Authors: Jennifer Bernard
Or maybe Ryan would be there, winking up at her from the depths of the beanbag chair. Naked. Aroused. Wanting her.
Doug was still talking. “But what about the insurance?”
“I don’t know. I’ll figure something out.”
“Did you tell your father?”
“No. And don’t you dare say a word.”
Doug shrugged. “All he talks about is his gnomes anyway.” He gave a squeaky giggle. “Little dudes creep me out. It’s like they’re watching you.”
Katie loaded the last glasses into the dishwasher. She went into the kitchen to lock the brand-new back door. Her brothers had installed it yesterday, when it turned out simply nailing up a board wouldn’t satisfy the fire department. They needed a working back door in case of fire.
Fire. It always came down to fire.
She took a moment to enjoy the silence of the empty, ravaged kitchen. For an antisocial person, she’d spent a lot of time in the company of other people today. Maybe when she went back out front, Doug would be gone.
No such luck. He drummed his fingers on the bar, suddenly much more alert. “It’s because of that dude. The bartender,” he accused as she walked through the swinging door.
“What is?”
“Calling off the professional. You did it because of him.”
“What makes you think he has anything to do with it?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes when I get stoned I see shit I missed before. We stopped setting the fires ourselves after he caught you.”
“Well, he’s a fireman. He said it was dangerous. He was right.”
“He’s a
fireman
?”
She bit her lip. She hadn’t intended to tell Doug about that. It was Ryan’s business, not hers. But her brain was too exhausted to keep everything straight. Things like who knew what about whom.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why do you care?”
“You’re into him, aren’t you?”
Damn, maybe he did see more stoned. “Let it go, Doug.”
“I have a right to know.” He pounded his fist on the bar like a drunken politician. “I have rights. Exes have rights. There oughta be a law. Maybe there is. If there isn’t a law, I’m going to make one. Ex’s rights. Ignore us at your p-p-peril. My dad could sue.”
Oh for Pete’s sake. She stomped into the office to grab her backpack. She didn’t want to fight with Doug. Really, she didn’t.
“Do you have a crush on him? Are you hoping he’ll notice you if you do what he says? Cuz that’s just pathetic, Katie. I’m sort of embarrassed for you.”
She slung her backpack over her shoulder and kicked up the pass-through. It slapped open with a satisfying clank. “For your information, Ryan and I have had sex. Great sex. More than once. So I think he’s ‘noticed’ me.”
Doug’s disbelieving look did nothing for her ego.
“In fact, he’s waiting for me right now. So if you want to call that ‘pathetic,’ go right ahead. I call it fun. And I deserve some fun. Yes, I do. Ignore
that
at your peril.”
It would have been a grand exit, except for the fact that she had to hold the door open for him to leave. He skulked out, giving her sullen, uncomprehending looks as though she’d suddenly turned into a skunk.
“Good night, Doug.” And good-bye, she thought as she headed away from the bar. Surely Doug would finally, finally get the message. She’d pay
him
ten thousand dollars to go away, if she still had any money.
She started up her car. But strangely enough, it didn’t drive toward her bathtub and TV. All on its own, it headed for Ryan’s house. She was too tired to object.
A
sleepy-eyed Ryan enfolded her in his strong arms, cushioned her against his bare chest, and carried her into his bedroom. They toppled onto the bed and into a deep sleep. Katie’s last thought before blessed darkness enclosed her was that heaven contained mussed bedcovers and a naked Ryan.
Who knew?
In the middle of the night, she came vaguely awake to feel his hands moving across her body. He stroked the curve of her waist, the little hidden nook under her hipbone, and tangled his fingers in the nest of hair below. She opened to him like a sleepy flower under the touch of the sun.
“Ryan,” she whispered.
“Mmm.” His answer came from the middle of her body, just before his warm tongue flicked at the sensitive knot of flesh.
“Oh!” She started, fully awake now. She caught her lower lip between her teeth, shocked by the sensations vaulting through her nervous system. Opening her mouth to tell him to stop, she surprised herself with a moan. She didn’t like this sort of thing. It felt uncomfortable and embarrassing.
