Chapter Seven
As hard as Leah was squeezing his hand, Ryan wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to grip an outcropping of rock again. Not that crushed fingers was his top priority at the moment. When the Tilt-A-Whirl picked up speed, Leah screamed loud enough to rupture his eardrum as centrifugal force smashed them together. A teeth-jarring spin moments later slammed him back against the seat before the ride finally came to an end. He was damn happy to have survived with the corn dog he’d eaten earlier still in his stomach. The car lurched and jerked to a final stop, and Leah peeled herself off his lap.
“Oh, my God. Why did I ever think that was fun?”
As the attendant released the bar holding them in place, he grimaced. “I have no idea. Let’s get out of here.”
Still clutching his hand, she wobbled down the ramp to the trampled grass and let out a long breath. “I’m not going on that upside-down torture chamber over there.” She pointed toward the long, snaking line where Paige and Quentin waited their turn to get on the Zipper. “Just saying.”
“Oh, thank God. I didn’t want to be the one to wuss out.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only chicken. Can we ride the Ferris wheel?” Releasing his hand, she gave him a quick smile. “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was still clutching onto you for dear life.”
“I didn’t mind.” He flexed his fingers to get the blood flowing. “Not much, anyway.”
She linked her arm through his. “I promise to keep my hands to myself. Let’s go. There’s not even a line.”
He wouldn’t have minded her holding tight to him again. Memories of endless similar evenings spent with Leah pushed aside old hurt, until he could almost believe they were a couple again. With the colorful lights swirling against the night sky along with the blaring carnival music, slipping into the past was as easy as wrapping an arm around her as they took their seats on the big wheel, then sat back to enjoy the ride.
“Oh, wow, the view from up here is spectacular. The moon is shining over the ocean, and there isn’t even any fog.” She pointed toward the three huge rocks in the cove. “Check it out. You can even see the Sirens tonight.” Leah tilted her head back until it rested on his shoulder.
“Beautiful.” Ryan wasn’t sure if he was talking about the view of waves crashing on the beach or the curve of her lips and brightness in her eyes. When they reached the apex, he bent and kissed her. He’d meant for it to be a quick caress, but the familiar taste of her and feel of soft woman in his arms turned the kiss into something a whole lot less casual. The wheel had circled until they were back at the bottom before he released her.
Her eyes widened as she stared into his from inches away while the ride whisked them back toward the top. “Why’d you do that?”
“I couldn’t seem to help myself. I guess I got a little carried away by the moment. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’ll admit I’ve thought about kissing you more than once since this evening began.” She touched his cheek. “Maybe not the smartest move . . .”
“Probably not.” He kissed her again, this time twining his fingers in her hair to hold her close, tasting every crevice of her mouth, enjoying each tantalizing second.
When he finally pulled away, a smile stretched the lips he’d so thoroughly kissed. “Wow.” She let out a breath. “Just . . . wow.”
The rush of air slid over him, cooling his heated skin. The wheel continued to turn while he and Leah stared into each other’s eyes. “Now what?”
“I’m not sure. Honestly?”
“Of course.”
“Part of me—you can probably guess which part—wants to take this show back to my house and . . .” Her voice caught before she swallowed.
He appreciated her touch of humor. “Do more than make out on a Ferris wheel?”
A quick nod sent silky hair sliding over her shoulder. “A time-out . . . literally. Is it wrong to revisit our past?”
The hesitancy in her voice made him pause before answering. “Not if no one gets hurt in the process.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t think too hard about that possibility.” When the ride slowed to a stop as the first car unloaded, she laid her hand on his thigh. “I’m okay with simply enjoying tonight. How about you?”
Okay didn’t begin to describe how he was feeling. Desire, stronger than anything he’d experienced in years, was certainly involved in the equation. But when he covered Leah’s hand with his own, and she turned her palm over to twine their fingers, emotions he’d been trying hard to ignore engaged.
His heart thumped in response as he squeezed out a single word. “Yes.”
They waited without talking for their car to bump to a stop at the unloading zone. Stepping out, Ryan held tight to her hand as they wound through the other attractions toward the gravel path leading to the parking lot.
