CHAPTER TEN
As they descended the rocky path that followed the falls, Sophie had to stop and shake out the dirt and pine needles from the bed of her flip flops.
When Ryan turned and offered a hand for balance, the whole world quieted, narrowed, to just the two of them. She reached for him, their gazes catching, and her pulse quickened.
Something about the density of the forest, the shelter of the tree canopy, made her feel him intensely. In that long, intimate moment, she let it sink in. That he’d chosen to come with her, knowing she’d be gone overnight.
He could be with his friends, he could be with all those willing women, but when his hand curled around hers, his grasp so warm and secure, she couldn’t help feeling that he belonged here. With her.
“Ready?” he said softly. And maybe she was reading into it, but the look in his eyes made her certain he felt the same way.
She nodded, sliding her foot back into the flip flop. Just as she started to pull her hand away, he tightened his grasp and headed back down the path.
When they got to the biggest pool, Sophie set her towel down at the foot of a big pine tree. Pulling off her gauzy white tunic, she tossed it on the ground and then turned to find Ryan staring at her.
It still surprised her, how much he liked her body. She didn’t wear skimpy swimsuits. Her bottom and boobs needed coverage, so there really was nothing provocative about her bikinis. Certainly nothing like what the women at the resort wore.
But every time Ryan looked at her like that—all hungry and lustful—it thrilled her. She had no idea what about her rendered him so speechless, but she loved it.
At the water’s edge, she turned to him. “You coming in?”
He reached behind his neck for the back of his Polo, the muscles in his arms bunching. “Sure.” Pulling off his aviators, he tugged the shirt over his head.
Holy cow. That muscled chest, the bulging biceps…God, he was gorgeous. She’d never been so aware of a guy’s physique before. Sure, King was cut, but she’d never felt this intense, powerful attraction. It unsettled her.
Only when he reached out to her did she realize she was just standing there, staring at him. He gave her a sweet smile, so unlike what she’d expect from a guy like him. She figured he’d be all cocky about her drooling over him, but he wasn’t. He was kind.
She wanted to run her hands all over him. She wanted to lick that smooth, golden skin. Was that weird? She couldn’t remember ever wanting to lick a guy before. “Let’s do this.”
And then she jumped into the warm water, her feet landing on soft, silky mud. The pool came up to her ribcage, so she dove under, swimming out a few feet. Bubbles streamed out of her nose, as she rose to the surface. She found him watching her. “Come in. It’s warm.”
He shucked off his boat shoes and crouched at the edge of the water.
She ducked under again, swimming away from him. When she popped up, she found Ryan buck naked in the clear water, coming for her. “Do you feel it?”
Gaze trained on her, he broke into a slow, sexy smile. “Oh, yeah. I feel it.”
“Why do I think we’re talking about totally different things?”
“What’re you talking about?”
“Magical properties.”
“Nope. We’re definitely talking about the same thing.” Never taking his gaze off her, he took long strides towards her, the water swirling around him. Her chest tightened, her fingers tingled, and she held her breath until he reached her. Lifting her, he hitched her leg over his hip.
He lowered his face into her neck, breathing in deeply. “Hell, yeah, I feel it.” And then he cupped the back of her head, lifting her mouth to his and kissed her.
******
Jesus. He couldn’t get enough of her. Gripping her ass, he lost himself in the slick heat of her mouth. The low roar of the falls, the rush of water around his legs, and the clutch of her hands around his neck, sent a pulse of electricity through him.
With her body pressing against his, struggling to get closer, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled. Hard. He walked her across the pool, lifting her onto the rock ledge.
“Fuck, Soph. I can’t stand it. I want to be with you.”
Foreheads touching, breathing uneven, her fingers stroked roughly through his hair. He knew she wanted him the same way, but she’d shown a hell of a lot more self-control so far than he had.
“Okay.” She said it so softly he had to pull away from her.
Excitement struck his heart, and he couldn’t catch his breath. “You sure?”
“Yes.” She shifted forward and wrapped her legs around him.
He kissed her again, harder this time. Oh, fucking hell.
Desire roared like a bullet train through him, and he brought his mouth back to hers, his hands cupping her face, angling her so he could deepen the kiss.
Tongues stroking, he untied the back of her bikini, pulling the straps down to reveal her breasts. He cupped them, pushing them together, loving the weight, the hard nipples in his palm, and the way her body shuddered from his touch.
