Strip Me Bare (19 page)

Man, he and Emily really are made for each
other.

“Alex,” I sigh. “It’s so much more
complicated than that. Ryan and I have a past. Emily can explain.
It should make for interesting conversation on your drive
home.”

I pull out my phone and text Ryan as Alex and
Emily exchange glances in the front seat.

Me: We’ve been outed. But don’t worry. Alex
is letting us borrow the G6 so we can go to France or Italy.

Ryan: We have to flee the county?

Me: No. LOLOLOL. He’s giving it to us as an
apology. I’ll explain everything when I get home. Hopping the train
now. Meet me at Penn st?

Ryan: I’ll b there. 90 mins never felt like
so long. xoxoxoxox

I just finished my last
exam.

I have one semester left, I have one
semester left
, I repeat the words to myself as I trudge towards
my apartment door. I’m physically exhausted and mentally drained;
the last three months have kicked my ass. I’ve barely slept, I’ve
barely eaten and I’ve barely seen Ryan over the last week. And now
that finals are over, I’m going to go inside and crash.

Ryan and I took full advantage of Alex’s jet
offer after he exposed us, flying off to Italy and spending a week
on the Amalfi Coast. For seven glorious days, I was the only person
Ryan took his clothes off for.
Mmm.

My father has yet to meet Ryan face to face,
and I’m going to make sure it stays that way for a little while
longer. When he can’t make me choose between my love for Ryan or my
love for the law. It’s still a dicey situation, but Ryan and I are
so close to getting everything we want, I know the sacrifice will
be worth it in the end. I put the key into the lock and hear music
blasting from my apartment, Pitbull’s
I Know You Want Me.
I
swing the door open to find Ryan having way too much fun doing
laundry. He has several piles of clothes separated on the couch and
he’s bopping to the music as he folds. I can’t help but stand there
and be amused.

I don’t know how long I’m watching before he
notices I’m behind him. He shoots me a cocky smile, puts the shirt
he’s holding down and slides across the room keeping beat with the
music.

After doing the logo for my uncle’s law firm
Ryan has been taking on freelance jobs for graphic design. Usually,
when I’m studying he’s working on a project. It’s beefing up his
resume, but it by no means has given him the incentive to quit
Culture or give up Jack the Stripper.

Once he reaches me he counts in my face with
his fingers then grabs my hand and smashes me into his body. His
hips start to move, doing a little circle motion as he grinds
against me.

“Showing me your best Johnny Castle
impression?” I ask playfully.

“None other, it’s where I learned all my
dance moves,” he says as he starts dancing me sinfully around the
room, singing the lyrics,
rrrrr
olling the R’s seductively
into my ear. I laugh, because it’s so goddamn sexy and because I
can’t picture him watching
Dirty Dancing.
Then he pushes me
down on the couch and really starts to move. He pulls his t-shirt
off as he rolls his body, pops his chest and surges his hips,
enjoying every second of his little strip tease.

I’m enjoying it too; I think a little too
much, because suddenly my cheeks are on fire and a flash flood of
heat is soaking me between my thighs.

He creeps down onto his knees, pulls me
forward so I’m half lying on my back and positions himself right
between my legs. He slams his pelvis hard against me, then pumps
three times to the rhythm of the music causing me to cover my face
instinctually with my hands, part-embarrassed part-hysterical. When
the song ends Ryan pulls my hands away, but I can’t stop laughing.
One, because I don’t think I’ve relaxed in the last three months
and two, because I’m totally turned on.

“Did I do something funny?” he asks
smiling.

“Funny and totally hot.”

“Now that’s what I want to hear,” he leans
down and kisses me and the sensation shoots straight to the
ravenous desire spiraling inside me. I moan, and compulsively grab
for the button of his jeans. I’m dying for the release, dying for
him. And Ryan totally knows it.

He smoothes his hands over my hair, kissing
me sweetly and urgently all at the same time.

“I like you like this,” he says eagerly.

“Half-naked?” I answer, as he pulls my pants
off me.

“Stress-free,” he responds, running his hands
down my hips, drinking my body in.

My phone rings, but we both ignore it.

Still on his knees, Ryan lifts one of my legs
onto his shoulder then leans forward slightly, bracing himself on
the edge of the couch. He sinks one finger, then another inside me
and I jolt. God, I can’t even remember the last time we did this.
Never taking his eyes off mine, he pushes my legs farther apart,
heightening the sensation of his touch. I become nothing but
ripples of need and liquidly want under the strokes and lashes of
his commanding fingers.

“What do you want, Alana?” he asks in a husky
voice, flicking my spot.

I can’t even reply his touch feels so good.
It’s drowning me. I close my eyes, throw my head back and buck my
hips, but he grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Tell me
what you want,” he orders, his blue eyes feral, wanton,
rapturous.

“You,” I choke out, as he inches me closer to
the edge.

He drops my leg and pulls me further down the
couch to where my butt is barely on the cushion. He lifts my arms
up, pinning them over my head then kisses me hard; his hips
stalling an inch away from mine; tormenting me. I struggle to move,
the anticipation of what’s to come is exasperating.

