Ryan Hunter (22 page)

Liza pulled back, smiling.
“Okay, you win. You’ll be the only one.”

That was all I needed to hear
. I stroked her silky hair from her forehead and made her look directly into my eyes. “See, baby, that sounds a damn lot better.”

And the next thing I knew our tongues were entangled in a kiss that raised the temperature around us by at least ten degrees. I made her turn around on that log so she would straddle my legs and I could run my hands over the length of her amazing body. She shivered when I touched her and released a moan that drove me wild.

Leaning back on the fallen tree with my feet still planted on the ground on either side, I pulled Liza down with me, just to feel every bit of her body on top of mine. And I made damn sure that she felt how much every bit of
me
desired her.

We kissed until our lips were swollen and an owl hooted deeper in the wood, reminding me that it was way past the time to take Liza home.

“It’s quite late. Do you want me to drive you?” I asked as we walked back to my car, our fingers laced and me wheeling her mountain bike with the other hand. “We can come back for your bike tomorrow.”

“Nah, I’m not scared in the dark. And it’s not far, anyway.”

I didn’t like the idea of Liza riding home alone in the dead of the night, but neither did I want to force her into anything. “All right. Will you send me a message when you’re home? Just so I know I don’t have to go looking for you?” When I winked at her, she smiled, and it brightened the dark for me.

The first quarter of a mile, I drove slowly beside her, with my window open, but as we reached the town, our ways parted and I blew her a kiss before I turned left and she kept straight.

Driving up the street to my house, I slowed the car. But I never stopped. I just didn’t want to wait half a night before I could see her again. And I damn sure wouldn’t wait for a message to tell me that she arrived home safely, when I could assure myself of it.

In a drift, I spun the Audi in the middle of the street, heading back the way I had come. Three minutes later, I zoomed up the avenue to Liza’s house. As I slammed on the breaks, parking it smoothly next to the curb, she just got off her bike and wheeled it into the shed.

Leaving the headlights on to break through the dark, I got out and followed her into the garden. As she returned from the shed, she walked up to me until her body was flush against mine and wrapped her arms around my neck. “What did you forget this time?” she teased me.

“Same as always,” I answered and took her mouth in a savagely slow and tender goodnight kiss.

Chapter 14

LIZA SMELLED FANTASTIC. We’d spent most of Sunday at my parents’ beach house, hanging out in the sun, fooling around in the sea, or kissing in my bed inside the house. She was wearing this hot, green triangle bikini top and shorts as she lay on top of me right now, arms folded under her chin on my chest, gazing into my eyes.

Playing with the silky strands of her hair, I wished I could freeze time and never had to let her get out of this room again.

“What are you thinking about?” she demanded, tilting her head a little.

“That I can’t believe how I’m finally able to hold you.”

Liza seemed to like my answer, because she dragged herself farther up then and placed a soft kiss on my lips. I totally started getting into that again, but when I stroked her cheek, she caught my wrist and glanced at my watch. “It’s late,” she said. “We have to go back now if we don’t want to be late.”

“I’m fine with being late,” I told her before I thrust my hand in her hair and made her kiss me again.

Her body shook on my chest as she laughed. “Stop it, Hunter.” Then she got off of me, leaving my bare chest yearning for her warmth. She closed the window, which she’d insisted we keep open the entire time. Initially, she’d told me she just wanted to smell the sea breeze, but I was pretty sure it had to do with a possible escape if one of my folks showed up here unexpectedly.

When she stood in doorway, hands on her hips and arching one brow at me, it was clear that she wasn’t coming back, so I got up, too, and picked up my shirt from the floor, which I’d discarded over an hour ago. Closing the buttons, I watched Liza slipping on her red blouse and regretted I hadn’t hid the piece earlier, when I had time to. I liked looking at her when she was wearing as little as possible. Her bikini and a smile would totally do.

Outside, I locked the door and dropped the keys back into the clay pot on the porch. But I couldn’t resist hooking my fingers through the belt-loops of Liza’s short jeans and pulling her into me one last time before we started to walk back. “Come here, sexy wench,” I growled, and unbuttoned the top of her blouse.

“What are you doing? We just left your room.” Playfully, she lapped my hands away. “I think I have enough hickeys all over me for a day or two.”

Ah, I wasn’t sure about that. There was definitely a spot on her left shoulder begging for another. Damn, I loved suckling on her skin.

“It’s hot,” I teased. “And you look amazing in that bikini. I can’t allow you to hide that from me.” I nibbled a path down her neck, getting closer to the spot on her shoulder that I wanted to mark next.

The shivers running along her skin were proof that she loved what I did to her, even if she tried to fend me off. “If you don’t stop that, we’ll be late for the movie.”

“What do I care about a movie, when I have my lovely girlfriend all to myself?”

“Tony and the others are waiting.”

The mentioning of that name made me stop. Tony and I had yet to talk things out between us, and I didn’t like Liza thinking about him when she was with me. But I knew they had a history going way back, and Tony would always be part of our relationship, because she would never give him up as a good friend. I told myself I could handle this. But right now, I’d rather not hear that name when I was nibbling my girlfriend.

I quickly glanced at my wristwatch. Five-twenty. “We still have an hour and a half.”

“I want to shower before we go out.”

“All right. But this—” I slid the blouse down her arms and cast her a determined grin. “Is mine.” A short hard kiss was enough to stop her protest.

Lacing my fingers through hers, I dragged her down the stairs after me, and we ambled back to where I had parked my car. The cool sea brushed around our ankles. I tucked Liza’s blouse partly into my back pocket then bent down to roll up the hems of my jeans.

As I straightened, I caught Liza ogling my backside, but she tried to hide her interest and quickly looked away. Her cheeks turned lovely red.

