Never Tied Down (The Never Duet #2) (16 page)

   I released her nipple, but cupped her breast, kneading and rolling her nipple between my fingers.  My mouth found hers and our lips met, gaping wide, tongues searching for each other.  My free hand slid low and pulled open the elastic at the top of her panties, sliding past it, feeling the heat of her as I crept closer.

   When my fingers finally found her, I groaned at her wetness.  There was something so carnally arousing knowing that her body was responding to mine, that the way I was touching her body was turning her on, soaking her. 

   I wasted no time.  I wanted to feel her wrapped around me.  I slowly pushed a finger inside her, easing my way in, loving the softness of her.  She moaned and as I swallowed her noises, she pushed her hips forward, grinding down on my hand.  That simple movement, her body asking for more, snapped something in me.

   I moved quickly and rolled her underneath me, then used my hands to remove her panties, leaving the tube socks where they were, stretched over her long, slender legs.  I stood at the edge of the bed, pushed my own pants to the floor, then gripped her ankles and tugged her toward me.  Her eyes were wide as she watched me kneel before her, and I held her gaze as I lowered and brought my tongue to run over her center.  One long lick and her eyes closed, back arched, and breath panted.

   She tasted fucking amazing, just like I remembered.  Just like I’d thought about every night since we’d been apart.  I wanted to tell her how much I’d missed her, how much I loved every single fucking part of her, but I couldn’t stop.

   Her fingers slid through my hair, gripping me there, holding me to her.  The more she participated—grinding against me, holding my mouth right where she wanted it—the more enthusiastic I became.  I sucked and licked, slowly moving my fingers in and out of her, coaxing a slow yet frantic climax from her.

   With every exhale, she moaned, gradually increasing in volume, until finally she erupted.  Her thighs clamped around my head, her heat gripped my fingers still inside her, and she tugged on my hair, all while crying out incoherently.  It was so fucking beautiful, feeling her come, hearing her pleasure, knowing it came from me, that I gave it to her.

   After a few moments she relaxed, went limp, panting.  I moved over her, slowly crawling up her body, placing light kisses on her damp skin, loving every part of her, until I was back at her mouth.  She leaned up and kissed me.  It was a slow and lazy kiss, as though she were drunk from her orgasm.  Her hands started at my shoulders, then slid down my arms, moving to my waist and coming up my back.  Her legs parted, one wrapping around my waist, and she pulled her mouth from mine.

   “I haven’t been with anyone.  Not since you.”  Her eyes were searching mine, looking for an answer.  I knew what she wanted and God, I wanted it too.

   “Do you trust me?”

   “I trust you and I love you.  I want to feel all of you.” 

   Her words were like slow-moving lava, burning and scorching through me.  I’d never be the same after this.

   Our eyes stayed trained on each other’s as her hand reached between us, wrapping around my cock and lining me up with her.  I watched her face as I slowly pushed into her, and not even the memory of making love to her could have compared to what I saw before me.

   Her mouth parted, her eyes drifted closed, and her head tilted back.  Everything about her told me she was feeling everything I was.  I pushed into her until I was buried to the hilt, until there was no more space between us, and I pressed my face in her neck.

   “It’s so good, Riot,” she whispered.

   “I know,” I whispered back.  Her head started shaking against mine and I pulled away to look at her.

   “No,” she said, her voice raspy and shallow.  “It’s too good.  You.  Here with me.  I don’t think I deserve it, but I’m never going to let it go again.  You’re too good.”  She let out a small cry but I silenced it with my mouth, my hands cradling her face.  I pulled out just to push back in slowly, and her hands gripped me around my waist, her legs coming to wrap around my ass.

   “You’re mine,” I said, my lips brushing against hers with my words.  “What we have is perfect and it’s just as much yours as it is mine.”

   I continued to thrust into her, watching as her sadness melted away, only to be replaced with pleasure again.  When I was sure she was wrapped up in the way our bodies were responding to each other’s, I pushed up to my hands and started thrusting with more force.  I couldn’t help the grin that came over my face when her eyes disappeared again.  I knew she was feeling me in the best possible way.

   I moved quicker, thrusting faster, watching as she slowly started to lose herself to sensation again.  I gripped her hip, pulling her ass off the bed and driving into her at just the right angle to set her off again.

