Chapter 11
Claire
I let my nerves take over only after I’ve securely locked the deadbolt. I’m shaking too badly to climb the stairs. Instead, I lean against the door and slide down until I’m sitting on my butt, knees drawn up, head hanging between them. This stairwell is a bit creepy on a normal day, but it’s even worse tonight. It’s nothing but an isolated landing with a door to the bakery, a door to the outside, and stairs leading up to the apartment.
I take deep breaths, but the shaking won’t subside. I need to pull myself together before I go upstairs. I consider what to do next. Should I tell my parents? They must not have heard me pull up. In fact, I hear the television. The volume is loud. They’re laughing. They must be watching something hilarious.
I don’t want to talk about Smith. I don’t want it to be a thing. I don’t want to deal with the backlash of the whole town finding out he assaulted me behind my own home. It’s humiliating. Besides, he would undoubtedly say I was being overly melodramatic and twist the story until everyone in town believed him.
No. I won’t go there. I won’t mention I even saw Smith. I’ll go upstairs with a smile on my face and tell my parents about Ryder and his plans for the community. That’s what they’re expecting, and that’s what they’ll get.
Taking a deep breath, I pull myself together and head up the stairs. I’m not nearly as happy as I was before my encounter with Smith. I’m also exhausted, but I paste on a smile as I step into the living room.
My father sees me and immediately mutes the television.
“You’re home,” my mother says cheerfully. “We’ve been so eager to hear about your day.”
“Surprised, too,” my father says with a chuckle. “There’s no way you spent all that time with those Wilde boys simply asking them about their intentions for the town.” He lifts a brow, grinning.
This might not be as difficult as I expected.
My face heats, and I redirect all my thoughts to Ryder, ignoring my altercation with Smith.
My mom sits up straighter; she’s also smiling. “I heard two of them have arrived. Is that true?”
I nod. “Yes, Ryder and Tiago. They’re brothers, two of the three children of Amos’s oldest son—William.”
My father rubs his chin, frowning slightly. “William must be about seventy. I think he’s thirteen years older than me. How old are his sons?”
“Ryder is forty. Tiago is the older one; I guess about forty-four.” I watch their expressions.
“And…” My mother leans forward.
I giggle and shrug. “Not going to lie. I have a connection with Ryder. You might as well know. I’m sure he’ll be here tomorrow to get pastries. He wants to meet you.” I hope that fact softens the shock about his age.
My father lifts a brow. “Meet us. Huh…”
My mother’s smile widens. “He’s kind of old for you, but I’ll withhold judgment until I meet him. And you texted that he wants us to come to dinner. That’s…interesting.”
“Yeah, he insisted. He’s a good guy. I’m not going to get all starry-eyed over him or anything. It was one day. But he’s nice and funny, and I like him.” Part of that is not true. I am far more than starry-eyed, but admitting that would make me sound too eager.
“Did you learn anything about their intentions for the town?” my father asks.
“A lot, actually.”
My mother stands. “I’ll make us some herbal tea while you talk. I’m sure you’re tired. Just give us the gist. You can expand on it later.”
It’s after eight when I finally shut myself in my bedroom. I’m extremely tired, but I’m keyed up at the same time. I’m worried I won’t be able to get to sleep. My mind is going to be racing as soon as I lie down.
Half of my brain is preoccupied with Ryder and reliving every moment we spent together. The other half is worried about what might happen with Smith. He didn’t seem to heed my advice. I will have to do something more to get rid of him, and I have no idea what that might be or to what lengths he might go to ruin my reputation.
Do I even care?
I head into my attached bathroom, brush my teeth, release my hair from the braid, and comb it out. After tucking it into a loose bun, I climb into the shower. I don’t have the energy to wash and dry my hair tonight. My entire body is drained of energy.
I take a quick shower, put on clean panties and a tank top, and climb under the covers. I can hardly lift my arms as I grab my phone from the nightstand to check the time.
That’s when I remember I was supposed to call Ryder when I got home. Shoot. There are several messages from him.
Hey, Claire. Did you get home okay?
Claire…it’s late. You should have been home by now. Please call me.
Baby…I’m getting nervous picturing you in a ditch on the side of the road. If you don’t call me in the next ten minutes, I’m going to drive to town and look for your car. You didn’t even tell me where you live.
Shit. I look at the time of the last text. Luckily, it was seven minutes ago. I quickly call him.
“Claire?” he answers.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. When I got home, I sat down to talk to my parents for a while, then I took a shower and dropped into bed. I haven’t had a chance to call you yet.”
He blows out a long breath. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried.”
I kind of like that he was worried about me. No one besides my parents has ever worried about me. “I’m really sorry. You can add a tally to my naughty jar,” I joke, hoping to ease the tension.
He laughs. “Your naughty jar is already so full; it runneth over.”
“Good thing there’s nothing physical inside it. It’s a pretend jar filled with pretend infractions.”
“Oh, Claire, baby, the infractions are not pretend. At some point in the near future, I’m going to spank your bottom so hard you’re going to end up dancing around wincing and unable to sit.”
I bite my lip. Why does that turn me on? I’m so confused. If Smith said something like that to me, I would knee him in the balls. And I did. Coming from Ryder, it sounds like a sexy promise instead of a punishment.
