Authors: Anne Rainey
“And you will,” he replied, his tone rougher than before. “As much as you want, whenever you want. But right now, let me make you feel good. Let me take you to heaven.”
“Yes,” she moaned, unable to form an actual sentence. Hearing the wild need in Rider’s voice combined with the taboo nature of what they were doing sent a rush of damp excitement between Victoria’s thighs. Her wrists stung a little, and she knew she’d have a friction burn, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was Rider.
She felt his knee nudging her legs wider. She was so ready for him, so swollen and dripping wet. His cock slid deep, and she screamed his name. His thick cock stretched her. Her very limited experience hadn’t adequately prepared her for his size.
“Damn, Vic, you feel so good. So tight and hot.”
His words fueled her libido. He took his time, finding the right rhythm. Her body clenched the farther in he went.
“Don’t tighten up on me, sweetheart.”
“I…I can’t help it, Rider. It’s just so perfect.” Tears sprang to her eyes, and she closed her lids in a lame attempt to keep them to herself. “You can’t know how long I’ve wanted this. Imagined this.”
He leaned down and kissed his way up her spine. Her heart shuddered. “Yeah, we’re perfect together. Remember that.” And then he plunged deep, burying himself completely.
Victoria arched her back and pressed her breasts against the mattress, then moved her hips in little circles, increasing their pleasure. It wasn’t enough. She wiggled her hands, suddenly restless to be free. She ached for Rider to move faster, to fuck her harder, but he appeared to be in no hurry. Her bound hands suddenly proved to be a real nuisance.
“Quit teasing me,” she moaned.
He chuckled. “You aren’t really in a position to start making demands, sweetheart.” She turned her head and glared over her shoulder at him. “Do not make me regret letting you tie me down.”
“Fuck, I love when you get that snippy tone.” His control seemed to snap like a worn radiator belt.
Rider’s body came down against hers as he planted his hands on the mattress beside her, caging her in and holding her still for his loving. He moved in and out, fucking her harder the way she craved. She knew that he watched every move and listened to every sound she made. As her passion mounted again, his thrusts quickened. His balls slapped her clit with each inward stroke. His hand palmed her right breast. Rider’s tongue drifted back and forth over her shoulder, then his teeth nibbled at the tendon. He sucked and teased, while his hips drove into her over and over again, until Victoria flung her head back and shouted out his name. Her climax built and built. Inner muscles squeezed his dick tight. His body slammed into hers one last time, and then he was filling the condom with his hot seed.
They both collapsed onto the bed, Rider on top of her limp body. She didn’t care. Having Rider on top made her feel safe, loved even. Strong fingers untied her hands. She squeezed her eyes shut against the onslaught of emotion traveling through her at light speed.
“You are a surprise, Victoria Kiss. An amazing, sexy, surprise.”
She didn’t know what to say to that, so she stayed quiet. He kissed her cheek, then pulled his cock free and disposed of the condom. Soon, he had her tucked against his chest, and Victoria knew she’d died and gone to heaven.
Victoria had no sense of how long she’d been asleep. Only that it was light out and she felt better than she had in years. A draft of cold air had her looking down and realizing she was totally nude—then she remembered how she’d gotten that way. The tendrils of delight floating through her were a new sensation entirely. She stood and pulled on Rider’s T-shirt. She needed to find him and bring him back to bed. Maybe for the rest of the day, she thought with a grin.
When she approached the doorway leading to the small living room, Victoria heard Rider talking to someone. As she entered the room, she saw them standing at the hotel room door. A tall, dark-haired woman spoke in hushed tones, and Rider appeared anything but happy to see her. The woman had a regal bearing, as if she’d rather die than be caught dead inside a Walmart. She heard Rider curse, and the woman rolled her eyes. A horrible feeling crept up her spine when the woman touched Rider’s arm in an all too intimate way. Victoria cleared her throat, and the pair swung their gazes toward her. Rider stepped forward, cutting off Victoria’s view of the woman. The frown on his face worried her. “Did we wake you?”
