"Ria, what are you doing here?" he asked, looking her up and down. He rested his hand on the door waiting for her to say something. Meanwhile, his heart was pounding inside his chest and it felt like a knife was piercing it, the pain was unbearable.
"I, I." She couldn't speak, the words just wouldn't come out.
"I've made coffee, do you want some?" He wanted to shut the door on her, wanted her to go away so that he wouldn't have to feel this way, but instead, he asked her in.
"Yes," she finally managed to say. She stepped inside when he moved to let her enter and followed behind him into the kitchen.
"I thought you were on your way to Paris?" he asked over his shoulder.
"I leave in the morning."
In the kitchen with his back to her, he poured them each a cup. "About that night in the bar. I didn't mean any of it. Just want you to know I've not been with anyone."
"I know," she said, standing there with her hands behind her back.
"Why are you here?" he asked, turning to look at her.
She saw tears forming in his eyes and her own filled her eyes. "I couldn't leave without telling you something."
When she didn't say anything he banged the mugs down on the counter, spilling coffee all over. "
"Ria, damn it, tell me what you want to say. Did you come here to hurt me, to torture me more than you already have?"
"No," she said shaking her head. "I, I love you."
He stumbled back against the counter, hanging on for dear life. "What did you say?"
"Ryan, I'm in love with you. I've always been in love with you right from the beginning. I was just too blind to see it. When you told me you loved me it freaked me out, I got scared so I ran. But I can't run from it any longer. So if you still want me I'm yours, heart, body, and soul."
He just stood there, staring at her. He waited so long to hear those words from her and now that they were spoken he was speechless.
She lowered her head, thinking he no longer loved her and she had no one to blame but herself. "I understand if you no longer feel the same way about me. I just couldn't leave without letting you know I love you."
"Say it again."
"What?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Say it again, say you love me," he said, moving closer and stopping only inches from her.
"I love you, Ryan."
Putting his hand around her throat he pulled her closer. "Again, say it again."
"I love you," she said as the tears rolled down her face.
The wind was almost knocked out of her when his mouth came down hard on hers, his kiss rough, full of hunger and passion as she felt her back being pushed into the counter. She put her arms around him as she kissed him back with longing and desire. Their breathing becoming heavy as they clung together, their lips fighting for dominance over the other.
Breaking the kiss he hiked her dress up over her head and tossed it down. "I've waited so long to hear those words from you," he said as she undid the buttons on his shirt and pulled it down over his shoulders. Putting his hands around her waist lifted her up onto the counter, getting up he moved her legs so that she was almost straddling him, his hands moving up and down her legs while they kissed.
He had been without her for weeks, he missed her scent, the way her skin felt and missed making love to her. Just to feel her lips on his warmed his heart and he knew no matter what he wasn't letting her go again.
"Ryan," she went to talk but he put a finger across her lips.