My Only Regret (Twisted Fate Book 1) (24 page)

“Umm, that feels nice. Is everyone still inside?” I asked, lazily.

“Nah, I told them all to go home. I needed some time alone with my wife.” He turned my face to his and pressed his lips to mine. His tongue made its way in and I gave it a gentle nip. “Ouch, I take it you’re upset with me.”

“No, I've just missed you.” He slipped his body behind mine and I leaned into his firmness.

He crossed his arms over my chest and kissed the top of my head. “I’m sorry baby, but I’m here now. What would you like to do?”

“I want to cuddle on the sofa and watch a movie.” I snuggled closer.
 

His hands moved to cup my breasts. “Naked, right?” I felt his grin against my ear.

“Always,” I smiled, and stood to go inside.

T
wenty minutes later we were on the sofa with a fire in the fireplace, and a movie playing in the background. I nuzzled my nose over his chest and raised my face to look into his eyes. He smiled, and placed his hands on my arms, gently guiding me back to straddle his body. His back was pressed against the armrest and I covered his mouth with my own. His lips parted and I slowly nibbled my way across his lips as his tongue made sweet love to me.

“I thought we were getting naked.” He moaned, and I could feel his erection pressing through the taut denim beneath me.

“Tear my shirt off,” I rasped, as he planted wet kisses over my neck.
 

He eased back, grabbed the front of my blouse, and yanked it apart, spilling buttons across the room. I laughed softly and watched as he removed my bra and jeans, leaving my lacey black panties in place. He braced himself with his palms on either side of me and his hair hung softly down, covering part of his beautiful face. He stared at me tenderly and smiled, pulling his lower lip between his teeth. I reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear so I could see him better.

“What?” I asked, stroking his face with my thumb.
 

“I can’t believe how beautiful you are, and that you're mine. I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you.” He kissed the tip of my thumb as it rubbed over his parted lips.

I responded by slipping my hands under the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head. My fingers glided over the well-defined abdominal muscles I'd become so familiar with. Together, we slid his jeans down to his ankles, and I used my foot to push them to the floor. I took time to appreciate the lean body beneath me, knowing all too well what it could do to me. I rolled my hips over his thighs and leaned forward.

“I love you, so very much." I cupped his beautiful face in my hands and smiled devilishly. "Now remember, we can only touch each other, no sex. We are going to watch the movie and cuddle. Understand?”

He shook his head and smiled. “No way baby. I can’t be this close to your naked body and not make love to you.”

“Please,” I pouted. “Just try it for a little bit. For me.” He sighed loudly, but agreed, and we stretched out side by side. I knew I was playing with fire by tempting fate this way, but to me this was just another way of extending foreplay. I loved making love with my husband, it didn't hurt that he was so damn good at it I found myself seriously considering attacking him on a regular basis. It wasn't just the sex. I'd had lovers over the years, not a lot of them, but enough to know that Jesse wasn't just an ordinary lover. When he touches me it's as if everything else ceases to exist. When his lips meet mine, they don't just kiss me, they devour me. When his hands caress me, they don't just feel me, they control me. Most of all, when he fills me he uses his body to speak without words, telling me just how much he loves me.

"So, if I can touch you, does that mean I can do this?" The tips of his fingers played over my areola and I shivered under his touch. "Or this?" The same hand flitted over my belly and stopped, pausing just outside my already slick center. "Surely, touching includes this." His middle finger curled inside the small triangle of fabric and buried itself deep within me.
 
A soft cry escaped my lips and I let my head drop back as I rocked against his quick movements.
 

"Jesse…" I whispered, riding out the perfect wave he was creating. "This is not cuddling." He offered a grunt, but stopped moving his hand. I reluctantly pulled away and tucked my body tight against him as he let out a loud groan. “Sorry, baby.”
 

We watched the next thirty minutes of the movie in silence, and it was all I could do to hold back. The whole time Jesse’s hand stroked back and forth over my hip and down my thigh. I reached over and took his hand, placing it over my breast. He pinched and pulled at the hardened tip before shifting his position to lower himself over me. I felt his firm erection pressing into my belly and I wrapped my hand around it and pumped up and down.
 

