Page 20 of Say it Ain’t So

Her interest grew when I shucked my pants and underwear, her eyes growing wide as I climbed back onto the bed and made my way over her. She lifted her arms, spreading her hands across my body with such gentleness, it was as if she were afraid of hurting me.

She met my heated gaze, her breaths coming faster from her chest. I cupped her cheek and lowered my mouth to hers, just touching her lips.

“What is it, gorgeous?” I asked. “What’s on your mind?”

“Who are you?” was her whispered response, and I edged back to look at her. “I’ve never… I didn’t know I could…”

“You wanna know who I am, baby?” When she nodded, I felt my entire body melt. “I’m your husband. And you’re my wife. And this? This thing between us? This was meant to be.”

Joss's nod was so earnest, it was as if every last barrier I’d put up to protect my heart crumbled at her feet. She was mine and I was hers. Together, we were perfection.

I leaned in again, getting lost in a scathing kiss. Our hands hit as we fumbled around, trying to touch every last inch of the other’s skin. I hitched Joss’s leg up, and she took hold of my solid dick and guided me forward, until the tip of me sank into the wet mess of her and I had to stop. I had to keep myself from pulling back, from bursting right there at the feel of her touching me.

“More,” she whispered, and I forced myself to meet her gaze. I strung my fingers between hers, then with our eyes locked, I sank into her until I could go no farther.

“Love you, Joss.” I could barely get the words through my tight throat and felt it close in when her bottom lip trembled.

“Rylan.” She let out a little cry, then scrambled to grab my other hand. With our fingers clasped, I began to move, watching every glorious twitch of her face, paying attention to every move her body made. Everything she did had me falling harder for her, until the connection between us was so strong, I knew I could never let it break.

I would do whatever I could to keep her forever.

Gathering Joss in my arms, I lowered my mouth to hers and kissed her like she was the air I needed to breathe. I wanted to die when she slid her smooth hands down my chest, across my shoulders, clutching at my hips, my legs, my ass—as if she were trying to get me closer, as if she could pull me deeper into her and cement our bond for eternity.

“Joss, baby, you’re so perfect. I can’t…”

She tightened her grip around me, then pressed her mouth to mine. “Do it. I want you, Rylan. I want you to feel as good as you make me feel.”

Something in her voice sounded like a taunt, like she was daring me to come inside her. Something else sounded like a plea, like she needed this as much as I did.

I slammed my mouth to hers, then lowered my hand between us until I was pressing at her clit with my fingers, giving her the push she needed so she could join me as I came.

We fell together, our bodies convulsing and our mouths connected as I filled her and the feel of her filled me up. Sweat soaked our skin, but the love we had for each other stained our hearts, and I could never wash her off.

I had found my forever.

I had found the adventure I’d been looking for my entire life.

And as I held her in my arms, as she kissed me and held me back, I knew I was the luckiest man in the world. To find her. To hold her. To call her mine.

* * *

My dreams spun throughout the night, filled with thoughts of losing everything I’d come to Vegas with and everything I’d gotten since. The money I’d won playing cards and the slot machines. The adventures I’d had since I stepped off the plane.

Worst of all, was the woman sharing my bed.

More than once, I’d reached for her, tugging her closer until I could feel her heart under my palm, or her lips and hands against my skin, or her slick flesh giving in as I sank into her again and again.

But those dreams wouldn’t relent, and I awoke with a gasp, shooting up out of bed with my heart racing and my head pounding as if I’d stayed up drinking all night.

I hadn’t. I hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol since that beer at the country bar. Thoughts of losing Joss to the toxicity she’d come to Vegas with had kept me from relaxing the way I normally would, and I’d made it my mission to soak her up until I could find the right moment to kneel before her and ask her to be my wife.

My wife.

I reached for her, intending to curl around her and fall back asleep. Only, she wasn’t there. The bed was empty, nothing but a pile of messy blankets sharing the space with my naked body.

Wiping a hand down my face, I crawled from the bed and stumbled to the bathroom. When I didn’t find her there, the panic I’d felt when I sprang out of bed fully engulfed me. I ran through the suite searching, sure she’d gotten up to eat more strawberries or to grab a coffee or a newspaper or… or anything else.

Anything but the truth.