The Difference a Day Makes (Perfect, Indiana: Book Two) (32 page)

He pulled the truck between a couple of pine trees and shut off the engine. “What’d you bring to feed me, woman? I’m hungry.”

“I brought smoked-turkey-and-swiss-cheese sandwiches, fresh sliced pears, and chips. Gotta have fruit or a vegetable with every meal, Auntie Paige,” she said, impersonating her niece’s refrain.

Ryan laughed. “Noah and Ceejay sure do have a couple of great kids.” He got out and headed for the tailgate.

“I know, huh? They’re lucky.”

“You’d be a great mom, Paige.” His brilliant blues snared her with an intense look. “Do you want a family someday?”

“I do.” She busied herself with the cooler while her pulse raced. “I didn’t realize just how much until this extended stay with my brother’s family. They have something so special, and I’m glad for Noah.” She risked a glance at him, and the tenderness she glimpsed in his eyes stole her breath. “How about you?”

“Hmmm.” He hopped up to sit on the tailgate, unscrewed the cap of a bottle of water, and handed it to her. “A family of my own is something I’ve always wanted. After Theresa’s death, I figured I’d lost my one and only chance.” He turned to stare into the woods and murmured, “Lately…Lately, I’ve begun to hope again.”

Her insides shifted, and a fierce longing settled in between her racing heart and fluttering stomach. Paige pushed off from the truck and came to stand between Ryan’s knees. “Let’s forget
about lunch for now.” She snaked her arms around his waist, snuggled into him, and laid her cheek against his chest. His heart pounded against her ear. “You want to know what I’ve worked out for that backseat?” She lifted her head and drank him in with her eyes.

He tossed his sandwich back into the cooler and slid off the truck. Taking her face between his palms, he kissed her so deeply she melted into him like butter on a hot potato.

“Tell me, darlin’.” He nibbled his way down her neck while unbuttoning her shirt. “What do you want?”

“I was thinking we’d fold the passenger seat down, and…Oh, that feels good.” Somehow, he’d managed to unfasten her bra, and his magic fingers sent tiny shock waves of pleasure through her. “Me on top, straddling…”

“Yeah? Go on. You have my attention.” He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around him as he moved them toward the cab.”

“Naked.” She tugged at his denim jacket. “You and me naked and touching.”

“Touching is good.” He set her down just long enough to open the door, flip the front seat down, and move it forward as far as it would go.

Paige took advantage of their separation, unbuckling her belt and pulling off her shirt. “Where’s the condom?” Her voice came out a breathless rasp.

“In my back pocket.”

She snatched it out. “I like a man who thinks ahead.”

“Are you going to spend all our time talking?” He tossed his jacket in the driver’s seat and stripped out of his clothing.

Laughing, she kicked off her shoes and did her own stripdown. “A minute ago, you were asking me to talk. Now you want me to stop?”

“Yeah. We’re done talking.”

They faced each other, naked as the day they were born. She studied every inch of his war-torn body and swallowed hard. Already hot and slick for him, and they’d barely even begun. “Ground’s cold, cowboy. In the truck now so I can have my way with you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he gritted out, climbed into the backseat, and shoved their baggage down on the floor behind the driver’s seat. She started in after him. He caught her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. “What was that you said about being on top?”

“I want to straddle you.”

“Let’s do a little exploring first.” He leaned her back, supporting her with an arm, and took a nipple into his mouth, circling it with his tongue.

Electric heat streaked through her, and she opened her thighs, aching for his touch.

“Oh, yeah.” He chuckled low in his throat. “That’s my girl.”

His hand slid over her, settling between her legs. He touched her in all the right places with just the right amount of pressure. Lost. She was lost to the world and completely centered on his magic touch. “Oh, you…You do that so well.” Her knees came together, and her hips rose against him to increase the sensation. Oh, God. Her toes were actually curling. That had never happened before.

“You’re so beautiful, Paige—absolutely gorgeous when you’re hot, wanting me, and all laid out in my arms like this.” He raised her up to plunge his tongue into her mouth, their chests pressed together while he brought her to climax with his wonderful, wonderful fingers.

While she drifted back to earth, he lifted her and draped her over his lap. While he kissed her, he ran his hands all over
her superheated body. His skin against hers wasn’t nearly close enough. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to get closer, sliding herself over his shaft until the pressure began a delicious swell again.

Breathless, she pulled back. “I…I dropped the condom somewhere.” Searching the floor and the seat, she didn’t see it anywhere. “Let me find it.” She slid off of him and knelt on the floor. Pushing his legs apart, she ran her hands along his inner thighs and stroked his scrotum, working her way up his erection. He sucked in a breath and went taut.

“Not here.” Running her hands behind him while pressing herself against his groin, she continued to search. “Got it.” She placed the packet in his hand. “I have a little exploring to do too.”

“Do tell.” He ran his fingers through her hair, watching her with molten eyes that sent heat pooling in her sex.

“Yeah, like here.” She swirled her tongue around the head and cupped him.

“I like that,” he croaked out.

“Do you? How about this?” She took him into her mouth and sucked, sliding her hands over his torso and chest.

“Ahhhhh, you’re going to be the death of me.” Ryan threw his head back and thrust his hips against her. He ripped the wrapper off the condom. “I need to be inside you. Now.”

She let him go, looked up into his sexed-up face, and licked her lips.

