Chapter 31

Ruby

I’m lying lazily in Wyatt’s arms, and I never want to move. The contentment inside me is part of an extreme type of exhaustion. It’s like over the past hour or so I’ve expanded more calories than an hour of spin class.

There is a delicious warmth between us, something about the press of our bodies. Something shared. The scent of him right now is identical to mine, as if we are wearing each other’s sweat.

I’m aching, not just in my muscles and joints, but deep inside. Even though I feel raw, it’s a good ache. I know more about myself right now than I ever have.

I feel so much older and wiser somehow. Not just the sex but my reaction to the intimacy. Most of all, seeing Wyatt come alive under the power of my love. I just want to make him happy. He can feel that, and it sets him free.

I run my hand over my lover’s chest and watch his breath rise and fall. His eyes are closed, and he seems to be in a light doze. His arms grip me just loosely, like even in his sleep, he can’t let me go. The fierceness of his male energy has burned down into a soft, protective glow.

I’m still amazed by how selfless he is as a lover. Sure, I don’t have much direct experience, but I have read a lot of books and seen a lot of movies. I know it’s pretty extraordinary for a guy to treat his lady the way I was just spoiled.

I’m desperate now to learn the things that he likes so I can spoil him right back. I want to learn his favorite positions and all the little quirks he enjoys. I want to lay him out naked and massage every inch of his skin just to feel him from head to toe.

With a wicked grin, I realize that could be a fun game. Each one has to rub the other with oil. First one to break into sexual touching is the loser. Who will crack first?

I’m overjoyed to have these things to look forward to. My world has been remade. I feel so safe. So complete. The one thing I wanted desperately, I now have. There is so much excitement ahead.

My stomach growls loudly, and I realize some direct service to the bedside should be high on my wants list. If the universe is answering my wishes directly, I had better get my priorities straight! My hunger only gets sharper when I remember we have no food.

Fuck. Mom and Dad took the crackers. We failed to hunt up something on our adventure. It was time well spent for sure, but there was no food involved. I would kill for some chocolate or ice cream.

How many hours ago did Jake go fishing?

My stomach growls again and I laugh softly as I cuddle into Wyatt. He sighs deeply, drawing me closer. A lazy smile creeps across his face. Eyes still closed, he nuzzles against me.

“Was that your stomach?” he asks sleepily.

“I hope so, otherwise a bear just wandered in here.”

“Well, at least then we would have something to eat.”

I burst out in a giggle. “As if I would eat a bear even if you could!”

“I bet you would. You just need to burn some more calories to feel hungry enough. Come here,” he says as his hands start exploring my naked body while he holds me tight against his chest.

I lay back on the bed, stretching in his arms while his hands slide over me. I’m getting turned on, and so is he, but it’s not an erotic touch. It’s as if he wants to become familiar with my skin from every angle.

His rough palms caress across my soft belly. Down my thighs. Over my hips. Into the soft skin under my breasts. He sighs in contentment as he strokes my skin, smelling my hair.

I feel so comfortable, I never want to move. Hunger is definitely an issue. I mentally remind myself that next time we do this I need a stash of chocolate graham crackers under the bed.

Next time.

My smile grows, and I roll and put my arms around Wyatt’s neck. Somewhere in the tangle of limbs and half-open eyes, our lips meet. We kiss gently, then deeper.

We kiss each other’s lips softly, perfectly in sync. I open my mouth and lean in, as if I could drink him down in one gulp. With the same hunger he devours me, exploring my mouth with his tongue. It’s like some kind of magic telepathy, working through the energy between us.

Immediately, my clit starts to throb and the ache inside me starts burning. It’s funny how it can feel raw and used, then the second my thoughts turn to Wyatt, my pussy clenches and starts getting wet. The ache is absolutely delicious, and it is stronger the closer I am to Wyatt.

Even fantasizing about him, masturbating over him—the intensity of my feelings was nothing like this.

The pain—what little there is of it—disappears in the face of my lust. There was no blood during the actual act, and all the horror stories I have heard over the years must be just that—stories. The only real pain I experienced was the ache inside me just before he put it in.

When he was teasing me. When cold tingles were rushing to my fingertips, my nipples and my clit. That hurt. The pain of anticipation. His cock slowly sliding into my pussy was incredible. Pure pleasure. Nothing compares.

I’m starting to feel up Wyatt, too, by this stage. It’s so amazing to go slowly, to discover each other. His skin is so unbelievably smooth just under his nipples where the hairs grow. Just under his shoulder blades it’s rough.

I’m starting to thrust my hips towards him and pull his head down to me by the shoulders. He laughs, rolling on top of me.

It’s getting hot and heavy pretty quickly when there’s a loud rap at the door. Both of us freeze. We look at each other and then back at the door, wide-eyed and shocked as teenagers.

“Who could that be?” Wyatt whispers to me, panic at the edge of his eyes.

“It must be Jake,” I whisper back. “About time, too. I’m starving.”

“Why wouldn’t he just let himself in?” Wyatt asks.

Admittedly, I’m unsure. “Maybe his hands are too full of fish!” I say excitedly.

“Well, I shouldn’t be here right now,” Wyatt establishes. He looks less panicked, but still worried.

I think about the race incident. There seemed to be a fair bit of competition going on. I don’t want to cause any more trouble between them.

“Yeah. Maybe we should break it to him slowly,” I suggest. “This isn’t quite the best way or time to take it all in.”

“I’m gonna get out,” Wyatt declares as he gets up and throws on his clothes, struggling with his shoes.

“I’ll just take off out the window,” he says, pointing to the window at the back of the room. “I’ll circle around and come back at the other side of the house.”

“Sounds good.”

I sit up on the bed, holding my knees and watching him. I’m full of regret that we didn’t get to fall asleep in each other’s arms and wake up together. I guess you can’t have everything, even for your first time.

“I’ll miss you,” he coos. I look up at him with doe eyes. He leans over and kisses me.

“I’ll miss you more. I’ll see you in a few minutes. I’ll come around and help with the fish. Then we can all eat together, and maybe break it to Jake, a bit at a time?”

I squeeze his hand. “Sounds good.”

I don’t want him to go. This is ridiculous, but my heart hurts. I feel slightly terrified at the thought of him leaving the room.

I just found him. I don’t want him to go away again.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he says, looking down at me, face confused, a hurt look in his eyes.

I jump up, throwing my arms around his neck and pressing our bodies together. The loud knock at the door sounds again.

Strange, he’s not yelling. Normally, by now, Jake would be hollering like a maniac. He’s persistently woken me up most mornings of my life.

I nuzzle against Wyatt’s neck, leaving a light kiss there. He crushes me against his chest.

“Just a few minutes,” I whisper in his ear. “Nothing at all. Then I can be in your arms again.”

Wyatt pulls back, grinning as he kisses me.

“It’s a date.”

As if he must do it quickly or not at all, he lets go of me all at once and bolts for the window. He slips out, giving me a wink and a wave as he drops away from the sill.

“Hold on, coming,” I call out to Jake. I grab a sundress from my luggage and throw it on over my head. I rake my hair back with my finger nails and hurry to the door.

I hope he got something yummy. Like trout or bass. It better not be a bucket of eels. I’m not hungry enough to eat those, no way.

Depending on how the rest of the night goes though…you never know. Wyatt might get me hungry enough.

I grin as I step up to the door. I plan on giving Wyatt every opportunity to help me work up my appetite.

I put my hand on the doorknob. The blasting knock sounds again.

“Alright, alright, jeez. I’m here what do you—”

I can’t get the rest of my words out. The person standing before me isn’t Jake, and boy, do I wish it was.

“Mr. Fentress?”