The Beginning—A Duet: Ryder & Two Worlds Colliding (15 page)

I couldn’t let her go. “I'm not done with you, babe. That was just the start.”

“Yeah? And then, Ryder? What about tomorrow, and the next day? It just gets harder the more we do this.”

I looked into her eyes. They were sad.

“Night ain't over, Princess. You said we had one night. Till the sun rises you’re still mine.”

“Ryder,” she gasped.

“Call your family. That’s what phones are for. Tell them you’re safe, and that you aren’t coming home tonight.”

She stared at me for a long time. Different emotions flickered through her eyes. I watched in amazement as she battled with her inner self. Would she stay? Did she understand how much I wanted her?

After what felt like forever, the ends of her mouth curved up ever-so-slightly.

I’d won.

“OK
.
But only tonight. When the sun rises,
it’s over.
Deal?”

I grinned. It wasn’t exactly the answer I’d wanted, but it would do. For now. Tomorrow I'd make other plans.

“Deal.” I nodded my head.

She sat up, and opened her purse to find her phone. She quickly dialed the number and spoke to her father. From their conversation I gathered that her old man was relieved that she was OK, but he wasn’t happy that she wasn’t coming home. Jade evaded his questions about where she was, and what had happened, telling him that they’d discuss it when she was back.

She’s going to be a kick-ass lawyer.

I grabbed two beers from the mini-bar fridge in my room. Yeah, go figure. This guest room was more like a hotel suite. It had a large desk as well as a seating area with two couches. The bathroom was five-star—not that I'd really know as I’d never seen anything as fancy as that. It featured an enormous bath—big enough for an orgy—and had massaging jets and gold taps.
The shit rich people spent their cash on . . .

Jade must’ve been thirsty ‘cause she leaned against the headboard and gulped the beer down. Or was she using the alcohol to calm her nerves?

My gaze raked her body. I wanted to see what was under her dress. I wanted my hands on her perky tits. With Mia and the kids in the house, I couldn’t do to her what I really wanted to, but I knew we’d get to that in time.

My dick was still half-mast, ready for more action, but slower this time. At least, I'd try to go slower. When my need for her overtook me, I became wild and frantic, almost ape-like in my desire for her.

No wonder she called me a caveman . . .

“Tell me about your brother?” The bed dipped as I sat my naked ass beside her.

“What do you want to know?” she asked, casting her eyes down. Yeah, she was going to pull the lawyer trick on me, too. She was going to evade my questions.

“You said he was a mean-ass cop.” I took a long sip of my beer. Damn it tasted good. “Tell me more?”

“Oh, he’s with Special Ops. I don’t know all that much. Harrison’s pretty secretive about it. All I know it has to do with protecting our country against terrorists and eliminating illegal weapons. He won't tell me more. For my own protection, he said.” Her eyes were cast down, and there was a sadness tugging at the corners of her mouth as she spoke about him.

She sighed heavily. Suspecting there was more to the story, I kept silent, encouraging her to keep talking. She fell silent for a while, and just as I was about to give up on her offering more information, she spoke again.

“Ten years ago, something terrible happened that changed him forever. And me, too.” She closed her eyes as if to hide her pain.

My head jerked up. Now I fucking had to know more. I narrowed my eyes and watched her, still staying silent even though I had a hundred questions running through my brain.

“What happened?” I asked softly when she went all quiet. She was so deep in her thoughts I worried she’d fallen asleep.

“It was all my fault. What happened to Amy. And the others.” She bit her lower lip, her chin quivering. Fuck, she was going to cry. I hated when women cried. I never knew what the fuck to do.

“Princess, it’s OK.” Pulling her foot onto my lap, I stroked it, massaging her soles with my thumb. Her shoulders relaxed slightly and she blew out a long heavy breath.

“I haven’t spoken about it in years. More than seven, actually. After my therapy, I locked it away in a file in my brain and I tried to forget it ever happened. I'm trying to just move on with my life.
Without
the guilt.”

What in fuck’s name could have happened? And who was Amy? And what did it have to do with Harrison? So many fucking questions, but I didn't want to harass her with my curiosity. At least, not yet.