“You were supposed to FaceTime me, baby. I want to see your room.” His voice is softer now.
“You can’t now. It’s dark, and I’m already under the covers. I don’t have the energy to give you a tour.”
“What a shame. What are you wearing?”
I suck in a breath. “Uhh…”
“Don’t lie to me. Tell me.”
“A white tank top and white cotton panties.” I probably should’ve lied. I should’ve said I had on a black lace negligee and nothing else. I’m way too boring.
Ryder groans as though that was the answer I gave him. “Do you have any idea how badly I want to see you like that?”
“In a tank top and boring cotton panties?”
He growls. It’s a sexy sound that makes my nipples hard. “Claire…for some reason, that’s what I want to see you in. It’s real. It’s you. I’ll buy you all the lingerie you want, but I’m far more interested in seeing the tight tank top and panties. I bet your breasts look heavenly under the thin cotton. I bet your nipples are poking through the front, your dusky areolas obvious. I bet your panties are soaking up your arousal and resting uncomfortably wet against your pussy.”
None of that was true until he said it out loud. Now, I’m so horny I might self-combust.
He doesn’t stop. “I want to suck those nipples through your shirt, leaving a wet spot that makes them look even sexier. I could suck your pussy through the crotch of your panties, too. Would you like that?”
I can’t breathe. I certainly can’t answer.
“Baby…?”
“Mmm.” How does he get me so hot and bothered so easily? I’m not even with him, and he’s making me quiver.
“When was the last time you had an orgasm, Claire?”
The question catches me off guard. “I’m not telling you that.”
“Claire…” he warns. “I want to know everything about you.”
“Not that. It’s too personal.”
“Including the details about your orgasms, baby. Every detail. Can you come by stroking your clit with your fingers, or do you need a vibrator?”
My face is so hot that people would think I had a fever if they saw me.
“Or maybe you’ve never had an orgasm. Is that it?”
“I’ve had orgasms.” I don’t want him to think I’m that innocent.
“Fingers or toys, baby?”
I sigh. “You may have noticed there are no sex shops in town. In addition, I live with my parents. I couldn’t exactly order a dildo and have it delivered to the house. If I did, one of them would open it, and I’d be mortified.”
“So, you use your fingers,” he states.
“Ryder…”
“When was the last time you touched yourself, Claire? It’s a simple question.” He’s so bossy, and it makes me hot every time. I love how he won’t let me put him off. He’s going to badger me until I answer him, and it’s going to make me even more aroused. If I lie, he’ll know or somehow find out.
“Probably a month ago,” I admit.
“A month,” he practically shouts. “Baby…”
I wince. “If you’re going to be an ass about it, I won’t tell you these things.”
Instead of laughing, he says, “I’m sorry, baby. You’re right. I shouldn’t have reacted so strongly, but that’s a long time. You’ll never go a day without orgasms after you move in with me. Did you start packing?” he teases.
I giggle because that’s absurd. “Sure. I have everything by the back door. Can you pick me up in the morning?”
“Don’t joke about moving in with me. I’m serious. Did you at least lay the foundation with your parents?”
“I did.” I’m pretty damn proud of myself for that part.
“Really?” He sounds shocked.
“I didn’t have to say anything, actually. They aren’t stupid. I spent the entire day at your house. We weren’t leaning over blueprints of the town, making plans for renovations. They’re cool parents. They looked a bit skeptical, but they won’t pass judgment. Maybe when you meet them, don’t come on quite as strong as you’d ordinarily do.”
“Me? Come on strong?” He chuckles. The sound makes me hot all over. I like it when he teases me.
I yawn so hard he can hear it.
“I should let you go to sleep.”
“Yeah. I have to be in the bakery at four in the morning.”
“How far is the drive?”
“We live in an apartment above it. It’s the only reason we’ve been able to stay open this long. If we had to pay rent in two places, my parents would never have made it work. We’re in the red. Everyone in town is, Ryder,” I remind him.
He sighs. “We’re going to work on fixing that problem, okay?”
“That would be nice.” It would not be nice if I feel like he’s giving my family special treatment because I spent the day flirting and kissing him. It also won’t be nice if I feel pressured to sleep with him in exchange for financial help.
I shake those worries from my head. I can’t deal with them now. It’s too soon, anyway.
“I’ll be there in the morning. Save me a cherry pastry, and hide the napkins when I come in.”
I giggle again and roll onto my side. “Good night, Ryder.”
“Oh, and Claire…”
“Yes…”
“Don’t touch yourself. Your next orgasm is mine.”
My breath hitches. He can’t be serious. I hadn’t thought about masturbating tonight until he mentioned it. I’m way too damn tired to finger myself. But now…? Damn him.
“Claire…”
“You can’t keep me from touching myself, Ryder. You wouldn’t even know.”
“Baby, I would know. I will ask you, and you won’t be able to lie. Keep those naughty fingers out of your panties. Suck on them if you need to occupy them.”
My brows lift. He’s so dirty. “Good night, Ryder.”
“Good night, Claire.”
I end the call, plug my phone in, and set it on my nightstand. This has been the longest, wildest day of my life.
I close my eyes and will sleep to come. Luckily, my brain shuts down and lets me rest.