When he sucked a nipple into his mouth, she gasped, and he yanked the tie at the back of her neck, tossing the top onto the dirt.
Fingers dipping into the elastic of her bottoms, he tugged. “Off.” She lifted one hip, then the other, as he peeled them off her wet skin and threw them.
Hands on her knees, he pressed soft kisses along her inner thigh. Her legs trembled, and her hands clasped the back of his head. Reaching for her ass, he drew her closer to his mouth, and his tongue stroked into her folds, seeking her slick heat. She gasped, shifting restlessly against him, her hands fisting in his hair.
Fuck, she drove him crazy. Everything about her. He loved the way she whispered his name, loved the way her thighs cupped his head, and he fucking loved the way her honey coated his tongue. Her response to him drove him wild.
He wanted to fuck her more than he wanted to breathe, but he needed to calm down and take the time to make it good for her. So he focused on the sounds she made and the way her body stiffened when he licked her hardened nub. Her back arched, and her fingers dug into his scalp. When his tongue swirled around her clit, she let go of him, arms bracing behind her on the rock, ankles clasped behind his neck. “God, Ryan. Oh, God.”
As she rocked her hips against his face, her cries grew louder, more insistent, letting him know how close she was, and it fueled him, made him bury his face deeper between her legs, made his tongue flick harder and faster. He wanted her to come apart from his touch.
Her legs tightened around his shoulders, muscles tensing. “Ryan.” She gasped, one hand coming back to grip his head.
Fuck. Fuck. He needed her so badly. Couldn’t wait to get inside her, to feel all of her. And then her body jerked, and he knew she was there. She cried out, hips twisting and clutching his head to keep him in place.
When she settled, she lay back on the rock. “Oh, my God, Ryan. I just…that was…God.”
As much as he loved her dazed, satisfied expression, he couldn’t take not being inside all that soft, wet heat. Heaving himself onto the ledge, he scooped her limp body into his arms. His bare feet crunched pine needles, as he snatched her towel off the ground. He tried to shake it out, but his cock throbbed, and the feel of her bare breasts against his chest made him wild. Jesus, he’d have her against the tree if he couldn’t manage to lay the damn towel down.
As he fumbled with it, she laughed into his neck, then pulled free of him. Grabbing the towel, she bent over to lay it on the ground. Her round ass, the cheeks all pink from the cool rock, sent a shot of lust so intense through him, his knees went weak. Christ, he had to have her. Now. “Come here.”
“Just wait a second.”
Hands on her waist, he swung her around to face him, kissing her, reaching for that pink ass and hauling her up tight against him. He groaned into her mouth. He loved the feel of her, the way her hands moved restlessly over him. But then she reached between their bodies and palmed his cock and need burst into flames.
Enough. He couldn’t take it anymore. He lowered to his knees, rolled onto his back, and grabbed her hips. “Birth control?”
She nodded, straddling his thighs. When he tried to pull her forward, to position her over his aching cock, she resisted. “Slow down.”
“Can’t.” Jesus, she had no idea, as she sat astride him naked, those breasts bouncing with her every move. “Clean.”
“Yes—”
“No, me.”
When she shifted back his cock thrust up between the juncture of her pale thighs. She clasped both her feminine hands around him.
He jerked, his dick ready to explode. “Now, Sophie.”
She gave him her mischievous smile. “Can’t I have a second to appreciate you?” Her hands slid in a twisting motion around his length. “You are so beautiful. Every part of you.”
“Jesus, Soph.”
She leaned over and slowly licked around the sensitive head, her wet hair sprawling across his stomach.
He gritted his teeth and arched his neck, out of his mind with need. “Fuck.”
Her tongue swirled, and then licked under the ridge, one hand gripping him firmly at the base. Without warning, she sucked him deep into her mouth, and his hips lifted off the towel, fingers curling into fists from the decadent pleasure.
“Soph.” He pushed her hand away, grabbed his cock, and pulled it out of her mouth. Gripping himself to ease the pressure, he watched her sit up, eyes all sexy, lips parted and wet. With a hand on her hip, he tried to position her over his cock. “Let me in, Soph.”
