Ryder: #4 (Allen Securities) (12 page)

The fire crackling in front of them, she drifted off.

Chapter Eleven

Something rich and savory reached Irene’s nose. Her stomach rumbled despite having not even opened her eyes. She decided she was either delirious or dead. Either way, at least there was food.

“You going to sleep all evening?” Ryder called.

She smiled and opened her eyes. Not dead. Maybe still delirious, but she’d take it. Irene sat up and stretched. Her muscles ached from the bitter cold and straining climb.

Outside, the winds howled. She looked out the window from her position on the floor. Snow pelted the window, making it almost impossible to see outside.

With the lights on, she realized just how very visible they would be at night.

Irene went to the window and stared out into the darkness. She jumped when Ryder came and wrapped his arms around her.

“Do you think he’s out there?” she asked.

His reflection showed in the glass, and she could see him shake his head.

“Even he’s not that crazy,” he said. “With it coming down like it is, he’s likely holed up somewhere waiting for it to stop.”

Irene shivered.

Ryder leaned over and kissed her neck. “We’re safe here.”

She nodded and turned in his arms. It amazed her how much better she could feel just being there in his arms.

“You hungry?” he mumbled into her hair.

Irene smiled at him. “Smells great,” she said. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

He led her into the kitchen.

“It’s nothing special,” he said, pointing to the counter. “Just baked chicken and roasted vegetables.”

Her stomach rumbled again just looking at the food. She beamed at Ryder when he shot her a concerned look.

“It looks amazing,” she said.

Irene pulled out plates and silverware. As she set them on the table, she couldn’t help but look at him out of the corner of her eye. He had showered and looked refreshed. She didn’t even want to know how she looked. Probably hair down, wild and crazy. She’d be lucky if her hair was free of any sticks.

“Maybe I should take a shower,” she said.

Ryder looked to her as he set the chicken on the table and shook his head.

“Just take one after,” he said.

Irene tried to smell herself as well she could. The last thing she wanted was to stink up the table.

“I’m pretty sure I don’t look all that great,” she insisted.

Ryder rose and stood behind her as he pushed her to the table. He forced her into a chair and dished up some food. She looked up at him. She couldn’t name the last time someone had cooked her dinner. Too bad she only had to be chased through a mountain by a madman for that to happen.

She took a bite of the chicken. It was cooked perfectly and so good it nearly melted in her mouth.

Ryder sat down a watched as she ate before starting his own.

“This is so good,” she said. She shoved another bite in.

He grinned. She loved that it made him that happy. It was nice having someone care about her and how she felt.

They ate in comfortable silence for some time, enjoying the good food and the swirling sounds of the storm.

“Do you think your brother will be all right?” she said.

He hadn’t mentioned Cage but knew that his being shot had to be weighing on Ryder’s mind.

Ryder scrubbed a hand down his face and stared out the window. It was clear that the stress from everything was starting to get to him.

“Charlie didn’t give much in the way of details,” he said and picked up his plate. She followed with her own as they cleared off the table.

“Do you think it means something that he didn’t say much?” Irene asked.

Ryder placed the plates in the sink and started some hot soapy water. “I don’t really know what to make of it. Cage can be so careless sometimes, even when he’s trying to do the best thing.” He shook his head. “I just don’t know. I’m sure he’ll be fine. It’s all a matter of what degree of fine he is at the moment.”

Irene nodded. Charlie not saying much about Cage’s condition could mean a lot of different things, and she just hoped that he hadn’t been seriously hurt while trying to save them.

“There’s not a lot we can do,” Ryder said and stared at her. “It’s partly why I didn’t press Charlie. My family will look out for Cage and Victoria. We’ll help Cage once we’re off this mountain. We just need to concentrate on us for now.”

Irene looked out the window over the sink. A thick blanket of snow already coated the ground. More fell from the sky every second.

“I wonder if we’ll even be able to get out of here,” she said.

“Sounds like heaven to me,” Ryder said.

