The Closer You Get (26 page)

Adam stormed out. Rye sat there shaking, struggling to keep his breathing even, glaring at the place where Adam had stood. Dimly he became aware of Cora’s hand on his thigh. But all he could think about was how much he hated narrow-minded pricks like that. People like that were the reason he and Cash had lived like nomads the past ten years.
 

Cool hands took his face and he found himself looking into Cora’s eyes. “He doesn’t speak for the town, Rye.”

A bitter laugh escaped. “Sure he doesn’t.”
 

“I mean it, Rye. You guys are doing really well, here. Don’t let him get to you.”

Rye couldn’t stand her touch just then. He couldn’t stand her eyes that made him hope for better things, things he didn’t deserve. He stood, pulling away from her in the process. “I hate this shitty town and you know what? I’ve tried and tried, but I hate him too.”

“Please don’t let his words mess things up—”

“I don’t think you fully realize what’s going on here. People in towns like this, people like Adam and you…you think you’re all open and welcoming. You think you’re good people, but the minute something comes in and threatens to change things, you show your true colors.”

“Don’t lump me in with him—”

“What kills me is, you act like you’ve got something to offer. Like your perfect fucking little town is paradise on earth and we should be so lucky as to get to live here. Like you’re doing us some fucking favor letting us walk among you and like you got the power to kick us out when you decide you don’t want us.”

“Rye,” Cora said in warning, standing to face him.

He met her gaze, but realized he was seeing red, because she no longer looked like his beautiful love interest, his soft haven of safety and pleasure. She looked like every other small town asshole who’d threatened his right to exist. “What? You gonna gang up on me, now? Gather all your friends, meet me and my brother at the city limits, and tell us never to set foot in your little paradise? Do you actually think I give a shit? You think I want to be part of your tight-knit community that’s apparently so fucking perfect you don’t have room for two more?”

“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Adam. Get out of my house. Go somewhere and cool off. We’ll talk when you’ve settled down.”

“I’m settled down,” he said.

“You’re shaking, you’re mad, and you’re saying unfair things.”

Her words made an impact. He took a moment to realize he was breathing hard. To realize the words he’d been saying to her weren’t meant for her. He gave his head a shake. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Yeah, you’re right.” He kissed the top of her head, moved past her, and went home.

“Wow, what was that about?” Franny asked.

Cora’s head had still been pounding from the hangover. Between Adam and Rye, it was now about ten times worse. She nibbled at the edges of a blueberry muffin. “Rye’s very sensitive about small town politics. It just happens that Adam is the embodiment of all the things Rye’s sensitive about.”

“Is it a serious problem?”

Cora shrugged. “I don’t know. It will be if they don’t learn to open up to each other. I mean, how long can Adam keep dating Cash when he hates Cash’s brother so much?”

Franny sighed. “Why do people have to complicate life so much? Why can’t we just love and be loved?”

“We aren’t all made of your sweet stuff, Franny.”

Franny smiled. “So…good date?”

Cora blushed when she thought of the more intimate times. Rye’s hand on her. His mouth.
 

“Mmm,” Franny hummed. “Very good date, I see. I think it is so sweet and amazing that he wanted you to have that feeling of being the center of every guy’s attention.”

“It was sweet, wasn’t it?”

“And thoughtful.”

“Mmm.”

“To be honest,” Franny said, “I like the guy, but I hadn’t thought he had that kind of depth to him. He’s trying to give you things he thinks you’re missing. I wonder what’s next.”

Cora hoped there was a next. She continued hoping there was a next through the weekend. He didn’t call her or come by so that she was left sleeping the sleep of the emotionally tortured for two nights. By Monday, she’d talked herself into wondering whether she still had a boyfriend. It had been all she could do not to dissolve into tears.
 

Late in the morning she realized she’d been sitting at her desk in her office staring at a blank computer screen. Ridiculous. He was only a few doors down. She could go and talk to him.

But she didn’t want to. She wanted him to come to her. She’d asked him for reassurance. He knew good and well she wasn’t confident during this dating process. And yet he’d left her hanging.
 

