Ripped: The Price of Loyalty by Tania Joyce

 

Chapter 17

Kyle’s kisses had ignited something deep inside of Gemma and she didn’t want to switch it off. Standing in the middle of the deck, she clutched onto his shirt, drew him closer, and kissed him, long and hard and deep. Kyle grabbed her around the waist, lifting her up like she weighed no more than his Fender, and she hooked her legs around his hips. Latching her arms around his neck, he carried her back into the house, dodged furniture and tables, and headed up the stairs.

The moment Kyle gave her the necklace, Gemma knew her heart belonged to him. When he said he was still crazy about her, everything fell into place. She thought she needed time to get over Hunter, but that wasn’t necessary. So why wait? Why go slow? Everything about Kyle felt right.

At the top of the stairs, she yanked at the back of his T-shirt, even before he placed her down inside his room. He gave her a wickedly sexy and devilish grin, reached over his shoulders, and tugged the shirt off. Unable to keep her hands still, Gemma glided her fingers over his chest. Seeing every muscle ripple in the soft light added to her hunger.

Kyle kicked the door shut. Gemma ripped her moon boot off. Kyle tore the bed covers back. Then, he turned and stood before her. His eyes, dark and smoldering, captivated her. His callused fingertips defied their appearance, and he stroked them softly against the side of her cheek. “Gem, are you sure about this?”

She ran her fingers over each divot in his abs. His skin blazed beneath her touch, and his muscles tensed when she tickled him. She liked that.

“Absolutely.” She ran her hands up to his chest, pushed him back onto the bed, and mounted his hips. She flicked her hair to the side, leaned forward, and kissed him.

Shivers shot across her skin when Kyle’s hands curled around her and buried into her hair. His tongue entwined with hers in a perfect rhythm. Since Ben, she’d only had sex with guys for fun—there was never any emotional attachment. Her heart hadn’t entered this vulnerable territory for almost three years. Her whole body shuddered from being scared, excited, and totally intoxicated by Kyle. With each passing second, she could feel herself falling, falling for him hard and fast.

Gemma wriggled her hips against Kyle’s, and the sexiest murmur erupted in his throat. She shuffled backward, trailing kisses down the side of his neck, down his chest and over his stomach. His muscles flexed beneath her playful nips and kisses. At the edge of his boardshorts, she found the tie, undid it, and yanked the Velcro open.

“Gem. Slow down.”

“Kyle, I haven’t had sex in nearly ten weeks. I need you naked now.” She tugged his shorts lower.

His eyes flared with fire. With no hesitation, he raised his hips so she could wriggle his shorts and boxer briefs off and toss them aside. Her heartbeat jumped ogling Kyle naked before her. His erection was hard, his chest heaved, and his bronzed body was toned to perfection.

He grinned, sat up, and drew her into his lap. He weaved his hands around her waist and kissed her. “You are going to be the death of me if you look at me like that.”

“Okay . . . but fuck me first.”

Kyle closed his eyes and hesitated.

Gemma brushed his hair away from his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

He looked at her. His gorgeous dark eyes smoldered like glowing embers. “I never thought I’d hear you say that to me. That we’d ever be here like this.”

She silenced him with a kiss. They could talk later, but right now she needed action. She pressed herself hard against his chest and the air around her sizzled.

Kyle grabbed the bottom of her tank top and pulled it over her head. His hand followed his gaze down to her push-up bra. He cupped her gently with a trembling hand, sending shivers across her skin.

“Not much to play with, is there?” Gemma shrunk an inch back from him.

“More than enough.” With nimble fingers, he slipped his hands around behind her, freed the bra clasp, and tossed the flimsy garment onto the floor.

His warm hand returned to her chest and caressed her skin. He rubbed his thumb over her hardened nipple, dipped his head and took it into his mouth. Aching toward him, Gemma knotted her hands in his hair, and her head fell back. She moaned, savoring the heat that rippled through her and tingled her toes when he circled his firm tongue around her aroused bud, nipped, and sucked.

He gave equal attention to her other breast before he kissed her lips again, hotter and harder and deeper. His kisses made her dizzy. His tongue sent coils of heat to her core. She could barely breathe when his feverish flesh pressed against hers.

She could stay like this forever, if it wasn’t for the growing ache in her shin. “I’m sorry, we have to move. My leg’s hurting.”

