Chapter 12
Ryker grins against my mouth. Grins, in that cocky way he does. His hands are on my ass, pulling me against him, and I can feel his hard cock as he nestles it against my cleft and leans in to kiss me some more.
What started out as crazed lust has simmered down to longing. To exploring. To savoring.
And I am here for it.
“Your lips are fucking magic,” he whispers before brushing his mouth over mine again and then sinking into me, exploring my mouth with his tongue, and he groans so loud, I can’t help but tighten my thighs around his hips and rub against his hard length.
I can’t stop moving my hands up and down his sides, over his back and across his shoulders. His skin is warm and smooth, and he’s so freaking muscled, it boggles my damn mind.
“You’re—” I can’t complete the thought because his talented mouth has drifted to my neck again, and that seems to be the sweet spot that makes my whole body flush with unadulterated lust.
As if it wasn’t already before.
My tingles have tingles. I can’t catch my breath.
“I’m what, sweetheart?” he asks as his thumb grazes over my nipple, making it harden and strain for more. “Tell me p>
“I don’t even know p>
He chuckles, and then I’m airborne. My legs wrap around his waist, and he’s carrying me effortlessly up the stairs.
“Bedroom,” he mumbles against my lips. “If I finally get to have you like this, it’s going to be in my bed p>
“What do you mean finally?” I ask him.
“Later.” He lowers me to my feet, and with a flick of his wrist, my shorts pool around my feet. “Fuck me, you’re not wearing underwear p>
I press my lips together. Instinct has my arm coming up to cover me, but he moves fast, grabs my wrist and lifts it to his lips.
“Don’t.” He kisses the inside of my wrist, right over my pulse point, and threads his fingers through mine, making my stomach flutter. He’s so freaking hot. “You’re beautiful. So fucking incredible p>
With my free hand, I reach for his jeans, and with his hot brown eyes on mine, I unfasten them and lower the zipper, and they fall to the floor.
Ryker quickly removes his boxer briefs, and then we’re standing here, in the middle of his bedroom, both naked, and taking each other in, only connected by our linked hands.
He wasn’t joking earlier when he said his ego wasn’t the only huge thing about him. Sure, I felt it the other night, but seeing it is another thing entirely.
“Once we do this,” he says as I lick my lips and my gaze flicks back up to his. “There’s no going back, baby p>
Baby. Sweetheart. I’ve had fantasies about this very scenario for years, and I never could have conjured up anything this freaking good.
“Did you hear me p>
“I heard you,” I reply and step forward, and without a second thought, I drag my fingertips down his abs, relishing every ridge of hard muscle, before wrapping my hand around his length and stroking him up and down. “I’m not afraid of this, Ry p>
Unless you reject me again. I’m going to hope for the best because the look in his eyes tells me he’s in.
“Thank fuck.” He lifts me again and moves me to the center of his giant bed, then settles his elbows on either side of my head, kissing me as if he wants to consume me.
He works his way down my neck, sending those tingles through me again that make me whimper, and then he’s nibbling on my nipples, and his hands—dear God, those hands—are working magic on my hips and sides.
“Your skin is so fucking incredible,” he mutters before rubbing the tip of his nose in a circle around my belly button. “And the sounds you make are… goddamn, baby p>
“Ry.” My hands are in his hair, urging him down almost desperately, but he resists me. He grins up at me, and my core tightens just from that crooked smile alone.
“What do you need, Trouble p>
“You p>
“Perfect. I’m right here.” He licks over my pubis, and I gasp, which only makes him chuckle and do it again. “What do you need me to do p>
“Everything. Anything. All the things, Ry, just do it p>
He spreads my legs wide, and the look he sends me when his gaze returns to mine is full of sexy intent that has my stomach tightening in anticipation.
“This gorgeous pink pussy is soaked, baby p>
“Shocker p>
He bites the inside of my thigh and then licks over the sore spot before his mouth journeys to my slit, and he licks me, from my entrance to my clit, and my hips lift up off the mattress.
“Holy hell p>
“You taste like candy,” he says before repeating the motion, and I see stars. “This is my new favorite meal. I’m going to eat this every goddamn day p>
Okay—Ryker James, hockey sensation turned cowboy, likes dirty talk. Sign me the fuck up.
He feasts on me. He doesn’t just taste or sample—he devours my pussy as if it’s his only job in life and he’s aiming for a promotion.
And then he adds two fingers to the mix, and I’m done for.
