River had just set Marcy up at the dining room table with her lunch—Duke’s sisters on all sides, nursing cups of coffee—when Vaughn’s truck screeched to a stop at the curb. From the house’s front window, she watched him alight from the driver’s side, that long-legged stride eating up the walkway leading to her front door. Maybe intuition was to blame for the bubble of excitement that lifted, bumping off her ribs before rising to her throat. A sense of…magic in the air. Which would sound crazy if she spoke it out loud, but made sense when kept contained inside her whirring thoughts.
It was the only other time River could recall Vaughn moving with that much purpose, save the instances he’d been racing toward a fight. The first time he’d said I love you, River—age seventeen—had already said it first. While making out in the back of his truck, hidden inside fogged up windows, she’d whispered it in his ear. I love you, Vaughn. God, he’d looked horrified, diving out through the back door, climbing into the driver’s seat and taking River home. Not even bothering to say a word as she ran toward the house…
River could barely see through eyes made puffy by crying. After Vaughn dropped her off, she’d fallen across her bed, not bothering to muffle the sounds of misery coming from her mouth, since nobody was home to hear them. At first, she swore the pounding on the downstairs front door was her damaged heart, finally giving up the battle. Until it got louder, and louder, then stopped, right before a crash sent her jackknifing on the mattress, staring at her bedroom door, positive an intruder would burst through and kill her, officially making that day the worst in history.
But it wasn’t an intruder who’d sent her door slamming against the opposite wall. It was Vaughn—eyes wild, breath labored, hands bloody from pounding on her front door. He took one look at her tear-stained face and dove forward, tackling her onto the bed. “I love you, I love you, I love you. Okay? Okay, doll? I’m the worst fuck-up in the world, and I shouldn’t let you love me.” His voice was hoarse and agonized. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. And I’m the worst thing that ever happened to you. But I can’t help loving you so much. I can’t help needing you this bad.”
It was like an abrupt ending to the worst storm in history, perfect sunshine breaking through the clouds to shine down on River’s heart. Healing it, healing her. She wrapped her legs around Vaughn’s waist and let his mouth remove the tears from her face with kisses, laughing in a way that sounded sad, but was really so happy she’d never heard the like coming from her own lips. “Vaughn, why would you say something like that about yourself—”
Her words ended on a gasp, when Vaughn thrust his hips between her thighs, jolting River’s body on the bed. “Can we play one of our games, Riv?” His tongue teased the flesh beneath her ear. “You’re so sweet, you make me ache all over. You aching for me, too, doll?”
Another desperate rocking of bodies, private parts grinding together. The new, sexual energy she still hadn’t grown accustom to blocked out her frustration over Vaughn not answering her question. It had been important, right? “Yes, I ache.”
“We can’t have that.” The heel of his hand pressed against the sensitive spot hidden beneath her skirt, her panties. “Let me play with you here, where I showed you it feels good.”
“What about you?” she breathed, her spine curving under the onslaught of sensation. Oh…wow. Oh wow. He was so good at everything.
His knees planted on either side of her right leg, his erection pressing and sliding up and down her thigh. “These legs don’t open for no one but me…knowing that…rubbing against them while I tease your *…” His groan raised goose bumps on River’s arms. “Aw, Christ. That’s going to be enough to drain me.”
For the next half hour, their groans increased in fervor, mouths sliding together, River’s heart expanding until she wasn’t sure she could stand it. It wasn’t until Vaughn left much later that River realized he’d never answered her question.
Now, with four women in her kitchen drinking coffee and discussing the merits of a Myrtle Beach timeshare, River could tell Vaughn had something to say. She was simultaneously terrified and anxious beyond belief to hear it. The women seemed to sense something interesting was afoot because their chatter cut off, just in time for Vaughn to pound heavily on the door. Even having expected his knock, River jumped, hand flying to her heart.
“Who’s there?” Marcy singsonged from the table, around a mouthful of grilled cheese. “Is it daddy?”