Chapter 11—Talented Mouth

* Tiff *

I don’t know how Riley did it, but I’d opened that armored door to my heart just a crack. He seized the opportunity and shoved his big foot into that crack and refused to let me slam it shut, not that I was trying very hard.

After dinner he walked me to the porch and kissed me again. With his talented mouth doing all the talking, he coaxed me into another date. We sucked face until our breathing was labored and our bodies demanded satisfaction. With a smug wink, he left me as a shivering mess of estrogen and strode across the lawn. I watched him go until he shut the door.

I raised a trembling hand to my lips and touched it with two fingers. I still felt him there, kissing me, nipping at my lower lip, groaning into my mouth. I was going to have pleasant dreams tonight.

With a sigh, I turned the doorknob, and my two roommates almost fell out the doorway.

“Did you miss anything? I’d be glad to give you a play-by-play,” I said with a wicked smirk.

Alisa assessed my appearance and made a conclusion. “You didn’t sleep with him.”

“No, I did not.”

“Are you fucking crazy? How could you turn down a hunkety hunk-hunk like that?” Wayne shook his head in amazement.

“Hunkety hunk-hunk?” I laughed.

“Ry-man is a three-H guy.”

I laughed. “For your information, we’re taking it slow.”

Now I had their full attention.

“Why?”

“Is he gay?” Wayne asked hopefully.

“No. I just need to be sure.” I didn’t add that Riley was wrapping me in a spell I’d never be free of.

“Girl, didn’t you listen to a fucking thing I said?” Alisa scowled as if she considered me the craziest bitch on the planet.

“I listened, then did what I wanted to do. I don’t want to hurt him, and I’m not sure I’m capable of caring for him the way he cares for me.”

They continued to gape at me as if I were one fucked-up chick, which was a moot point.

“That’s a tough one,” Alisa admitted. “If you don’t feel the same way, end it now. He’s a nice guy, and he doesn’t deserve to be led along.”

“I want to make it work, but am I capable?” I thought I loved him. In fact, I’d loved him for a long time, or maybe I’d only loved the idea of him as my knight in shining armor. Riley had always come to my rescue, but I couldn’t recall ever being there for him. Not that he’d needed it. He’d been the strong one, the guy who weathered the nastiest storm and emerged unscathed, while I was so not that person.

“You make zero sense.” Wayne scratched his head and squinted at me.

“I don’t make sense to myself. Either he’s the one, or he isn’t. I’ve been fooled before. I didn’t see it coming with Jacob.”

“Your high school boyfriend?” Wayne asked.

I nodded solemnly. I rarely talked about that day. I’d just taken a small step forward. My therapist would’ve been proud.

“Yes, Jake. I had no idea he’d shoot up the school and kill people. What if I’m wrong about Riley? What if we’re not good together? What if he has a hidden dark side, too?”

“Not everyone is Jacob. In fact, very few people are Jacob. Riley doesn’t have a dark side. Stop looking for trouble.” Alisa didn’t bother to keep the exasperation and annoyance from her tone.

“I rue the day you majored in psychology,” I groaned, eliciting a laugh from Wayne, who’d been subjected to Alisa’s psychoanalysis on more than one occasion.

Alisa wasn’t to be denied. “Quit overthinking and go with your gut. Besides, you were just a teenager. We all think we’re in love when we’re kids.”

I’d had enough for one night. “I’m exhausted.” I sighed and waved them off as I headed down the hallway to my bedroom, suddenly weary. “Good night,” I called over my shoulder.

A few minutes later, I was tucked in bed. I closed my eyes and relived those kisses over and over. I imagined Riley’s blue eyes shining with the intensity of a supernova as he thrust into me over and over until I came in a thundering rush, just as he had graduation night.

I wanted the real thing. I wanted his muscular body covering mine. To feel his sweat-slickened skin gliding across mine. I wanted to hear his grunts and feel his cock buried deep. I wanted him, but I didn’t want to jump into a bigger mess than I could handle.

One day at a time.

And this thing between us would either wither and die or blossom and be strong enough to slay our demons.

* Riley *

I had early classes and team meetings for the next several mornings so I couldn’t walk with Tiff to class. She’d been busy studying for a big exam, and I had a paper to write. I hadn’t seen much of her since our Sunday dinner out. We’d met a few times for lunch, but she’d spent her evenings studying, and I’d been researching this damn paper. I hated this crap, because I sucked at writing. Once I finished a draft, Aunt Izzy would proofread it as she always does. I should have that done tonight, and I’d have one less thing hanging over my head going into the weekend.

On Thursday morning, I waited outside Tiff’s door, ignoring the building clouds in the sky. Pacific Northwesterners never let a little rain bother them, and most of us don’t own an umbrella.

Tiff opened the door and walked out. If she was surprised to find me there, she didn’t show it. A welcoming smile lit up her face. I grinned back.

“Good morning,” she said.

I took a moment to just stare at her. Even in the gloom, she glowed like a lighthouse in a storm guiding me home.

I shook my head and laughed to myself. I was turning into a sappy romantic. Pretty soon, I’d be writing fucking love poems, and it’d be all Tiff’s fault. Then the guys really would revoke my man card.

“What’s so funny? Care to share?” she asked.

“Nah, you’ll just think I’m nuts.” I grabbed her backpack and heaved it over one shoulder as I fell into step beside her.

“I already do,” she tossed at me with a sassy grin and a sideways glance.

We walked along the sidewalk in a comfortable silence for a few blocks. I waited for the argument about how I needed to slow it down, give her space, all the usual shit females come up with when they’ve had too much time to think and are getting cold feet.

When she didn’t say anything, I decided I might as well go for broke. “I missed you.”

She laughed, and it was music to my ears. “You’ve seen me almost every day at lunch, and we’ve talked every night and texted all the times in between.”

I braced myself. Here it comes.

“Riley, we really should slow down.” I didn’t hear much conviction her voice.

“By we, you mean me?”

She nodded but was still smiling, a good sign in my book.

“Do you want to slow down?”

She sucked her lower lip into her mouth and stared at the ground, while I bit back a groan. I longed to hold her, kiss the hell out of her, and take her to bed. When her gaze returned to my face, her eyes danced with wicked delight. “I don’t want to slow down.”

“Good,” I said smugly, feeling damned pleased with myself, then I sobered. “Is there a but coming?”

“I suppose there should be, but I’m not feeling it. In fact, I think I’ll go to your game on Saturday. I haven’t watched a live football game in several years.”

“And you want to go to my game?”

“Yeah. I do.”

I stopped, shucked off both backpacks, letting them drop to the ground, and pulled her into my arms. She squealed in surprise, then giggled. Lifting her face to mine, she stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. I held her tight against me, torturing myself with her sweet little body, and kissed her. Tiff didn’t back down and gave as good as she got. In seconds, we were panting. Sweat beaded on my forehead despite a chilly breeze. I slid my hands under her coat and blouse to her silky skin.

I could’ve stayed there forever, kissing her, but something pinged me in the back of the head and was followed by a chorus of laughter. I jerked my head around to find my roommates, grinning like the assholes they were.

Tiff saw them too and stepped away from me, picking up her backpack. I wanted to strangle every one of them for destroying the moment.

Gage grabbed Tiff’s backpack. “Come on, beautiful, let me take care of this for you.” He winked at me over his shoulder as he walked off, with Tiff in tow. I had no choice but to follow.

I didn’t mind too much. The view of Tiff’s backside was fucking incredible.