seventeen
peyton
I hadn’t slept, tossed and turned all night. It wasn’t that he hung up on me. I was getting used to that. It was the broken thread I heard in his voice, his words that tore at my heart and the resolved way he’d said them. He’d lost his mother and his grandmother, and his father was a piece of shit. Was there no one in his life to confide in. No one to share the burden of his secrets, no one to keep him company in the dark. I wanted that someone to be me.
Feeling restless, I climbed from bed, pulled on some sweats and my boots and left the Inn. I headed to the one place in town that had a claim on him. It was early; there weren’t many people out. Not even The Great Martin had started his day. The town was beautiful, so quaint and charming, and yet, I suspected whatever haunted Rutledge happened in this town. Sometimes things weren’t always what they seemed.
Reaching the house, my breath caught. It really was magnificent. Even more so imagining a little blond-haired boy, with the bluest eyes, running around. His proud grandmother watching him, a smile on her lips. At least he’d had that. I didn’t know for how long, but at least he’d known love. And I knew he had because I heard it in his voice every time he spoke of her.
I walked to the cliffs, stopping close enough to see the bottom. My stomach dropped because it was a long way down; the water slapped angrily against the rocks. A storm had come and gone overnight. The ocean still churning from Mother Nature’s wrath. The sea air felt good, cleansing. Looking out to the horizon, the peace and serenity of it, I wished he were here. That he could see what I was seeing, and feel a bit of the peace I felt.
He said I’d run if I knew his secret; it explained why he seemed to want to push me away as much as he wanted to pull me close. Hearing that confession from him, someone so confident, arrogant at times, that small glimpse of insecurity had rocked me.
A seagull flew overhead, the sun was breaking over the horizon. Tomorrow was inspection day. Hard to believe we’d only known each other for not quite two weeks. It felt longer.
I heard the sound of an engine, the screeching of tires on the beat-up driveway. Turning, I saw the black pickup. My heart flew into my throat. It then beat nearly out of my chest when Rutledge came to a jarring stop, the driver’s door flying open. He moved with determined strides across the lawn, closing the distance between us, but it was the look in his eyes that had my body going hot and my heart going soft.
He looked intent, and hungry.
His focus was unwavering as he stalked to me. Chills raced through me even as my blood burned. My mouth opened to greet him as his body crashed into mine. His arms banded around my waist. He yanked me up against him, his mouth slamming down on my own. It was like coming home; the world stopped, feeling his mouth on mine and then the hunger came. Like him, his kiss was hard and demanding, needy, and his taste like forbidden fruit. He let out a rumble from deep within his chest. Chills were chased by heat as a moan caught in the back of my throat, my body acting without the command from my brain, molding into him, needing to feel as much of him as possible. His hands moved down my body, cupping my ass as he lifted me, my legs curling around his waist. How he kept us steady as he walked us to the house, never breaking the intense kiss, I didn’t know.
Once inside, he broke the kiss, both of us breathing heavy as he dropped me to my feet. Stepping back for just a second, I could see the fire in his eyes. It was done quickly, and yet, it felt like slow motion when he grabbed the back of his t-shirt and pulled it forward over his head. My pulse pounded in my throat and between my legs as I took in a shirtless Rutledge Raines. I wanted to touch him, my hands fisted with the need, but I couldn’t make my feet move, held spellbound by the man before me. Without missing a beat, he did the same to mine. Nerves crashed with lust, I hadn’t put on a bra when I left the Inn; his eyes turned dark when he hoarsely whispered, “Fucking beautiful.”
He made me feel beautiful. His hands moved down my body, his calloused thumb catching my nipple. My knees went weak as I struggled to pull air into my lungs.
The play on his muscles when he lowered himself to the floor to remove my boots had a moan catching in my throat. I could have sworn he chuckled. He pulled one off, then the other, the sound of them hitting the old wood floors had heat pooling between my legs. His hands moved up my legs, setting fires off under my skin. Curling his fingers around the waistband of my sweats and the lace of my panties, his eyes locked on mine when he ripped them down my legs and from my body, causing me to stumble a bit. I felt my skin flush; I’d never stood naked before a man, but then I saw the look in his eyes as he took in every curve.