But whatever Ryan was doing with his mouth definitely didn’t feel uncomfortable. She pushed her hips toward him. Would he laugh at her obvious demonstration of want? She felt so vulnerable like this, her thighs trembling, legs falling open, hands clutching at his hair. But he didn’t seem to mind. He gripped her ass with his strong hands and lifted her closer to his mouth. And then something hot and hard was entering into her—oh my God, his finger, delving inside and finding just the right spot, a spot she didn’t know existed. White waves of heat scorched across her vision.
“
Ryan
.” She shrieked the word. “I can’t, I can’t . . .” And then whatever it was she couldn’t do—she was doing, flying like a rocket ship through an endless universe. She knew her body rocked and bucked against his mouth. But what happened to her body was out of her hands. Ryan was in charge.
And Ryan knew just what to do. While the spasms still fluttered through her, he lifted himself up and plunged deep inside her. She groaned at the sensation of being filled and spread open, shattered and remade. She moved against him, meeting each stroke with hot urgency. In the shadowed room, he was a dark figure, each tense line of his body screaming his desire for her.
God, she loved that. Loved that he wanted her. Loved how he touched her. It made her crazy. A strong bolt of emotion crashed through her, and she threw herself into the rhythm they were creating together, the thrust and withdrawal, stroke and parry, until another shattering orgasm rocked through her. She held tight to his sweaty back, feeling his muscles clench and tense. He gave a deep, gut-level groan, then went still. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he pumped into her. A sense of glory filled her. Nothing in her life had ever felt like this.
Ryan collapsed next to her, breathing as heavily as if he’d just run a marathon. “Holy crap,” he rasped.
She gave an exhausted giggle. “You can say that again.”
“Seriously.” He raised himself on one elbow and peered at her in the darkness. “That’s not normal. Sex doesn’t usually feel like that. Does it?”
“Um . . . I’m the wrong person to ask,” she said. “I don’t have much experience.” The truth was the truth, embarrassing though it might be. She stroked the sweat-soaked hair on his chest. “All I know is . . .” She searched for the right words to compliment his lovemaking. “I’ve never felt like this before.”
She winced at her heartfelt tone. Now he’d probably guess at her feelings for him, her hopeless, juvenile crush.
“I can’t remember feeling like this either,” he said in an odd tone. “Strange.”
She scrutinized his face, which looked mysterious and unreadable in the darkness. “Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know,” he said after a moment. He gave her a puzzled look, then shook it off. “Better get some sleep. You were dead on your feet when you got here.”
He nestled her back under the covers.
As if she’d be able to sleep, after that mind-blowing experience. But a delicious drowsiness stole the thought away.
R
yan waited until Katie was fast asleep once again, then cuddled the blankets around her and got out of bed. He had to clear his head. Get a grip on what had happened. He’d had lots of sex in his time. He’d started at the age of fourteen, in the bed of the local pizza shop waitress. He’d never looked back. He loved sex. Loved women. But never had sex touched him as deeply as it had with Katie. Never had it sent energy soaring through him like this. He felt like Superman. Like Tarzan. Like he could rule the world.
What the fuck?
He stood in the kitchen in his boxers, scratching his stomach. He thought of Katie curled up in his bed, a slim lump under his sheets, and a sense of well-being flooded him. It felt good to know Katie was close by. Near enough so he could ravage her again if he felt the urge. Or tickle her until she woke up and glared at him. Or tease her until she turned pink and started shooting insults back at him.
The thing about Katie was, she didn’t hide anything. You never had to worry about hidden agendas. Katie was Katie, down to her bones, to the tips of her toes. And she was loyal. Look at how she tried to do her best for her family. Even if she had some sketchy ideas about what was “best.”
He chuckled. Katie had a way of making him laugh more than any girl he’d ever known. He had more fun hanging around her than he did with his firehouse buddies. And that was saying a lot. With Katie he didn’t have to hide anything. She didn’t, so why should he?