“I just want to savor you.” She fell forward, planting her hands at either side of his head, breasts at his chin. “I want to lick you from your mouth to your—”
He rocked his hips up, wedging his cock along her slick opening. He thought he might explode just from the slight friction and lush heat.
She closed her eyes, features softening. “Oh.”
“Savor later. Need you now.”
Slowly, she rocked on him. His cock sank deeper between her hot folds.
His eyes rolled back in his head, the tension in his body unbearable as her slick heat rubbed along the length of his cock. “Let me in.”
She licked his nipple, let her tongue swirl around it, while her hands caressed his shoulders, his biceps, all the way down to his wrists.
Muscles bunched and coiled tight, he thought he might explode. “I want to fuck you, Sophie Valentine. Like I’ve never wanted to fuck anyone in my life.”
“God, Ryan.” Her expression turned hungry and feral, as she sat up, gripped his cock, and guided him inside her hot, slick body. “Oh.” Her shoulders hunched, and her head tilted back. “So good.”
His hips jerked up, plunging him deep inside her, and it felt so unbelievably good. He grabbed her hips and held her in place. Jesus, nothing had ever felt like this. Nothing.
Hands on his chest, she lifted and sank back down, closing her eyes and sighing.
“Faster, Soph.” He grabbed hold of her hips, fingers digging into her flesh, and lifted her. He thrust his hips up hard as he slammed her down on him. She cried out, the look of rapture on her face letting him know she liked it just as much as he did. So he did it again. And again. And, Jesus, did it feel good.
She was a goddess, with her dark hair all wet and wild around her, her shoulders pushed back. She reached behind her to grip his thighs, and it thrust her breasts out. They bounced—so fucking erotic—and he jerked up to cup one, sucking the nipple deep into his mouth. She swung forward, clutching the back of his head, riding him just as fast and hard as he needed. Her desperate sounds only fed his frenzied need for her.
“Fuck, Soph, fuck.” A hand on her back, the other on her ass, he toppled her onto her back.
He powered into her, his cock swelling, spine tingling, and her eyes went wide as she let out a cry. She planted both feet on the towel and bucked her hips up to meet him. “Ryan.”
She looked so beautiful, her features lost in ecstasy, her wet hair sprawled around her, those sexy lips parted.
His orgasm bore down on him. Clamping his hands on her hips, he held her to the ground as his hips pumped into her. Fuck him, her tight grip on his cock, all slick and hot, made his body yearn for more—more friction, more…more her. He needed to get deeper, go harder. God, he just needed her so fucking much he couldn’t stand it.
And then electricity raced across his skin, making him burn. “Fuck, oh, fuck.” He came hard, not letting her move as he snapped his hips again and again, out of control, through burst after burst of raw, wild pleasure. He didn’t want to ever come down off this high.
Still planted deep inside her, he wrapped her in his arms, breathing harshly in the curve of her neck. His body shook from the power of his orgasm. “Did I hurt you?”
She scraped her hands through his hair. “Stop it. Would I let you hurt me?” She held him tightly. “I love when you let go with me. It’s hot and real and…God, Ryan, it’s amazing.”
She was amazing. Everything about her.
He fell onto his back, and they lay side by side, looking up through the dense tree cover, sunlight spearing through the branches.
As his skin cooled and his mind settled back into his body, the tension slowly coiled through his muscles again.
He could tell himself he’d bailed on his friends because he didn’t want to party all day and night like they did. He could tell himself he didn’t like golf or hanging out by the pool. But the truth was he was falling for this woman.
Only, he couldn’t have her. He had one objective: to go back to school refreshed and ready to face his future. Nothing was more important than getting back to the time when he was confident and sure of himself, of his life.
He sat up. “Let’s get you to your three-star dinner.”
Back on the road, Ryan ignored the phone vibrating in the cup holder. He knew Sophie thought he wasn’t checking it because he was driving. But the truth was he suspected it was Emma, and he had no interest in dealing with her.
Last night, after he’d gotten Carrie safely to her room, he hadn’t gone back to the bar. Instead, he’d showered and turned on the TV, trying to find his world-class discipline and block out all thoughts about Sophie.
But then Emma had called. He’d told her to back off, that he’d talk to her after spring break. And he’d kept the conversation short because he didn’t want to engage her.
But, of course, she wouldn’t listen. She didn’t like when he withdrew.
When his phone buzzed again, Sophie said, “You want to pull over and get that?”
