Songbird (Songbird, #1) Read online

  “Do you understand?” I barked at him.

  “That’s fine,” he sneered. “You were never good enough.”

  A sense of self-belief washed over me. “That’s where you’re wrong. I was too good for you.”

  I took hold of Riley’s hand again and led him inside.

  We went straight into the bathroom to wash the blood from Riley’s face and hands. His uniform was also splattered with blood, and I doubted even a good dry cleaner would be able to get it out. I started to tentatively unbutton his jacket; he let me without complaint or assistance, so I continued a bit more purposefully.

  His tie and shirt collar were stained, so they needed to come off too. I undid his tie without either of us saying a word, and then started on his shirt.

  I looked up into his eyes—they were watching me intensely as I unbuttoned his shirt and gently ran my hands across his chiselled chest, before slipping the material off over his amazingly broad shoulders.

  I looked at his pants; they were dirty from where he had been kneeling over Stephen so they had to go too. I started to unbuckle his belt and then stopped, realising what I was actually doing.

  I tenderly touched his cheek. “Are you okay?” I asked softly.

  He hadn’t said much since we had come inside, and I was starting to worry that perhaps there was something seriously wrong.

  He slowly nodded, and took my hand from his cheek, placing it on his chest. His heart was beating at a million miles an hour. It was only then that I noticed his breathing had increased, and his lips were slightly parted.

  He gave me a half-smile, his eyes intense, and whispered huskily, “Keep going.”

  I stood frozen for a moment, taking in the passion in his eyes, the rise and fall of his chest under my hand, and then he slowly guided my hand down, sliding it over the peaks and valleys of his abdomen and back to his belt.

  He tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear and ran the back of his knuckles lovingly down my cheek to my jaw. His thumb brushed lightly over my lips, then his fingers ran down my neck, igniting my skin as they travelled.

  My breathing now matched his as his hand continued its journey down across my bare shoulder to my arm. I flinched again under his touch, and he looked more carefully at my arm. It was scratched from the rose bush that I had fallen into.

  He examined my other arm. The bruise was already beginning to show from Stephen’s tight grip. “Fucking prick,” he muttered under his breath. “Where else are you hurt, Tara?”

  I lifted my now torn dress. Damn, I loved that dress, but the seam had split from the impact of my fall. I looked down at my thigh and then lifted the hem a little higher to uncover my hip. Both were red, with deep purple bruising starting to appear.

  Riley gracefully dropped to his knees so his face was level with my wounded skin. He ran his fingers caressingly over the bruising, then kissed my thigh lightly before moving up to my hip, covering the entire injured area with tender, soft kisses.

  I whimpered softly and held onto the sink for balance. Despite the bruising, Riley’s kisses and the image of him shirtless and on his knees in front of me far outweighed any pain I was feeling. I dropped my hand to his head, running my fingers through his hair as his kisses continued, igniting my core.

  His hands ran up the inside of my thigh, so my leg was held a willing prisoner between his hands and lips, a soft groan escaped me and his eyes flickered up to meet mine, the desire obvious.

  He rose slowly in front of me, his lips grazing my cheek as he whispered, “We should get you some ice for your injuries.” Then he started for the door before turning back to add, “I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”

  My breath hitched in my throat and my heart skipped a beat. I stood motionless for a moment before dropping my torn, dirty dress on the bathroom floor. Wearing only a red lace thong and matching strapless bra, I headed for the bedroom.

  Riley returned with an ice pack and I lay on the bed on my side so that the offending area could be attended to. He stretched out beside me, facing me with his head resting in his hand, and gently placed the ice on my bruise.

  I flinched. “Ah, it’s cold,” I complained.

  He chuckled and looked at me. “It’s ice, Tara; it’s supposed to be cold.”

  Smarty pants. I playfully smacked him on the shoulder. “Don’t give me grief; it’s been a long, turbulent night and I’m injured.” I pouted, then looking down at his filthy pants, I indicated toward them. “And you’re putting dirt on my clean bed.”

