The First Rule by Nicole S. Goodin

12

Ryan

She’s dreaming– about our trip to the beach if I had to guess. She’s murmuring about sand and her toes, and she keeps making soft moans, the same as she makes when I kiss her – something I’ve done a lot of the past few days.

“Water... too cold,” she mumbles.

I grin. She is definitely dreaming about the beach trip.

I glance at my watch; I can let her nap for about another five minutes and then I’m going to have to wake her for our date.

It’s a surprise, and a risky one at that.

I’m taking her somewhere that I’ve wanted to take her since the day we met, but I never got the chance. I’m terrified that she’ll figure it out, but I’m also just as worried that she never will. She’s told me the story – again – about her parents at least, but still. This has been something I’ve wanted to do for a lot longer than a month.

I don’t know what happens when she knows the full story – which I’ve vowed to myself she will, one day. She might resent me. She might think I’m crazy for keeping my mouth shut for so long.

She stirs again, her lips pouting softly, drawing my attention to them.

Those lips, they’ll be the absolute death of me. They’re so soft, warm and inviting... so sweet and irresistible.

I want her, God do I want her. I’ve never wanted anything so badly, but she’s not just some woman... she’s the woman – the one I want for the rest of my life, and that thought – the idea of having her forever is the only thing keeping my complete lack of patience in check. There’s no rush – we’ve got forever to go. Sex can wait.

With another glance at my watch, I decide waking her can’t wait any longer – we’ve got to go, or we’ll be late for our booking.

I sweep my hand over her face. “Wake up, Darce, we’ve got to go, princess.”

She groans as she comes to from her sleep.

I feel bad for planning something so late at night, given how tired she is all the time, but it would have been a bit tricky to do this in the daytime.

I get her shoes for her, help her put them on, then hold her hand out to the car and while we drive. It’s not until we pull into the car park that I think she might finally be actually awake. She’s adorable, sitting there all bleary-eyed and groggy from sleep.

“We’re here,” I tell her.

I park the car and round the front to meet her at her door.

She glances around, her brow slightly furrowed until she spots the sign against the side of the building.

“The observatory?” she asks excitedly, letting me lead her towards the front doors of the building.

“You want to see the stars? It’s a perfectly clear night.”

I can tell by the look on her face, she’s blown away. “The moon and all of the stars,” she whispers.

I nod my head, I know exactly what she’s referring to, but I don’t say anything.

She pauses and I can tell she’s battling with something inside her brain.

“I’ll be right beside you, princess,” I reassure her.

She looks up at me, right into my eyes and nods her head. “Thank you… I just… thank you.”

I know this can’t be easy for her. I knew it would make her think of her parents and remember their love, but that’s a good thing – things like this keep memories alive.

I usher her inside and we’re taken into the room with the huge telescope.

“It’s one hundred and fifteen years old,” I whisper in her ear as she looks around the domed-ceiling room in awe.

“Really?” she asks, eyes wide.

I nod. “And pointed at the moon – have a look.”

She steps slowly up onto the step stool and leans in, gingerly placing her eye on the telescope.

“Oh my gosh,” she breathes. “That’s incredible. It’s so clear and it looks so close.”

“It’s amazing, right?”

“Have a look,” she insists.

“You finish up first.”

Little does she know, but this is far from my first visit to this observatory. For about six months, I came nearly every week.

I know that view of the moon better than my own reflection sometimes.

“This is amazing, Ryan, thank you.”

My chest fills with pride at the authenticity in her praise. I knew she’d love it here.

“Can you see the craters?”

“I can see everything. I can’t believe that’s the moon.”

I know what she means, I couldn’t believe it either, the first time I saw it. It’s as though it’s right there in front of you.

“My parents would have loved this.”

I reach for her hand and grip it tightly as she stands still, her eye still glued to the telescope.

I stand there with her for what feels like long hours and short seconds at the same time.

“You look now,” she finally says as she steps down, allowing me a turn to see.

She doesn’t let go of my hand, and even though I’ve seen this all before, it feels like the first time with her small, warm hand in mine.

“It makes me feel so small,” I say, really throwing caution to the wind. They’re the same words she said to me that first night, when we stood in the garden bar and looked up at the stars.

She doesn’t reply, but her grip tightens and then loosens again.

“Let’s go and see the stars,” I suggest.

I take her to the other large telescope and show her ‘The Big Dipper’, ‘The Little Dipper’, ‘Orion’, ‘Taurus’ and ‘Gemini’.