“Should we let Paige and Quentin know we’re leaving?”
Leah glanced over. “I doubt they’ll care.” Her steps faltered before she skipped once to keep pace. “But I’ll text Quentin in the morning to remind him the time capsule is still in his trunk. Probably best, since I would have been tempted to peek inside.”
“Not without pulling out a dozen nails. Whoever hammered that baby shut did an excellent job.”
“I think it was Edgar Vargas. I remember worrying about the lid falling off until Mr. Manning sent him to find a hammer.”
“That’s right—” Ryan stopped and swore. “What the hell!” Releasing her hand, he ran toward his Jeep where glass from the shattered side window littered the ground. His feet crunched through the debris as he wrenched open the door. “Shit!”
“Did they steal anything?”
He glanced back at Leah and frowned. “The CD player is still intact, and the CD case is right where I left it. I don’t keep anything else in my Jeep.”
“Unlike my car, which is full of crap . . . oh damn.”
“What’s wrong?”
She reached past him to snag the strap of her tote bag. “I left my purse in here.”
“That’s a purse? Looks more like a suitcase.”
“I have a lot of stuff.” She rummaged inside and came up with her wallet. “I stuffed my cash and ID in my pants pocket before we went into the carnival, but . . .” Her eyes were wide when she looked up. “My credit cards are still here, thank God.”
“Did they take anything else?”
She dumped an assortment of items that boggled his mind out onto the seat. Why would anyone keep an ace bandage in her purse? Or a corkscrew? The toothbrush he could understand, but not the pliers.
“I don’t think anything is missing, although I’m not one hundred percent positive.” She lifted a pair of earrings that glittered in the glow from the overhead security lights. “These have real rubies, but whoever smashed the window didn’t take them.”
“Maybe someone hit it with a rock. Could have been an accident.”
“Kids screwing around would be my guess. When the window shattered, they probably ran like hell.”
“Except the door was unlocked when I opened it.” Pressing up against her, he bent to pull a rag out from under the seat. “If you want to put your stuff back into your bag, I’ll brush off the glass that fell onto the upholstery.”
“Sure.” She scooped the collection into her purse then stepped back.
A minute later, he’d cleared the interior of all the small glass pebbles. “I hate to just leave them on the ground.”
“No one will puncture a tire. The pieces aren’t sharp since the window was safety glass.”
He snapped his fingers. “Wait, I still have the shovel.” Reaching to lift the cover off the back storage compartment, he frowned. “That’s strange. The tarp isn’t hooked correctly.”
Leah hung over his shoulder. “Don’t tell me the idiot who broke the window did it to get your shovel?”
He pulled back the heavy rubber. “No, the shovel is still there.” He removed it, then scraped the pieces of glass into a pile and scooped them up.
“There’s a trash can over by the fence. Do you think we should call the police to report this?”
“Not much point since whoever vandalized my vehicle is long gone. I’ll notify my insurance company in the morning. I have a deductible, but they’ll replace the broken window.” He dumped the glass in the metal can. “What a pain in the ass, though.”
After he’d returned the shovel to the storage compartment, she gave him a brief smile. “Apparently, no one wanted my bike. Riding an old junker means I don’t have to worry about someone stealing it.”
“Always a positive.” He let out a long breath and did his best to shake off his annoyance. “Hop in, and I’ll take you home.”
She rounded the car and climbed in the passenger side while he started the engine. The breeze blasting through the empty space where the window had been didn’t improve his temper as they cruised down the rutted access lane to the highway. Neither of them spoke during the five minutes it took to reach her driveway. After he turned off the engine, silence descended.
She released her seat belt and turned to face him. “I guess the mood is shot.”
“Maybe it’s for the best.”
“If that’s what you believe, I guess so.”
His stomach knotted. “I’m not against making love to you. The attraction between us obviously never died . . . or maybe I should say has been resurrected. But I’m still that same guy you cut loose our senior year because we were too different to last. Your words. Based on the state of your purse, not without merit.”
“My purse?” Her voice rose. “Are you kidding?”
