TREASURE HUNTERS
by Caitlyn Willows
Finalist-2006 Golden Quill Award
Erotic Romance - Romantic Suspense
January 2005

Amber Quill Press - Amber Heat www.amberheat.com
ISBN: 1-59279-091-7 (Electronic)
ISBN: 1-59279-804-7 (Paperback)

Crushed by the emotional and financial burden as guardian of six siblings, newspaper reporter Rika Kiley struggles to make ends meet. And just when she’d met the most incredible man.

Ryan Fletcher isn’t about to let anything come between him and the woman of his dreams. He’ll do whatever is necessary to help keep Rika’s family together. Why can’t Rika realize that?

A million-dollar sailing race is the answer to Rika's problems. But it is the real deal or a scam? With Ryan right by her side, she is determined to find out. Now all they have to do is survive a grueling race when someone else is just as determined to see them dead.

To read an excerpt of this book, click here

PURCHASE

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WHAT THE REVIEWERS ARE SAYING

FIVE BLUE RIBBONS!!!A truly magnificent story... It pulled at my heart strings when Ryan lets Rika know that he is her partner in all ways, even facing the responsibilities of raising her family. No matter the dangers or challenges Ryan and Rica face their love just seems to grow stronger. I could not wait to turn the page to see how their unconditional love and devotion to each other would help them face their next challenge. This story is so fantastic I cannot wait to see what Ms. Willows comes up with next. ~Briana Burress, Romance Junkies

FIVE STARS!!! [A] scorching contemporary erotic romance…. The sex is hotter than the sands on a Florida beach in August. The scenes are beautiful to read, there are a lot of them and you will be reaching for every toy you own. Treasure Hunters is a fully developed book with great characters and really sizzling lusty sex. ~Julie Esparza, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

RECOMMENDED READ!!! FIVE ANGELS!!! Ms. Willows has given us another great book to sink our teeth into. The suspense will keep the reader on the edge of their seat, biting their nails, and waiting to see what happens next. The sex between these two is so hot and steamy that the reader will be looking for the first snow bank they can find. Rika and Ryan are both strong and loving characters that readers will have an easy time identifying with them. If you love a good romance with suspense, then this is the book I highly recommend you read. ~Donna, Fallen Angel Reviews

FOUR STARS!!! The chemistry between Rika and Ryan is hot from the beginning to end. TREASURE HUNTERS is fast moving and entertaining story with its passion and suspense. ~Cassandra Buckles, Coffee Time Romance

FOUR UNICORNS!!! This story was a really good read. The story keeps you on your toes wondering what was going to happen next. This author out did herself with this book. It has it all, hot sex, love and oh yeah Hot sex again. ~Nicole, Enchanted In Romance

EXCERPT

Long fingers curled around the water goblet mesmerized Rika Kiley. She pressed her lips together to keep her tongue from tracing a circle around them. That was it. If he didn't make a move tonight, she would. They had known each other a month, first as business acquaintances then as dating material. It was time. It was past time.

Candlelight from the globe at the center of the table and the two set high on the wall caught the gold in Ryan Fletcher's dark brown hair. Rika visually traced each strand along its not-too-long path then gazed at the sharp facial angles now softened by shadow. His smoke-gray gaze clicked up to hers, sparkling with life and what she hoped was desire.

They were expressive, those eyes of his. She'd seen them in business, in play, and as they watched her. No one need doubt what the man was thinking. His demeanor might be poised, professional, but one look could send an errant employee scurrying away to right a wrong.

That's what helped make Fletcher's a quality hotel resort. No screaming, no ranting, just orders given quietly with a smile and that look.

Rika would never forget the dinner party the first week of her assignment. One woman complained her roast turkey was cold. Not a complaint, really--more of a casual statement. Ryan's gaze zeroed in on the waiter, then on the cook in the kitchen alcove beyond. Before he could finish saying, "Please fix Mrs. Nelson's dish," the plate was replaced with a steaming one. Ryan smiled and thanked the men, but the smile never penetrated his eyes.

She'd listened outside the kitchen once the party departed, waiting for an explosion sure to come. It didn't. In fact, the only caution given from Ryan was to be watchful and to try to not let it happen again. It didn't matter if the food was hot when it left the kitchen. If the customer said it was cold, it was cold. The customer was always right. She'd seen those same qualities in his brothers.

