Two healing souls- Book 2

CHAPTER Three

　　Gracie

　　“Ryland, put me down right now,” I squealed and giggled at the same time.

　　“Nope!” he said, swatting my ass.

　　I made the mistake of complaining about my feet being sore from all the walking today, so what did he do He grabbed me, tossed me over his shoulder, and now we were walking down the streets of New York like this. At least we were heading back to the hotel.

　　“Ryland, people are staring,” I said, hitting his back.

　　I could feel people watching us. Some people were laughing and smiling while others were looking at us, thinking, ‘what the f**k!’ I could feel the heat on both my face and neck.

　　“I don’t care,” he chuckled, swatting my thigh this time, “We will be at the hotel in a minute anyway,” he added.

　　I will get him back for this. I kept my eyes firmly to the ground, not wanting to deal with the stares any longer, not to mention his ass was looking mighty fine from up here. I was thankful when we arrived at the hotel. I was expecting him to put me down, but he didn’t. He proceeded to carry me to the elevator.

　　“What, are you going to carry me to the room too” I questioned.

　　“Yip! Gotta look after my girl,” he replied.

　　I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he would have a smug look on it. I decided not to say anything else since I wasn’t going to win this one. He was lucky that I loved him, or he would have been in trouble.

　　Once we arrived at our room, Ryland let us in, and the moment we were close enough to the bed, he tossed me on it, pulling my shoes off.

　　“I can’t believe you did that,” I said, shaking my head.

　　Ryland crawled up the bed slowly, towering over me.

　　“I am sorry, love. How can I make it up to you” he asked in a sexy husky voice as he dropped wet kisses here and there

　　“Hmm, I don’t know if you can,” I teased.

　　He c****d his brow at me because he knew what I said was bullshit! He is familiar with how easily he can get me to forgive him. I huffed at him, turning my face away, trying hard not to smile.

　　“Are you sure about that,” he said, kissing my neck.

　　“Hmm, yes, not going to work,” I breathed out.

　　“I don’t believe you,” he said and continued kissing along my neck, sucking on the skin. I was trying to hold myself together, but I could feel myself breaking under his lips, under his touch. He ran his hand up my thigh, grabbing it. That broke me. I brought his lips to mine, kissing him roughly. He parted from my lips with his skilled tongue and had a smug look on his face.

　　“Mmm, that’s what I thought, baby girl,”

　　“Don’t look so damn smug,” I giggled and he laughed, covering my lips with his once more, making me forget it all. The kiss was quick to become heated. I loved how this weekend we could do as we please when we please. I grabbed the bottom of his tee, pulled it off and tossed it aside, immediately running my fingers down his back. I felt his muscles tense under my touch, and heard his groaning.

　　I pushed on his chest, flipped him onto his back and quickly, I moved over the top of him, sitting on his stomach. I seductively started removing my tee, opening the front buttons ever so slowly while biting my lips and motioning my hips against his growing desire. His hands caressed my stomach and he took over the removal and tossing of my top, allowing it to join his on the floor. I pushed him back and continued my attack; I pressed my body to him, capturing his lips once again.

　　“Mmm, yes, this is better than you pretending to be mad at me,” he mumbled into my lips.

　　Ryland ran his hands down my back, resting them on my ass and grabbing it. I moaned loudly, and our kissing quickly became even more heated, our hands wandering each other’s body and the rest of the clothing coming off. The moment we were both naked, Ryland tossed me back over onto my back. He was quick to climb over me, kneeling between my thighs. He took a moment to let his eyes roam my body—his eyes darker than usual, a beautiful smile resting on his lips.

　　I used to freak out when he did that. It made me feel self-conscious and vulnerable, but now I like it. It is this very way he looks at me that makes me feel wanted, loved, sexy even, and those were things I didn’t ever think I would feel. I always believed that no guy would want me in the way Ryland does.

　　“Perfect,” he breathed out. With his body resting on mine, he gifted me with a kiss that was so soft. In return, I smiled into his lips and slipped my legs around him.

　　“Mmm, Ryland, I need you now,” I whispered.

　　He held onto my thigh and slid himself inside of me, provoking my moans as I held onto him; he always felt so good. Groaning as his lips covered mine roughly, and he began pushing into me, slowly to start with. It was still enough to drive me up the walls with need. I gripped onto his shoulders, begging him to go a little harder, and he was happy to give me what I wanted. In fact he always is.

　　“f**k,” he panted out as he picked up his speed.

　　I began to move my hips with his, because I know it drives him wild. We worked so well together, our bodies continued perfectly in sync, pleasure soaring through me.

　　“Ryland,” I cried out as I was close. I could feel my c****x approaching. Ryland buried his face on my neck, gripping my hands, thrusting swifter and deeper. It only took another few moments before my entire body tensed and shook, releasing around him.

