Exquisite Betrayal (11 page)

“
Thanks for all the help with
everything, Ryland.”

“
My pleasure.” And it really is. “Can
I ask you something?”

She nods.

“
And I know this is quite touchy for
you, but does your mum have the money to give you? I mean, if she
would want to?”

Fallon shrugs. “I don’t honestly know. I’ve
asked her so many times for help, but she’s always refused. She
lives in a nice, fancy house. Not anywhere near as fancy as yours,
but it’s nice. And she has everything she’s ever wanted. But, I
don’t know. I don’t ask for anything anymore. She was always like
that. As far back as I can remember. Her life always came before
anything else.”

The crushing debt Fallon is in over student
loans appalls me. Since I hail from a wealthy background, I’ve
never faced financial woes before. The happy face she’s able to put
on every day simply amazes me. It’s not just the debt, either. That
bitch known as her mum dumped her and then she lost the hero in her
life only to have to go back to the mum who didn’t want her. I
can’t get over the difficulties she’s faced, yet she finds a way to
move forward. She hasn’t lost hope. She really is nothing like the
girl I glimpsed the other day.

“
Thanks for the contacts you’ve given
me for the resumes,” she says. I’ve called in a few favors and
hopefully it will pan out for her in the form of a job.

“
Happy to do it. I hope it works out
for you. So, you really don’t think there should be a sequel
to
Lovers Between the
Sheets
?” This has bothered me ever since she told
me.

“
No, I don’t. I think it would lessen
the impact of the first book. That book was so heartfelt and
genuine; I think readers would look at it as a way to make money.
It can’t possibly be true to the characters. What will R.T. do?
Make Jack have an affair and then have Willow leave him? That would
be so out of character for either of them, it couldn’t possibly
work. If she wants to write a book like that fine, but do a
completely different one. I’m sure it will rock… they all
do.”

I’m gaping at her because she reiterated my
plot in one sentence and then annihilated it. When she says it,
though, it makes perfect sense.

“
You’re right. I didn’t look at it
that way.” I’m deep in thought when she interrupts me.

“
Why all the obsession about this,
anyway?”

“
Oh, I don’t know. Just curious, I
guess.”

A thought pops into my head. Maybe I ought
to hire her as my personal assistant. I need one, badly. Mine
resigned a month ago and I still haven’t found a replacement.
Fallon would be awesome because she knows all my books already.

“
You’re really fumbling around in that
head of yours tonight, aren’t you?” Her head tilts to the side as
she studies me.

“
Yeah, sorry.”

“
No worries.”

“
Would you like to sit
outside?”

She nods and then we head that way. I love
this place and I can tell she does, too. It seeps into my bones and
relaxes me like no other place I’ve ever been. The mountains are
spectacular, but the lake, it’s really something else. Lake Tahoe
is a four season place with things to do all year long.

We settle in and I ask, “Do you snow ski or
board?”

She laughs. “Naw. I always wanted to try
‘cause it looks like so much fun, but I never had the extra
funds.”

My heart aches a little at her response,
knowing everything has been a financial struggle for her since her
dad died. “Maybe someday then.”

“
What about you. You live amongst all
of this. You must be a good boarder or whatever they call
them.”

“
Yeah, they’re boarders. And yes, I do
both. I started skiing when I was growing up. We used to go to
Switzerland on family holiday.”

Her eyes get huge. “Whoa. I bet that was
amazing.” She has this entranced look on her face and her eyes are
sparkling so much I want to touch the place beneath them, just to
prove to myself they’re real.

“
Uh-huh, but the states are better for
skiing, in my opinion. They really do it right here.”

“
Yeah?”

“
Yeah.”

“
So you’ve been skiing since you were
a little kid?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Do your parents ski.”

“
They used to, but they died when I
was eighteen.”

Her face morphs into one of utter shock.
“Holy shit. I’m so sorry, Ryland. Both of them?”