Then again, maybe he’d taken her words as a breakup. She’d told him to leave her house. Maybe he’d assumed she’d meant for good.

She jolted at the sound of a knock on her door. Before she could answer, the door opened, and Rye walked in, smiling at her. He closed the door behind him, swung a chair in front of her desk and sat. “I’m sorry for losing my temper Saturday. You were right shutting me down like that. I was just angry and didn’t have anywhere to go with it.”

Cora took a shuddering breath, found she had no voice and nodded her forgiveness.

Rye grinned. “Can I take you to lunch? I had a meeting, but it got canceled.”

Cora lost control of her emotions. Tears burst forth, and she buried her face in her hands to sob. A moment later, Rye’s hand was on her back, his voice deep and soothing. “Hey, what’s the matter? What did I do?”

Cora could only sob.

“Listen, hey, if this is something I did, just tell me and I’ll fix it. If it’s something someone else did, tell me and…and I’ll fix it. Hey, shhh…”

He lifted her from her seat, sat down, and nestled her into his lap. Cora was humiliated at this display of weakness in her own office. If any of the guys she managed were to see this, they’d lose all respect for her. Maybe Rye would lose respect for her, too.

On the other hand, it felt amazingly good having someone give her comfort during an emotional meltdown. Having a man’s arms wrapped soothingly around her. She felt herself calm in the cocoon of his embrace.

When she was able to speak, she said, “I was afraid it was over. After you’d gotten so mad…you didn’t call all weekend. I thought you were done with me.”

His arms squeezed tighter. He let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry you were worried about that.”

“I should have just called you.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I know it’s hard to decide what to do.”

“But I should have called, right?”

“You can always call me. I feel like an insensitive jerk. I honestly wasn’t thinking about your feelings because it just seemed like you understood. I figured I’d apologize when I saw you, but in the meantime, I was thinking about Cash and me and our situation. If I’d known how upset you were, Cora, I’d have been with you, making it up to you.”

She nodded, her cheek brushing against the collar of his shirt. “This relationship stuff is new to me. I have to remember I’m not the center of your universe.”

He held her away from him, his smile doing wonders for her soul. “It’s true I’ve got other things to think about and stress over. But you are most definitely the center of my universe.”

She smiled back and kissed him. The tender way he cupped her face and returned her kiss seemed to fill all the empty places in her mind and soul. As she kissed him, she realized she wanted her life to be filled by him. More immediately, she wanted her body filled with him.

Cora pulled back and looked into his bleary, hooded gaze. “What other appointments do you have today?” she asked.

“I was gonna go out to the site for the country club after lunch. They’re starting on the ground improvement today.”

“That all?”

“Meeting with Daniel.”

“You can push that back, though, right? Until tomorrow?”

He blinked. “What do you have in mind?”

She leaned in, hovered her lips over his ear, and whispered. “I’m not hungry. Take me to bed.”

He nearly threw her off his lap in his hurry to get out of the office. He grabbed her hand and pulled, ready to drag her out the door. Cora laughed. “Hold on, I’ve gotta change some things on my schedule. You do, too, right?”

He gaped at her as though he had no idea what she was talking about. “Yeah. I guess.”

“Go on, then. I’ll meet you at your truck in fifteen minutes.”

He moved toward her, shockingly fast, grabbed her beneath her armpits and lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pushed her hard against the wall with his body, his erection fitting perfectly between her legs. “Fifteen minutes?” he asked, his voice cracking with emotion. “You got any idea what I could do to you in fifteen minutes?”

The intensity in his eyes sent thrills through her body. “Do it to me at home.”

“I can’t wait that long.”

Now he was looking at her like she was dinner. Cora gulped. “I don’t want our first time together to be hurried and frantic.”

His eyes were on her lips. He licked his own. “I’m so conflicted.”

She dropped her head back and laughed. “Go. Hurry and fix your schedule so we can take the day off.”