She looks at each so excitedly, I feel like a little kid.

I adjust the telescope again. “And there’s Mars.”

She looks again, gasping quietly as she sees the planet.

“Ryan?” a voice behind me says. I turn around and see Stu, an older guy who spends a lot of time here. “Long time no see,” he says when he confirms it’s me.

Guess my cover is about to be blown.

I introduce Stu to Darcy and make small talk for a couple of minutes while she goes back to studying the stars.

Stu could talk the back legs off a donkey on any given day, but he seems to get the memo tonight that I need time alone with my girl, so he disappears again after not too long.

I turn back to Darcy, knowing I’m about to get grilled.

She steps back, eyebrow raised in accusation. “Why do I get the feeling this isn’t your first time here?”

I chuckle nervously and rub at the back of my neck. “I might have been somewhat of a regular at one point,” I admit sheepishly.

She shakes her head at me, a hint of a smile toying with her lips. “Just when I think I have you figured out, you throw me a curve ball.”

I cross the small space between us and pull her into my arms. I’m nervous that she’ll ask me why I’m a regular here, why I came in the first place... that she’ll ask me anything at all that might reveal too much.

But she doesn’t, she just looks up at me with an emotion in her eyes that I can only place as love... admiration... adoration. This woman is looking at me like I hung the moon and all of the stars above us, and I know without having a mirror, that I’m looking at her the very same way.

This is it. This is the moment that I saw coming five years earlier. This is the feeling that I never thought I’d get reciprocated.

I think she feels it too – that this moment is pivotal – she shifts her weight nervously from foot to foot.

I smile. I like the fact that she’s as nervous as I am.

“I’m falling in love with you, Darce.” It’s not entirely true, I’m already head over heels, but it’s a step in the right direction.

She swallows deeply, never breaking eye contact, “I’m, falling in love with you too.”

My chest feels so full, it could explode.

I lean in, brushing my lips softly against hers. I couldn’t think of anywhere in the world I’d rather be than right here with her, under the moon and all of the stars.

* * *

We fall through the door,giggling like a couple of lovesick teenagers who have been dying to get their hands on one another since the moment they locked eyes.

She bites her bottom lip, looking up at me in a way I can’t even describe. Her eyes, those light, crystal blue eyes are filled with so much longing. No one has ever looked at me the way Darcy does.

I press her back against the front door at the same moment as she wraps her arms around my neck, tugging my mouth to hers with so much urgency I nearly fall to my knees.

I moan into her mouth as her teeth find my lip and tug gently.

She’s so fucking sexy, I can barely believe that she’s here, with me, letting me kiss her and touch her in all the ways I’ve always dreamed of.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Darcy Shearer,” I tell her, holding her gaze. “In here.” I kiss her temple. “And in here.” I dip my head to kiss below her collarbone, over her heart. “And out here too.” Lastly, I kiss the tip of her nose. “You’re the most beautiful person, on the inside and the outside.”

It’s cheesy as shit, but I don’t care. I’d get it sky written right over the middle of this town if that’s what it took to make her smile. I’d play out every cliché movie scene, listen to an entire Taylor Swift album... fucking whatever.

She presses her body against me, making no secret of where her head is at. She wants me, almost as much as I want her.

I might not have been drunk last time, but I wasn’t exactly sober either, so I’m going to make the most of being with her this time, I’m going to make sure I remember every single second of this.

“I want you in my bed,” I tell her, my tone firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

She doesn’t even try, just turns and heads in that direction. I slap her ass as she goes.

That fucking ass. She’s been tormenting me with these fucking jeans ever since we went for a ride on my bike. They fit her like a glove and make her ass look sexy as sin.

She giggles, her pace quickening as I follow her down the hall and into my bedroom. No sooner has she stepped over the threshold, I’m in her space again, crowding her.

She’s so tiny compared to me, and I love the way that makes me feel... like I can protect her.

“Ryan,” she breathes as I run my fingers down her sides. She shivers as I make contact with the bare skin between the bottom of her top and the band of her jeans.

I love hearing my name come from her lips. It makes me feel like a rock star, it’s pure euphoria.

This is by no means a first in my list of sexual encounters, but it’s a first of kinds with her. Everything hits differently when it’s with her. We connect on a level I never knew existed until our paths crossed.