His voice was deep and laced with need. “Absolutely fucking gorgeous.”
He worked the button on his jeans, a mischievousness in his eyes when he moved the zipper down. I couldn’t tear my gaze from him, and he knew it. He didn’t remove his jeans, just teased me with the V of muscle that set my pulse racing. He stalked to me, I moved back. Not that I wanted to get away from him; I wanted to see him prowl the room toward me in that sexy gait. I wanted to be his prey. My back hit the wall, Rut closed in. Unable to resist anymore, I reached for him. My fingertips brushed his abs, lowering to the V of muscle. My gaze lifted to his when I felt his muscles tense. Seeing pleasure sweep his face, knowing it was because of me, had me slipping my hand between his boxer briefs and hot skin to brush the tip of his cock. I felt the shudder that moved through him. I’d never wanted anything as much as I wanted him. He took control, I’d never been so happy to yield it.
His voice was a bare whisper when he asked, “You wet for me, Peyton?”
A fresh wave of lust rolled through me at his candid words, my own rushing out on a breathless sigh. “Yes.”
“Let’s see about that,” he whispered against my lips before his hand moved down between my legs. When he kissed me this time, his fingers slipped between my folds. I choked back a moan, even as my knees went weak. A throaty growl escaped his mouth, and I swallowed it. His fingers toyed with me, stirring feelings I’d never felt. He sank a finger deep inside me.
“So fucking wet,” his gravelly voice muttered on my lips.
A gasp caught in my throat that turned to a moan as my hips moved into his touch. Just like his kiss, it wasn’t hurried; he took his time tasting and exploring my mouth as his finger built up the pleasure, bringing me to the brink. He removed his finger and used the wetness to coat my clit. He started making small circles around the tight bundle of nerves. My breath hitched, my fingers digging into his shoulders as I kissed him hungrily. I wanted more. Needed more. Desperate now to feel him inside of me, I moved my hands down his body to his jeans and pushed them lower. His breath fanned my cheek, where he laid a small kiss before moving to my ear.
In a rough whisper he said, “I’m clean, Peyton, never took a woman ungloved. You good with it now?” He paused for a second to nip my neck before he finished, “ʼCause right now, baby, I don’t wanna have to go to my truck.”
It was his confession, even more than what his body was doing to mine that had me answering without hesitation. “Yes.”
It was all he needed before he lost control and hoisted me up by my ass, my legs wrapping around him. He centered me on his cock, his lips lingered on mine where he roughly whispered, “You know when I’m done with you, you won’t have the capacity to utter another man’s name?”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond as he slowly entered me. My breath catching; pain mixed with pleasure as my body adjusted to his size. My fingers dug into his arms, even as my hips moved forward to take him deeper, loving the feel of him inside me, the fullness, even the pain. As soon as he seated himself, his eyes closed, and his body went still. Then his hips moved, dragging a moan from me.
He lay his forehead against mine. “You good?”
“So much more than good.”
“Good.” He breathed heavily as his hips began to move faster. “ʼCause you feel fucking phenomenal.”
So did he.
He ran his tongue along my bottom lip before dipping into my mouth. Every shift teased my clit before sinking in deep.
He moved his mouth, laid his lips against mine. “God, your pussy feels so fucking good.” He didn’t stop there as he went on with jagged breaths. “Better than I fucking imagined.”
My legs tightened around him, my back scraping up against the wall with each thrust, but it only added to the pleasure.
“Talk to me, Peyton.” His breaths were heavy, his tone rough when he asked, “I need to know how you’re feeling?”
Like I’d died and gone to heaven. Breathlessly I said, “I want to live in this moment forever.”
He chuckled, the rumble causing it to run down my body. “Good, ʼcause we might be able to arrange that, baby.”
