Chapter 24
“About what?” Libby asked as she closed the door behind her.
Ryder ran his eyes over her as she turned back to face him. Caleb had just called to tell him what happened, and recount what Libby had done. It had taken ten years off his life.
He saw no bruises or blood on the clothes she wore, which were her usual uniform of black leggings and that jacket and boots. But the hat and scarf were recent additions, and he’d put money on Lea Becker knitting them for her. Sweet, he thought, tamping down his anger. Libby Gulliver was sweet.
She’s standing unhurt right in front of you, he reminded himself.
“You took on a man twice your size, Libby. He could have hurt you.”
“Who called you?” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
This Libby was already different from the pale scared one he’d met on that first day her car broke down. Stronger, he thought. Happier too. The tension had gone from her body and eyes.
“Caleb. He wanted me to check you were okay.” He moved closer. “Are you?”
She made a huffing sound. “Of course I am. It was scary, but I’m okay now. Caleb didn’t need to check up on me.”
“His concern was valid considering that was a member of the Bandits motorcycle gang, and he could have?—”
“He didn’t because I took care of him.” Her chin lifted, daring him to question her further.
Oh, he’d question her all right. The woman needed to understand a few things.
“You can’t do stuff like that, Libby. Caleb said his heart nearly stopped.”
“Would you have done it?”
“Of course.”
“But I’m not allowed to?”
“If he’d connected with that punch, he would have dropped you and likely concussed you or worse, Libby.”
“But I used the self-defense moves my brother taught me to stop him,” she said, sounding far too rational. “And Caleb shouldn’t have told you because I’m fine. I’m not your concern, Ryder.”
He wanted to say that wasn’t true. He wanted to tell her she was driving him crazy, and she was all he could think about.
“What is being done about Klaus and Lea, Ryder?”
“Don’t do that again, Libby,” Ryder said. “Ever.”
“You don’t get to tell me what I can do.”
“It’s in my genes,” he said, feeling the rage inside him finally ease knowing she was here and unhurt. He wanted to track down those Bandits and deal with all of them. “You came to town all pathetic and vulnerable, and now suddenly you’re acting like this Amazonian warrior?”
She smiled then, and it amped up her beauty. “I was an Amazonian warrior, and it felt amazing.”
“I bet, but maybe next time think it through before rushing in.”
“I’ll try.”
“Nice hat and scarf, by the way.”
“Lea made them for me. I’m worried for them, Ryder.”
“I know, and we’re working on it. Now, we’re busy today, so let’s get at it.”
“Right. Ally’s birthday party. Klaus is coming in to make coffees when it’s on.”
“Right.” Ryder followed her to the back, refusing to drop his eyes to her ass, even though he wanted to. The woman got to him. No getting around that.
“What have you been making?” she asked when they stepped into the kitchen.
“Chocolates, while prepping other stuff, which I probably shouldn’t be, as it needs all my focus.” He watched her move to inspect what he’d been doing with the molds.
“I—ah, I know a little bit about chocolate. Do you have a recipe?”
He waved his hand at the book he’d laid out before him on the counter. It had taken years to compile. He’d put ideas for flavors he’d researched in there, but it was only recently Ryder had decided it was time to put some of them into practice.
“Make something if you want,” he said, going on the hunch she knew more than a little bit about chocolate. “I’m just checking the party supplies that arrived last night.”
Ryder went back into the cafe to the storeroom at the rear and went through what he needed for Ally’s birthday.
Wandering back in when he was done, he stood behind Libby and watched as she decorated molds with a piping bag, forming perfect lines across each of white and red. She then proceeded to fill with chocolate, scrape, and then fill again with the caramel mix he’d made. By the time she’d finished, he could see she knew exactly what she was doing.
Totally engrossed, she didn't notice him watching.
“I’ll put them in the fridge,” she blurted when she turned to find him behind her.
“Where did you learn to do that?”
“I—ah, online,” she said, and he knew it for a lie. Could read it in her eyes.
“Why did you decide you wanted to learn to make chocolates, Libby?”
“My family likes chocolate.”
“So do mine, but they usually buy it.” Before he could stop her, she’d moved around him and opened the chiller. Libby then slid the trays inside.
“I’ll start setting up for the party,” she added, heading to the door without looking at him.
“What the fuck is it about that woman?” Ryder muttered, going to the chiller. Opening it, he studied the chocolates. Neat, and the designs he’d seen her put in the molds were amazing. The woman clearly knew what she was doing, and he didn’t think she’d picked that up in night school or online, but he’d been wrong before.
Every time he thought he was getting a handle on her, she did something else that raised even more questions. A chocolate-making ballerina-accountant who ran out on her wedding and could take down a man if she needed to.
Shaking his head, he listened as she ran upstairs to set up Ally’s party. Ryder had drawn the table setting and how he wanted the party to look, which was easy for her to follow, seeing as she was way smarter than him.
