Chapter Thirteen

 

 

Annie woke up with a smile on her face. She’d had such a nice dream about Ryan last night. A dream in which they’d finally admitted they wanted each other and done something about it. Wow, the way he’d caressed her. Talked to her. Like she was a woman who drove him crazy with desire. A woman he wanted to fuck to the point he lost all control. God, if only he really felt that way about her.

She stretched and rolled over, bumping into something—or someone—as she did.

“Oh shit!” she said, jerking upright.

Ryan was on his side facing her, the sheet pulled up to his waist. Her mind could barely comprehend the sight of all that naked skin and bulging muscle, and she gasped when he opened one eye and grinned. “Wow, that’s kind of a rude way to wake someone up.”

“Oh damn! I’m sorry, Ryan.” Annie suddenly realized that last night hadn’t been a dream. They were both still naked and…God…even now the sheet was tenting, revealing how aroused he was getting just lying there in bed with her. She wanted to snatch the sheet away to uncover him in all his glory. Take him in her hand. Her mouth. Claim what was hers.

She felt so unlike herself. So wild and possessive. Entitled to do with him whatever she wanted, for as long as she wanted. Just like she’d felt last night.

Now, however, heat stung her cheeks as she remembered in vivid detail everything she’d already said and done with him. She’d tied the guy up, for heaven’s sake.

Laughing softly, Ryan rolled over onto his back. “What are you sorry for, exactly?”

“Nothing. I mean, for waking you up with profanity. I was just startled.” Great, Annie. That’s just great. You’re really messing this up. Recover. Fast. “I mean, I forgot—”

He raised an eyebrow. “You forgot?” Putting his hand over his heart, he quipped, “Just shove a knife in my chest, why don’t you?”

“That’s not what I meant. I didn’t forget. I was disoriented. I thought it was a dream.”

“The best dream I’ve ever had,” he said, a teasing smile creasing his face.

Annie settled on her back next to him. “Me, too.” Ryan was her dream man. The one who made her feel whole and secure and happy.

She had no idea where to go from here. Was she supposed to tell him she loved him as more than a friend, or was that totally obvious? Was it too soon to blurt the words out? He wasn’t running away. To the contrary, he’d spent the night, and he was smiling. He was also acting a little cocky. Those were all encouraging signs, but what if this had just been about sex? He’d admitted he’d wanted her since high school, but neither one of them had talked about emotion. Love.

He leaned in like he was going to kiss her, and she actually yelped as she pulled away. She needed to clean up. Gather her courage.

Raising another eyebrow, he said, “No morning-after kiss?”

Turning her head to the side slightly, because he was still so close, she said, “I’d love one. Let me go brush my teeth first.”

She jumped out of bed and left Ryan lying there. She closed the bathroom door behind her and stood in front of the mirror. Her hair was a wild mess, and she had never been fond of looking at herself naked, not even after she’d lost the weight. Speaking of which…

She reached into the bottom of her makeup case and took out her bottle of diet pills. She shook one out into her hand and swallowed it with a cup of tap water. She put the bottle back underneath her makeup. She didn’t want Ryan finding them. He already thought she’d lost too much weight. He would definitely have something to say if he knew she was still taking diet pills to help her along.

She picked up her hairbrush and did her best to smooth down her crazy hair. Brushing it only served to make it bigger…frizzier. She made a face and pulled all of it back to the nape of her neck. She wrapped a stretchy band around it and decided that was the best she was going to be able to do at the moment. After emptying her bladder, washing her hands and face, and brushing her teeth, she put on her robe, took a deep breath, and went back into the other room.

Ryan was still in the bed, but he’d propped himself up against the headboard with all the pillows.

“Oh, there you are. You were gone so long I thought you might’ve left,” he said with a grin.

“I’m sorry, I was a mess.”

“Come here.” He patted the bed next to him.

Annie walked over. Ryan tugged on the belt that held her robe together and pulled her toward him. Then he pressed his lips to hers.

