My Brother's Best Friend Page 6

  “I’m so sorry. He was a good man. I wish Mike would have told me,” she says leaning over to kiss my arm.

  “Me too, baby,” I say and lean over causing her to lay on her back as I climb onto of her. “He would have loved to see you again. Especially knowing we got together.”

  She reaches up running her hand down my face and smiles. “I love you.”

  I press my lips to hers then push my tongue into her mouth and we both moan from the contact. She wraps one leg around my hip, and I push my hips forward letting her feel how much I want her. I reach my hand under her shirt and massage her tits, all the while never breaking our kiss.

  “Damn, this is hot,” I hear and pull away from Stacey looking over my shoulder. There stands Todd, Jim, and Dave. “Don’t stop on our account. I just didn’t realize it was dinner and a show,” Todd says.

  I remove my hand from her tits as she unhooks her leg from me. Leaning down I whisper in her ear, “To be continued.” As I stand up she sits up adjusting her shirt, and I shoot daggers at the three of them.

  As pissed as I was when they interrupted us, now that we are sitting down to dinner and laughing at stories I’m glad Stacey suggested this dinner. I can’t remember a time that I hung out with the three of them that didn’t include work, alcohol, or woman. It’s also great to see them accepting this relationship. It’s not that I needed their approval, but it makes me happy that I have it.

  “So this one time, Ryan thinks he’s going to show us how to pick up older chicks. He walks up to the sexiest woman in the bar and says some corny ass line and she throws her drink in his face,” Todd says and they all laugh.

  “At least I had the balls to talk to her. You guys were hiding behind a fucking door peeking through the crack.” Stacey laughs even harder, and I wink at her.

  “Damn, I love these stories. I think it’s great you’ve all been friends for so long. I lost most of my friends when I went off to law school,” she says before taking a sip of her wine.

  “Why,” Jim asks finishing off his steak.

  “I don’t know. Probably because I spent more time studying than I did doing anything else.” She looks over, silently begging me to change the subject.

  “Hey guys, do you remember the time that Wayne got arrested because a visitor said he was trying to look into her cabin,” I ask and they all laugh. Stacey mouths ‘thank you’ and I wink. Doesn’t she realize I would anything for her no matter how big or small?

  After the guys finally leave and dinner is cleaned up, I toss her over my shoulder and carry her into my room then toss her on the bed.

  “Hey,” I saying, laughing.

  I climb on top her and tuck her hair behind her ears. “To be continued, remember?” I press my lips hers and she melts into me. Just like before she wraps her leg around me and I massage her tits. This time I know no one is walking in, and I pull her shirt off before removing her shorts. Laid out before me, she takes my breath away. I still can’t believe that this stunning, sexy, smart woman loves me as much as I love her.

  I make quick work of pulling my clothes off before we are tangled around each other. Kissing down her neck to her tits I nip both her nipples poking through her bra, causing her to yell out. “Fuck, Stacey, I’ll never get my fill of you.” I remove her bra and pay homage to her sensitive tits while she moans and thrushes beneath me. It is so fucking hot, and I need to be inside her. I pull off her panties and rub my hand down her pussy to see how wet she is. When her essence covers my fingers I let out a groan. “So fucking hot.”

  I remove my boxers and reach for the condom on my night stand. She kisses my chest and lets her hands explore my body. Her soft touch makes it difficult to roll the condom on. “Your body is amazing, Ryan .”

  I lay her back and kiss her lips. “No baby, your body is.” She shakes her head and looks back at my chest.

  I lift her chin to look in my eyes and say, “I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. You’d see how breathtaking you are.”

  She smiles and runs her hand down my cheek. “I’m so lucky,” she whispers.

  “Baby, I’m the one who’s lucky.” I kiss her and she runs her hands up and down my arm. I push my cock against her and she pushes back against me, letting me know she is just as ready as I am. I thrust into her causing her to scream out. I’m too turned on, too consumed with her. I need her to feel me everywhere, just like I feel her. Pumping myself in and out, fast and hard, I grunt every time she moans. It’s hard and rough, yet somehow I feel like we are connecting more. Like she just took control of my entire heart, and damn it I hope I have hers.

  She digs her nails into my arms and tosses her head back. “Oh God, Ryan , I’m so close.”

  “I feel you. You feel so fucking good,” I growl out as I feel her tighten on my cock. “Look at me, Stacey.”

  She does and I reach down to rub her clit. Seconds later she explodes around me, and I look into her eyes seeing her soul. It’s so powerful that I can’t hold back and my orgasm rips through me. I keep my eyes focused on hers, hoping she too can see into my soul.

  After we both recover, I get rid of the condom and pull her into my arms. “I love you so much, Stacey,” I say, kissing her shoulder.

  “I love you too, Ryan ,” she replies, and I can hear the exhaustion in her voice.

  “Sleep baby. I’ll see you when I get off of work tomorrow.”

  She simply nods and I grin because even watching her fall asleep is sexy.

