Matchmaker 02: February

She looked at me, her face impossible to read. "What are you saying?"

I shook my head slightly. "Not here. Later."

She nodded. We chatted about the available sandwich selections as we inched our way through the line. The choice of sandwiches was limited, but it would do. We ordered and settled by the bank of windows that allowed us to look at the majestic bridge beyond. The design of the restaurant, a large round building with everyone sitting elbow to elbow at the windows, didn't allow for a private conversation, so we rambled on about the park and our time in the city.

We finished our meal and resumed our walk. The day was warming as the sun burned off the low hanging clouds. There were many destinations in San Francisco that we hadn't seen, but I didn't care. All I wanted today was to be alone with Deanna.

"What wouldn't you tell me back there?" she asked as we crossed under the Golden Gate and made our way around to west side of the Presidio.

I didn't look at her. I searched for words, but they were lost to me. "I don't know how to say what I want to."

I could feel her gaze. "Just spit it out."

"I would, but I can't put it into words."

"Try."

I turned and led us up to the Golden Gate Overlook. I said nothing until we reached the platform. There were only a few tourists around, busily snapping pictures of the bridge. I took her hands and pulled her into a private spot under a tree.

"I can't. I don't know the words. All I can say is this has been the most amazing trip, and it's not because of the car, or the things I've tried or done, or any of that. It's because of you. You've..." my voice faded away as I ran out of words.

"I've what?"

I swallowed hard. "You've been amazing. I've learned so much from you. I've never met anyone like you."

She smiled. "Of course not. Everyone you know is rich."

My lips tightened in annoyance. "That's not what I mean, and I think you know it."

She softened slightly. "Then by that measure, you're not like anyone I've met either."

"How do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Only that you're an amazing man, not because of your money, but because of who you are. There's nothing you can't buy, but you want to get your hands dirty. Listening to you talk about your life, I don't believe there are many people in your position who are like you."

"There's one thing I can't buy."

"What?"

"You."

She shrugged. "I'm not for sale."

"I know, and that's what makes you special." I paused, trying to organize my jumble of thoughts and emotions into a coherent sentence. "Other than my parents I never cared about anyone, but that's changed. I care about you."

"That's sweet."

"I'm serious, Deanna. I can't tell you how I feel about you because I don't know myself. I don't love you, not as I understand it, but I want to. Everything is happening too fast!" I turned away from her and stared at the bridge for a long moment. I felt sick, as if I was staring death in the face. I couldn't lose her! I couldn't! I whirled back to face her, throwing caution to the wind. I was pushing my entire stake into the center of the table in a last desperate gamble. "I don't want you to go back to Santa Fe," I said, taking her gently by her shoulders and holding her gaze, desperately trying to show her what I couldn't find the words to say. "I want to spend more time with you, to get to know you and your life. I want..."

"What?" she asked when I didn't continue, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I want... you. I want the chance to fall in love with you."

"Me? A grease monkey? Why in God's name do you want me when you can have almost any woman you want?"

"Because I do."

She watched my eyes, clearly trying to decide if I was toying with her. "You know it'd never work."

"Why?"

"Because I live in Santa Fe and you live in New York. A long-distance relationship can't get much more long distant than that, and I don't think those work."

"So? Move to New York."

She spluttered. "Not going to happen. Why don't you move to Santa Fe?"

I held her gaze for a long moment. While I wasn't philosophically opposed to living in Santa Fe, TSL was headquartered in New York. Mother and I were still arguing over me crewing a ship, but there was never any doubt I would go to work in the family business in some capacity, and that meant living in New York.

"What if I did?" I finally asked.

She smiled. "Then look me up. You know where I live and work."

"Why can't you come to New York? You could..." I paused as she began shaking her head.

"I can't. I love Santa Fe, and I have my house and job, and Dad's going to retire someday. Who would take over the business?"

"He could sell it. If you wanted to, I could help you open your own place. The New York Metroplex is a much bigger market than Santa Fe. You'd have plenty of work," I tried.

