finding Reese.: a SAFELIGHT novel vol.2 (SAFELIGHT Series) Read online

  “Well, you haven’t smashed my toes yet, and your rhythm is perfect. You just need the right partner . . . that’s all.” I look deep into her eyes, hoping she understands what I mean.

  Catalina’s breath catches, and her eyes glaze over. Before I know it, she’s on her tippy toes reaching for my lips. I bow my head to make it easier for her, and our brief kiss sends a hot message to my dick. As our lips untangle, we resume dancing. I twirl her, which makes her giggle happily. When I tip her backwards, I trace my fingertips over the silken skin of her neck, past her breasts, stopping at her navel, and she quivers. Keeping her torso dipped, I kiss her sweet-as-candy neck, making her sigh.

  Raising her out of the dip, I swivel my hips against her soft curves and break my hold as I turn her around, pressing her back against my chest with my hand splayed over her abdomen. My free hand traces the outline of her body, starting at her neck, past her shoulder, down the side of her ribcage, around her waist and stopping to clutch her hipbone.

  I can hear Catalina’s sharp breaths with each movement of my fingers and body, and I have no doubt she feels my hard dick pressed up against her back. I’ve danced all my life, and it’s never been a problem to keep my goods in check, but with Catalina, it’s a different thing. I love how my body is so in sync with hers. Rumba is the dance of love, and while she doesn’t know it, I’m giving her all the goods with this impromptu dance.

  Twirling her around a final time, I bring her back to my chest for the end of the song. I stand before Catalina dying to rip her clothes off and take her against the kitchen counter. We are both breathing heavily as we look into each other’s eyes with unmistakable want.

  Yeah, I can tell she’s turned on, and I would bet all my money her panties are drenched. Without further thought, I break our gaze and walk towards the counter to grab my phone from the stereo docking station and immediately put it in my pocket. I smile at Catalina and she raises her eyebrow in question. I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder. Taking a firm hold of her kicking legs, I race up the stairs and with each step I take, her hysterical laughter grows louder.

  I gently smack her on the ass. “You’re going to wake Jax up.”

  Catalina extends her hands and squeezes my ass cheeks really hard. I jump at the slight sting, but my dick knows it’s mere foreplay and pulses against my fly.

  “Don’t think for one second you can slap my ass and not expect any consequences, Stryder Martynus,” Catalina admonishes in that sweet yet sexy voice of hers.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” I reply, trying hard not to trip and fall on the stairs.

  I kick the door shut behind us, and it rattles against the quiet of the night. I near the bed and lay Catalina against the white comforter, her long raven locks fanned over the bed. Her chest rises and falls, and her lips are slightly parted with excitement.

  My mouth crashes against hers and she welcomes me with a reciprocating tongue. I groan into her lips, and my hands sneak underneath her blouse, eagerly seeking the swells of her breasts. I squeeze them possessively, completely lost in my need for her. The longer we kiss, the more she moans into my mouth, her body bucking against mine as I pull the cups of her bra down. As soon as my fingertips brush against her hardened nipples she whispers my name between ragged breaths:

  “Stryder, please.”

  “Shh,” I mutter, not wanting to pause for anyone or anything.

  The world could crash down around me and I wouldn’t give a damn. Right here, right now is where I want to be; lost in my lady’s embrace. Catalina bucks beneath me, opening her legs wider so my body can align with hers. Her fingernails press against my shirt, and her moans increase with each movement of my hands. I wiggle against her soft curves, pressing my dick against her welcoming pussy. As soon as our bodies make that incredible contact, I groan. Catalina is my safe place, my little piece of Heaven on Earth. She’s everything I could ever want from life and then some.

  In my fit of desperation, it takes all of my willpower not to rip her clothes off. I tug her blouse from her body and cast it aside, and waste no time kissing, licking and nibbling her beautiful skin. It’s hot against my lips and gives me the go-ahead to graze my teeth over it.

  “Stryder, oh my God, please!” Catalina pants as she fiercely tugs my hair.

  “I got you, Cat. I want you so much, baby. Just shut up and let me love you, yeah?” I breathe, as one of my hands covers her mouth.