He moved his hands to the center of my ass cheeks, pulling them slightly apart so his thrusts went even deeper. The words ripped from my throat. “Fuck, yes.”
The tingles started, racing down my arms, my breathing grew shallow, the intensity of what he made me feel scaring me a little.
“Fuck,” he grated out, his sweaty forehead fell to mine.
The smell of sex clung to the air. The sounds of flesh on flesh and our heavy breathing were the only sounds in the room as he fucked me like I’d never been fucked before. Endless plunges into my body, bringing me to heights I’d never experienced. His lips swept along my forehead, down my cheek, landing at my ear.
“You gonna come for me,” he whispered as his thrusts grew rougher, more erratic.
I was so close; my eyes locked with his, he saw the need.
“Touch yourself,” he demanded.
My hand moved between our bodies. I was so sensitive from what his cock was doing to me that just brushing my clit brought that moment of suspension, right before the pleasure swallowed me, his name ripping from my throat in a scream. “Rutledge!”
“Jesus,” he grated out, seating himself deep inside me, finding his own release.
His head fell to my shoulder; he put his weight against my body, pressing me further into the wall. When his breaths evened out, he lay a gentle kiss to my damp skin and quietly asked, “You always come that hard?”
No, because after that I realized I’d never really had sex before. I’d been an object, not a participant. “Never.”
“Your pussy is so fucking tight around my cock, we might never be able to part.” He laughed and, again, kissed my shoulder.
“I’m okay with that. Though, Herb will get an eyeful tomorrow.”
His body went still, as rigid as one of the old boards he was standing on, and his voice was strained when he asked, “Please fucking tell me you’re on the pill?”
A little late to be asking, but I understood. Boy, did I understand. “Yes.”
“Thank fuck, ʼcause I don’t need a knocked up woman, and a huge fucking house being renovated at the same time.”
I wanted to read into his comment, instead I changed the subject. “Why are you here?” I glanced down to where we were still joined and felt the heat creeping up my neck before I added, “Besides the obvious.”
He followed my eyes and muttered, “You think we can disconnect before we have this chat, babe?”
I almost said no. Had to bite my tongue before I said, “We can, not that I want to.”
He moved us from the wall, him taking all my weight with him, and let out a strangled noise as he pulled me off his cock. I hated the emptiness, missed the connection. He set me down on my feet, and when he did, he stared at my thighs, causing heat to stir again between my legs. Following his stare, I saw his come running down my thighs.
“Fuck,” he growled under his breath. “So fucking hot.” He managed to take his eyes from my body and bent to grab his t-shirt and handed it to me. “Use this.”
My fingers curled around his t-shirt, but the thought of wiping him off me wasn’t one I liked. Still, I did as he asked since he was looking at me in that way he had, the one that expected orders to be followed. I lowered my head, so he wouldn’t see the grin. “Thank you.”
“Yeah,” he uttered, snatching my clothes up off the floor and holding them, watching me intently as I cleaned myself. “You hungry?”
Not for food, but I answered, “Are we talking burgers?”
He grinned, handed me clothes, and said, “Don’t think Bluff’s is serving burgers at the fucking crack of dawn, babe.” Again, he watched me intently as I got dressed. I watched him too as he tucked himself back in his jeans.
“Thought we could grab some food, bring it back to your room. Cause I’m fucking tired, sweetheart. I drove all night.”
I stopped cleaning and just stared at him. I hadn’t thought of the hour or where he’d come from. Even as my heart swelled, anger moved through me. I’d lost my parents in a car accident. The idea of losing him in one scared me.
“What the hell were you thinking driving so far so late? You could have fallen asleep at the wheel?”
“First, get dressed,” he ordered and continued, “Second, my thought was you and having my cock deep in your pussy, so there wasn’t gonna be any falling asleep behind the wheel with that shit running through my head. Since we got one of those out the way, let’s grab food, go to your room, and then I can focus on just you.”
The man had a way with words. “Next time we meet halfway if you get the urge.”
He busted out laughing, his face lighting up when he did. I made a promise to myself to get him to laugh as often as possible.