He tasted like cinnamon. He must have used the breath spray she’d left on her nightstand. As he kissed her, she felt him untying the robe and sliding his warm hands inside. He gripped her hips with his big hands, and Annie shivered as she felt them begin to roam across her curves. Ryan kissed down the side of her face to her neck. She felt his hands slide upward and push the robe down off of her shoulders as he licked and nibbled. Annie leaned her head back to give him better access, her whole body quivering with delight.

Ryan brought his face back up to hers and kissed her softly. At the same time, he reached back and took the wrap out of her hair, letting it fall free.

“I like all that hair in my face.” He pulled her back against him, crushing her body against his as his mouth took hers in a deep, hungry kiss. His lips nearly devoured hers, and she moaned and leaned further into him. When Ryan finally broke away, her lips were moist and parted, and she had to suck in a deep breath before opening her eyes. She looked at him, sure that her complete surrender was reflected in her eyes and splashed across her face in vivid color.

“Kiss me again. Please,” she said in a soft, husky voice.

He let out a deep groan and kissed her as hard as the first time. She wrapped her arms around him and returned his kiss with a wild passion that spurred him on. He wrapped a thick bundle of her hair up in his fist and tugged her head backward. He blazed a wild trail of kisses from her lips, down across her chin, and down her neck before stopping at the base of her throat. His other hand moved slowly down her back until it met with the supple curve of her ass, gripping it. Annie was practically in his lap now, grinding herself against him, remembering the night before and how amazing he’d felt inside of her.

Ryan adjusted his body so he was lying on his side with his body resting against hers. He propped his head on his elbow and looked at her. She could see the desire in his gray-green eyes, and she loved it. He began to lightly trail his hand across her body. He started with her shoulders and traced a path down her arms to her hands. Then he dragged his fingers across her abdomen and her softly flared hips. She shuddered when he reached the tops of her thighs and ran his palms across her skin. He smiled at her before finding her lips with his again. This time, he kissed her softly, gently probing and gradually becoming more insistent. He slipped his tongue in her mouth, pushing and teasing. Annie sucked on his tongue, tasting him and loving it as his hand continued its exploration of her thigh. He slid it upward, groaning and smiling against her mouth when his fingers reached her hot, wet center. Annie settled back farther so that she could open her legs wider, giving him full access.

“Oh Ryan,” she breathed against his mouth as his fingers worked her. He stopped kissing her and raised his head. He was looking at her seriously, his mouth open as if to speak even though he remained silent.

“What, Ryan? What is it?”

“You’re just so beautiful, Annie. I wish you could see yourself the way I do.” Without waiting for her to reply, he pushed her down so her back was against the mattress and rolled on top of her.

He kissed her until they both couldn’t breathe. When he came up for air, he shifted so his hard erection pressed against the inner part of her thigh. He reached his left hand up and softly pinched her nipple, then tugged on it. Annie shivered, hoping he’d use his mouth on her. He didn’t disappoint.

He flicked his tongue across one of her nipples and then lightly grazed it with his teeth. Then he drew it into his mouth and sucked, sending vibrations directly to the juncture between her legs. She moaned as he gave equal attention to each of her breasts before letting his mouth travel down—over her ribs and abdomen, across her navel, and finally, between her legs. With his index finger, he rubbed her clit, causing her to cry out before he leaned in and ran his tongue through her moist slit.

Annie’s body jerked, and she moaned loudly as Ryan pushed his tongue inside of her, driving it in as far as it would go. He continued working her clit with his finger as he fucked her with his tongue. She writhed against him, bucking her hips wildly when he suddenly pulled his tongue out of her, licked her clit, then sucked on it gently.

She crumpled the sheet beneath her in her fists and arched her back, letting out another long, deep moan.

“That’s right, baby,” he said. “Let me hear how good I’m making you feel. You have no idea how amazing you taste.” He once again clamped his lips around her clit but this time added the sensation of his finger inside of her. He worked the finger in and out as he continued to nibble on her swollen bud. As her moans and cries increased in volume, Ryan slipped in another finger and then another until Annie suddenly went rigid. Her abdominal muscles tightened, and she came wildly, explosively.