  Catalina looks at me with wild eyes, and locked in each other’s gaze I roll my hips over, and over again. This makes her moan, and each thrust of my pelvis her eyes roll to the backs of her eyelids. If I keep this up she’ll come before we even undress. I release her and stand to undress. She rests on her elbows, watching me with a salacious smile; her cheeks are red and her hair is mussed, and we’ve barely started.

  I swear I’ve lost my damn mind and heart to her. She owns every square inch of my soul, my thoughts, and my body. My entire being belongs to Catalina, and every moment of my life I will devote it to her. I want us to be together until we are old and wrinkly. I vow to make her happy until my dying breath, no matter the cost. I don’t care if this love I have for her makes me pussy-whipped. Crown me the poster boy of pussy-whipped men.

  I stand before her and pull her legs closer to me, and tug the waistband of her leggings until they and her panties come off. She flails her legs, helping me rid her of her clothes, then undoes the clasp of her bra and throws it at my face with a giggle. Catching it, I nuzzle it and throw it across the room. I look down at her glistening pussy and a rogue breath leaves me.

  I lick my lips and lower myself on top of her. As I kiss her mouth, I sink my dick balls deep into her pussy, wet and tight. This is Heaven, and if I’m wrong, well, condemn me to an eternity in Hell because I love it here. Catalina writhes beneath me, begging me to move. So I do, rolling my hips deliberately to give her that friction she goes crazy for. I want to make slow, sweet love to her, but my lady has other plans.

  “Just fuck me, and don’t be gentle. Please,” she pleads, her words making me pulse inside her.

  Who am I to deny Catalina what she wants? I plunge in and out of her and she meets every thrust, moaning fiercely into my ear each time. I get goose bumps with each sound she makes, and each movement of her dainty hands. She tightens around my aching dick and I know she is close to falling apart beneath me.

  My balls tingle, but I will not stop until Catalina screams for me. I hope I can last beyond her orgasm because I want to give her a few before I call it a night. I once said Paradise is being in Catalina’s arms, and today that statement still rings true. She is my Paradise, my Heaven, and my Home, and in the next month when I’m far from her, I’ll hold onto the memories we’ve built together, and like a true North Star, she will guide me home back into her loving arms.

  YOU KNOW THE FEELING YOU get when you’re itchy and you scratch, and it feels so damn good, but you just can’t stop? Even if it means you’ll be sore or bleed afterwards, it doesn’t matter because the pleasure outweighs the pain. I get the exact same feeling every time we are intimate. It’s a delicious itch that gets scratched over and over again, and it feels amazing. Who knew I’d get a kick out of rough sex? But the sound of Stryder pounding his cock deep into me again and again has me all kinds of delirious.

  “Fuck me good, Stryder. Please . . . don’t . . . stop!” I cry into his ear, a never-ending chant that makes him plunge deeper and further into me. His groans and ragged breaths undo me; I’m dancing across the midnight-blue sky, twirling around the fucking moon, and floating back down to Earth with the grace of a hummingbird. Stryder withdraws and kisses the space between my breasts and I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck, showering him with kisses.

  “I love you, Stryder,” I whisper in between ragged breaths.

  “I love you too, Raven Girl,” Stryder replies with a smile, trying to catch his breath. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah . . . but why’d you stop?” I pout lips.

&n
bsp; “I needed a moment. I’m not quite done with you yet,” he replies with a chuckle. “Thirsty?”

  I nod as he rises from the bed and walks towards the bathroom, then returns with a glass of water. I drink it so eagerly some of the droplets dribble down my chin and pitter-patter against my breasts. Not one to be wasteful, Stryder eagerly laps them up; trailing his tongue down my chin, past my neck, and stopping in between my breasts. Halting abruptly, he snaps his head up and, with his hands, demands the glass of water.

  I tilt my head, and hand over the tumbler. Before I can put two and two together, I feel the cold sting of the thick glass pressing against my nipple. I moan in shock and pleasure, and Stryder lets out a sexy growl of approval. With an ear-splitting grin, he straddles me and tips the glass, allowing small droplets of ice-cold water to land on the tip of my hardened nipple. Stryder lowers his head and I squirm with delight when I feel the warmth of his tongue lapping, then suctioning, the cold wetness away. He unlatches with a loud pop, and lifts his shimmering eyes and satisfied smirk to meet my scandalized gaze.