“What, Matthews? You like my butt?” I mocked her.

When she looked at me again, she lifted her chin. “Yep. That and a few other things.”

“So? What would that be?”

She didn’t answer that but scolded me for something I just couldn’t stop myself from doing. “Didn’t we agree on you using my first name from now on?”

Innocently, I cocked one brow. “Did we?”

“I think it was one of the conditions, yeah.”

“Ah, conditions, conditions,” I growled through half a laugh and pulled her closer. “I should have made you swear never to wear anything other than that bikini top when you’re with me.”

Liza leaned slightly back and gave me an evil look. “I doubt that’s a good idea. Especially, when we’re at your place. You had me sweating blood back there.”

So I was right about the window. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face, I hooked it behind her ear. “Aw look, who’s still worried.”

“That is your fault. You scared the crap out of me last time when your mom came in.”

“I know. I felt your heart pounding like it would jump out your chest when I had you pinned to the floor behind the couch.” Pursing my lips, I angled my head, looking at her sideways. “Or could it be that you were just excited to be so close to me?”
Which was my guess from the start.

Liza stuck her sweet tongue out at me. “You’ll never find out.”

Oh, I would find out, if it meant I had to tickle her sexy body until she could breathe no more. Later…

With my arm around her warm shoulders, we walked along the beach, and I thought some more about her fear of someone walking in on us. Finally, I made a decision, one that was totally unusual for me. “I met your parents this morning. I think it’s time for you to meet mine,” I told her.

Liza looked appalled. “What,
now
?”

Actually, why not?
“There’s still plenty of time until the movie begins. And they should both be home right now. We could just pop in for a moment before meeting up with the others.”

“But you didn’t even tell them about me yet.”

“So what? You didn’t tell yours before you dragged me into your kitchen to say hello.” Holy crap, that was quite an experience. I’d never before been introduced as somebody’s boyfriend. But when I glimpsed her mother’s delighted face, I relaxed and realized I actually happened to like it quite a bit. Bethany Matthews had kept her promise and never told Liza we’d met that night three weeks ago. When she’d offered me a delicious smelling muffin, I winked at her, and she gave me a smile that made me feel totally welcome in her house.

“But you’re always cool with everything,” Liza whined now. “I knew it wouldn’t trouble you.”

“And meeting my parents would be a problem for you?” I didn’t understand her fear. Mom and Dad would love her. Rachel already did.

“You haven’t even told me their names.”

I didn’t see how that was important, so I chuckled. “Their names are Mom and Dad.”

Liza rolled her eyes when her voice took on a sarcastic edge. “Amazing…that’s what I call my parents, too.”

“Yeah, popular names.” I dropped my hand from her shoulder to hug her waist tighter against my hip. Her skin was smooth and warm everywhere and tempted me to stroke her in small circles with my fingertips. “But maybe it isn’t such a good idea to meet them now,” I added. “They’ll make us stay all evening, and we won’t be able to get to the cinema in time.”

Instead, I pulled my phone out of my chest pocket.

“Calling someone?” she wanted to know.

I nodded and motioned with one finger on my lips for her to be silent for a moment while I waited for my mother to answer.

“Hello?” She sounded breathless, like she had run through the house to get to the phone.

“Mom?
Hi.”

“Ryan, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to say we’re going to have a guest for dinner tomorrow.”

“Oh. That’s nice.”

At that announcement not only my mom sounded surprised, but also Liza’s chin dropped to her chest.

Then my mother added in a teasing tone, “Could it actually be a girl?”

“Yes, a friend.” I told her, struggling to sound nonchalant. But with everything Rachel had dragged out of me the other day and surely passed on to my mom, I wasn’t fooling anybody. Heck, why did I even try? “Oh, and could you please invite Rach and Phil, too?”

Liza looked shocked at that news, definitely thinking about decapitating me for it later.

But what really made me laugh then was Jezebel Hunter’s jumping at conclusions. “Rachel and Philip, too? Good lord, Ryan. You aren’t getting us all together to tell us I’m going to be a Gran come next spring.”

Instantly, my gaze dropped to Liza’s sexy stomach. I had to turn around to make myself look away and stop thinking about how badly I wanted to tickle her bellybutton with my tongue.

“No, Mom,” I said into the phone. “If it was that, I swear I wouldn’t be calling.”

“Thank goodness.”
My mother released a deep breath. “All right, I’ll call Rachel and invite her over. See you later, darling.”

After I said goodbye and rang off, I turned back to Liza and slid a knuckle under her chin, closing her mouth. “We have a date tomorrow evening.”

“Yeah, I heard that,” she sighed. “So you’re going to throw me in there like a bone in front of a wolf pack?”

Ah, this girl was so sweet when she was scared. “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you and protect you all evening. No one gets to gnaw on you.” Leaning closer, I nibbled her earlobe then whispered, “Apart from
me, that is.”

But this couldn’t convince her that it was okay to meet my folks, and she whined, “If you liked me one bit, you wouldn’t do that.”

“I even like you two bits, and that’s exactly why we need to do this. Now stop worrying. It can’t be worse than your father asking me if I knew how to use a condom.”

With a gasp, she pulled back. “He asked you that?”

Yeah, I had been shocked as she was now. But on another note it was funny, too. “Not exactly. He mentioned something like it to your mother when we were out of the room. Didn’t you hear him whispering?”

“Oh my
God
, how embarrassing is that?”

For her?
Not at all. For me? I had felt like a bloody beginner.

“Calm down,” I told her then. “Your parents are great. And your mom’s blueberry muffins are amazing.” I kissed her brow and pulled her on, smiling to myself about what was at the tip of my tongue. “Maybe you want to assure your dad, that I do know how not to get you pregnant, though.”