Chapter 50 Give us your best shot
“Because I love you,” I said with a small lift of my shoulders. He had done the same for me, and I wanted to give that back to him.
“What did you just say?”
“I love you.”
Ryan’s smile kept growing. It was the first time I had ever said those words aloud, and he looked like the most joyful person in all of Hawaii.
“Just the two letters, though?” He laughed softly. “Where is the rest of my name?”
“It hurt so bad! I made the guy stop. Besides, I think it is perfect,” I argued.
He looked at me with those intense eyes and flashed that wild grin of his. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to my wrist, right over the tattoo. My breath caught the moment he did it.
“Woman, I swear you will be the end of me,” he said, still grinning.
For a long moment we just stood there, smiling at each other like a pair of besotted kids.
“Milkshake?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. I could not help but laugh.
Ryan took my hand and led me to his truck. I climbed into the backseat and he followed right behind me. He moved over me, placing kisses from my mouth to my chin, down my neck, over my chest, and lower. He undid my shorts and drew them down gently, taking my underwear with them.
With a boyish smile, he nuzzled against me, breathing me in. He let out a low sound, and then his mouth was on me. His thumb moved in slow circles as his tongue explored me. He was taking me somewhere wonderful. I could not hold myself together any longer. I closed my eyes and let go, calling his name as I fell apart.
Ryan
God, she tastes so sweet.
I knew I would never get my fill of her. She has my heart completely. I would do anything she ever asked. And it would destroy me if she ever decided to walk away.
Once she came back to herself, she sat up, catching her breath. Still panting, she put her hands on my neck and kissed me again. When she began kissing my throat, I groaned without meaning to. She pushed me back against the truck door and settled herself on top of me. I looked up at her face and knew exactly what she meant to do. I swallowed hard.
She pulled down my zipper and took me in her soft hands. She gasped when she felt how ready I was for her. Without a word, she shifted and slowly lowered herself onto me. Even as she opened for me, she was so fucking tight. I held her waist to steady her. She looked straight into my eyes as she moved. Her light blue eyes locked on my dark blue ones. The most beautiful fucking thing I have ever seen.
My hips rose to meet her. She could not keep her eyes open any longer. She was moving with a mix of pleasure and strain. Her nails pressed into my skin. The feeling was overwhelming. I watched her, not wanting to miss a single second.
“I fucking love you, Saraphina,” I said through my teeth, and she came apart at the words. I gripped her hips for one last, deep move before I lost myself, groaning her name as I fell over the edge with her.
She buried her face in my chest as she trembled through her own finish. I held her close and let my head rest against her neck.
“Do not ever let me go,” I whispered against her ear.
She did not answer, and that was fine. I only said it so she would hear it. I did not need anything back.
“Hey, Ry,” she said, her voice weak.
“Yeah?”
“I do not want to go home tonight. Can we go somewhere? Just us.”
“Where do you want to go?” I asked, tracing my fingers along her cheek.
“Anywhere,” she said. And I knew exactly what she meant.
Fifteen minutes later, we were at the diner drive-thru, and I got us two milkshakes. Meanwhile, ‘Sweet Disposition’, her favorite song, was playing on the radio. So we turned it up loud, singing and laughing until our voices were raw.
We drove around town with no plan, no destination. We did not care. Anywhere with her was paradise to me.
I noticed, though, that all night Saraphina would not stop smiling and watching me. I loved it, but it made me feel like something was off.
“There is something different about you today. I can not figure out what it is,” I said.
“I do not know what you are talking about,” she replied, sipping her drink.
I studied her. “You are too cheerful, too easy. Who are you, and what have you done with my Saraphina?”
She laughed and playfully swatted my arm.
“I am just really happy to be with you, Ry. You make me feel so happy,” she said, tilting her head.
I took her hand and let them rest together on her leg. She pulled out her phone and took a picture of our linked hands.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Nothing. I just realized we do not have many pictures together,” she said, then turned the camera toward my face. I pulled her close and we started taking photos. We were laughing, making faces, stealing kisses.
I did not know what had gotten into her today. But she made me feel like I was the luckiest man alive.
I was not fooling myself, I knew she was leaving in a week. It might be months, or even years, before we saw each other again. Maybe that was why she was acting like this. Maybe she was scared about what comes next for us.
The thing about Saraphina is she always worries too much. But I wanted her to know, no matter what happens, I am not letting her go. We will make this work, like we always have. And if the world tries to get in our way, then the world can go to hell.
Give us your best shot, world. Whatever it is, we can take it.