He drew her close and lay her down on the mattress. But rather than lie on top of her, he sat beside her leg, slid his hands over her calf muscle, and gently massaged it. “Is it hurting too much? You want to stop?”

“Hell no.” That was the most ridiculous thing she’d heard all day.

“Good.” He threw her a breathtaking smile and crawled his way up the bed, kissing across the arch of her hip, over her stomach, up to her breasts, and her throat, and then back to her lips once again.

Gemma circled her hands around his shoulders to draw him over her, but . . . he resisted.

“Nah-ah. Your shorts. They have to go,” Kyle said, nuzzling into her neck. His fingers glided down her body, leaving a fiery trail in their wake. He fumbled with the button at the top of her denim shorts, popped it open and agonizingly, slowly, painfully, undid the zipper.

Gemma’s innards clenched when he brushed his fingers against her panties.

“Want me to go slower?” Kyle’s breathy voice hovered near her ear.

“No. Faster. Definitely faster.” Gemma licked her lips, resisting the temptation to tear her own shorts off to speed up the process.

Kyle shuffled down the bed, wriggled her shorts and panties off, and threw them to the side, knocking over the bedside lamp in the process. He chuckled softly. “Now we’re wrecking the furniture . . . Nice!”

He stretched out beside her, the length of his body long and sleek against hers. He edged in closer, nudging his erection against her belly.

Gemma’s body ignited against his. She ran her hand down over his arm, his hip, his butt, his thigh, and up toward his groin. Raking her short fingernails gently through his pubic hair sent him squirming once again.

“I never realized how ticklish you are. It’s like I’m torturing you,” she giggled.

“I think I can handle this type of torture.”

She kissed his lips, curled her hand around his rock-hard cock, ran it along his length, and circled the head with languid strokes.

Kyle hissed between his teeth. He grabbed her hand, drew it away, and entwined his fingers with hers.

“Gem, that’s really good. But believe me when I say, I’m not going to last long if you keep doing that.”

“Okay then. Touch me.”

The corner of Kyle’s mouth curled, full of predatory hunger. Gemma’s body hummed all over when his fingers headed between her legs. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her muscles clenched in eager anticipation. He stroked her thigh, nudged her legs wider and made his way to her arousal. With gentle rubs, Kyle slid his finger between the folds of her skin, circled her clit, then slipped inside her.

Gemma gripped his shoulder and rocked toward his touch. My God, she was going to burst. She blinked her eyes open. Kyle’s face loomed before her, his eyes dark like a black velvet night.

“You like that?”

She could hardly breathe, her mind nothing but haze. All she could do was nod.

One finger became two, delving deeper inside her.

“You feel so good.” He rubbed her, teased her, stroked her. “So warm, so wet, so . . . mine.” The possessive tone in his voice fed her like an aphrodisiac.

“Kyle.” Her voice was nothing more than a whispery breath. She was close. Too close to losing her mind. “Enough.” She grabbed his hand. “I want you inside me, now.”

Faster than a flash of lightning, Kyle dived into the nightstand drawer, grabbed a condom, and rolled in onto his shaft. He edged his way in between her legs and lowered himself on top of her. Taking his weight onto his elbows, he hovered over her, his erection teasing at her opening. Her hands glided over his shoulders and back, his muscles rippling beneath her touch.

“I want you so bad, Gem,” Kyle said, pressing his lips to hers. Then he deepened the kiss. Her tongue danced in time with his. His breath was hot, on her lips, on her face, on her neck when he nibbled her earlobe.

He rocked his hips and nudged the head of his penis against her. Slowly, he entered her. First an inch, then withdrawing, then sliding his sleek hardness all the way in.

Her eyes widened, and shivers shot up her spine. “Oh . . . wow.” Her heart beat like a bass drum and she wriggled beneath him, allowing her body to adjust to his impressive size.

He froze.

“Sweet Jesus, Gem.” The oxygen rushed from his lungs.

“You okay?” Gemma threaded her hands through his hair, and kissed the hollow of his throat and across the curve of his collarbone.

“Yep. I am now.”

And then he moved. Thrusting gently into her with a steady, rhythmical motion. Gemma’s stomach tensed, and she pulsed her hips against his to get deeper penetration. Every time he drove into her, her body demanded more.

