Still hovering over me, his knees at my hips, he breaks the kiss and slides his mouth to my ear. While running his free hand down the length of my arm from wrist to shoulder, he whispers in the sexiest tone, “I love you, Dahlia. And I want to show you just how much.”

My body shivers with anticipation as he runs his fingers down the front of my shirt, over one breast and then the other, my ni**les hardening at his touch through the fabric of my clothing. Reaching the hem of my shirt, he slowly pulls it up my body, revealing my goosebump-covered skin. He licks his bottom lip slowly before ducking his head as he moves my shirt higher over my ribcage. His tongue touches the bare skin just below my br**sts and follows my shirt’s path up my body as if trying to catch it in a chase. Once my br**sts are exposed, his tongue teases my hardened nipples, circling them over and over, and I begin to moan. He’s still holding my hands over my head and I cannot touch him, although I want to so badly.

“River,” I mutter, my eyes half-closed as I arch my back offering his mouth better access to my aching breasts. “I need to touch you.”

“Soon,” he whispers in response.

And with that, he pushes my shirt up as high as it will go, sucking on both my breasts, one at a time, as if they are his lifeline. His fingers are lightly tracing patterns on my bare stomach, and the sensation is incredible. I’m so turned on as I writhe under his touch.

Lifting his head, River smiles as he brings his lips back to mine before releasing my hands from his grasp. Our tongues intertwine in our mouths, and my arms wrap around his body, pulling him into a loving embrace. Breaking away from my lips, he pulls both of us up to a sitting position. Without saying a word, he lifts my shirt over my head and tosses it to the floor beside the bed. Following his lead, I do the same with his shirt. As it hits the floor, he’s already laying me back down on the bed.

I can tell he wants to take the lead, and I’m perfectly happy letting him do just that. His every touch, his every nibble is so overwhelmingly sensual and I love it. I want to feel all of it.

Leaning over me, this time without restraining my arms, he places his hands and knees on either side of my body, supporting his own weight. As he glides his smooth tongue down the front of me, my hands travel up and down his na**d back. They press into the hardness of every well-defined muscle I encounter along the way and he lets out a deep groan. Continuing his journey, he skims his nose along my skin and dips his tongue in and out of my navel, making me squirm. Reaching the silky edge of my black lace panties, I realize where he’s headed, and I’m overcome with desire.

Sliding my hands up River’s back, past his shoulders and his neck, I grasp fistfuls of his amazing hair between my fingers. I gently urge his head downward, encouraging his mouth to reach its final destination. Hooking his index fingers into the waistband of my panties at each hip, he pauses a second before placing his lips between my slightly parted legs. When he softly kisses my most sensitive spot through the fabric of my very damp panties, I can practically see sparks fly from the feel of his touch. I’m getting wetter and I want him so badly.

“You’re so ready for me, aren’t you?” he softly growls against my skin as he yanks my panties down, past my knees to my ankles, and I kick them off onto the floor.

“Oh God, I am,” I manage to whisper, as I raise my hips, offering myself to him, my hands now flat on the bed for support.

Using his hands to further open my legs, he sucks and nibbles on the skin of my inner thigh, trailing his kisses closer and closer to my slick core where I’m so eagerly awaiting his touch. When he finally strokes my sex with the tip of his tongue, it is pure heaven, and I let out a deep moan. “Oh God, that feels so good. Please, don’t stop.”

I feel his mouth turn up in a sexy grin, responding to my words as he continues to pleasure me with his wicked tongue, never lifting his head from the task at hand. Arching my h*ps off the bed as a jolt of pleasure runs through me, I grind myself urgently into his mouth, knowing I’m so close to the edge. As my muscles start to tighten, River’s tongue massages me with just the right amount of pressure. When he sucks hard one last time, I can’t hold back any longer, as waves of intense, fiery pleasure ripple through my body. I cry out his name over and over in ecstasy as his tongue continues to stroke me, prolonging this incredibly wonderful ride.