“Don’t want to make you late for your reservation.”
“It could be important.”
He wouldn’t let Emma on this trip with him. “We’ll be there soon enough.”
“You afraid it’s your coach?”
He shot her a look. “I’m not afraid of anything.” And he wasn’t. He knew he’d earned a consequence for bailing on his team. He was the captain, for Christ’s sake.
Besides, it wouldn’t be his coach texting. He’d given Ryan forty-eight hours to get back to his team. He had nothing else to say. The next move was Ryan’s.
Houses started springing up, letting him know they were approaching the town of La Marca. When he got to the resort, he’d check his messages. They couldn’t all be from Emma.
“Do you think it’s your ex?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. Whatever it is can wait until I get to the resort.”
“Then maybe you should turn off your phone. You can’t relax when it’s blowing up like that.”
It buzzed again. Something was wrong. Too many texts coming in. His fingers gripped the wheel. “We getting close?”
She nodded, looking ahead. “The resort’s on the outskirts of town, so we should see a sign coming up soon.”
“I’m sorry for jumping down your throat.”
“Don’t be. I’d be freaking out, too.”
“I’m not…” He blew out a breath. “Yeah. Something’s going on.”
She put her hand on his thigh. “We can pull over. Better to face it than make stuff up in your head.”
“We’re almost there.”
The road descended, and the area grew more populated. An automotive shop, a gas station. And then he saw a billboard, set against a backdrop of trees, announcing the resort and its three-star Michelin restaurant. “Here it is.”
He glanced at her, taking in the wide smile. She practically glowed with energy. And just like that the thick cloud hovering around him dissipated. Just being with her made him happy.
At nearly six o’clock, the sun was still bright. He pulled under the portico of the resort and handed off the car keys to the valet. Grabbing Sophie’s bag out of the back seat, he met her on the pavement.
When she looked up at him with a serious expression, he worried his mood had ruined her trip. “I’m going to check in and change, but I wanted to point out the obvious. You don’t have to stay with me. I know you don’t care about Chef Tomas’s sampling menu or the volcano I’m going to see tomorrow. And it was really nice of you to come with me today, but I know you’ve got other things you’d like to be doing.”
He looked away from her, only aware of his sunburned neck when the collar of his shirt scraped against it. She was giving him the out he knew he should take. Because he should go back to the resort. He flexed his toes inside the leather shoes.
“Go on and head back. I’m in a thousand-dollar a night resort. If I ask for a car, they’ll find me one. Or I’ll hire a driver. You’ve been awesome, but it’s okay. You can go.” She stepped closer to him. “Look, I know you’ve got this thing about not upsetting the people that matter to you, but I’m not your alcoholic mom or your dad who couldn’t handle things. Besides, I’m super boring. I’m just going to eat my sampler meal, walk on the beach, take a shower—”
“I’m in.”
She laughed. He loved when she did that. It lit her up, made her eyes sparkle. “What?”
“You had me at shower.”
“I didn’t say I’d shower with you.”
“Didn’t you? Sorry, my mind must have made the leap.”
The energy crackled between them, and he felt the joy of it sink into him like a hot coffee on a cold day. “Go check in. I’ll grab our table before they give your reservation away.”
The look she gave him—so happy, so unabashedly joyful—made him happier than he’d felt in a very long time. “Sounds perfect.”
Even though she’d only booked the reservation a week ago, she’d managed to score the nicest table in the room. Ryan breathed in the salty air, as he gazed out the open window overlooking the sea. With the steady crash and drag of waves the only music in the low-lit room, he started scrolling through the text messages.
He had three from Emma.
I hated that phone call. Nothing’s right between us.
We’ve been apart too long. We need some time alone. It’ll be better when we’re together.
I’m coming to see you. Already booked my ticket.
Jesus, why wouldn’t she let up? He didn’t know how much clearer he could be. He wasn’t getting pulled into her drama.
The best thing about Sophie was her straight-up, in-your-face honesty. It made him see how hard he worked to manage everyone’s feelings and expectations.
What Sophie had said earlier—that not everyone was like his alcoholic mom or frazzled dad—hit him. Really, his only childhood memories were of irate parents. They’d gotten into physical fights—his dad prying the bottle out of his mom’s hands, restraining her when she threatened to off herself. And all because of Ryan’s temper. His demands.