Maybe that’s why sex with her felt different than with anyone else. Because they were such good friends.
Yes, that must be it.
Relieved by that conclusion, he decided to make himself a snack. Maybe a grilled cheese sandwich or some nachos. Then he spotted his study manual on the table. Why not channel some of this late night energy into something useful? His exam was scheduled for later the next day, after all. He bounded toward the book and settled down to study.
A
round seven in the morning, Katie stumbled into the kitchen. She blinked at him in the bright morning light, her dark eyes still blurred from sleep, her yesterday’s clothes rumpled. Her shirt was buttoned wrong. His heart gave an unnerving little jump.
“What are you doing?”
“Cramming. I got my test today.”
“Oh.” A shadow fell over her face. “I’d better go.”
“What about breakfast?”
“I’ll eat at my parents. We have that, you know, that welcome home/goodbye party for my brothers today. They’re leaving soon. I should help get ready.” She turned to go.
Ryan felt something close to panic. “But wait. Where is it? The party?”
“You don’t have to go,” she tossed over her shoulder. “It’s stupid. Really. And you have your test today. In fact, you should take the day off from work too.”
He stared after her. He didn’t like this habit of hers, the way she kept walking off after sex. “Wait!” He jumped up and ran after her, catching her just inside the front door. “Is something wrong? Why the cold shoulder?”
“Nothing’s wrong. It’s not a cold shoulder.” Her eyes met his briefly, enough so he saw that something was definitely wrong. “I have to go. They’re having the party early so I can still open the bar. I need to help out.”
“Then I’ll come with you. I’ll bring my manual. I can study there too. Your brothers invited me. Both of them, twice. How can I turn down four invitations?”
She studied him for a long moment. “I don’t think you should come.” And she fled down the front path.
His jaw dropped. Katie was blowing him off after a wild night of sexual bliss. She’d come as hard as he had. He knew it. She’d been just as affected as he had. So why was she treating him like this now?
She hopped in her car and drove off without a single look back.
Fine.
He closed the door with a satisfying slam and went back to the manual. He should focus on his exam anyway. Getting back on the force mattered more than anything else. But for some reason his concentration was shot. The words on the page blurred before his eyes. The more he thought about Katie’s behavior, the angrier he got. He’d been nothing but sweet and respectful to her, and that wasn’t even counting the orgasms he’d given her. How dare she walk out on him?
He slammed the manual shut and strode into his bedroom to get dressed. Her brothers had invited him to the party, and he was damn well going to show up, no matter what Katie said.
K
atie spread the yellow-checkered picnic cloth over the patio table. Disaster. Catastrophe. Just as she’d expected. Stupid girl, she’d fallen hopelessly, irrevocably in love with the unattainable Ryan Blake.
Maybe the sight of him studying had been the last straw. That little crease between his eyebrows made the bottom of her stomach drop out. Or maybe it had happened the moment he’d first walked into the Hair of the Dog. All she knew was that when he’d looked up from his manual, she’d seen nothing but open, warm friendliness in his eyes.
If a cliff had been nearby, she would have been sorely tempted to walk off it. To make matters worse, her father had cornered her as soon as she’d arrived at the house.
“I’ve got an offer for you, Katie girl. An offer you can’t refuse.”
She still hadn’t processed it.
At the grill, Jake ripped open a package of hot dogs and tossed them on the flames. “Your boyfriend coming?”
“He’s not . . .” Oh, why bother. “No.”
“Damn. We need some new blood for the Posedown.”
“You need a new game instead of that stupid Posedown.”
“Posedown is not a game.” Jake brandished the spatula at her.
“Yeah, yeah. First rule of Posedown, you don’t talk about Posedown. Second rule of Posedown, we girls have to admire all the big muscles.” Her bad mood spilled over. “Ryan’s not coming because he thinks the whole thing is ridiculous.”
“What’s ridiculous?”
She looked up sharply. Ryan, hands in pockets, strolled through the back gate onto the patio. Grinning, Jake slapped him on the back.
