Chapter Thirteen

Emily fell against the blanket and closed her eyes, letting the late afternoon sun warm her wet skin. Hearing Rick’s feet scrape across the meadow grass, she slid one eye open and appreciated God’s fine work. Droplets of water slid through the dark hair covering his broad chest and rolled toward a happy trail that led to a very impressive bulge in his jockeys.

“You like what you see, Em?”

Closing her eye, she hitched a shoulder. “It would be hard not to.”

He collapsed next to her and chuckled. “For the record, I sure as hell like what I see and consider myself a blessed man to be in your company.”

She pushed herself up on her elbows and tried to determine if he was in any way serious. When she saw red slashing his cheeks and the determined set of his mouth, she had her answer. Allowing her eyes to crawl over his body, she shuddered as she took in every glorious inch of his grooved, perfect muscles. No doubt about it, there was no man sexier or more appealing on the planet, and he was hers for the taking.

“I’m praying the fire in your eyes is finally going to mean good things for me, Em.”

“It’s possible,” she whispered as his hand crawled up her leg. “But I can’t say for sure.”

“Let me see what I can do about making you a little more sure.”

“Mmmmkay,” she murmured right before he devoured her lips in a primal display of possession. Aggressive in his approach, he made love to her mouth with the same determination he’d done everything else in his life. “Rick…”

Lifting his mouth away, he framed her face with his hands. “What’s up, Stitches?”

“Well, you for starters.”

Levering himself up, he ground his hips against hers and shrugged. “Kinda inevitable.”

“I just want to say…” Feeling him still, she tugged his face next to hers. “I’m glad you came home and we’re…getting along.”

“Me, too,” he said quietly. “Can I ravage you now?”

Nodding, she canted her hips. “Yes, please.”

“My fucking pleasure, woman.”

Threading her fingers through his hair, she tugged him closer, feeling his fingers rip her soaked panties off in one hard tug. “You plan on always ripping my panties off?”

“Absofuckinglutely,” he growled. “You mind?”

“Not really,” she said, knowing he was about to discover how very much she desired him.

“So wet,” he murmured as he dipped his finger inside her heat. “I’m going to make you feel so good.”

Pleasure streaked across her skin as his thick finger eased deep inside her body, curling and stroking in and out. Melting, she let the unease slip away as her body soaked up his heat. The man had a masterful touch, and she wasn’t surprised that somewhere on the road home, he learned his way around a woman’s body.

Heart careening through her chest, she felt his finger slide away. “Wait…”

“Patience, woman.”

She popped open one eye and saw the same devilish smile he’d been blessing her with from the moment they met and thumped her head back against the ground. “Rick…are you going to deny me?”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Good.” She closed her eyes and couldn’t wait to see if they still fit together.

Once and for all.

…

Rick licked his lips and appreciated that the strongest woman he’d ever known was giving him license to do as he saw fit.

Moving in close, he slid his fingers over the lips of her pussy, growling when he inhaled her scent.

Home.

He’d finally made it.

“Mine,” he murmured as he skimmed his fingers back and forth, coating them with her wetness. Blowing a breath over her core made her hips buck. Damn, but he loved how responsive she was.

He slid one finger back inside and groaned at how tight her pussy was and couldn’t wait to experience how goddamn amazing she felt wrapped around him again. Adding another finger, he worked her body until she was rocking against his hand, giving him the yes he needed.

His cock ached at the sight of the glistening arousal he’d created, and it was all he could do to hold back the savage asking for release. “That’s it, Em. Take what you need, ’cause I’m not gonna be satisfied until you come all over my fingers and mouth.”

“Why does it feel so good?”

“Cause I’m your king and the only one who will ever satisfy you.”

She dragged her top lip into her mouth and nodded, making the need to possess her that much greater. Gripping her ass with his hands, he spread her wide and moved in, taking her with his mouth. Salty, sweet perfection. His pulse hammered in his ears as his tongue slid over her delicious pussy. Swiping his tongue up her slit, he teased her clit and then pushed his tongue deep inside her. Loving the way her arousal leaked over him, he moved back, pushing his finger inside and curling it.

He searched for the spot that would make her fly apart and hit it in one try. Her pussy gripped his fingers like a velvet vise, and the thought of him trying to squeeze inside her slick heaven made his balls tighten up more than he thought possible.

Hearing her moans get needier spurred him on, and he flicked his tongue over her clit, making honey flow over his tongue. Her body trembled, signaling she was close, so he fastened his lips over her clit and was rewarded almost instantly when she exploded. The orgasm slammed into her, and her whole body shook as she fell apart. Not letting his tongue stop, he pushed her through her climax right into another one and enjoyed the sound of her pleasure filling the air around them.