“Shoot. I’m going to come just lookin’ at you.” He rolled the condom on and drew her into his arms.

His kiss was fierce, his hold on her tight enough to bring on a rush of emotion so strong her eyes stung. She positioned herself so that she straddled his lap, and guided him home while his tongue continued to make love to her mouth. Lowering herself,
she absorbed his shudders and groans. She moved over him, finding a rhythm he answered. Throwing her arms around his neck, she rode her cowboy until he shouted her name and jerked helplessly against her as he came. A few more good thrusts, and she followed.

She collapsed against him and tried to catch her breath, while he ran his hands up and down her back and held her.

He purred into her ear, “I’m never going to look at this backseat the same way again.”

Smiling, she closed her eyes and loved him with all her heart. “Me either.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

R
YAN CRADLED
P
AIGE AGAINST HIS
chest as she nuzzled his neck and tangled herself in his heart. Taking a breath, he brought her scent deep into his lungs. “Paige…”
Are we a couple? Do you love me like I love you? Can we find a place to be—somewhere between what you want and what I need?
He couldn’t say the words. She was his for today, and that was way more than he deserved.

“Hmmm?”

“My hip is starting to bother me, babe. The one that was shattered in Iraq.” Not the words he yearned to whisper, but they’d have to do. She sighed into his ear, sending shivers cascading down his spine.

“OK.” She climbed off of him. “I suppose we should eat and get going.”

“Bring our lunch to the cab. We’ll eat on the fly.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She worked her way out of his truck and bent over to grab their clothes off the ground.

Lord, she had a fine backside. Closing his eyes, he shook his head to free himself from the haze of lust clouding his brain. He wanted her again, but they had a long stretch of road ahead
of them, and he had a bed to look forward to at the end of the trail—with her in it.

The sound of her laughter brought him back. He opened his eyes to find her studying him as she pulled on her panties. He had a front-row seat for that show. Sweet.

“You do that a lot.” She grinned and handed him his briefs and jeans.

“Do what a lot?”

“You were shaking your head again, no doubt carrying on a conversation with yourself. I’d pay money to see what goes on inside that brain of yours.”

“I was talking myself out of dragging you into the backseat again.” He set his clothes on the seat and slipped his feet into his shoes. “I’ll be right back.”

“Nice butt, Malloy,” she called after him. He shook his head again, and her giggles followed him into the brush. By the time he returned, she had their lunch stuff in the cab and everything ready to go. Ryan scanned the small park as he pulled his clothes back on. They’d made a memory here today, one he’d never forget. “I should buy a camera.”

“You have one on your phone.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.” He slipped his phone out of his pocket and scrolled for the camera icon. “Smile pretty for me, darlin’.” Raising the screen until he framed Paige leaning against his truck, he took the shot. “How do I save this?”

She walked over and showed him, and he captured her to get a shot of the two of them. They bent their heads together to check it out.

“Not bad.” Paige took the phone from him and set it up so their image became the background picture. “Let’s go. We need to hit a gas station soon.”

Pleased that she wanted the picture of them as a couple to be his camera’s wallpaper, he took another look at their surroundings and shot a picture of the park before sliding the phone into his pocket. “You can go in the woods, you know.”

“Not going to happen.”

“I guess backpacking and camping in a tent are out of the question?”

“Not even on the radar.” She climbed back into her spot. “Hiking in the wilderness would be great, but there’d have to be a nice bed in a cabin or a lodge afterward.”

“Spoiled little rich girl.”

“Hick in a cowboy hat.”

Deep contentment filled him as he got back into the truck and headed for the road. “I don’t suppose you’ll want to have another
picnic
at suppertime.” He winked at her and accepted the half sandwich she handed him. She laid a couple of paper towels in his lap.

“We’ll see.” She turned on the radio and settled into her lunch.

Ryan drove and ate. “Good sandwich.” He took another bite.

“Thanks.” She held the opened end of a bag toward him. “I bought the smoked turkey at Offermeyer’s in town. Chips?”

He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. How many years had it been since he’d felt this relaxed and happy, this normal? Too many. He grabbed a handful of potato chips and set them on the paper towels Paige had so thoughtfully placed on his lap.

She poured him a cup of steaming coffee from one of the thermos containers and handed it to him. He melted inside, loving the way she took care of him. A new truck, a great job, and a
beautiful woman by his side. It couldn’t last, but he’d take hold of it with both hands while he could.

Ryan’s eyes burned with fatigue, and he needed to get out and move around by the time he started seeing exit signs for Philadelphia. Paige snored softly beside him, with her seat reclined as far back as it would go. He reached over to nudge her. “Paige.”

She stretched and brought her seat up. “Where are we?”

“On the outskirts of Philly. I need you to direct me.” He smirked. “By the way, you snore.”

“No, I don’t.” Peering out of the windshield, she yawned and stretched again. She glanced at the clock on his dashboard and sighed. “We would’ve made a lot better time if we hadn’t stopped for so many picnics.”

“True.” He chuckled. “But they were well worth the delay.”

“No argument here.” Finger-combing her hair, she glanced around at their surroundings. “Not this exit, but the next, you’ll want to get off and head east.”

A few miles and a bunch of turns later, Ryan pulled into a parking space under her building. He climbed out and grabbed their bags from the floor behind his seat. It was well past one in the morning, and he was dead tired. “Lead the way, darlin’. I’m about to drop.”