“Say my name.” He licks up my neck, a hot
tantalizing caress. “I need to hear you say it.” He always needs to
hear me say it, especially when we’re like this.

My heart is beating out of my chest and the
lower half of my body feels like it’s about to detonate.

“Ryan,” I implore, and just before I don’t
think I can bear another second of his teetering torture, he slips
deep inside me. The friction catapults me, and I let out a cry.
Fuck.
I fling my head back into the couch as Ryan goes to
work. Coaxing me with his hips and cajoling me with his voice;
drawing out every inch of my desire.

In no time at all I’m clinging to him,
digging my plum-polished fingernails into his back as my body
freefalls into oblivion.

When I blink my eyes open, and remember where
I am, Ryan is tensing on top of me, caught in the middle of his
orgasm. It’s beautiful to watch. It’s beautiful to feel. And it
makes me all warm and wanted and not so disconnected from the
world.

He drops down when he’s done panting wildly.
“Fuck, I missed you,” he murmurs as he encases my body in his
arms.

I giggle satisfied, running my hands through
his hair. “Missed me how exactly?”

Ryan groans lazily. “I missed kissing you
here,” he plants his lips between my breasts. “And here,” he sucks
on my neck. “And here,” he nips my earlobe with his teeth. “But
most of all here,” he swipes his thumb between my thighs where I’m
all sticky and wet.

“I missed you kissing me there too.” I quiver
as he sends tingles straight to my tailbone.

Ryan falls back onto the floor, dragging my
loose, languid body with him, positioning me on his lap. His pants
are still around his ankles and his hair is a fluffed up mess. He
encircles his arms around me and I drop my head back onto his
shoulder. We just sit there quietly and bask, Ryan petting me all
over.
Mmmmmm.

“I love it when you’re on break from school,”
Ryan says licking my neck; one, long hot stroke after the
other.

“Me too. I can’t believe it’s my last one.
One more semester then it’s off to the real world.”

Ryan freezes mid lick. “The real world,” he
repeats.

“Is there something wrong with the real
world?” I ask.

“No.” He answers and then goes back to
brushing his tongue against my skin.

“Ryan what’s wrong?” I roll my eyes in
ecstasy. That feels so effing good.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“I don’t’ believe you.”

Ryan lifts his head and looks at me with big,
blue vigilant eyes. I know he has something to tell me. I can see
it on his face and feel it in his taut muscles enclosed around
me.

“I just don’t know if I’m ready to share you
with the real world.”

“You don’t have to share me, I’m all
yours.”

He drops his forehead to mine. “And I’m all
yours.”

“Ryan, are you sure nothing’s wrong?” I ask
again, suddenly worried.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’d tell you if there was.”
He shifts me off him, lowering me down onto my back. He runs his
hands all over my naked body, kissing all the places he said he
missed.

“
Ah!”
I tense when he drops his head
between my knees. And just like that, words cease to exist.

After I get out of the shower I look to see
who called me, while Ryan re-folds all the crinkled clothes. He
snaps my ass with one of his shirts as I walk by him and I
jump.

“That wasn’t very nice.” I pout as I hit
Emily’s name on my phone.

“I’ll kiss it and make it all better if you
want,” he says with a salacious smile.

“You stay right where are,” I instruct
playfully. There could be a fun evening ahead us, I think to
myself, but then I remember it’s Friday and Ryan has to work.

Movie and take out for me tonight.

“Alana!” Emily answers enthusiastically.

“Hey, you didn’t leave a message when you
called.” I haven’t talked to Emily in weeks, and when I hear her
voice it makes me realize how much I miss her.

“I wanted to see what you were doing tonight.
It’s Jill’s bachelorette party. I want you to come out.”

I could definitely use a night out after this
semester.

“Okay, where are you guys going?”

“Where else? Culture.”

I immediately reconsider.

“I don’t know Em,” I glance up at Ryan who’s
folding cluelessly.

“Come on, I have an extra ticket to the Male
Revue.”

“Emily, are you serious? I can’t sit through
that.”

“Sit through what?” Ryan asks.

I freeze. “Let me call you back Em.” I hang
up.

“Jill’s bachelorette party is tonight.”

“Oh yeah? Emily wants you to go?”

“Yes, but the thing is,” I bite my lip,
“they’re going to Culture. And the Male Revue.”

Ryan holds my gaze like he’s playing a hand
of poker, “And?”

“And, would that be weird?”

“For me or you?”

“Both?”

Ryan looks at me with a contemplative
expression, “I don’t have to dance tonight.”

“You’re going to blow off work?”

“No, not exactly, I just won’t do the Male
Revue. Actually,” he says like a light bulb just went off in his
head, “I can belong to you tonight.”

“Excuse me? I thought you belonged to me
every night?”

“Yes, I do. Every night, every day, every
moment,” he reassures me. “But can you just go with it for
now?”

“Owning you?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” I shrug, wondering what the hell he
has up his sleeve.

Ryan grabs his phone off the end table by the
couch and punches a button, a few moments later he’s talking to
Divan. “Hey man, change of plans tonight,” he turns and walks
toward my bedroom. “No Male Revue, and I need…” He disappears
behind the door before I can hear anything else.