   “Oh, my God,” she cried, and I couldn’t help the cocky grin that crossed my face.  I stilled as I felt her pulse around me, watching as she came back down from her high.  She opened her eyes and gave me a lazy grin as her hands wandered up my abs, wrapped around my neck, and pulled my face down to hers.  As we kissed, her hands roamed over my slick skin and I knew she was feeling loose and pliant.  Sated.  “What do you want?” she asked me, her voice drowsy.

   “I have everything I want.  I just want you.”

   She smiled wider, her eyes glistening with what I could only describe as satisfaction.  “Okay, well, you have me.  How do you
want
me?”

   I stilled at her words, but I could still feel the wave of heat run through me.  I’d spent nearly every night imagining what it would be like to have Kalli back in my bed, wrapped around me.  I’d pictured her in every position imaginable.  Some were memories and some were hopeful, yet painful, wishes.

   I quickly pulled out of her, gripped her hips, and flipped her over.  Like the fucking angel she was, she knew exactly where I was headed, and got up on all fours, her gorgeous ass angled up at me.

   “Fuck, yes,” I growled.  My hands came up to run over the round globes of her ass, and she fucking wiggled it at me.  “Don’t tease me, Kal.”

   She laughed, then said, “I’m not teasing.  I’m offering.”

   My fingers dug in to her skin as I tried to keep myself in check.  Then, with more force than I intended, I pulled her hips toward me, watching as her arms sprawled out on the bed, and I dove into her.  The depth available at that angle was maddening, I grunted as I slid all the way in, and loved hearing her lust-filled yelp.  She was wet and tight and made for me.

   “God fucking damn it, Kal.  You’re so fucking perfect.”  Her forehead was pressed against the mattress, her fingers gripping the sheets, knuckles turning white, and I was driving into her as though I wanted to die doing it.  My heart was pounding, breaths shallow and not taking in nearly enough air, and all that was fine because I was either going to come so fucking hard I collapsed, or I was going to die doing the one thing I never thought I’d be able to do again.  Either way, I was okay with it.  I was always hopeful she’d find her way back to me, but it was never a guarantee, never a sure bet.  As my cock moved inside her, as she stretched to accommodate all of me, I was just thankful to have my hands on her again.

   I felt the slight tingling start at the base of my spine, the warmth creeping over me, and I knew I was close.  I didn’t want to be finished, but I couldn’t stop it once it started.  Instead, I reached around her and found her clit, rubbing it with my finger.

   “Come with me,” I grunted.

   “Oh, Jesus,” she cried.  “I can’t, Riot.  It’s too soon.”

   “Fucking come with me,” I growled.

   I worked her body from both angles and within a minute we were both spiraling into bliss.  I collapsed after the last wave of my orgasm rolled through me, but managed to fall to her side, not wanting to crush her.  When I slipped out of her, I felt the loss as if a piece of me was missing.  She wasted no time flipping over and rolling into me, and we caught our breaths together, my arms wrapped around her, her tube-sock-clad legs wound between mine.

   We were both sweaty hot messes, but I kept her close, wanting to feel her breaths slow and heart rate even out.  I wanted to experience it all with her in my arms.

   “That was intense,” she finally said, when her body was back to normal.

   “That was… not how I intended our reunion to go,” I said with a small laugh I couldn’t contain. 

   Her head tilted back and her eyes found mine.  “It was perfect.”

   I pushed the hair, which had come out of her high knot, away from her face, her blue eyes sparkling at me as I said, “You were perfect.”  She reached up and touched her palm to my cheek.

   “I love you,” she whispered.  All I could do in response was lean down and press my lips to hers.  Words failed me.  There were no words to describe the gift she’d given me, or how grateful I was to just have her in my arms.  So I didn’t say anything.  I just kissed her.

Chapter Twelve

Unlimited Pass

Kalli

   The next morning was a glorious repeat of the morning before, only the slow and sleepy sex wasn’t off the table.  It was, in fact, very much on.  I’d woken up to Riot’s fingers slowly moving inside me and everything after that was a hazy, sweaty, awesome blur.  That awesomeness was followed by sweet, slow, earth-shattering sex in the shower.