  “I can fix that,” he said with a glint in his eyes and proceeded to stand, and slowly and deliberately remove his pants. I bit my bottom lip; his desire was all too evident now that he was just in his boxer shorts.

  He stood there for a few moments allowing me to take in every contour of his delectable body, before hooking his thumbs in the waistband of his boxer shorts and dropping them to the ground.

  “Better?” he asked, with an enticing grin on his face.

  My eyes widened, and I nodded as I hungrily took in his amazing body, all the way up to his beautiful face.

  “Good. I aim to please.”

  My eyes flicked back down and I swallowed hard. If size were any indication then I was sure he would please. Holy Moley!

  He lay back down while I held the ice on my bruising. He seemed to feel at ease being completely naked, but I was finding it difficult to stop staring at his body.

  This was it. This was the moment that I had fantasised about during my every waking moment, and I suddenly felt very exposed as his eyes darkened and he took in my scantily-clad body, lingering longer on the red lingerie.

  “Lucky I didn’t know you were wearing this under your dress tonight. I wouldn’t have been able to keep my hands off you,” he commented seductively, then looked back into my eyes. “I think we’re finished with the ice.”

  My heart was racing as he moved closer, his lips softly caressing my cheek before moving to my ear and nibbling my earlobe. His kisses continued down my neck and across my collarbone, just lightly grazing my skin and setting it alight. I closed my eyes and sighed softly, then moved my head to one side to give him maximum access. It felt heavenly.

  His tongue flicked lightly up my throat until he found my parted lips. He kissed them chastely once before pulling back and gazing deep into my eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked huskily.

  I nodded, and my eyes shot back down the length of his body, then back up to his eyes. I could see the smile behind them again as he sensed my apprehension.

  “We can take it slow, okay?” he said, trying to ease my nervousness.

  Barely able to breathe, let alone speak, I nodded once more, and then, reaching up, took hold of the back of his neck and pulled his beautiful lips back down to mine.

  Our kissing became more vigorous, our tongues dancing around each other as our lips pressed ever more firmly together.

  Riley’s hand travelled down my body, over my breasts, then ran down my side to settle on my hip for a moment. “Let me know if I touch anywhere that hurts,” he said breathlessly, not wanting to hurt my battered body.

  At that point I was feeling no pain whatsoever, the electricity from his touch overriding the memory of what had happened earlier.

  He unfastened my bra as his mouth continued its dance with mine before working a line of kisses down my throat to my breasts. He teased one erect nipple with his fingers, while the other enjoyed the benefit of his expert tongue and lips, as he gently tugged on it with his sheathed teeth. I let out a soft moan as the sensation became more intense. He continued the trail down my body, setting my skin on fire with his tender touch, kissing and licking as he went, until he settled between my thighs.

  He traced feather-light kisses along the edge of my thong, then sat back on his heels for a moment, hooked his thumbs under the thin red lace and slid them down. He ran his hands down the inside of my thighs, opening my legs a little wider and completely exposing my core. I could see the ri
se and fall of his chest quicken. His tongue subconsciously licked his bottom lip before he resumed his position.

  His tongue flicked and lips sensuously kissed their way down one thigh then back up again, before making the journey down and back up the other thigh. My body was moving involuntarily as each delicious movement made me ache for more.

  Then he reached the apex once more and commenced kissing and licking my most private area.

  “You taste so good,” he murmured, his voice thick with desire.

  The sensation was almost too much, and I groaned loudly as Riley watched me, gauging my body’s reactions to determine what evoked the most pleasure as he tried different things. He inserted one finger, and then a second while continuing the onslaught with his mouth. The sensation inside as well as outside was sending my body into overdrive, and I lifted my hips off the bed to heighten the intensity even more. I could feel my entire body beginning to tense and I ran my fingers through Riley’s hair, fisting it tight, not wanting him to stop. With one final flick of his tongue my body tensed and then … released. It was too much, too intense, but I wanted more.