"I can't, Ryker. PCC was started by Dad. He built that business from the ground up. It'd break his heart if I were to walk away from it now. And to be honest, I don't want to. It'd be like you turning your back on TSL. Could you do that?"

I shook my head slowly. "No."

She snuggled in. "I would, Ryker. I like you. I like you a lot, probably more than I should considering this was supposed to be temporary, but I can't leave my life, just like you can't leave yours."

I pulled her in close, laid my head against hers and held her. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not."

I pushed her back and looked at her. "You're not?"

She held my gaze, a slightly sad smile dancing over her lips. "No. Not a bit. You've given me some wonderful memories, memories I'll treasure for the rest of my life."

"But there could be more."

She nodded. "And I wish there could be, but I don't see how it would work, do you?"

I pulled her in close again. "What if I could make it work?"

"Then you'd better call me."

I sighed. She was right. I'd started falling for the one woman I couldn't have. "I guess there's only one thing left for us to do."

"What?"

"Pack as much into these last few days as we can."

She nodded against my chest. "I'd like that."

"Let me take a picture of you with the bridge behind you, to remember this moment. Then I'm taking you back to the car where I'm going to make love to you, without stopping, until we arrive in New York."

She shivered in my arms. "Only if you let me get a picture of you."

"And one of us together?"

She pulled out of my arms and looked up at me, her eyes bright. "That sounds perfect."

I smiled at Ryker across the lunch table as the snow-covered crags passed beyond the windows. The California Zephyr was growling through the Rockies, the train snaking through the most majestic scenery I would likely ever see. Ryker hadn't been able to make good on his promise to make love to me without stopping until we arrived in New York, but he damned sure was trying. If it weren't for the fact we had to eat and sleep occasionally, he might have been able to do it.

We started our love making after we returned to the railcar from the Presidio. After dinner, and retiring early, we'd fucked slow and easy for what felt like hours, until we'd crashed into a deep, restful slumber. I woke the next morning as our car was coupled to the train, and by the time the Zephyr began to squeal and rattle out of the Emeryville station, we were banging our brains out. After a nap, showers, and lunch, we'd returned to bed as the train crossed into Nevada, snuggling and talking, remembering our adventures together, until our desires carried us away. Dinner was followed by more love making before we slept through Nevada, waking this morning with just enough time for a shower before lunch.

"It's beautiful out there," I said as I picked at my plate. Today, lunch was poached salmon in a buttery garlic herb sauce with grilled asparagus. The meal was light and delicious, which was what I wanted because I was already thinking about what was going to happen afterwards.

"It's beautiful in here," he countered, as he held my gaze.

I blushed and speared another bit of fish. I was having a hard time not thinking about what he said at the Presidio. I desperately wanted a relationship with him, but I was afraid. Afraid of the distance, afraid our worlds were too different, afraid what I felt for him was infatuation, afraid if I went all in it would crash down around me and hurt me. I wanted to believe he'd leave New York and his life behind for me, but princes don't give up their kingdoms for the love a peasant girl except in Disney movies. He might think he wanted me, but I was sure he'd grow tired of me in short order, as he'd admitted he'd grown tired of all the other women. A leopard couldn't change his spots, and certainly not in a month. I liked him, I liked him a lot, and I wished we had more time to explore where our budding relationship might go, but it was still only a month. That was far too quick to start pulling up stakes and moving across the country. If we only had more time!

All we could do was what he suggested, squeeze as much fun and adventure into the last few days as we could. I smiled. I was certainly having fun. I was determined to wear him out before we reached New York, but so far, he'd risen to every challenge I'd set for him. He was setting the bar for every man that would follow him, both in bed and out.

"You're such a flirt."

"I know. I'm terrible."

"I bet you talk to all the women like that."

He bobbed his head. "I did."

"Did?"

He smiled. "Haven't you heard? I'm a new person, turned over a new leaf, cleaned up my act, all that stuff. Now there's only one woman I want to flirt with."

"Who's that?" I asked as I chased an asparagus spear stuck on my fork around with my tongue before it slowly disappeared into my mouth.

"Millie. She may be almost sixty, and weight 250 pounds, but she's always touching my underwear, which turns me on."