   There was a large part of me that wanted to stay in that hotel room forever, reuniting with Riot, showing him exactly how glad I was that we’d started to work through everything, but I knew I’d never survive.  Death by sex, although it sounded appealing, was a very real threat and we both needed to get some fresh air.

   Halah had agreed to meet us at Pier 39, and as we approached her, hand in hand, I was hit with another wave of envy at her natural beauty.  Her long dark hair was billowing in the cold November breeze, and her stylish jacket was tucked in close to her perfectly toned and fit body.

   “I swear, your mom and sister are two of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen,” I said quietly to him as we crossed the street to meet her.

   “I guess I’m pretty lucky to have the three prettiest girls, then, huh?” he said, giving my hand a squeeze.

   I smiled at his sweet words.  “Your dad probably wanted to kill every guy at your high school, huh?”

   “Pops ate tums like they were candy when Halah started high school,” he said with a laugh.  “He also made it very clear that I had a brotherly duty to protect her innocence.  I took that job extremely seriously, until Halah informed me over dinner one night that her innocence wasn’t mine to protect, that her beauty didn’t define her worth, and that she wasn’t interested in dating high school boys because they couldn’t see all she had to offer.”

   “Wow,” I said, trying to imagine having that much self-awareness at that age.

   “Ma pretty much told her since she was young to put more value on intelligence than beauty.  That night Pops kind of realized my sister didn’t need anyone looking out for her.  But I still did anyhow, just not as obviously as I had before.”

   “I think your mom has to be one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.”

   “She has some pretty incredible stories about growing up in Lebanon, then all her travels when she was younger.  I’m sure she’d love to tell you all about it.”

   “I’d really like that,” I said, feeling a warmth spread through me thinking about how Mara and I would have time to talk and tell stories in the future because Riot and I
had a future
.

   We walked up to Halah, who was leaning against a railing, looking out at the choppy water, and when she heard us approach she turned to us, smiling.  I didn’t miss the way her eyes dropped to our joined hands, or the way her smile grew wider when she saw them.

   “You been waiting long, sis?”

   “Not too long, but I’m starving and freezing, so maybe we could find a place to eat.”

   “I’m starved too,” I added, liking her plan.

   “We skipped breakfast.”  Riot’s voice was suggestive and boastful.  I couldn’t help but pull back and slap his arm.

   “Don’t be rude,” I said through laughter.

   “Well, I ate before I left, but I’m hungry again.  Let’s go.”

   I was glad Halah didn’t seem to mind Riot’s joke, but couldn’t stop the blush from creeping over my face.  I let the two of them lead the way, obviously familiar with the popular San Francisco tourist spot.  Within a few minutes we were seated in a restaurant that had a magnificent view of the water.

   Our waitress had taken our order and brought us water and bread, but my eyes were glued to the bay outside the window.

   “Are those sea lions?” I asked, pointing toward a bunch of floating docks.

   “Yeah,” Riot said.  “They came after there was some earthquake somewhere,” he said, waving his hand in the air.  “Every winter more and more show up.”

   “There must be hundreds of them,” I whispered, my eyes straining to see them individually.

   “I’ll be right back,” Halah said, standing up quickly and making her way through the restaurant.  She’d been pretty quiet since we sat down and had only been picking at a piece of bread.

   “Do you think she’s feeling all right?”

   He shrugged.  “Hard to tell.  She’s been acting kind of strange all weekend.”

   My eyes wandered back to the sea lions.  “When we’re done eating, can we go look at them?  Like, get closer?”

   “Sure, baby,” he said, kissing my cheek.  “I can’t believe you’ve never been here.”  He took another bite of his bread, then continued.  “Marcus would have gotten a kick out of this place.”

   He said the words with such ease, as though saying his name caused him no pain at all, and that made my breath halt.  My chest tightened and my lungs froze.  I wanted so badly to be at a place in my mourning where I could mention his name in passing, think about him and smile, but when Riot said his name, the first thing I did was panic.

   Marcus
would
have loved this place, would have loved looking at the sea lions and riding the carousel we walked past on our way to the restaurant.  They were all things he’d never be able to do.  The weight of grief came to rest on my shoulders, holding me down, pressing me farther into that dark spiral I’d been trying to avoid.