“I’m organized and methodical, not to mention fairly traditional. You, on the other hand, are—”
“A haphazard slob?”
“I was going to say free-spirited and a little chaotic. My point is I expect you’ll get bored with my conformity in short order.”
She sat back as the fight seemed to drain out of her. “I don’t know. Marrying a guy who was a bit of a rebel didn’t work out so well for me. Maybe my perspective has changed.” A brief smile curved her lips as she lifted her bulging bag off the floor. “If not my habits.”
Next to her head, the glass shook as something slammed against the window. Leah let out a scream then pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh, my God. Scare the crap out of me.”
Ryan smiled as a wet nose pressed against the glass. “Lucky Barney didn’t break it, or I would have had to replace two windows.”
“No kidding.” She opened the door an inch. “Get down. Off!” When the dog moved, she climbed out.
“I’ll get your bike.” He stepped out of the Jeep and walked around the back to lift her cruiser off the rack, then wheeled it toward the carport. After leaning it against a post, he stroked Barney’s soft ears. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at the reunion.”
Leah nodded in the faint moonlight. “Thanks for going to the carnival with me.”
“I enjoyed it.” He squeezed past her then stopped. “Well, maybe not the Tilt-A-Whirl, but everything else.”
Her soft laugh slid over his senses, and he couldn’t stop the hand that cupped her chin. Slowly, he bent to kiss her. “Good night, Leah.”
“Good night, Ryan.”
As their lips touched, neither moved. His pulse drummed in his ears. When Barney pushed hard against him on his way toward the house, Ryan nearly fell on his ass. Leah reached out a hand to steady him, and somehow she wound up in his arms. He kissed her again, this time no simple good-bye gesture. Burying his fingers in her hair, his mouth opened over hers. Her bag hit the cement of the carport with a thump as she wrapped her arms around him.
Long minutes later, she asked breathlessly, “Want to come inside?”
He nodded and dropped another kiss on her lips before taking her hand. Leah bent to grab her purse, then led the way toward the back porch. After she opened the door, Barney bolted inside. She flipped on the kitchen light and blinked in the glow from the overhead fixture.
“I need to feed him.”
Ryan glanced at the dog, who was prostrate before his food bowl. “He does seem to be nearing starvation.”
“You’d think, right?” With a quick smile, she left him to open the pantry and pull out a plastic container.
While she fed Barney, Ryan crossed the creaking wood floor of the living room to stand in front of the window overlooking the ocean. Moonlight glimmered off the incoming waves as the tide receded. He couldn’t help wondering if being here now, with Leah, was a mistake he’d live to regret. But when she approached to slide her arms around him and rest her forehead against his shoulder, he decided he didn’t much care.
“I think I have a bottle of wine in the cupboard.”
He turned to pull her against him. “I don’t need anything to drink.”
“No?”
“No.” He pressed his cheek to her soft, silky hair. “It’s been a long time since we hung out together like this. I have to say, I never expected to be here with you again.”
“Me, either.” She pulled back a little and glanced up at him. “I’ll admit there were times in the past when I thought of you and missed what we had. The companionship and respect.” Her voice dropped. “The unconditional love.”
“You make me sound like Barney.”
She smiled in the dim light spilling from the kitchen, her eyes soft and shining. “Hey, I love that dog to pieces, but I don’t plan to kick you out of bed the way I do him.”
“Good to hear I won’t have to share the covers with the mutt.” He bent to kiss her. “God, you’re pretty. Can we . . .”
“Yes, we can.” Taking his hand, she led him toward the stairs.
He followed her up, enjoying the sway of her hips in the formfitting, wide-legged pants. She’d left the jacket she’d had on earlier in the kitchen, and the soft green shirt beneath clung to her curves. He tore his gaze away as she turned into the second bedroom on the left, the one she’d used as a girl.
“You didn’t move into the master bedroom?”
She clicked on the bedside lamp. “I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
“In how many years?”
“Nearly two. Don’t judge.”
She bent to scoop up scattered socks, underwear, and shirts, then tossed them toward the basket in the corner. The quilt on her full-size bed was askew, displaying rainbow-colored sheets.