Clearly it was a big deal. Tears were streaming down Jade’s cheeks. Fuck, I hadn’t meant to bring her pain. I knew all about burying the hurt so deep that it got lost in a dark corner of one’s soul.

“Babe. It’s OK.” I put both our empty beer bottles on the table, and scooted over to hold her. Seeing my woman less than happy had a strange effect on me, twisting my heart and squeezing the fuck out of it.

Jade rubbed at her chest, then looked up at me with her big blue eyes. Fuck, I drowned in those eyes. For a minute there the world stood still.

Then she started laughing. Yeah.
Laughing
.

“Babe. You OK?” Was she losing the plot?

“You look so funny wearing only a tee and socks.”

She was right. It wasn’t my best look. I'd never cared what a bitch thought before. Why did I suddenly care now? I leaned over and pulled off my socks, throwing them into the corner.

“Better?” I grinned.

She quirked an eyebrow. “The tee?”

I pulled it over my head, and sent it to join my socks.

This woman was going to be the best fucking lawyer in the state.

She had question-evasion down to an art.

S
tunned, I sucked in a breath.

I’d changed the subject purposely to distract Ryder from asking too many questions. But I’d never bargained on getting totally distracted myself.

Ryder was magnificent. His body was lean, yet muscled, with large pecs and washboard abs that left me speechless. The hardness of his body was such a strong contrast to my own soft curves that it had me salivating just at the thought of running my fingers over his skin to feel that hardness beneath my palms.

My gaze followed the deep V that flanked his groin and came to rest on his cock. A smile twitched the corners of my mouth as I admired both the length and breadth of the beast that had ravaged me and driven me to orgasm.

Yes. Ryder Knox was a fine specimen of alpha-maleness indeed. And tonight he was mine. All mine.

His sculpted body and artful tattoos took my breath away. If I'd ever been on the fence before about an inked body, I was a convert now. I traced a finger up his arm, following the tattoo of the cobra’s tail from the top of Ryder’s hand, curling its way up his forearm to his bicep and triceps. His muscles flexed in reaction to my feather-like strokes. Curling my fingers, I squeezed his upper arm. Feeling his brute strength flipped my stomach and made my pussy clench. Here was a man who could protect me against harm. It was intoxicating.

My hand floated over his chest toward the tattoo above his heart. It was beautiful; a red and yellow exotic bird with a long sweeping tail that ended just above his nipple. I sucked in a breath when my eyes fell on his nipple ring. God, it was sexy. I had to touch it. I dipped my head and licked his nipple, sucking gently on the piercing.

The feral groan that rumbled from his chest made my heart sing. I liked that I could affect him this much.

My tongue traced down the center of his torso, kissing and lapping its way south, passed the sprinkling of hair that took me directly to the pot of gold. I ignored his cock, which by now had grown in length and width, and was bobbing its head for my attention. I kissed the V on each side of his loin, eliciting an even deeper groan.

“Fuck, babe. What are you doing to me?” I looked up at him from under my lashes. His pupils were fully dilated, a fine mist of sweat covering his skin.

I went in for the kill. Without touching him with my hands, I licked the pre-cum from his tip before rimming his cock with my mouth. Listening for his panting breaths, I gauged how well I was doing, increasing the pressure of my lips as I ran them up and down his shaft.

“Suck me,” he demanded, grabbing a fist full of hair and pushing his cock into my mouth. I took him deep, nearly balls-deep. He was too big to take all the way without gagging, so I quickly fisted the base of his cock to fully envelop him.

I sucked.

He groaned.

I pumped his cock with my fist till he pulled my head right back, releasing his cock.

“Jesus. You’ll make me come if you keep that up for another second.”

I licked my lips and smiled up at him. The expression on his face was priceless: half-dazed, half in agony, I knew he was close to the point of no return.

Ryder pulled me up his body, and I felt my hardened nipples scrape along his skin. He let out a long hiss. Holding the back of my head, he kissed me long and hard, every ounce of his longing poured into that one kiss. Finally he released my mouth.

“Ride me. Make me come hard,” he ordered, his voice gruff.

Yes
.

I was dying to get his cock inside me. I ripped the foil with my teeth, barely caring if I bit a hole in the fucking condom, I was that desperate to have him fill me. My fingers trembled as I placed it onto the tip of his cock. He sensed my uncertainty and covered my hands with his, helping me to roll it on. Shit, it was sexy as hell. I squeezed my thighs together, the ache in my pussy becoming unbearable.