  He lifts the glass and repeats the same delectable torment on my other nipple. I watch him in wonder, asking myself if our intimacy will ever go bland in the years to come. My mind goes haywire thinking beyond the present. I have no doubt Stryder is happy with me; his actions, both in and out of bed point to it. I don’t know what tomorrow holds let alone months from now, but I can’t help but dream of a future beyond what we currently have. My heart skips a beat as hope blossoms deep within my belly.

  “Hey, where’d you go?” Stryder asks with a heart-melting smile. “Don’t tell me it was me, because you make o’s with your mouth when I’m sucking your nipples. The smile on your face is priceless, so spill the beans, Pardo. Tell me what’s going on inside that pretty head of yours.”

  I exhale a shaky breath and hesitate before speaking. I can’t tell him what’s on my mind; what if I’m rushing things too fast? I don’t want him to believe I want to take our relationship beyond what he’s prepared for. I refuse to admit that I see myself married to him, the mother of his children.

  “Nothing, really, I’m just happy with you, Stryder. I love being with you, sharing my ups and downs, kissing you and spending time with you. I’m going to miss you when you leave.”

  Stryder’s hazel eyes look deeply into mine. “Ditto, Cat. I love you too.”

  Sighing deeply I hold him tight. I feel terrible hiding my true feelings and desires, but at the same time, I know I’m doing the right thing.

  “You know you can tell me anything, right?” Stryder whispers against my cheek. “Anything.”

  I nod in agreement, yet a cold shiver runs up my spine. Stryder knows I’m not being forthright, but he’s too much of a gentleman to press the subject further. Instead, he raises his head and pours a small stream of water on my belly, resuming his affections.

  As dawn approaches the sun begins to glow through the curtains of our room. I’m wide awake, but my heart feels like it weighs a ton. This will be the last day I’ll spend with Stryder before he takes off to Australia for four weeks. As he lays beside me, fast asleep with his arm around my waist, I know how much I will miss mornings like these. I cuddle closer to his warmth and he lets out a sigh, as I try to hold on to this precious connection. I stay curled up beside him as long as I can, until the call of nature disconnects us.

  I tiptoe into the bathroom, closing the door softly behind me, and after my morning routines are covered, I step into the steamed-up shower. As the water rinses my body, the overwhelming sadness that’s been threatening me for days comes out full force. In a matter of seconds I’m a weepy, sobbing mess. I cover my mouth with my hands, afraid my hiccupping cries will wake Stryder. The last thing I need is him cancelling his trip because I can’t handle us being apart. I try shampooing my hair, but overtaken with sadness, I can’t even manage that. I take deep, steadying breaths to regain my composure, and chastise myself for being such a hot mess.

  Old habits die hard. The defeatist in me is trying to undo the progress I’ve made in recent months, and I can’t let that happen at least not until he’s gone. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and consider myself pretty damn lucky after all the shit I’ve been through in my life. Now is not the time to take a step back. I talk myself into weighing the positive influence Stryder and Jackson have brought into my once-dull life, and the more I think about it the easier it is to breathe. I can’t let this departure eat away at me; Stryder loves me, and there’s nothing to be afraid of.

  Turning off the water, I step out and wrap myself in a large, fluffy towel. I peek through the door to see if Stryder is up, but thankfully he’s not. Walking into the closet I grab an outfit and quickly dress for the day, then tiptoe out of our room, jogging down the staircase en route to the kitchen. I come to a halt when I find Jackson, naked and head-first in the refrigerator. As I’m backing up, I stop dead in my tracks when I hear a female voice. What the hell? Jackson has company?

  “Good morning!” she greets; her voice cheery and bright.

  “Umm, good morning to you too,” I reply awkwardly. As soon as I hear Jackson’s hearty chuckles, I shield my eyes trying to avoid the direction in which his voice is coming from.

  “Hey! Sorry for the birthday suit, Cat. Sam popped in late last night to hang out,” Jackson explains matter-of-factly in between munches. “I’m standing behind the counter. You can look now.”

  My hand falls from my eyes, and I blink a couple of times to allow my vision to adjust. Jackson’s smile meets my own, and then I wave hello to Sam.