She climaxed until her body went limp and her ragged breathing echoed throughout the room. He gently removed his fingers as she stared down at him, her eyes wide with wonder.

“Oh my God, Ryan,” she said in an emotional, heady voice. “That was incredible. You’re incredible.” Reaching up, she pushed the wild strands of her hair out of her face. She imagined she must look like a crazy woman. He’d driven her insane with lust, so it only made sense.

“Not as incredible as you. Fuck, just look at you.” He stared at her swollen pussy and ran his tongue along the length of it one last time, looking satisfied by her scream of surprise as her body shook violently.

He moved up next to her and brushed more of her hair back. The tendrils that hung around her head and neck were damp from perspiration. She took his face in her hands and kissed him. She could taste herself on his lips, and as he pushed his tongue into her mouth, she sucked on it gently.

She moved her hand down his body and grasped his erection in her fist. Ryan groaned loudly and moved his hips closer to hers.

“Is it my turn to taste you?” she asked, as she ran her tongue along his lower lip.

Ryan let out a desperate little laugh. “If you do that now, it will be all over in a blink. I’m not ready for it to be over, are you?”

Before she had a chance to answer, his mouth covered hers again, almost violently this time. His urgency excited Annie, and she sighed when he moved on top of her, covering her with his heavy weight. She reveled in the kiss he gave her, but she wasn’t expecting what happened next. He took her hips in his hands and without any further preamble, he slammed his cock into her, hitting bottom and causing her to scream. It felt so good, being filled by him.

He growled deeply in his throat and stared into her eyes. He looked positively possessive. Then he pulled himself almost completely out of her. He hung there for a second, making her groan and cry out.

“Please, Ryan. Please!”

He remained still as she stared at him helplessly, desperate for more.

“Please, baby. I want you so much.”

He grinned, and then he thrust back into her with such force that it caused her to rake her fingernails across his back.

“Is this what you want, Annie?” he breathed out as he began to fuck her in earnest, gliding in and out of her before suddenly increasing his pace and the intensity of his thrusts. Annie felt as though he’d taken complete ownership of her body. She would have given him anything he wanted in that moment.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Within minutes, she was on the edge again. She pressed her mouth back to his, and their tongues danced as their hips pounded against each other. He slid one hand underneath her and cupped her ass, moving her as he needed to, while the other hand rested underneath her head. She was close, and she could feel his body beginning to tense as well. His cock grew stiffer and swelled inside of her before he abruptly pulled all the way out.

Annie couldn’t help crying out, “No!” She almost started sobbing.

Ryan was struggling with his breathing as he wrapped his fingers back up in her hair and began kissing her lightly across her eyelids, cheekbones, and chin. Her body was shaking, and she was aching for him to finish what they had started.

With his lips hovering closely over hers, he whispered, “Where’s your toy?”

She jerked. “Wh—what?”

“Your toy. The one from your naughty list. You brought it, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Have you used it? Since we’ve been here, that is.”

She felt herself turn red.

“That’s what I thought. You did it while I was next door, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Get it.”

“Ryan—”

“Get it, Annie.”

 

* * *

 

Holy hell, she’d gone and done it, Ryan thought. She’d bought a vibrator and she’d used it in this very room. While he was next door. He breathed in deep as Annie quickly reached around him and opened the nightstand. She pulled out a box.

“I—I put it back in the box. After I cleaned it, I mean.”

“Very fastidious of you.” He took the toy from her, watching her carefully. Her eyes were dilated, her breaths ragged, her nipples hard. She licked her lips, alternately meeting his gaze and looking at the box he held with obvious anticipation. “Do you know what’s going to happen next?” As he spoke, he removed the vibrator from the box, flicked it to make sure it was indeed working, then turned it off, placed it in the box, and set the open box on the nightstand.

She lifted her chin. “I have a pretty good idea.”

God, he hadn’t thought it was possible for him to be more turned on than he already was, but her sassiness made his cock even harder. He was definitely enjoying getting to know Annie’s inner bad girl. But he didn’t want her getting too comfortable here. He still had plenty of naughty to show her.

