Her Anchor (114 page)

Chapter 10

Zaria and Ryder were lying in bed now, the boat gently rocking them to and fro with the waves. They were looking at each other now, a loving look on their eyes.  They were safely nestled in the middle of the ocean together, leaving behind a life they no long wanted.  Zaria would no longer be an Araeldan princess but she would be Ryder’s princess and that’s all that mattered to her. 

Ryder looked down at Zaria who was laying in his arms now.  Both exhausted from the adrenaline of the day. He smiled at her, warmly, before kissing her gently.  He couldn’t believe they had actually run away together.  He couldn’t believe this beautiful woman actually loved him and wanted to be with him.  He smiled happily before pulling her even closer to him.  She looked up at him, rolling on top of him before kissing him gently.

“Aren’t you glad that we can go off and start our lives together, like a true family?  The baby doesn’t need to be a secret anymore.  I can get a job and raise money and we will be a happy little family.”  Zaria looked at him, loving the excitement in his voice. Also wary knowing that her father would be looking for her and now Ryder. She shoved that as far down as she could.

Ryder chuckled as he saw the excitement in her eyes. He kissed the top of her head, gently.  He loved how happy she got over the thought of them being a family.  It made him feel proud. 

He leaned down and kissed her lips.  Soon enough the kiss turned passionate.  Before they knew it they were both naked, smiling at each other, tangled into a loving embrace. They looked at each other for a moment, just admiring one another. 

Zaria was beautiful, with flawless skin and a beautiful chest.  Ryder was muscular and tanned from countless days of being caressed by the sun.  Zaria looked at him before slowly running a hand down his chest.  He smiled at her before leaning down and gently kissing her shoulder, playfully nipping it.  She giggled before pulling him closer.  Suddenly she flipped them over and looked down at him, smirking at her new position.  She giggled again, feeling naughty and then kissed him again. 

For some reason, she was suddenly overcome by a need for him.  She wondered if they could still make love even thought she was pregnant.  Before she could give it a second thought that it might be a bad idea she was overcome by urges and couldn’t stop herself from pouncing on him. 

She started to kiss his neck, hard and fast, making him moan.  She loved the sound of his moans.  She continued to kiss his neck, getting more and more eager with each kiss, before finally finding his sweet spot.  She continued kissing him sweetly and then started to suck his neck slowly until he couldn’t take it anymore.  

He flipped them over suddenly, pinning her to the bed.  She grinned at him, giggling before she leaned up and kissed him, hard.  They continued to kiss with their hands roaming all over each other’s bodies.  Ryder’s hands went up and down her back before finding the sweet wetness between her legs.  He smirked, knowing he had found his prize. 

Ryder started to rub her slowly, teasing her.  He fingered her, playing her like an instrument as his fingers started to experiment with going in and out of her, slowly.  He smirked at the reaction, loving the sound of her moans against his ear as she arched her back, her body begging for more.

Ryder grinned in amusement at her reaction before leaning down and kissing her again.  He ran his fingers through her hair before getting into position behind her.  Suddenly he plunged into her, making her gasp. He held her hands above her head before starting his rhythm of thrusting in and out of her, rocking her whole world.

Zaria moaned loudly as her world filled with immense pleasure.  She pulled her lover closer as her fingers tangled into his hair, pulling his lips closer to hers.  She wrapped her legs around him as he continued to rock into her.  She started to move her hips, matching his rhythm, both of them rocking in sync with the rocking of the boat. 

Soon enough Zaria could feel herself begin to orgasm.  Ryder continued to piston in and out of her, making her feel incredible.  She could tell he was enjoying himself as he went even harder.  Zaria moaned his name as she started to shake in orgasm. 

Ryder couldn’t handle the sound of his name escaping her perfect lips.  He rushed over the edge and suddenly he was shooting his load deep inside of her.  They collapsed on top of each other, panting in exertion. 

Ryder, when he finally caught his breath, he moved down, laying his head on her stomach.  He smiled, thinking that maybe, just maybe, if he listened close enough he could be able to hear his child.  He reached up and grabbed Zaria’s hand.  They laid like that for a long while, smiling, knowing that soon enough they would be starting a family together. 

The baby no longer had to be a secret.  They no longer had to live in fear.  They could finally express their love freely, without fear of death.  Ryder smiled at the thought of the life to come.  He knew there was nothing else in the world that would make his life better. 

He may have grown up an orphan, without parents, but if he hadn’t lived a life of sorrow, washed up unwanted on a shore, he never would have met Zaria.  He would have never fallen in love.  His life hadn’t be easy, but it had been worth it.

THE END

The ice was starting to melt in my glass. I picked it up and swirled it around before taking a swallow. Then I finished it off. What the hell, right? I was already as low as I could get, so getting wasted in this shabby old bar wasn’t going to hurt my reputation any. I signaled for the bartender to bring me a refill, trying to pretend I didn’t know her. I was trying really hard to pretend I didn’t know every single person in this place.

