After the Christmas Party(154)

So when his hands and mouth returned to work, she wasn’t surprised that the rest of her body wanted to get closer, to get in on the action. Her hips ground against him, marveling at the hardness pressing against her, marveling at how he breathed raggedly, at how absolutely turned on he was. By her.

His hands sliding her pants down her hips felt natural, like the most perfect thing ever. Standing before him, his eyes eating up the image of her in only her peach-colored panties could never be wrong as long as he looked at her with that light in his eyes. He wanted her. More than she’d ever been wanted, Riley wanted her. Being the object of his desire was a heady high.

One that left her wanting more. And more. And more.

Unable to stand still another moment, she moved to him, kissed him, ran her fingers over the beauty of his shoulders, his chest.

Strong, chiseled, the way a man’s body should look. He was so beautiful. So much so she should probably feel intimidated, but how could she when he was so obviously affected by her, when his eyes had been soaking up the sight of her body like a starved man? When he now touched her with that same urgency?

The open snap of his jeans dug into her belly, reminding her they were in her way. She slid her hands down over the hard planes of his abdominal muscles and into the edges of his waistband. She gave a hard tug. His hands immediately joined hers in removing his clothes.

Then they stood in front of each other, he in navy boxer briefs, she in panties that were growing more and more damp.

“You’re beautiful.”

She shook her head. “You are.”

He smiled.

She smiled back and nodded. She knew better than to do this. Especially at Christmas, but she wasn’t stopping.

Trinity sighed with contentment in her sleep, rousing herself. Without opening her eyes, she smiled.

Really, really smiled.

Because Riley had been right. Chase had been wrong. She hadn’t been horrible at sex. She’d just been having sex with the wrong man.

And Riley was the right man.

A bubble of panic flitted through her, but her body glowed with contentment and her joy was too great to let doubt take hold. Not now. Now she wanted what she hadn’t had the first time she’d woken up with Riley. She wanted to wake him up with kisses, make him smile.

Then, she hadn’t believed herself capable. Now, she knew better. He’d woken a siren within her. And not one who was horrible either.

Smiling, she rolled over, only to come shockingly fully awake.

She was alone.

Alone.

She reached out and touched where Riley had been in the bed beside her, her hand running over the cool sheet. Apparently he’d been gone for some time. Was he in the other room? Or perhaps out on the deck? Regardless, he wasn’t in this bed next to her.

Where she wanted him to be. Where he should be.

Her heart twisted in grief. Had she been wrong? No, he had enjoyed the sex as much as she had. She knew he had. She might not be the best he’d ever had, but she had given him pleasure. A lot of pleasure.

But maybe sex was all he’d wanted from her and now that he’d gotten it, he was done. Perhaps having left her in his bed was his way of telling her not to get too attached, that they wouldn’t be waking up in each other’s arms.

Really, she’d known better. Had known that when she’d had sex everything would come to a screeching halt. She hadn’t needed it to be Christmas to achieve that feat, but she doubted the day of the year had helped any.

Would she never learn?

Recalling all the touches she and Riley had shared, the way their bodies had melted as if made to fit together, the way she’d seen stars flash in front of her eyes and cried out his name, the way he’d growled hers in a torrent of release, she couldn’t regret the night before. Whatever Riley’s reasons for not being in this bed, it wasn’t that she had been horrible in bed and for him giving her that knowledge, freeing her from that burden Chase had saddled her with, for that she was grateful. Not only had he shown her otherwise, he’d given her the greatest experience she’d ever known.

Not just the sex, though. Every moment in his company was precious. He was precious.

She loved him.

Despite all the reasons she knew better, she loved Riley Williams.

She should leave. She should go let her cat out of his guest bathroom and she should leave.

Instead, she closed her eyes and pulled the pillow that his head had once rested on over her head, cursing her stupidity for falling in love with a man who was so far out of her league and who could never really be her Prince Charming, even if he did call her princess.

Had the past taught her nothing?

The tears that burned her eyes were nowhere near as hot as the ones that seared her heart.