His breath came a little faster when she kicked off her shoes and turned to face him. He swallowed. “Would I do that?”
“I hope not.”
“The woman you are now is the same girl I loved growing up. I don’t want to change you.”
“Then we should get along just fine.” She stepped closer. “I don’t want to change you, either.”
He caressed the smooth line of her throat with his thumb. “Then there’s no reason why we can’t enjoy ourselves thoroughly for the next few weeks.” He hesitated. “Until my mom can function on her own again.”
“And you go home.” Her gaze held steady on his. “No harm, no foul.”
His chest hurt just thinking about leaving her, but he nodded. If he didn’t let himself imagine anything more than a temporary affair, he wouldn’t be disappointed this time around. Instead of overanalyzing their relationship, he backed her toward the bed.
“Wait.”
His eyes widened as she peeled her shirt over her head and dropped it at their feet. The pants followed. When she stood before him in nothing but a bra and panties, he knew without a doubt there wasn’t a woman on earth more beautiful than this one.
She eyed him from the top of his head downward. “You’re overdressed.”
“I guess so.” When he reached for the buttons on his shirt, she brushed his hands away and deftly parted the soft flannel.
Palms flat against his pecs, she smiled up at him. “This is new.”
“Huh?”
“All these muscles. Nice.”
His cheeks heated, and the flush spread until he feared he looked like a sunburn victim. “Rock climbing is a demanding sport that requires upper body strength.”
“I can see that.” Pushing the shirt down his arms, her hands lingered on his biceps. “Very nice.”
He seemed to be losing control of the situation. Or maybe he’d never had any to begin with. When she unfastened the metal button on his jeans and released the zipper, he was way past caring.
Her head jerked up. “Commando? I wouldn’t have guessed, but I definitely approve.”
“I don’t like being all bound up.” Denim slid down his legs as he stepped out of the pants.
“Not so conventional after all.”
“Maybe not.” Pulling her close, he released the hooks on her bra, then groaned when her breasts pressed against his chest as the scrap of lace fell to the floor. “I know there’s nothing ordinary about what I want to do to you next. You’re incredible, Leah.”
“See, there’s hope we aren’t so very different.” When he slid his hands down her sides to hook his thumbs in the elastic of her panties, her breath came out in a whoosh. “No fumbling this time around.”
“I certainly hope I’m a little smoother at the advanced age of thirty than I was at seventeen.” He smiled as she kicked the pink underwear across the room, then he cupped her face in his palms to kiss her.
They fell backward together onto the bed. She raked nails across his back while he explored places on Leah he’d only fantasized about and hadn’t had the nerve to touch the one time he’d had the chance. When they were both breathing so hard he was afraid he might have a heart attack, he reached toward the bedside table and froze.
Her room. Not his.
“What?” She stopped kissing him long enough to stare into his eyes.
He probably looked like he’d been skewered. His throat worked. “No protection.”
“I’m on the pill. Have been for years, so I didn’t quit after . . .” Her eyes darkened. “I trust you don’t have something contagious?”
“No.”
“Neither do I, so all is good.”
“Oh, thank God. If we’d had to quit now . . .”
“I appreciate your concern for me.” She grinned down at him. “Even though I feared you might cry.”
“I probably would have.” He might still. Loving Leah felt that good. So completely right. As he pushed inside her, nothing in the world mattered but the two of them.
They moved in rhythm, perspiration-dampened skin sliding together to create an unbearable friction as the tempo built. When she moaned, long and low in his ear, he came undone, shaking with a release that rocked him to the core.
“Oh, my heavens.” She went limp beneath him. “There are no words . . .”
He held her tight, not wanting the moment to end, and couldn’t stop smiling against her neck. “Better than last time?”
She laughed out loud. “Just a little. Wow. You should write a manual or something. That one move . . .” Her eyes widened when he pulled back to gaze down at her. “Do you have a name for that? Why aren’t women following you wherever you go?”
“I guess you inspired me.”
“Ryan?”
He stroked her cheek. “Yes?”
“I’m happy to be your muse.”