“Do you? Because you’re going to be underneath me,” he said. “Around me. Fucking surrounding me. And when I’m inside you, I’m going to get in you. So deep you won’t ever be able to forget the feel of me. Even when we leave this room, I’ll still be there.”

She whimpered and her breathing escalated at the promise in his voice. Reaching out, he rubbed the pad of his thumb against her bottom lip, causing her to moan. When she opened her mouth and sucked his thumb into her mouth, biting it gently and laving it with her tongue, his moan melded with hers.

Within minutes, his hands were back between her legs, and his fingers were coated with her arousal. He eased her back and coaxed her into a sitting position against the headboard. He caressed her abdomen and up to her nipples, tracing an outline around them. He watched her squirm as he traced the same path down her body. Her breaths shortened and her breasts shook as she tried to suck in more air. When he finally reached her pussy, he brushed the lips just lightly. Her hard clit was engorged and throbbing. Abruptly, he pulled on it with two fingers and then pressed down, rubbing it in circles.

“Yes, Ryan. Yes!”

He slipped one finger inside of her, feeling her clench around it like hot liquid velvet. He pumped the digit slowly in and out of her. “Spread wider, Annie.”

She did as instructed, and he moved between her thighs, watching his finger push its way inside of her, faster and deeper, driving it in now, making her hips buck up off the bed, making her beg for more.

“Shh. Be patient, baby, so I can give you what you need.”

He placed his fingers at the top of her pussy lips, pushed back the hood of her clit, and spread his fingers wider so that her pink pearl was on display.

He lowered his head and flicked against her hardness just once with his tongue.

She moaned and clutched at his hair.

He inserted two fingers fully into her pussy, rubbing the front walls of her vagina, and as he did so, he began to suck lightly on her clit. She writhed and grabbed her own breasts, squeezing them and pulling hard on her nipples. Her hips pushed up to meet his mouth as he sucked even harder.

She continued to stroke her breasts. Unable to help himself, he reached a hand up and alternately pinched each nipple. His girl was amazing. Uninhibited. So responsive. Fucking beautiful. He wanted more. He wanted all she had to give.

“Give it to me, Annie. I want it. Give me what I want.”

 

* * *

 

Annie felt the gravelly tone of Ryan’s voice over her entire body. She bit her lip, shaken and entranced and part-pissed that he could draw such a physical response from her with just the sound of his voice. Then she looked up and saw she wasn’t the only one affected by their closeness. His eyes were hooded. His cheeks flushed. His breathing rough and his muscles tight as if he was priming to pounce. Or be pounced upon. The realization of her power over him made her dizzy and threw her over the edge.

Annie’s release stole her breath and made her body convulse over and over again.

When it was over, Ryan shuffled up the bed and lay next to her. She draped one leg over his so that he could continue fingering her. She was so sensitive that soon she was ready to come again.

“Your cock. This time I want your cock.”

“You’re always in such a rush. Wanting to get to the best stuff first. What you need to learn is that by taking your time, the best can be even better. Incredible. Mind-blowing. And I want to take my time pleasuring you. I’m going to start with using the toy you brought. The toy you used without me, you naughty girl.” Ryan reached around her, then she felt the vibrator, hard and cool, pressing against her core. He ran it up and down along her seam.

“Nice,” she said and wrapped her fingers around his dick. “But not as nice as this. Why don’t you put that thing away and give me what I really want?”

“Oh, believe me, I’m going to give it to you and good, but first I want to drive you wild. You okay with that?”

He slid the vibrator along her thigh, and her pussy immediately clenched with jealousy. Spreading her legs farther apart, she moaned. “Sounds like a good plan.”

She lifted up her hips, trying to hurry him along, wondering how he could possibly have so much self-restraint. She groaned loudly as she felt him press the toy against the outer part of her lips again, and she tried to impale herself on it. Of course, he pulled the damn thing back.

“Just lie back, Annie. Close your eyes and feel the pleasure.”

Desperate to be filled, if not by him, then by the toy in his hand, she did as he said.

She didn’t just want to be fucked. She needed it.

