Exquisite betrayal, p.19
Exquisite Betrayal, page 19
“No I won’t,” I say as I slide and almost fall. She screams and I laugh.
“Put me down.”
“Not a bloody chance. I’m giving you part two of your birthday gift.” I carry her up to my room and straight into the bathroom where I wrap her in a bath sheet. “Better?”
She makes that harrumphing sound she likes to make and says, “Right. Nothing’s better than your arms.” Then she swats my shoulder. I pick her up and throw her on the bed.
“Now do not move. I’ll be right back.” I head to my closet and come out with a gift bag, which I dangle in front of her face. “Do you want your present now?”
“Yes,” she giggles. I drop it on the floor. For some reason, I’m in a very playful mood. I yank her towel off and attack her with my fingers, tickling her mercilessly.
“Stop it!” She’s laughing so hard and trying to scoot away from me. I grab her hands and hold them in one of mine, pulling them above her head. Then my mouth is on her stomach, blowing loud raspberries while she begs for a truce. Her laughter is the sweetest music I’ve ever heard.
“What will you promise if I stop?”
“Anything you ask.” She has to eke the words out between her guffaws. Her belly is tight with her efforts of trying to escape and now I’m seriously aroused.
“Fallon. Christ, I can’t even tickle you without getting stiff.” She looks down at me and then at my mouth.
“Let me taste you.”
My breath whooshes out of me as she slides to the edge of the bed and her mouth closes around me. “Ah hell, love.” This is the first time she’s done this, and I hope it won’t be the last.
“Does this feel okay?” She’s unsure of herself.
I groan. “It’s much better than okay.”
“Tell me what to do.”
So I tell her how I like it. Her tongue circles my crown and then sucks and slides down me. I’m shocked as all hell when she takes me in deep. I can’t help bucking my hips when she slides up and down, pumping me, and I know I’m going to blow. When I tell her, she only sucks harder.
“Fallon, you need to stop,” I cry out as I try to disengage myself. She only grabs my ass harder and pulls me against her. That’s it. I explode in her mouth and she moans. That vibration against me sends me shooting off like I’ve never done. And damn it all, she moans again. My hands are knotted in her hair, and I’m about to collapse on top of her.
She lets me go when she feels my spasms stop. “Jesus, love.” I fall to the bed and pull her up to me. She immediately straddles me and starts kissing me.
“My turn,” she says and the next thing I know, she’s straddling my face and I’m going to town on her. My girl is certainly not shy about what she wants and when. I love to feel and hear her shatter. Her orgasms are spectacular to experience. When she’s finished, she curls up next to me and snuggles into her favorite spot on my neck.
I’m not having any of that. I want her on top of me, full length contact. “I need all of you on me now, love.”
“Hmm, yeah, me, too.”
“I guess you didn’t want your present after all, huh?”
She pops up like a jack-in-the-box and I laugh my ass off.
“I forgot.”
“Get back here a minute. I need you on me.” For some unnamed reason, I do need her. So I hold her on me, feeling the thrumming of her heart. “That’s better.”
“Yeah, it is.”
After a few minutes, when I feel I can let her go, I set her aside and reach over the side of the bed to grab the bag. “For you, love.”
She peeks inside and pulls out a book. It’s a hard back, my latest one that she hasn’t seen yet. Her eyes land on mine, questioning me.
“You know we go to Atlanta in two weeks and I release my new book the week before, right? Well, I wanted you to be the first to have it.”
The smile she’s wearing spreads across her face and I feel like a chocolate bar that’s been sitting in the sun too long. I have it so bad for this girl I can barely look at her without doing a complete meltdown.
“You’re giving me you’re first copy of your first edition? Oh my God.” Her voice is soft and filled with awe. She’s holding the book like it’s made out of the most delicate and fragile crystal that one tiny movement could destroy it.
“Fallon, who else would I possibly want to give it to?”
