Coming ine box set, p.109
Coming in Hot: Rescue Me Box Set, page 109
Trista moaned, and her movements stuttered. Riding him, she coated him in her essence as it dripped to his balls.
Unable to resist a second more, he captured her nipple between his lips, drawing on it with deep, hard sucks that had her writhing against him. He released it with a pop. “Come for me, love,” he ordered. With a loud moan, her body squeezed his cock, hard and fast, each spasm drawing his own orgasm closer to the edge.
He drew the other taut peak between his lips, giving it the same treatment. Her pussy clenched around him again and again.
He had no hope of resisting the grip she had on his cock. With a grunt, he thrust into her, burying himself deep, then exploded inside her, filling her pussy with everything that he had.
Chapter 10
Trista woke slowly, wrapped up in a warmth she wanted to burrow into. For a half second before she was fully aware, she thought she was at home, snuggled into her bed, waiting for her alarm clock to ring. But then Ryland’s spicy scent sifted through her groggy mind, bringing to the forefront all they had done the previous evening and night before.
Through her closed eyelids, she could make out some light. Nothing too bright, but it definitely wasn’t dark like it had been the last time she and Ry had slacked their lust. As much as she wanted to stay and get more rest—because they sure hadn’t slept all that much throughout the night—she had to get up. It wouldn’t do to be late for her first day at the clinic, even with Cortney as her boss.
She lifted his arm from where it was draped across her chest and wiggled from beneath his thigh where he’d pinned her legs—as though afraid she’d make a run for it while he slept. Maybe it should have crossed her mind, but the truth was, she didn’t want to go. Opening her eyes, she turned to look at Ry. He lay there, eyes open, not looking groggy in the least, watching her.
“Did you get any shut-eye at all?” she asked, worry making her heart rate kick up a notch. Every time she’d woken, she’d found him just like that—awake and taking her in.
“Good morning, gorgeous.”
“Good morning. So, have you?” she repeated her question.
He leaned to her and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “A little here and there.”
She’d be willing to bet it wasn’t anywhere near what he needed. “Well, I have to go to work. You get some sleep.”
Ry stretched and sat up, fighting a yawn. “I’ll cook you breakfast while you get ready.”
“Nope. Not a chance. I’ll grab some cereal and a banana, and I’ll be good to go. I want you to rest,” she insisted.
“I’d rather be up with you than sleeping any day of the week, gorgeous.”
“Be that as it may, I’m not any more of a morning person now than I was seven months ago. I need some time to myself to prepare for taking care of sick people. I’ll tell you what… Stay in bed, and once I figure out what time my break is, I’ll send you a text. Maybe you can join me for lunch.”
Ry looked like he was going to argue again but then lay back down, dragging her with him so that she was sprawled on top of him. “I can’t say no to you. And yes, I’d love to have lunch with you.”
He pressed his nose into the crook of her neck and inhaled deep, sending that familiar flutter coursing through her. “Maybe you can call in sick, and we can rest later?” he suggested as he held her close.
As tempting as staying right where she was sounded, she couldn’t. “I can’t. I’ll see you at lunch, though. Get some sleep.” She didn’t know if the promise of seeing her again in a few hours would help or not, but it couldn’t hurt. With all the willpower she had inside her, Trista gave him one last, lingering kiss before pulling out of his arms and heading for the shower.
With her body aching in all the right places, she couldn’t keep her smile off her face as she stepped under the hot spray. The last thing she’d imagined when she’d gone in to work the day before was that she’d find herself back at the Odyssey and in Ryland’s arms. But there she was, and she couldn’t even bring herself to be upset over it. Maybe once the all-encompassing glow of their lovemaking subsided, she’d feel differently, but after months of missing him, she kind of doubted that, too. When she’d locked gazes with him, Trista had seen more than the desperate lust burning in his eyes. She’d seen love. That was scary. Leaving before had been damn near impossible. More than that, it had been devastating. It had taken everything in her to put one foot in front of the other and find her new normal. Falling for him again would make it a hundred times worse—for both of them—but he made it so hard not to.
The morning routine at the clinic was much the same as it was at the hospital. Vitals and assessments were followed by a med pour, then personal care, treatments, procedures, and dressing changes before another round of meds.
She was finishing up with her charting when a shiver of awareness tingled down her spine. She looked up to find Ry standing there with lunch in hand. Crap, she’d gotten busy and forgotten to shoot him a text.
“I don’t want to disturb you at work,” he said as he lifted the bag he’d brought with him, his expression tense—uncertain. “If now’s not a good time, I can come back later.”
Ry glanced at the nurse watching them from the other end of the hall and sighed. “If you’d rather I just leave it with you, that’s okay, too,” he finally said, resignation lacing the words.
He looked so dejected that her heart ached for him. “What? No, just let me report on my patients, and we can go outside to eat.”
His smile started out small, but when it reached his eyes, it stole her breath. “Want me to wait for you in the garden?”
“No, this is fine. Just give me a second.”
Kayla glanced back and forth between them, then shrugged. “Guess you’re going on break?”
