Page 8 of RiffRaff's Reward

His heated gaze has me stammering like a lovestruck teenager as I think aboutwhyhe’d be asking me that particular question.

“She’s coming home tomorrow after lunch,” I admit.

“Then let’s go snuggle some more, sweetheart. It looks like we got an early snow, so it’s gonna be cold as fuck outside.”

“Sounds perfect to me. Do you want me to make you some coffee?”

“I just want you,” he murmurs as he nips my ear lobe.

That one small nip of affection has my libido firing on all cylinders. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that titillating hum of awareness in my soul, and suddenly, I want him with a desperation I can’t even describe. But there’s still that voice in the back of my mind telling me that even if my body is ready, my heart and mind are not. A feat I want to overcome becausethe thought of losing him because I’m afraid, isn’t something I’m willing to let happen.

“Um, okay.”

“Jilly, there’s no fucking pressure, babe, I promise,” he states as he leads me back over to the bed.

“It’s been a long time for me, RiffRaff,” I reply.

“I bet I’ve got you beat,” he teases as we both climb into bed and then turn so we’re facing each other.

Scoffing, I tell him, “I sincerely doubt that! You’re… well, you’re hot then toss in the fact that you’ve got that whole silver fox thing going on and there’s probably a horde of women whose hearts have been broken.”

He cups my face with his hands and leans in until our foreheads touch. “It’s been over seven years, I think.”

I do the math in my head then start giggling because the irony is just too much without caffeine. “That means we’re likely in the same boat, probably within a month or two at least.”

I watch his eyes widen almost comically, like one of those shocked cartoon characters when they’re surprised at something that’s happening. “You’re fucking with me right now,” he finally says.

“Nope,” I state, popping my p for emphasis. “I’ve told you that before his accident, we were on the verge of a separation, but it was at least six months or so before that and since then, of course, I’ve been focused on school, Kimber and her active social life, and now work. I had to work through my trust issues where men are concerned because I felt utterly betrayed.”

“Do you know if the other woman who was in the car with Duncan when he crashed survived the accident?” he asks, his arms now around me as his hands run up and down my back, soothing me.

“As far as I know, she did, but I never spoke to her, of course,” I reply. “I mean, what she did went against the girl code as far as I was concerned.”

“Not wanting to bring up bad memories, Jilly, but I want to play devil’s advocate for a second, okay? Then we’ll see where the morning takes us.”

“Go ahead, RiffRaff.” I’m long past that hurt that smacked into me the moment I was told there was another woman in the vehicle with him when he wrecked.

“What if she didn’t know about you? What if he told her that he was single? People do it all the time,” he gently says.

Well, as gentle as his normally booming voice can, that is, but I still know he’s trying not to hurt my feelings. “Maybe she didn’t, I don’t really know, to be honest. He didn’t wear his wedding ring so there wouldn’t have been a line on his ring finger.”

“Babe, I’m telling you right now, if you and I ever decide to walk down that path, not only will I proudly wear a ring, but I’ll get one tattooed on my finger as well,” he says, kissing me again.

Since he has several he wears, this warms my heart for a number of reasons. First of all, the fact he would be willing to show he was claimed legally makes me want to pounce on him for some reason. Secondly, that he’d put our bond on his finger in such a permanent way tells me that he sees us going the distance even though we haven’t been dating all that long.

“You would?” I question, peering up at him with lovestruck eyes.

“Jilly, you haven’t seen all my tats, but trust me, it’s not an issue to go under a tattoo artist’s gun at all.”

I snicker because he’s got some impressive ink on his arms and thinking about where else he may have it has my core clenching. He’s everything I never knew I needed in a man, and he’s shown me countless times that he’s what they call ‘all in’. At least that’s how he comes across to me.

“And will I be seeing those tats anytime soon?” I ask, grinning at him.

“You can see them now if you want,” he replies, kissing my nose.

“Then show me what you’ve got, handsome.”

My challenge seems to ignite something inside of him as he quickly pulls his t-shirt from the back of his neck over his head before he flings it off the bed. He’s still wearing a pair of sweatpants he had in his saddlebags, but I can feel the unmistakable hardness of his cock pressed against my thigh and lower belly and know I’m more turned on right now than I’ve ever been in my life.

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