Authors: Connie Lafortune
Reluctantly, I stop kissing her. So I can worship and explore the rest of her body. Slowly, I glide my lips down her neck. Lingering, just long enough to lick and suck on all the places that drive her wild. Her pulse points, right below her ears and the base of her throat. I leave tender kisses along her collarbones before wandering down to her breasts. Allowing my tongue to circle her areolas before sucking her nipple into my mouth. I love the feel of it against my tongue. It’s silky smooth and rigid both at the same time. Then I bite, blow and flick until she’s grinding against me. “Gage, please... ”
“We have all night, babe. Let me love you slowly.” When her hands leave the back of my neck and slide into the back of my boxers, I moan. But when her hands slither around my hips and wrap around my cock...
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
I nearly lose my ever loving mind!
Lyra’s stroking me from base to tip and it feels so fucking amazing that I don’t want her to stop. Ever. But I know if she continues, I’m going to come in her hand. And there’s someplace else I’d rather be when I do. “Mmm, you have very talented hands, but I want to be inside of you when I come.” Quickly, I push off the bed, dispose of my underwear and position myself between her thighs.
“Gage, I need you.”
When her eyes land on mine, I slowly push inside of her. My heart is hammering inside of my chest as her warm, wet heat wraps around me like a glove. Sucking me in. Inch by inch. Until I’m deep inside of her and we are now one. “Fuck. You feel so damn good, babe.”
I’m turned on even more when Lyra’s gaze dips down to where our bodies are joined. But I’m stunned when her eyes drift back up to mine and she whispers, “Fuck me harder, Gage. Please…”
What? Where did that come from? This is the first time Lyra has ever been vocal with me in the bedroom. With the exception of her little moans and mews, she’s normally quiet. So sue me when I get a niggling feeling that creeps across my skin. Is this how she was with
him
? Did they talk dirty to one another just so they could get off? Hurt turns into anger when I thrust inside of her. Harder and deeper than I’ve ever dared to go before. For fear of hurting her. If she wants it rough, then that’s exactly what she’ll get.
Within minutes I can feel her clenching around me while she’s screaming my name. “Yes! Gage, I’m coming! Ahhh…”
I can’t help being sucked in when her hands slide around to my ass, pulling me in tighter. Prolonging her orgasm and forcing me to surrender to the most intense orgasm I’ve ever had in my life.
Feels. So. Fucking. Good.
Before I know it, Lyra is sitting up and grabbing her clothes. “Gage... I-I need to go to the bathroom.” Okay. I guess cuddling is out of the question.
I leave a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth before rolling onto my back. But I’m hurt when Lyra races out the door. What the hell? It’s like she can’t get away from me fast enough. Suddenly, I feel like I just got played. Did she just use me for sex? Fucking A! I think she did.
After throwing on a pair of clean jeans, I go downstairs. I’m hoping I’m wrong, but my first instinct has me heading straight for the sunroom. When I see her kneeling on the floor with hers arms wrapped around Cody, I stop dead in my tracks. It’s at this very moment that I know. She’s crying for
him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lyra
I have no idea how long I’ve been hugging Cody but my heart stutters when
One
by Ed Sheeran begins to play.
Music has always been Gage’s way of expressing his feelings when he can’t find the right words.
I can’t speak. There’s a gigantic lump caught in my throat that I can’t swallow down. No matter how hard I try. When,
“You are the only one,”
resonates around the room, tears threaten to fall. But by the time the lyrics,
“Take my hand and my heart and soul, I will only
have these eyes for you,”
start to play, I can’t stop the tears from flowing even if I’d wanted to.
I can barely hear Gage whisper above the music, “I don’t want to be just your friend, Lyra. I want to be your everything. Because god knows that’s what you are to me.”
I can hear both of our hearts breaking in unison and it’s all my fault. Mine! A sob rips through my chest just as he kneels down in front of me. When his warm hands frame my face, I launch myself at him. “Gage, I promise I’ll try harder…”
I feel the goodbye on his lips as he quiets me with his mouth. Memorizing. Savoring. Until I taste the salt of his tears mingling with mine. Now, we are two bodies with one heartbeat.
