Forever My Love: A Contenporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 2) (7 page)

Ryan grinned at her and held himself still, keeping his thumb in place after the waves of her orgasm had faded away and her body had relaxed once more. "I'm not done with you yet. Not  by a long shot."

She had to laugh, "Was that a threat?"

Glancing down, she saw his erection throbbing as he held himself in check. She turned her body slightly, pressing her hips against him. Even though he had just given her the most intense orgasm of her life, she still wasn't satisfied yet. She wanted more. Wanted him inside her. She moved her hips against his erection slightly, making little circles and smiled when he instantly reacted with a low groan of pleasure.

She could feel her arousal climbing again, the tension almost unbearable, “I want you. Now."

He glanced at her with lustful eyes and quickly turned around to don protection before he carefully slid inside her. It was a pleasant shock. She felt so full, so complete with him inside of her, making them one.

After some pleasantly torturous minutes of stillness, he finally started moving carefully. He murmured into her ear, “Put your knees around my waist. I don’t want to hurt your ankle.”

She did as he had demanded, the movement thrusting her hips up, allowing him to thrust even deeper into her. She was delirious, the need within her rising with each and every thrust. He started softly and then his thrusts grew more vigorous and passionate. She quickly climbed to the next climax, shouting and screaming his name in pleasure.

Her second orgasm caught her off guard and she was still reeling in wave after wave rolling across her body when she felt him thrust one final time and then hold himself deep inside her. He came with her, giving a deep and lustful groan, "Kendra!”

Kendra kept her legs wrapped around his waist, enjoying the feelings their joining had created. After several minutes, he softly removed her legs from around his waist, being careful of her injured ankle.

He rolled to her good side, lying on his back and clasping her hand in his own as they allowed their heart rates to return to normal. Her brain was empty, the blissful feeling of having reached the ultimate pleasure with Ryan having wiped every thought from her head.

Ryan turned his head and looked at the woman lying beside him.
Kendra and I just made love!
He was still in awe, the sex with her being so different than what he’d experienced with any other woman before her. No, this hadn’t been sex. It had been making love, plain and simple. Pure love and pleasure. He looked at her beautiful face and then the realization hit him. Unable to stop himself, he whispered, "I love you Kendra."

She looked at him slightly shocked, her mouth opening and then closing but no words came out.

Instead, her stomach grumbled.

"You're hungry," he stated.

Kendra nodded her head, "Yes, but our food will be cold by now.”

He chuckled, "Yes. But you have a microwave, right?”

Now it was Kendra’s turn to laugh, "Sure."

“Well, then…,” he paused and looked down at her swollen ankle. “Oops! I guess you get to stay in bed. I'll go reheat our dinner in the microwave and bring it back in here.”

He didn’t wait for her response; he climbed from the bed, snagging his boxers on the way. He could feel her eyes eating up his naked body, but his need for food overruled his libido. For now.

Ryan made short work of reheating the Thai curry, plating it from the cardboard containers onto plates. He sat the plates on a large serving tray he found above the refrigerator, and then poured two glasses of cold water. He'd thought about grabbing two beers, or even some of the white wine he’d found in the refrigerator, but quickly dismissed the thought when he remembered her pain medications. Grabbing napkins and forks, he headed back into the bedroom.

Kendra was sitting in the bed, her injured ankle propped up on a folded over pillow
. Jesus, she's beautiful. She looks like a goddess.
She'd wrapped the sheet around her torso and tucked it into itself, securing it under her arms. He offered the plate to her and moaned in pleasure as she took her first bite. A very sexy moan. He'd always liked women who enjoyed to eat a good meal.

“Good?” he asked, sitting down opposite her and digging into his own meal.

Kendra nodded and smiled at him, taking another bite. “Wonderful!”

They ate in silence, exchanging looks once in a while, but their hunger for food outweighed any need to discuss what had just occurred between them.

When their plates were empty, he handed her a pain pill and then set the bottle on the bedside table for later use. He gathered up their plates and returned them to the kitchen, quickly washed and dried the dishes, stored the leftover food in the refrigerator, and then wiped down the counters. This wasn’t even his place, but this habit of keeping things organized and picked up wasn’t something he could just turn off.

When he'd finished cleaning, a glance at the clock showed that it was still early. She’d looked so exhausted earlier. Before they'd shared the most mind-numbing sex ever.  But now that she had food in her stomach, he doubted she’d be able to stay awake for long.

