“Thanks for the ride.” I swallowed, the air in the car suddenly thick. “Did you—did you want to come in?”
He stroked my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Are you tired, little bird?”
I shook my head.
He grinned and leaned close, brushing his mouth where his fingers had just been. “Fibber. I can see you are. I kept you up most of the night.”
“I liked being up with you.”
He groaned at my words. “Don’t make this harder.”
I edged closer, sliding my hand up his thigh, feeling him thick and solid beneath my fingers. I squeezed him gently.
“Too late, I’d say.”
He yanked me close, kissing me. His tongue played over mine, stroking and fierce. I whimpered as he delved his hand into my hair, stroking my scalp. He seemed to love the curls I despised since I was never able to do anything to them. They had a mind of their own, and the more I tried to control them, the wilder they became. Ronan was constantly playing with them, burying his nose into them and inhaling. Staring at them.
“Come in with me,” I pleaded against his mouth.
He shut off the car.
Chapter Eleven
Beth
He followed me inside, a silent shadow behind me. I indicated the stairs, and he went down ahead of me while I checked on Evan and Lucy. Paige was asleep, the sounds of her even breathing indicating she had settled for the night. I shut the door behind me and went to my room where Ronan was waiting. Without a word, he drew me into his arms and kissed me. All too soon, I forgot about everything and everyone but him. Me. Us. The roar of desire in my head grew louder, obliterating everything else in my mind. Impatiently, I tugged at his shirt, and laughing low in his chest, he stepped back, pulling it over his head and dropping it on the floor.
“I need a shower,” I blurted.
He stopped, a grin crossing his face. “Oh?”
“I smell like the diner.”
“I could come wash your back.”
“My shower is pretty small.”
He sat on my bed. “Then I’ll wait here for you.”
I hurried away, glancing over my shoulder. “Don’t go away.”
“Trust me,” he replied. “I’ll be right here.”
“Lose the pants,” I added before leaving.
His deep laughter made me shiver with want.
After the fastest shower of my life, I walked back into my room, my breath catching at the sight waiting for me.
Ronan, on my bed, leaning back on his hands, his shoulders broad, his chest and abs pronounced and taut with the position. His pants were gone, his thick thighs and long legs stretched out before him. He looked at home and at ease. Except I saw the pulse beating erratically at the base of his neck. The way his hands gripped the sheets beside him. His deep, uneven breathing. His black boxers were tight, his erection straining against the material. His intense green eyes were focused on me, and he smiled.
“Lose the towel.”
I walked to the edge of the bed and let the fabric fall. Ronan’s breath caught as he stared at me. “Beautiful.”
Bravely, I leaned one knee on the mattress and ran my hands up his legs. I teased his skin with my fingers until I reached the dark cotton on his thighs. “These are in the way.”
He lifted his hips without a word, and I slipped my fingers under the waistband and pulled them off, tossing them over my shoulder.
His erection, heavy and thick, slapped against his stomach. I crawled up the mattress, never breaking our gaze. He looked oddly vulnerable as I wrapped my hand around him. His eyes drifted shut as I marveled at the feel of him. Silk over steel. Hot, pulsating flesh that jumped under my touch. A low groan left his mouth, my name a sigh in the air as I stroked him. I crawled up farther, his torso too much to resist. I traced over taut muscles that contracted under my touch. I ran my tongue along the path my fingers drew, teasing his flat brown nipples, feeling the light smattering of hair on his chest. I kissed my way across his shoulders, up his neck, and tugged his earlobe into my mouth. When he turned his head, capturing my lips, I kissed him with everything in me. All the passion he made me feel. All the longing I had kept locked inside me for so long. The whole while, I stroked him, feeling the wetness growing under my fingers. I pulled back from his mouth, retracing my journey of discovery until I hovered over him, kneeling between his thighs. He lifted his head, the green of his irises eclipsed by the black pupils wide with frantic desire.
“You want my mouth on you, Ronan?”
“More than my next breath.”
“Keep breathing, big boy. I need you with me.” I lowered my mouth, engulfing him with my lips. His entire body stiffened, and then he groaned in satisfaction.