I snickered. Millie was their maid. "You have a thing for older women?"

His gaze bore in. "You know I do."

I flushed again. "Have you always been that way?"

"Eh," he grunted. "About a month."

"What would you do if Millie were here right now?"

"Have her wait in the other car while I engaged in some hard negotiations."

"Negotiations? What are you negotiating and with who?" I asked, wondering where he was going with this.

He leaned across the table and lowered his voice. "You, and the number of times I can make you scream."

I was getting worked up. "I haven't done that. Yet."

He smiled his bedroom smile, the one that told me face melting pleasure was in my future. "Which is why we're still negotiating."

I wanted to fan my face. "You have some pretty good negotiating skills. You might get what you want. Maybe."

His smile spread a little more. "I always do. Sometimes I just have to work a little harder for it."

I was having such a good time with our verbal jousting! "I think it's only fair to tell you that I plan to give you some stiff competition."

"That's okay. I'm sure we can hammer something out."

I paused, thinking, trying to come up with another snappy comeback. "That could lead to some friction between us."

"Often times, the greater the friction, the more satisfying the result."

I paused again, racking my brains. "It might take a while to reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion to the negotiations."

"That's okay. I'll stay up all night working on it if I have to."

How could he come up with stuff so quickly when I was running out of double entendres? He acted like he could go on forever. "You win," I finally conceded when I couldn't think of anything witty to say.

He jerked his fist down in triumph. "Yes," he hissed as his face twisted into comedic victory. "I love it when I make you tap out."

I couldn't help but giggle. He could make me tap out in other ways too, but at least I went down swinging. Sometimes he had to use his lips and tongue to gain his victory, though words were rarely involved. I pushed back from the table. I hadn't gotten my morning tumble and was primed for action. Ryker wiped his lips with the linen napkin and pushed back as well. He led me up the steps to the lounge area.

He picked up the phone. "Serge, we're finished. Excellent as always. Please clear the table at your convenience."

I couldn't hear Serge's response, but I knew the table would be cleared in short order. There were no doors for privacy in the car, except for the bathroom, and though the raised lounge might block the view from the dining area to the bedroom, it would do nothing for the sounds. Our verbal fencing had worked me up, but I wanted to give my lunch time to settle before I forced him to make good on his comments, and that would also give the staff time to do what they needed to.

We settled into the thickly padded leather chairs. I wished there was a couch of some sort in the lounge so we could sit together, but the eight comfortable club chairs were the only seats available. We couldn't even slide them together because they were bolted to the floor. We watched the mountains pass by as Serge and the kitchen staff cleaned up the remains of our lunch. The observation dome extended the entire length of the lounge section, about thirty feet, the sides rising from about knee height to my shoulders before arching over our heads and curving down to join the car's roof over the steps, only the thin wood strips holding the glass panels in place blocking the view of our surroundings. It was a terrific place to pass the time and watch the countryside pass, especially in the mountains.

"Anything else, Ryker?" Serge asked, stopping at the top of the stairs.

"No, thank you, Serge. We'll call if we need anything."

He made the little bow that he did to acknowledge he understood before he disappeared down the steps again. I was sure the entire staff knew what we were doing in our free time, but they respected our privacy. While we ate, one of Serge's staff had changed the linens on the bed, as they did every morning, and while I couldn't wait to get back in there and mess them up again, the scenery was so beautiful I couldn't tear my gaze away.

I watched the passing scenery for almost an hour while slowly swiveling in my chair. Getting to make love to Ryker as such magnificence passed beyond the bedroom windows made me itchy to get started. I rose and sauntered to him, holding out my hand. He took it, but instead of rising to follow me to the bedroom, he gently tugged me down to sit on his lap.

As I settled, he took my head in his hand and pulled my lips to his. He was a dynamic, forceful, lover, a man that knew what he wanted and took it, but gently. He never made me afraid he would hurt me and gave back pleasure in equal measure. He kissed me slowly, luxuriously, our tongues engaged in an intimate dance. He began to softly caress my breast, his finger gently swirling around the nipple. My bra blunted the sensation some, but I could still feel his touch and my nipple began to harden in response. He kissed down my neck until he reached the neckline of my blouse. I felt the sudden loosening of my bra as his sure, nimble fingers released the catches. He was able to open my bra quicker with one hand than most men could with two.

