Page 43 of Buried Treasure
"Ryan is just—"
"Sydney, stop. Please."
She did as he asked, particularly because he was worrying her. He seemed so happy when Ryan said he was going back on the road. But standing in her apartment, he was subdued and quiet. Something just felt heavy between them.
Andy seemed to decide that he didn't care whether Sydney was going to sit down or not. Instead, he dropped down on her couch, his head in his hands. Then he looked up at her with those blue eyes of his, as if he was pleading for her to join him. So she decided to show him some mercy and took a deep breath before sitting down next to him. Whatever he was going to say, she at least owed him that much.
"Listen, my relationships with women haven't been all that successful, especially when it comes to women who know guys on my teams." He ducked his head to avoid her eyes. "I've been with my share of beautiful women, Sydney. You saw one of them at the bar the other night. But beautiful women are more interested in hockey players than in me."
"Did you just call me beautiful?" Sydney said with a small smile, trying to change the subject.
Andy looked annoyed. "That wasn't my point."
Her smile quickly faded as she started to understand just what this was really about. Sydney wasn't the only one who had trust issues when it came to relationships. But she had developed her problems after the S.E.C. waltzed into her office. For Andy, it must have been much longer.
"Andy." She waited for him to finally look at her. "Are you asking me if there's something between Ryan and I? Because I promise you there is nothing going on."
"I know you've said that," he replied quietly. "But the way you reacted when you heard Ryan was leaving didn't make it seem that way."
"This isn't just about Ryan," Sydney said. "It's about all of you. I had all of you to protect me, and I won't have that anymore."
"That doesn't mean we aren't going to be here for you."
"It does."
"No, it doesn't." Andy's eyes looked directly at her, as if he could see what was going on in her head. "Is that what this is all about?"
Sydney looked down at her feet again to avoid Andy's prying gaze, but she could see him moving closer to her on the couch out of the corner of her eye.
"Sydney?" he said quietly. "Tell me I'm not the only one having some issues here."
She closed her eyes, trying to control the emotion that was threatening to overwhelm her.
"I believed in a man that I trusted," she said. "He's probably going to jail and I don't have a job anymore. I feel lost and my friends are leaving me behind."
"We aren't leaving you behind, Sydney."
"I know," she said quietly.
"You can trust me." Andy reached out to pull her hand towards him. "Trust me."
She kept her eyes closed, too afraid of what she would reveal if she looked at him. But she could feel his breath on her cheek as he leaned in and gently kissed her. His hand reached around her waist to pull her closer to him, and she unfolded her arms to wrap them around his neck. But unlike that morning together when they were hot and fast, he was taking his time with her tonight, slowly kissing her neck a few more times before he pulled himself to her lips.
"Andy," she whispered.
She could feel his lips curl up in a smile before he gently pressed them against hers. She didn't want this slow and steady version of Andy. She wanted frantic, horny Andy who pulled off her yoga pants in one quick move. But he was having none of that. Every time she tried to speed things up — kiss him harder, pull him closer, let her hands find a new spot on his body — he pushed back.
"Slow down, Barton," he teasingly said in her ear. "I'm not leaving until tomorrow."
"But I want you tonight."
He laughed softly, the vibration traveling through her fingers on his strong chest.
"Believe me. You have me tonight," he said reassuringly. "Just let me take my time with you."
Sydney took a breath and let go. If she wanted to be able to trust again, if she wanted to try and get over what had happened to her, she needed to take a chance. What better way to do that than to give her body over to Andy. And she knew from past experience that it was going to be well worth it.
He gently pulled her up off the couch and into her bedroom, making sure to gently lay her down on her bed this time. He was almost reverent with her body, treating it like a temple he wanted to worship at all night. She finally decided to give in to his tenderness. She wanted to have that extra time to explore his body and find out what drove him crazy. It turned out there was a small spot right on his side above his hips, a fact that Sydney learned as he involuntarily moaned as her hands slid down his body. She would definitely remember that for later.
