Layer by Layer (Riggings Brothers 1)

“I don’t think we need that. It’s still pretty warm.”

“Yeah, but I’m not risking us getting caught and someone seeing you.”

“Will we? Get caught, I mean?”

“No. There is no one out here but my brothers, and it would need to be an emergency before they would come after us, and they’d call first.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. I wouldn’t risk you like that.” He holds his hand out for me, and I go to him without a second thought. “You sure?” he asks.

I don’t reply. Instead, I reach for the hem of his shirt and push up until I’ve pulled it over his head and drop it to the wood floor beneath us. Dropping to my knees, I work at the button of his shorts and pull them down his legs. He toes off his shoes and kicks his shorts to the side.

“You’re wearing too many clothes, babe.” He gives me a tender smile that I feel all the way to my soul.

I lift my arms in the air, giving him the invitation to undress me. He takes his time, letting his fingers trail over my sides before he has my tank off, and he’s tossing it to the pile of clothes. He leads me to the bench and places his hands under my arms, lifting me so that I’m standing before him.

“Much better,” he murmurs. His fingers deftly unbutton my shorts, and with a gentle tug, they fall around my ankles. “Hands on my shoulders.” I do as he asks. “Lift.” He taps first my left leg, then my right as he removes my flip-flops and my shorts. “Fucking perfect,” he says, leaning in and kissing me through my panties. His hands are everywhere, my thighs, my hips, the small of my back. He cups each of my breasts that are still covered with my black lace bra, testing their weight in the palm of his hands.

“Royce,” I breathe his name.

His hands slide around my back, and he unhooks my bra. Slowly, painfully so, he slides the strap over each shoulder before pulling away from my body. “Jesus,” he whispers, just as his mouth captures one hard nipple while his hand seduces the other.

“Royce.” All I can do is say his name, well, unless you count the grip my hands have on his hair holding him to me. His mouth… it’s magical.

His lips trail over my stomach, and my body quivers at the contact. “You cold, baby?” he asks, not bothering to stop the pursuit of his lips and tongue against my skin.

“Y-You know I’m not.”

“These are sexy as fuck,” he says when he reaches my panties.

“They’d look better on the pile of clothes over there.” I nod in the direction I think our clothes are. I don’t really know and don’t care at the moment. I just need to feel all of him against all of me.

“I think I’ll keep these,” he says, sliding his index fingers under the waistband of my panties and tugging them over my thighs and down my legs.

I don’t wait for him to tell me to lift my legs. I kick them to the side and jump off the bench I’ve been standing on.

“I wasn’t done with you.”

“Get naked, Riggins,” I say, standing stark naked with my hands on my hips. I’ve never been this vocal with a man about what I want. However, with Royce, he makes me feel safe and protected.

“You’re so sexy.” He reaches for me, but I step out of his reach.

“Now. I need you naked now.”

He chuckles but makes quick work of removing his boxer briefs.

“Finally,” I mumble, settling on the quilt he has spread out for us. “You coming, Riggins? Or is this going to be a party for one?”

“Not a chance of that,” he says, bending to grab his wallet from his shorts. I watch as he pulls out a small foil packet, and then takes his spot next to me, pulling the second quilt over us. He props himself up on his elbow, letting his free hand roam over my body. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined touching you.”

“Less talking more touching,” I say, desperate to have his hands all over my body.

“Oh no, I need time. These hands need to roam over every curve, memorize every inch of your flawless skin.”

“There’ll be time for that later.”

“I’m not rushing this, Sawyer.”

“Another layer,” I mutter under my breath, making him laugh.

“You think so?”

“Yeah, teasing Royce.”

“Your Royce,” he immediately replies, and a swarm of butterflies take flight inside me.

I place my hand on his cheek. I don’t say anything, but I don’t need to. I know that the need and desire that I see in his eyes are staring back at him. We both want this with a need that’s indescribable.

“Make love to me.” It’s a bold move, especially since I used love, but that’s what this feels like. It’s intimate and personal, and it’s too late to take the words back, not that I want to. I just hope it’s not too much.