  He lifted his face and kissed my hips tenderly once again, then slowly followed the trail back up my stomach. I wanted him to move quicker; I wanted him inside me, and I tried to pull him towards me, but he just raised his eyes to meet mine.

  “Patience,” he murmured as he caressed my nipples once again.

  He finally positioned himself above me, and then slowly entered me. The feeling was exquisite as he pushed himself tentatively inside, but then he stopped, resting his head on my shoulder while he took a deep breath.

  “Are you okay?” he asked hoarsely. He looked into my eyes, a forced restraint clearly etched on his face.

  “Yes. Don’t stop,” I whispered, wrapping my legs around his hips and pulling him in deeper. I heard him swallow loudly as he tried to reel the feeling back in. He kissed my shoulder softly, and then, having taken a moment to ensure I was all right, started moving.

  He pushed himself deeper still, and I consciously had to force myself to relax to accommodate him. He had completely filled me, and then some. I’d never felt anything like it. He kissed me softly on the lips and checked once again that I was okay. I smiled at him and nodded, telling him I was better than okay. Then I kissed his jaw, his neck and his throat, before finding his lips again.

  When he was finally certain that I wasn’t going to break, he relaxed and started moving more vigorously. He varied his speed, and he varied his depth, and he had me on the brink many times before sliding one arm under my hips and lifting them to vary the sensation yet again. My body was his as he skilfully coaxed it to the point of no return. When I couldn’t take any more, he plunged deep inside me, and was rewarded with his own release.

  We lay in silence for a moment, wrapped around each other while our breathing returned to normal and our heart rates slowed.

  “I know it’s a cliché,” I said cheekily, “but seriously, is that what I’ve been missing out on all these years?”

  Riley chuckled. “I think we’ve both been missing out. You’re amazing.”

  It’s funny how a few words can turn your life upside-down. It seems that was another thing that Stephen was wrong about.

  He kissed me softly one last time, and rolled onto his side. Then, wrapped together, legs entwined, he stroked my hair lovingly as we drifted off to sleep.

  I WOKE in the night still wrapped in Riley’s arms. They were warm and comforting, and I didn’t want to leave them, but my hip was sore and I needed to take some pain relief medication, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow. Riley’s breathing was even and peaceful, and I tried not to disturb him too much as I slipped out of bed and headed for the kitchen.

  There was enough light in the apartment from the street lamps outside to not need to turn on any lights, and I was going to be quick, so I didn’t bother with a robe.

  I was reaching for a glass when I heard Riley enter the room.

  “Are you okay? I woke up and you were gone.” He came over behind me and rested his hands on my hips. “Although this is a nice surprise,” he whispered in my ear as he pressed up against me, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine.

  He slipped his hands around my waist and then worked them up to my breasts, cupping the weight of them as he nuzzled my neck. I let my head drop back onto his shoulder and closed my eyes. He ran one hand up to my jaw and gently eased my head around until our lips met, before tracing a row of butterfly kisses down my neck and back to my shoulder. He was pressed hard against me, and I could feel his arousal as he moved his hips teasingly, the firmness of his body igniting my own passion.

  I reached around behind me, holding his hips in place and pushed back, enticing him further, then pulled my hips away slightly so I could run my hand up the length of him. He moaned softly at the movement and then pushed his knee between my legs to open them wider.

  His hand slid down my body, over my abdomen and settled between my legs, where it skilfully went to work, setting my body alight, before repositioning himself and entering me.

  He rotated his hips as the speed of his movement increased and I braced myself against the counter, relishing every sensation. His caress never faltered, his mouth endlessly kissing my shoulders and neck as my arousal increased and my body shuddered. He supported my weight as my legs turned to jelly, before I heard a guttural grunt escape his lips and felt his body tense behind me … and then relax.

  I woke with a start. The security door was buzzing, and I looked at the clock beside the bed through half-closed eyes to check the time. It was 9:48am. I gave Riley a nudge. Kelli and Cooper were coming over to go to the beach at ten, so it was no doubt them.