“No,” she answered as she strode across the room, compelled by the need to find out who on earth the gorgeous woman was and why Rider seemed to want her gone. “Care to introduce me?”
The woman pushed around Rider and announced, “Cassandra Santini. Rider’s fiancée.” She shrugged. “Most people call me Cassie. And you are?”
Victoria couldn’t possibly have heard the woman correctly. “W-what?”
She smiled and arched a perfectly manicured brow. “I take it Rider didn’t tell you about me.” Cassie punched Rider playfully on the arm, then said, “He does like to keep his cards close, doesn’t he?”
“Enough, Cass,” he bit out. Rider once again stepped in front of the other woman, his voice filled with concern. “I can explain, Vic. It’s not what you think.”
Victoria was shaken to the core. She’d just spent the most glorious weekend with the man of her dreams, and he was engaged to another woman? Maybe this was the female friend who’d been ringing his cell phone the past few days. Did she really have that sort of bad luck? She couldn’t speak, could barely stay on her feet. The world tilted a little, and she was terribly afraid she was a heartbeat away from fainting.
God, please don’t let me look that pathetic.
Apparently, Cassie was not so easily pushed aside. “Rider, we have things to discuss. Important things.” She gestured to Victoria and said, “Surely this can wait?” When she leaned toward Rider and kissed his cheek lightly, lovingly, bile rose in Victoria’s throat.
She’d definitely seen enough. Victoria turned and headed for the bathroom. No way in hell would she throw up in front of them. She had some pride left after all.
“Wait, please,” Rider said as he caught up to her and took hold of her arm. She turned and was momentarily struck by the apology in his blue eyes. He seemed genuinely wounded. “I need to explain.”
She glared at him, anger replacing the hurt that filled her. “Explain that you’re engaged? I’m curious, what was this weekend for you?” Victoria bit her lip, afraid to hear the answer. Afraid it was all just one big joke.
He went silent for a moment. “I’m not sure how to answer that, Victoria.”
As if a dam broke, tears spilled over and streamed down her cheeks as Rider so easily ripped her heart to shreds. “That’s sort of what I thought you’d say.”
“You don’t want to leave it this way. I know you don’t,” he gritted out as he moved toward her, caging her between his body and the wall at her back.
Victoria shook her head and yanked away from him, then went back into the bedroom. Between the stabbing pain in her stomach and Rider at her back pleading with her to stay, it was all she could do to get dressed and head toward the living room. He stood in the doorway, blocking her escape. Damn him. She didn’t want to feel used and broken. She wanted to go home and give in to a good, long cry.
“I actually thought you cared.” The words tumbled out before Victoria could stop them. She mentally chastised herself. Hell if she needed him to know how much their time together had meant to her. She didn’t want him to realize he had the power to hurt her.
“I do care about you. You have to know that,” he replied, his voice soft and understanding. “It’s just… I need time to straighten a few things out, that’s all.”
His ashen face gave her pause, but she quickly tamped down the urge to go to him, and ruthlessly ignored the need in his eyes. “I want to leave,” she bit out. “Don’t try to stop me. The games are over. You’ve had your fun with the pathetic wallflower.” God, was that
her
emotionless voice? She barely recognized herself.
He held his hands out at his sides and stepped out of the way. “Give me a chance here. Give
us
a chance.”
“You had plenty of chances to explain.” Victoria darted around him and headed straight for the front door before turning a pointed look at Cassie. She deliberately ignored the other woman’s devastated expression. “Besides, you sort of have your hands full right now.”
“Damn it, Vic,” he grumbled as he ran a hand over his face.
As far as she was concerned, there wasn’t anything else to discuss. She grabbed her purse off the counter and opened the door. By the time she hit the elevator, her entire body shook as she bawled her eyes out. When she reached the lobby, she had herself under control and her cell phone out.