That was how Rika started the first in her series of newspaper articles about Fletcher's. Now she was here with Ryan, having moved beyond business to the personal, hanging on every word, every movement. And to think she almost missed it.

Rika had pitched a fit when her editor had told her about the assignment. True, as a columnist for travel and social section of The Sentinel, it was her responsibility to cover a story on Fletcher's. But not during the holiday season when the demands from her family were the greatest. She'd been hoping for a little vacation time in order to deal with it.

All the pleading in the world wouldn't budge Art. So, for the week leading up to Thanksgiving and the week following, Rika became an extension of Ryan while Fletcher's prepared for their holiday season. She'd even wound up spending Thanksgiving at Fletcher's rather than with her family. They were kindred spirits that day--both choosing work over family. It turned out to be the best Thanksgiving Rika had ever had, if not the least stressful. At the end, when the job was over, when she was back in the lonely comfort of her very snug, one-bedroom apartment, one thing was certain--she missed his company.

Apparently the feeling was mutual. Just when she was debating whether or not to call him with some excuse about needing more information, he called her. Tack on two more weeks of dating and it was enough for her to know--this was definitely a man she wanted to share a bed with.

Tonight was the night. Yes. Oh, yes! She'd make sure of that, even if she had to tie him down to have him. Now there was an image to fire a woman's lust.

Ryan watched the light glint off Rika's emerald eyes. Her looks could still manage to catch him off guard, even after a month. Not her beauty, although she was definitely an attractive woman, but the whole sense of her--self-possessed, confident. The first glimpse of her as she had slipped her long legs out of her Geo Metro caught his interest. Her stride up to the building boasted of professionalism. But the second her hand grasped his in a welcoming handshake, he was caught. Just the thought of being around her spawned an instant erection, one he'd carried constantly for the last month.

And to think he'd almost missed the chance of meeting her at all. If Matt hadn't chickened out at the last minute, Ryan never would have known she existed.

Ryan's rule of never allowing his business and personal lives to intersect had been hard to keep. Each day he had tossed back the covers, knowing he'd spend it with her. Each night, he'd beat off twice in the shower wishing it was her long fingers wrapped around his stiff cock. He kept any body contact to a minimum--the barest of touches to her back when he led her through a door, a brush against her when he leaned forward to show her something--when all he wanted to do was rake his fingers through her long, copper-colored curls and kiss her hard and deep. To meld their bodies as one.

He'd waited one full day after their business association ended. Okay, he waited six hours. The kiss was well worth waiting for. Having crossed that threshold, Ryan forced himself to hold back. Rika wasn't a one-night stand. She was a long-term relationship. He wanted to be sure--wanted her to be sure before they shared a bed--no matter how much it killed him.

Ryan had just run out of time. His body was ready to explode from wanting her. That he could deal with--it made the eventual union supreme. But his enemy, time, was forcing the issue. In two weeks, just after the New Year, he'd be on his way to Maui to help his family establish a Flecther's there. The trip would last a good six months. He had two weeks to make Rika his. Two weeks to build a relationship to withstand the distance test. Two weeks to bond in such a way, she might even consider coming to visit him there.

Tonight was the night. The stage was set. A Christmas bouquet of flowers delivered to her office. Romantic dinner in a quiet, dim corner of her favorite Italian restaurant. A bottle of her favorite wine chilling in the refrigerator back at her apartment. Five condoms miraculously stuffed in his wallet--yes, he was that horny. There was no doubt how this night was going to end. Not the least.

Ryan braced his forearms on the red-checked tablecloth and leaned closer. "That was a great article on the San Diego Museum of Art."

Her eyes sparkled with her smile, like emeralds in the moonlight. "You read it?"

"Of course. After the series you did on Fletcher's, I'm a fan. From now on, if there's a Rika Kiley byline, I'm reading it."

She curled her fingers over his. "Wow...my first fan."

Ryan laughed and squeezed her hand. "I doubt that. But I would swear you've missed your calling. You should be doing PR work, not working as a reporter."

The smile froze. She cocked her head to one side. "I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Ah," --he tapped the air with his index finger-- "but you find the idea intriguing."

"Well...somewhat. Challenges, new adventures are always intriguing. But PR? I don't have any experience. I wouldn't know who to approach."

"You're a natural. As for who to approach...Fletcher's could hire you."

Rika eased back. The lust he'd seen earlier dimmed.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Ryan wanted to kick himself. He knew what she was thinking. It was plastered all over her face. She thought he was trying to schmooze her into working for them. If he didn't think fast, this evening was a wash.