“Yeah, is that okay? My patients are fine,” Trista told her temporary co-worker. “I’ve hung an antibiotic on the patient in room 5 if you could just lock the IV when it beeps?”
“Will do. Have a good one.” Kayla gave Ryland an assessing look, then turned away.
“One more second, and we can go,” she told Ry as she headed to the handwashing station. She didn’t think there was anything contagious at the clinic, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
Ry led her out and around the building that housed not only the clinic but also served as residence to Cortney and her mate, Draven, then into the gardens. The spot he chose had a great view of the lake. Tall trees provided shade while allowing enough sun to filter through to keep her from getting chilled.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
“Perfect. Did you get any sleep?” she asked as she sat.
He nodded and smiled at her, joining her on the bench. “A couple of hours.”
The pleased expression on his face wasn’t lost on her. She liked seeing it there, but the fact that he was happy about getting a few hours wasn’t exactly ideal. “And this is an improvement from the norm?”
Ryland swallowed hard, but he didn’t turn away. “Yes.”
That one simple word crushed her. She wouldn’t lie and say things had been easy after she’d left the Odyssey. She’d been broken inside, her heart fractured into so many pieces that she hadn’t been sure she’d ever put it together again. She’d missed him so much that she’d almost come crawling back more times than she could count, but she’d managed to keep moving forward. Once she’d cried all her tears and eaten all the ice cream, she’d started putting herself together again. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d done it. From what she was learning, Ry hadn’t.
He glanced away long enough to open the bag he’d brought and pulled out a sandwich, handing it to her, then followed it with a Red Bull. He popped the tab and placed it on the seat between them so she could reach it when she was ready for a drink. Next came a container with a clear lid that, unless she was mistaken, held some frozen mango—her favorite. She waited for him to reach in again and get his own lunch, but he just crumpled the paper sack and held it in one big hand.
“Where’s yours?” she asked as she retrieved half of her sandwich. “Did you already eat?”
His eyes widened as though he hadn’t considered fixing one for himself, making her heart stutter. “I’ll grab something later.”
“We can’t very well have lunch together if I’m the only one having it.”
“I wasn’t thinking. I’ll bring two next time.”
“It’s fine. I can share.” No way was that going to be enough for a man like Ryland, but she wasn’t going to let him get away with skipping meals. Not after having learned that he’d not been eating well for months.
Ryland sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up. She was tempted to smooth it down again, but it gave him a sexy bedroom look, so she left it.
“I don’t need you to mother me, love. I promise I’ll eat later,” he insisted. The words could have been hurtful, or even harsh, but his soft tone made them anything but.
“Would you hold this for me?” she asked, handing over the meal he’d brought. She picked up the Red Bull from the seat and took a drink before setting it further away, then moved the mango out of the way, too.
Without saying another word, she stood and faced him, then climbed up, straddling him. He held the sandwich to the side, giving her the space she needed to settle on his lap, facing him. The surprised look in his eyes shone for a second before heat blasted through them as he realized what she was doing. “There’s nothing motherly about what I feel for you.”
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his jaw and a soft sound rumbled at the back of his throat.
“Take a bite,” she demanded before nipping the spot her lips had just caressed.
“I made it for you.”
She licked his stubbled chin, and he moaned. “I know. And I appreciate it. Now, hurry up so I can have one. I’m hungry.” She tilted her pelvis, bringing herself into firmer contact with his lap—and his hardening cock.
“Trista,” he growled as he pressed into her.
“I’m not stopping until you do as I ask,” she said, grinding onto him again, nibbling down the column of his neck.
“And you think doing that is going to be a deterrent?” he asked, his voice a deep rumble that sent pleasure arching through her.
She didn’t say a word. She just sucked on the spot on the side of his neck that she knew drove him wild.
His chest moved as he brought his hand up. She didn’t need to see to know he’d taken a bite. His jaw worked as he chewed, and after a moment, his Adam's apple bobbed beneath her lips.
“That’s sexual blackmail,” he said as he pressed the hard ridge of his cock into her. “Your turn.”
She pulled back to find him clutching the sandwich in a tight grip, his fingers all but piercing through the soft bread and grinned. “It’s the best kind. Except it's not really blackmailing. It’s more of a sexy distraction while we eat. I’m not denying you anything.”
He brought the food to her lips, and she opened for him, taking a bite, just like she’d promised. Had she not tasked him with holding their meal, she was sure he’d be making use of his hands while she chewed. As it was, he flexed his ass, thrusting against her slowly before retreating again. The soft, thin cotton of her scrubs wasn’t much of a barrier, and she moaned as she swallowed.
He tried to give her another bite, but she kept her mouth closed and shook her head.
His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t argue. As soon as he had more food in his mouth, she brought her fingers to his waist and slipped them beneath his T-shirt, sliding them over his hard abs, dragging the material up as she went, exposing more of his tantalizing skin. With her fingers splayed wide, she stroked his pecs before zeroing on his nipples and brushing the pads across their already rigid peaks.
“Now you,” he said as he took her hand from his chest and shoved the sandwich into her palm, telling her with that action alone that he wasn’t playing anymore. The second her fingers curled around it, he snuck his hand under her shirt and around to her back. He pressed his warm palm against her, drawing her closer so that no space remained between their chests. “Eat,” he demanded. She did as he asked, then gasped as he brought his mouth to her neck.
