“Goddamn right you are, and you are going to come fucking hard!” Leaning in, he takes one of my nipples into his mouth and bites down on it hard enough that the pain shoots straight to my clit and rocks my body with the best sensations.
My eyes fall closed at the strength of my orgasm. “Keep your eyes open!” I snap them back open and stare into his heated gaze, his eyes conveying so many emotions it’s hard to name even one, and it does all sorts of things to my already tattered heart. After the final tremors of my orgasm, I drop my forehead on his, my body feeling exhausted, both physically and emotionally.
Ryder withdraws his hand from between my legs then shocks me when he puts it into his mouth and sucks my wetness off of it. I gasp in surprise, and he expels a growl before locking his mouth with mine. His delicious taste, mixed in with my arousal, is beautifully erotic. He doesn’t pull away until we are both needing air. He brings me in closer and wraps me in his powerful embrace. I turn my face into his neck and breathe in his incredible scent. “You okay, Em?” he asks softly.
“Yes, I’m more than okay,” I reply truthfully. I wish there were words to describe how I’m feeling in this moment.
“Good.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head then I feel him reach for something beside him before covering me with it. I quickly realize it’s his dress shirt.
I snuggle in closer to his hard, warm body, never wanting this feeling to end. The feeling of safety and contentment. A feeling I haven’t felt in six years.
Chapter 12
Emily
I woke up the next morning feeling a light heartedness I haven’t felt in a really long time. My body was still humming with pleasure from Ryder’s intimate touch at the cliff, and my heart was warm from the kindness he showed me. The way he took care of me, and talked to me about my insecurities and fears is something I will never forget.
Unfortunately, my good mood went to hell the moment my father called and demanded I meet him and my mother for lunch. He did not sound pleased, so I knew that this meeting was probably going to be more unpleasant than usual.
When Andrew, my driver, pulls up and lets me out in front of the country club, I take a deep breath and dig deep for courage, knowing I’m going to need it. I’ve decided I’m going to tell my parents about trying hypnotherapy. The more I think about it, the more I realize that Dr. Ross is right; it’s important I try to find out what caused my disability in the first place. I also know that the more we find out, the more it can also help others in my situation.
When I walk in, the hostess recognizes me instantly and leads me over to my father’s table in the back corner. My stomach clenches at first glance of my parents. Out of all the people I finally got to see, my parents were the least shocking to me. They look the same as I remember, just a bit older. They’re an attractive looking couple who scream class and wealth, only I know who they are deep down, and there is nothing beautiful about either of them.
My mother’s disapproving gaze roams over me, most likely not liking my choice of sundress, but she pastes a fake smile on her face before leaning in to kiss my cheek. “Darling, how are you?” she greets for show.
“I’m doing well, thank you,” I reply quietly.
My father stands next and leans over to kiss my other cheek, but doesn’t bother with pleasantries. His entire demeanor is colder than usual, so I know he’s really upset about something. The waiter comes over right away, bringing me a mimosa that my parents already took the liberty of ordering for me. I know they will have already ordered my meal too and I’m sure it will be the usual dry salad. My mother’s way of making sure I don’t gain weight.
My mother starts with small talk, but there is no denying the awkward tension surrounding us. Once our meals are brought and my father knows we won’t be interrupted for a while, he finally brings up what he called me here for. “I spoke with the Rutherfords this morning,” he begins, mentioning friends of theirs who are just as stuck-up as my parents.
“Oh?” I stare down at my salad, wondering why he thinks I care about this.
“They were at Crustacia last night for dinner.” My head snaps up and my stomach bottoms out at the silent fury in my father’s eyes. “Who were you with, Emily? It better not be who I’m thinking it is, but from the description Henry gave me it sure sounded like it.”
I swallow nervously. Don’t show fear, Emily, you have done nothing wrong. “If you are thinking it was Ryder Jameson, then yes, that is who I was with. He’s in town on business and asked me out for dinner.”
“How dare you speak so blatantly, as if what you have done is okay,” my mother scolds, acting as if I committed murder rather than go out with someone she doesn’t approve of.
“It’s bad enough you broke the rules, Emily, but to show up at Crustacia with trash like him is unacceptable,” my father berates.
“He is not trash,” I grind out quietly, “he never has been, and for your information he is doing quite well. He can more than afford to take me somewhere like that.”
“Really? Is that why he pulled you out of there when your waiter brought your drinks?”
Those damn nosy Rutherfords. “It wasn’t like that. He didn’t pull me out because he couldn’t afford the bill.” He grunts in disbelief. “It’s true!” I defend loudly.
“Keep your voice down!” my mother snaps under her breath. “You have humiliated us enough.”
“It doesn’t matter why he pulled you out of there,” my father starts again. “You are not to see him again while he is here, do you understand me?”
“I am not a child anymore. You can’t tell me who I can or can not see,” I argue through clenched teeth.
“That is where you are wrong, Emily. You have a certain obligation to this family and it’s name. Which is why I have arranged for Kyle to accompany you to the Wilmington’s charity dinner tonight.”
I gape at him, wondering if he’s serious. “You can’t force me to go out with Kyle.”
“The hell I can’t. You will do this or you will not like the consequences.”
My blood runs hot at his threat. Before I can argue again, my mother speaks up. “I have to tell you how completely disappointed I am in you, Emily. Kyle has been so kind to you, especially this past month since your sight has come back, and you have been treating him like garbage.”
“You know how I feel about him, and what he has done to me in the past. Why are you doing this?”
“Like your father said, you have a certain obligation to this family, and dating people within our social class is one of them. You’re not going to push him away for a piece of trash you spread your legs for when you were seventeen-years-old.”
My fists clench and my heart pounds with anger. “My rejection of Kyle has nothing to do with Ryder. I have a lot of personal stuff I am dealing with since getting my sight back. I’m not interested in a serious relationship right now.” Which was true – until Ryder returned. But I know the probability of that is slim to none, considering he doesn’t plan to move back. The entire thought has me feeling even more upset.
“What do you mean you have a lot of personal stuff going on? Has something happened we don’t know about?” my father asks. Most people would think his question is from concern, but it’s not. It has to do with making sure it’s nothing that will embarrass our family’s reputation.
“I’ve had a lot of adjustments. This hasn’t been easy you know, and…”
“Oh please, Emily, stop feeling sorry for yourself! I am sick and tired of you being nothing but an embarrassment to this family,” my mother chides, cutting me off.
Tears begin to blur my eyes, which makes me even more angry. I ignore her cruelty and decide now is a good time to tell them about Dr. Ross. I look only at my father as I speak. “I went and saw my doctor.”
His eyes narrow in confusion. “What are you talking about? Dr. Shepard never said anything about seeing you.”