He sat her down and left, mumbling something under his breath. Cora returned to her desk to rearrange her appointments, pushing them to later in the week. Her blood hummed with excitement. She wasn’t at all surprised that Rye was already at his truck waiting for her. He opened the door and gave her ass a squeeze as she climbed in.

“My place or yours?” he asked when he got behind the wheel.

“Mine.”
 

Rye drove a little faster than was strictly necessary. Cora started to say something, but when she looked at him, she changed her mind. His jaw was set, and his knuckles were white on the steering wheel. He cursed at every red light and gunned the gas at every green.
 

It was all she could do not to laugh.
 

When, at last, they arrived at her house, Rye was out of the truck before she’d unbuckled. He came around to her door, lifted her out of the truck, and kicked the door shut behind him. He sat her down in front of her door so she could unlock it, but he kept kissing her neck and groping her breasts. “I’m not gonna make it,” he said. “Let’s just do it right here.”

She fumbled with the lock for way longer than it should have taken. When it finally clicked open, Rye rushed her into the house, spun her around, and walked her backward to her room. His mouth took hers, not breaking contact until the backs of her legs hit the edge of her bed.
 

He unbuttoned her top far enough to expose her bra that he peeled down over her breasts so that he could taste them and then suck them ravenously. Cora thought she might pass out from the sensation.

She managed to get her shirt the rest of the way off and unhook her bra. Rye discarded the clothes, pushed her to her back, and removed her shoes, socks, jeans, and panties. She expected him to cover her body with his, but instead, he stood back and stared at her. In broad daylight. With the cool air prickling her skin.
 

His eyes roamed leisurely while he unbuttoned his shirt and shoved out of it. While he kicked off his boots. While he pulled a condom out of his pocket and tossed it on the bed. While he unfastened his pants, leaned on the bed, hooked her legs over his shoulders, and buried his face between them.
 

Cora sobbed in pleasure.
 

Rye’s tongue stroked her in just the right spot, over and over. She pushed up on her elbows and watched him work, watched his head moving as he lapped at her, relished her, delighted himself and her both. She fell back as she came with a slow, steady shudder.

Rye rolled on the condom and kissed his way up her body, lingering at her breasts as she panted and recovered from her orgasm. His hips pressed against hers, his erection fitted between them. He propped himself on his forearms and looked down into her eyes.

He smiled.

Cora smiled in return.
 

Rye cupped her face, his fingertips caressing her cheek, her lips. His gaze was so full of love and admiration, Cora felt she could bask in it forever.
 

The movement of his hips barely caught her attention, but then she him push against her. “Shh,” he said, in answer to the way her body tensed. “No hurry, right?”

She focused her attention back on his face. “Right.”

He stroked her hair, kissed her forehead, and gently pushed inside of her, just the tip. Cora gasped. Rye kissed the tip of her nose, her cheeks, her lips. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life as the way you look now,” he whispered.

She did her part. She believed him.
 

It was all there in his gaze. The truth of it. The meaning.
 

He pushed in a little further, his jaw tightening, his eyes locked on hers. Now his hands were fisted in her hair. Now her fingertips were dug into his shoulders. “More,” she whispered.

He gave her all of it and their eyes never left each other. She squirmed to adjust to the fullness of him and to feel that pressure against her pleasure center. The strain of self-control was beginning to take its toll on Rye. He was breathing hard and fast, the tendons in his neck showing. He slowly slid most of the way out and then pushed back in. “God,” he gasped.

Cora’s brain was starting to shut down, but she had just enough conscious thought left to realize what Rye needed. “Go,” she said.
 

He groaned and began thrusting harder until he was pounding so fervently that the headboard was banging against the wall. Sweat slicked between their bodies, increasing the slide of skin on skin. Cora found herself fixated on his shoulders, the flexing of his muscles with each movement. Somehow, it was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. Her climax built again, and Rye seemed to sense it. His movements changed to a slow, deep grinding that increased her pleasure intensely.

When she came, he pounded into her three more times, went tense, and pulsed inside of her, groaning.