Love Storm Page 6

  Ryan drew in a sharp breath as her fingers brushed lightly along the length of his erection, and then groaned aloud when her fingers curled themselves around his rigid arousal. When she began to move her hand up and down along his shaft, he felt like he’d died and gone to paradise. Despite his promise to take things slow, with her touching him like that, he wasn’t sure how long he could fight his rampant desire. So, pulling her toward him, he guided them backward to the edge of bed, snatching back the comforter with one hand, and then taking her with him as he fell back onto the sheets. He rolled her onto her side, kissing every inch of her magnificent body as his fingers moved down her taut stomach to the narrow patch of curls between her thighs. His intimate exploration was both practiced and skillful, and within moments he had her panting and writhing in pleasure beneath his expert touch.

  With each little sound, each tiny quiver, and every little movement of her hips, her body’s opening grew slicker and wetter under the expert movements of his hand and fingers, but he continued to push her until he knew she hovered at the very edge of release. Brooklyn whimpered an unconscious little sound when Ryan pulled his hand away, and he smiled as he pressed his lips against hers, gratified by her response. Reaching for his wallet on the nightstand, he mentally thanked his lucky stars as his fingers encountered the thin, foil wrapper tucked inside.

  When Ryan eased her onto her back a moment later, spreading her thighs wide with the gentle pressure of his knees, Brooklyn felt no fear, only a desperate, aching need to draw him deep inside her body. She clung to him, urging him on as their lips and tongues intertwined, just as their bodies were about to. The brief flicker of pain she felt as he pressed his manhood into her delicate folds, breaking the thin barrier of her virginity, was nothing compared to the absolute pleasure that jolted her to her very core as she and Ryan became one.

  Ryan couldn’t help feeling an infinite sense of gratification as he broke through the fragile barrier, knowing that he was her first as he sheathed himself to the hilt within her velvety depths. Reminding himself to take things slow and easy, he fought the urge to drive them hard and fast to the peak, and instead, moved slowly within her, drawing out the intense pleasure until neither of them could take even a single minute more. Then, with one last thrust of his hips, he pushed them over the edge, capturing Brooklyn’s ragged cry against his lips as she convulsed and shuddered beneath him.

  Chapter 6

  When she awoke the following morning, Brooklyn’s entire body felt limp and completely sated. They’d made love twice more before dawn, and although she was utterly exhausted, she felt absolutely wonderful at the same time. However, there was still a tiny part of her that feared what Ryan’s mood would be, now that their passion had been satiated and morning was upon them. Would he have any regrets? Turning her head, she peeked at him from beneath her lashes.

  She needn’t have worried. He was already awake, and as soon as she opened her eyes, he rolled toward her, nuzzling his face into the side of her neck as his left hand moved upward to cup her right breast. “Good morning,” he murmured, his morning stubble ticking her skin as he kissed his way along the column of her throat.

  “Good morning.” And it was a good morning, a very, very good morning, she realized, as a delicious tingle raced along her spine. However, as Ryan’s lips drifted upward along her cheek, she abruptly turned her head away. “Wait,” she giggled, pushing at his shoulder. “I need to brush my teeth first.”

  “Tell you what,” Ryan countered with a seductive smile, as his thumb moved in tiny little circles around her nipple. “Why don’t we both brush our teeth, and then we can broaden your education by taking a nice long shower and picking this up right where we leave off.”

  Brooklyn’s back nearly arched off the bed then, as he bent his head and pulled her peaked nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sensitive bud. A muffled “Umm, uh hmm,” was all she could manage.

  Chuckling, Ryan rolled onto to his back and then climbed naked from the tangled sheets. Walking around the foot of the bed to the other side, completely comfortable in his nakedness, he grabbed Brooklyn’s hand and towed her from the bed and then pulled her toward the bathroom.

  Self-conscious in the glow of the bright morning sun, she tried to snatch her robe up off the floor to cover herself, but Ryan merely chuckled and continued pulling her along, naked as the day she was born. She supposed she hardly had anything to be embarrassed about, not after all of the intimacies they had shared last night, but even so, this was all still a little new to her.

  Since her own toothbrush was upstairs, Ryan grabbed an unopened one from his travel kit and handed it to her, then picked up his own from the counter. Blushing a little, she tried to avoid looking directly at the reflection of her naked body in the enormous mirror mounted above the double sinks, as she quickly brushed her teeth.

  Once they were finished, Ryan moved to the shower and turned on the faucet that controlled the water flow to the half dozen showerheads. And then, as soon as it was hot enough, he pulled her into the large, walk-in tiled shower that was easily big enough to hold four people at once. There, standing within the circle of the hot, streaming jets of water, they playfully soaped and fondled each other’s bodies in between steamy, passionate kisses, until their desire for one another could no longer be held in check, and Ryan finally took her up against the rear shower wall. Their bodies, slippery and wet, moved as one until they were both nearly mindless with want and ultimately found their release.