  **

  Leaving her in my bed, whether she’s naked or not, is hard as hell. So when I get home after work I can’t wait to get to her place and pull her into my arms. I take a fast shower and throw on a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. I decide to take my truck and see if she wants to go grab something to eat. I pull up to her place and bounce up the stairs. I knock once and walk in.

  I expect to see her waiting for me, maybe having a drink or hell sitting here in my old t-shirt. What I don’t expect to see, what has my heart barely beating is seeing her luggage in the living room. I spin around and notice that everything is packed up, the kitchen, the living room. I can even see out the back window that her table and chairs are put away. I’m so confused and starting to get nervous because maybe something is wrong.

  “Stacey,” I call out.

  She walks out of the bedroom, pulling a suitcase behind her. She locks eyes with me and stops in her tracks. “Ryan,” she whispers.

  I try to step around all her crap to get to her and when I do she gives me a tight smile. “What the hell is going on? Are you leaving for good?”

  “I got a call from my firm today and was offered this huge case,” she says looking at me with a smile cracking her lips.

  “And you what? Just figured you’d pack up and hurry the hell out of here before I got off work? Were you even going to tell me you were leaving?” I’m so pissed right now. I’m doing everything I can to control my temper.

  “Hey, I wasn’t just going to leave without saying goodbye.”

  “So that’s it? You go back to New York and resume the boring life you tried to escape?” I know it sounds nasty, but she’s the one who told me she wanted more. I was her fucking more.

  “That’s not fair. This case is huge, and I need to go. I’d regret it if I didn’t,” she says pulling her suitcase to sit beside her. I shake my head and turn away from her. “Ryan, wait.” I turn back around and she is smiling. “These last few weeks have been the best of my life and I do love you, but I need to do this. You can understand that right?”

  I give my best fake smile and shake my head. “You said enough. Your only regret would be missing out on a huge case, not missing out on this,” I say pointing a finger between us. She doesn’t say anything so I turn toward the door. Pushing it open, I turn my head to look at her “This is why I don’t do relationships. I told you, everyone always leaves.”

  With that I let the screen door slam behind me and make my way to the truck. I’ve only felt this pain
two other times, when my mom left and when my dad passed away. Now I’ve lost Stacey, and I know that nothing will be the same again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Stacey

  In the month I’ve been back in New York all I’ve done is work on this case. It’s consumed me, and I think since my heart is bleeding, it’s for the best. I haven’t had time to think about how much I miss Ryan. I only dream about his voice, his touch, the way he made me feel, made me laugh. The beautiful places we picnicked, swimming at the lake, and hiking around the resort. But when Mike came into my trailer asking if Ryan had just left, it started to spiral out of control.

  I told him I’d fallen in love, and he told me flat out that Ryan was not capable of returning my feelings. That if I wanted to protect myself, my heart, I’d leave. I didn’t believe him. We fought, damn did we fight. The more stories I heard, the more I started to wonder if it was just something I wanted so badly, that I didn’t see the truth. If I had convinced myself of this amazing relationship that wasn’t real. Fear set in, reality came crashing down, and when I got the call for this case...I ran.

  “Stacey, it’s going to be another all-nighter, so you better order some food for yourself,” my boss says to me as he gets ready to leave for the night.

  “Okay,” I say as he closes my door. Another all-nighter by myself.

  After eating Chinese takeout and working several hours, I drop my pen and rub my eyes. Exhaustion is setting in, yet I have so much more to do. I start typing on the computer and as the words blur together I shake my head. I need to get a little sleep.

  Thankfully I have a small couch in my office and I climb onto it letting sleep pull me under.

  Those haunting eyes, so sad and hurt. I’m standing in my trailer back at Westlake, and I feel those eyes on me no matter where I go. I decide to go sit outside, hiding from their hard gaze.

  I smile when I breathe in the air. It smells crisp and fresh, like wildflowers and the woods. It’s intoxicating, making me happy I came back. Looking over to the right I see muddy footprints, and I cock my head because I don’t remember seeing them when I walked out here. My curiosity gets the best of me and I get up to see where they lead.

  I follow them all the way to the lake and they seem to just disappear, but out of the corner of my eye I see more. The day has suddenly turned to night and a cool breeze has me rubbing my hands on my arms, but I still need to find out where these footprints are leading.

  I blink my eyes and I’m inside a grotto. It looks so familiar, yet I can’t place it. Have I been here before or maybe just dreamt about it? The moonlight shining in is beautiful and lets me see just how stunning it is in here.

  When I hear footsteps I know it is whoever I am looking for. Part of me is excited, but part of me is nervous. I sit down on a log and wait as the footsteps grow nearer. I hear leaves moving and bite my lip waiting to see who exactly it was that has lured me here to this little piece of paradise.

  “You’re the only person I’ve ever brought here. It took years to make and I’m so glad you like it,” I hear a familiar voice say and jump up.

  “Wow. I’m the only girl you’ve ever brought here?” a high pitched, squeaky voice says.

  “Yes, you are. Now let’s have sex because you are beautiful and I love you,” he says and I suddenly can see the two people.