“Ryker, I’m gonna—” My hands are fisted in his hair, my hips are moving of their own accord, and I’m going to explode with the craziest orgasm I’ve ever had in my life.
“Come all over my face, sweetheart. Make a mess of me.” His fingers brush over that spot that makes me wild, and then I’m flying through the stratosphere. “That’s my girl. God, you’re so damn beautiful, baby p>
Turns out, I have a praise kink.
He’s kissing and licking his way up my torso, and then he takes my hands and pins them above my head with one of his and cups my face with the other as he kisses me. I can taste myself on him, and it only makes me want him more.
I want all of this man. The funny boy I crushed on, the man that I’m so proud of, the one that I trust more than anyone in this world.
I want him.
“Please,” I whisper against his lips. “I need you, Ry p>
He tips his forehead to mine and moves his hips, dragging his length against my sopping wet slit.
“I need you, too, but we have a problem p>
“We’d better not have a problem. If you reject me again, I swear to God p>
He exhales and shakes his head. “I don’t have any condoms p>
I blink at him and frown, but then a smile spreads over my face.
“Why do you look happy about that p>
“Because that means you weren’t planning to fuck a bunch of random women out here p>
He blinks in surprise, and then his eyes narrow. “Would you be jealous if I did p>
“Psh. Yes.” I lift up to kiss his chin. “I’m on the pill, and it’s been a long time for me, so please finish what you started p>
He releases my arms, and I wrap them around his neck as he buries his fingers in my hair, watching me. “Did I hear you right? I get to take you bare p>
“Please do p>
“I promise,” he says with a swallow, “I’ve been tested. I’m good to go p>
“I trust you, Ry p>
I don’t have to tell him twice. He immediately presses the crown inside me, and I suck in a sharp breath as he lets out a low groan.
Holy shit. I’m sopping wet, but he’s big, and I haven’t had sex in a really, alarmingly long time.
“Breathe, Trouble.” He nibbles my lips and brushes my hair off my face. “Take a breath for me p>
I do as he guides my leg up higher over his hip, and he pushes in farther, then pauses.
“You’re so fucking tight.” One hand drags down to my breast, where he grazes my nipple with his thumb, but those hot dark eyes are pinned to mine. “You feel incredible. Fuck, your pussy is hugging me so hard p>
I take another breath, and he pushes in the rest of the way, bottoming out, and we stare at each other.
I’ve never felt so close to another human being in my life.
“Ryker.” I frame his face and kiss his lips, and then he starts to move. Long, deep, hard strokes that feel like he’ll break me in half, and like he’s claiming me. Branding me as his. “Oh, God p>
“Not yet.” His voice is hard and demanding now, and his hand circles my throat, but he doesn’t cut off my air. “Look at me, Wills. You won’t come yet p>
Oh, I like bossy Ryker. I like him a lot.
“I don’t know if I can stop it p>
He pulls out all the way, and my muscles clamp down on nothing.
“Hey p>
“I said not yet.” He bites my lower lip, sending another jolt down to my pussy. “You can give me your sexy-as-fuck sass all you want, but you won’t come until I say you can p>
“Please p>
“I like it when you ask nicely.” Skimming his lips down my jawline, he whispers, “Ask me again p>
“Please, Ry, make me come p>
He pushes in, all the way, and as my walls clench around him, he growls, “Come, Willow. Come for me p>
Thank God. I couldn’t hold back if I wanted to, which I don’t. And as I fall apart, tears filling my eyes, my legs shaking, incoherent words falling from my lips, Ryker comes with me, rocking into me and spilling himself inside me.
He doesn’t move away as soon as he’s finished. He holds me to him, peppering kisses all over my face and neck, dragging his hand up and down my side as if he’s comforting me.
“Your body is supernatural,” I inform him after I catch my breath. His head pops up, and he lifts an eyebrow. “Like, I knew you were ripped and stuff from the hockey, but God, Ry, you’re just… I don’t have words p>
He rests his head on his palm and offers me a smug grin as he drags his thumb over my bottom lip. “So you’re saying I’m hot p>
“Need your ego stroked p>
Sobering now, he brushes his fingertips under my eye. “By you? Yeah. I do, baby p>
It’s not often that Ryker is vulnerable. He shields himself fiercely from anyone getting too close to him. Maybe it’s from his shitty childhood, or it’s the cost of fame, but I love that he’s continuing to open himself up to me, especially during a moment that could have turned awkward fast.