Gage sighs before leaning his head against mine. “I guess subconsciously I had a reason for coming here today.” He leaves a tender kiss on both of my cheeks. “I had no intention of making love to you, Lyra. Until I saw you wearing that damn towel.” Silent tears continue to stream down his face as he kisses the tip of my nose. His piercing brown eyes lock on mine when he whispers, “I just want you to know, this is not goodbye.”
“What?” I must’ve misunderstood him, right? I’ve no doubt, he can hear my racing heart as he slides to the floor. He’s leaving? Suddenly, his arms wrap around me and the next thing I know, I’m sitting in his lap.
“I have had a lot to deal with over the past few weeks. I didn’t want to burden you with any of it because you’ve been through enough to last you a lifetime. But I can’t put it off any longer.” When he takes a deep breath, I know it isn’t good. “I was offered a job in Toronto with a prestigious architectural firm and I’ve accepted it.”
He’s saying goodbye, he just doesn’t want to admit it. “I’m happy for you, Gage. But a selfish part of me doesn’t want to let you go.” I straddle him so I can see his reaction when I ask, “Are you doing this because of what you overheard that day I was talking to Kennedy?”
“No. Absolutely not. There’s no doubt in my mind that you love me, Lyra. I feel it right here.” When he grabs my hand and places it over his heart, I fall apart. “I’m just not sure if you’re in love with me anymore. Baby, please don’t cry. I promise this is not goodbye, I’m just letting you go. I’m only signing on for six months. If they like what they see, then I’ll be hired on permanently. Listen to me, Lyra.” When his large hands frame my face, I have no choice but to look into his teary gaze. “When you want to hear the sound of my voice, call me. If you’re having a great day and you want to let me know, text me. Hell, you can call or text any time of day or night and I promise, I’ll do the same.”
What I don’t understand is why he hasn’t asked me to move to Toronto with him? Before I have a chance to ask, he says, “I’m not asking you to come with me because I’m giving you time to decide if I’m the one you want to spend forever with. Once I’ve fulfilled my contract, then you can be the one to decide if I stay in Toronto or come home to you. I would give it all up for you, Lyra. In a heartbeat. Because in the end, all I want is your happiness.”
I have no words. Months ago, I thought Ryker had made the ultimate sacrifice. His life for mine. He didn’t give me a choice. But Gage just did. Dammit! Now I have six months to decide whether I want the man who loves me unconditionally, or the one who left me behind. I shouldn’t have to give it a second thought. It’s a no-brainer. Unfortunately, I’m in love with both of them. Gage will always have my heart, but somehow Ryker owns my body and soul. And if I can’t figure this out soon, it has the potential to destroy us all. “When are you leaving?”
“I’m taking the red-eye out on Monday.”
How can I possibly say goodbye to someone who’s been the very air I breathe? Impossible. Forty-eight hours just isn’t enough time to show Gage how much he truly means to me. Because in my heart, I know. The moment he walks out that door, he won’t be back. “Will you let me drive you to the airport?”
The tortured look on his face says it all. “Absolutely not. I’m not that strong. I’ve even asked my mom to stay home. It’s going to be just my dad and me.”
I nuzzle into his neck and just breathe. I want to drink in his scent until it’s embedded beneath my skin so I will never, ever forget him. If I hadn’t been consumed by lust, I wouldn’t be in this situation. Why, oh why did I give myself so freely to Ryker? When I had this incredible man waiting for me all along? “Please don’t go, Gage.”
He wraps his arms around me so tightly, not even the thinnest piece of paper would fit between us. I want to wail when I feel his heart beating in sync with mine. Gage is wrong. He is my everything. So please tell me why that isn’t enough?
“I’ve been agonizing over this for weeks now, Lyra. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I feel like it’s the right one. Not just for me, but for both of us. I’ve never forgotten how great we were together, but you need time alone to remember. I’m hoping absence will ‘make the heart grow fonder.’ Seriously babe, you need time to heal. And I don’t think you’d be able to do that if I’m here with you. You would come to resent me because without realizing it, I’d be suffocating you.”
Gage and I were the perfect couple. Until Ryker Steel rescued me. Now, I’m being torn apart because I’m in love with both men. And the sad part about this whole situation is, only one of them loves me back. And he’s the one who’s leaving.
“Did you have any plans for the weekend, Lyra?”
