Homecoming

Slipping into town, she just wanted to go home. Her meetings in the City had gone well, but she had missed Ryan terribly. It was the longest time they’d been apart since last Fall.

Her friends, Emily and Rylie, had insisted they meet for dinner. They wanted to know how everything had gone and though she was excited to share, she didn’t feel completely up to it. If Ryan hadn’t been working, she probably would have made her excuses and gone home to the cabin.

But a part of her wanted the companionship. While she'd been in the city she’d had days of meetings and dinners and lunches out. She’d managed to squeeze in time to work at the Writing Center and she’d even gotten time to hang with her friend Jim and his partner, David. But the drive back made her crave her friends, so she had agreed to the girl’s night out dinner.

“You know the guys will all join us later anyway.” Emily had reassured her, but being with Ryan in a crowded bar was not the same as curling up together at the cabin.

She hoped he would be as happy to see her, as she was to be with him again. Video chats and emails only made her miss him more. She’d worried he'd get anxious about her going and not coming back, but he had seemed good with their time apart. Still, she had hoped he would pull her over for ‘speeding ticket’ again. The memory of their first desperate kiss on the side of the road last fall when she returned from the City still made her heart race whenever she thought of it.

**

Ryan finished his duty just after 7 pm. He’d hoped to catch Arlynn before she’d made it in to town, but he’d gotten tied up with a domestic call that hadn’t ended all that well. With that taken care of and the paperwork all done up, Ryan headed out to meet everyone at the Bar and Grill. Part of him wanted to hurry, but he’d reined in his emotions and tried to be cool.

The bar was already busy when he got there. He scanned the crowd. His eyes searching out anyone with deep auburn hair. When he spotted her, his heart skittered, then thundered on as he made his way through the crowd to be by her side. Pent up longing and desire coursed through him. If they weren’t in such a busy place... he let that thought go. There was no more reason to take cold showers, Arlynn was home.

**

She felt his presence before she saw him. The sensation of knowing, drifted over her like morning mist and she shifted her gaze to the doorway. There he stood. The sight of his broad shoulders and warm smile had her breath catching as her heart leapt. As she watched him move through the crowd with powerful strides she could not help smiling at him. Her body tingled with anticipation. Oh how she’d missed him.

“Hey,” he said in deep tones that had her insides quivering.

With her face tipped up to him, he leaned down to brush a kiss over her lips. An appreciative moan slipped from her lips and she could feel him smile just before he deepened the kiss, his tongue seeking hers.

Someone cleared their throat, while someone else laughed delightedly.

“Hey, Officer Fraser, you sure you should be fraternizing with the public like that?”

Ryan reluctantly ended the kiss, then shifted his gaze to glare at his friend Conner, who was already wrapped around his own girlfriend, Emily. Emily let out another delighted laugh as she patted Conner’s chest.

Ryan slid in beside Arlynn, keeping his arm on the back of the booth. She could feel the heat of him as he brushed the back of her shoulders. She inhaled the unmistakable scent of his spicy aftershave mixed with fresh air and warm male. It was intoxicating. Her senses heightened and a tremor rolled through her.

Seeing her tremble, Ryan shifted his arm to wrap around her and pull her into his side. The contact sent a rush of heat through her as desire flared, then settled low in her belly. Wanting more, so much more.

She kept her eyes on his face. Taking in the sight of his strong jaw and the day’s growth of stubble that she could not resist touching. Her hand slid over his cheek and he returned his gaze to her. His smile deepened and his dimples winked at her. He could melt her with a look like that.

“You two need to get a room,” his friend Gabe muttered as he and Rylie returned to the table with another round of drinks.

“They haven’t seen each other in a week,” Emily said as if that explained everything.

“Yeah, and we did insist on a Saturday night out with friends.” Rylie pointed out.

“So that means you got to share her, man,” Conner said laughing when Ryan gave him another dark look.

“We could dance,” Arlynn whispered into his ear, then felt a fluttering as she watched his lips tip up in a smile before he looked back into her eyes.

“We most certainly can,” he told her as he slid back out of the booth and held out his hand to her.

The chance to be wrapped in his strong arms, surrounded by the scent and the heat of him had her putting her hand in his and almost leaping up to join him.