He grabbed the ointment for her ankle, and then located the discarded ace bandage from the bathroom before returning to the bedroom.

Ryan stopped at the doorway and watched her. A new sensation occupied his chest. Love. Care. Admiration. She'd slithered down in the bed, rearranging the sheets to their normal position, and seemed half asleep already.

Quietly, he moved the covers off her hurt ankle, applied the ointment and then the bandage. Tucking her foot back under the covers, he asked, “Do you need anything else?”

“No thanks. I’m good.”

Ryan wanted to say more, wanted to tell her, how much their love-making had meant to him, how much he loved her, but she rolled her head to the side and closed her eyes. “Promise you’ll call me if you need anything?”

“Yes, I promise.”

Ryan reluctantly nodded his head. “I’ll be back in the morning with breakfast.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure I’ll be much better in the morning.”

“You won’t be better in the morning. The doctor said you were to stay off that foot. That means, in bed, resting, not walking around your apartment trying to cook or whatever.”

Kendra sighed and finally gave in, “Okay.”

Ryan grinned at her and then suggested, “Why don’t I take your keys with me? That way I can get in without you having to get out of bed.”

She looked reluctant at his suggestion, but didn't have the energy left to argue with him.  “I guess that would be okay.”

“Good. Now, I set your cellphone next to the bed, and your pain pills and a fresh glass of water. I’ll see you in the morning. Remember, the doctor ordered bed rest for you?”

She sighed on a slow nod and let her eyes close once again. Ryan straightened up the floor between her bed and the doorway, and when he left her room a few minutes later, she was already fast asleep.

He thought about her all the way home. His protective instincts were on high alert and he tried to process them as he finished the drive across town.
Maybe it’s only because she’s so vulnerable right now?
He'd spent the last ten years trying to forget her, and yet, the moment she was back, he'd fallen head over heels again.
But is this true love? What is true love after all?

When Ryan pulled his car into the parking spot, he was more confused than before. He’d never wanted anything serious. Non-committal relationships had been perfectly fine.
So what was different now?

Kendra woke up the next morning and rolled over to get out of bed, but the sharp stabbing pain in her ankle caused her to fall back to the mattress with a gasp. She lay there for several minutes, confused as to what had happened to her. As the fog of sleep cleared from her brain, she remembered everything from the day before.

Roller blading. Sixty miles. Burning muscles. Fleeing dog. Waiting in the hospital emergency room. Ryan carrying her around.

Just thinking about him brought a smile to her face. And the memories of making love with him brought heat to her body.  But then she remembered how much he’d hurt her back in high school.
It always comes back to that!
The glow of their lovemaking faded from her mind.
I don’t know if I can trust him. What if he treats me like he did back then. I can't handle that. My heart isn’t strong enough to go through that pain again!

She made a decision, as she lay there in her bed. A decision that no matter how good things had been between them yesterday, it wasn't in her best interest to get too attached to him. That thought caused her to become a bit hysteric.
How could I have let things go so far yesterday? What was I thinking?
Yesterday had been nice, but…
Blame it on the pain meds and being in shock!

Yes! That’s the only reason yesterday happened.
But then a new worry entered her thinking.
What must he be thinking about me now?

On part of her knew she wasn’t being reasonable, but a bigger part was afraid to face him again this morning. If she could have, she'd been hiding below the blanket until the day was over.

Kendra had been dealing with self-esteem issues for such a long time, that worrying about what other people thought about her had become second nature. She’d been an outsider during high school. Never one of the popular girls, or even being accepted by the popular crowd.

She’d been too tall. Too bony. Wore too many braces. Everything about her had screamed awkward during those teenage years. It had taken her many years to become comfortable with her height and learn to accept herself for who she was.
I can’t jeopardize that self-confidence by getting mixed up with Ryan again. He has the power to shatter me.

She was still lying in bed when the doorbell rang and she heard the sound of her keys in the door lock. Her heart betrayed her and started to beat faster in anticipation of seeing him. 
Ryan’s back!
But then her logic took over and she reminded herself to be more reserved and protect her heart.

“Kendra?” Ryan called as he entered her apartment.

“Still in the bedroom.” She pushed herself to a sitting position and quickly tried to straighten her sleep tussled hair. She wished she’d had a chance to brush her teeth and wash her face before…
Remember, you’re not interested in taking things further. There’s no reason to try and impress him.

“Hey, you. Sleep well?” Ryan asked, coming to stand in the doorway to her room.