“You! Isn’t that what authors do? Don’t they keep the first copy for themselves?”
“I want you to have it. I want you to see the dedication.”
She gently opens it and moves to the dedication page where she begins to read:
This book is dedicated to Fallon McKinley, for believing in me and changing the direction I was headed in. She knew from the start that my original idea wasn’t the best, and instead of keeping it to herself, she spoke her mind like a true friend and saved me from the disgrace in which I would have found myself. So, Fallon, my best friend and savior, thank you for taking such precious care of me.
She looks up at me with tears moistening her cheeks. “That’s not all. You need to read the inscription.” She opens the book back up and finds it on the first page.
To Fallon, the love of my life. Thank you for saving me from a life filled with emptiness. In its place, you have created such meaning and replenished my soul with so much love that I am a different man than I was when I first met you. You’ve made me whole when before I was only bits and pieces of someone that had no purpose. I’ve learned so much from you in these past seven months, I can’t begin to imagine what you will teach me in the years to come.
We are only bound by the limitations we place upon ourselves. Let’s make ours endless together. Two lives… One Heart… One Love… Endlessly
Forever yours,
Ryland Thomas
She closes the book and sets it on the bed. It appears as though she’s afraid she’ll damage it somehow. Then she launches herself at me and I can feel her body trembling.
“I didn’t mean for you to cry.”
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever received. Thank you,” she whispers in my ear.
I glance at the clock on the wall and whisper, “I think we better put some clothes on because the next part of this night’s present is due to arrive any moment.”
“Huh?”
“You’ll see.”
A few minutes later the doorbell rings and I run down to answer it. Fallon follows me and gasps when she sees a whole crew come into the home. They’re here to cook us a gourmet dinner. I hired them to cook her up a fancy meal so we could relax and enjoy ourselves.
“You’re totally spoiling me.”
“That’s the plan.”
The rest of the evening flies by and I hate it because I know the weekend will be over before I know it.
Saturday, we have reservations at seven. I’m downstairs waiting for Fallon to join me. My heart’s in my gut right now because I’m giving her the last of her gifts tonight. I hadn’t planned on giving her this until she told me she loved me, and since that happened on Thursday, here I am, feeling like a teenage kid about to kiss his first girl.
When I hear her coming down the steps, I glance up and my heart flips a few times before it slams down into my gut. She’s wearing a slate gray dress that emphasizes her eyes and sets off her hair like nothing I’ve ever seen. She’s all fire and heat in that thing and I’m not going to be able to keep my bloody hands to myself.
“Fallon.” My voice catches so I have to clear my throat. “Wow! You look extraordinary.” I pull her close for a kiss. My hand goes around her neck and all I want to do is run my fingers through her lovely hair and breathe her in. “What am I going to do with you? How am I gonna be in public with you looking as gorgeous as you do, dangerous girl?”
She licks her lips. Oh, why did she have to go on and do that? My mouth has a mind of its own as it zeroes in on hers, crashing into it like a damn heat-seeking missile.
“Sinclair,” she says as she pushes me away, “if you keep on doing that, we’ll never get out of here.”
I inhale deeply. “Right then. I have something for you.”
“Another gift?” She’s surprised.
“Uh-huh.” I’m not smiling so she knows it’s serious.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, sweetheart.” I reach into my pocket and pull out a square velvet box. She has to know by now that there’s jewelry inside. “Now, don’t get all freaked on me because it’s not a ring.” I hold the box towards her and lift the lid so she can see the contents and then I hear it. Her gasp.
“Shit, Ryland Thomas. Are you shitting me?”
Now she’s completely shocked. I suppose I would be, too.
“No, not shitting you, darling.”
“Are these real?”
Only Fallon would ask something like that. I throw back my head and laugh. It feels so damn good. “Yes, hon, they’re very real.”
“Jesus-ever-lovin’ C. What the hell are you thinking? These are huge!”
“They’re two and a half carats each.”
