"Yeah. She was begging for it too."
"That an excuse to brag?"
He laughs. "No. She was. I wanted to. But all I could think was this girl stood by Penny as she fucked over my brother. Couldn't do it."
"Fuck. You have feelings."
"Don't tell anyone."
"I won't."
"You ditching her wedding yet?"
"No."
"Whatever's wrong with you and Leigh, I bet you a hundred bucks the wedding is gonna make it worse."
"Maybe."
He holds out his palm. Pay up.
"You still owe me two hundred bucks."
He laughs. "Double or nothing."
"I'll think about it."
He turns back to his suite. "Do me a favor, Ryan."
"Yeah?"
"Don't scare her off."
Don't scare her off.
It's good advice, even if it's hard to put into action.
This is the best I've got.
I hope it's good enough.
I slide the bag off my shoulder as I knock.
Footsteps move toward the door. "Yeah?"
"It's me."
"Ryan?" Leighton pulls the door open. Her blue-green eyes fill with surprise. "What are you—"
"Making you dinner."
"Okay…"
I step inside. Close the door behind me. Click the lock.
"You know I don't have food."
I hold up the blue Trader Joe's bag.
"You're insane."
"I prefer devoted."
Her lips curl into a half smile.
I move into the kitchen. Set the bag on the counter next to the fridge. Motion come here.
She crosses the room. "I'm sorry I bailed this morning. I needed to think."
"About?"
"I haven't figured it out yet."
"You want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Me either." My fingers skim the bottom of her tank top. It's the same thing she was wearing last night—tight, white, with lacing crisscrossed over her cleavage.
I bring my other hand to the straps. Undo the bow holding them together.
"Ryan." She looks up at me. "What are you…?"
I loosen the lacing. "Feeling you up." I back her into the counter.
She arches her hips, brushing her crotch against mine. "You're not gonna freak out?"
"Not today."
"You promise?"
"Yeah." I push her tank top off her right shoulder. Then the left. "You're the only fucking thing I can see right now."
Her breath hitches in her throat.
"Turn around."
Her ass brushes my crotch as she spins on her heels.
"Put your hands on the counter."
She plants one palm on the counter. Then the other. "What about dinner?"
"Bag's insulated."
"Oh."
"Unless you'd rather eat first."
Her hair falls over her cheeks as she shakes her head.
"I need you, Leigh. I need you to know that." I trace a line down her spine, from the base of her skull to the waistband of her shorts, then back up again. "I'm not good with words. I can't explain how I feel about you. But I can show you."
Her nod is heavy.
"I thought about you all fucking day." I unhook her bra and slide it off her shoulders. "I'm gonna be fucking miserable without you around."
"I won't go anywhere."
"You swear?"
"Yeah. But I'm not sure my word is any good at the moment." She groans as she rocks her hips against mine. "I need you to touch me."
"I need you."
"Ryan. Please."
"I want these shorts at your knees." I trace a line around their high waist. "I want them binding your legs while I fuck you."
"Mmm."
"I want you at my mercy, baby." I cup her breast with one hand. Toy with her nipple with my thumb.
Her groan is a mess of consonants.
"Tell me you want that."
"Please."
"It's gonna be hard."
"Yes."
"I'm gonna split you in half."
"Mmm."
I pin her to the counter as I toy with her breasts.
Her groan fills the room. "Fuck me."
"Not yet." I draw circles around her nipples.
She grinds against my ass. "Now."
I want to.
But not yet.
I need to push her to the edge. I need to be sure I'm the only thought in her head.
Fuck knows she's the only one in mine.
This makes sense.
I bring my lips to her neck, suck on her soft skin as I play with her tits.
She groans as my touch gets harder.
I roll her nipple between my thumb and index finger. Harder. Tighter. Until the bud is a deep pink and her groan is half agony, half ecstasy.
"Fuck." She rocks her hips against me. "Don't stop."
I toy with her other nipple. Watch it darken. Listen as her breath hitches. "I love the way you respond to me."
Her fingers dig into the counter.
"I want every inch of you, Leigh. I want you every way I can have you."
"You mean—"
"Yeah."
"Now?"
"No." I unbutton her shorts, roll them down her torso, over her ass, down her thighs. "I want your cunt wrapped around me today."
She groans.
"But soon."
"How are you so good at this?"
"It's you, baby. It's how you respond to me." I toy with her breast with one hand. Run the other over the waistband of her panties.
She arches her back, lifting her ass into the air.
I trace the waist of her panties over her lower back. My fingers skim her spine.
I trace a line over her ass, along her cunt, across her clit.
She's wet. I can feel her through her panties.
My balls tighten.
My cock begs me to move faster. To tear her clothes off and dive inside her.
Soon.
Very fucking soon.
Slowly, I roll her panties over her ass and down her thighs.
"Ryan." She leans onto the counter, bringing her ass into the air. "Please."
"Please what, baby?"
"Touch me."
"Yeah?" I brush the back of my hand against her cunt.
She's wet and she smells so fucking good. It takes everything I have to keep my pace.
She needs to stay on the edge.
I need to stay the center of her universe.
We need to be here—this beautiful place where everything makes sense.
We fit together. Belong together.
I don't have words for it.
But I do have this.
I tease her with one finger.
She lets out a heavy sigh.
Two.
"Ryan."
Three.
"Fuck."
I do it again. Again. Again.
With one hard motion, I slide two fingers inside her.
She arches her hips, driving her cunt over my fingers.
Her legs strain against her shorts. She stumbles.
I catch her. Wrap my arm around her waist to hold her in place.