Keep Her (30 page)

“Now there’s only one thing left to do,” I said, leaning down and nibbling at her collarbone.

“Yes. Please.” She stuck her fingers in the waistband of her skirt and started to shimmy it down her hips.

Reluctantly stopping her efforts, I corrected her. “Okay, maybe two things.”

Tilting her head, she eyed me, confused. “Huh?”

“We need to tell Marcus, Riles.”

Collapsing against the pillow with a huff, she whimpered, “Can’t we just live in our bubble a little longer? I know we’re two consenting adults, and it’s really none of his business, but… once he knows, things will be different. I don’t want to be scrutinized or
worse
—I don’t need him messing with me the same way I messed with him about Tessa. Can’t we just leave it our little secret for now?” Her hands clasped together as if she were praying as she exaggerated the batting of her long lashes.

“Embarrassed by your younger man?” I joked.

“Has nothing to do with age. I’ve dated younger… and older, if you must know.”

Now it was my turn to be uncomfortable about
her
past. I hated the idea of her with another man. Loathed it, actually. I was not about to listen to details about
any
of the clowns she’d been with before. Nope—not no way, not no how. “Okay, let’s leave it at that. End of story.”

Inching up on her elbows and then hooking her arms around my neck, she leaned closer, pressing her lips to mine. “Jealous?”

“Very,” I answered, nipping on her lower lip.

“Good. I have to keep you on your toes.”

“And I’m gonna do things to you that will curl
your
toes.”

After that we fell silent, except for the sounds of heavy breathing and pleasure-filled moans. She shed her clothes, revealing a skimpy lace number that had me pawing at it just to experience it with a sense other than sight. She looked fucking incredible, but she felt even better under my fingertips.

Unhooking her bra, I dropped the straps over her tanned shoulders and trailed kisses across her chest as her head fell back to give me access to her gorgeous tits. Her nipples perked to attention as my lips caressed her skin. My hands instinctively reached up to knead her, causing her to writhe against me. We were both still clothed from the waist down, but not for too much longer. It was as if our brains were in sync as we both reached for the other’s clothing and slid the obstructions down and out of the way.

I pulled back from our kiss—a heated swirling of tongues and lips and hands groping skin—to guide her down on the bed. But with a firm grip on my wrist and a bold push at my shoulder, Riley shoved me down and positioned herself on top of me, leaving me in awe.

Her legs were draped along either side of me, her pussy wet and throbbing against my own aching arousal. I wanted to be inside of her so badly I was afraid I might prematurely shoot my load from neediness alone. Sensing what I so desperately craved, or experiencing the same yearning herself, she stroked me as if her hand were hugging my cock and directed the tip of my head to her slick opening.

I gave in to her control, loving that she knew what she wanted. I didn’t mind being at the mercy of this woman, it only mattered that we were back where we belonged—together.

When my cock was finally buried deep inside her, her hips grinding in a seductive rhythm, I allowed myself to appreciate all I’d been missing, all I thought I’d never have again. “Riley?” I muttered, almost unable to speak from the way her hips worked their magic.

“Yes?” she moaned, rocking our bodies to a tune that allowed me to feel depths I never knew I could.

“I’m gonna fall in love with you.” It was such a pussy thing to announce in the middle of having the hottest girl known to man riding me like there was no tomorrow, but I couldn’t help myself. Holding back was what caused us all the unnecessary time apart. I didn’t want that anymore. Only truth from here on out.

“Good. Because I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with you too.”

Her words almost felt better than the sweet warmth of her pussy. I did say
almost
right? I wasn’t about to lose my man card over the mere mention of the “L” word. But that word did make me want more.

Gripping her hips, I urged her to pound against me without mercy, taking me even deeper. I was pretty sure I could get off just from the moans she made as our bodies crushed together. It was an intensity I’d never felt before—like we would die without the connection. I was so close to finishing, but I wanted to hold on because I didn’t want it to end. I didn’t want to just let loose because the urge to do so was building inside me like rapid fire. I wanted us to do this together. I wanted her to know I was committed to her in more ways than one.

“Sweet thing, let’s do this together. Come with me.” I anchored her to me, still clutching her tiny hips. As sinfully sexy as she was—with the sweat from our exertions glistening off her bronzed skin and her dark hair messily draped over her hooded lids—she was angelic.

Leaning down and pressing her damp skin against mine, she trailed her tongue across my lips, across my jawbone, and up to my ear. “Yes. Let’s do this together.
Always
together.”

This time her words fueled me even further. I lifted my hips off the mattress, plunging into her with driving force. Moving my hand between our bodies, I reached between her legs to where our bodies were joined, and fingered her clit with my thumb.

“Yes, Beck. Yes. Yes.
Yes
.” It was erotic music at its best.

Her grinding became wild and her pussy clenched around me, gripping my cock as if sending it an invitation to explode inside her. With her fingers digging into the tensing muscles of my arms, I thrust into her one last time. She screamed out my name as her warm release seeped between us. It was too late to even think of pulling out, my brain was too far gone and my dick was bringing it home. Emptying myself inside her as if draining everything I had, I held her tight and let the waves of pleasure roll through me.

Wrapped in each other’s arms, our bodies still connected, I kissed her shoulder and combed my fingers through her hair. The gentle exchanges and skin-on-skin contact lulled us both into a drowsy after-sex stupor. When her breathing slowed and her grip slackened, I realized she’d fallen asleep in my arms.