I watched as she fixed my drink and for the briefest of moments I let myself feel sorry for her. I couldn’t remember her name, Lori maybe, but she was a couple years younger than I was. Graduated with my sister I think. And here she was, at the same bar we used to try and sneak into, in the same town we grew up in, getting hit on by all the guys who chose to stay in this dust bowl.

I wondered what went so wrong in her life that she ended up here. Or maybe she never left. I shuddered at the idea. She set my drink on a fresh coaster and gave me a kind smile. The kind of smile that made you want to unburden all your problems and leave a big tip. I forced a smile in return and handed her a couple of bills.

I didn’t feel like talking, but I wasn’t really in a hurry to return to my childhood bedroom at my mom’s place either. Or even figure out how I was supposed to get back there now that my world was starting to get a little fuzzy around the edges. I left that responsible over-planner behind in my old life. The one that kicked me back here. Clearly being responsible wasn’t working for me, so I may as well see how the other half lived. I raised my glass to my new life plan, and took a long sip.

Through my muted senses, the opening notes of a familiar song filtered through and I forced myself to listen to it. It made me think of when being home made me happy. A time when I had fit in here. I hated that I still loved this song. I hated whoever paid a dollar to play this song on the jukebox. I took up my glass again, but only ice touched my lips. I hated that too. Looking down the bar I saw Lori, maybe Lori, anyways, talking to a group at the other end, so while I waited I used my glass to stamp a circle of water onto the bar. Then another. Anything to get my mind off the past.

The stool to my right squeaked as someone climbed onto it, stirring me from my sulking. The spark I felt from the rub of his arm against mine as he adjusted in his seat surprised me. As did the familiar scent of clean soap mixed with fresh pine. I hated that I loved that smell.

Stealing a look to my periphery I took in the thick calloused hands and dark tanned arms that a man only got from long hours working in the sun. My eyes travelled up from the plaid shirt rolled at the elbows, the standard uniform around here, along the thick muscles of his arms, up to the pair of bluest eyes to ever grace W. H. Morrison High. Shit.

“Get that stupid grin off your face Colt Miller.”

“What grin?”

“You know the one.”

“The one that tells you I caught you checking me out?”

“I was not checking you out.”

“Come on, Calleigh, I know you better than that. Actually, I seem to recall knowing you really well at one time.”

I groaned at the memories that brought back. Between Colt and the jukebox I was going to have to drink myself into oblivion to get through tonight. I finally caught Lori’s attention and she began mixing another unforgiving rye and coke. I could say one good thing about this place- they don’t water down the drinks like in the city.

“It’s good to see some things don’t change.” Colt nodded towards my glass. “That’s all you would drink in high school. You were always wanting to prove you were tough.” He motioned for Lori to bring him another beer.

“Around here it seems like
nothing
has changed. I guess I’m fitting right in.” I said with a cynical smile.

“Yeah, I heard you moved back to town.” I snorted. I’m sure everyone knew that by now. Nothing moves faster than the beauty shop grape vine. “I never thought I would see you back here again.”

Lori returned with Colt’s beer and I stamped another ring of water onto the bar while I tried to ignore their friendly conversation. I didn’t remember her smiling quite so much when she served me my drink, and I definitely didn’t remember her having quite so much cleavage hanging out of her shirt either. I guess that’s one more thing that hasn’t changed. Colt was, by far, the best looking guy in our class. That wasn’t to say he was a slut about it, but that didn’t stop all the girls from trying.

“What’s that smile for?” He asked after Lori had moved back down the bar.

“I was just remembering all the girls you made cry our senior year.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Don’t you remember?”

“I only remember one.”

I knew which one he was talking about. The night of prom when I found him with his pants around his ankles with another girl. That seemed like so long ago, but being betrayed seems to cling to a person. As the silence threatened to take over, Colt changed the subject.

“So you never said why you came back.”

“I didn’t.” He raised an eyebrow like he used to when we were kids and he knew I was bullshitting him. I sighed and gave in. “I guess I only proved that I could be tough in a place like this. When I tried to make it on my own I realized I wasn’t quite as tough as I thought.” Man, it hurt to say that out loud. Those crystal blue eyes looked kind and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I guess if anyone knew how hard it would be for me to admit that it would be Colt.

“At least you tried. Most people aren’t brave enough to leave their safe life behind. At least you won’t have that regret.” He said with a shrug.

I gaped at him. “What the hell are you talking about? I could have used a little of that support when I told you I was leaving in the first place.”

“I was supportive.” He said innocently, but his goofy smile gave him away.

“Liar! You were so mad. So mad that you cheated on me with Tracey Collins. On prom night.”

He cringed. “I didn’t cheat on you. Technically we were broken up.”

“For 3 hours! That hardly even counts.”

“Like it didn’t count that you were dating Bobby Cliffton when we first slept together?”

“Dating is a strong word. I would say we were more like close friends.”

“I seem to remember he felt differently, as demonstrated by him professing his undying love for you in the middle of the lunch room.”