“Make love to me now, please.” I begged, while writhing beneath him.
 

"Nope, can't do that, my wife said no sex." His playful eyes danced over my body.

I reached up, curling my arms behind his neck. "I've changed my mind." I growled, as he pulled me in for a kiss that was slow and gentle, as though he was memorizing my mouth with his own. A low moan escaped my throat and I reached between us to resume stroking. My fingers moved slowly around the edge as I ran my thumb over the tip, spreading a bead of slick liquid that had already formed there.

He lowered a hand, slipping one finger in and out of me slowly, teasing me, and repeating the process a few times before adding another. His thumb ran expertly over my clitoris and I bowed into his hand. He removed his soaked fingers and eased into me, filling me completely.

“I’ll never get tired of this feeling,” he whispered.

“What feeling?” I asked, breathlessly.

“Slipping inside you. It’s the best feeling ever. Your body is so ready for me. I love being here. It's like you were made just for me, and I want to stay here, forever.” He rubbed his nose against mine and bent to pull a nipple between his full lips. He shifted his position and thrust forward, filling me again. I gasped out loud when I felt him hitting the back of me. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you baby?”

“No. Just do it again,” I purred, wrapping my legs tightly around him. We moved together effortlessly, our bodies finding their own rhythm, the sound of skin slapping against skin, and the bead of sweat trickling down his face was my undoing. I dug my heels against his ass and felt my body tensing up as my breathing became erratic.

“Let go baby, I’m right there too,” he groaned as I gave in, my muscles clenching around him, milking him as he found his own release.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I
think I’m dying,” I moaned, to no one in particular. It was the middle of the night and I was in the bathroom, having spent the last hour either lying on the cold tile or hugging the porcelain bowl. My insides felt as if they were on fire from all of the dry heaving. I had just finished emptying what I hoped were the remaining contents of my stomach, and leaned back to rest my head against the wall when I heard Jesse's voice.

“Baby, what’s wrong, are you sick?” he asked, groggily.

I didn’t want him to see me like this. I was sure I looked a mess, and I knew that my breath must be repulsive. “It’s okay sweetie, go back to bed. I just ate something that didn't agree with me. I’ll be alright.” Seconds later he was kneeling beside me, placing a cool washcloth over my forehead, and I rested my head on his shoulder. "Thank you."

“Why are you in the guest bathroom? I would have heard you sooner if you'd been in our bathroom,” his voice was soft and soothing and it was a comfort to me in my time of need.

“I didn’t want to wake you, guess that didn’t work after all.” I snorted. “I’ve been here for over an hour, something obviously didn’t agree with me. Really babe, I think I’m going to take a shower and make my way back to bed. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, now go on, you need your sleep.” I stepped into the shower, turning the dial so the water temperature would be nice and hot. I stood still, allowing the hot water to cascade over my back and shoulders, relaxing muscles that had tightened with each bout of sickness. My stomach appeared to have finally settled, and after I dried off I made my way to the bedroom and grabbed a fresh nightshirt. In no time at all I fell back asleep, sleeping peacefully until the sound of male voices woke me.
 

I sat up slowly, unsure of how my stomach would feel, and was pleased to find that everything appeared to be good as new. I dressed comfortably, grabbing a pair of yoga pants and a warm hoodie, before piling my hair in a simple knot on top of my head.

“There she is.” Sam’s voice greeted warmly as I made my way down the stairs. I waved to him just as Jesse walked toward me.

“How are you feeling?” His voiced was laced with concern. “You look better than last night,” he encouraged.

I rounded the corner into the kitchen, intending to grab a cup of coffee. “I think I feel better, I’m just going to--” The smell of coffee hit my nostrils and my stomach instantly churned up whatever contents had managed to survive last night’s purging. I quickly covered my mouth and dashed toward the nearest bathroom, kicking the door shut before vomiting into the sink. Jesse came behind me and shut the door. I lifted my eyes to the mirror and met his concerned gaze. I started to tell him that he could leave when my stomach went into another spasm and I threw my face back into the sink.
 

