Page 13 of Let Me Love You
He swept a few stray pieces of her hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her neck, and goosebumps rose along her soft skin. She shivered and her nipples tightened.
His cock twitched to life. Another wave of hunger washed over him. He bit off the moan that climbed up his throat. He could initiate another round—he’d love to—but he needed to focus if he wanted to convince her he wanted more than sex.
“I care what your parents think. I’m friends with them.”
“My parents love you. They may initially be surprised, but they’ll acceptus.” He emphasized the word, needing her to understand the seriousness of what he sought. This wasn’t an afternoon fling or a one-night stand. He wasn’t fooling around for a few days or weeks to live out a fantasy.
He wanted sunsets, cozy dinners, snuggling up on the couch watching movies. He wanted to hold her while she fell asleep and wake to her every morning.
“I’m eight years your senior.” She pushed on his chest again, but he didn’t budge. She huffed out in frustration.
“Yes. I know our age difference.” A bit of cockiness laced his tone. “Go on. What else?”
“You can’t possibly be serious?”
“I’m not just serious. I’m dead fucking serious.”
“Ren, in ten years, hell, in five years, maybe even less, you won’t find me attractive.” She ran her fingers through her hair, which fell over her bare shoulders in wild waves, making her look like a siren perched on a rock beckoning a sailor. He wasn’t sure what she saw when she looked in the mirror, but he couldn’t imagine ever finding her anything but beautiful. “I don’t have it in me to be tossed for a twenty-something. That would happen with you because youarea twenty-something.”
There!She said it. Maybe their age difference bothered her, but it was more than that. She feared being left for a younger woman again. Now he understood the playing field they were on and where he stood. She’d just given him a gift and didn’t even know it.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” He cupped her cheek, and her skin was so smooth against his calloused hands. “I understand the reasons you feel the way you do, believe me, I do. I’d love to kick Randy’s ass for making you feel this way, for putting those concerns, insecurities, and doubts in your head. For breaking your heart. But I’m not Randy. And I promise I’d never do that to you.”
“What about the girl you were telling me about earlier from school? You deserve somebody closer to your age. Someone who is in the same stage of life as you.”
“I never said she was from school. You made that assumption. You asked if any girls had caught my eye and I said there was a girl.” He paused. “You.” His gaze begged her to believe him. “I’ve had a thing for you for a long time and after making love to you today, it’s hard for me to imagine ever being with anyone else.”
“Ren Haynes!” she snapped. “You’re twenty-three-years-old! You can have any woman you want. Pick one your own age. One that you can have a future with. And we didn’t make love. We fucked.” Her tone was harsh, cold.
His gut twisted and a twinge stabbed his heart. He knew there’d been risks involved in seducing her and trying to prove he wanted more than sex. With his reputation, never being serious about a girl, he had an uphill battle convincing her. But he would climb Mount Everest in his swimming trunks and bare feet if she’d give him a chance.
She pushed on his chest again. This time, he stepped back, still shocked by her words. She jumped down from the counter as soon as he gave her space, and grabbed the towel off the floor, wrapping the cloth tightly around herself, trying to shield her nakedness. Her eyes were wild and her hands trembled as she clung to the towel, her agitation palpable.
He pulled the condom off, tied it and shuffled over to the trash can. After tossing the rubber, he bent over, swiped up his boxer briefs and cargo shorts, and stepped into them. He buttoned his shorts, all the while watching her gather her bathing suit off the tiled floor.
He wanted to walk over and wrap her in his arms. Tell her everything would be fine. They’d be more than fine if she just gave them a chance. But the heat in her eyes hinted he should think twice about that move.
****
“Put your shirt on!” Stacey squatted and picked his shirt up from the floor. She threw the cloth, and it hit his chest then fell to his feet.
She vibrated with emotions: Lust, guilt, regret, revitalization.
He stood before her in nothing but shorts that hung low. His fists squared on his hips. His hair laid ruffled, lips swollen. His pecs glistened, his abs rippled with each breath. He looked delicious and thoroughly fucked.Damn him!
She wanted to shake the shit out of him and at the same time, climb his body and beg him to make her feel like he did just moments ago.
What had she done? Had sex with her neighbors’ son. For the love of God, she was going to hell! Plummeting to hell like a rollercoaster plunging over its first hill.
And now he wanted a relationship with her. Never occurred to her that he would be interested in anything more than sex. He’d never been interested in more than sex from any of the girls he’d brought around. Why her?
“Does my being shirtless bother you?” Clearly he wanted to get a rise out of her. Juvenile, but it worked.
“Shut! Up!” she said through gritted teeth.
“Why are you so angry?” His soft voice played with her heart strings. He honestly didn’t see anything wrong with what they’d done.
“We just had sex,” she blurted, exasperated at his lack of understanding.