“Babe, you ain’t got a car. You gonna run?” He picked up my boots, knelt and looked at them with a smile as I laid a hand on his shoulder to steady myself stepping into them.
“I’ll buy a car. I’m serious, Rutledge. I lost my parents in a car wreck. They were out late; my dad lost control of the car.”
Still on his knees, he ran his hands up my legs, and gripped my hips. His soft eyes came to mine. “Honey, I’m so sorry.”
This man, I touched his cheek. “It was a long time ago, but thank you. I’m still buying a car.”
Slowly, he rose, and when he did, his hands went around my back. One laced up in my hair, slightly tugging on it, the other pulled me tight against him. His kiss this time was soft, slow and so full of meaning as his tongue slowly tangled with mine. When the kiss ended, I didn’t immediately open my eyes. Even licked my lower lip to savor his taste. When my gaze hit his he looked hungry, but it wasn’t food he wanted.
I completely understood. “We should probably go or I don’t think we’ll be leaving any time soon,” I said.
He didn’t say anything as he scanned my face, from my eyes to my cheeks, settling on my lips. His gaze was like a soft caress. When he was done, he looked me in the eyes. His weren’t heated, but the intensity in them caused a shiver to shimmy down my body.
“Yeah, let’s get outta here.” His voice strained.
Before he could turn from me, I reached for his hand. Those eyes came back to me. “I’ve never...this was…” I looked down before I just said it, “This was the most amazing moment of my life.”
He touched my chin to lift my gaze. His lips tipped up before he replied, “Get ready for more, sweetheart.” And then he winked before he turned. With my hand in his, he dragged me from the house. His words still resonating in my head because I wanted more, a whole hell of a lot more.
We grabbed breakfast from a diner, me running in since Rut didn’t have a shirt, which caused a grin as to why, and brought it back to my room. He wasn’t kidding when he said he was tired. As soon as he finished eating, he fell asleep. Even in sleep there was a hardness about him. His features didn’t smooth out, he didn’t seem at peace. Did he dream? Were they nightmares?
He’d driven through the night to see me. Rutledge Raines had driven from New York just to see me.
He was still on me, his scent, his come and I ached. My body had never experienced anything like sex with Rutledge Raines. My nipples went hard and my clit pulsed just thinking about it. He had used my body, and well, and he cared what I was feeling. No one had ever cared before.
I brushed the hair from his forehead. He was a complicated man, but I liked everything about him. If I was being truthful, it was way more than like. Was he going to share with me his secret? Was that why he came now? I hoped so, but if not me, someone. He had to have someone in his life. This beautifully complicated man had to have someone who cared.
I reached for my phone and stepped outside to the balcony. Coda answered on the second ring. “Peyton. I was just thinking about you.”
“I understand about Laura.”
A pause before he asked, “What do you mean?”
Touching my lips that were bruised from Rut’s attention, I smiled. “It’s like magnetism, the pull so strong you don’t have control over it.”
“You’re right, but I don’t think we’re talking about Laura.”
My silence was all the answer he needed.
“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, what with how strongly you reacted to him. Passion is passion, even when you’re pissed.”
“I’ve never felt this way, Coda. I’m terrified of just how much he makes me feel.”
“But you can’t stay away. Every little thing reaches out, wraps around you until you find you’re ensnared in a web but not trapped...willingly entangled.”
It made my heart hurt in a good way to know he’d found it too. “Exactly.”
“Just be careful, Peyton. Sometimes entangled can turn into entrapped in the blink of an eye.”
A warning swept through me because he was right, particularly when dealing with a complicated man like Rutledge Raines.
“That said, I’m happy for you.”
“I’m happy for you. Love you, Coda.”
“Love you back.”
I disconnected, walked inside and dropped my phone on the bedside table. I didn’t want to shower, not yet, so I climbed into bed. I didn’t think I’d fall asleep, but almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, the sandman claimed me. Before he did, I reached for Rut’s hand and linked our fingers.