Impacted (Conflicted Encounters #2) (16 page)

"Yes," I confirmed as I leaned down and nibbled on her neck.
 

"I’ve never," she started.

"I know."

Grabbing her butt, I lifted her up. She squealed and wrapped her legs around my waist. I kissed her as I walked her over to the workbench. I set her down and stood between her legs. My lips covered her lips, throat, and collarbone. She wrapped her arms around my neck and ran her fingers through my hair. I absolutely loved it when she did that.

She was calming me from the inside out. My nerves were settled, and I felt utterly satisfied. Being around Kallie so much left me in a permanent state of arousal. It was no secret that we were still attracted to each other. Seeing someone naked and having sex with them will do that to you. Every time I saw her, I picture her naked. It was the emotional connection that was severed, or at least it should be.

"Ry," she moaned against my lips.

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Car?"

I pulled back to look at her face. Was she kidding? Her adorably cocky smile told me she was serious and remembered she had a point. I sighed and stepped away while shooting her a playful glare. Her eyes sparkled back at me, and her smile lit up her face. I turned around and examined the car that brought me here in the first place.
 

I opened the hood and checked all the wiring. It all looked right. All the hoses looked right and all the spark plugs were in. I know I timed it right because Logan, Travis, and I had spent two days working on the timing and belts alone. The battery was hooked up. All the parts were new, so that couldn’t be the problem. I spent years working on this car until it was near perfection. It should be running and burning rubber down the road by now.
 

Kallie

"Still don't see it?" I asked, coming closer to his stiff body.

"There's nothing to see."

"Walk me through it," I said, wedging myself between him and the hood of the car. "Start from the beginning."

It was a technique I learned from Carter. He was always the math genius, and I could never grasp the concepts of it. When I got to the point of pulling out my hair, he would come to my rescue. He would lean over my work and have me walk him through my thought process. Talking it out would lead me to the error in my ways, and suddenly everything would become clear.
 

His hand went to my hips and I held them there. "You put the key in the ignition," he said into my ear, sending shivers over my entire body. As a reward, I coaxed his hands to my stomach.
 

"Turn it. Then it sends a signal to the starter and starts the car," he rasped.
 

I moved his hands up to just below the underwire of my overpriced bra. "Any problems there?" I asked, leaning my head back on his shoulder.
 

Leaning over the hood, his front was pressed to my back. I held his hand in place as he looked at the workings of the car. He broke one hand free and reached over, messing with something before jolting straight up again. My body was left cold as he jumped back in the car.
 

The loud roar of the engine filled the barn. I watched the moving parts for a second before reaching over, releasing the hood prop, and dropping it closed. Ryder's eyes were wide and his hands were clenched around the steering wheel. I smiled at him and slipped into the passenger seat. He reached over and grabbed the back of my head, pulling me in for a quick and hard kiss.
 

"The starter wasn't connected," he said against my lips. "Thank you."

"Glad to be of service," I winked, which I had never done before. "Now, take me for a ride."

"Anything you want, sweetheart." And with that, he shifted the car into gear.
 

The engine rumbled as Ryder messed with the outdated radio for a few minutes before finding a station. The car eased out of the barn and down the gravel driveway. He hit the gas once we reached the road and shifted quickly through the gears. The wind hit my face and I couldn't stop the huge grin from forming.
 

Riding down the empty roads was peaceful and calming. With nothing but the wind and sun, I was completely at ease. I raised my hands up above my head so I could feel the warm air without being blocked by the windshield. Ryder smiled over at me, and I melted inside. This was his baby's maiden voyage, and I was lucky enough to join him in it.
 

We drove aimlessly until the sun started to set. The spring night brought in a cold front, and I shivered.
 
Ryder asked if I wanted the top up, but I refused. I may have been freezing, but the freedom and the fun was worth the discomfort. We parked in front of the barn just before dark.

"You bringing her home?" I asked him.

"Who?" His eyes were on me. "You?"

"I meant the car," I laughed. "I can drive your truck home for you," I offered.
 

"Are you really going to meet my mom tomorrow?"

I sighed. "Yes. I don't have a good enough excuse to refuse her invitation."

He nodded. "Then I'm coming with you."

I snapped my eyes to his. His face was filled with worry and anxiety. My chest tightened, and I reached over to ease the crease in his eyebrows. "Well, since you get to meet my parents, it's only fair," I smiled, hoping to lighten the mood.
 

He rubbed his hands over his face. "You want to stay the night?"

"With you or on the couch?"

"With me," he said, peeking at me through his hands on his face.

"Ry, as much as I can't stay away from you, I think I should. I'm setting myself up for a heartbreak that I'm not sure I can handle."

"Baby," he said, reaching for my hand and grabbing it. "I think we both know neither one of us can stay away. I'm getting tired of trying at this point."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "But, it won't be like before," I finished for him, reading his mind. He wasn't ready to give me all of him again. Not yet. And until then, I refused to give all of my heart over either.
 

Ryder didn't answer me, but I didn't need him to. He was right, we couldn't keep our hands of each other, and that wasn't going to get easier as time went by. He didn't trust me enough to let me all the way in, and I don't think I could honestly blame him. I had no idea who I was, let alone if I would go and change on him again.
 

"I'll stay," I whispered, and he kissed me on the cheek before I could finish what I was saying.
 