“Eager, Princess?” he murmured, chuckling softly.

I nodded. We were equally desperate, and this wasn’t the time for talking.

Pushing upward, I lifted my body and his hands cupped my ass and squeezed. “Perfect. Your ass is perfect.”

I smiled back at him as I took his cock in my hand and guided it to my waiting entrance.

“Ryder,” I gasped as his hands guided me down and his cock drove into me, filling me to the hilt.

“Good girl.” It was a fullness I loved experiencing.

“Now ride me,” he said, a smile twisting the corners of his mouth as he reached up and grabbed my breasts in both hands and squeezed hard.

Finding strength in my thighs, I rode his cock, slamming down onto his balls each time. He pulled me forward and sucked a nipple into his mouth before biting down on the hard nub. I squealed, trying hard not to make a noise. The combination of pleasure and pain drove me to the edge.

His fingers found their way to my clit and he circled the sensitive bud till all my senses exploded. “Ryder. Please. I'm going to come.” I panted, frantic for release.

“Come, baby. Come for me.” His voice was husky, and his command sent me over the edge.

I let go. “Yes.
Baby
,” I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper. Wave after wave of delicious ripples passed through my body, gripping his cock as I convulsed around him.

“Fuck. That’s it for me too.”

His eyes rolled back in his head before he closed them and I watched his beautiful face as he came apart, pumping into me.

He pulled me to his chest and I lay on top of him. His arms tightened around me, his chest heaving with exertion. He planted a kiss on my forehead.

Completely sated, we fell asleep as the birds started twittering outside, a sure sign that dawn was approaching.

T
he morning had come all too quickly, and Ryder and I had dozed off in one another’s arms, exhausted, sweaty, and thoroughly fucked. I would probably still be sleeping if it weren’t for my phone waking me. I let it go to voicemail.

Since I was awake, I decided to get home before Ryder woke and tried to stop me. I slipped on my dress and tiptoed to the door. Luckily Ryder was out cold, so I snuck out of the house and found my shoes by the front door. I walked to the sidewalk before I called for a taxi.

While I waited for the taxi, I scrolled through the nine text messages Marcus had left me. Then I listened to the thirteen voice messages, deleting them one by one. From what I could gather, Marcus was in a spin; he’d left the party and gone home, avoiding my father so that he didn’t need to explain to him that I’d caught him with his pants down and his dick inside the new secretary. Or that I’d gone off on the back of a badass biker’s motorcycle. I suppressed the urge to giggle, thinking of Marcus and his panicked expression when we rode off, leaving him on the sidewalk.

I didn’t think Marcus ever imagined that
good girl
Jade would really go through with something like that. And he was right—a mere few months ago I wouldn’t have dreamed that I’d behave like this. Jesus, I would’ve slapped a libel suit on anyone who dared to degrade and insult me with such an accusation.

Now, here I was, sneaking to my bedroom like a teenager, my shoes in my hand, wearing Ryder’s shirt over my dress. I looked a goddamn mess, and I hoped I could get to my room before being spotted and interrogated.

“Jade, is that you, honey?” Mom’s voice was laced with worry.

“Yes, I’m home. And everything’s fine.”

She caught me just as I reached my bedroom. Her eyes narrowed and she drew a deep breath. “I’m glad you’re safe. But you had me really worried. It’s not like you, Jade. You didn’t even behave like this when you were younger. . .”

“I know. And maybe I should’ve. Because I grew up to quickly, and never had a chance to just be a crazy teenager.”

“Then why start now? Who is the man that you slept with last night? I know it’s not Marcus. And good Lord, you look a mess. Must’ve been a rough night.”

Mom never sugarcoated her words. I appreciated that about her, because I always knew exactly where I stood.

“Daddy?” I enquired, yawning behind my hand. My eyes were about to fall closed. I’d hardly slept and after the vigorous . . .
exercise
Ryder had put me through, I was sore and tired.

She shook her head. “He’s asleep. I gave him something to help him doze off. Go have a shower, Jade. I’ll bring you a cup of tea. Looks like you could do with it.”