There was dead silence by the time I rounded the corner.
“You’re up!” Cynthia was the first to recover, and she plastered a cheerful look to her face. She swooped over, giving me a big hug, and started talking really quickly. “I knew you’d be okay. You’re too tough to stay down long. The medical team couldn’t find anything wrong with you, and of course I told them all that you have been under a whole lot of stress these days. In any case, you’re the big hero! Saved the day!”
“Well, we both did.” I pulled away, wishing I could find out what was going on with her. Nick was suddenly busy on an electronic gadget that he’d pulled out of his pocket, a heavy, dark look weighing him down.
Cynthia rattled on. “Hey, I stored some food in the fridge, so you guys don’t have to think about dinner. I’d stay, but you know, I have to check in with my mom. She’ll flip out on me if she finds out I’ve been back on Te’re and didn’t check in. I’ll come back tomorrow, ’kay? We’ll hang out some more, but no more trips to the mall. I think we need a vacay after what happened today.” Cynthia backed off toward the archway across the room with an overly bright smile, using stylized language that she didn’t usually and clearly trying to make an escape.
I didn’t question it. “Okay,” I replied. Who was I to judge? When you needed to go, you needed to go. Nick wasn’t having it, though.
“I’ll walk you out,” he said firmly, putting his device in his pocket and clasping one of her elbows before she got too far away from him. I could see that her first reaction was going to be to yank herself away, but she didn’t want to make a scene. Her eyes became chips of ice.
“Well isn’t that nice of you,” she said coldly, and she walked out with him, which left a bit of a vacuum.
Alone and unsure of what I was supposed to do, I decided to look for Ryder. I took a quick walk across the rec room through the archway and saw the library with the stacks and stacks of books in bookshelves. He wasn’t there. The beautiful blanket still was. With a feeling of dismay at the careless way I’d left such a treasure, I quickly refolded it, and I felt that odd buzzing sensation again. Threads of energy began weaving into my skin and up through my arms.
I dropped the blanket back onto the couch like it burned, staring at it uneasily.
“I don’t even want to know,” I muttered to myself after a moment. There was enough newness I needed to accept without taking on more than I could handle. The feeling that there was yet something else significant, something else I couldn’t quite remember, attached to the blanket frustrated me, but I deliberately blew it off. Hadn’t I had enough drama for the day? I could always think about it later.
I wandered back to the archway of the main rec room to find Ryder had appeared and was setting out plates in the kitchen. He’d changed into a pair of sweatpants similar to my own, leaving his muscular chest bare. Without giving away my presence, I paused to stare in a purely primal, animalistic reaction. I was in awe of the beautiful male before me. He had that amazing V-shaped body where the muscles in his stomach, arms and shoulders stood out, calling to the female animal in me.
I want him, whispered my mind, and my body quickened, reminded of the unfinished business we’d begun in the bedroom.
A smattering of dark hair sprinkled his broad pecs. It trailed down his washboard stomach, disappearing beneath the drawstring of his pants, where an interesting bulge made me crave exploration. I could almost feel my eyes go vixenlike.
Sheesh. Who was I turning into?
He sent a worried look in the direction of the bedroom, bracing his hands on his hips for a moment with a look of impatience. I loved that stance. It was so him. Then he got back to what he was doing, his muscles flexing with ease and grace as he moved. Grabbing a plate of something out of a small fridge, he tightened his lips and glanced toward the bedroom again. Was he worried about me?
I cleared my throat and stepped out from the archway. Immediately, his green eyes flashed to me; there was a hint of surprise to his expression, since he wasn’t expecting me to appear on this side of the room.
The surprise in his eyes melted into a heavy-lidded look that lingered over my body. His nostrils flared, and he swallowed. I looked down and realized that not only was the neckline of the T-shirt low, weighted by the knot I’d tied at the bottom, but my nipples were peaked and perky, and my breasts were clearly outlined by the lovingly clingy material of the old T-shirt. I felt naked under his stare.
Heat swept my cheeks, though at the same time, my inner sex kitten purred, recognizing that he wanted me. This big, powerful man was having to check himself because he wanted to jump me. A flash of desire zeroed in at the top of my thighs, making them clench. A warm pulse point developed there.
Ryder cleared his throat and looked away a moment, as though trying to gain some control, before looking back at me. “Where were you?” he asked softly, which was a direct contradiction to the intensity of his eyes.
“Library. Looking for you,” I replied.
A faint, crooked smile eased over his features, and he continued the task he was working on. My response pleased him, and I realized I wanted to please him.
“Can I help with anything?”
“I’ve got this covered. I made a couple of sandwiches. Nothing you haven’t tasted before, I’m sure.”
“No brontosaurus burgers?” I smiled nervously to cover the heat that felt like it was radiating off me.
He smirked. “Right. No brontosaurus burgers. Turkey sandwich. Chips. Soda.”
“Sounds pretty normal.”
“Thought you could use normal after what you’ve been through the last few days.” He looked up and our eyes clicked again, held. The power of the connection was unnerving, for both of us I think, because gruffly, he said, “Have a seat.”
Exhaling quietly, I replied, “O-okay.”
Sexual tension hung in the air in a way I’d never experienced before. I was finding it hard to concentrate on what I was doing. Heck, I was finding it hard to breathe normally. My breasts felt heavy and full. My inner sex kitten was trying to assert herself, and I was fighting an internal battle of morality with her as he brought food to the square dining table and sat with me.
“Dig in.”
The sandwiches were delicious, but the silence was unnerving. On the outside, I tried to be calm, working through a few bites of food, but on the inside, my imagination was going wild. My body hummed with energy, wondering what was going to happen next. I pictured myself running my fingers over his chest, tracing the narrowing pattern of hair toward his waistband. The thought alone had me taking a deep breath to control my uneven breathing. Energy was building through my body, gradually heating the air around me. I could practically see my fingers trembling with the rush of blood in my system as I reached to grab my cup for a drink of water.
Was I actually ready to go there? Memories of the two times I’d tried to have sex with someone sprang forth. Feelings of awkwardness, and some pain, continued to haunt me. Of course, I hadn’t known what I was doing during those times, but then, I still didn’t, so there was a high likelihood that I was going to look foolish.
My insecurities reared their ugly heads.
Ryder wasn’t just some fumbling boy; he was a man, likely used to women with experience. How horrifying it would be to humiliate myself with him. Was I really woman enough?
Hell yes!