Bringing her down slowly, he kissed the inside of her thigh and gave her a little bite, loving the loopy smile forming on her face.

Standing, he got rid of his wet jockeys and stroked himself a couple of times, trying to get the fire burning in his body under control. “You ready, Em?”

Lifting her head slowly, she nodded, looking him dead in the eye. “Absolutely.”

“Good,” he said as he dropped back down to the blanket and crawled up her body. Letting his cock rest next to her opening, he gritted his teeth, praying for patience. One shift of his hips would put him inside her welcoming heat, and being that close to knowing her from the inside out again made his gut clench. He gripped his cock and dragged it through her wetness. “Can we go without condoms?”

“What?”

“You heard me.” He ran his finger over the patch on her hip and tilted his chin up. “I’d love to have nothing between us.”

Her brow furrowed, let him know she was running the question through her good-girl logic. When she gave him a nod, he bent down, taking her mouth in a brutal kiss, knowing the emotion filling his chest wouldn’t make words possible.

He let go of her mouth and pressed their heads together. “From now on, it’s you and me, partners in crime. I’ve got your back, and you’ve got mine. No more fighting over stupid shit. We’re a team, and nothing is going to get between us.”

“I’m trusting you, Rick. Don’t make me regret it.”

He grinned and used her wetness to lube up. “I never will because there is no one’s happiness more important than yours.”

“Quit talking then and show me why being your partner is worth my time.”

Not able to keep the ridiculous smile off his face, he gripped the base of his cock and pushed into her a half inch at a time. When she shifted her hips and grasped his arm, he stopped and bent down, pressing a string of kisses over her shoulder and neck.

“Keep going.”

Nodding, he kissed her gently and pushed another inch in and told himself to savor how ball-busting tight she felt, since he hadn’t when they were teens. Joining bodies with Em was a privilege that he hadn’t appreciated properly, and that wasn’t a mistake he was going to make twice. “You and me are going to fit, Em.”

“I know.”

Liking the tilt of her chin and sweet, sassy smile, he pushed himself home and felt his balls brush her ass. He breathed through his nose, doing everything he could to ignore the sharp slice of pleasure racing down his back.

He really had made it home in every sense of the world.

Locking his eyes on hers made the connection a tangible thing. “I’m going to live inside you from here on out, Em. Cancel all your plans, ’cause we’ll be doing this.”

She laughed, arched her back, and dug her nails into his shoulders. “I’ll be sure to alert the media.”

He pulled out and braced his arms on either side of her head then gave her a cocky grin. “I’m not above torturing you.”

“Well aware of that,” she said with a laugh and pulled his hips down.

Not able to resist her, he nipped her lip and thrust himself back in. “Now I have to double down.”

“Do it.”

The universe had given him the best fucking gift in the world. He loved that Em was the same in bed as she was in life. She’d always tipped her chin at the world in defiance and took on whatever came her way with a full serving of attitude.

Giving in to her tempting, teasing draw, he wrapped her legs around the groove of his hips and let his cock pump in and out as she writhed in pleasure. Her clit dragged over his thickness with every thrust, and he knew he was hitting the sweet spot just inside.

Moaning, her body gripped him tightly, and he recited the calculations for a HAHO jump so he could stave off the release racing down his spine.

“Holy…”

“I’m not stopping until you fly the hell apart.”

“Shiiiiiiitt,” she hissed quietly.

He fucked her harder and deeper than he thought possible and ground his pelvis against her, praying she was close. “Give it to me now,” he growled against her ear. “Shatter and let me put you back together.”

She pressed her head against his shoulder. “Don’t let go.”

“Not plannin’ on it,” he said as he spun out in a pleasure blackout. He stayed with her through the epic explosion and held tight as he detonated. Shaking like he’d never done in his life, he emptied himself inside the woman who’d always owned him.

They’d been the best of friends, the worst of enemies, and everything in between, and he prayed they had a chance at becoming each other’s best answer. Because when he imagined what happiness looked like, it always included her by his side.

…

Emily couldn’t believe she’d ended up in the meadow again, sated and satisfied. She fastened the last button on her jeans and watched Rick do the same. “We can’t have our supper naked, because the bugs will eat us alive,” she said.

“I know, but a man can dream, can’t he?”

“I suppose,” she replied with laugh before collapsing next to him on the blanket. Crossing her legs, she watched him unpack the saddlebag and practically salivated when she saw a container filled with Norma’s potato salad. “I’m so happy you brought food, because I’m starvin’.”