Irene turned to glare at him and found him grinning at her. She shook her head and chuckled.

“Maybe any other time,” she said and shuddered when she looked back out. “But he’s still out there.”

Ryder wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tight against him.

“Look out there,” he said. “I doubt he’s even still hanging around. If he had any sense, he would have just headed back. Hell, he might have and thought we’d done the same. We’re not even the target.”

“That man is insane,” she said. She looked down. “Do you think he’s really given up, or he’s just added an obsession?”

Ryder frowned but didn’t answer

Irene shook her head. “I don’t think so. Someone like him doesn’t give up unless he’s forced to.” She pulled back from his arms to look at him. It was important he understood. “I met Jess after her relationship with Kert or Wolf or whatever you want to call him.”

She closed her eyes as she remembered the small teen, covered with bruises and warped by the corrupted world around her. Jess had been a fighter, but Kert had nearly taken it out of her.

“She was only fifteen when they got together, and he was much older,” she said. “But in the end, that was the least of his crimes.”

Ryder frowned and leaned his hip against the side of the sink.

Irene slipped in beside him and started washing.

“He was rough with her.” Irene glanced up at him. “Rough during sex.”

“Son of a bitch,” Ryder growled.

“Ando was in prison at the time, so Kert was pretty much in charge.” She set the dishes on the other side of the sink. When Ryder stared to rinse them, she was a little surprised.

“We knew that Kert had taken over at some point, and there was some bad blood between them, but it was never totally clear,” he said.

“Ando must have had something pretty good on him,” she said. “Because one day Kert was there and the next he was gone. Thank God.”

No one seemed to know, as far as Irene knew. Jess tried to find out several times, but, in the end, it had been a good thing, and she didn’t tend to question it too much.

Irene finished up and drained the water.

The window rattled from the force of the winds. She was glad they were inside.

“I think I’m going to take a shower now,” she said. Staring at the cold outside made her ache for the warmth of a shower.

Ryder went over to his bag and pulled out a t-shirt.

“It’s not much, but it’s clean,” he said.

Irene couldn’t help the smile that came. Maybe she’d be able to hand wash her clothes a bit. The dirt and grime from the last few days coated her clothes, making them stiff.

She took the shirt and walked down the cold hall. The further she was from the fire, the more the cold settled over her.

The door to the bathroom was open, and she was glad she didn’t need to open the other door. Even though they had been told they could stay there, it still felt odd going through something as personal as a bedroom.

She walked into the bathroom and started up the shower. As steam filled the room, she looked over in the mirror. Her hair wasn’t near the mess she expected, but there were a number of knots. It was going to be hard working through.

The double layer of socks came off first, and she was glad to see that her toes had fared better than expected. The top layer of pants were a loss, but the second just needed a good wash. She set them aside and tossed the others in the trash. When she pulled off her top-layer shirt, Irene grimaced. It was beyond destroyed. She couldn’t even believe she’d just had a nice dinner in such a bad shirt. The shirt under wasn’t as bad but was still in bad shape. She tossed off her bra and panties in the wash pile. There weren’t many options as far as that went.

She stepped into the spray and sighed. It didn’t take away the stress from the last few days, but it did make things slightly better.

Irene jumped when the curtain opened. Her heart raced for a moment until she realized it was Ryder stepping in with her.

She blinked several times at the very naked man in the shower with her.

“But you took a shower.”

Ryder shrugged. “So I need two. I’m really dirty.” He grinned. “I need someone to clean me.”

Her nipples pebbled as he stared at her hungrily, and she turned away from his intense stare. Sometimes he was too much for her to take in.

She gasped when he stepped forward. His thick erection brushed her lower back. His warm fingers wrapped around her arms and massaged the tender muscles there. Irene leaned back against him. The slick heat from the water set her at ease.

“Relax,” he said in her ear. “We don’t have to do anything. I just wanted to be near you.”