He’d always caused trouble. Demanding food, rides. Always wanting something.
The same wild frustration that drove him to this island was what he’d grown up feeling in his home. The countless times he’d wanted dinner but had found his mom passed out in bed. He’d shake her, demanding to be fed. Then, when his dad came home, Ryan would nearly attack him, all sweaty and angry. He’d never forget the way his dad’s complexion would get all mottled and red, how he’d push Ryan aside, storm into his mom’s bedroom, and slam the door. Not only would Ryan still not get dinner, but he’d cause yet another screaming match between his parents.
So, yeah, maybe he did work to avoid confrontations. All that chaos of his childhood? He’d instigated it. And while nothing had bothered his younger brother, Ryan would never forget the haunted look in his little sister’s eyes. She’d seen everything.
I did that. By demanding so much, he’d created the chaos.
He hadn’t thought about it before, but he suspected Sophie was right. Not everyone would react the way his dad and mom had. And even if they did, it was slowly killing him trying to keep everyone happy.
He wished he’d told Emma flat-out that it was over between them. Staying friends was only preventing her from moving on.
And damn if that didn’t hack a wide swath of relief through him. Should’ve done it months ago. Tucking his phone into his pocket, he looked up and did a double-take on the stunning brunette heading his way. His heart pounded, and he gripped the cloth napkin in his lap. Sophie. Jesus, when she smiled his heart actually hurt.
“Hey, handsome.” She slid into the seat across from him. Her smile faded. “You all right?”
She’d put on make-up—a touch of raspberry on her lush mouth, a brush of pink across her cheeks, mascara to frame those startling blue eyes. He had to force himself to breathe. “You’re gorgeous.”
“Oh.” She looked away, unrolling her napkin, spreading it across her lap. “I didn’t have time to shower, so I probably smell like sun tan lotion.”
But she didn’t. She smelled like she always did—that soft hint of sweetness that stirred his blood.
The server approached the table. “Good evening. Miss Valentine?”
Sophie beamed her dazzling smile. “Yes.”
“I see you’ve brought a guest. Will he be having the sampling menu as well?”
Ryan didn’t have a clue what was on the menu, nor did he care. “Sounds fine.”
Sophie reached across the table for his hand, the action plumping her breasts in the round neck of the slinky, sky blue dress. “You don’t even know what’s on it.” Then, she smiled at the server. “Can you please leave us the menu, and he’ll decide what he wants?”
“Absolutely.” The woman set a menu down. “I’ll give you a few minutes.”
She left, and Ryan pushed the menu away. “I really don’t care. Whatever you’re having is fine.”
“What’s the fun in fine?” She crooked a finger, beckoning him to her side. “Come take a look at the menu with me.”
He couldn’t have cared less about the menu, but he wouldn’t miss the chance to sit next to her.
As soon as he slid in beside her, she opened the menu. “So, what looks good?”
Candlelight flickered over her features, accentuating her rosy cheeks. Her hair had dried all wavy and loose and smelled like sunshine and flowers. Her skin glowed with health and vitality, and that lower lip, so plush and dark pink, stirred his arousal.
“Do you like shellfish?”
What had she said? “Sure.”
“Really? I hate it. Why do people even eat oysters? Aren’t they like eating globs of snot? And mussels?” She shuddered. “I don’t get it. And that’s all they have tonight, shellfish. Do you want hocked-up loogies?”
He wanted to kiss her mouth. Instead, he laughed. “No, Sophie. No loogies.”
“Then pay attention because that’s what you’d get if you let someone else decide what you’re eating tonight. What do you like?” Her blue eyes glittered with humor. “How about venison?”
“Sure.”
“Great. Because it’s not on the menu. Can you please pay attention?”
“I promise I’m paying attention.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I’m paying attention to the only thing in the room that matters.” He placed his hand on her thigh, felt the soft material of her dress and the heat of her skin underneath. He gave her a squeeze, and he loved the way her eyes heated.
“Trust me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience tonight. You should really choose the kind of food you like.”
“I’m pretty easy.”
“Yes, we know. But being easy isn’t making you happy.”
“I’m happy.”
“Is that why you’re here instead of playing shortstop with your team in front of the scouts?”
Ouch. She hit hard.