He touched the toy to her sensitive, engorged clit, circling it once, then twice. It felt so good, she wanted to scream, but it wasn’t enough. She bucked her hips up off the bed again, but he put his hand on her pelvis, just above her mound, and gently pushed her back down.

She opened her eyes just a slit, watching him watch her as he stroked her clit with the toy. This was like torture, she thought. Slow, sweet, erotic, excruciating torture. He flicked his fingers, and the toy began to vibrate. Without warning or preamble, he changed the angle of it and allowed the tip to slip inside her.

She made a noise, more animalistic than human, and he rewarded her by giving her another inch. Ryan leaned in, gave her nipple a soft kiss, then began working just the tip of the toy in and out of her pussy, dragging it out over her clit and then sliding it back in again.

“Give it all to me, Ryan. Please, I need it all.” She was so breathless, her words came out slow and jerky.

With complete disregard for her desperation, he increased the speed of the vibrations and began tracing the outlines of her center in a slow, tender manner. He circled her clit and then pressed the vibrator inside of her, this time a little deeper, but still not all the way.

She sobbed loudly. “Please give me more.”

“Not yet, Annie. Just relax. Enjoy. Let your body feel what I’m doing to it all the way to your toes. Let all the inhibitions go. The inhibitions that keep you from completely opening up to me. The ones that hide that sweetest, most vulnerable part of you. Let those go, baby.”

“Fuck me with your toy or your cock, and I promise I’ll let them go.”

He chuckled, pissing her off. But then he slid the eight-inch toy even deeper.

Still not all the way. She couldn’t feel it hitting bottom like she wanted, but it was beginning to fill her up.

Biting her lip to keep from begging yet again, she massaged her breasts and pinched her nipples.

“Yeah, that’s what I love to see.”

He fucked her with the toy until she was rolling her hips in the same rhythm. Once again, she pushed up, trying to get it to go deeper. Instead, he pulled it completely out, lifted the toy to her mouth and glided it teasingly across her lips.

Moaning, she licked it.

“More,” Ryan grunted. “Suck it clean.”

Her eyes widened at the rough command, but she did as he ordered. After she’d cleaned it off, he kissed her, spearing his tongue into her mouth as if going after the very same juices she’d just licked off the toy.

“You want all of this?” he asked her, dragging the toy down her chest, between her breasts, and around each trembling mound before continuing on down to her abdomen.

“Yes! I want it all, Ryan. Fill me with it…fuck me…oh God, Ryan…please…”

He pushed the toy inside her as deep as it would go. She screamed, her body bowing at the feeling of being stretched almost more than she could bear. With her right hand, she pulled at his hair while her left hand continued to play with her nipples.

“Come, Annie. Let yourself go completely this time, and come like you’ve never come before.” He used the thumb of his other hand to press against her clit.

She screamed out as shivers racked her body. The orgasm seemed to go on forever.

Gradually, he ceased the thrusting movements he was making with the toy, letting her slowly come down from her high. He lifted up slightly again and pressed his lips against hers before finally pulling the toy completely out of her.

“How did that feel?” he asked in a soft, sexy voice.

Annie didn’t think she could speak. Her mouth was completely dry. All of her body’s moisture had just drained out of her along with every drop of worry, reason, and fear.

Before she could stop the words, she said, “Almost like heaven.”

“Almost?”

“I still—I still want you. Does that make me insatiable?”

“It makes you fucking awesome, is what it makes you.”

“Fuck me, Ryan. I want you to fuck me.”

With a cocky grin, he slid himself back inside of her. This time, there was no holding back. He fucked her hard and fast.

He lasted a long time. Lasted long enough to bring her back up again. And when the dam broke, she screamed. She exploded as another violent orgasm ripped through her. A loud, almost vicious growl erupted from him, and she cried out as Ryan reached his own crescendo.

When Ryan’s body relaxed, and he collapsed on top of her, Annie wrapped her legs around him and held him tight against her. When he stopped shuddering and tried to move off of her, she clamped down on him tightly and said, “Please stay. Just for a few more minutes.”

“Where else would I go?” He made a happy noise and kissed her with a slow tenderness that sent shock waves of electrical current through her body.

