Page 48 of Coastal Rewind

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Hey, Sunshine.” I leaned on the wall and crossed my arms. I didn’t want to scare her away by practically tackling her the first moment I could.

“So, want to watch a movie or something?” She picked up the remote and started scrolling through the channels. I didn’t move to the couch. I didn’t want to tiptoe around anymore.

“Baby, come here.” My voice was firm, causing Ryleigh to look up from the TV. She placed the remote on the couch and stood slowly but didn’t walk to me.

“Why?” She crossed her arms.

“So I can greet you properly.”

She arched her brow. “And how would you prefer to greet me?”

“Just get your ass over here.”

She scoffed but took a step forward. She was clearly at war with herself about whether or not she was truly going to give into this pull between us. I wasn’t going to force her. If she wanted it, she was going to have to show me.

She stopped a foot in front of me. “What are we doing here, Mason?” Her voice had lost the tough edge it had a moment ago.

“I told you my intentions, Ry. You just aren’t listening.”

“You’ve said you’re going to earn having me in your bed and that you don’t do casual sex. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with that.”

I chuckled. “You missed when I stated we were going to go on a date.”

She scoffed. “Why would you want to date me?”

I moved so fast she didn’t even have time to fight back. I grabbed her around the waist and turned us so her back was flush against the wall, effectively caging her in.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Her breaths were rapid and shallow as she shrugged. “I can’t make promises for the future.”

My mind raced at her words. Why did the future scare her so much?

“Then let’s just live in the moment,” I whispered against her ear. “Do you want that, baby?”

She nodded her head and turned so her lips grazed mine.

“I need you to use words, Ry. Do you want that?” I said against her lips.

“Yes.”

The words were barely out of her mouth as my lips met hers. Her hands flew to my hair and she gripped tightly as I pushed her even harder against the wall. It was a game of give and take as our mouths worked in tandem and our hands roamed.

I reached underneath her shirt and felt the warm skin of her bareback. When my hands trailed up higher, there was no fabric where a bra should’ve been. I let my hand drift around the front of her body until my palm was met with the feeling of her bare tit and hard nipple.

I growled into her mouth and she moaned as I pinched her nipple with my fingers.

I hooked my hands under her thighs and lifted her up to turn us toward the master bedroom. When I reached the bed, I dropped us on top of it without breaking our kiss. I ran my hand from her hip and up her stomach, dragging her shirt with my fingers until it rested on her collarbone. I pulled away and looked down at the sight I’d been wanting to see for years.

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, reaching my hand up to run small circles around her exposed nipple.

Ryleigh groaned, her eyes blinking shut at the sensation. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Every reaction to my touch just spurred me on further. My attention shifted to the dark ink that was on her sternum. There was a lotus flower surrounded by geometric shapes. It was dainty and beautiful, just like the girl who was squirming beneath me.

I lowered my head and ran my tongue over the tattoo and up her collarbone until I reached her neck where I nipped at her skin.

“My god, you’re beautiful,” I said against her neck.