It was the best way to start our new beginning.

“My boyfriend
and
my brother? Wow! You get around. Just like your whore of a brother. Guess that makes you quite the slut, yourself.” Her words dripped with pure hatred and disdain.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Marissa.” It was unnerving being cornered and attacked this way. I feared she might do something stupid out of rage and jealousy. But the only thing that kept me calm was that I hadn’t done anything wrong. I shouldn’t have to defend myself. I wasn’t a whore. But the idea that she thought that—that she might put the idea in Beck
or
Griffin’s head—“Just leave me alone. This has nothing to do with you.” I tried to stand my ground, but the way my body quaked gave me away.

Stalking closer and pointing a threatening finger in my face, she barked, “It has everything to do with me, you bitch! Griffin and I… My brother deserves better than you. Stay the fuck away from him! And just to make things clear… Beck. Is. Mine. He loves
me
. You’re nothing to him.” Her words stung. I didn’t know much about Griffin’s past—I guess I hadn’t really given him enough time to tell me. But it didn’t matter anymore. I would never get to know him better. I was with him for all the wrong reasons. I needed a distraction from the man I
really
wanted. And that man was no longer in love with this evil witch before me.

It was time to tell this bitch how things would go down. I wasn’t a coward. She was no one to me. No one to him now. “You’re wrong, Marissa. He doesn’t love you anymore. He wants
me.
He loves
me
.”

Wrong move.
Her face became the mottled crimson of a blood orange, her eyes popping out of their sockets. “You motherfucking whore!” she shouted, lunging at me with her claws ready to dig into my skin.

I backed up, shielding my face with my arms, knowing I had nowhere to hide. “Please! Stop! Don’t hurt me!”

“Riles?
Riley!
Wake up!” Beck’s voice and his strong grip on my arms woke me from my nightmare.

When I opened my eyes, I realized my arms were still in front of my face, my heart was thumping so rapidly I could taste it in my throat, and my skin was damp from my dream-induced sweat. “Oh my god. How embarrassing.” I finally spoke, panting and coming back down to reality. “I must’ve been dreaming.”

Swiping away the hairs that stuck to my forehead, Beck studied my face with a worried expression. “That was some dream, sweet thing. You sure you’re okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” There was no reason to overanalyze it. Marissa wasn’t a psycho, Griffin and I hadn’t been
together
long, and everyone else would understand—when the time was right.

“I’ll make you some coffee. Stay put.” Beck covered me with the blanket that I’d kicked off in my slumber-scuffle and stood from the bed to go downstairs.

Before he could take a step further, I grabbed his hand to stop him. “No. Really. I’m good. Just come back to bed. I’m not ready to get up yet.” Stupid dream behind me, it was time I started enjoying this for what it finally was. I hadn’t slept in—with a handsome man in my arms—in a very long time.

“I wouldn’t mind staying in bed all damn day if that’s what you have in mind.”

It was a wonderful plan, but I did have work to do. And some explaining to do to poor Griffin.

After Marissa left his apartment last night, I’d made up an excuse to cut our night short. Looking at the clock now, I realized I should call him to let him know I was okay. That would of course be after I told him that I couldn’t see him anymore. I wasn’t about to fill him in on every detail of my dating life—especially not the
who
part—but I did owe him honesty. He deserved to know I was seeing someone else. And Griffin wasn’t the only one who deserved an explanation. I wanted to tell Beck about Griffin before he heard it through the grapevine.

“Sure you’re okay?” Beck leaned against the headboard, appraising my distractedness.

Already I felt like I was starting this off on the wrong foot. I didn’t want to be dishonest about anything. Keeping things from each other this early on was not the most stellar way to build a trusting foundation for our future. And if I knew one thing after this whole hot mess, it was that I wanted a future with Beck. A strong, solid, long lasting one.

I owed him some truth.

“It’s not the dream. B, I need to tell you something.” I inched up so our bodies were level with one another, pulling the blanket higher for some form of comfort and protection.

“Anything,” he said in the sweetest, most understanding way possible.
Perfect. Just perfect.

“I was seeing someone else while we were apart. I just thought you should know before we started this and you found out and it looked like I was hiding it from you. If we’re going to do this right, I want to make sure that—”

Shaking his head, he interrupted me before letting me get to the good part. “I’m not an idiot, Riles. Well, actually I am a pretty big jerk for letting you go in the first place, but that’s not what I mean. You are one of a kind and you deserve only the best. I didn’t expect you to sit around and mope over me—I also didn’t expect you to just date the next bozo that came around, either—but I get it and it’s okay. I can’t judge you for what you did or who you spent your time with when we weren’t together. It’s none of my business and you owe me no explanation. But, from this moment on… clean slate, fresh start, balls to the wall.”

All worry vanished for a fleeting second and I smirked, unable to suppress a giggle from his comment. “Balls to the wall? What the hell does that have to do with it?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged adorably. “Just sounded right.”

“In some strange way, it’s true. This all just sounds so right.” I didn’t want to get all mushy and girly on him, but I wanted him to know I was serious about us. I didn’t want to press the Griffin issue because he’d managed to change the subject, but was that omitting a truth? Wasn’t that the same as lying?