 

* * *

 

When Annie woke the second time in Ryan’s arms, she had a vague memory of him rolling off of her and then snuggling her against him. Annie didn’t know how much time had passed this time, but she knew for sure that she needed a shower. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp without waking him, but as soon as she moved, he tightened his grip on her and said, “Where are you going?”

“To the shower. I’m a mess.”

Ryan only held on to her that much tighter. She gave in and lay there with him awhile longer. When his breathing deepened and turned into a smooth, steady rhythm, she tried to escape again. This time, she made it without waking him up.

Annie stood under the warm spray of the shower for a long time, just letting it cascade over her body. She was sore, but in a good way. Every time she thought about being in Ryan’s arms, a smile came to her face, and she felt a little tickle down low in her belly. It scared her, too. Now that she’d had a taste of Ryan—which had been better than she’d imagined—how would she ever live without him?

She was still struggling with what to do next. By the time she’d toweled off, put her wild hair into a neat, tidy French braid, and slipped on a comfortable, cotton dress, she’d decided the best thing to do was to take the risk Melina and Clint had encouraged her to take. She was going to tell Ryan how she felt about him.

She took a deep breath and pulled open the door.

“I’m starving,” he said as soon as he saw her.

She laughed. “Okay, do you want to go eat somewhere, or do you want to do room service?”

Ryan pushed himself up off the bed and walked over to her, completely at ease with being naked in front of her. Why wouldn’t he be? The guy’s bod was breathtaking.

He cupped her chin in his hand and tipped her face up toward his. He looked like he had something important to say. She waited several seconds before he finally said, “Room service, I think. How about you order it while I take a shower?”

Annie released the breath she’d been holding. “Okay, what do you want?”

He grinned and looked her up and down. “One of everything.” Bringing his lips to hers softly, he gave her a gentle kiss and headed for the shower.

Annie realized almost a full minute later that she was still standing there with her legs shaking, staring at the bathroom door. He was being so nonchalant and casual that her nerves were getting the best of her.

She called for room service, taking Ryan at his word and ordering a lot of food she had no doubt he’d be able to eat. She was dying for a cup of coffee. She could probably eat some toast or some fruit, too. The pill she’d taken earlier had taken away most of her appetite.

After she ordered breakfast, she made the bed just to keep busy, at one point holding the sheet against her face and inhaling the heady scent of her and Ryan’s lovemaking. With a smile, she shook her head. God, she was so gone for him.

There was a knock on the door, and as soon as Ryan heard it, he came out of the bathroom. He took in the food cart with hungry eyes.

“Damn! You really did order one of everything,” he said with a smile.

“I aim to please,” she said.

She gave the young man who’d delivered their meal a tip, and once he left she and Ryan each pulled up a chair and the small dining room table. Ryan heaped his plate full of everything, and Annie poured a cup of coffee and buttered a piece of toast.

When Ryan realized that was all she planned on eating, he stopped what he was doing and said, “You’re kidding, right?”

“What?”

His jaw clenched. “Eat, Annie.”

“I am eating, Ryan.”

“A piece of toast and coffee after all that exercise you got last night and this morning? It’s not enough to be healthy. You need to stop this diet obsession.”

“It’s not an obsession. It’s called discipline. I was tired of being fat, Ryan. I’m close to my goal—”

“Close to your goal? Please tell me you’re not trying to lose more weight, Annie. You look great. Hell, you could stand to put a few pounds back on.”

She raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t think we’re going to agree on this one. Can we just agree to disagree and enjoy our breakfast?”

He hesitated then nodded before turning his attention back to his meal. After Annie finished her toast, she ate some scrambled eggs just to make him happy. It seemed to satisfy him a little.

She cleared her throat. “Can we talk about what happened last night…and this morning?”

Ryan looked up at her and shrugged. “Okay.”

The shrug made her stomach start to ache, as though the casual gesture indicated how little their time together meant to him.

“I don’t want our friendship to be messed up because of…”

“Hot sex?” he said.

Annie smiled. He was so damned cute. “Yeah, because of that,” she said.

