“Because I’m going to come the second you get inside me.”
I make a low urgent sound and thrust inside her. It’s such a perfect fit that a shudder overtakes me.
Christ. It only seems to get better with this girl. And I didn’t think anything could be better than the first time, the night I lost myself in her over and over and over again.
But it’s happening again. I’m losing myself again. So is she. She bites her knuckles to keep from crying out. I’ve forgotten where we are and stopped caring if anyone walks in. Let them.
I pull back, then slide back in. Once, twice, three times, and Gigi is gone. Gasping from an orgasm, riding the throes of it while I keep thrusting into her. Hard and fast. Gripping her hips, pulling her ass up against me. It’s a true definition of a quickie. Not even ten seconds later and I let out a strangled moan, my balls drawing up tight.
I’m about to come when I realize I’m not wearing a condom.
Holy shit.
This has never happened to me before. Not ever in my life. Even when I was a teenager banging anything in my path, I would remember to use a condom.
Gigi Graham makes me lose my head.
It’s too late to stop the climax, but I manage to pull out in time. Pleasure explodes inside me and then erupts as I shoot all over her ass. Getting it on her bathing suit too.
Panting heavily, I manage to get the words out. “We didn’t use a condom.” I curse to myself, reaching for the towel to wipe her up.
Her chest rises on a deep breath. “Oh, no. I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault. On me.”
She takes the towel from me and finishes cleaning herself. “If you’re worried about me, I’m on birth control,” she assures me, her tone slightly awkward. “And no STIs. You?”
“I get tested after every partner,” I admit.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’m very good about that. I’m a cautious person, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
“I got tested at the beginning of the summer. So it’s been a while. But I also haven’t had any partners since then.”
I believe her. And I hope she believes me because I really don’t mess around regarding sexual health.
Gigi chews on her bottom lip, as if she wants to say more. Then she walks toward the door. “I should go. Need to shower and change before I head out.”
I secure the waistband of my trunks before following her out of the sauna. “Are you really not going to tell me where you’re going?” I complain.
She hesitates. Then she shrugs. “Fine. Why don’t you come with me?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
GIGI
What’s cooler than butterflies?
WHEN WE GET INTO THE SUV, MY PHONE CONNECTS AUTOMATICALLY, playing the next track on my playlist.
“As a new father whose wanderlust could not be contained even with a squalling infant at home, I was eager to teach my son the auditory magic that nature has to offer.”
In the passenger side, Ryder drops his face in his hands.
“We journeyed, my wife, Helen, and our son, Steven, to a place that may not spring first to mind when craving a pure auditory experience. The Northern Atlantic. Yet we were delighted by the happy chatter of the St. Lawrence humpbacks and piercing cries of the seabirds. Little Steve particularly enjoyed the symphony of the Northern gannet. We spent hours imitating the throaty vibrato that escaped their beaks as they foraged at sea. And that’s only the gannets! Nothing can possibly prepare an eager toddler for the sheer volume created by thousands of seabirds at dinner time. And now…let me take you there.”
Ryder inquires, “What do you have against music? Honest question.”
I give him the finger.
Putting the car in drive, I leave the Briar campus and head for the interstate. At a red light, I notice a frown digging into Ryder’s forehead as he texts something on his phone.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
He sends the message and rests the phone on his thigh. “Yeah. Fine. Just another update about the Dallas GM. Julio Vega. I guess he’s not thrilled about Briar’s performance this season. Although he did tell Owen he enjoyed my goal.”
“Owen?”
“McKay,” Ryder supplies. “He’s the guy in the pros I was telling you about.”
My jaw drops. I tear my gaze from the windshield to gawk at him. “Are you serious? You’ve been busting my chops about my famous dad and his famous friends, and meanwhile you’re best buds with Owen McKay?” McKay is one of the hottest players in the NHL right now. “Who’s friends with superstars now? Can you introduce me?”
He narrows his eyes.
“I’m serious. I’m a huge Owen McKay fan. How do you even know him?”
“We grew up together in Phoenix.” Now he shifts his gaze out the window.
“That’s really cool. Hey. You should see if he’d donate something to the auction. A signed jersey! We could get it framed.”
Ryder shrugs. “I might be able to arrange it.”
“I’ll text Whitney and tell her. Seriously, that item would slay.”
Thirty minutes later, I pull into a familiar place. The colorful signs in the parking lot guide me to the appropriate place to park.
Ryder exhales in resignation. “The butterfly gardens?”
I beam at him.
He sighs.
“If I told you, you wouldn’t have come,” I protest.
“Well, obviously. I thought it was going to be something cooler.”
“What’s cooler than butterflies?”
“Are you kidding me right now?” He diligently studies me. “I can’t figure out if you’re being serious.”
“Dead serious. This is my favorite place in the whole city.”
I shut off the engine and the sounds of Horizons disappear. We get out of the car, Ryder with visible reluctance. There’s a small hut outside of the building where you can buy tickets, but I gesture for Ryder to bypass it. I reach into my wallet.
“We don’t need tickets. I’m a member. And you’re in luck—my annual fee covers one guest per visit.”
“You have a yearly membership to the butterfly gardens.”
“I told you, it’s my favorite place. I come here all the time.”
I flash my card to the person at the gate, and then we walk into the indoor conservatory, a.k.a. six thousand square feet of sheer heaven. Immediately, I feel my entire face light. I happily take in the sight of butterflies against a tropical backdrop. The beautiful colors all around us. Shimmery pastels to iridescent blues, with browns and yellows and reds thrown into the stunning array. I brought Mya here once, and she said it made her feel like she was inside a rainbow. I think she meant it as a compliment?
“Honestly, this is how I picture heaven to be,” I tell Ryder, the lightness in my chest creating a spring to my step. “Look at it. Have you ever seen anything prettier?”
I glance over to find his blue eyes, vivid in their own right, fixated on my face.
“What?” I say self-consciously.
He clears his throat. “Nothing. You’re right. It’s nice here.”
I grab his hand and urge him forward. “Come on.”
We amble past a koi pond framed by lush vegetation and a bubbling waterfall. Lots of people decided to visit the gardens today. We pass a group of parents with their young children bounding along the winding paths. We dodge a hand-holding couple standing at one of the feeding stations. They’re watching a small orange and black monarch sip on some nectar.