“Knew you wouldn’t pass up a chance to show off your muscles.”
Ryan’s summer-blue gaze lingered on Katie. The dangerous look in his eyes sent little tendrils of excitement through her. Todd appeared with a plate of burgers.
“Ryan, glad you showed. Ready for Posedown?”
Ryan shrugged. “Someone’s going to have to explain it to me.”
“Not much to it.” Jake winked and tossed the spatula onto the table. He stripped off his T-shirt and flexed his arms over his head until his biceps jumped. “That’s about it. You pose until your blood vessels are about to pop.”
Katie felt herself turning red. “My family’s . . . um . . . a little competitive.”
Todd handed Katie the plate of hamburgers and stripped off his shirt. He bent over like a gorilla and clenched his chest muscles. A ridge of sinew stood out along his neck.
“Nothing wrong with competition,” grunted Jake, his face turning red. “Who’s winning, Gidge?”
Katie wanted to sink into the ground. Her brothers were like oversize kids. Why couldn’t they act like normal people for once and keep their shirts on?
“Ryan, join in any time.” Todd squeezed the words through white, clenched lips. “Gidget, hurry. My veins are popping. And my elbow’s not too happy.”
Ryan met her eyes. She shook her head in a horrified no. An unpleasant smile touched his lips. In slow motion, he reached for the bottom of his T-shirt. He was pulling his shirt over his head when Bridget and their mother appeared with platters of sliced tomatoes, cheese, and hamburger buns.
“Oh my,” said Nina. “That’s not Doug, is it?”
“Doug never did Posedown,” said Bridget. “That’s Ryan.”
“Frank, get out here! Looks like the boys will have some competition!”
Katie’s father had holed himself up with his gnomes, sulking because the doctor had banned him from Posedown. But now he came barreling out.
“Goddamn!” he bellowed at the sight of the three bare-chested men. “Kills me not to do Posedown. Kills me!”
“Don’t you dare, Frank,” warned his wife, clutching at his arm. “Let the boys duke it out.”
“I could take ’em. I swear I could.”
Bridget hadn’t taken her eyes off Ryan. He’d thrown himself into the goofy spirit of the event. He’d adopted a kind of Egyptian pose, one arm curled over his head, biceps bulging, while the other twisted behind his back. He bared his teeth in a mock snarl. Sunshine bounced off the golden hairs on his skin. “I don’t know, Dad. You might get Mom’s vote, but Ryan’s got the girl bloc sewn up.”
Katie gritted her teeth. The sight of shirtless Ryan was torture enough. But Ryan hanging out as if he were part of the family? As if they were really together? Not fair. Her heart couldn’t take it. She tossed the platter of burgers on the picnic table and marched to Ryan’s side. She grabbed his wrist, where the taut tendons stretched the skin, and yanked him out of his pose.
“Ryan forfeits,” she informed her family over her shoulder.
She headed for the gate, nearly tripping over a stray garden gnome.
“I think I could have won. Damn, Vader would love this event. We’ll have to do one at the firehouse.”
“Would you please put your shirt on?” she hissed.
“Nope. Not until you explain why you keep walking out on me.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You come to my house, we make love, then you run for the hills at the first chance. I’m tired of it.”
“You’re
tired
of it?” Anger flashed through her. What was tired compared to heartbroken? “Is that why you came here, to get revenge?”
“Revenge?” He scowled at her. They’d reached the front yard now, and she saw his big black Chevy. The truck where they’d first made love. His bare chest drew her attention, the sun gleaming on his skin. She blinked and tried to look away.
“Katie, give me an honest answer. You’re the girl who doesn’t lie, remember? Are you upset with me? Didn’t I please you last night?”
The touch of vulnerability in his voice undid her. “Of course you pleased me.”
“Good.” He grabbed her hand. A shock of lust traveled all the way to the soles of her feet. His voice thickened. “Come with me. I want you again. Already. I don’t know what it is you do to me, but I can’t get enough.”