Despite myself, I laughed. Actually laughed, and it felt like it had been a long time since I had something to laugh about. We both laughed until we started earning looks from the couple down the bar.

Wiping at my eyes I said, “Well, I guess we’re both terrible people. Poor Bobby, I haven’t thought of him in years. I wonder where he is now.”

“Don’t feel too sorry for him. I heard he made a fortune selling stocks or something. He’s living the high life in New York and probably doesn’t lose too much sleep over you anymore.”

“Well at least one of us made something of themselves.” I said, and just like that the humor sapped from my body, leaving me drained. The booze, the past, the bleak future, they all teamed up until I couldn’t stand being here anymore. Those kind eyes were on me again, but they did little to comfort me this time. I needed to leave and lick my wounds in private, away from all these reminders. I slid from my stool, but my legs betrayed me and I gripped onto the bar. I glared at the empty highball glass in front of me.

In an instant Colt’s arm slipped around my waist, steadying me. I hated needing help. I shoved my elbow into his ribs and smiled, satisfied, when he groaned and shrank away from me. Even with all those tanned muscles covering his arms Colt was still soft in the middle. I guess it was good
that
hadn’t changed. Swaggering from my small victory I did my best to strut away from the counter and Colt and all the other reminders I wasn’t ready for.

My success was short lived and, like everything else in my life right now, it came crashing down around me. Literally, as my feet faltered and I careened into a table and sent us both crashing to the floor. Sitting on the sticky floor amongst the splintered table just seemed a little too much to handle. The universe wasn’t satisfied with merely crushing my dreams, it had to shove me all the way down. I buried my head in folded arms, defeated.

From above me I could feel Colt moving around just before strong arms hoisted me from the floor. Standing me on my feet, he wrapped a sturdy grip around me. And I let him. I hated that I didn’t try to push away from him. I hated that I let my weight sink back into him while he led me away from the bar and down the hall that led to the bathrooms and back exit.

I was expecting him to lead me out the door and into the back parking lot, so I was surprised when he turned us into one of the bathrooms. I wasn’t too crazy about that, either, but Colt was as stubborn as they came and I was beyond arguing. Without loosening his grip on me, Colt kicked the door shut behind us and turned the light on with his elbow.

Colt sat me on the counter. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

The shrug I gave him as an answer didn’t seem to cut it. Colt slammed his hands down on either side of me, body leaning into mine. His face was a mixture of anger and something else. Disappointment, maybe? Colt rarely took anything seriously enough to get mad about it, so I couldn’t imagine why he was so angry about an ex getting too drunk at the bar.

The burn of his stare made me shift. I forgot how intense his stare could be. Countless times he’d fixed me with those eyes, more powerful than a truth serum. It used to make my heart race and heat build low in my belly. Add that to the list of things that hadn’t changed.

I couldn’t take his eyes on me anymore and I turned my head away from him, “The real world just handed me a beating. I’m humiliated and a failure. How am I supposed to act?”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. The Calleigh I knew was a lot tougher than that. And you sure as hell wouldn’t act like your life was over just because something didn’t work out.”

“Well maybe you didn’t know me all that well.” I bit out, turning back sharply to face him, ignoring the spin of the room before it caught back up with me. His face was only inches from mine and I could feel his warm breath on me. I held his stare this time, a silent challenge. Slow seconds ticked past until finally his expression softened.

“You’re stronger than that, Calleigh. I know you are because I used to know you better than anyone.”

I shook my head and looked away. Maybe he did, but that was a long time ago. I wasn’t in the mood to rehash old wounds with Colt right now.

His hands moved from beside me, gliding along my thighs, “Maybe I still do.”

I inhaled a sharp breath, surprised by his hands on me and overwhelmed by the powerful surge through my body. I hated that he could still do that to me, and through the fog I was fighting to keep at bay I tried to make sense of it.

“I’m not the same person I used to be” My voice was barely a whisper as I stole a glance up at him. His hands inched further up my thighs until his thumbs met at the apex. The ache that was building ignited and I clenched down to intensify the swell of sensations as his thumb hovered over the trembling bundle of nerves.

“I’m not so sure about that.” He said while he began drawing a lazy circle over my clit, liquid heat pooling against my will. I writhed under his hands, not yet sure if this was his idea of a joke and frustrated that the pressure was not quite enough to satisfy the ache that was building. A smile unfurled on Colt’s lips and he nuzzled his face close to mine, his stubble rough on my cheek. Against my ear Colt murmured, “Let’s prove just how well I know you. If I remember correctly, you would still like it if I kissed you here.” Warm lips pressed to the sensitive skin under my ear, followed by the sting of a nip. I clenched my fists and repressed a sigh, not wanting him to be right.

Undeterred, Colt nibbled his way down my jaw, pausing where my pulse thrummed fast at my neck, giving me away. I felt him smile against my skin as he moved further down, peppering my skin with soft brushes of his lips. From my leg, his other hand travelled up until they met at the low v of my shirt. His finger lightly traced the skin he found there.