I’ve never been a big believer in soul mates or the idea of everyone having a perfect match, but standing here, with her in my arms; it’s hard to deny the concept. She’s right for me in every way imaginable.

“Lift up,” I instruct.

She complies, lifting her arms above her head.

I reach for the hem of her top and pull it slowly over her head, revealing a black lace bra underneath.

I take it all in, every last inch of her bare, golden skin as I let her top fall to the floor.

I run my finger slowly from her chin, down between her tits, over her teeny, tiny bump, all the way to the button on her skin-tight jeans.

I slip the button through the buttonhole. “Do you know what they say about a woman’s underwear, princess?”

I look up from her jeans to her face. She shakes her head.

I smirk at her. “That if they match, it wasn’t you who decided to have sex.”

Her cheeks flush slightly, a soft pink colour. “I can tell you right now, they definitely match.”

I groan as I slide down her zipper and see for myself the truth in her words. I shimmy her jeans down her hips, revealing a pair of barely there, lace underwear.

With a little help from her, I get her jeans off and discard them on the floor in the same fashion as her shirt.

I’m standing in front of her, fully fucking clothed, and I’ve still never felt desire like this. I’m almost shaking with the need I feel for her. It’s consuming me, but I’m fighting it back – I need to explore every inch of her... savour every moment.

“You’ve got a hell of a lot of clothes on, biker boy,” she says, her voice raspy as I continue tracing patterns on her skin, lingering slightly on her small star and moon tattoo.

“I can think of a way to remedy that situation,” I growl, shrugging off my jacket and reaching behind my neck to tug my black t-shirt off over my head.

Her hands immediately go to my skin, her fingers splaying wide over my tattooed torso, skimming and exploring in much the same way as mine did hers.

“You are so hot.” She groans.

I don’t know what it is about the way she says it, but I chuckle. She’s too fucking sweet.

She leans forward and sinks her teeth into my peck, not hard enough to draw blood, but definitely hard enough to leave a mark. Sweet goes out the window and is quickly replaced by red-hot sex appeal as she soothes the bite with her tongue.

Sexy as hell.

Her hands find the buckle of my belt and before I can even take another breath, it’s undone and she’s sliding down my fly.

“Lose the pants.”

It’s my turn to do as I’m told now, and it’s a request I’m only too happy to comply with.

I drop my jeans to the ground and kick them clear.

“And here we are again,” I murmur. Standing before one another with next to nothing covering our bodies.

“Here we are,” she repeats.

I back her up towards the bed until she stops, her thighs hitting the mattress. She sits and then lies back.

“I’ve barely even touched you and I’m going crazy, Darce. You make me crazy.”

“You make me crazy too.”

I spread her legs and kneel between them. “I’ve been dying to taste you again.” I cup her between her thighs, feeling how wet she is for me already.

“I’m all yours.” She pants.

“Fuck yes you are.”

I hook my fingers into the sides of her underwear and drag them down her legs.

Perfection.

“I need you,” she begs, “you can taste me later.”

I can’t argue with that.

I lower myself down against her body before pushing back up to my knees and ridding myself of my boxer briefs. “Condom?”

“I’m already pregnant,” she replies, her voice impatient.

I’m well aware she is, but I don’t want to be the guy who just assumes.

“Get back down here, right now,” she demands as she pulls my arm, unbalancing me. I fall on top of her, catching my weight on my elbows.

I don’t need to be told twice, I kiss her, hard and fast, my tongue skimming her lips.

She wastes no time, reaching between us to grip my hard length and guiding me inside her.

Fuuuuck.

This feels like heaven.

She moans in my ear, and it spurs me into action. I start moving, burying myself to the hilt with each thrust.

“Ryan,” she breathes as I hitch her leg over my shoulder and pound into her.

She grips onto my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin.

I love that shit. “Scratch me,” I demand.

She complies, her nails skating down my back, no doubt leaving a trail behind.

I keep up a relentless pace, her moans becoming louder and louder with every passing second.

I throw her other leg over my other shoulder, and she cries out. I’m so close to blowing my load, but I refuse to come until she does.

“Come for me, princess.”

She throws her head back.

I wrap a hand around her throat and a guttural, appreciative sound escapes her.

“I’m. Going. To. Come,” she manages to get out between thrusts.

I wait until I know she’s fallen off the edge before following right behind her, filling her up.

“Fuuuuuck!” I grunt with my release.

I fall onto her.

“Oh my god,” she whispers.

Oh my god indeed.