Lie To Me

Lie To Me-Chapter 148

(Harry's POV)

As a grown man, I can honestly say squealing is an activity that I have rarely done. Yet, hearing Riley say those six little words, I nearly did.

She was sending Bree home. I didn't have to worry anymore, didn't have to wonder what would happen next. We would finally be able to get back to where we were, where we belonged. Just us. Together. In love.

As much as I tried to keep my composure, I couldn't hide the smile on my face, the elation I felt. That was, at least, until her eyes hardened slightly, taking on a darker hue.

"Don't be so happy about this, Harry. This doesn't instantly mean you're out of the dog house. Bree is not my only problem right now. You are too. But, I can only face one thing at a time..." Her eyes softened once more, "So, for now... Truce? Can I count on you to be good and stand beside me when I talk to her? Can I count on you to...?"

"Riley..." I lifted my hands, bringing them to her cheeks, forcing her to keep eye contact with me. "Even if I wasn't completely, madly, desperately in love with you; you are my best friend in the entire world, and I will always stand beside you. Whenever you need me. Always."

I felt a slight shiver run through her, as liquid filled her eyes, her brows furrowed, her forehead creased.

Closing my eyes for just a moment, I leaned forward, pulling her closer at the same time. And just as her breath hitched, just as our lips met, she whispered out to me.

"Harry..."

It was like a switch had been flipped, like some raging fire, just waiting for the right spark had been set free. We tore at each other, right there in the middle of my backyard.

Riley's hands made their way up my arms, over my shoulders, and into my hair; gripping, pulling, tugging... In turn, my hands went everywhere. I held her face, caressed her back, teased the edge of her bathing suit with my fingertips, reveling in the goosebumps that rose on her skin.

In a sea of never-ending kisses, we gasped for breath, the little sounds she made making me want to take her right here on the grass, in front of God, Max, and everyone...

But, I knew Riley would never allow that. Leaving her towel on the ground where it had fallen, I reluctantly broke our kiss, just long enough to press my lips to the tip of her nose before bending down to pick her up.

The soft giggle that had escaped Riley's sweet mouth morphed into a startled shriek. "Harry!! Ahh, put me down!!"

Ignoring her protests, and trying desperately not to drop the wriggling woman in my arms, I whistled to the little ball of fur that was busy watching the trees sway in the breeze. "Come on Max! Time to go inside!"

All the way in the house, Riley continued to fight against my hold on her, grumbling at the way I was "manhandling" her, but I knew it was all for show. The way her cheeks flushed, the way she attempted to hide her giggles, the way she gently wrapped her arms around my neck, I knew she was loving this just as much as I was.

Leaning forward, I kissed her nose again, before setting her down on her feet. "There... Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Her eyes narrowed before she responded, making me smile.

"No. But, you keep forgetting that I am MORE than capable of walking myself in the house. I don't need you to carry me. Besides, I'm probably too heav..."

I put my finger to her lips, raising my brows and leaning in closer. "Do not continue that statement, or I'll be forced to take my sister's advice, and tie you to the bed, do you hear me? YOU are perfect, Riley. So, hush."

Acting as though she was going to bite my finger, Riley laughed as I quickly pulled away. "Okay, okay. I'll cave...this time. As long as you promise to at least warn me before you go picking me up...?"

"Okay, deal."

"And as far as tying me to the bed?" She leaned in close to my ear, whispering as if we were in a crowded room, surrounded by people, rather than a big empty house with just a small dog for an audience. "Bring it on..."

The look of challenge in her eyes was playful and adorable, and admittedly, a massive turn on. God, I'd missed this. I'd missed the way we played off each other so well; the way we teased and tortured each other, embedding naughty thoughts and images into our brains; the way we just...worked.

But, before I could come up with an equally challenging response, Riley's eyes moved beyond me, and in a quick motion she pushed me aside, taking off in a near run. "Max! No!"

In a flash of confusion, I turned to see what had happened, and sure enough, our sweet little puppy was standing there, in the middle of the kitchen floor, doing his "business"...

Following in Riley's footsteps, I rushed over. "Aww, Max... What were you thinking, man?"

Riley laughed out loud, scooping up the incredibly happy, and completely oblivious little man into her arms. "Apparently, someone was so rushed, they called him out of the backyard before he was ready..."

"Rushed?!?" I gave her a look, making her laugh again as she placed Max back in his pen, giving him a soft kiss on the head. "I wasn't rushed. I was... Well, I was..."

"Thinking of other things? In a bit of a hurry? ...Rushed?"

"Okay, maybe I was a little rushed..."

Tossing her head back in laughter, Riley went to grab some paper towels off the counter, smiling as she turned to hand them to me. "Well, don't worry. You weren't the only one feeling rushed...in the moment..." Her cheeks tinted at the admission. "I wasn't exactly thinking about Max right then, either."

I cleaned up Max's mess, smiling to myself as Riley followed behind me with a Clorox wipe she'd grabbed from under the sink. "And what exactly were you thinking about?"

"Um..." She bit her lip, looking too damn adorable, and my temperature rose again. "I was thinking of...us. I was thinking of how good it felt to be in your arms again, of how I couldn't seem to get close enough, of how badly I wanted more."

"Wanted?" I raised a brow at her, trying desperately to hide the instant reaction I was having in response to her honesty. She could have lied about it, easily played it off as nothing, or turned it back on me, making mention of one of my many misgivings. But, she didn't. And I couldn't be happier knowing that I wasn't alone in my feelings, knowing that Riley longed for me just as much as I did for her.

"Well, want..." She backed away from where she'd been washing her hands in the sink, her arms bending behind her back. "I always want you, Harry... As much of you that I can get. Always... Every. Way. Possible." My eyes nearly bugged out of my head as a smirk came across her face, the top of her bikini blatantly loosening.

Taking it off completely, she tossed the skimpy fabric towards me, giggling as I reached out to catch it, nearly panting like a dog in heat. With her semi-dry, deep brown waves dancing along the tanned skin on her back, she turned away, looking back at me from over her shoulder.

"And, Harry?"

"Yes?" I croaked.

"Do wash your hands first, please."

With a slight wink she was gone, headed down the hallway toward our bedroom, every sexy image known to man flashing in my mind as I scrubbed the hell out of my hands.