"Anyone would hire you. Or you could start your own company. Or start small, working on the side."

The words came out one top of each other. He sounded like a blithering idiot, but he just couldn't help it. Ryan couldn't stand the thought that he'd just screwed up royally. He was doing some serious backtracking.

Rika started laughing and pressed her fingers against his lips. "Enough."

His eyebrows inched closer with his worried frown. Ryan kissed her fingers and drew her hand into his. "Are we about to have our first fight?" He turned her hand over and kissed the underside of her wrist.

Rika's intake of breath shouted to his aching cock.

Where the hell is that check?

"I...I've just spent the last month with you, two weeks of which were with you at work. You are the most direct man I've ever met. If you wanted me to work for Fletcher's, you'd have come right out and asked, not spent two more weeks going for the romantic approach."

He dropped another kiss to her wrist, and then draped it around his neck as she slid close to him in the booth.

"I've never been particularly fond of heavy necking in public." Her free hand drifted between his suit jacket and shirt. Ryan longed to yank it right to his crotch. "But I think I have more sympathy for them now."

"Do you?" He dusted his hand up her inner thigh. Thank goodness she wore a short black velvet dress.

Ryan also blessed the dim light and dared to venture further. Rika parted her thighs, giving him full access to the heat at the top. She dug her short nails into his back as he reached his goal. The crotch of her pantyhose was already soaked.

"God, you feel like a furnace," he whispered on a ragged breath.

"I..I..."

Even in the candlelight, he could see her cheeks flush. "I want you, too." He brushed his thumb against her.

She squeezed her thighs, capturing his hand in their steely hold. "If you do that again, we really might make a spectacle of ourselves."

"And here I am wondering if anyone will really notice if I pull you astride my lap."

"Oh, they'll notice all right. I'm not a quiet lover."

Ryan jerked around, lifting his hand as he did so. "Check...please."

Rika tried not to laugh. It was impossible. Just knowing he really did crave her as much as she did him, made her so happy she could bust. It would be a small miracle if they made it back to her place before giving in. Five miles felt like five hundred.

His smile to the waiter belied his impatience to leave. He tucked payment into the leather holder, no doubt tipping generously as he always did.

"Ready?"

He slipped from the booth, tucking his jacket closed as he stood. But not before Rika got a good glimpse of what he was trying to hide. Her pulse thudded in her ears.

"I've been ready for a while." She used what she hoped was a sexy sounding voice and brushed up against him as she stood.

Ryan snaked his arm around her waist and cupped her ass. "Then I promise we'll make up for lost time. I don't do one-night stands, Rika."

She forced herself to swallow. "Neither do I. I've wanted you from the start, but I appreciate the--"

"Build up?" He cocked an eyebrow.

Rika laughed. "Oh, yeah. I hope I was worth--"

"The agony?"

"Stop that." She smacked her palm into his rock hard chest as she giggled. "Let's get out of here before I give in to the urge to sprawl myself wide open on the table."

He feigned a groan then guided her from the restaurant.

When they stepped beneath the outside canopy, a cold breeze blasted into them, tightening Rika's already aching nipples. Ryan whipped off his jacket and tossed it around her shoulders. Rain spit against them. It looked like a very nice night to be snuggled under the covers with the man of her dreams.

He tucked her into the cove of his arms while they waited for the valet to bring Ryan's Grand Cherokee around. He cringed at the sound of tires squealing against wet pavement. His arms tensed.

It was symptomatic of living where there was very little rain. Oils built up on the streets, diminishing traction. Add to that a driver with little to no experience with inclement weather and you had problems. The accident rate exploded during rainstorms.

"I haven't heard the crunch of metal or any thuds into concrete, so you're probably all right."

Ryan shook his head. "I can only hope."

"Who's watching your pride and joy while you're in Hawaii?"

"Dad's thinking about buying one. I'm going to let him test it out. He'll treat it like it was his own. Matt and Kevin..." He shrugged.

"I hear you." She gave a light laugh. "But I'd trust my brother before I'd trust my parents. Those two are like maniacs when they drive. It's enough to give you a heart attack. My older sister isn't much better. But Andy is Mr. Safety."

"Much like his sister, Miss Responsibility. And that's meant as a compliment, not a dig."