As my heavenly journey slows and returns me to this planet, I catch my breath and notice River watching me with a big grin on his adorably attractive face. “Hey, beautiful girl,” he says, leaning in to kiss the tip of my nose. His eyes meet mine as I smile up at him, still trying to regain my composure.

“Hey you,” I reply, and with that, he raises himself up and moves to stand beside the bed. Reaching into the front pocket of his jeans, he pulls out his phone, and sets it on the nightstand. He turns and quickly yanks one sheet from the glass doors, allowing the small bit of daylight left to filter into the room. I know without even looking that it’s still raining outside. I can hear the drops cascading off the glass in a constant steady rhythm. It’s soothing and has a great calming effect on me.

The calm doesn’t last long though as River reaches over and grabs me by the ankles then kneels on the floor at the edge of the bed, sliding my na**d body towards him. He lifts my knees, resting them on his shoulders, and I hook my ankles around his neck. I’m very aware of him, I can feel his warm breath between my thighs as he lowers his head and kisses my entrance. His thumbs gently pry my lips apart then his tongue penetrates my already slick opening and I say, “River, I don’t think I can again!”

“Shhh, relax,” he whispers as he continues to suck and tease every inch of my sex. I feel myself getting wetter, it’s like he’s kissing me from the inside out, and I don’t want him to ever stop. I smile to myself. Maybe I can do this again? He slips one finger and then another deep inside me and slides his tongue up and over me. As he brushes over my g-spot, I know I definitely can do this again. I am doing this again!

I can hear the rain pounding harder outside the window, and it’s a perfect indication of the building pleasure my body is experiencing right now. My eyes close and my head turns to the side as my lips part, and my breathing becomes shallow and quick. When I feel myself getting close, he suddenly removes his fingers, glides his tongue down deep inside me while he places both hands on my thighs. He’s effectively holding me in place and it is incredibly erotic, something I’ve never really experienced before. I love it. Tightening my leg muscles as I feel my cl**ax building, I want to raise my h*ps and thighs off the bed, but I can’t. This only feeds the intensity of what I’m feeling.

“You’re so close beautiful girl, just let go.”

“Oh God, River, please . . . I’m . . . I’m . . .” I cry out and come harder than before. An endless wave of primal bliss overtakes me. It’s like I’m being catapulted through a beautiful stormy sea, and I don’t want to reach the shore. River’s tongue doesn’t stop as he wrings every ounce of pleasure from my body, yet again.

I open my eyes as the aftershocks of my release fade away and focus directly on his gorgeous face.

His sexy green eyes are staring back at me. “You. Are. So. Amazing.” He says each word followed by a kiss as he makes his way up the front of my body, finally landing his lips on mine.

Running my hands through his soft, disheveled hair, I pull him even closer, dragging my lips to his ear. “Make love to me River,” I softly whisper as I suck on his ear lobe. I can’t quite believe that after two incredible mind-blowing orgasms, I not only have the energy, but also such a strong desire to have him deep inside of me. I’m already slightly quivering at the thought of it.

“I plan to,” he says, and I know he means it.

As he stands beside the bed, removing his jeans and boxers, I take a moment to sit up and glance out the window behind him. It’s getting darker outside, not just from the late time of day but also from the storm clouds that have clearly settled in. The rain is still coming down in buckets and I can vaguely make out the Hollywood sign in the distance, but looking at it still makes me smile. The dark, stormy weather outside is such a contrast to the bright, peaceful, loving atmosphere inside these bedroom walls.

Turning to look at River, I look at his na**d, gorgeous body, every inch of it from head to toe. He stares at me with a devilish grin as he wipes his mouth on his arm, and for some reason I find this incredibly erotic. I can’t help but shutter with anticipation of what lies ahead.

He climbs back onto the bed, and I reach for him, longing to be entwined with him. With my arms around his neck, he gently guides me up the bed, urging me closer to the new headboard until I’m sitting with my knees folded under me, my back against the smooth cold black leather.

Reaching over my head, I grip the top of the headboard, as he kneels in front of me. Scanning him, I can see he’s so ready, his tip already glistening. I can’t wait another second. I need him inside me now.