She nodded against his chest and stopped thinking about things. Things with Ryder would happen as they did, and there was little she wanted to do to stop it. She’d been running away from a relationship for too long. She’d let Todd take her happiness for far too long. Now, she had a real man who wanted her and respected her.

His hands ran freely down her arms, brushing the backs of her hands, and then back up the side of her body. She held her breath as he passed over the sides of her breasts, but he didn’t stop like she had expected. Instead his hands went to her hair. Already wet, she heard him squirt something onto her head. Musky sandalwood filled the air. A bit masculine for her taste, but she assumed the person living in the cabin was a man.

Irene laughed a little as he washed her hair.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

She turned to look at him. Soap coated his hands.

“I thought you didn’t want me being like you.”

He smiled back. She jumped when he playfully swatted her behind. His hand massaged the spot he had just smacked and dipped dangerously close to her aching center.

“Oh, you definitely are not like me,” he said.

She was surprised when his hand came back up without even touching her.

Irene huffed in irritation.

“Let’s rinse your hair,” he said.

She leaned her head under the spray and let the bubbles float down her body.

“So beautiful,” he said and stepped closer.

When his cock pushed forward into her stomach, she thought about touching him, but initiating anything still intimidated her.

Ryder turned her around again and ran his hands through her hair. This time the conditioner wasn’t nearly as masculine. She was thankful for it either way. Getting out those knots was going to be hellish later.

She stepped back into the spray and turned to look at him again. Maybe if she returned the favor, she’d feel like she could explore his amazing body. Irene pulled some soap off the wall and lathered her hands well. Ryder watched carefully as she stepped forward.

She placed her soapy hands on his chest and nibbled her bottom lip. It still felt just as amazing as it did the day before. Her hands glided over the hard surface, and he jumped when her hands brushed his nipples. His body tensed, and she thought he might be angry until she looked down and found his hard cock starting to weep. Irene licked her lips. She had wanted to try it before, but he pulled her off too quickly.

Irene looked up and found him watching her with interest. If she wanted anything done, she was going to have to make the move. She slid down his body, licking and kissing the hardened muscles as she went.

She lowered herself onto her knees in front of him. Ryder gathered her hair in his hand and pulled it away from her face.

She licked the large head. The hand on her hair clenched, and she glanced up to him. His eyes burned into her as she opened her mouth to take him in. She slipped him in her mouth and ran her tongue over the crown. It was different than anything she’d ever done, but the face he made was such a turn on, she pushed on.

Irene reached up with her other hand and grabbed the base of him. He grunted his approval.

In and out, she bobbed over him. Each time, he slipped further and further into her mouth, her tongue swirling around him. When she reached the back of her throat, she paused and swallowed several times.

“Fuck,” he gritted out. She looked up and found his intense eyes fixed on her. “Play with yourself, baby.”

Irene moved on him again as she slid her hands to her breasts. Her nipples ached to be touch and when she pinched them, she moaned loudly.

“Put your fingers in your pussy,” he hissed. “Show me what you did before me.”

Her hand slid down her body, and she spread her legs to gain better access.

When her finger touched her clit, she jumped at the contact.

“That’s it baby,” he urged.

She watched the muscles in his stomach shift as he started to move with her in and out of her mouth.

Her fingers plunged into her dripping heat, and she groaned.

“Shit,” he hissed.

As he picked up the pace, Irene fucked herself in time with him, pushing further and further, frustrated that she couldn’t create the same feeling he did the night before.

“I’m so close,” he whispered.

She was surprised when he tried to pull her head back and forced him to let go.

“Irene,” he called in warning. “I’m going to cum.”

She looked up.

He shook his head. His face turned a little red, and she could see the veins in his neck as he strained to hold himself back.

In one hard push, Irene pushed her face all the way to the base. It was more than she’d ever had and she could feel it could down the back of her throat.

Ryder shouted as he spurted hot jets of cum into her mouth. She swallowed, pumping him for the last bits.