Her friend answered on the second ring. “Reena, I need a ride.” Then the tears started up again. She never should’ve taken this ridiculous journey. Life didn’t deal the frumpy women of the world a fair hand. And men like Rider sure as hell didn’t fall for them. They fell for sophisticated ladies like Cassie. Lesson learned.
He stared at the door, willing Victoria to come back. It didn’t happen. And did he blame her?
“My timing sucks,” Cassie said from behind him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were with someone. I know you said to wait until you called, but I started to panic like usual and jumped on the first flight out here.”
He turned and crossed the room. As he placed a hand on her shoulder, Cassie smiled a little. “Yes, you do have shitty timing,” he said gently. “I should’ve been up front with Victoria from the beginning. I just wasn’t sure if you’d be okay with me sharing your secret with anyone.”
Her chin wobbled as if she were about to cry, and she clasped her hands together in front of her. “God, you must hate me right now. I’m so damn self-absorbed.”
“Shh,” he whispered. “It’s okay. We’ll get this worked out.”
She squinted at him. “You care about her, don’t you?”
Rider tried to smile, but it hurt too damn much. “Yeah, I do.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “I hope to God I haven’t just blown it, because she’s fucking amazing and I don’t want to lose her.”
“Oh God, it’s not enough that I screw up my own life, but I have to wreck yours too,” she moaned. “Is there anything I can do?”
Rider dropped his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Maybe. Would you come with me to talk to her? To explain this mess?”
“Of course.” She seemed to shore up her nerve. “I think it’s time I stop hiding behind you and pretending I’m someone I’m not. Victoria’s as good a place as any to start.”
He quirked a brow. “Does that mean you plan to tell your parents the truth?”
“That I’m a lesbian and our engagement is nothing more than a cover?” she snorted. “Fat chance.”
“They might surprise you, Cass. You’re their only child, after all.”
She shook her head, sadness filling her eyes. “No, they’d be devastated. You don’t understand. They love me, but they love their social status more. The scandal would give Mom a coronary.”
He thought of Cassie’s parents. They were cold and distant and nothing like his own warm and loving parents. Hell, he’d known Cassie for two years, and not once had he seen her parents hug her. From the moment Rider had met Cassie at a party, he’d recognized her as a sweet, lonely woman in a bad situation. Despite how different they were, they’d somehow become friends. It hadn’t taken long before Rider was helping her by pretending to be her fiancé. Shit, he’d never dreamed it would come back to bite him in the ass.
“Then you and I will have to have a fake breakup. I’ve kept your secret like you asked, but I won’t let it destroy Victoria.”
Cassie bit her lip and looked down at the floor. “I never intended for this to happen. I’ve made such a mess of things.”
“Maybe there’s still a chance to fix it.”
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. “Thank you for being such an awesome friend, Rider.” She pulled back. “I know the lying has been a pain. I’m sorry I’ve put you in this position.”
“Hey, you’re my friend, okay?” He patted her on the back. “Remember that.”
“Back at ya.” She took a deep breath and said, “Now, let’s go talk to your woman.”
“Let me call her first.” Rider took the cell phone out of the front pocket of his jeans and dialed her number. When she didn’t answer he left a voice mail. Next he called his sister.
“What the hell did you do to Victoria?” Reena shouted in lieu of a hello. “She cried all the way home and wouldn’t talk to me about it.”
“I royally fucked up.” He sighed. “But I’m going to fix it. Don’t worry, sis.”
“Of course you will, or I’ll beat the crap out of you,” Reena said adamantly. “Call me the minute you get this worked out.”
“I will.” They hung up, and Rider called Victoria once again. When it went straight to voice mail, he ended the call and texted her instead. By the time he and Cassie were on their way to Victoria’s house, Rider had called Victoria ten times. He’d begged her to talk to him. It was clear the stubborn woman wanted him to drop dead. Could he blame her?
When Rider pulled into Victoria’s driveway and parked, he turned to Cassie. “Let me do the talking. And I don’t want any theatrics.”
She frowned. “You wound me.”