“
Yeah. A train derailment in France.
It was dreadful. My sister and I were left behind to deal with it.
Good thing we had each other.”

“
You two are close then?”

“
Don’t know what I’d do without
her.”

When I look at her, she has the sweetest
smile on her face; she looks like an angel. “It’s so great you have
her, you know.”

“
Yes. I do. We were lucky we were
eighteen when our folks died ‘cause we’d have been sent to live
with other families. Like your foster care here. I would’ve died
had we been separated.”

“
Wait, are you twins?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Oooh, I’m so jealous. I always wanted
a twin brother to look out for me. And to take up for me around my
mom.”

“
Why is she so rotten to
you?”

Her lips press into a thin line and she
shrugs. “She loves everything else more than me.”

She bites the corner of her lip to stop it
from trembling. This is clearly a topic she doesn’t want to
discuss. I think back to that nasty comment I made to her about how
she deserves the way her mum treats her and it shreds my guts. I
move to her side and pull her into my arms.

“
Fallon, I’m so sorry for all the
hateful things I said to you. They were terrible and I didn’t mean
them. I don’t know what came over me or why I said such dreadful
things. I’m also sorry that you have such a shit for a
mum.”

“
I’m sorry, too. For all the crummy
things I said.” She lets me hold her, and before long, I feel a
heat growing within me. Of course, I can lie to myself and deny
it’s been there all along, yet what good is that? I’ve wanted her
since I saw her in that blasted airport with her sexy nipple
exposed.

My hand reaches under her chin and I lift it
so I can see her eyes. They’re smoky and full of heat, just as I’d
hoped. At this point, my tongue has a mind of its own and it seeks
hers out. I’m putty when she moans into my mouth. I’m completely
lost. My fingers, which have been yearning for days now, plunge
into her hair and weave themselves into it, relishing in the
softness of her waves. I cradle her head as I pull her into my
chest and continue to play with her lips and tongue. I tease her as
I suck and nibble, making her sigh.

Her hands crawl across my waist and sneak
beneath my shirt. When I feel their coolness contrasting with my
hot skin, my body twitches so fiercely, it shocks us both.

“
Fallon, you’re bringing me to my
knees with that mouth of yours. And your hands are…”

“
What Ryland?”

Our foreheads are touching and our mouths
are mere inches apart now. It’s far too much for me. “I want you. I
said some terrible things to you in the car the other day and I’m
sorry as hell for that. You probably want no part of me, but yeah,
I want you so bad I can almost taste you. I want it to be right
this time, though. And hear me out. Please.”

She nods.

“
Slow and soft is how I want it for
us. Gentle and sweet. With skin touching skin and our mouths
together because I want all of you, Fallon, every last drop this
time, until you’re begging for me to take you.”

She lets out a huge puff of air. “What are
you waiting for?”

That’s all I need to hear; my arms lift her
and I carry her to my bed.

My body burns for his as he carries me up
the long flight of stairs. The fingers of one hand are twisted in
the hair at the nape of his neck and the index of the other is
hooked around the collar of his shirt. I run it along the edge,
wanting to feel the heat of his skin. I brush his collarbone,
longing to lay my lips in the triangle it creates next to his neck.
He smells of woods and clean air, and I’m dying to bury my face
against him.

We reach his bed and I feel the loss of him
when he sets me down for a moment before he’s back with me, pulling
me to the edge of the bed and spreading my legs apart. He wedges
himself between them and simply sits back on his heels to look at
me.

His eyes tear into mine, setting an army of
butterflies loose in my stomach. I’m frozen in his gaze, but my
fingers lock onto his, and it’s that slight movement that sets into
motion his kiss.

This one is nothing like the ones we shared
before, it’s searing and passion filled; filled with emotion. Maybe
it’s because there was so much wrong that happened the other day
and he’s trying to make it right. Or maybe he’s trying to change
everything. It doesn’t matter what the reason is. I’m so wrapped up
in him right now my head is whirling.