“You know, expending all your energy trying to keep everyone else happy is a losing enterprise. Why not expend it on figuring out what makes you happy?”
“You make me happy.” Her lips parted, her eyes rounded, and color rushed into her cheeks. He shrugged. “You do.”
“Ryan.” Doubt fell across her features, and she grew uncomfortable. “Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re being charming or real.”
“I’m real with you.”
“Yeah. I think you are.” She reached for his hand. “Were you real with Emma?”
“I never really thought about it.”
“Okay, well, if you pay attention to your life, maybe you won’t wind up in any more six year relationships that drag out long past their end-dates. Now, let’s figure out what you like to eat.”
He pulled his hand away. “Fine. Give me the menu.”
She handed it to him. “Why would you ever just eat for fuel? Eat because it tastes delicious. Because it makes you happy.” When she leaned closer to look at the menu with him, her breast grazed his arm, and all the blood in his body rushed to his cock. “Look at the desserts. They’re supposed to be out of this world.”
“Gruyere donuts with maple syrup? That sounds disgusting.”
“Yeah, it does.”
“Ginger-flavored panna cotta with poached pears?” Was she joking with this shit?
“Keep going.”
“Honeycrisp apple Napolean with caramel custard, cider syrup, and vanilla spice gelato. That sounds okay.”
“I like the chocolate cake.”
“You’re showing me all this crap, and all you like is the chocolate cake?” He slammed the menu closed.
“At least I’ve looked at the other choices and eliminated them. If you’d taken whatever they gave you, you’d be biting into a gruyere donut.”
“True.”
“So, if you don’t want roasted kitten with caramelized onions and a sherry lime sauce, you should look at the menu.”
But he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He wanted to suck that plump lower lip into his mouth. He wanted to press her down on the banquette and feel her soft curves under his body. He was so hard right then he didn’t give a shit what the waitress brought him to eat.
The heat of her hand at his temple, the scrape of her nails across his scalp, made him turn his mouth to press a kiss to her wrist. But she pulled away. “You should probably order.” Her gaze slid past him to where the waitress waited.
The last thing he wanted to do was pay attention to the menu, but for Sophie he’d do anything. Scanning it, he saw he had three choices. The tasting menu, the prix fixe, and the sampling one Sophie had ordered. When he saw that it included a bite of every item on the menu he gawked. “That’s what you’re getting?”
She nodded with a mischievous smile.
“You can’t eat that much.”
“It’s literally a bite of everything. Just to show off the chef’s cuisine. It’s awesome.”
“Fine. I’ll have a bite of everything.” He handed the menu to the waitress, who also took their drink order, before disappearing into the dimly lit dining room.
His hand found her thigh, gathering up all that slinky material and sliding it higher to expose her creamy skin. His heart raced, and he needed more. “You’re not going to eat that much.”
“Maybe. But I want to see it. It’s going to be a beautiful presentation.”
His hand glided higher. “Beautiful, huh?”
“Am I too hard on you?” Her words came out on a soft gust of air.
He brought her hand to his hard-on. “Yes.”
She gripped him, looking all hungry and needy. That pink tongue came out and wet her lips. “I’m sorry. I just feel like I can see the stuff in your life that maybe you can’t right now.” The heel of her palm pressed down, as she slowly rubbed his cock.
Sparks fired in his blood. His pulse skyrocketed. “Fuck, Soph.” Tipping her chin, he pressed his lips to hers, licking the path her tongue had just taken. She leaned closer to him, her scent filling his senses. His kiss turned carnal, as he stroked into her mouth. When her hand closed around his cock and squeezed, his knees hit the table.
He pushed her up against the half-wall of the booth, pressing that sexy as fuck body as close to him as he could get. He needed to feel her skin, needed her body wrapped around him. God, he wanted every inch of her bared to him. Fuck the menu, he wanted her to be his feast.
Smoothing out the material of her dress, he slid his hand between her legs. When he felt dampness on her inner thighs, his skin prickled with anticipation. And then, when his fingers brushed her damp curls, electricity flashed through him. “You’re not wearing underwear.”
Her hands cupped the back of his head, and she whispered in his ear, “I was in my bathing suit. I only brought one pair, so I thought I’d save it for tomorrow.”
“Sophie,” he breathed, before taking her mouth. She opened right away, her hand sliding to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Fuck, he couldn’t help himself. He had to delve into her slick heat.