He leaned in and kissed her firmly. “No way I’d ravage you and not feed you a proper meal.”

“You do know the way to my heart, sir.”

“You mean it, Em, or are you under the influence of post-coital glow?”

Seeing no smile and nothing but serious intent in his pretty eyes, she covered his hand. “What are you asking?”

“Do I make you happy?”

She studied his wide, nicked-up hands and gave his question some real consideration and realized being in his company did make her happy. It also tested her last nerve on occasion and sometimes made her more frustrated than she thought possible.

They were each other’s best accomplice and worst adversary. But truth be told, she wouldn’t want it any other way since she loved how they challenged and pushed each other to be better.

Or more daring and foolish.

They’d spent a week and a half in one another’s company, and she knew that she was falling into their old connection. He was the other side of her coin, and not accepting that on some level would be foolish.

No matter how much it scared her to pieces.

“Guessin’ the non-answer makes it a no.”

“I actually was giving your question some real thought and not popping off the first sarcastic comment that came to mind. For your information, you do make me happy. And not just because of the orgasms you’ve been delivering.”

She laid her hand on top of his and hitched her shoulder. “You’ve accepted the worst parts of me for years, and I know that you don’t run when I’m less than…charming. You also will share your fries with me no questions asked and order an extra side of onion rings because you know I love them. And if there is a big ol’ spider headed my way, you’ll smoosh it before it gets close and not tease me once. But the thing you do that makes me the happiest is treat me like an equal. You’ve never told me I couldn’t do something because I was a girl or given me a hard time for talking during movies, so yeah…I do like hanging out together. And look forward to seeing if the adults we’ve become couldn’t be…something.”

Rick sucked in a breath and flipped their hands over so he was cradling hers. “Goddamn, Emily, when you decide to open up and give me the good stuff, you don’t hold back. I want you to know that I could die tomorrow and be happy. ’Cause giving you at least a tiny bit of what you’ve always given me is all I could ever hope for.”

Not able to deny the bubble of happiness in her chest, she moved closer and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Happy sex hormones are no joke, and I’m guessing if we fool around at least once a day, our squabbles could all but disappear.”

“And if we do it twice, we’ll be married before Christmas.”

Laughing, she looked up and felt blinded by the big smile that lit up his face. “Maybe we should see how we’re doing at the end of the month and go from there.”

“All right, woman, if you wanna be reasonable, then I guess that’s what we’ll do.” He tipped his head and grinned. “But know that I won’t think less of you when you beg me to go to Vegas and get married by Elvis.”

“No way,” she said with a snort. “Cher will be doing the honors or it won’t happen.”

“Fair enough.”

“Can we eat now?”

“Of course.” Rick pulled out two napkin rolls and handed her one and then began popping the lids off the Tupperware. “Looks like we got some fried chicken to go with that potato salad and some strawberries and cookies.”

“Could there be anything better?” she asked as she put her napkin over her lap and then lifted a piece of chicken out and took a bite. Groaning, she didn’t think anything had ever tasted better. “Norma is a goddess or saint. Maybe both.”

“Absolutely,” Rick replied after wiping his mouth. “I may talk to the priest next time I’m in town and see what we can do about getting her name added to the list.”

“How exactly does someone become a saint?”

“Not sure, and since you’re a lot smarter than me, it’s going to be up to you to do the research.”

“Are you saying that because I’m a doctor?”

“No, I’m saying it because I watched you get on every damn honor roll there ever was and win all the academic decathlons you entered.”

“There is that,” she said before picking up the potato salad and scooping up a heaping spoonful.

“How long exactly did it take to become a vet?”

“Eight years of schooling and a year of interning. I did my undergrad at UC Davis and then went to Texas A&M for my doctorate in veterinary medicine. It was grueling, but I never once thought of giving up.”

“You’re not a woman who’d ever give in, so there’s no way you wouldn’t make every single one of your dreams come true.”

Feeling her heart beat in happiness and contentment, she closed her eyes. “Thank you, Rick. That’s a really nice thing to say.” And she would add it to the other dozen of nice things he’d been saying since they’d been back in one another’s company.

“It’s true, and I’m proud as hell of you.”

She lifted her head, gave him a smile, and allowed herself to roll around in all the good feelings of the day, because doing anything else would be foolish. They’d both achieved the biggest goals they’d set for themselves, and wouldn’t it be amazing if they were ready to tackle the next one?

The one that would be their greatest challenge.

The one that would allow them to give meaning to the next fifty years of their lives together.