A groan rumbled deep within Kyle’s throat. It coursed all the way through her veins and teased her nerve endings. Heat pooled inside her, her core clenching tight. She wanted more of him. She curled her leg around his and ran her toes down through his soft hairs.

Gazing up at him, she touched his lips with the tips of her fingers. He kissed and sucked on them, sending a ripple of warmth through her. His eyes were full of such adoration it made her heart falter. She wanted to remember this moment. Him hard inside her. Her hands on him. Hearts beating together. Because this had changed something deep within her. Maybe Kyle was right, they were soulmates, and now they were united.

She brushed her fingers down the side of his face. “Please tell me this feels right to you.”

A slow, delicious smile touched his lips. “This is better than right. We’re made for each other, Gem.” He drove deeper into her, making her hips pulse. “But, Jee-zus. When you rock against me like that, it makes me lose my mind.”

“What? Like this?” Gem tilted and rolled her pelvis up against him.

His body shuddered, and his penis throbbed inside her. He buried his head into the pillow beside her. “Yep.”

“What if I do it again?” Gemma weaved her hands around his shoulders and rocked her hips once more.

Kyle’s head flicked back, and his face tensed. Seeing Kyle turned on like this was having a profound effect on her heart. As if it would never be able to operate properly ever again without him.

“You’re so bad.” A sexy smile played across his mouth. He ran his hand down her side, over her leg, hooked it underneath her thigh, and lifted it up beside his hip. “Guess that means you’re in trouble.” He kissed her and thrust into her, gentle and deep, then hard and fast. Each drive sent delightful shockwaves jolting through her system.

Her breath quickened, panting against his. She couldn’t get enough of touching his body, kissing his lips, or tasting his mouth.

Her thighs burned. Her hands dug into his hips. Blood whooshed in her ears, and his hot flesh, glistening with sweat, sizzled against hers.

Kyle’s hard cock hit that sweet spot deep inside her. “Oh . . . yeah. There.” Words slipped from her mouth. Her insides tensed as he penetrated her harder and harder.

He kissed her. Deep and slow. Then, with him driving into her, he trailed a line of hypnotic kisses toward her ear.

“I love you . . . so fucking much,” he whispered.

Then he thrust hard.

Gemma’s eyes shot open. The most intense orgasm ripped through her. Her back arched. A volt of energy shot up her spine and tingled the base of her neck. Her body quaked around him. Every muscle quivered.

Gemma’s heart beat like a boom box. “What did you just say?”

Kyle groaned and thrust into her again. Again and again. His heart thundered against hers. Then . . . he stilled. His body convulsed and shook with its own release.

She didn’t want to move. The rush of blood left her head in a spin.

He gazed down at her. “I love you, Gem.” The weight in Kyle’s voice cinched around her heart. “Have for a long time.”

Tears swelled in her eyes, and she drew him in to kiss. He curled beside her on the bed, pulling her into his arms, and she rested her head against his shoulder. She smoothed her hand over his chest, feeling the racing beat of his heart.

He loved her.

How did he survive seeing her with Hunter every day? If what she felt right now was love, she was in a whole lot of danger. Because if she ever lost this, she didn’t know what she’d do. Music wouldn’t be enough to help her survive losing this.

“Going slow didn’t last long,” she giggled. “Guess we got carried away.”

“I’m not complaining.” He hugged her tight and kissed her forehead.

Lying in the dark room next to Kyle, she felt a warm breeze waft through the open window. Gemma traced circles over Kyle’s chest, admiring the goose bumps hardening his nipples, the flinches of his stomach when she tickled him, and the trembling of his muscles when she followed the fine line of his snail trail down toward his groin.

“I’m so sorry about everything,” she said. “About Hun—.”

Kyle placed his finger over her lips. “I don’t ever want to think about Hunt when I’m lying here naked after making love to you. It’s in the past. All I care about right now is that you’re with me. My future.”

“Maybe you’re just the rebound guy,” she said with a dash of cheekiness.

“Oh, rebound, you say.” He flicked the sheet into the air, crawled on top of her and nestled between her legs. “Let’s get this straight. I’m no rebound. I’m yours, there’s nothing else to it.”

Her heart leapt when Kyle rolled over onto his back, drawing her with him, and she straddled his hips. She leaned over and kissed him. She felt like she was floating five thousand feet in the air. She didn’t ever want to look down, because if she fell from this high she’d never be able to mend her shattered heart.