Shit, that hurt.

“Rhyann, do you want me to take you to the hospital? You’re starting to scare me.”

“Sweetie, I will be fine. It’s just a bug.” I muttered, offering my best attempt at a smile, but he didn’t look convinced.

“We leave tomorrow morning,” he began, nervously, hands tucked deep into his pockets. “If you’re still sick…”

“Then I’ll have to stay behind and fly out when I feel better. It’s okay Jesse. Let me worry about this, you need to focus on the tour,” I stated, firmly, leaving no room for argument. He nodded, but he didn’t look pleased with that option.

I spent most of the afternoon packing our bags and taking it easy. I managed to keep some dry cereal down, but mainly sipped water throughout the day. Jesse kept busy finalizing travel arrangements with Stefani. The guys left just before dinner, saying goodbye on their way out, and Jesse stayed down in the studio packing up his guitars. I had just pulled out the ingredients for a chicken salad when I heard a noise from Jesse’s phone, alerting him to a new text. He must have left his phone on the kitchen counter when he last came up to check on me. I walked over and picked it up, intending to take it down to him, but when I looked down at the screen my legs froze. I slid my thumb across the screen and the message app opened, revealing a conversation that had been taking place over the last two hours. The phone shook in my trembling hand, before dropping to the floor with a heavy thud; my hand instantly covered my mouth to muffle a scream.
 

 
“Babe, you okay?” Jesse called out from downstairs. When I didn’t respond he rushed upstairs, finding me shaking uncontrollably with tear filled eyes. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?” he ran to my side, bending down to get a better look at me.

“Wh-why is she looking forward to seeing you again?” I asked through gritted teeth. Confusion clouded his face as he followed my gaze down to the floor. He bent to retrieve his phone and looked at the screen. Worried eyes jumped to mine and he reached out for my hand but I pulled back. “You’ve been talking to her for two hours. Why would you do that?”

“It’s not what you think. She called the other day and told me she was gong to be in L.A. for a photo shoot. She knew we would be performing and wanted to stop by the set later this week. I didn’t think it would be a big deal, you were going to be there.” He paced back and forth, carefully considering his next words. “She’s just a friend, nothing more. We’ve been over this before. I need you to trust me.”

“Trust you. You need me to trust you? What about our conversation in Vegas? You
promised
me that she was out of the picture. You said that I wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore. You know that she is a problem for me. You know I have insecurities when it comes to her. And furthermore, she is not
just
a friend. She was your lover, on more than one occasion. You wanted to marry her. That’s more than a friend in my book.”
 

He turned and rolled his eyes at me, which pissed me off even further.

“Would you knock it off. I'm tired of having this discussion. What the fuck do I have to do to prove that you are the
only
woman for me?

“It’s simple, I need her to stay the fuck out of our lives, and I need you to respect that.” My fists had been tightly balled against my sides, and I flexed my fingers momentarily, before balling them up again. I took deep, calming breaths, trying to wrap my head around this betrayal. How could he just blow this off, as if it were nothing? All the weeks of building up trust seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye, and just like that my walls were erecting again.

“She is just a friend, Rhyann. It’s not going to kill you to have her say hello to the band, they all know her and she just wants to see them briefly. It’s not like I’m fooling around with her. Hell, I won't let her get near me. You’re going to have to learn to deal with other women in my life and realize that they have no influence over me. Not even her.” He moved cautiously toward me. “Baby, if you can’t trust me…” He stared at me coldly and I knew this was a battle that I was not going to win.

“Then you can go alone,” I turned, grabbing my purse and phone from the counter, and headed for the door.

“What? Where the hell are you going?” he shouted, coming after me.

“I need some fresh air and some space,” I snapped.

“Then I’m coming with you,” he muttered, reaching for his coat. I charged up on him, getting in his face.

“I don’t want you with me, you’re the one I need space from,” I snarled, through gritted teeth. “Don’t you get it? You betrayed me!”