I’m trembling slightly as he parts my legs. With one swift but gentle motion, he smoothly pushes himself inside me, filling me deeply with his length. My hands are still holding tight to the headboard as I hear him let out a deep groan. “Dahlia, you feel so incredible.”

Unable to respond with words, I let go of the headboard and put my arms around his body, pulling him even closer. Pressing my open mouth to his, I feel the velvety softness of his tongue stroking mine, the rhythm matching his thrusts below. Pressing my body against the leather headboard, he continues to move. He quickly takes me and rolls us so that I’m on top. His head is resting on the soft, fluffy pillows that adorn the bed and I watch his face. His eyes close and so do mine as I push harder and faster. He steadies my hips, holding me right where he wants me to be.

I feel the familiar sensation building in my core. River’s motions are pushing me towards yet another release, and I can’t hold on much longer.

“Open those beautiful hazel-eyes, sexy girl. I want to be looking into them as we come together,” he says before he can say no more.

That’s all it takes this time. I force my heavy eyelids open, focusing as best I can on his eyes as I find my release. He pushes me over the edge, shattering me into a thousand glorious pieces, taking me to a whole other universe.

“Oh, River,” I moan loudly, panting hard as I slowly drift back down. His movements slow as I catch my breath.

“I love you,” he groans, and with only a few more strokes, he shudders as he finds his own release. It’s such a beautiful thing, and I know I will never forget this moment.

I want to say the words back because I am in love with him and all the little things he does, but the words just won’t come out. Instead, I kiss him with all the love I have for him pouring out of me.

Chapter Twenty-One

BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS

The rain doesn’t bother us

When it’s just the two of us

Walking together hand in hand

Living like there's only you and me

We walk together between the raindrops.

Explaining why I didn’t want him to come with me to Laguna Beach was one of the most painful conversations I’ve ever had with someone I love. Sadly, most of the people I have loved throughout my lifetime are no longer here living with me in this world; they have all died and gone to Heaven.

Funny, I can say I love you to him in my thoughts but I’m unable to verbalize my feelings. I don’t understand why. Is it because I’ve lost almost everyone I’ve ever loved? Or is it because I’ve only ever been in love with one other person and those words belonged to him, were only ever said to him? Saying those words out loud to someone other than Ben scares me. To me, those spoken words convey so much more than just a simple I love you. I feel so much more than that for River. I feel like I have met someone I’m meant to be connected with. We are like two pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly, and that scares me.

Neither of us had eaten or even felt hungry all day, and then suddenly we were both famished, so we ordered in. Once we had finished eating an obscene amount of Chinese take-out, I decided to approach the conversation cautiously. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, I leaned forward and pressed my palms into his thighs. “River I want to talk to you about something.”

His legs were crossed, his back was against the headboard, and his arms were folded behind his head. Uncrossing his arms, he rolled sideways to face me. Resting his elbow on a pillow, he supported his head with his hand and responded with nothing but certainty. “You know you can.”

Looking into his powerful green eyes, I said, “Promise you won’t get mad?”

“You don’t even have to ask that, but I promise,” he said, taking his free hand and crossing his chest. I find it so adorable when he does that.

“I want to explain something to you,” I told him, caution clear in my voice.

He nodded and ran his free hand down my bare thigh. “Okay.”

Clenching his fist with both of my hands, I held his fingers in place as I explained that my house still had remnants of Ben everywhere. That I hadn’t really removed anything that belonged to him, only what I’d started to pack up before leaving for Las Vegas. I further explained my sad life over the last two years and how I’d just recently decided it was time to move. That I’d actually just put the house on the market.

He listened intently, acknowledging my words, but never interrupting until I said, “I just don’t want it to be weird for you, or me, if you come there and see pieces of my life with . . .”

Not letting me finish, he slightly lifted himself off the bed and pulled me down to him. Resting my head on a pillow, he caressed my cheek. Leaning in he kissed my nose, then slid his lips to my ear. “I understand, and I want to take you home.”