  I quickly let them in as Riley jumped in the shower, and I joined him.

  “We’ll just make ourselves at home then, will we?” Cooper called.

  We hurriedly soaped each other up and rinsed off. It was disappointing to have to rush—the feel of Riley’s taut muscles as my hands glided over his body made me want to explore him more—so I made a mental note to do this again after we got home this afternoon.

  Luckily, Cooper had thought to bring Riley’s bag over so he could get dressed. Within fifteen minutes we were ready to go.

  “What the hell happened to you?” Kelli asked when she saw my bruised leg.

  I had pulled on shorts for our day by the sea, so the bruising was clearly evident. She glared at Riley, her first instinct to blame someone, but I quickly told her it was Shithead and promised to tell her all about it as we walked to the beach.

  The beach was practically deserted when we arrived. It was a Sunday morning, and I think we were the only people out of bed. We spread out our towels and stripped off.

  Kelli examined the extent of the bruising on my leg and arm, the finger marks now clearly defined, as Riley lovingly covered my back with sunscreen. Then the guys went for a swim, and Kelli and I stretched out on our towels.

  I filled Kelli in on my night with Riley without going into too many sordid details, although I did mention I was a little sore. We laughed at how cool it was to be best friends dating best friends, before making a pact to not interfere with each other’s relationships for fear of ruining our friendship.

  “Ugh, get off me!” Kelli exclaimed. Cooper had snuck up and stretched out on top of her, his cold, wet body zapping the heat out of her sun soaked back.

  He jumped up, and then in one swift movement picked her up, and threw her over his shoulder before running back down to the water laughing his head off. She kicked and screamed the whole way there, and I couldn’t help but laugh along with him. It was so typically Cooper.

  Riley was standing beside me watching the commotion, shaking his head, and then he held out his hand. “Would you like to come in?” he asked, before helping me up and scooping me into his arms like I was a bride being carried over the threshold.

  “Now that’s how you carry someone into the water,” Kelli
yelled at Cooper, exasperated, before jumping onto his back with arms wrapped around his neck, trying in vain to pull him under. Cooper, in turn, was pretending he had an annoying mosquito on his back that he was trying to shoo away.

  “Wait until they’ve been together for ten years,” he said as he continued his charade. “He’ll be throwing her over his shoulder too.”

  I smiled at the thought of being with Riley for ten years. Could we sustain a relationship the way that Kelli and Cooper had? They had known each other and had a normal relationship before it became long distant and sporadic. We were starting off as long distant. I knew there would be times when I wouldn’t see Riley for weeks or even months, and worse still, times when we wouldn’t even be able to speak.

  How would I cope with not knowing where he was or what he was doing? I knew I had to trust him, and he had given me no reason not to. But trust was not easy for me; my insecurities were a difficult beast to tame. But I had to try. Riley was worth it and he had been nothing but honest with me so far.

  I looked up at his face. He was looking down at me, smiling lovingly.

  “If you throw me over your shoulder in ten years’ time,” I said jokingly, “I’ll kill you.”

  We packed up our things but stayed sitting on the beach a while longer as the sun set, turning the blue, cloudless sky into magnificent shades of red, orange and purple. I rested my head on Riley’s shoulder and he sighed contentedly. I was enjoying this simple moment, where nothing else mattered but the colour of the sky, the sound of the ocean and the warmth of each other’s skin.

  We started the walk back to the apartment, the prospect of having to say goodbye weighing heavily on my mind. We hadn’t made any plans for the future. I didn’t know when I would be seeing Riley again, which concerned me a lot.

  Cooper and Riley were talking excitedly about the training exercise they were going on the next day that they affectionately referred to as The Drop.

  Apparently they were to jump out of a plane into the ocean in the middle of the night, where one of the six guys would then inflate a life raft and signal its position with a flare. It sounded like the craziest thing I had ever heard, but they were actually looking forward to it.