  One of them is Ryan and the other, I have no idea who she is, but she is loving the attention he is paying her. He’s lying to her because I’m the only one he’s brought here, I remember now. This is his grotto and this is where we had our first unofficial date.

  Just as I smile thinking of the memories he kisses her, and I start to cry. “Ryan, no! Ryan, stop please! I’m here, Ryan, I’m here,” I scream trying to get his attention, but it’s no use. He doesn’t hear me, doesn’t see me, yet I hear and see it all. How could he do this, just forget me so quickly and bring someone else here?

  I’m sobbing trying to get him to notice me, and when I realize he never will…

  I wake up screaming. Holy shit, it was just a dream. I hold my hand over my pounding heart and take a second to gather my thoughts. That’s when I realize I’m actually crying, heavy tears running down my face. “It was only a dream, yet it felt so real,” I whisper to myself as I stand up to get a sip of water.

  After calming myself down, I shake the thoughts of my dream and get back to work. The only sound I hear is the clicking of my keyboard. I look over toward the clock and say, “The damn clock.”

  Ryan was right, I just ran back to the same boring life I had. Why the fuck did I do that? Mike had no right to interfere, but ultimately it was me who made the decision to leave. I was so happy there, so in love. I jump up and grab my things before writing a quick note to my boss.

  Good thing I got a few hours of sleep, because I intend to drive until I reach Westlake.

  **

  It takes close to fifteen hours of straight driving, but I finally pull up to my trailer. The second I see it my heart beats faster. I hate that the last memory I have of this place is the sadness on Ryan’s face. I shake my head and grab my suitcase before going inside. I take a deep breath and smile. “I’m home.”

  After sleeping until dusk, I get up and take a shower making sure to do my hair and makeup to perfection. My nerves are getting the best of me, but I need to find Ryan. I have a lot to apologize for, and I can only hope that he will take me back.

  I step outside into the cool air and wrap my arms around myself. Without even thinking, I head straight for the grotto. I don’t know why, maybe it was my dream or maybe it was that this is where I starting to fall for him. Either way, my feet carry me and before I know it I’m ducking under the branches. As soon as I step in the air in my lungs is sucked out. It’s empty, yet I feel Ryan all around me. I walk over to a log and sit down. Looking around makes my heart hurt. I’ve really fucked up. I never should have left, I should have followed my heart.

  I sit for a while and when I realize this isn’t getting me anywhere, I stand up. Just as I walk toward the only way out, I hear leaves rustling in the wind and my pulse picks up. What if Ryan is actually bringing a woman in here. As much as it hurts to think that, how could I blame him? I did exactly what he feared, I left him.

  I stand frozen in place and the second Ryan steps into view my knees go weak. In that moment, seeing him after a month, I know that he is my world.

  “Stacey? What the hell are you doing here,” he asks with a bite in his tone that I expect.

  “Ryan, we need to talk,” I say, hoping he will hear me out.

  He crosses his arms over his chest and keeps his distance from me. Even if he doesn’t accept my apology, I still need to do it. He deserves that at the very least.

  “Remember when we first met and you were so pissed because I didn’t believe you when you said nothing happened with us?” He gives a slight nod of his head and I’m grateful to have his attention, it spurs me on. “Remember how you went out of your way to make sure I knew what happened, that I knew what an amazing guy you really are?” I move a bit closer to him and he doesn’t budge an inch. “That’s what I’m doing now. I need you to know how sorry I am. I was selfish and hurtful. You were right, I ran back to New York to continue with my boring life. The thing is, I finally realized the reason my life is boring, unfulfilled, and lonely in New York is because that isn’t where I belong. I belong here, with you.”

  I move to stand right in front of him and I want to reach out and touch him, but he still has a hard look on his face. “It took you leaving to realize that? I fucking knew that long before you left,” he says looking through me.

  “I fucked up. I fell in love with this place, with the residents…with you,” I whisper.

  “You left, Stacey, just like I knew you would. I don’t know why you want to come back just to leave again,” he says with more hurt in his voice this time.

  “I left the resort, I left South Carolina, but I didn’t leave you, not completely.” I take
a chance and rest my hand on his arm, and I feel the muscle flex beneath the skin. “I left my heart with you.” He searches my eyes looking for the truth and I let him because I have nothing to hide.

  With my pulse racing and my heart in his hands I take a leap. A leap to my happiness, my future, my forever. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. I can’t say it enough, but I’d like to make it up to you for the rest of our lives.” I can’t help the tears that run down my cheeks, but I continue, “I love you, Ryan, and I want to come back. Can you give me another chance? A chance to prove it to you, like you proved it to me?” I don’t know what else to say, yet I feel I need to say so much more.

  In an instant he pulls me into his arms and my tears are unstoppable. He hold me so tight to him that it’s hard to breath, but I don’t give a shit. “Stacey, this last month has been as hard if not harder than losing my parents’. I don’t know if I can trust you completely or even if I forgive you, but fuck I need you,” he says, and I hear the emotion in his voice.