“Is there somebody else? Is that what this is all about?”
Her calming breath flew back out of her lips as she spun to face him. He came inside and closed the door behind him.
“I think I have a right to know,” he continued. “If you’ve found someone else, you should’ve told me right away.”
The emergency lights cast an orange haze more than they actually lit the space. She couldn’t really make out his features. “There’s nobody else.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized she’d made a strategic error. She should’ve lied. She should’ve told him she’d met someone else—it would’ve been the easiest way to make sure he didn’t keep searching for the truth.
His backpack hit the ground with a thump as he left it by the door and crossed to her. “Then what, Wildfire? I’ve been over this from every possible angle in my head. A month and a half ago when we met in Paris, we were fine. Three weeks ago when we talked on the phone for five hours while you were repainting your kitchen, we were fine.”
She nodded. Oh God. How was she going to get out of this?
He took another step closer. “And then something changed. I don’t know what. I don’t know why. You started ghosting me. Barely a word, barely a text. Just enough to keep me from panicking.”
She grimaced and took a step back from him. He was too close. And he was too right. That was exactly what she’d done: talked to him just enough to make sure he didn’t send everybody he knew in Oak Creek to check on her.
She shook her head. “I know it may be difficult to believe this, but sometimes people just change. Grow apart. Maybe a relationship with the great Phoenix just wasn’t what I wanted anymore. That’s allowed, you know.”
He was on her with the speed of the world-class athlete he was. Not in anger. She never had to worry about anything like that from him. His eyes searched her expression. He wanted to see her face clearly in the dim light.
Ascertain if she was telling the truth.
Damn it.
“Are you allowed to get tired of me? Yes.” His pulse pounded in his jaw. “Are you allowed to get frustrated and resentful of this life I lead? Yes. Are you allowed to decide you’re too good for me and you want something better? Hell yes.”
He stepped forward and she stepped back, realizing she’d made another strategic error when her back hit the wall. Riley’s hands moved to either side of her head, caging her in.
All she could smell was him. All she could feel was the heat radiating from his body. She clenched her hands into fists at her sides to stop herself from touching him.
It was a physical pain. It seemed like everything in her genetic makeup screamed it was wrong to hold herself back from him.
She turned her head to the side, unable to look at him without touching him. Without breaking down and telling him everything.
“Do you just not love me anymore, Wildfire? Is that what this is?”
She barely bit back her whimper as he leaned forward and trailed his nose across her jaw, breathing in her scent.
She couldn’t stop the shudder as one of his hands dropped from the wall by her head and trailed down the side of her throat. He knew her too well.
“I should go.” The words were hoarse and tight coming out of her mouth. One last, desperate attempt at sanity.
His lips found her throat. “Should you? Should you go?”
He wasn’t holding her there in any way. The only place his body was touching hers was his lips on her neck. All she had to do was put any effort whatsoever into moving away and he would let her go.
Move, Riley. Just move.
She didn’t.
It was like she was rooted in place by a force beyond her control.
His lips made their way back and forth across her throat. “Of course, I definitely think you should stay.”
His lips worked their way up to hers, stealing any words she might’ve said. The kiss sent electricity coursing through every part of her.
It had always been like this, always a ridiculous level of heat between them. From the moment they’d met, they’d never been successful at keeping their hands off each other if they were anywhere close.
Not that they’d ever tried.
His body moved up against hers as he deepened the kiss, pushing her back against the wall.
He rocked against her, his hand moving up to cup her breast, thumb and finger pinching the already tightened peak.
He knew exactly how to touch her to make her come apart. Quickly, slowly, whichever way he wanted.
It wasn’t fair.
And it was exactly what she wanted.
She helped as he slid the thin jacket she’d worn over her scrubs off her shoulders, and it pooled on the floor at their feet.
His lips moved back to her neck, nipping this time, and her head fell back against the wall. When his fingers slid inside the elastic waist of her scrubs—damn them for being such easy access—and pressed inside her, she groaned. He bit at that place where her neck met her shoulder and she couldn’t control her squirming, pressing up against him. Needing.
“Doesn’t seem like all of you wants to leave me behind.”
His deep voice only turned her on more. She grabbed him by the hair and pulled his lips from her neck up to hers. “Shut up, Phoenix.”
She’d always loved his confidence. He could be so damn cocky, but she loved that too.
She couldn’t wait any longer. She reached down for the buckle of his pants, feeling better when he let out a groan of his own as she wrapped her fingers around him. It had always gone both ways, this need they had for each other.
She tucked her face into his neck as his fingers worked her higher.
“Fuck, Wildfire. I want to be inside you. Are you still on the pill?”
“Yes,” she said immediately.
Yes to it all. She slid his jeans down, freeing him as he yanked one of the legs of her scrubs down over her shoes, then slid them and her underwear until they were hanging off one leg.
It was unlikely anyone would come in here, especially where they were, in the back of the facility. But taking off all their clothes wasn’t an option. Not that either of them needed it. They might not even care if someone walked in on them.
His hand moved back to her breast, pinching her nipple just to the point of pain. She gasped, twisting closer to him, returning the favor by yanking his lips back to hers and giving the bottom one a stinging bite before soothing the slight hurt with her tongue. Now it was his turn to squirm as the breath shuddered out of him.
His fingers slid back to her core, curving in that way only he knew how, leaving her gasping for air and thrusting up against his hand. When he moved his fingers away, she couldn’t stop the whimper that fell from her lips.
But it was only so he could reach around the back of her thigh and hike her leg up higher, positioning her where he wanted her against the wall. She hooked her legs around his hips, almost desperate to have him inside her.
He didn’t make her wait. They both groaned as he slid inside her, filling her. Everything about it was so right. Had always been so right.
She slid her arms around his shoulders and held on as he drove them both higher. Her nails clawed into his back through his shirt as she gave herself over to him, over to the primal rhythm of their lovemaking.
It wasn’t long before orgasm crashed over her, drowning her in sensation. A few seconds later he followed, calling out her name in a moan before thrusting one last time and slumping against her.