I got out of the Comet and climbed into Ryder's truck. It smelled like him and I inhaled the scent in deeply. If I was heading to a catastrophic heartbreak, then so be it. I was playing it by ear now; it worked last summer with us, so maybe it would work now. I was just going to let fate take over and decide on our future. No planning. No strategy. If I learned anything in my sheltered life, it would be that life laughs at the plans we make. Love doesn't care what you think will happen; it is its own force and it can't be contained or controlled.
 

I followed Ryder in the Comet back to his place. I carried up the box of discarded parts up the stairs. I had ideas to make something cool out of some of it. Scarlett looked surprised to see us walk in the door together. Her beautiful face broke out into a bright smile.
 

"Where were you two?"
 

"I got it running," Ryder told her. She squealed and jumped into his arms. He hugged her back, and I stood back, watching them have their moment.
 

"Well, let's celebrate! Joe's?" We all nodded in agreement and waited for Scarlett to order the pizza and wings.
 

Although I wouldn't admit it, I was more than nervous to meet their mom tomorrow. Scarlett never said anything negative about her, but I knew what Ryder thought about her. I always tried to give people a chance before I passed judgment, something I also learned coming down here. I just had a hard time thinking kindly of anyone that hurt or pissed off Ryder.
 

"What's wrong?" Ryder asked, eying my hands spinning my bracelets around my wrists.
 

"Nothing," I lied. He didn't believe me but went back to browsing the movie shelf for something to watch.

We settled on a war movie and talked through the whole thing. I didn't have much interest in the movie anyway, and our conversations flowed easily over beer and pizza. I smiled a real smile, one I once thought I wouldn't be able to find again.
 

When it was getting late, and I yawned for the eighth time, Scarlett stood and stretched. "Where you sleeping?" she asked me.

"With me," Ryder answered before I could. She smiled and waved before heading to her room.
 

My stomach did a set of somersaults as he led me to his dark room. When we reached the end of his bed, his fingers played with the hem of my dress. I held my breath as he slipped it over my head and dropped it to the floor. I stood in front of him in nothing but a strapless bra and white thong. He gripped my hips and tossed me on his bed, making me laugh. He crawled over me and laid down next to me.
 

"I like you in my bed," he said quietly.

"I like being in your bed." His fingers traced my lips, down my jaw, and then over my collarbone. I closed my eyes as he gently tickled me. Ryder had done plenty of touching me since I got back into town, but nothing so gentle and intimate.
 

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into him. I rested my head on his strong chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. He ran his fingers through my hair and lulled me into a calming, peaceful state. With his body and scent surrounding me, I felt safe and as though nothing in the world had ever been so right.
 

I woke the next morning to the smell of bacon and kisses trailing up my bare stomach. This could possibly be the best morning ever. I slowly opened my eyes and looked down at Ryder.
 

"Morning," he said in a raspy voice, still thick with sleep.

"Morning," I smiled.
 

"You drive me absolutely insane, you know that?"

"Mm. Why don't you show me?" I flirted.
 

When Ryder's lips crashed to mine, my whole body lit on fire. I could feel his skin on mine, and it tingled where we touched.
 

"Hell no," Scarlett shouted from the other side of the door. "Get your cute ass out here, Kallie Adams. We have plans today."

Ryder groaned and rested his head on my chest. Nerves settled in when I remembered what I was doing today. Ryder almost made me forget.

"She's right. You better run away before I never let you leave," he whispered, giving me a soft kiss on my chin.

"But I'm done running away," I told him, hoping he caught onto the double meaning. The raise in his eyebrows told me he did.
 

I slipped out from under his hard body and grabbed one of Ryder's shirts off the dresser. I pulled it over my head and it came down mid-thigh. Ryder's eyes went dark as he watched me dress in his clothes, and I escaped out of his room before I was the one that didn't let us leave.
 

I stopped in my tracks when I saw Adam standing in the kitchen. His gaze started at my bare feet and inched up my bare legs, resting on my chest a little longer than appropriate. I cleared my throat and a predatory smile spread across his face. Disgusted, I turned to head back and change.

I slammed into Ryder's bare chest. He looked away from Adam before cupping my face and kissing the senses out of me. His tongue plunged into my mouth and I tasted his minty toothpaste. His free hand cupped my butt and he pulled me into him, igniting every nerve ending in my body. He pulled away, leaving me panting and turned on.
 

He glared over at Adam and smacked my ass as I scooted past him and into his room. It was a barbaric and possessive move, but sexy as hell. I found my overnight bag that I keep bringing back and forth and grabbed out a long prairie skirt with a bright pink halter top. I took a quick shower in Ryder's bathroom and got dressed.

Scarlett was in the kitchen, chatting about the wedding plans, while she made some toast. I clenched my jaw thinking about how she could be marrying the wrong guy. I came up to the bar and took a piece of bacon off the plate in the middle.

"You're still coming, right?" she asked me.
 

"Yep," I told her.

"This is a waste, but Ryder, will you be joining us?" she said as she tossed toast over to us.

"Sure."

"What?"

"I'm coming," he explained with an amused expression. Scarlett's jaw dropped and a piece of toast hung from her mouth.

"Great," she shrugged, like it wasn't the first time since he was eighteen that he would be seeing his own mother.

After eating, Scarlett and I huddled in her bathroom, doing our hair and makeup.

"You're hands are shaking," she pointed out to me.

"I'm nervous," I admitted.