“Only you, Gage. Only you,” I whisper as my mouth claims his. While
Photograph
by Ed Sheeran plays in the background. How apropos.
Gage
After the weekend I spent with Lyra, I almost didn’t get on the plane. Until I remembered why I was leaving in the first place...
I accidentally found out through a friend of a friend that Lyra and Kennedy were taking off for the weekend. So I decided it was the perfect opportunity for me to sneak into my own house and pick up the Merritt project I’d been working on. But the minute I walked into the house and heard the words, “I was in love with my abductor, Kennedy. How fucked up is that?” all rational thought disappeared. Yeah, you guessed it. I went rummaging through our closet to find all of the journals she so lovingly tucked away. They screamed, “Read me!” And I did. Not once, but twice. They gutted me. It was very difficult to accept that the woman I love had penned them. Sadly, there was no mistaking Lyra’s handwriting. It was all there in black and white…
Once I was over the initial shock, I realized she referred to
him
as Ryker Steel, not Jonathan Day. So I Googled him. Imagine my surprise when a shit-ton of pictures appeared. I didn’t recognize the man staring back at me. Short black hair, piercing blue eyes and an enigmatic smile. The opposite of Jonathan Day’s long dark hair, black lifeless eyes and permanent scowl. Hmm, clever disguise. Other pics were taken during his tour in Afghanistan, while he was serving in the Marine Corps. One article stated he was working for the DEA when he dropped off the grid. How convenient. But the pics that really piqued my interest were the ones where he had his arms possessively wrapped around a woman. According to the articles, it was his wife, Bella. No wonder he was so fascinated with my woman. She was the mirror image of his. That fucking bastard!
The last article stated that he disappeared a few weeks after his wife was killed by a hit and run driver. I suppose since he worked for the government, it wouldn’t have been too hard for him to obtain a new identity. Would it? Conveniently, Ryker Steel becomes Jonathan Day. Very clever.
I feel absolutely no remorse. As far as I’m concerned, the bastard got what he deserved. Now I need time to pick up the pieces of my broken heart. Hence, the reason I decided to take the job in Toronto. I’m hoping time will be kind to Lyra and me. Because even after everything I read, I still want to spend a lifetime with her.
The architectural firm I’m working for is picking up my rental tab. So I’m staying at The Summerhill while I’m in Toronto. It’s a big apartment complex with some great amenities. An indoor pool, a gym, and a set of tennis courts. I’ve never played tennis, but I suppose you’re never too old to learn. I’m not sure if I’ll have time to partake in all the festivities since I’ll be focusing on advancing my career, but it’s nice to know they’re available to blow off some pent up steam.
As I’m unpacking, all I can think about is Lyra. I can’t help wondering what she’s doing right now. In this moment. Or, if she’s thinking about me, too. Then it hits me. Why didn’t I ever put two and two together? How could I have been so blind? Lyra seems to fall for guys who come to her rescue. I should know that better than anyone...
I don’t know why I let Vince talk me into coming to this stupid party tonight. Since I’m in the minority when it comes to drugs and drinking. Or the double D’s as I prefer to call them. Okay, get your mind out of the gutter. Although, if someone were to offer me a pair, I definitely have something I could put in between them. And it certainly would make this nightmare a whole lot easier to handle.
“Hey, Gage! Get your sweet ass over here.”
Shit. I was about to blow this taco stand when Vince called me out. This is not my scene and I just want to get the hell out of here. Once I push through the crowd and see him talking to a girl with long dark hair, I falter. She’s drop-dead gorgeous. It doesn’t hurt that she’s wearing a barely-there dress that shows off that curvaceous body. I hate to admit it but my dick likes her too. Cock tease.
“Kennedy, this is Gage. The hot guy you’ve been drooling over all night.”
Way to go, douchebag. I’m just about to call him out for being so obnoxious when she retorts. “The only reason I was drooling was because your breath stinks. Do me and the world a favor by grabbing yourself a tic-tac!”
Wow. I like her already. “C’mon, Kennedy, let’s go for a walk. And according to you, a much needed breath of fresh air.” She laughs as I place my hand against the base of her spine so I can guide her outside. The heat oozing from her back radiates throughout my fingertips. Sending mini shock waves to my libido. Fuck! Maybe this night won’t be a waste of time after all.