Page 11

Ryian

“When The Curtain Falls” — Greta Van Fleet

“Yeah, I’m on my way. Is Anson still awake?” I asked through the speaker as I hit the turn signal and took the left toward Dalton’s house. It was still crazy that he’d been willed a whole ass house from a grandmother he’d never known existed.

“He crashed on the couch,” he replied.

I sighed. Though it was after eleven, I was hoping he’d be awake because I’d have to carry his heavy little ass up the stairs when I got back to my mom’s. Normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but damn, I was tired tonight. It had been a long day.

“I’m pulling up now.”

“Park in the driveway. We left a space for you.”

“Okay.” A minute or two later, I was parking next to Dalton’s gorgeous blue Chevy truck. He’d come a long way from the beat-up thing he’d owned before I left town.

I shrieked in surprise when I reached for my handle and saw a man standing there. Dalton’s smart-ass grinned, and I was tempted to throw my door open into him, but I didn’t want to dent my vehicle.

“Asshole,” I said through the glass before he opened the door.

“Didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you saw me.”

I huffed, and he helped me down to the ground. He followed me to the front door and took my keys as we stepped inside. I heard him lock my truck, then he hung my keys on the hook that he’d designated for me.

“Dalton, I need to go home.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.”

“You don’t work tomorrow, Ralph checked on your mom, and he’s sleeping on the couch at your mom’s place just in case she needs anything. Anson is snuggled up and sleeping soundly here. I just finished running a hot bath for you in my tub,” he explained everything so completely and matter-of-factly that I really didn’t have an argument. He knew I loved that deep clawfoot tub.

He also had to know I loved snuggling with him.

“Thought of everything, didn’t you, you little sneak,” I muttered. Before I could change my mind, I kicked my shoes off in the entryway.

“Just about,” he murmured as he kissed my cheek and took my hand. Passing through the living room, I took note of Anson zonked out on the big sectional Dalton had bought for his new home. He had a room at Dalton’s, but he loved sleeping on the couch.

I followed behind him and stopped in my tracks as tears threatened.

The bathroom was awash with the flickering light of a bunch of candles, there were heaps of bubbles that gave off a barely audible popping sound, and a tray rested across the center of the tub. On it was a glass of deep red wine and three fat chocolate-covered strawberries.

My heart melted.

“Dalton,” I whispered. “You shouldn’t have.”

“Shhh,” he shushed as he unclipped my badge and started to lift my scrub top. I happily raised my arms. My long-sleeve undershirt was next. Though his fingertips trailed over my skin as he gently removed my clothes, he kept his touch chaste.

Once I was standing there in all my naked glory, he reached into the water. “Check it to see if it’s okay.”

I did and found it was perfect. At my nod, he helped me into the tub, where I sunk down to my neck in the hot, sudsy water. I was in heaven, and I hadn’t even touched the delectable treats he’d arranged for me.

“Though I’d love to sit here and stare at you, this is about you. Unwind. Relax. I’ll check on you in a bit, but call out if you need something before then.” He left the bathroom and softly closed the door.

At first, I just sat there staring at the way the candles left flickering shadows on the wall. I’m not sure when the first tear fell, but before I knew it, I was silently sobbing, surrounded by bubbles. I was so used to taking care of everyone and everything by myself that to actually pause and allow someone to do the same for me had me literally falling apart.

When I was all cried out, I sniffled, rinsed my face, then lifted the wine glass to my lips. A watery smile lifted the corners of my mouth. Roscato. He remembered.

I took another sip before grabbing one of the strawberries and devouring it. The last two I savored, then washed the decadent sweetness down with the rest of the wine.

As if he was listening with an ear to the door, he knocked and peeked in. He held up the rest of the bottle with his brows raised in question.

I made grabby hands, and he stepped into the room with a smile that did crazy fluttery things to that heavy organ in my chest. When he went to fill my glass, I plucked the bottle from his hand and brought it to my lips.

“That bad?” he murmured as he took a seat by the tub and looped his arms around his knees.

“Let’s just say it’s been… a week.”

“Here,” he said as he grabbed a washcloth and dipped it into the water. “Lean forward.”

I did, resting my cheek on my lifted knees.

In circular motions, he swept the warm cloth over my back and along my shoulders. He gently lifted my arms one at a time to do them as well.

Sliding the tray forward, I scooted up and looked over at him. “Join me?”

He appeared torn. “This isn’t about me.”

“I understand, and I appreciate that, but I’m asking you to join me for me.”

His icy blue eyes darkened, and he wet his lower lip before getting back to his feet. He then lifted his shirt in that sexy way guys did by grabbing it behind the neck and tugging it over his head. It was cast carelessly to the side as his hands found the button of his jeans. Heart thudding, I watched as he lowered the zipper and they fell to the floor. He didn’t bother hiding his erection, and I didn’t pretend not to see it as he removed his boxer briefs. I took a big swig of the sweet, red wine as I unabashedly stared.

The water sloshed as he situated himself behind me, then again when he wrapped his arms around my waist and tugged me close. My lids grew heavy as he slid his splayed hands down my thighs to my knees. He slipped them between my knees and pressed with just enough force to spread my legs.

“Dalton,” I whimpered as he dragged them back up and up over my pussy.

