Hot Finish (Fast Track #3)(43)
Author: Erin McCarthy

As she started to turn toward him, he clamped his eyes back shut.

“Were you peeking?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

“Yes.”

Suzanne laughed as he opened his eyes. “Just tie my top, will you?”

Ryder nuzzled the back of her neck as she lifted up her hair. She smelled good, like shower gel and the crispness of the winter wind. As he fumbled with tying the strings, he told her, “I’m much better at undoing these.”

“Just pull it tight. I don’t want to flash the dolphins.”

“That’s not the porpoise, is it?” he joked.

“Oh, my God. You are so ridiculous. Freak.”

He was giddy, that’s what he was. A man in love, thrilled to be spending time with Suzanne.

“A freak in bed.” He finished tying her bikini top and undid his black pants, dropping them and his boxer briefs to the floor.

If he happened to bump her backside with his crotch after he was naked, it was a total accident.

Unfortunately, Suzanne wasn’t prepared for his not so subtle seduction. His bump sent her off balance and she went stumbling forward.

“Dear Lord, put your clothes on!” But she smiled at him as she regained her balance, and started pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

If she had any idea what that position did to her body in that bikini she would never be cruel enough to suggest he put his clothes on. “Your br**sts,” he managed in a strangled voice. “They look . . . amazing.”

And huge. It had to be something about the tiny triangles making her br**sts look bigger, but Suz seemed to be busting out all over.

She cupped them, which wasn’t helping his lack of desire to put on swim trunks.

“I know, they seem bigger all of a sudden. It must be PMS and all the ice cream I’ve been hogging on.”

“Whatever it is, keep doing it.”

Her eyes dropped to his penis and as she stared at it, Ryder felt it spring to life from semi-erect to fully locked and loaded.

But she just rolled her eyes. “You’re insatiable.”

“One of the many reasons you love me.”

It was a comment people made all the time. He wasn’t fishing, wasn’t trying to make a statement. But the second the words were out of his mouth, they both froze, her in a bikini, hands in the air, him standing butt naked on the tile floor.

“Because, you know,” he started to say.

But Suzanne held her hand up. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not fine,” he said, frustrated. They always ignored shit like this, and he didn’t want to ignore it any more. “I loved you, Suzanne, as a man loves his wife, and I was happy with you. That means that a part of me will always love you and you’re going to have to learn to live with that.”

He expected her to bluster, to protest, to call him names. But instead, she just said, “A part of me will always love you, too.”

His heart swelled. “Really?”

“Which makes us being here together really stupid and dangerous.”

“How is this dangerous?” he asked her, softly, feeling seriously optimistic about their relationship for the first time in years. If they still loved each other, after two whole years apart, and could have this much fun together, they could work through the other bullshit. He knew they could.

It was too much though. He had taken it too far into serious and Suzanne retreated behind flippant. “It will be if I drown you.”

Disappointed, Ryder tried to shake it off, bending over to step into his trunks. “Nah. I could take you on land or in water.”

Suzanne picked up a fluffy towel and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Last one in gets no o**l s*x.”

Then she took off running.

Damn it. Ryder had one foot in, one foot out. “No fair! I’m not dressed!”

“That’s what you get for standing around picking your butt.” She shoved open the door laughing.

Ryder gave her chase, but by the time he was sliding to a stop at the edge of the pool, she was already sitting down, feet in the water, putting on her life jacket.

“Cheater.” He plopped down next to her.

But he wasn’t really annoyed, and seeing her smile, seeing her eyes sparkle like that again, directed at him, was something that Ryder couldn’t describe. It was like winning a race and Christmas all rolled into one.

As she rubbed noses with the dolphins and learned to give them commands to jump, splashing the hell out of Ryder, her pure laughter and joy gave him the greatest pleasure he’d had in years.

And when they slid into bed together that night, Suzanne yawning, legs wrapping over his, he cuddled her close to him and vowed to just appreciate. If Suzanne didn’t want to be married to him, he would take whatever she was willing to give. He just wanted to enjoy the weekend, and that he was definitely doing.

It was clear that she was exhausted and didn’t want another round of sticky sex, something he’d known when she had pulled on pajamas and glopped cream all over her face. He’d known her long enough to recognize she was in sleep mode and the sex shop was closed for the night. But he didn’t really mind. He was tired, too, and there was something intimate and pleasurable about cuddling up close with her. This was really a kind of relationship they hadn’t shared since the divorce. Presumed divorce.

“Thank you,” she said sleepily, her fingers brushing over his chest. “That was cool. Both the show and the animals. I can’t believe you remembered I wanted to swim with the dolphins.”

“Suz, I remember everything.”

She sat up slightly and stared at him. “You do, don’t you?” she asked softly.

Ryder looked deep into those amber eyes and said, “I do.”

I do remember everything. I do love you. I do want the chance to be a better husband.

He left those unsaid, because he didn’t want to ruin the moment.

All Suzanne said was, “I do, too.”

Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep, while Ryder spent an hour staring at the ceiling, enjoying the feel of her in his arms.

TY watched the women perusing the dessert buffet at lunch and felt a measure of pride that Imogen was piling her plate up high with zero hesitation. A man respected a woman who made friends with a brownie from time and time and wasn’t afraid to admit she liked food. Imogen was big on veggies and whole wheat stuff at home, but here in Vegas, she’d been indulging herself, and Ty was digging it. It showed she was capable of cutting loose and enjoying life.