Chapter 16
Just before eleven, Rylie stepped out of Will’s truck and let him walk her to the door. They’d gone to dinner at a little Mexican restaurant in Placerville and then to a movie. Will had reached for her hand halfway through, but hadn’t pushed for anything more. Rylie liked that about him. He wasn’t pushy, bossy, or demanding.
And yet, Dustin, who embodied all those things, wasn’t far from her thoughts all night.
“I had a nice time,” she said, truthfully. Dinner was pleasant, and Will was funny and sweet.
“Me too.”
They stopped outside the glass door and Will leaned over, brushing her lips lightly. It wasn’t earth shattering, but still…
“Can I call you?” he asked.
Rylie nodded, despite the tiny voice that whispered through her, why bother? It was clear that she didn’t have any chemistry with Will, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
Or think about who she did have it with.
Will’s smile flashed in the porch light. “Well, good night then.”
“Night.”
He got into his truck and she stepped inside the pool house before locking the glass door behind her. She hobbled back to her bedroom, wincing with every move. She should have known better than to go out in shoes she hadn’t even broken in yet. Her feet were aching and she could tell several blisters had popped up.
Rylie flipped on the bedroom light and then sat down on the bed. She unlaced the heels and hissed as she pulled them off and saw the angry blisters on the back of her ankles and the side of her foot. Once the heels had been kicked to the side, she reached behind and unzipped the tight dress, peeling it down her body with a deep, relieved breath. Standing in her bra and underwear, she stretched out her back and thought about the pool outside and the adjacent hot tub. It might feel good to soak in the hot water… And she had bought that cute new suit from Torrid on clearance.
Quickly she changed into the two-piece, pulling the black tankini with little white and red hearts down over her stomach. The ruffle at the bottom was adorable and the simple black high-waisted briefs were flattering, at least, in her opinion. She went to the bathroom to get a better look, and finally, piled her hair on top of her head with a pony tail holder so it wouldn’t get wet.
After she’d washed her face clean of makeup, she went back outside. Gooseflesh rose on her skin as the cooler air touched her. The lights in the pool gave the water an aqua tint, and when she put her toe in, she was delighted to find the water warm. Dustin must heat it when the weather turned colder.
She stepped into the water, gritting her teeth at the initial sting of her feet. Several seconds ticked by and the pain eased. She glided through the water with a sigh, loving the peaceful chirp of crickets. An owl hooting. The sound of a car coming up the drive.
The crunch of wheels on gravel startled her and she lifted on her tiptoes to see Dustin’s car pulling in next to hers.
Rylie ducked down when she heard his car door opening and closing and footsteps against the ground. Another door opened and heavy grunting. Dustin came into the light, dragging something…no, someone, toward one of the lounge chairs. He hefted, who Rylie recognized as his brother, Charlie, onto the chair and stood over him for a moment, his arms crossed.
When he started for the stairs that led up to the main house, she realized he hadn’t noticed her. She’d lucked out.…
“You aren’t going to leave him there, are you?” she called.
He stopped and turned her way. His clothes were rumpled and his hair mussed. When he stepped into the light above her porch, Rylie licked her lips at how out of sorts he was. When he was dressed to the nines he was hot, but this?
This was sex on a stick.
“Believe me, this is the least he deserves.” He cocked his head a second at her, then walked into the pool house. Before she even launched a protest, he was back with a large throw blanket. He spread it out over Charlie’s sleeping form, and grinned at her as he came around the side of the pool to where she was. “But I guess it would be pretty shitty to let him freeze.”
“I think so. What did he do?”
Dustin kicked off his shoes and socks, then bent over to roll up his jeans. “He got drunk and obnoxious. Tried to start a fight. Called me a rather nasty name.”
“Wow. And you still let him crash here?”
“Well, considering I punched his lights out, I felt like I owed him at least that.” He’d sat down on the edge of the pool and casually stuck his feet in. Rylie’s jaw dropped.
“Oh my God, is he okay? Did you take him to the hospital?”
“Of course. They said he was fine, he’d have a black eye in the morning and a hell of a headache, but he’d live. He passed out from all the shots he took down.”
Rylie winced. “Ugh. Been there.”
“I know.” Even in the dim light, she could see the twinkle in his eye and she blushed.
“And we never have to talk about it again.”
“Fine by me.” Quiet descended over them for several beats, and then he asked, “So, how was your date with Phil?”
She rolled her eyes at his obvious dig. “Will.”
“Yeah, Will.”
“It was good.”
She had a hard time meeting his eye and he must have noticed because he asked, “But?”
“No but. I had a nice time. He’s going to call.”
He sent a little splash of water her way with his feet. “You don’t sound thrilled.”
“Of course I am. I mean… He’s employed. He’s funny. He’s kind.”
Dustin pretended to snore.
“You’re a jackass.”
He grinned at her, the glow of the water rippling across his face. “Oh, come on. Even you have to admit you’re making it sound like good old Will is applying for a job.”