“What the... I can’t accept these. No way. They’re way too expensive and I’d be afraid I’d lose them.”
“Fallon, I need to tell you something about them. About me. Come here, please.” I lead her to a seat and we sit down. “My parents were wealthy. My dad owned a large printing company in Great Britain. It was before the computer age hit big. Anyway, he was extremely well invested so we had a lot of money. When my parents were killed, they had everything set up in wills and trusts so Tilly and I were well cared for. We’ve never wanted for anything. My mum had tons of jewelry. Tilly and I split everything down the middle. I let her take all that she wanted so she got to choose everything first and I got all the leftovers. And I was fine with that. Anyway, you’re the only person I’ve ever met that I wanted to give anything like this to.
“I love you Fallon. More than anything. I’d give you all my worldly possessions. All you have to do is ask. I’ve been waiting for that special person to come along that I could give these to, and that special someone is you. So please accept them. And they’re insured, so if you lose them, no worries. We’ll simply replace them.”
“I’ve never had anything like this.”
“I didn’t think you had, but that’s not why I’m giving them to you. I want you to have them because I loved my mum. She was awesome. And she wore them all the time. She would’ve wanted someone I love to have them. Please take them and wear them every day. For me.”
She looks at me, assessing me, and then nods. “If I lose one of these, I’ll kill you, Sinclair. And then I’ll go through life feeling guilty as hell.”
“Listen to me right now. This is materialistic shit that is meaningless compared to you. Do you understand me? If you ever spend one day feeling guilty because you lose something like this, I’ll… well, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“Spank me?”
“Huh? Oh, you naughty, naughty girl. Now put them on before I really do spank you.” I wink at her. “I have to tell you something else, too. I don’t want you to be angry with me. I did a little snooping and I paid off your student loans. Now, before you get all pissed off at me, I just want you to know that the money isn’t a big deal to me. It makes me happy to do this for you and I know how troubled you were by the amount of it. It’s nothing for me, Fallon. So don’t give it another thought.”
She stares at me a second and her face turns serious. “Ryland Thomas, thank you for doing that. I promise I’ll cherish these with everything I have.” Her hands quiver as she places them on her ears and I can’t help noticing the shimmer in her eyes.
“Fallon, what is it?”
Her head shakes back and forth, letting me know she can’t discuss it now, therefore I simply take her hand and she clasps it as hard as I’ve ever felt her hold it before. She’s silent as we ride to the restaurant, leaving me to puzzle her out in my mind. I want to ask, although I know she doesn’t want me to, so I keep quiet.
The tears threaten to explode, yet I force them back. He hasn’t any idea how fortunate he is to have a piece of his mom. I’ll tell him, but not until we get home, I don’t want to make a fool out of myself in public. Our dinner is pleasant enough, with delicious food, however it’s mired in my issues. He skirts around them, knowing he can’t ask me and it makes for a weird night. His hand rarely lets mine go, and for that I’m thankful.
We finally arrive back home, and when he turns the car off, he turns to me and says, “We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want.”
“I do want, but not in the car.” He’s such a gentleman; he’s opening my door and helping me out before I’m even aware of it.
Once inside, he pours me a brandy and hands me the glass. I look at the deep amber fluid and feel the tears I’ve been holding back all night push their way past my lids.
“When my dad died, I was in such a haze I didn’t realize what was going on.” My voice is hollow sounding and it occurs to me that I’ve never told this to anyone before. “You know exactly how I felt, I’m sure. My body didn’t feel like it was connected to my brain. There were broken pieces of me scattered everywhere, and I was trying to find them so I could glue myself back together again. I knew I needed to function, I just didn’t know how.
“My mom was still in Spartanburg then, it was before she moved to Atlanta. She came and got me. I don’t remember much of those days. I barely remember his funeral. He was an only child and both of his parents were gone so everything fell on my mom. I suppose I can understand why she was so bitter about it. I mean, after all, they weren’t married anymore and there she was, having to deal with all of that.