She shifted restlessly, parting her thighs, letting him inside. Between her hot, wet mouth and the honey between her legs, his pulse spiked and blood pounded in his cock. He kissed her hard, licking into her mouth, tangling with her tongue, his fingers plunging inside her slick channel.
Fucking hell, she felt so good, so soft and lush. He pressed against her, pushing her back, his hand so far up her dress he’d exposed the tops of her thighs.
“What’re you doing to me?” His blood surged and his body roused with the imperative to sink inside her, pound into her until he finally relieved this constant ache, this powerful drive to fuse with her.
“And here we are.” The waitress’s voice tore into his lust-driven state of mind.
He quickly withdrew his hand, pulled her dress down, and sat up. Dragging his palm over his mouth, still wet from their kiss, he had to shake some sense back into himself.
“Your drinks.” The waitress poured sparkling water into the glasses and then left the bottle on the table.
After she left, he said, “I’m sorry.” Jesus, he’d mauled her in a restaurant. If the waitress hadn’t interrupted him, he would have absolutely taken Sophie all the way over the edge. No question.
He’d completely lost control.
He never lost control.
Sliding out of the booth, he scrubbed his jaw. “Excuse me.”
Needing air, he stalked away. He pushed through a side door that led to a garden. Immediately, the warm, flower-scented air cleared his head. A fountain with tinkling water drew him further in.
He was more screwed up than he’d realized if he’d just about finger-fucked Sophie in a three-star Michelin restaurant.
Needing a slap of reality, he pulled out his phone to find dozens of texts.
Jake. Where are you?
Another. You left with that chick hours ago. When you coming back?
A third. Are you still with that girl? What’re you doing?
A fourth. Six years with one chick, and you jump into the next relationship that comes your way?
He didn’t need to read anymore. Of course Jake was right. Stepping around the fountain, he stood on a teak deck overlooking the ocean. Gas lamps lit a path to the beach. A couple strolled hand in hand along the shore.
Of course he wasn’t in a relationship with Sophie. He was…what was he doing? He didn’t know, but the idea of being a couple again…fuck, no. He didn’t want to be tied to someone. Relationships required time and attention he absolutely couldn’t give. Forget that. Attention he didn’t want to give. Compromises. Jesus, the compromises to make Emma happy had nearly driven him out of his mind.
He checked his voicemail and found one from Doug Saunders.
A chill blew through him. What the hell did you think? Your agent wouldn’t have something to say about you taking off without telling him?
This one he had to hear. He jammed a hand deep into his pocket and waited for his agent’s voice.
“Hey, Ryan. Doug Saunders here. Heard about the family emergency. Let me know as soon as you can whether you’ll be at the next game. I can reprogram the scouts if you’re not, but I’ve got to tell them something. Hope all’s well. Let me hear from you soon.”
Ryan thumbed the pad, ending the message. He stood there in a dark corner of the garden, sick to his stomach.
His coach, his teammates, his agent, the scouts…he’d lied to all of them.
He’d never been more ashamed of himself.
He’d worked hard to be the guy coaches counted on. First kid at practice, first to pitch in to help. It had taken a lifetime of good decisions to earn his great reputation.
And in one stupid moment, he’d blown it all to hell.
His dad was right. It had taken a whole community to make him into the player he’d become. A player good enough to make the majors.
He’d failed them, and he’d failed himself.
It all bore down on him. He had a good enough relationship with his coach that he could be forgiven for this one aberration in his behavior. But his agent? Every year Doug had a roster of up-and-comers from colleges around the country. If he came clean, Doug wouldn’t hesitate to dump him. Knocking Ryan O’Donnell off the list wouldn’t mean shit to him.
He shoved his hair back from his temples, gripping his skull. What the fuck are you doing? Very few draft picks started out in the majors, but Doug thought Ryan had a shot. But if the truth came out that he’d bailed on his team to spend spring break in the Caribbean, he’d be toast. Dread pinched his nerves, making them sting.
His forty-eight hours ended tomorrow. Going back for the next game would clean up his mess. His agent would never have to know about the lie. Ryan would stay on track.
Either way, this thing with Sophie had to end. Tomorrow, first thing, he’d head back to the resort and make his travel plans.
His life was careening out of control. And he had to fix it.
No more fucking around.