"Taken as such." She tilted a nod his way. "I thank you very much. I pride myself on being responsible." Heaven knows, someone had to be. Becky took after their parents too much--flighty, scatter-brained, disorganized. Her husband wasn't much better. Rika could never understand how people could live that way--for today and screw tomorrow.

Ryan lifted her chin on the pads of his fingers. "What happened to the hot chick who's going to ravish me later?"

Rika laughed. "Sorry. I let family garbage drag me down. I promise you, she's still here...and still damned hot."

Her lips parted for his. The sound of a vehicle coming around the corner pulled them apart. The valet pulled the dark green Cherokee to a smooth stop before them.

Ryan whipped open the door, ushering Rika into the warmth inside. She watched him slip the young man a tip before he dashed to the driver's side. He'd barely closed the door when the sky opened up.

"We're going to get drenched from the car to my apartment."

Ryan flashed her a naughty grin. "I wasn't planning to stay in my clothes long anyway." After a wink, he shifted into drive and pulled onto the street.

Rika appreciated his attention to the road. She had to admit she hadn't found him lacking in anything so far. Hopefully, sex was going to be the icing on the cake. She eased into the soft seat, soaking in the comfort and the treat of space. Her little Metro felt like a cracker box compared to this. But it was cheap and got her where she was going.

Ryan avoided the crowded freeway and cruised down side streets to get to her apartment complex. Like just about every other apartment dweller in San Diego, she was crowded into a prohibitively expensive closet. Ryan's wasn't much better from what she understood. But the two-story building in which she lived had a lovely garden courtyard, a small perk few others had. Ryan reached the place in record time. He pulled in behind her little car, trying to tug up close under the portion of carport allotted to her. Looked like they were still going to have to battle the rain.

As he twisted off the key, Rika touched his arm. "I know you like to be the gentleman, but it's pouring out there. I can get my own door. The sooner we get inside--"

"The sooner you can have your way with me."

That devilish grin of his cut straight to her heart. This one was definitely a keeper. She grabbed his face in both hands and slipped her lips over his. One arm tugged her close while his tongue twined with hers.

He broke off on a deep groan. "Thank God for that cold rain. I need something to slow me down."

Rika butted her forehead to his. "I doubt that. I suspect you are as meticulous in your love-making as you are with everything else."

"Boy, are you in for a shock." He laughed. "You'll be lucky if I don't rip your hose to shreds and do you up against the door once we cross that threshold."

Heat pooled to her clit at that thought. No one had ever been that hungry for her before. She wanted to beg him to do it--take her hard and fast. Coherent thought, much less speech, wasn't possible.

"Ready?" he asked.

Rika was conscious of nodding as she wrapped her fingers around the door handle. She shoved her shoulder into it. A blast of cold wind and rain took her breath away. Slamming the door shut, she raced for the steps leading to the second floor. Ryan was right behind her, holding his jacket over them as they made a run for it. She seated the key in a single thrust, twisted open the knob, and they were inside...and dripping wet.

"I'll get us some towels." She tossed her purse to the nearby chair and headed for the bathroom. "I want those clothes off by the time I get back, Mr. Fletcher."

"Only if you come out of there naked, Miss Kiley," he shouted back.

"You can count on that."

Ryan squeezed his dick into submission. At the rate he was going, he'd be coming the second he was inside her. As tempting as quick release was, he really wanted to have more to say for himself in this area than that. He wanted to give her a ride she'd grow horny just thinking about. Considering how on the edge he was, Ryan thought it prudent to leave something on between him and nirvana. He wanted to make her come first, to feel her release beneath his hand, to watch the rapture on her face, before giving in to the pounding thrusts his body craved.

He tucked his jacket over one of the stools at the island between the kitchen and living area, then peeled off his shirt and put it over the other stool. Rika had as much elbow room in her place as he did in his. Looked like she'd nested a little better than he had, though. Her furniture consisted of what his mother would call "early single girl." In fact, it looked like it had come right out of the sixties. Rika had indicated she'd bought it secondhand. Ryan didn't doubt that for a minute. At least it was clean and sturdy, even if he questioned the choice of green plaid.

The bathroom was off her bedroom and that was it. Just like his, it took less than a minute to look through the whole place. Barefooted and down to trousers, Ryan retrieved the bottle of chardonnay and two glasses from her kitchen. As he popped the cork and poured, he noticed the message light flashing on her answering machine on the counter.

"You've got a phone message waiting," he called out.

