heartbeats before she smirked. “Suit yourself, Loafers.”

* * *

The drive to my house was almost a half hour and we spent it in comfortable silence. I kept her hand firmly in mine, my thumb caressing her pulse point. Every once in a while, she’d shiver and squeeze her legs together. I loved how responsive she was.

After what seemed like the longest drive ever, we arrived at my home. Rayne leaned forward in her seat to see better through the windshield, her mouth slightly open as she gaped. “This is your house?”

“Yup,” I replied as I reluctantly let go of her hand to exit the truck. I jogged around the front to open her door. As she climbed out, she took in everything around her.

“Yet, another layer,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you think so.” I’d hoped she would since I fully intended for this to be her home too.

I guided her to a side door that opened right into the kitchen and unlocked it. Once we were inside, she stopped again to look around with interest.

“There is a lot to do, but when I’m finished, it will be a fantastic space.”

Her jaw dropped, her mouth forming a little O as she pivoted to look at me. “You’re doing the work yourself?” she asked incredulously.

I frowned, a little offended at her complete shock. Why was it so hard to believe that I would get my hands dirty? “With some help, but yeah, I do a lot of the work.”

“Another unexpected layer.” She smiled seductively as she sauntered right up to me. “That is seriously fucking sexy, Nick. Especially when I picture you in a tool belt and nothing else.”

Pride restored. I grabbed her shirt and tugged her closer until she was plastered against my body. Then I gripped her waist with one hand while I buried the other in her hair.

“Noted, baby. I’ll keep that fantasy in mind for the future.”

Her eyes dimmed a little at my words, but her saucy smile stayed in place. “We should definitely make that happen before I leave.”

I ignored her comment altogether, choosing my battles carefully. Instead, I swept her up into my arms and stalked to the stairs and up to the master bedroom where I dumped her onto the mattress. She laughed as she bounced, but her eyes turned molten as I reached behind me to grab my collar and yank my shirt off. Her eyes slid down my torso and back up. “Fuck me,” she whispered with something like awe in her tone. I grinned. I may sit at a desk all day, but I hit the gym six days a week and spent a lot of my weekends doing manual labor. So yeah, the polos and khakis hid a toned and muscular body.

She sat up and began to lift up her lacy top, but I speared her with a fierce look. “Stop,” I commanded. “I’ll do it.” She nodded and let go, stretching out and leaning back on her elbows to watch me.

I removed my watch and toed off my shoes, then stripped off my pants and socks until I was in nothing but my black, boxer briefs. Her gaze dropped to the growing bulge in the center.

Licking her lips as she returned her eyes to my face, I groaned and reminded myself to slow down and savor this. I put one knee on the bed and leaned over her, forcing her to lay down. I caged her in with a fist pressing into the mattress on both sides of her head.

“See anything you like?” I rumbled.

“I’d like it even better if you removed that last layer,” she smirked.

“Patience, baby.” I kissed her lips lightly, then her nose, before removing her boots and dropping them to the floor. Then I climbed onto the bed next to her and sat back on my heels. I crooked my finger at her and she sat up, bringing her close enough for me to peel off her lacy top. Next went the tank leaving her in just her bra. My eyes dropped to her full tits and my mouth watered. I reached around her to undo the catch and her bra slipped down, leaving her bare from the waist up.

“Fucking gorgeous,” I complimented as I ran my hands up her arms and down her torso to cup her heavy globes.