“He kind of is. Relationships take work and I don’t want to make any more mistakes.” Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she added softly, “I can’t afford to allow my heart to make all the decisions for me.”
Dustin slid all the way into the pool, clothes and all, and stalked toward her. She held her hand out to ward him off, but he took her arms gently.
“I agree with you. You should make rational choices when it comes to who you date, but that’s not always possible.”
Her heart skittered as one of his hands lifted and his thumb traced the curve of her cheek.
“You are the kind of girl who wants forever, but you shouldn’t have to settle for it. You deserve passion.”
She couldn’t turn away from the intensity on his face. “Passion burns out and fades. It’s not what lasts.”
He leaned closer to her, his voice a low rumble. “Even if you don’t have passion with the guy you end up with, you should have it. At least once.”
“I… I’ve had passion.”
“Really? Please don’t tell me with Asher or I’m going to fucking drown myself.”
She couldn’t lie to him. Rylie had been excited and flattered by Asher’s attentions and enjoyed their sex life at first. But it had never been overwhelming, all consuming.
“Fine. I haven’t.”
“You should. Even if it doesn’t last, you should know what it is like to get swept off your feet.”
Before Rylie knew what was happening, Dustin had his hands on her ass and was lifting her half out of the water against him.
Literally off her feet.
“So, why not me?”
“Why not you?” she squeaked.
His mouth found the crook of her neck and he whispered against her wet skin. “Let me give you passion. One time. No strings.” His lips brushed the spot below her ear and her whole body quaked. “If the answer is yes, then just kiss me, sweetheart. I’ll do the rest.”
* * * *
Dustin could have blamed it on the beers he’d had earlier in the night, but he hadn’t even gotten a buzz. It could have been the smell of pine on the breeze or the fact he’d gone without and he was just horny.
He knew it wasn’t that though. It was Rylie. The way she smiled. The way she laughed. The curves of her body and the fact that she didn’t try to turn him into the prince of her dreams. She knew who he was and still saw something good there.
When he realized she wasn’t moving, hadn’t even said a word, he lowered her to her feet and pulled away.
“Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. Forget I said anything.”
“Then why did you say it?” she asked.
Why did she sound pissed off? “What?”
“If you didn’t mean it, any of it, then why did you say it?”
He had no idea if this was an opening or if she was really that clueless. “Because I want you, Rylie. I thought I’d made that pretty clear this morning.”
When her hand floated below the surface of the water and slid under his shirt, resting against his stomach, he sucked in a breath.
“No strings?” she whispered.
Was this really happening?
He covered her hand with his, flattening it across his skin.
“Not a single one.”
She kept looking up at him, and he resisted the urge to haul her against him, to make up her mind for her, but he wanted her to decide. He wanted her to choose.
Me. I want her to choose me.
“Well, then…” She stood up on her toes and when her mouth was mere inches from his, she breathed, “I guess I should kiss you.”
The feather light press of her lips on his was all he could handle. With a growl, he bent over, cupping the back of her head. His mouth opened and he thrust his tongue between her lips. She slipped both arms around his waist and met his kiss with fervor, pressing her body flush against his.
They stood in the water, their hands traveling over each other’s bodies as their mouths melded, exploring and learning what sent their blood pressure soaring. He almost lost it when Rylie cupped his ass through his wet jeans and ran her tongue along the column of his neck.
Hauling her up and guiding her legs around his waist, he made his way toward the stairs.
“What about your brother?”
“He’s fine.”
She giggled, her arms wrapped around his neck as she stared into his face. “We should bring him inside the pool house.”
He stalled at the bottom of the pool steps, his jaw on his chest. “I’m not bringing him inside with us—”
“Shhh, calm down. I figured he could sleep it off on the couch inside and we’d… We’d go to your room.”
Dustin didn’t want to tap the brakes on what was happening between them, too afraid that she was going to change her mind.
Rylie stroked his cheek, as if she could read his thoughts.
“I want you, Dustin. That’s not going to change in the five minutes it takes to make your brother comfortable.”
Just in case, Dustin planned to make it two.
He let her slide to her feet and climb out ahead of him. He got a good look at her cute little bathing suit as she went over to open the sliding glass door. When she walked back over, she said, “Do you need me to get his legs?”
He lifted his brother up and dumped him over his shoulder, grunting at the dead weight. “I’m good.”
The heat in her eyes as she watched him carry Charlie inside would be worth any neck or shoulder pain tomorrow.
Once Charlie was placed onto the couch and covered with a blanket, Dustin took Rylie’s hand and led her out the door, taking long strides up the stairs.
“Ouch, slow down. I’ve got blisters.”
Dustin stopped halfway up, and glanced down at her feet, although it was hard to see. The moon barely lit the world around them, let alone the ground.
“How did that happen?”
“New shoes. Hadn’t broken them in yet.”
Dustin gave her a deep, tender kiss. “I’ll doctor you up when we get inside.”
“And then?”
After kissing her again, he grinned. “Then, I’m going to make you forget about everything else but me.”