"Caller ID say from who?" she shouted back.

He pressed the button. K.D. Kiley. "Looks like your folks."

"It'll keep. Probably Mom. She wants to go shopping tomorrow...again." She walked from the bedroom draped in a towel that just covered her butt. She dusted its mate through her long red curls.

Ryan's jaw dropped. He knew she had long legs--hell, she was five-seven--but this was his first full glimpse of them. They were smooth, shapely, and sprinkled with a kiss of freckles just like the bridge of her nose. And all he wanted was to get between them and fuck her until they collapsed, dehydrated and exhausted.

He took a slow sip of wine. "God, you're beautiful."

Rika passed him a towel and reached for her glass. "I was thinking the same thing of you."

She couldn't take her eyes off his chest. Touching the hard angles was nothing compared to seeing the real thing. He had a smattering of hair sprinkled between his pecs. It grew denser as it reached his navel, then disappeared beneath the waistband of his trousers. What looked like a foot-long erection pulsed behind his zipper.

Rika snagged her wine and wandered around to his side of the counter. "You're still wearing your trousers." She sipped.

"You're wearing a towel."

"I'm shy."

"So am I."

"You are not," she said with a laugh.

"Nope, but I figured there was a better chance of me hanging on more than five seconds if I kept my pants on."

Rika closed the short gap between them. "But...how can you possibly resist my charms?" Then she did what she'd been longing to do--she palmed his erection.

His nostrils flared with his sharp intake of breath. She reveled in the power while she quivered with the need to have him buried deep inside her cunt. She gently massaged the rock hard ridge. His eyes closed on another, more shaky breath.

"I want to see you." She dotted kisses around one of his taut nipples. "I want to feel you all hard and big, pounding inside me."

"If you keep doing that, you won't be able to look at this counter again in the same light. As it is, I'm beginning to wonder if I brought enough condoms with me."

"If not, I bought a box for the occasion." Rika eased his zipper down beneath her inquisitive hand. A low groan rumbled from his throat. "Will that be enough for tonight?" She snaked her nose down his torso.

"Geez, woman!" Ryan caught a handful of hair and gently pulled her up.

Rika tugged her towel away and pressed herself against him. "I'm burning up for you, Ryan. Please don't make me wait any longer. Please...give me what I need, what only you can give."

Now Rika knew what an animal in heat felt like. She wanted him to take her right here on the floor. To fuck her until she couldn't walk, then haul her off to bed and make her his over and over again until any man who'd ever existed was permanently wiped from her memory. She needed Ryan like she needed air to breathe. Somehow, in this last month, he'd become part of her existence. They only needed this union to finally blend their souls. It sounded corny, it sounded crazy, but that was how she felt.

She caressed his long, hard dick once more. "Would a gentleman make a lady beg for it?"

He squeezed her ass in his big hands. "Would a lady make a gentleman come in his pants?" Without warning, he seized her by the waist and hoisted her to the counter.

"Open your legs, sweetheart. Let me see your kitty."

He didn't give her much choice. Long fingers kneaded her thighs, coaxing them further and further apart. Rika had to admit, she loved his dominance. Leaning back on her elbows, she gave him full access.

Ryan draped her calves over his shoulders. "My poor sweetheart, look how swollen you are. I know how badly you need to come." He kissed his way up her thighs. "God, I love the scent of you. Fresh...sweet..." His tongue flicked across her clit.

"Oooh!"

"I know, sweetheart. I know how good it feels."

Rika swore she could come just hearing him talk. "I want you."

"I want you, too, honey. But I also want you to remember our first time." He circled her clit once more.

She closed her eyes as she cried out, helpless to fight what she so desperately needed. There wasn't a place he didn't touch with that nimble tongue of his. Each fold was mapped to perfection before he swooped to the peak and twirled it to the pinnacle of release. Rika writhed beneath him, unashamed let him know how very much she enjoyed the attention. She longed for his fingers inside her, but they cupped her buttocks. She wished for his cock, but it was still tucked away.

"Oh, Ryan, please!"

He answered with a guttural sound as he sucked her clit between his lips, flicking his tongue around and around.

Rika's hips lifted with the force of her orgasm. He hung on until the pleasure subsided, then dropped more kisses to her thighs and stomach in her after-throes. She'd never felt more satisfied in her life.

"You'd better not fall asleep on me." He hauled her upright and into his arms.

