“I’m seriously going to miss you. And that damn pussy,” she says, referring to Cloud. Ryan eyes her suspiciously.
“Real cute.” It’s tough hugging my best friend, saying goodbye after spending the last year with her. Our friendship has grown so much, and I will never be able to repay her for everything she has done for me—including her helping hand in healing my marriage.
“I think that’s the last box.” Ryan’s wearing a shirt with the sleeves cut off. It exposes his sides and arms he’s been killing in the gym. I swoon at the sight of him, sweaty and arm muscles twitching when he lifts my boxes.
Erin and I have spent the past month picking out paint colors and furniture for the new house. Ryan threw his hands up and granted us full access to do whatever the hell we wanted as long as he didn’t have to go into another store with the two of us. We tried that, epic failure. I think Ryan might have cried more than Maddy did.
All the furniture has been delivered and arranged into the perfect spot. All that’s left is me and Maddy. We started hauling boxes over this morning, and I don’t have that many to begin with, so it’s a fairly painless moving job.
Ryan just put the last batch in the back of his truck, and my heart’s a little heavy. This apartment holds a lot of heartache but a lot of happiness too. A lot of healing went on inside these walls. I brought my baby girl home from the hospital here and experienced so many of her firsts.
Knowing I can’t live with my best friend forever, I squeeze her tight and take one last glance around the place.
“You know you can still come over any time. Although, I plan to spend all our time together at your place, not this crappy little dungeon.”
I laugh. “Of course. Ryan can feed us and buy us all the books and movies.”
“Yep, what she said,” Ryan agrees. It’s weird seeing them close again. I didn’t think things would ever be the same again after the past few years. I tell Erin everything, the good and the bad. So, she was always pissed at him, and he was always pissed at her for being pissed. It was a vicious cycle. This is why you don’t air out your dirty laundry. Praise the good things in your relationships and don’t invite negativity into it.
“Text me every day. And send pictures of my baby.” Erin tickles Maddy’s toes, and she kicks her hand away, giggling. It’s bittersweet, leaving my best friend, but I’m thankful I’ve gained two other important people in my life. I finally have my family back, and I will do everything in my power to keep it that way.
“We’re home, baby girl.” I cringe when I realize she’s out like a light. Can’t keep her awake in the car, five minutes or two hours, doesn’t matter. Ryan’s already carrying boxes in, and I can’t stop staring at how beautiful this house is. That day Ryan brought me here, I took a picture of it, and I’ve looked at it every day since. And now it’s here in front of me.
It’s even prettier on the inside. Maple coffee wood floors, mindful gray on the walls, finished off with thick white trim. I’m obsessed with white; it’s so clean. The kitchen is probably my favorite room in the house, ironically enough. Maybe that will give me some motivation to learn to cook something other than pizza rolls.
I run my hand up the whitewashed brick wall the oven sits in. Ryan walks up behind me and rubs his hands down my front, slipping them inside my leggings.
“You look hot, standing in our kitchen,” he whispers in my ear.
I can’t say anything, the words caught in my throat. I lean back, putting all my weight into him. “Wait… Maddy…”
“Still sleeping, just checked.” He pushes my pants down all the way, and I step out of them one foot at a time. I gasp as he spins me around and slams me down on the island. The sting of the cold marble countertop jolts through me.
“Put your leg up over the sink,” he demands, guiding my foot behind the faucet. The sink is a large farmhouse sink, placed at the edge of the middle of the island. I prop my leg up behind it, foot flat on the cool, hard surface. My other leg dangles off the counter. Ryan grabs hold of my waist and pulls me closer to him, my ass barely hovering over the sink. I lie back and prop myself up on my elbows to watch him worship me.
He unhooks the water hose that detaches from the faucet and turns it on, letting out a steady mist of water and waves it between my legs. I close my eyes and indulge in his pleasure.
Water is going all over the counter and slowly dripping down to the floor, more so than what’s actually going into the sink, but fuck it, I’ll clean it up later. Ryan leans over me and devours my mouth with his. He’s got one hand on the water sprayer and one in the waistband of his shorts. My heart beats faster in anticipation of what’s coming.
Abandoning the sprayer in the sink, he pulls me off the counter. “Wrap your legs around me.” He inches inside of me, slowly, pacing himself. My eyes find his and hold his gaze.
“I love you,” I say, blowing out a breath, resting my forehead to his.
“I love you, Ley.” He changes his pace and turns us around, slamming me into the brick wall. “You feel so good.”
I’m going to have scratches all over my backside after this, but they will be well deserved. It’s so hot, and he’s hitting all the right places at all the right times. It’s not going to last much longer.
“I’m about to come, babe,” he grunts through clenched teeth. I kiss his neck and bite him the way he likes just below his ear. Another thrust and he’s pulling out, leaving a huge mess all over my stomach.
He takes a second to catch his breath. “We have really awesome water pressure,” he jokes with that sexy grin.
“Cute. Real cute.”