Riley lifted his spine from the sofa as his frame curled in an all over stretch. Placing his thick arm behind his head, he gazed up towards the ceiling.
His chest was bare, and the thin blanket that covered his legs had slipped to the side while he slept, and was now buried in the creases of the cushions. The only thing that covered him was a pair of worn blue jeans that he had been wearing the day before.
The sun was just peeking through the window. It was early, and the house was quiet as he lay there. He was just contemplating pulling himself up to use the bathroom when the sound of movement from above caught his attention.
He wasn't sure if the footsteps belonged to his brother Mark, or his wife Leah, but someone was up and about, and he could clearly hear them walking around.
When the muffled sound of footsteps padding down the staircase reached his ears, he peered over the top of the sofa to see who it was. Leah. Dropping his head back down, he took a deep breath.
"Good morning," he said quietly.
Pausing at the sound of his voice, a moment passed before she continued down the stairs until she was standing behind the sofa. Her large blue eyes met his grey ones as she looked at him.
"Morning," she returned softly. "How did you sleep?"
"Alright," he told her. "It was a lot more comfortable than the cots at the base."
Leah nodded slowly in response. "I was going to go make some coffee. Would you like some?" she inquired.
"Sure," he responded in a hushed tone. "Is Mark up?"
Leah shook her head. "Not yet."
Turning away, she slipped past the couch, and entered the kitchen. Riley watched her slight frame disappear from his sight, and he took another deep breath.
Lifting himself up from the sofa, he rubbed his eyes for a moment before heading in the direction of the bathroom. Once he was inside, he closed the door, and ran a hand through his short, russet hair before glancing in the mirror.
He needed a shave. Sliding his fingers over the lower portion of his face, he grimaced before turning away to unbutton his jeans so that he could relieve himself.
It wasn't any easier as he assumed it would be. Two years hadn't done anything to diminish the yearning he felt, and that fact had been brought home to him the moment she had opened the door, and found him standing there with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
He still wanted her. Still felt the electric pulse that shot through his body simply from being near her, and with a sinking heart he had acknowledged the fact as he'd stepped into the house to allow his brother to hug him.
It was agony. Wanting to touch her, hold her, kiss her mouth when he couldn't. She was completely off limits to him, far from his reach, and the knowledge was what had sent him fleeing from his home two years ago.
Enlisting into the army had given him something else to focus on. Something else to put his energy, and passion into. He thought he was over this.
He was a grown man now. No longer the hesitant, unsure youth he had once been, and he wasn't quite sure how to deal with the rush of emotions that were stirring within him knowing full well he had to keep them at bay. She was still his brother's wife, and she was still off limits.
Closing his jeans, he flushed the toilet, and left the bathroom. His bare feet carried him across the living room until he reached the kitchen. As he passed through the doorway, he paused when he spotted her standing at the counter with her back to him.
The pink, silk robe that she wore was short, and barely reached the middle of her thighs. Riley's eyes focused on the back of her shapely legs for a moment before sliding up her body. When she turned around to face him, his grey eyes were heated.
Hers became instantly wary as she took in his expression. "The coffee will be ready in a few minutes," she said hesitantly.
Without giving any inclination that he had heard her, his long legs carried him forward until he was standing directly in front of her. His intense grey eyes peered down at her, and Leah had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. When she saw the desire blazing from his eyes, her mouth parted with a gasp.
"Don't," she breathed softly.
He seemed to be endlessly searching her wide blue eyes, and then his restraint crumbled, and he dropped his head in one swift movement as he took her mouth with his own. Lifting his fingers, he slid them along her cheek until they were buried in her dark hair, and then his thumb brushed along her jaw in a caress as he urged her lips to part.
When she opened to him, his tongue lashed out in search of hers, and a harsh breath escaped his nostrils once he found it. Sliding them together, a soft sound of pleasure escaped his throat as he began tasting her.
Their lips meshed together in a hot, wet exploration that lasted several seconds, and then Leah lifted her hands to his chest before turning her head to pull away from him.
"Riley," she gasped. "I can't."
His body was tense, and inflamed, and he completely ignored the rebuke as his other hand lifted to quickly pull the tie to her robe.
Slipping his large fingers inside, he circled her waist with his strong arm, and pulled her against him. With another gasp she peered up at him in surprise, and then his head descended to take her mouth again.
He became urgent. His fingers slipped further into her hair until he was cradling the back of her head, and he used his hold on her to pull her mouth to his as he widened his lips to taste her more deeply. He began to lose all sense of control as a low groan of need escaped his throat.
When he pressed her against the counter, and his hips frantically came into contact with hers, she fought once again to pull away. Wrenching her head to the side, her breath came out in stilted gasps as he panted above her.
"We can't do this," she said in agony. "Please stop," she begged.
As she looked up at him, his grey eyes were fierce while he struggled to gain control. He was still holding her in a death grip when they finally closed, and he dropped his forehead to hers. Taking a few jagged breaths, he opened them to look at her.
"I couldn't help it," he told her softly.
Leah's eyes frantically darted around before she lifted them to his once more. "It's okay," she said quickly. "No one saw. You can't do it again though. You can't look at me like that. Especially around Mark. He'll notice."
Nodding in understanding, Riley continued to look into her eyes. "I won't," he promised her. "I'll behave. No one will ever know how much I want to touch you," he said thickly. "How much I want to taste you every time that I look at you. They'll never suspect how badly I want to be inside of you," he admitted darkly.
His words made her gasp again as she gazed up at him helplessly. His name left her lips in a gently spoken plea. Closing her eyes to escape the heat of his eyes, she took an unsteady breath as her hands fisted against his bare chest.
A rough exclamation of need escaped Riley, and then his lips claimed hers again. She met the onslaught of his lips with her own, and a soft mewl of unmistakable desire entered his mouth as he continued to lose himself against her.
Once he pulled away, he released his hold on her so that he could run his fingers through his hair in agitation. When he looked up at her, his cloudy eyes held a warning. "I want you," he said harshly. "Badly."
His chest lifted abruptly, and then fell as he tried to keep himself from reaching for her again. "Coming here was a mistake," he whispered.
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