She laughed lightly and dropped her arms around his neck. "I feel like a cat in front of a warm fire."

Damned if she didn't look extra sexy now. Ryan scooped her in his arms. He wanted to make her come a second time, but he just couldn't wait. Listening to those sweet sounds she'd made, he'd had a hell of a time holding back as it was.

She traced her tongue around his ear as he carried her into the bedroom. When he placed her on the bed, she nibbled her way down his neck, then to his chest. Ryan fumbled for his wallet and the condoms inside. Then her teeth grazed his nipple. He sucked in a gasp as he fought to stay on his feet. No woman had ever...

He sucked in another sharp breath as she twirled the nipple between her teeth and flicked the tip beneath her tongue. Long fingers spread fire down to the waistband of his trousers. In seconds the zipper was down. Rika released a muffled groan as his cock fell into her hands. She raked her mouth down to it.

"Man alive, you're gorgeous," she whispered.

His pants and boxers were at his ankles. Ryan kicked them aside. He was torn between tossing her back to the mattress, and seeing how far she'd go. One loop of her tongue around the shiny, purple head took any decision away. It felt like a thousand feathers danced around his dick. He raked his fingers through her long, red curls and indulged in gentle thrusts as she licked and sucked, licked and sucked. If her pussy was as hot as her mouth... He groaned as she cupped his balls.

"You're gonna make me come, honey," he gasped out.

Rika pulled back on a hard suck that nearly pulled the cum from him. "Isn't that the point?" Mischief danced in her green eyes.

"I want to fuck you. I need to fuck you."

She crawled back on the bed, that naughty little smile taunting him. "Then give it to me." Those nimble fingers of hers drifted to her nipples. One hand teased the tight little beads while the other traveled to her clit.

"I need you," she whispered.

God, she was hot! Ryan snatched his trousers from the floor, yanked the wallet from the pocket. Condom retrieved, he tossed everything aside and ripped open the packet. She danced her toes up his thigh. Seating the condom, Ryan grabbed her feet, spread her thighs wide, and crawled in between.

He nudged his dick against her swollen clit. Rika arched against him and he seated himself in a hard thrust. Her tight walls contracted around him, caressing him. Ryan fought the rush and shoved his hand between them. Deep inside her heat, he watched the pleasure build on her face as he pulled her toward climax once more. As the moment exploded, he gave in to the long, deep, vigorous thrusts he loved.

Rika wrapped her legs around him, digging her heels into his buttocks, riding him as much as he rode her. Fire coursed to his pelvis, then his balls, then...

Loosing a long groan, he cupped her ass tightly as he came hard. Rika clutched him to her, opening herself to all he had to give.

They collapsed to the kisses and caresses of after-love while their breathing slowly subsided to normal.

Ryan brushed his thumb over her silky cheek. "Suppose you can wrangle a week's vacation out of that editor of yours? There are a couple of beaches in Hawaii with our names on them."

Her eyes brightened. "What about your work?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "Man can't work day and night, especially if he has a beautiful woman waiting for him." He danced his other hand up her ribs. "Besides, I was thinking a weekend back here at least once month might be in order. I hate the idea of being away from you for six months."

Rika laced her fingers around his neck. "I'd like that very much. Who knows? Maybe I can manage a long weekend every month, too. I've got a little tucked away...and there's always plastic."

Ryan wanted to cheer. They were on the same page. Not that he liked the idea of her going into debt for him. In fact, he'd see she didn't. But--damn--she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. This was it. She was the one. He knew it!

"Why don't you grab our wine and we can plan." She dropped kisses along his jaw.

Ryan captured her lips in a deep kiss, then pulled away. "Be right back." He kissed her all the way down her body.

After tossing the spent condom in the trash can beside her dresser, Ryan walked on to the kitchen. The telephone blasted out a ring, startling him.

"Want me to get that?" he asked.

"No, let it go. It's probably just Mom about going shopping tomorrow. Mom can truly shop 'til she drops."

He grabbed the bottle of wine and their glasses, listening as the answering machine picked up. There was a choked sound, then a man's voice.

"Damn it, Rika. Where the hell are you? It's Andy. Mom and Dad..." He smothered what sounded like a sob. "Becky...Dan... There was a car wreck. They're dead, Rika. They're all dead."

Ryan stared in dumbstruck silence for what seemed like hours, searching for the words to tell the woman he was falling in love with news no one should have to hear.

