Chapter 23 #2
“Who is who?” They really are identical. They both have the same dark blond hair as Ryder, but their eyes are like glaciers. It’s very striking.
“I’m Jamie, the firefighter. Can’t you tell by how ripped I am compared to this guy?” He laughs as he shoves his twin.
“I’m Rocco.” I notice that he doesn’t feel the need to let me know he’s a NASCAR champion. He’s more reserved than the others, which I appreciate. “The last time Ry brought a girl home was in high school. He seems…”
“I seem what?” Ry appears in the doorway, looking impossibly handsome as always.
“Happy.”
His eyes find mine. “I am. Now, before you continue with the Spanish Inquisition, I’m going to steal Aspen for a few minutes to show her to our room.” He turns his attention to me. “You’re with me, baby girl.”
I blush at the heat in his gaze, following him out into the hallway and up a grand staircase.
“Are you doing okay?” He leads me into a bedroom.
“Where are you sleeping?” I ask as he sets down the bags.
“In here, with you.”
“What? What about your parents?”
“They have their own bedroom. It would be a little awkward.” His ocean-blue eyes are alight with mischief.
“Very funny.”
“They are fine with us sharing a room. Considering everything else we do together, it would be a little odd if we were sleeping in different bedrooms. How would I make you come from all the way across the hall? I mean, I could probably manage it, but even my talents can’t bridge time and space.”
“You are not making me come. We can’t fool around.”
“Oh, baby girl. Don’t you know what saying no to me gets you?”
“A punishment,” I say with excitement. He closes the door behind us and looks me up and down with hunger in his gaze.
“You have no idea.” He backs me against the wall, his lips grazing my ear. “Take off your panties.”
“You’re not serious.” I shiver as his lips find my neck in featherlight kisses.
“As a heart attack. Take them off, now.”
“I’m not your sub right now,” I whisper, my voice betraying my arousal.
“Oh, I think you are. I’ll make a deal with you. Take off the panties now, and I won’t make you scream my name tonight.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me. I have no shame. If you wanted a knight in shining armor, you came to the wrong guy.” A thrill courses through me. Ryder pushes me to do things I would never dream of, and it’s one of the things I love about him.
“You’re really asking me to sit down to dinner with your entire family without any panties on.”
“Yes.” His lips capture mine. “I want you wet for me.” Another kiss. “I want you to know, every second, that your pussy belongs to me, baby girl. That your pleasure is mine to command.”
“I…”
“Take off your panties, Aspen.”
“Yes, Sir.” A thrill courses through me. “If you take them off.”
He drops to his knees. “Fucking hell, you’re hot.”
He slowly slips his hands under my dress, hooking his fingers, tugging my panties down before putting them in his pocket.
Then, he pushes my dress up to my waist and leans in, kissing my pussy with such reverence before letting my dress fall.
He doesn’t move to stand up, instead looking up at me from his knees.
“I worship the ground you walk on, Aspen.”
“Save the worship for my reward tomorrow when we get home.”
“Home.” He seems to ruminate.
I run my fingers through his hair, loving the sight of him on his knees for me.
“Move in with me.”
“What?” Did I just hear him right? We’ve only been together a few months. “You’re not serious, are you?” As I ask the question, I’m not sure what answer I want. Is it crazy? Yes. But nothing about my relationship with Ry has been ‘normal.’
“Yes. Home is wherever you are, Aspen. I want to share a life with you. Move in with me.”
My heart is galloping like a mustang, so fast I fear it will break free of my chest.
“Yes.” I love this man with all my heart.
He jumps to his feet, pulling me into his arms. “You’ve just made me the happiest man alive.”
My cheeks flush, my love for him overwhelming as we make this life-altering decision.
“So, we’re really going to do this? It’s a big step.”
“We’re endgame, baby girl. I know it, and I want to make a home with you.”
His lips crash down on mine, his arms holding me steady as I lose myself in his kiss. I almost forget where we are for a minute, so desperate for his touch. When we finally take a breath, I’m on cloud nine.
“We’d better get downstairs for dinner. I don’t want your folks thinking we’re getting up to no good.”
“You worry too much. Besides, I needed your panties before dinner. It was a pressing matter,” he says with a wry grin.
“I can’t believe you’re really going to have me sit through dinner with your family, wearing no panties?”
“Why? I want you wet for me by the time we come back up here later.”
“We can’t mess around in their house. They could hear us.”
He leans in, caressing the shell of my ear with his lips. “Then I guess you’ll need to be quiet.”
Without another word, he takes my hand in his and leads me back down to the kitchen, where everyone is laughing and joking, and the smells coming from the kitchen are wonderful.
Dinner is jovial, with everyone trying to get to know me, which I appreciate.
I asked Ryder not to tell them about us moving in together just yet.
I need some time to wrap my head around it and what I’m going to tell Jude.
We’ve been roommates for six years. She’s my sister in every way that counts.
Everyone is very welcoming, making sure to include me in all the conversations. My earlier fears allayed with each joke or story about Ryder. He might be rethinking all of this now that I have so much dirt on him.
When it comes time for dessert, I help his mom clear the dinner plates. It’s second nature when you’re a waitress. Elsbeth is so kind, and I can see she adores her family.
“How long have you and Ryder been together?”
“A few months. I was a waitress at Dulip, but I’m a trained chef. We bonded over a mutual love of food, and he moved me into the kitchen. Your son is incredible. It’s a joy to watch him in action. I’ve learned so much.”
“He is passionate.” My mind wanders for a second, thinking about the tender kiss he pressed to my pussy upstairs with a wicked promise of when we get home. Passionate is definitely a fitting description of Ryder, even if she means something different.
When we return to the dinner table, I find myself squirming at Ryder’s side. His decision to take my panties is definitely having the desired effect. I can barely concentrate on the conversation by the time we are done with the most delicious cheesecake I have ever had.
I help clear the dishes before Ryder slinks up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, nuzzling at my neck. “They love you.”
“You have a wonderful family, Ry. They’ve been so welcoming. It’s fun to see you in a different light.”
“In what way?”
“In the kitchen, you command respect.” I lower my voice to barely above a whisper. “In your private room, you demand compliance.” I turn in his arms and reach up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Here, with them, you’re more playful. Fun. I’m assuming even your brothers don’t know about our lifestyle.”
“That’s the first time you’ve said it is ours.”
“What?”
“The lifestyle. It’s the first time you’ve referred to it as ours instead of mine.” I wrap my arms around his neck.
“I guess it is. I feel some ownership now. Before, I felt like I was just dabbling in it. Testing the waters.”
“And now?” he asks on tenterhooks.
“Now I can say I’m a submissive.”
“Fuck, yeah, you are.” He playfully slaps my ass. “Tell me, baby girl, are you wet for me?”
“Yes, Sir.” A thrill courses through me. It feels different to call him that outside of Venom. Something I’ll unpack later. Tonight, I want to enjoy my time with Ry and his family before we go home, and everything changes.