  “I didn’t mean to barge in on you guys. I’m going to grab a cup of coffee and get out of your hair. My name is Catalina, but everyone calls me Cat. I’m pleased to meet you, Sam.”

  Unlike Jackson, Sam is fully dressed thank God, and she opens her arms to greet me with a hug. “Samantha, but everyone calls me Sam. Nice to meet you too, Cat.”

  For the briefest of seconds our eyes connect, and then she quickly walks away towards Jackson. She has sun-kissed blonde hair that barely touches her shoulders, large expressive honey-brown eyes, and raised cheekbones. Sam is really pretty, and from what I can see her personality matches her stunning looks; an athletic build and a graceful walk, and while she’s wearing one of Jackson’s t-shirts, I can tell she has an enviable body underneath.

  “I’m surprised you’re up so early . . . let alone walking,” Jackson jokes with a small laugh.

  Heat rises to my cheeks, and after grabbing a mug from the cabinet, I turn around and stick my tongue out at him. He smiles, then winks devilishly that is, until Sam elbows him on the shoulder and gives him a threatening glare. Jax looks at her with wide eyes, and raises his hands, mouthing, ‘What?’ Judging by the way they are interacting, it’s easy to see they’ve known each other for a very long time. Turning around to give them a semblance of space, I face the counter waiting for my cup of brew. As I’m standing there the sound of them kissing makes me blush, but at the same time it makes me smile.

  “Do you want breakfast?” Jackson asks her, and I grin even wider, thankful they can’t see the excitement plastered on my face.

  But curiosity gets the best of me. I turn around and see Jackson taking a lock of her blonde hair between his gruff fingers and tucking it sweetly behind her earlobe. I’ve never seen this side of him before and, holy hell, I feel like a voyeur watching them. His eyes twinkle as he looks tenderly into hers. Gone is the mischief and joking, and in its place is deep affection. Even though I’m standing, metaphorically-speaking I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for Sam’s response. Say yes, woman, yes!

  “No, Jaxy-boy. I have to get going,” she replies quietly. Through my eyelashes I catch the disappointed look on Jackson’s face. The frown he’s been sporting since the accident is back. His eyes meet mine, and I smile, but he rolls his eyes and twirls his index finger in the air silently asking me to turn around. I hear him leaving the kitchen, followed by the sound of a door slamming shut.
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  Crossing my arms over my chest, I turn around and without sugar-coating shit, say, “Why’d you say no?”

  Sam replies, “Because you and I both know what that means. I’m not the girl that stays. What’s it to you, Cat?”

  “Jax is my friend, and he’s been through a lot of shit in case you didn’t know. Yes, I don’t know you and yeah, I’m shocked to see you here, but seeing him smile was really something. The least you could do is accept his offer of a meal. It’s just food,” I emphasize as calmly as I’m able to.

  Sam smiles. “You really care about him, huh? I do too. We have an understanding . . . It’s fun and nothing more. I refuse to commit to anyone and neither can he. It is what it is.”

  I tilt my head to the side, and before I can ask a follow-up question, Stryder’s throaty voice fills the room. “Call me crazy, but I swear I heard Sam’s voice in here.” And when they see each other, they hug fiercely in front of me.

  “Jupiter!” Sam exclaims happily. “What a pleasant surprise!”

  Great. They know each other too. An unsettling feeling builds inside me and I’m pretty sure there’s a little troll inside of me dressed in green named Jealousy. I’ve never been the jealous-type, but seeing them hugging and smiling at each other prompts my mind to imagine all kinds of fucked-up scenarios that have me close to leaving the room.

  Stryder’s arm curls around my waist, and he pulls me close to his chest with a kiss. “Sam, meet my girlfriend, Catalina Pardo.”

  “Yes, we made our introductions earlier. Wow. I thought I’d never see the day you’d be linked to someone who wasn’t Olivia. Thank God! Good for you, Jupiter,” Samantha exclaims with a grin.

  Okay. I like Samantha. A lot.

  “Sometimes you come across people who make you want to be a better, happier man.” Stryder declares, with another kiss on my temple. “Maybe you should stop fighting and start trying, Sam.”