I wasn’t sure I wanted to understand what was going on with me.
“Ryder, I’ve got to go,” she whispered, her face buried in my neck.
“No.” I grunted. “Stay.”
“My family—”
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.
Chapter 4 ~ Jade
Stunned, 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.