“I think you’re fucking hot as hell.” I fold him into my arms and hug him close. “Everything about you is amazing, Ry. Your body is just an extension of that. But shit, it’s a really good body p>
He laughs, and the mood lightens, and then he’s tugging me from the bed.
“Hey, where are you taking me p>
“To the shower. I’m going to clean you up, and then I’m going to fuck you against the tile p>
“I like this plan p>
“I thought you might p>
I surface out of sleep slowly, feeling disoriented. There’s no alarm today, but the sun is already up and shining on my face, and when I crack an eye open, I’m quickly reminded that I’m not in my bedroom.
I’m in Ryker’s room.
And he’s already up and gone.
Every delicious moment from the night before flickers through my mind, making me shiver with happiness.
We had shower sex. Then we had bed sex again, and before we fell asleep, we changed the sheets so no one had to sleep on one of the wet spots. And when Ryker wrapped me up in his arms, I fell fast and hard into a deep, dreamless sleep.
“Holy shit,” I mutter to myself as I roll and bury my face in his pillow, breathing in the scent of him. God, I’m sore. Muscles I didn’t even know I had weep from all the exercise I got last night. “I had sex with my best friend p>
Was that such a good idea?
I roll onto my back and stare at the ceiling.
The sex itself was a brilliant idea. I’ve never been… worshipped… like that in my life. The fact that some women go through their entire lives never being sexed up the way Ryker can sex a girl up is criminal.
Not that I’ll share him. They can find their own Ryker.
Yeah right, he’s irreplicable.
However.
He’s my person. My best friend. And Aiden and I are living out here with him, all with the purpose of helping my boy, not with the intention of my having a hot affair with the sexy former hockey star. And when this is over, when he decides that it’s time to move on to someone else, well, that’s going to kill me. We may have only had one night together, but I’m good and attached already.
Give a girl roughly half a dozen orgasms in one night, and she’ll get clingy.
“Shit.” I scrub my hands over my face and decide to go take a shower and pull myself together. I pad through his bedroom and open the door, listening. It sounds like I’m alone, so I scurry to my bedroom, close the door, and immediately walk into my en suite bathroom to turn on the shower.
Thirty minutes later, after I’ve washed and shaved and scrubbed all the things, including my hair, I pull on my usual pajama top, which happens to be an old James hockey jersey, and a pair of panties. If everyone is out working, I can walk downstairs like this long enough to make myself some coffee, and then I’ll come back up to dry my hair and put on some makeup.
As I make my way through the house, I hear a whirring noise coming from the home gym, and when I peek in, I see Ryker on the treadmill facing the windows, his back to me. He’s running faster than I ever have in my life. His earbuds are in, and he’s sweating buckets.
How long has he been jogging?
At some point, he shed his T-shirt, so he’s only in jogging shorts and sneakers, and his back flexes as he moves, and my mouth goes dry. At some point, he added tattoos there too. He has the sleeve, the one over his ribs, and ink down his back that is simply delicious.
I’m standing here salivating.
Was it a bad idea to start up a physical relationship with my best friend? Possibly.
Probably.
Am I sorry?
Fuck no.
After giving myself a shake, I walk downstairs to the kitchen and pop a pod into the coffee maker to brew a cup, then open the fridge for my creamer and wait for the mug to fill.
I’m humming, swaying back and forth to sort of stretch out my sore inner-thigh muscles—damn, I’m so sore—and then I get goose bumps, and I feel him. He hasn’t said anything, but I know he’s standing in the doorway behind me.
“How long have you had that p>
I frown over my shoulder, and my breath catches.
Yep, he’s still shirtless.
And sweaty.
And breathing hard.
His dark eyes are narrowed and pinned to my back.
“Had what p>
“My jersey p>
“Oh.” I turn as I look down at it. “This one is really old. Maybe from your first season? It’s my sleep shirt now. I have others that are more appropriate to wear in public p>
He’s walking toward me so slowly, like a cat stalking its prey.
“You’re wearing my name on your back, sweetheart p>
With a smirk, I turn to pull my mug away from the coffee maker and put my creamer in, but his arms suddenly surround me, and he’s licking up the side of my neck.
I sigh in relief, and he stills.
“What was the big sigh for p>
“You’re not running away. Or telling me to go, like you did a couple of nights ago p>
He kisses my neck once more, and I shiver in his embrace.
“No, sweetheart. I told you last night, there’s no going back from this. Only moving forward. And right now, you have my name across your back p>
“Like that, do you?” I ask as I lean back against him.
“Fuck yeah. I’m going to show you just how much I love seeing my name on you p>