　　I clung to him as he pushed me through my c****x. I grabbed his hair, bringing his lips to mine, kissing him, and using the little energy I had left to roll my hips to his, trying to bring his c****x on too. It worked because in a matter of seconds he let out a loud grunt, followed by my name, and he spilled into me.

　　We rode out our highs until we are both still on the bed. Ryland kept his place on top of me as we caught our breaths. I ran my fingertips up and down his back. He lifted his head, looking down at me and smiling.

　　“We always feel good together,”

　　I nodded in agreement with him. He pecked my lips before removing himself from inside of me, lying next to me. In a fluid move I rolled over, curling into him, while he pulled the covers over us, kissing the top of my head.

　　“I love you, Gracie,”

　　“I love you too, Ryland,”

　　I honestly hope that I can spend the rest of my life in his arms. I know that may sound a little crazy coming from a seventeen-year-old mouth, but I don’t care. It was the truth. I don’t think I could ever love anyone in the way I love Ryland. In the way that Ryland loves me.

　　“As much as I want to stay here like this with you all day, we need to make a move, my love,” he said, “Because the libraries may close early on a Saturday.”

　　We were going to do some research and look at records and things to see if I could find Peter. Then, we would go to the public record archives on Monday to see if we can find anything else. Surely, using both places, I should find something! Anything! I didn’t have that much information about him, which meant it wasn’t going to be easy. All I knew was his name, a rough age, and last known he was in New York.

　　“I know. We should get showered and head back out,” I sighed. I promised myself not to get my hopes up. No matter how today turns out, I will try and not let it affect me too much because we have the entire day tomorrow to enjoy, and I don’t want this afternoon to ruin any of tomorrow since we had plans.

　　“I know you are nervous, Gracie, but it is something you need to do,”

　　“I know it is,” I said, running my fingers through my hair.

　　At least I didn’t need to do this alone. That was something. If I had to go through this alone, I think by now I would have given up. Until I get the answers that I need, a part of me will be missing. I wonder every day if Peter is married and or has a family. Is he even still alive Does he still stay in the US Too many questions, yet no answers.

　　Ryland and I climbed out of bed, grabbing a quick shower (together to, you know, save water) and getting ourselves ready to go out.

　　“Coffee first And a cookie It may help you relax,” Ryland suggested.

　　“Yes, good idea,” I grinned, feeling warm simply because he knew me too well. He nodded, stealing a quick kiss, and we stopped to get a coffee and a cookie each.

　　“I don’t even know where to start,” I said.

　　“I am not sure either, but we will find a starting point, sweetness, I promise,”.

　　This would be so much easier if only Peter had social media. It would be a case of sending him a private message and going from there. But no, we needed to start from scratch with no information and hope for the best. Ahh, it was frustrating the hell out of me!

　　Breathe, Gracie, breathe! I repeated these words in my head, over and over. I knew being frustrated wasn’t going to help matters. I needed to relax, find my inner patience and work with that.

　　Ryland changed the subject, and I knew he was doing that to distract my mind. It was a good move on his end.

　　“Has Lola said anything to you about Ben coming here with us” he asked.

　　“Not yet, but I will give her a call later,” I responded, “I don’t think it will take much convincing from Lola’s end. She has him wrapped around her little finger,”

　　I laughed at that thought . It was true. Ben was utterly smitten and in love with her, and I think the idea of not having her around will be enough to make Ben follow Lola to New York. I hope he does because it would be suitable for the four of us.

　　“All she has to do is ask, bat her lashes and kiss him, and he will be like putty in her hands,” Ryland chuckled.

　　“Very true.”

　　“I know how it feels,” Ryland’s eyes were on me as he said that. I flashed my sweetest smile at him, pretending I had no clue what he meant.

　　“You do” I questioned to which his response was a loud laugh and a shake of his head, his eyes fixed on me.

　　“You know I do because that is all you have to do, to get what you want out of me,” he chuckled.

　　“Hey! Don’t put all that on me. It works both ways, Connors,”

　　It annoys him when I call him by his second name. That is why I do it. Ryland rolled his eyes at me. I giggled, leaning over the table and kissing him. He was soon smiling again.

　　“You are right. We both have our ways of getting what we want from each other,” he agreed.

　　I smiled brightly at him before we got back to our coffees. We need to head out soon. It was already nearly three, and I was not sure when the libraries shut on a Saturday.

　　I knew the next couple of hours could either change everything or raise more questions. Either way, at least I would know I’ve tried. I don’t think it will make me give up if I don’t find what I need. I will get my answers, no matter how long it takes.

　　“Ready, gorgeous”

　　“As ready as I can be,” I responded honestly.

　　He pulled me in for a kiss, and then we made our way out. Ryland wrapped his arm around me and kept me close.

　　You got this, Gracie! I will keep telling myself that until it becomes true. I needed luck to be on my side today.