“Hmm?” He never did anything other than tease and massage the flesh of my thighs, back, and shoulders. His lips pressed kisses along the sensitive slope of my neck. He reached up, took the wine from me, and drank from it before handing it back.

I finished it off and set the empty bottle on the floor. He wrapped his thick arms around me and simply held me.

With my back to his firm chest and the still-hard length of his cock nestled between us, we sat there in the tub as the water grew cold and the bubbles faded away. Finally, he nudged me and reached for one of the fluffy white towels he had waiting nearby.

He stood up, and the water sluiced off the firm planes of his muscles. “Up,” he instructed as he held the towel open.

I shivered as the cooler air hit my wet skin, but he quickly wrapped me in the plush terrycloth. Once I was safely out of the tub, he pulled the plug. I grabbed a towel for him from the linen closet and handed it to him. Then I got caught up with the way he started to dry himself.

I’d been too busy watching him to move, so he tucked his towel around his waist and dried me himself. Then he scooped me up and carried me to his new bed. I hadn’t addressed it with him, but it didn’t escape my notice that it wasn’t his style of bed.

It was definitely something I would’ve picked out.

Balancing me in his arms, he managed to tug the bedding back and tuck me in before he turned off the bedside lamp on my side. He walked around to his side and lost his towel before climbing in. He reached for me and dragged me across the big bed until he was spooning me.

The corner of my mouth kicked up as I craned my neck to look back at him. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean?” he asked with a yawn.

Staying within the circle of his arms, I rolled over and boldly wrapped my hand around his now-soft cock. “You too tired for this?” I slowly stroked him from base to tip.

His eyes closed, but he shook his head. “I’m never too tired for that, but I know you worked a sixteen-hour day—after working two twelves before that.”

I kissed the base of his throat in that sexy little dip between his clavicles, ending it with a teasing swipe of my tongue from there to his jawline. Then I nipped along his jaw and reveled in the way his shaft thickened and hardened in my grip. I held back my wicked glee at how I was affecting him.

“Maybe I need you so I can unwind,” I murmured against his warm skin.

“Mmm, is that right?”

“Mmhm,” I replied.

He throbbed in my hold, and it was like a direct connection to my core, because I pulsed in response. I squeaked when he grabbed me and hefted me up to sit on his face. His tongue pierced my pussy, and I clutched the headboard like a lifeline as my head momentarily spun.

Though I’d been plenty wet, it was evident that wasn’t why he was licking me. He was doing it strictly because it felt good to me, and he damn well knew it. He used that talented tongue to bring me to the edge at least three times before suckling hard and nonstop on my clit. By then, I was practically drowning in unadulterated need.

That’s when he firmly held me still as he waged a relentless assault. My hold on the headboard was so tight, I worried I would crack it. My chin hit my chest as I dropped my head, and I had to bite my lip to stop myself from screaming his name as I shattered.

My bones seemed to turn to Jell-O, but he slowly licked and sucked until I was damn near melting. Then he carefully lifted me and slid me down his body until he had his tip at my dripping wet core. “Good girl,” he whispered. Trying to gather all my obliterated pieces back to earth, I lay there with my face nuzzled into his neck.

“You just wanna go to sleep?” he asked as he moved his hips enough to dip in and out mere centimeters.

I moaned, but my answer was to adjust myself so he slid deeper and deeper inside me until he was fully seated.

“Fuuuuck,” he groaned as his fingertips dug into my hips and his muscles tensed.

With much concerted effort, I pushed myself upright and braced my hands on his chest. Watching his expression, I intentionally squeezed his cock as hard as I could.

“Guess not,” he added through clenched teeth.

I leaned down and brushed the tip of my nose along the length of his. “Hell no, not yet. Not until you come inside me,” I whispered against his lips.

That was all it took for him to drive up into me hard enough that I had to hold on. I met him thrust for thrust until he grabbed the back of my hair and pulled my head down to kiss me. I knew I was done for when he tucked my head into his shoulder and fucked me until I lost control and screamed into his neck as I exploded.

“Fuck yes, that’s a good girl. You want my cum in that pussy?” he panted without pausing.

“Yes, God, yes. Please,” I whimpered and begged.

“That’s right you do. I’m going to come inside that tight little pussy, baby.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” I chanted.

“Whose pussy is this?” he demanded as he fucked me hard and fast.

“Yours. Yours, Dalton, it’s yours,” I insisted as I held on to the bedding and his shoulder. It drove me crazy when he talked dirty during sex.

“Goddamn right it is! This is my fucking pussy. Here it comes. Here it comes, baby. I’m coming inside my fucking pussy. Fuck!” he ground out as he drove up and held me so close there was no beginning or end—we were simply one. As he did exactly as he promised, I couldn’t think beyond the fact that he felt so damn good.

One hand cupped the back of my head while his other arm wrapped around my torso as we both tried to catch our breath. He held me so tight that I wasn’t sure which of us was trembling.

When the room stopped spinning and I could breathe again, I reluctantly got off him and crawled out of the bed. He chuckled as I wobbled a few times on my trek to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

After I was done, I shuffled back to him, stifling a yawn. He lifted the covers for me to climb back in, and we tangled together.

As I was dozing off, I thought about how lucky I really was. Dalton was my everything and had been for years. Even when I thought I hated him, deep down I still loved him.

So why was I holding back?