“Anyway, when I finally surfaced from the fog I’d been living in, I realized that when she’d sold the house, she’d gotten rid of everything in it. I was left with nothing. All of his mementos had either been given away, sold or trashed. She never asked me if I wanted to keep anything. She just took it upon herself to get rid of it all. I have nothing left of him except for a few pictures of us. He had these wooden carvings he’d made for me that she just trashed. She said they were worthless. I’m sure they were, but they were mine and he’d made them for me.
“He and I would camp together and she sold all of our gear. He had an old gun collection from his father that she gave away. She tossed all his scrapbooks from high school. Just tons of things. So when you gave me these earrings, it triggered the fact that I have nothing of my dad’s.” I sit there and shake my head. “I’m sorry. I know it happened long ago and I need to get over it already, but I just wish I had something like this. You know? Something that he loved.” My hands move to my ears and I caress the earrings, not because they’re valuable and pretty, but because I know how much it meant for him to have given them to me. “I’ll treasure these, Ryland Thomas, I truly will.”
“Fallon.” He simply looks at me with that intensity in his eyes. It’s as though he can’t speak. His lips touch mine and my fingers are in his soft hair. I’m holding him so tight that I don’t ever want to let him go. When we stop, our breathing is ragged as we stare at each other. Then he says, “Your mum’s a selfish bitch.”
For some reason, that strikes me as funny so I laugh. He laughs with me as we merely hold each other, the tension flowing from me.
“You don’t know that half of her. Just wait. I’ll never understand how my dad ended up with her. They’re so different.”
“Fallon, I wish things had turned out differently for you. I wish you had something of your father’s. I know how important it is. I’m so sorry, love.”
“Me, too. But now you know why I couldn’t talk about it earlier.”
He brushes my face with the backs of his fingers. “Let’s go to sleep, gorgeous. I thing we both could use a good night’s rest.”
I’m pulled to my feet and then he leads me to the bathroom where he gently removes my make-up and then hands me my toothbrush already loaded with toothpaste. I watch him as we both brush and floss. Next, he undresses me and leads me to the bed. I curl up next to him, but he has none of that. He pulls me on top of him, and I sink onto his warmth.
“Right where you belong, love.” he says into my ear. My arms wind around his torso and that’s the last thing I know as I drift into a dreamless sleep.
His nose is nuzzling my cheek, but that’s not what wakes me. It’s the heat that is inching into my depths, and my moans. “Ahhh,” I cry. His hands are gripping my hips and he’s gliding into me, ever so slowly, but hitting me on that place that’s going to make me climax.
My arms are still hugging his waist, but now my fingers are digging into his muscles. “Faster.” My voice is hoarse from sleep, however he hears me loud and clear. I’m suddenly rolled onto my stomach. It takes me by surprise.
“Lift your hips, babe.” I do and a pillow appears like magic.
“Thanks Houdini,” I say and he laughs.
“The comedienne will be gone in a second,” he says.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Hell, yeah,” he says right as he slams into me, his hand flat on my stomach as he pulls me against him.
“Ahh!”
“Too hard?” he stops and asks.
“No,” I’m panting now. “Not nearly.”
He gives me a wicked laugh. “Oh, is that a fact?” He’s ramming into me again and I love it. The thing about sex with Ryland Thomas is, he does the unexpected and it’s always shocking. His hand slides up to my nipple and first he brushes it, but then pinches. Not hard, at first, just enough to make me moan. Between that and him pushing into me from behind, I’m filled with a multitude of sensations I can’t begin to describe.
“Talk to me, Fallon. Is this okay?”
“More than okay. Fan-fucking-tastic.” I can barely speak. He gives a throaty laugh that turns me on even more, if that’s possible. I’m in for another surprise when he pulls me up against him, my back flush with his chest as he still pounds into me.
