Among the Echoes(34)

"I remember you saying you used to love wine." He pours my glass to the rim.

"I did. Wine was my reward at the end of a shift."

He pulls one of the beers Adam brought over out of the fridge. "Cheers, babe. It’s been a really f*cking long shift."

"Cheers, babe," I repeat back to him, unwilling to call him Dave in this moment. I take a sip of wine, acting carefree for the first time in three long years.





Son of a bitch. I should have known better than to try to kiss her, but for f*ck’s sake, she was giving me all the signs—even if I weren’t desperately trying to read into them. She was so strong and confident that, even if I wasn’t sure what she wanted, I probably would have tried to kiss her anyway. My only complaint is that she had her eyes covered up by those atrocious brown contacts all damn night. I would have paid millions to see her true color.

I pull my iPod out of my bag and scroll through the playlists, searching for something calming. I need a distraction, perhaps something that won’t leave me thinking about Riley all night. Two nights ago, I sat on this couch worrying about the frail woman next door, but tonight, visions of her naked and moving under me threaten to force me into a cold shower. She may have rejected me tonight, but she has no idea who she is dealing with. I have no plans to give up, even if it means taking a step back from our already nonexistent relationship. I’ll give her the space to figure things out, because based on how she acted tonight, I know she’s interested in me too.

I find an old playlist labeled ‘Chill’ and decide to take a chance. Counting Crow’s Colorblind slides through the sound system I had installed last time I was here. Yeah, this will definitely do.

I settle on the couch and stare at the ceiling, replaying the entire night like an adolescent girl after her first kiss. Shit. That was not what I had been expecting from this evening. I must sit on the couch for half an hour listening to music and enjoying the calm around me. Just as I begin to drift off, I hear a quiet knock at my door. I jump to my feet, knowing that only one person comes to see me these days.

I yank open the door to see her standing outside with a sweater pulled tight around her shoulders and a nervous look on her face.

"Riley? Are you okay?" I ask as she tips her head up to look at me. The moment her blue eyes hit mine, a huge smile spreads across my face and travels down my torso and into my pants. Jesus Christ—those eyes.

"You tried to kiss me tonight," she announces as if I hadn’t been there when she pushed me away.

"I did, and I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I won’t apologize for actually trying though. I’ve never wanted to taste a woman more than I did you, Riley."

Her cheeks pink, but she looks up at me playfully. "Is the offer still good?"

I know what she is asking, but I can't stop myself from taking it a step further. "The offer to kiss me?" I ask, trying to both clarify and restrain the smile that is threatening to swallow my face.

"Yeah, that one."

"For you. Always." Before the words even finish coming out of my mouth, she dives into my arms.

Her mouth crashes into mine, and the taste of wine lingers on her tongue. Somehow, in the half hour since she left, she managed to get drunk? I’m not too proud to admit that I don’t give one flying f*ck how much she has had to drink. I’m taking this opportunity.

I pull her against my body and she stills for a second before my tongue coaxes her back into a rhythm. Her soft lips glide over mine and her hands roam up my chest and over my shoulders. I can’t stop my own wandering hands from pushing down the back of her pants and squeezing her firm ass. I hold her tight as her tongue meets mine thrust for thrust. I need to slow things down before my dick forces its way out of my pants, but this woman…

I thread a hand into her hair and suck her bottom lip into my mouth, all while holding her tight against me. "Should I start leaving the door open for you?"

"It wouldn’t hurt," she responds, moving her attention to my neck and sucking her way up to my ear.

Chills spread over my body, forcing a groan in their wake.

"I should go," she whispers into my ear.

"You really should." I lift her with both hands on her ass. We both know she isn't going anywhere.

She immediately wraps her legs around my waist, rendering me completely silent. A groan wouldn’t even come close to doing justice to the moment when her fully clothed heat rolls over my cock.