  Once she was able to think coherently again, Brooklyn realized just how fortunate it was that Julia had convinced her to go on the pill shortly after her breakup with Kevin, for Ryan had found only the one condom in his wallet last night, and thinking he’d be alone at the cabin, he hadn’t packed any extras into his suitcase. Now that she’d experienced her sexual awakening, she couldn’t even imagine spending the next several days with Ryan at the cabin without wanting to make love to him again and again and again. And though she tried to deny it, it was love, at least on her part. As much as she wanted to believe that she could spend the remainder of the week with Ryan and walk away unscathed, she knew it wasn’t true. But she would deal with that when the time came. For now, she simply wanted to enjoy every single minute she had with him.

  Over the next several days, Brooklyn and Ryan spent almost as much time in bed, as they did out of it. Although they did manage to find some time here and there to feed themselves, talk, frolic in the hot tub, and watch a little football on TV, they were content to spend the majority of their time wrapped in each other’s arms. With both of them knowing that she would be returning to Denver on Saturday and then back to her job at the museum on Monday, they made the most of what little time they had. Even so, by Friday night it still seemed as though neither of them had gotten nearly enough of each other.

  “What are you thinking?” Ryan murmured, as Brooklyn lay sprawled and sated atop his chest once again.

  “That I could stay here forever, exactly like this,” she replied softly.

  “I think I could live with that.” He ran his hands lightly up and down her naked back, his fingers stroking her skin in feather-light caresses. “Are you sure you have to leave tomorrow?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. The auction is on Wednesday, and I’ve got a ton of stuff to do before then.” The museum was looking to acquire a few new pieces for their European Art Collection and they were holding one last fundraiser, a lavish luncheon for their most generous patrons earlier in the week, and she was scheduled to help with the event along with several other interns. She would also be attending the auction on Wednesday, something she’d been looking forward to for weeks.

  “Damn, I guess I’ll have to let you go then,” he replied grudgingly. Surprisingly, after spending six nights with Brooklyn, five of them naked, it didn’t seem like nearly enough time. And although his hands and lips had caressed nearly every inch of her luscious body, he never seemed to tire of it. The velvety texture
of her skin beneath his fingertips felt even better than the feel of the football in his hands when he was about to score a touchdown, and the taste of her skin was like the most potent of aphrodisiacs. He was as utterly captivated by her now, as he had been during their first night together.

  Listening to his words, Brooklyn couldn’t help wondering if he did in fact intend to let her go, but in an entirely different sense. For her, secluded within their idyllic mountain hideaway, the past week had seemed more like fantasy than reality. Hidden away from the outside world, they had been focused solely on each other, but what about later, when they were both forced to return to the real world. Their lives were so different. He was a famous celebrity, and she was just plain old Brooklyn Foster. How could she ever hope to be enough to hold on to someone like him? So then, would everything simply go back to the way it had been before, she returning to her life, and he returning to his? She’d told Ryan early on that she had no future expectations, assuring him that she could handle whatever happened or didn’t happen between them, once they left the cabin. But could she? Could she really?

  “We still have tonight,” she said, thankful for that at least, as she pressed her lips against the hollow of his throat. With effort, she pushed the disturbing thoughts aside, not wanting to ruin what little time they had remaining before she had to leave.

  Continuing to run his hands up and down her back, Ryan tried to stay focused on the present, but even so, it was hard to keep from contemplating the days ahead. Although they had made no promises to one another in regard to the future, he found the thought of not seeing Brooklyn again once he returned to Denver difficult to imagine. However, though he’d certainly changed a great deal from his days as a carefree bachelor, he wasn’t entirely sure that he was ready to commit to another long-term relationship, despite the powerful feelings he had for her. And with Brooklyn, a committed relationship was the only type of relationship he could foresee. She was far too special a person to settle for anything less, and she shouldn’t have to.

  And of course there was still that matter of him and Wade’s friendship to consider. If he and Brooklyn became involved and then it didn’t work out, what would happen then? Would it end up destroying one of the closest friendships he’d ever had? It was something he definitely had to consider. Although, with Brooklyn lying naked and replete atop his chest, he couldn’t help thinking that it might very well be worth the risk.

  When they awoke the following morning, they made love one last time, but to Brooklyn it seemed different somehow, more meaningful. This time, as Ryan took her to the heights of pleasure, there was a raw, aching tenderness to it that brought tears to her eyes. And when Ryan finally collapsed on top of her, both of them lost to the incredible rapture of the moment, she knew that she loved him with every fiber of her being, and that she always would, no matter what their future held. Tangling her fingers into his hair, she breathed in the delicious, masculine scent of him, imprinting it onto her memory so that she would never forget it.

  For Ryan the moment was bittersweet. He realized that their time together was almost over, but even so, he wasn’t nearly ready for it to end. And of course, knowing that once Brooklyn left the cabin the perfect little world they had created around themselves would vanish like a puff of smoke, he couldn’t help feeling a touch of sadness. But no matter what the future held, he knew that he would always cherish their week in the mountains. It had been one of the most special times of his life.

  Several minutes later, when they rose from the bed at long last, Brooklyn did her best to disguise her tortured emotions as they headed for the shower. Tired and utterly satiated from their final night together, she and Ryan managed to keep their hands off of each other as they showered, leisurely soaping their own bodies and washing their own hair under the spraying jets.