“Keep it clean,” Gabe muttered as Ryan guided her past them.

On the dance floor, he turned and pulled her gently into his embrace. She melted into him, resting her head on his chest as she wrapped her hands up around his neck. Her fingers of one hand played in his hair as he rested his chin on top of her auburn waves. She could hear the strong beat of his heart and through the desire that swirled around them, she felt secure. Loved.

“I missed you,” he whispered and she echoed it back when she tipped her head up to look into his heated blue eyes.

“This has felt like the longest week of my life,” he added.

“But we survived it,” she said smiling up at him.

He nodded, smiling down at her, “we did and now that I have you back, I can’t wait to get you home and have you all to myself.”

She grinned up at him.

“You know I love you, Ms. Arlynn Douglas. I swear you took my heart with you when you went to the City.” The serious look in his eyes nearly undid her.

“I love you too, Mr. Fraser, but we can’t just leave,”

“Why not?” he said huskily.

Arlynn laughed, just before he dipped his head and captured her lips with such tenderness she thought she might just reconsider. His hands pulled her in closer and she could feel the hardness of his desire against her.

When the slow song ended and the music throbbed with energy, they shifted back, but did not release each other.

Her friends circled them. And through the sensual haze she heard Emily's light laugh.

“You can’t have her all to yourself yet, Ryan,” Emily teased.

“The guys want at least one game of pool and we want to dance. So off you go.” Rylie waved him off and he reluctantly let Arlynn go, but not before she gave him another light kiss and a pat on his cheek.

The dancing was fun. Laughing with her girls was a blast, but so was watching Ryan. Her gaze followed him across the room. Over the next hour, their gazes met countless times and each time he would wink and grin at her. Each time her heart skittered and desire flickered. Anticipation sat on the back burner with a gentle simmer.

When the game of pool was over, Ryan made his way back over to her. She could see his banked desire as he made his way and her heart beat quickened.

Before he’d even made it to her, she said good night to her friends and stood so that when he did reached the table, he was able to slide his arm around her waist and pull her close as he said his own good-byes. He
helped her into her jacket, then took her hand and led her through the crowded bar to the exit.

The night air was still cool, but Arlynn’s skin felt heated. Ryan wrapped his arm around her warming her with his own intense heat. Desire danced along the surface of her skin making her highly sensitive.

When they reached her truck, he turned her toward him and backed her into the shadows. His back against the truck, his lips found hers and the initial tenderness was quickly replaced with an urgency that had her heavy with desire. As his hands slid over her body she could feel herself melt into him. God, how she’d missed this man.

She met his urgency with her own and let her hands explore. One reaching up to play with his hair, while the other moved down the muscles along his side to cup his fine ass. When his lips took a tour over her face, she tipped her head and let out a needy moan when he moved down the column of her neck. His hands doing their own exploration of her body. Everywhere he touched seemed to ignite. She longed to be naked, but the reality was they were in the parking lot and much too public.

“Someone might see,” she whispered clinging to reality with only a fine thread.

His rough moan made her smile as he lifted his lips from her skin and rested his forehead on hers. Their erratic breathing mixing and joining in the chorus of night sounds.

“Your place or mine?” she asked once she was able to catch her breath.

“Mine, it’s closer,” his husky tone whispered into her ear.

Arlynn giggled as she said, “only by one driveway.”

“The sooner I get you there, the sooner I can ravage you,woman.”

He helped her into her truck, then patted the hood as he headed over to his own truck. She watched him go, a smile playing on her lips. Her body trembled with anticipation as she started up the engine.

Word Count = 1744.

Notes: ▼

Assignment #4:

Wow! It's been one year since this couple found one another. Let's heat things up. Your job is to create sexual tension in a crowded space. How do they interact when they desperately want each other? They've been sexually active already, so this isn't about the pressures of their first time, but it is about the excitement of the chase. You choose the voice. 2000 word max as we amp things up and showcase how powerful sexual desire, the art of the chase, and their chemistry really is!

My attempt:

As I read the assignment again, I see that I need to have them in a crowded place... this may be something I write that is not within the realm of my story... but I still may put it in Novlr for the word count.