“Nick?” I ask quietly, even though I already know the answer.
He slides his hands up underneath the shirt and grips my hips firmly. “Yeah. He was checking in to see how it went with Rosa before he had his meeting with Senator Adams.”
“I’ve met Senator Adams before, he seems nice.”
“He seems to be, but he’s still a politician so…” He trails off with a shrug.
“You don’t like any politicians?” I ask, his response intriguing me. I always thought he just hated my father.
“I don’t necessarily hate them all. I just think the majority of them are nothing but fucking liars.”
“It’s definitely hard sometimes to know who you can trust,” I admit truthfully.
“You can’t trust the majority of the people in this world, baby, believe me.”
His statement doesn’t surprise me, and I can even understand why he thinks that. He must see a lot of corruption in his line of work; not to mention he grew up with people he couldn’t trust. I suddenly remember that night all those years ago, when he showed up in my room vulnerable and hurt. He never talked about his parents when we were together. I brought them up once but he shut it down quickly, telling me they were off limits. It makes me wonder if he still feels the same.
“Have you seen your parents since you’ve been back?” I ask cautiously.
He tenses under me for a brief second before forcing himself to relax. “No. I haven’t seen or spoken to them since I left, and I don’t plan to.”
I try to gauge his expression, wanting to know what he’s feeling, but he shows no emotion. I tread on carefully. “Maybe you should. Maybe they’ve changed and they miss you.”
A bitter laugh erupts from his throat. “No. Believe me, they don’t give a shit about me, they never did.”
My heart swells sadly to hear that. I never had parents who loved me either but at least I had Rosa and Summer. Ryder never had anyone. “I’m sorry,” I whisper sadly.
He shrugs. “Don’t be. It is what it is and I really don’t give a shit. It’s not like they were good parents. I never relied on them a day in my life. I’ve been on my own for as long as I can remember, and I like it that way.”
I’m sure it’s more complicated than that. No matter how terrible they were to him it must hurt to have nobody. Staring down at him, I reach up and trace his lips with my finger. “You will always have me, Ryder,” I tell him truthfully. “You can trust me.”
He grasps my wrist gently and places a familiar kiss on the inside of my palm, his gaze intense as he stares back at me. “There is no one in the world I trust more than you, Emily.” My heart explodes with happiness to know that, because I know he doesn’t trust easily.
I squeal in surprise when he swiftly flips me over onto my back and comes over top of me. His shirt rises past my hips and I moan when I feel his erection settle over my wet heat. Leaning down, he presses a soft kiss to my lips before entering me in one smooth thrust. I gasp then whimper at the ecstasy of being filled by him.
He stills deep inside of me and gazes down at me with an intensity that captures my breath. “You can trust me too, Em. I’m going to figure out what the fuck is going on here and I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’ll take care of you and protect you. Just like I was always meant to.”
Before I have a chance to think about that he begins moving inside of me with perfection. This time he makes love to me with slow, tender precision. There is nothing rushed or frantic about it, but no less intense than the last.
As I stare into his warm, green eyes I pray that whatever my future holds he is a part of. Because the thought of losing him again brings on a pain so deep I’m not sure I would survive it.
Chapter 19
Emily
A few mornings later I’m bustling around my room, getting dressed. My body feeling a glorious tenderness, and muscles aching that haven’t been used in a long time, especially as well used as they have been. I smile thinking about all the dirty things Ryder has done to me the past two nights. I swear the man is a machine, and I love it. I know I will never tire of his touch, or the pleasure he brings not only to my body but also to my soul.
I slip on a pair of dark jean shorts and a white tank top, knowing we will most likely be staying in again. We haven’t left the house in days, much to my dismay, but I understand why Ryder is being cautious. Tomorrow we will go see Rosa, which I’m looking forward to. I’m praying everything goes well for her tonight at my father’s.
Spotting Ryder’s plaid button-down hanging off my dresser, that he wore the previous night, I grab it and throw it on over my tank top, loving being surrounded by his yummy scent. It reaches the tops of my thighs, and I roll up the massively long sleeves to my forearms like he always does.
Leaving my room, I start down the hall in search of the man himself and find him on the couch, leaning over his laptop that’s on the coffee table in front of him. Summer sits on the floor next to his feet with her chin resting on his knee. I’m starting to think I should worry that she’s trading me in for him, but, to be honest, the sight of them warms my heart. I lean against the wall and watch Ryder deep in concentration, typing furiously, my eyes drinking in all of his sexy perfection.
“You going to stare at me all day, or are you going to bring your sweet ass over here and come sit with me?” He glances up at me from his computer with a sly grin.
“How did you know I was here? You didn’t even look up.”
“Because I’m a special agent, baby, I know everything.”
I roll my eyes with a giggle then start over to him. His gaze sweeps down the length of me, and by my body’s reaction I’d swear it was his hands. As soon as I get within an arm’s reach of him, he grabs my hips and pulls me down on his lap. His erection nestled in my ass.
“What are you working on?” I ask, not being able to read anything on the computer screen in front of me. It reminds me that I need to get back on my programs and resume learning what I need to. Lately I’ve pushed that to the back burner, but I shouldn’t because it’s important.
He brushes my hair aside and places a soft kiss on my neck. “Just writing a progress report for my chief.”
I nod, even though I don’t quite understand what that entails. Leaning over, I trail my fingers along the keys softly, making sure to be mindful and not mess anything up for him.
He encircles my wrist in a gentle grip, then surprises me by taking my finger and pressing a key. “E,” he says before moving to another. “M,” he whispers, bringing his lips close to my ear. “I,” he states, causing a delicious shiver to travel through me. “L.” I smile as he moves to the last letter. “Y.”
My heart warms and my throat grows tight at how kind he is to me, never making me feel dumb. I lean the side of my face closer to his as I stare at my name on the computer screen. “That spells brilliant,” I whisper, before belting out a giggle that I can’t hold back any longer.
He chuckles and flips me to the side so I’m cradled in his arms. “Yeah, baby, you’re fucking brilliant,” he presses a kiss to my mouth, “and sexy,” he mumbles, moving his lips to the underside of my jaw, “and sweet.” He trails his tongue down the column of my throat, drawing a moan past my lips. “And… did I mention sexy?”
“Yeah, you’ve said it a time or two,” I respond breathlessly.
“That’s because you are. Always, every day, especially in my fucking clothes.” He growls, cupping one of my ass cheeks in his large hand.
“I guess that means it’s okay I borrowed your shirt?”
He grunts. “Baby, I don’t mind one fucking bit. Hell, keep it and wear it every day. I like seeing you in my clothes, it makes my dick hard as fuck.”
I roll my eyes at his dirty mouth, but can’t deny the minor ache it creates between my legs. “I should probably let you get back to work,” I say weakly, then completely contradict my words by tilting my head to the side to give his lips more access.