Must Be Love: (Nicole and Ryan) (A Jetty Beach Romance Book 1) (13 page)

"I want to watch you come like this," he says. “You’re so beautiful.”

I straddle him and lower myself onto his cock. This is delicious. He wants to play with me? Maybe I can play with him.

"Tell me what you want," I say, lifting my ass so his tip is barely touching me.

"Oh no," he says. "That's my game."

"Not anymore," I say. I slide down a little, then pull back again. "Tell me."

He puts his hands on my hips and pulls me toward him. "Down. That's it."

"Now what?"

"Move back and forth," he says, guiding me with his hands. "Oh fuck, yes."

I slide up and down, grinding my pussy into him with every stroke.

"Faster."

I pick up the pace, tilting my hips, riding him. His hands move from my hips to my waist and up to my breasts.

"You feel so incredible, Nicole. Do you want to come like this?"

Holy shit, I have choices?

"Yes."

His hands go back to my hips and he moves me faster, pushing me back and forth across his cock. The tip rubs me in just the right spot every time and I feel my inner muscles contracting, the tension mounting. I've never felt anything so deep before.

"Come with me, Nicole," he says. "Fuck me, this is unreal. I want you to come with me."

"Do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh my god, do it now. Come in me, Ryan."

The pulses of his cock as he climaxes send me over the edge. An orgasm rocks through me, like nothing I've ever experienced before. My core muscles tense and release, sending explosions of pleasure through my whole body. I throw my head back and ride his wave, letting the mad rush of sensation overtake me.

When I finish, I look down. He smiles, his dimples standing out beneath his stubble.

"Come here." He threads his hand around the back of my neck and draws me down to him. He kisses me, long and slow, his touch so gentle. Our lips part and I draw back. He places a hand across my cheek. "Did that just happen?"

"I think it did."

I get up off of him and look around. I feel like I forgot where I am. This is Ryan's studio. I just watched him do a photo shoot. And then he fucked me senseless.

Wait, what?

Just when I start to panic, he gets up and puts his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

"Come in here. I'll help."

Bewildered, I let him lead me through his apartment and into the bathroom. It gleams with newness. Light gray tile contrasts with a dark wood vanity. The fixtures are sleek and modern. A touch of turquoise brakes up the neutrals.

He runs a washcloth under the water and wrings it out. I literally have no idea what he’s doing. I thought he'd lead me to the bathroom so I could clean up, but he isn’t leaving.

Still naked, he kneels on the mat and runs his hands down my legs. He spreads my thighs apart, his hands strong but gentle, and wipes each inner thigh with the warm washcloth.

Is he kidding right now?

No one, and by no one I mean Jason, has ever done something like this for me. Of course, after what just happened, I realize there are a lot of things Jason never did for me. But this—wiping a soft, wet cloth over my legs with such tenderness. It unmakes me.

Tears spring to my eyes and I cover my mouth. I don’t want him to see me cry. I’m standing naked in his bathroom while he washes me—how can I sob in front of him like this?

There’s no stopping it. I’m completely overwhelmed and the tears won’t stop. My shoulders shake, my hand still clamped to my mouth.

Ryan stands, setting the washcloth on the counter. He touches my face and runs his fingers through my hair. "Nicole, I'm so sorry. Was that too much? I thought we were both … I thought you wanted that."

I nod through the sobs, trying to speak, but my words are garbled. "I did," I manage finally.

"Come here." He wraps his arm around my shoulders and draws me into his apartment. The king sized bed sprawls across the middle of the space. He eases me into his bed and draws the sheets up over me. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

There’s so much concern in his voice. So much tenderness. My eyes burn with fresh tears.

"No," I whisper. "Please don't go."

He smiles, looking relieved, and climbs into bed with me. He lays on his back and I tuck my head against his shoulder, my arm draped across his chest. My body still tingles with everything he did to me. I take slow, deep breaths, finding calm. For a second, I wonder if I should be embarrassed. I literally had the best sex of my entire life, and it left me a crying mess in his bathroom. Aren’t women supposed to cry when sex is
bad
? Certainly not when it’s good. But the way Ryan holds me, softly rubbing his fingers across my arm … I’m not worried. He isn’t judging me.

I close my eyes, feeling his warmth envelop me, and drift off to sleep.

Nicole's body rests against mine, her breathing slow and even. I stare at the ceiling, so relaxed I could fall asleep. I stay awake, a little afraid that if I drift off, I'll wake to find it didn’t happen. That was … fuck me, it was incredible. I’m no stranger to good sex, but Nicole blew me away.

Just like in a good photography session, there was that moment, the instant when her inhibitions fell and her inner goddess broke free. She was hesitant at first—trusting, but hesitant. That willingness to relax with me and let me lead her to a new place was so damn hot. Her taste. Her body. Her skin. Her eyes. Boring into me, wanting me. God, I could do that over and over again. I want to free her. To bring out the passion she's been holding back for so long.

My cock stirs and I take a few deep breaths to calm it down. She’s so serene and peaceful. I don’t want to disturb her.

I worry a little about her reaction in the bathroom. Elise cried a lot, but … I don’t want to think about Elise. This is about Nicole. I'll talk to her when she wakes up, make sure she’s okay. I want to draw her out and give her things she's never experienced, but I don’t want to push her too far. Hopefully she was simply taken by surprise. Fuck me if I wasn't. When she showed up at my door, I had no idea it would end with me taking her on the couch in my studio. A slow grin spreads over my face. I can’t help it. I haven’t felt this amazing in so long—nope, scratch that. Maybe ever.

