Page 69 of A Vintage of Regret
“I am,” he said. Leaning forward, he ate the dessert she offered.
“All of it. Every detail. Nothing left out.”
He nodded.
She stood, holding the bowl of ice cream. “Get the chocolate sauce.”
“Why am I doing that?”
“Because we’re going to bed where I’m going to do unspeakable things to you with that sauce, and then in themorning, after being fully satisfied, and having a good night's sleep, you’ll talk.”
“God, I love you.”
“I know.” She tapped the back of the spoon on his nose and took off toward the back staircase, leaving him standing in the kitchen, breathless.
He’d better not fuck this up, because his heart wouldn’t recover.
Riley sat on the edge of Bryson’s bed, toes curling into the plush rug, the faint thrum of her pulse filling her ears. The room was dimly lit except for the amber glow spilling from the lamp on the nightstand, casting long shadows on the walls. She watched Bryson cross the room, the bottle of chocolate syrup in his hand, the corner of his mouth curved in a way that was equal parts tease and promise.
“You were a wicked girl twelve years ago.” He smiled that same boyish grin he had back in high school that made her insides turn to mush. “And now you’re a wicked woman.”
She laughed. “Do you remember our first time?”
Slowly, he inched forward. “Under the stars, in the vineyard, after the Fourth of July picnic. We’d figured out all the essential things by then. How to please each other. What we liked, didn’t like… except I still always got caught with my hand up your shirt.”
“You were the devil,” she said.
“Where do you want it?” he asked, his voice low, almost a growl.
Her lips quirked. “Surprise me.”
The first cool drizzle landed on her lower lip. She drew in a breath, his thumb swept it across, smearing sweetness before his mouth claimed hers. His kiss was warm and slow at first, tasting of chocolate and him, the mix dizzying and familiar all at once. When his tongue glided across hers, her grip on his T-shirt tightened, pulling him closer.
She desperately needed him. To feel him. To absorb all his love and strength. He’d always been so eager and willing to give her what she’d desired. He’d sensed her moods and shifted his to help her navigate her world. For so long, this man had been the root that held her to the earth.
Her hands slid beneath the cotton of his shirt, seeking the heat of his skin, the hard planes of muscle she’d memorized years ago and had never forgotten. He broke the kiss only to strip the shirt over his head. The lamplight caught on the ridges of his chest, the faint dusting of hair trailing downward, the flex of his shoulders when he leaned in again.
She lay back as he followed her down, his weight braced but still pressing into her enough to make her breath hitch. His mouth moved along her jaw, then lower to her neck, his breath warm as he found the sensitive place just beneath her ear. She shivered when his lips grazed over it.
He tugged her tank upward, masterfully wedging it between their bodies to reveal the curve of her breast. He kissed her there first, slow and reverent, before taking her nipple into his mouth, drawing a gasp from her. The scrape of his teeth was followed by the soft pull of his lips, sending heat pooling low in her belly.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, lifting his gaze as he tossed her shirt to the side. “Everything about you is perfect.” He placed a tender kiss on her belly, moving lower, until his fingers curled into her pajama bottoms.
When he peeled them down her legs, the cool air against her bare skin made her shiver again. His hands were firm on herthighs, easing them apart before his fingers stroked over her, slow and sure, until her hips arched toward him.
“Yes. Yes. Please.”
His tongue sailed across her like a ship pulling into port, slow and steady, maneuvering in just the right spots to bring her close to the edge.
She clung to him, biting her lip, shaking her head wildly, as waves of pleasure crashed into her like a tidal wave.
Pausing for a moment, he shed his pants, lifted the syrup, and drizzled some on her thighs, licking it, before diving in with both mouth and fingers.
She tensed, digging her heels into the mattress. Blinking, she tried to suck in a deep breath, but all she could manage was a few panting moans before her climax broke like the crest of a wave smashing into the shoreline.
His lips danced up her stomach, across her breasts, until he found her mouth. He kissed her, hard, swallowing every sound she made.
And then, he slid into her in one long, steady stroke, his breath breaking against her lips. She held onto him, feeling the fullness of him inside her, the way his body seemed to fit against hers like they’d been made for only for each other. He moved slowly at first, each thrust deliberate, his gaze locked on hers as though he was memorizing every flicker of her expression.