  Ryan was done first, and graciously offered to make breakfast as he stepped out of the shower, knowing that Brooklyn would likely need some time to finish getting ready. Casting one last lingering glance at the absolute perfection of her naked form, he forced himself to turn away. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his waist as he moved into the bedroom.

  Entering the kitchen a short time later, her duffle bag slung over her shoulder, she dropped it onto the floor as Ryan motioned for her to sit down at the table.

  Carrying over two plates, each topped with a thick stack of pancakes covered in butter and warm maple syrup, Ryan set one in front of Brooklyn and the other at the place setting next to hers.

  “Thank you,” she said, hoping her smile didn’t appear as artificial as it felt. She was really going to miss their late-morning breakfasts.

  “My pleasure.”

  “You do realize that you’re going to have to do all of the cooking now right,” Brooklyn reminded him playfully, as she stuck her fork into the huge mound of flapjacks.

  “Ugg, and the laundry too,” Ryan said with a grimace.

  “Yep, that too. But I’m pretty sure you can handle them both.”

  “I don’t know.” The laundry would definitely be a challenge, but at least he wouldn’t starve. “How many of those TV dinners were left in the freezer?”

  Brooklyn laughed. “I think there are enough to get you by for another couple of weeks.”

  “Let’s hope.” His specialties were grilled steaks and burgers, but he could also make a pretty tasty omelet and decent stack of pancakes. Otherwise, his culinary skills were fairly limited.

  “Oh, and when you dry your clothes, don’t forget to put in a dryer sheet, or else they’ll all be full of static when you take them out.”

  “Got it.” His housekeeper took care of the laundry at home, but Brooklyn had gone over the basics of the high-tech washer and dryer with him earlier in the week. If he’d been on his own, he probably would have had to call his mom for instructions. Sadly, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d done his own laundry, if ever. He was spoiled and he knew it. Just another one of the many perks of being a professional athlete. “Anything else I might forget?”

  Just me. “Don’t fall asleep in the hot tub.”

  “Check. Anything else?”

  “Nope, I think you’ve got a pretty good handle on everything else.”

  He wasn’t so sure about that. He had a feeling that letting Brooklyn go was going to be even harder than he’d imagined.

  “Don’t forget to call me when you get back to Denver, so I know that you made it home safely,” Ryan reminded her as he stood beside the driver-side door of her Tahoe twenty minutes later.

  “I will.”

  “And don’t drive too fast going down the mountain. I’m sure the road is still slick in spots.”

  She couldn’t help smiling. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” she promised. His obviously genuine concern was extremely touching.

  Pulling the door shut, she smiled at Ryan one last time through the window glass. Then, putting the Tahoe into reverse she backed slowly from the drive.

  Raising his hand to wave goodbye, Ryan watched her drive away. He stood there for several minutes then, long after she was gone from sight, with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans and his breath clearly visible in the frigid air, as he fought the overwhelming urge to go after her.

  Over the next several days, Ryan fought the urge to go after Brooklyn on more than one occasion. He’d erroneously thought that the first night, lying alone in his bed would be the worst, but he should have known better, for the following nights had been just as tough. He was finding sleep increasingly hard to come by as his thoughts returned time and again to her, and unfortunately the days weren’t any easier.

  Going after Brooklyn would mean that he was in it for the long haul, he knew that. With her, it was going to be all or nothing. It had to be; she deserved nothing less. Recognizing that, he forced himself to ponder some difficult questions in the days following her departure, about the direction he wanted his life to take. Surprisingly, the decision really wasn’t nearly as har
d as he’d thought it would be.

  Chapter 7

  Standing with two other female interns near the back of the room, Brooklyn watched excitedly as the pieces from the auction catalogue went up for bids, one right after the other. She’d been studying the catalogue for the past three weeks, and had painstakingly memorized the details of each and every item. She had even taken it with her to the cabin, reviewing it now and then when she’d had a quiet moment. She’d gone over it with Ryan as well, pointing out some of her favorite pieces and listening with avid interest to his views on those particular works, as well as the collection as a whole. Much to her delight, she had quickly discovered that he was even more knowledgeable about the art world than he’d implied. She wished he was here now, knowing that he would enjoy the auction, but of course she wished it for other reasons as well.

  When her favorite piece was eventually brought to the front of the auction house, Brooklyn couldn’t help feeling a momentary twinge of melancholy. It was a small canvas, painted by a lesser-known nineteenth century Italian painter named Vincenzo Bertalini. The detailed watercolor depicted a breathtakingly beautiful winter landscape that she’d admired long before her trip up the mountain, but she loved it even more now, for it reminded her of the beautiful vista she and Ryan had stopped to view, just before they’d had their snowball fight along the mountain trail. It was estimated to sell for between fifteen and twenty thousand dollars, and if she’d had that kind of money she would have been sorely tempted to bid on it herself, for sadly, it wasn’t one of the pieces the museum intended to purchase. It was really too bad, for it would have been nice to be able to stop and admire it now and then as she’d gone about her work.