Kendra’s resolve faded away at her first sight of him.
God, he’s gorgeous.
His hair was still damp from a recent shower, something she was in need of herself.

“I did.”

“How’s the ankle?” he asked, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

Kendra sighed, “Sore. Uhm…since you’re here, mind helping me get to the bathroom?”

Ryan stood up quickly, “Sure. Want me to carry you?”

Kendra shook her head, “No. If I can just lean on you, I can make it. Somewhere around here I have a pair of crutches.”

“Those would come in handy.” Ryan helped her stand up, and then he dipped his head and whispered next to her ear, “Although, I don’t mind carrying you around at all.”

Kendra felt herself blushing, but there was no way to stop the telling action. When Ryan chuckled, she knew he was very aware of her embarrassment. Deciding to ignore him, nature made its presence known and reaching the bathroom became her first priority.

“I’ll get breakfast started while you… do whatever it is you need to do.”

“Thanks,” Kendra told him, hobbling inside the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. She quickly took care of her business, brushed her teeth and then took the world’s fastest shower.

When she prepared to emerge from the bathroom ten minutes later, she felt much better. Except that she’d forgotten to take clean clothes into the bathroom with her and was now wrapped up in only a bath towel. She opened the bathroom door and then glanced down to see a pile of clothing lying there. A pair of gym shorts, a tank top, and underwear. She blushed as she thought about Ryan digging through her dresser drawers, selecting the sports bra and lace panties he’d chosen for her, but then her thankfulness at his forethought pushed those thoughts aside.

She dressed and then used the wall for support as she painstakingly made her way to the kitchen. She’d foregone re-wrapping her ankle for the moment, the air upon her skin fresh and soothing.

Ryan was just sliding two omelets onto plates as she came around the corner. Finishing his task, he joined her, letting her use his arm for support as she hobbled to the small kitchen table. “You should have hollered for me. You’re not supposed to be putting weight on that ankle. Remember?”

“I remember, but honestly, the little bit of movement kind of feels good. It was getting really stiff.”

They sat at the table and ate breakfast, sharing stories about their recent lives and she was amazed at how much they found to talk about. And how easy it was. Just as if they'd never been apart.

After Ryan cleaned up the kitchen, he suggested they sit on the couch and find something on the TV to watch. He rewrapped her ankle, applying more ointment and it was all Kendra could do to ignore the way his fingertips on her skin made her feel.

So far this morning, things had been more platonic than anything else – that is if you ignored the heated looks they were giving each other when they thought the other one wasn't looking. They found an all-day marathon of a popular comedy sitcom, and while they laughed and enjoyed the show, they talked about his jewelry, her job, and the various sports teams they liked this year.

When they finally got around to talking about family, his took the spotlight. She remembered his brothers and sister from the teenage years, and while she was interested in hearing what had become of each one of them, it only served to remind her of their own past. A topic they had been studiously avoiding all day long.

Not willing to completely ruin their camaraderie, she began to pull back from their conversation, even putting more physical distance between them by scooting to the far corner of the couch. She needed to guard her heart, and didn’t know of any other way to do it.

She’d been hoping to keep her distance without alerting him to what she was doing, but he seemed to notice, because he too changed his behavior. Apparently both of them had their own fears.

As the afternoon started to wind down, Ryan dug through her coat closet, coming up with the elusive crutches and helped adjust them to the correct height. Now that she was more mobile, there was no reason for him to stick around and he took the unspoken cue and gathered up his stuff in preparation for leaving. One part of her wanted him to leave, to keep her safe, but another part wanted to scream,
Stay! Kiss me! Make love to me!

But she didn't say those words. The unresolved issue of their past was hanging between them,  like a dark cloud, but neither of them had the courage to bring the subject out into the open. They'd been successful in avoiding the topic all day long. And they’d been able to avoid discussing where they were to go from here.

Kendra was relieved in a way that he was leaving. While she loved spending time with him, the memory of how bad his denial of the past had hurt, made her stick to her resolve.

“Would you like to go to dinner?”

Kendra wanted so badly to say “Yes” but she listened to her reason instead of her heart and shook her head, “No.” She could see the hurt in his eyes, and added, “Ryan, yesterday was a mistake. We shouldn’t see each other for a while.”

Ryan’s eyes told her how badly her words were hurting him. She hated herself for doing it, but it was the best for both of them.
There is no future between us. I'm just protecting both of us by ending things now before it gets messy.
At least that’s what she tried to convince herself was true.