Free You Before Me by Lindsay Paige Page A

I'm done with that part of my
life, and you're in the middle of that part for you. Ryan,
sometimes, I have no clue how to handle your personality. But I
like it. That's all that matters.”
    Ryan's green eyes study me, with “The
Gambler” of all songs playing in the background. For a moment, I
worry that I've said too much. “Okay,” she finally says.
    “Okay?”
    “Yes. I can understand you better now,
and that's really all I wanted to accomplish.”
    “Good.” I lean forward to kiss her
gently. She smiles, and my eyes catch sight of the clock on the
wall behind her. I will have to leave in about two hours. “You said
you take bubble baths?”
    “Yeah?” She questions, not knowing
where I'm going with this.
    “I will have to leave soon, but I can
go start the bath for you.”
    “Oh, thank you.” Ryan slides off my
lap and onto the couch.
    I get up and go start our bath. Yes, I
said our. Never have I taken a bubble bath, but this feels like
something I should do with Ryan. Thankfully, her tub is deep and
wide enough for us both. At least, it looks that way. Once there is
enough water and suds, I turn off the water and quickly undress.
Just as I get comfortable, I hear “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural
Woman” start playing.
    “Gabe? Is everything-” Ryan walks into
the bathroom, her eyes wide. “Okay?” She finishes, tilting her head
to look at me.
    “I've never had a bubble bath and
these suds,” I cup some in my hand as evidence, “looked like too
much fun, so I thought I'd join you.”
    Ryan slowly smiles. “I'm not sure if
there's enough room for us both.”
    “There is.”
    That's all the push she needs. Ryan
bunches the hem of her shirt in her hands and slowly lifts it up
and over her head, dropping it carelessly to the floor. Then she
shimmies out of her bottoms, becoming completely and boldly naked
in front of me. How she already has a body of a goddess, I'll never
know. Even her tattoo on her hip seems meant to be there. Ryan
steps into the tub across from me, lowering herself into the steamy
water. Her hands find my knees and then travel up my thighs as she
comes closer to me.
    Her hair falls forward, the tips
getting wet and sudsy. Ryan bites her lower lip before closing the
distance between our lips to kiss me. It doesn't last nearly long
enough, which is probably a good thing. She pulls away from me to
turn around, her back tattoos partly on display. She slides back
against me between my legs, our knees peeking through the bubbles.
I'm already hard, and Ryan knows it.
    “The point of this is to relax,” she
whispers, leaning her head backwards to rest on my left
shoulder.
    I let my lips brush her ear as I say,
“Are you not relaxed?” My fingers are twitching to touch her and
leave their current place on the sides of the tub. I move them to
her shoulders, moving downwards under the water, deciding to stop
once I've reached her hips.
    Ryan's cheeks lift when she smiles,
her eyes closed. “Not yet. Give me time. I was just telling you,
Officer O'Connor. You seem kind of stiff,” she bubbles out a
laugh.
    Smirking, I ignore her comment. My
fingers begin to thrum on her hips, and I start moving them up her
stomach. My thumbs just barely brush over the underside of her
breasts. Ryan's eyes open.
    “We're supposed to be relaxing,” she
mutters, turning to look at me.
    I grin. “Isn't that what we're
doing?”
    “Nope. While you are very tempting,
Gabe, I've decided I don't want to have sex with you.”
    My hands return to lay flat on her
stomach. “Oh yeah?”
    “Not today anyway. You've inspired
me.”
    “I have?” What is she talking
about?
    Ryan grins. “Yep. I'm going to behave
better. We'll see how long it lasts.” Ryan frowns as a thought
flits her mind.
    “What is it?” I ask.
    “Nothing. Time to relax.”
    She closes her eyes, leaning her head
back on my shoulder once more. Her frown bothers me though. What is
she thinking? I attempt to relax as well, even though