He put his fork down and reached for her hand. She gave it to him and he stared at their joined hands for several seconds. He rubbed his thumb against her in soft circles, making her tremble. When he raised his head, however, his expression was tight. His mouth turned down. “Annie, nothing is ever going to make me not want to be your friend. Last night and this morning were…amazing. But it doesn’t have to change anything with us.”

Annie’s throat constricted. What was he saying? That even after the pleasure they’d given each other, he wanted things to go back to the way they’d always been? He wanted to remain just friends?

“Annie?” he said, looking uncomfortable.

Knowing she had to say something but still feeling off-kilter, she said, “I wouldn’t know what to do without you.”

Ryan squeezed her hand. “I think you’d be just fine without me. I mean, you’re the brains of our friendship, and the looks and even the heart. I’d be the one missing a limb without you.”

That last part was sweet, but then again, Ryan always built Annie up. He didn’t necessarily tear himself down while he did it, but he didn’t give himself the credit that he was due either.

“You have brains, you’re gorgeous, and you have a good heart, too, Ryan. Don’t give me all the credit for our friendship and none to yourself. We’ve known each other for such a long time that I think both of us would be lost without the other. I don’t want to find out. I care too much about you.”

Ryan brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’m always going to be here for you, Annie. I will never let you be alone. I’ll never let anyone hurt you. You’re the best thing in my life, and I meant what I said earlier. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. If you really knew how truly amazing you are, you’d probably wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

“That would never happen,” she said, frowning. “Thank you for the compliment, though. It’s good for the ego.”

“It’s the truth. You have no idea how beautiful you are, inside and out. That’s my biggest issue with you going out and picking up a strange guy—why you’re doing it. The fact that you think you have to be someone different. I don’t want you to ever sell yourself short. Someday you’ll meet the man you’re meant to be with.”

He was looking at her with such warmth in his eyes, but Annie went cold.

He’d made love to her with such passion, yet apparently the idea of her meeting Mr. Right—Mr. Not Him—didn’t bother him in the least.

Annie thought about what Melina had said about taking a risk.

She needed to admit that she loved him and had for a long time. She needed to tell him about this trip and how it was supposed to make her forget about him and be able to move on because the pain of not being with him was too much to bear.

She needed to tell him that she didn’t really want to move on from him, but rather wanted to move on with him.

She opened her mouth, yet the words wouldn’t come.

They were right there. On the tip of her tongue.

But she couldn’t get them out.

She was too scared. They’d shared great sex, yes, but that was far from a declaration of undying love.

Ryan looked at his watch. “I forgot to tell you that before we went out last night, Rhys called. I told him I’d help him and Melina for a bit today.”

“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “Um…what are you helping them do?”

“Rhys had some smoke detectors replaced in his house, and they keep alarming at all hours of the day and night for no reason. He called the company, and they said they’d send someone out this week, but in the meantime, they keep scaring Melina and waking the babies. He just mentioned it the other night in passing, but he said they took the batteries out to get them to stop. That’s not safe. They have two babies and a giant house. I volunteered to look at them.”

“That’s really sweet of you.”

“Want to come with me? Rhys said Melina and the babies are visiting her mother today, so she won’t be there.”

She did want to go with him, but she needed time away from him. Time to sort things out. To gather the courage to finally say what she needed to say, no matter the outcome. “You know, I have some final things I need to do here in Vegas, including calling the DMV about a temporary ID so I can get on the plane tomorrow night. Why don’t we meet up later for drinks at Gilley’s?”

“Sounds good. I’ll call you and let you know when we’re about done. Be careful, okay? Stay in areas where there are a lot of people.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said with a smile. “I promise.”

And she would. They had taken a huge step last night and this morning, but they were still friends. After she talked to Ryan, if all he wanted to be was her friend, she’d still count herself a lucky person for the experience they’d shared. But after Ryan left and the more she replayed their time together, the more confident she became that they could have their friendship and so much more. That Ryan wanted the same things she did. Physical intimacy. Passion. Love. The whole shebang.

It was a glorious, hopeful feeling.

One she was determined to hold on to.