"What's taking so long?" she called out. "Are you talking to my mom?"

He wanted to cry. Setting the wine aside, he returned to the bedroom. Rika sat up the second she saw him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Ryan sat beside her, pulling her hand into his, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "Honey, that was Andy..."

Rika sat on the edge of her parents' bed and fingered the diamond solitaire necklace at her throat--a Christmas gift from Ryan. More guilt. She hadn't gotten him a thing. It was all she could do to make sure the kids had what they needed for Christmas. He'd brushed it off by saying she'd had much more important things to worry about, like five children who were suddenly under her guardianship. If only he knew how bad things really were.

She blinked back tears. That was something she was determined to hide from him. Knowing Ryan as she now did, he'd try to fix it all. That was hardly fair to him.

He'd been a godsend to her these last two weeks--helping her with funeral arrangements, dealing with the parade of people and sympathetic phone calls, sitting by her side in court while she got guardianship of her sister, youngest brother, nephew, and two nieces. He'd even had their Christmas dinner catered by Fletcher's. Everywhere she went, everything she had to do, all she needed was to turn and his shoulder was there.

Ryan loved her. He didn't have to say it, Rika just knew. She loved him, too. That's why it made this so much harder to do. She had no choice.

"Ryan's here."

Rika glanced up at her twenty-one-year-old brother. People didn't believe she and Andy were related. His hair was golden brown, his eyes a brown that merely hinted at green depths. The only other sibling who'd had red hair was Becky, and Becky was gone. She hadn't even passed that trait on to her three children. Rika was the odd one now. All the rest looked like Andy.

She had to protect him, too. He deserved the same opportunities Rika and Becky had had in life. He didn't need to know Rika had spent every dime, and then some, on hospital bills and the funerals. The fools hadn't even had medical insurance.

"Thanks."

"You're going to do something stupid, aren't you?"

She wanted to laugh. God knew, she wanted to laugh. The truth hurt too much. "Yes, I probably am."

"Then maybe you need to do it at his place. I can watch things here."

Rika shook her head. She'd made her decision, painful though it was. It was best to get it over with. She forced herself to stand, then prayed her legs would hold her. "I'll talk to him on the patio."

Andy muttered something under his breath. Rika strongly suspected he was calling her an idiot and lacing a few curse words in there as well. If he only knew how much this was breaking her heart.

Blinking back tears, she walked into a living room sprawled with bodies. Ryan sat in her father's recliner, flanked by her young nieces. Kristi and Amy adored him. What child wouldn't? He talked to them on their level, paid attention to what they had to say. She'd never in a million years forget how they'd cuddled under his arms after the funeral, telling him their fears, crying until they'd fallen asleep.

Yep, she was stupid all right. But how fair was it to ask him to take on this burden?

He smiled when she entered the room. That smile faltered when he saw the look on her face. He knew. Rika buried her face in her hands and started to cry. In an instant, his arms were around her. He kissed the top of her head and drew her out the back door.

"You're scaring the hell out of me, honey. Please don't say what I think you're going to say."

That made her cry all the more. "I have to, Ryan. Relationships take time and work--"

"But I--"

"Please don't say it. Don't make this harder than it is." She burrowed deeper into his arms, weeping against his chest. "I've got five children to take care of. How do I possibly find time for..."

"I'm there for you, Rika. I can help. We can do this."

She glanced up at the pain in his eyes and damned the light from the kitchen window. "You'll be in Hawaii for six months. I'll be here. I can't just pick up and go. This can't work."

"And I say it can. Damn it, I don't want this to end. I need you. I want you. I l--"

She clamped her fingers over his lips. "Please...don't. It's not fair to you to ask you to take a back seat. It's not fair to you to ask you to put up with all of this."

He kissed her fingers and pulled her hand into his. "Even if I want to?"

"It won't work. Even the best of established relationships would have a hell of a time. You'll be gone for six months. It's best to end it now."

"Just like that."

She forced herself to nod. "It kills me to say it, but...yes."

"This isn't over, Rika. It can work. It will work."

If he kept this up, she'd cave. Why couldn't he understand it was better to get this over rather than drag the heartache out?

"Give me a chance. Give us a chance." He kissed the curve of her neck at that spot he knew weakened her resolve. Desire welled up with her sigh. "Matt or Kevin can take over the job in Hawaii."