He returned to my lips, his kiss torrid. I tried to rise and drag him to the bedroom, but he refused to move and held me in place. He began to pull my blouse over my head, but when I realized what he was about to do, I clamped down with my arms to stop him.

"No."

"Yes," he whispered.

I resisted. "No. We'll get caught."

"It's just us."

He gently forced my arms up and removed my blouse. A lot of the steam had gone out of me as I worried about Serge catching us in a compromising position, but as he kissed my jaw and neck, taking a breast into his mouth, I began to spool back up again.

"Shit," I whispered as he nursed at my breast, his tongue flicking and darting over the hard point as I held his head in place.

He nudged me and I rose, relieved we were finally going to the bedroom. I bent to pick up my blouse and bra he'd dropped carelessly beside his chair, but when I straightened, he was unbuttoning his shirt.

I guess he had other ideas. Again, my desire flickered. "Take me to bed," I begged.

"No. I want to make love to you here."

"Here?" I squeaked.

He shrugged out of his shirt. "Here, with the mountains in the background."

"But Serge..."

"Nobody will bother us. You know he only comes if we call him."

I swallowed hard. Making love to Ryker as the glorious scenery streamed past did sound wonderfully romantic. It was what I wanted to do in the bedroom but turned up to a hundred. He pulled me to him, his toned and sculpted chest pressed against me as we kissed, making up my mind for me. I fell into the kiss, giving as good as I got as I began tugging at his belt. My tugging was the match that lit the fuse.

He began to ravish me with his lips and tongue as he worked the buttons on my jeans, shoving them down. Now that I had committed to fucking him here, I was going to fuck him! I kicked off my sneakers before I stepped out of my pants, holding his manhood in my hand as he kicked and stomped his way out of his own pants. It was on, and there was going to be some seriously hard negotiations.

The moment his legs were free of his pants I shoved him back into the chair before I dropped to my knees in front of him, the thick carpeting providing reasonable comfort. I took him into my mouth, holding him as deep as I could before pulling back and battering the head of his cock with my tongue. I couldn't hope to swallow all of him as he was too big and I didn't have the skills. I worked on it and had upped my oral game in the past month, but he was still beyond my ability.

He placed his hands on the back of my head as he hissed and moaned softly, his sounds of pleasure delighting me immensely. I hadn't said anything to him because I knew he'd use it against me, but hearing him moan and growl in passion turned me on like little else. I smiled as I continued to work him over, my tongue and lips softly caressing his cock one moment, battering him with hard, fast flicks the next. He grunted softly, pulling my head more firmly forward, forcing himself deeper into my mouth. He wasn't hurting me, and I could easily overpower his gentle pull, but knowing that I was finally doing to him what he'd been doing to me the past month made me feel powerful and in control. I glanced to my right as I bobbed on his cock, the rugged, snow covered Rockies visible through the wall of glass.

He grunted again as my lips gripped his manhood tightly. I teased the tip, slowly caressing it as his slickness coated my tongue. He flung his head back, eyes closed, holding my head as I slowly traveled the length of him, kissing his manhood down one side and back up on the other.

"Fuck!" he growled.

"You like that?" I purred as I slowly kissed my way down his cock again, covering his balls in warm, wet kisses while I leisurely stroked his saliva-slickened cock.

"Yes..." He hissed before barking out a sharp gasp of pleasure as I plunged down him once again, taking as much of him into my mouth as I could while dragging my fingernails softly across his balls.

His testicles were beginning to retract into his body, so I increased the pressure, forcing him deeper into my mouth, fighting the urge to gag as my tongue darted and slithered. I desperately wanted to take all of him, but despite my best efforts, I couldn't. I pulled back to lash the head and catch my breath before I plunged down once more. He began to grunt, his hips jerking as he held me there.

"Fuck! You're going to make me come!"