Without breaking our kiss, he lifts my shirt
and I feel the cool air hit my scorched skin as goosebumps ripple
across me, causing me to shiver. The back of his hand skims over my
belly, rubbing me with his knuckles as I arch into him, trying to
get closer. My body is aching with need, and though I hardly know
what this need is, I’m wet with want for him.

Releasing my lips with one last lick across
my lower lip, he leans back on his heels. “Fallon, you’re a
dangerous girl,” he rasps.

My breath is moving in and out so fast I
have difficulty speaking. “Wh-what?” I swallow.

“
Hmm.” His eyes are devouring me while
I lick my lips. “Exactly.”

He’s not making sense, although I don’t have
time to consider this before his mouth is on mine again. He doesn’t
kiss me long, and this time, when he stops, my T-shirt comes off,
but he doesn’t remove it all the way. He traps my arms with it
behind my back. I look at him in question, yet he says nothing.

His mouth lowers to my chest and he starts
to suck my pearled nipple through the thin fabric of my bra. The
combination of the material sliding against me, and his mouth
sucking and teasing me has me whimpering. I want so badly to sink
my fingers into his dark blond waves, but my hands are trapped.
When he moves to my other nipple, I cry out his name. I’m not sure
if it’s frustration, desire or both, but I have such a throbbing
ache between my legs now, I’m sure if he continues this torture,
I’m going to climax.

He must’ve read my mind because he pulls his
mouth away and I feel him unbutton and unzip my shorts. When my
legs are freed, he doesn’t waste a second before his mouth is on
me; tasting me, licking, sucking, taking. His hands are clenching
my thighs, fingers digging almost painfully into my muscles,
enhancing what I’m feeling. It shatters me. I come apart, screaming
his name.

“
Take off my shirt!” I yell. He laughs
at first, but I scold him. “I’m not kidding. I need to hold you,
Ryland.”

He moves so fast, I’m engulfed by him. He
covers me with his body, every inch of my naked self as I loop my
arms around his neck, tucking into that little bit of heaven I
wanted to kiss earlier.

My voice is all garbled against him when I
say, “I don’t like not being able to touch you when you do that to
me.”

“
What was that?”

So I lift my head and repeat myself.

“
Hmm. I like hearing you say that,” he
says.

“
Ryland, why are you still
dressed?”

I feel him shake. “I got a bit
distracted.”

“
Get undistracted.”

“
Not possible.” His voice is husky
with need.

I grab his face and kiss him. Hard.
“Now.”

He stands and takes off his shirt and pants
while I watch, transfixed. He’s arresting in his perfection. There
are things about him I hadn’t noticed the last time, and I’m taking
my time to enjoy all of him now.

He has lovely ink, bits of it here and
there, mostly script. I want to lick every word. His shoulders are
honed, rippling when he moves. I lick my lips in anticipation of
feeling their firmness beneath the wetness of my tongue.

“
There you go again,” he
murmurs.

“
Huh?’ I’m confused for a
moment.

“
Dangerous. That look you give
me.”

I’m pulled to a seated position as he
unhooks my bra and stares. “Now you’re savagely dangerous.” The
backs of both hands brush against my nipples, and they pebble
instantly in response.

“
If they could talk, they would debate
that and say you were the one that was savagely
dangerous.”

He flattens the palm of his hand against my
chest and pushes me backwards until I’m flat on my back. My hand
reaches for him because I need to feel that hardness of him in my
hand, which apparently surprises him. His eyes don’t leave mine as
I stroke him. He’s silk and steel, all in one. I want all of him…
every last inch.

“
Is this right?” I want to know how to
do it. The only thing I know is what I’ve read.

I can see his throat working before he
answers, “More than right.” His voice is guttural, throaty. It
plows into me like a wrecking ball. My mouth crushes his as I melt
into him.