Rika forced her senses back in order. "You leave tomorrow. How is that fair to them to have them uproot their lives and families at the last minute?" Reluctantly, she stepped from the warmth of his arms. "You have responsibilities just like I do, and people who've depended on you a lot longer than I have. Please...just go."

She reached to unclasp the necklace. His hands stopped her.

"Don't. There's enough pain in my heart right now without you doing that."

Tears drifted down her face. Ryan kissed her lips, then brushed by her and left. Rika waited until she heard his Jeep start up, then sank to the patio chair and cried what was left of her heart out.

She didn't know how long she sat there in the cool night air--long after Andy and their next younger sister, Robyn, had put the little ones to bed. She just didn't have the will to move. Her heart had walked out the door with Ryan. Yes, it was her doing, but that made it all the worse--not only had she broken her own heart, but that of a wonderful man. She heard the back door open and half prayed he stood there. It was Robyn instead.

A clear match to Andy, the seventeen-year-old held out the cordless. "Ryan's on the phone."

Rika's shaking fingers wrapped around it. Robyn ducked back inside.

"You don't give up easily, do you?"

"Not when there's every reason not to. We're good together."

He was so right about that. "With everything the way it is, I just don't see how we can survive the time and distance...for one thing. For the other--"

"Let me prove to you we can weather this. Every relationship has its tests. Ours just came a little sooner than we might have liked."

"How can you prove--"

"Find a private room. Go in it and lock the door."

He was going to wear down what little resistance she had left by talking. She should hang up now and end it. It seemed too cruel an act. Ryan deserved better than that.

"All right." Back inside, she debated on whether to use the bathroom or her parents' room. With only one bathroom for all of them, the bedroom was the better option for a few minutes of privacy. Ignoring Andy and Robyn, she walked inside then shut and locked the door behind her.

"Are you there?" he asked.

"Yes." Her voice came out on a ragged sigh.

"Is the door locked?"

"Yes."

"No chance of interruptions?"

"The children are asleep. Andy and Robyn are still up."

"Good... Touch your breasts for me, honey."

Rika gasped. "I...I--"

"Close your eyes and touch them. Pretend your hands are mine. Pretend my lips are around your nipples."

She sank to her knees. "My bra--"

"Unhook it. You know how you love my hands on your tits."

"I do," she breathlessly replied. One hand shook as she released the hook. Once free, she closed her eyes and cupped her breast.

"Tell me how it feels, sweetheart."

"Soft, hot. It...it wants your mouth."

"And it's there, wrapped around your light brown nipple." He sucked in a breath. "God, I love how it gets hard under my tongue. I love how you arch into my mouth, begging for more with those sweet sounds you make."

Rika swallowed her shyness. "And your dick feels so hard against my...against my..."

"Say it, sweetheart. Say how much your pussy wants my cock."

"Is it in your hand? Are you stroking it slowly?"

"Just like you would, honey. Touch your clit. Play with it. Tell me how sweet and swollen it is."

Rika shoved her hand into her jeans. Her hips lifted to meet her. "I'm so wet."

"Who makes you wet?"

She sucked in a breath as she slowly massaged her clit. "You, Ryan. You make me wet and horny. I...I want you fucking me all the time. Are you hard for me?"

"Always. I'm going to come fast, honey. That's what you do for me. But I want to wait for you. I want to hear you come. I want us to come together."

"I'm close. I'm so close."

"Do it, sweetheart. Give your kitty what it wants."

Her fingers swirled faster. "I'm going to come...now." The moment exploded on her. Rika bit back the urge to cry out. Hearing him come on the other end of the line heightened her release. The feeling subsided by small degrees.

"I love you, Rika," he said through pants of breath. "I love you and I'm not going to let you go. Give us time, honey. Please."

"I love you, Ryan, so much. But--"

"No buts, sweetheart. Time. Please."

She found herself nodding, then realized he couldn't see. "Time...okay. But you're going to have one hell of a long distance phone bill."

"You're worth it. Think I'll see about getting us headsets."

She laughed lightly. Maybe they could get beyond this. Ryan being gone might work to her benefit. She'd be able to get things under control without him seeing her implode. "I should come over and give you a proper send off. Think you're up to it?"

"I'm crushed you'd ask that."

"Yeah...I'll bet. I'm on my way."

Rika punched the off key and stared at the phone. A lot could happen in six months. She was panicked, that's all. There was no reason to drag Ryan down with her. She could handle this just fine. He'd never need to know.