He shoved his hips up, creating that sweet friction between her thighs as he held her where he wanted her. If she wasn’t careful, she’d come right there with all her clothes still on.
Ryland pulled away, grasped her wrist, and brought the sandwich to his mouth, taking a huge bite. “You,” he demanded again, chewing and swallowing before he brought his mouth back to her body, this time trailing his tongue down the open vee of her shirt. She liked—no loved—where he was heading. Grinding herself down as he bore against her again, they both moaned. “How much time do we have?”
“Not enough. Jesus, I need you. How can this be normal?” she asked, popping the last bit of sandwich into his mouth when he raised his head to capture her gaze. As soon as he swallowed, she swooped in, crushing his mouth with hers. He gripped her tighter as she stroked her tongue to the seam of his lips, then dipped inside when he granted her access.
He brought his hands to her hips, digging his fingers into her flesh through the flimsy pants. Ryland pulled back a fraction, just enough to speak, yet his lips still caressed hers with every word. “It’s the mating craze. Completely normal. For phoenixes,” he said, punctuating each statement with another hungry kiss.
He ravaged her mouth while his hands explored every inch of her he could reach. With an impatient groan, he slipped his hands under her shirt. A shiver tingled down her spine as the rough pads of his fingers danced up her sides. He didn’t make her wait, didn’t torture her with anticipation as he cupped her breasts in his hands, then tweaked her nipples.
“I have to see you,” he said, his voice raspy.
Too far gone, Trista didn’t think to deny him. The cool breeze swept against the skin of her lower abdomen as he lifted her top. Goose bumps chased each hungry touch, driving her need to unbearable heights.
“Oh, shit. Dude, sorry.”
It took her half a second to realize the voice didn’t belong to Ryland and another to register the instant tension in his body. Ry pulled her tight against him, his arms immovable like bands of steel around her.
Chapter 11
Lost in his mate, Ry hadn’t heard anyone come up the garden path. Kirk had as much right to be there as anyone else, but that didn’t stop the phoenix’s fury at having another unmated male so close to Trista.
The beast didn’t care that the kid wasn’t a match for her or that Trista had never shown any interest in him. Its instinct was to remove any threat to their mating from her presence until it was finalized. Even then, it might not tolerate others being near her. But at least it would be easier to control the reactions.
Ry stood, wrapping his arms around her, bringing her with him. Turning, he gave the younger phoenix his back, shielding her from view before letting her legs go so she could stand on her own. Only once she was steady did he release her and turn to face Kirk, giving her time to straighten her clothing and collect herself.
“We didn’t hear you coming,” he said, fighting the urge to show his flame to the younger male. He did his best to control the warble in his voice, too, but the phoenix was too close to the surface to hide completely. “My mate and I were having a private lunch.”
“Ry,” Trista said from behind him as she placed her small palm on his bicep. “Let’s not do this. Please.”
His breath caught in his throat. The uncertainty in her voice all but gutted him. He unclenched the fists he hadn’t realized he’d formed and forced his muscles to uncoil. Did she think he was going to beat Kirk for coming up on them while they were making out in the garden? Of course, she would. He’d been an out of control dick after the attack. Fear had driven him. He couldn’t say he would ever completely let his guard down where she was concerned, but he wasn’t the same man he’d been back then. And it was up to him to prove it.
“Are you covered up, beautiful?” he asked her, releasing more of the tension from his body with each breath he took.
Her hand stroked up and down his arm, soothing him further. “Yeah.”
“Good.” He turned enough that he wasn’t obstructing her from Kirk’s view anymore. The kid wisely kept quiet. Reaching down, he plucked her Red Bull and the rest of her lunch from where they still sat on the bench, handing them to her. “I’m sorry I monopolized so much of your lunch break.”
“I’m not. I enjoyed spending it with you.” She looked from him to Kirk, then back again. “We good?”
Not hardly. He still had a raging hard-on and would love nothing more than to find someplace private—which is what he should have done in the first place—and sink into her. But that wasn’t what she was asking, and he knew it.
“We are. I have to go over some stuff with Draven this afternoon.” He glanced at his watch. Crap. He was already late. “I’ll be home in time to make dinner, though. Any special requests?”
Her lips curved up at the corners as she shook her head. “Whatever you want is fine.”
“I’d recommend his Philly cheesesteak,” Kirk chimed in. “I had it once, and it’s ruined me for anyone else’s.”
Trista’s smile grew wider. “Is that right?” Her gaze swung to Kirk.
Ry expected the fury to climb as she cast her smile on the other male, but it didn’t. She was just as beautiful as always, but the grin didn’t come close to shining in her eyes like it did when she beamed at him.
“Delicious. Hey, maybe I can come over, too. It’s been a long time, man,” Kirk said, rubbing his belly.
The tension inside him came crashing back, winding him tighter than before. He couldn’t be the controlling jerk that had sent Trista running the last time. Having another male in their home so soon after her arrival wouldn’t just be hard, it would be next to impossible to control the beast.