For the first time in a very long time, I have a glimmer of hope for my future. Maybe being the reclusive photographer living in an old church on the beach isn’t the end of my story.

***

Nicole stirs, rousing me from half-sleep. She makes a cute little noise in her throat, then gasps, lifting her head.

"Hi, beautiful." I brush her hair back from her face and one corner of her mouth turns up in a smile.

"Hey. Sorry. I think I fell asleep."

"That’s okay," I say. "I’m glad you were so relaxed."

Spots of color rise on her cheeks. She sits up, drawing the sheet over her chest. Her hair falls forward across her face.

I sit up and tuck her hair behind her ear. "Hey. Look at me."

Nicole tilts her chin up to meet my gaze. Her eyes glisten with tears. "I'm sorry," she says. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

A single tear breaks free and trails down her cheek. I swipe it away with my thumb.

"There's nothing wrong with you," I say. My chest tightens with concern. Does she regret this? "Did I do things you didn't like?"

"No," she says, vehemently. "It was incredible. Literally, the best I've ever had. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that."

"Then what's wrong?"

She takes a shaky breath. "I'm overwhelmed, Ryan. I've never… No one has ever… I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense. I feel like I don't know how to do this."

"If you want to tell me something, you can," I say. "You can tell me anything."

Her lips fall open, and of course I think about what her mouth would look like around my cock.
Stop it, Ryan. She's having a moment here.

"There, see, you're doing it again, being all wonderful." She adjusts the sheet, tucking it under her arm. "My only first time with someone was my actual first time, and considering we were dumb teenagers and had no idea what we were doing, I'm sure you can imagine how that went."

"Well, we can't all be born sex gods."

That makes her laugh. "I guess not. It's probably a big no-no to talk about someone else you've slept with when you're still in bed with someone new, but Jason never…" She shakes her head. "He never did anything like what you just did to me. It's not only that you did things I didn't even know were possible. You were so concerned with what I was feeling. I've never had that before. With Jason it was just pump, pump, do your thing, and maybe he'd get me off if I was already in the mood."

Fucking douchebag Jason.

"I'm sorry, I probably freaked you out when I started crying." She swipes her fingers beneath her eyes. "I was just … overcome."

"Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah. I feel a lot better. I feel great, actually." She looks around the room. "I'm going to sound like an idiot, but I don't know what happens now."

"What do you mean?"

Her cheeks flush. Fuck me, she's adorable.

"I mean, am I supposed to stay? Do I get up and go? I was with one guy for ten years. This is all new to me."

"Do you want to go?" I ask
. Say no.

"No." She bites her lower lip. It’s the sweetest little nervous tic.

I run my thumb along her mouth. "Then stay."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," I say, and I mean it. I don’t want her to leave. "It's Saturday. Do you have to work or anything? What did you have planned?"

She shrugs. "No, I don't have to work. To be honest, this morning I didn’t think past what I was going to say to you. I'm really sorry about that, by the way."

"You said that already. I think we're good."

My phone vibrates on the nightstand and I glance at the screen to see who it is. "I'm sorry, Nicole—it's my mom. She worries if I don't answer."

"No, it's fine," Nicole says.

I pick up the phone and answer. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, honey. How are you today?"

"I'm, um, I'm really good."

"That's nice to hear," she says. "You sound good. What have you been doing this morning?"

I grin at Nicole. "What have I been doing?" Nicole covers her mouth and giggles. "Well, I had a photo shoot this morning and it went well."

"Oh how lovely," she says. "I'm glad you're keeping busy."

"Yes, Mom, I'm keeping busy."

"So everyone's coming to dinner tonight. Can you make it?"

"Tonight?" I ask. "I thought dinner was on Monday."

"It was honey, but I changed it to tonight."

There’s something in her tone. "Is everything okay, Mom?"

"Yes, everything's fine. Just be here by six. Don't be late. What do you want for dessert?"

"Whatever you want to make is fine with me," I say.

"I have lemons. Lemon bars?"

"Lemon bars are delicious." I meet Nicole's eyes again and smile, shaking my head. She still has the sheet held up, but one side slips, revealing the curve of her breast. I suddenly very much do
not
want to be talking to my mother. "Listen, Mom, I have a lot of work to do. I'll see you at six, okay?"

"Sounds good, honey. I'll see you then."

I hang up and put down the phone. "Sorry."

"Don't ever apologize for talking to your mother," she says. "She seems really sweet."

"She is," I say. "She's just … she worries."

For a second, I think about inviting Nicole to dinner with my parents. I open my mouth, but stop myself. Bringing a woman home to my family is a big deal. In fact, I've never introduced my family to anyone I've been with. Not even Elise, and I was with her for two years. Am I crazy to imagine Nicole sitting next to me at my parents’ dinner table? Would she even want to?

I decide to let it go, for now. I don’t want to overwhelm her again. I seem to be good at freaking her out. Truth be told, I’m starting to freak myself out.

"Tell you what," I say. "Spend the day with me. I'll make us some coffee and breakfast. We can go into town if we need to, or…" I trail my finger along her skin, tracing the outline of her breast. "We can stay here all day."

"That sounds perfect."

I think so, too.