When he’d prepped a few more things, he headed upstairs to find her. She was in the small office getting something down from the shelves.
“Where did you really learn to make chocolate like that? You’re not an heiress to some chocolate empire, are you?” he joked.
She gave a little squeak and turned. He leaned in, caging her between his arms.
“Are you?” he asked.
“No, of course not,” she said too quickly. “I learned online like I’ve already told you.”
“I don’t think so.” He touched the pulse in her neck. “This tells me you’re lying. Where, Libby?”
They stared at each other, and before he could ask again, she was kissing him. Her arms wound around his neck, that lush body pressed to his, and Ryder lost every thought but one. Her.
Picking her up, he lowered her onto his desk.
It was fast, desperate, and he needed more. Sliding his hands under her clothes, Ryder moved upward until he could cup her breast through the cotton of her bra.
“Fuck, Libby.”
“Yes,” she whispered, nipping his jaw, which had him tugging down the cups and exposing the curves of her breasts. He circled the peaks, and she moaned. He was so hard now he’d combust if she brushed against him.
Pushing her clothes up and off her body, he took a second to look at what he’d uncovered. She was slight, as he’d known she was, but her breasts were the perfect size and tipped with ruby nipples he needed to taste. Lowering his head, Ryder drew one deep into his mouth.
“Oh my,” she breathed. “So good.”
He slid a hand into the waistband of her leggings and stroked the smooth skin. Her hands crept inside the neck of his shirt, nails scraping his back, which had lust rampaging through him. Right then, the world could implode around them, and he wouldn’t stop. This woman made him lose reason and narrowed his existence down to a single thing: her. When she was near, Libby was all he could see.
“Be sure this time, Libby,” he rasped.
“Now, Ryder.”
He booted the door shut with his heel, then tugged her leggings and panties down. “This first time will be fast because I can’t wait to have you, but next time, in my bed, we’ll have all night,” he whispered against her lips.
“Less talk, more action,” she rasped, opening his jeans.
Ryder pulled out his wallet and the condom he always carried. She took it from him as he pushed down his jeans and boxers.
He groaned low and deep in his throat as she wrapped a hand around his cock and stroked. It was torture and bliss.
“Fuck, that feels good.”
“So good,” she whispered.
He touched her then, stroking the damp seam between her thighs before finding the tight bud and running his thumb over it.
“You’re killing me,” he whispered as she tightened her grip.
Ryder drove two fingers inside her heat, and she shuddered, her breath coming in rough pants.
“Come for me, baby.” He kept up a steady rhythm of thrusting in and out of her slick heat as he battled the need that rose inside him as Libby continued her sweet torture of his cock. Then she arched suddenly and gasped as the climax swept over her.
“Now,” she demanded.
He took the condom and sheathed himself. “I’m not arguing with an Amazonian warrior.” Gripping her hips, he eased her forward to the edge of the desk and then drove deep inside her.
“So good,” she moaned, her arms wrapping around his shoulders.
“So good,” he replied as he pulled out, then thrust back in. “We were always heading here.”
“Yes,” she breathed into his neck.
He’d known sex with Libby Gulliver would be amazing, but not that it would literally rock his world. He’d never experienced something like this before. The need, the urgency, and the all-consuming knowledge that once would never be enough with this woman.
It was fast, fierce, with no finesse, and nothing could have stopped him then. He felt her tension build as she spiraled to her climax again. His hand went to her breast and stroked the nipple. Seconds later, she was shuddering out another release. Ryder followed after two more thrusts.
His chest was heaving like hers as they came down from whatever madness they’d just created between them. She kept her hands around his neck, burying her face in his chest as he held her.
He felt different, which couldn’t be true, but he felt it anyway.
“Ryder, you need to move,” she said long minutes later. “Someone could see us.”
He didn’t want to move. What he wanted to do was lock the door and stay in here all day. Or, better yet, take her home and spend the day in bed. But he knew she was right.
He lowered his arms and stepped back. His kisses had left her lips swollen and her skin flushed. Ryder watched as she closed her eyes, and when they opened, reality had returned, and she was remembering all the reasons what they’d done was a bad thing.
“Libby, it’s okay.”
“It’s not, not really, but I wanted that, Ryder, as much as you, so I’m not going to say otherwise.”
At least she hadn’t tried to deny that.
“But we can’t think about this now. Meadow will arrive, and—” She pressed a hand to her mouth. “She could have seen us… come looking for us and seen what we?—”
“She didn’t,” Ryder said, kissing her again, this time softly. “Go,” he said, stepping back farther. “Take some time in the bathroom, and I’ll head downstairs. When you’re ready, we’ll start setting up for the day. No need to start up here until after the lunch rush.”
Ryder wasn’t sure how he kept his voice even, but he did. She nodded twice, then fixed her clothes and, without looking at him again, left.
He dropped into his office chair, knowing he’d never come in here again without seeing her naked on top of his desk.
“Not your brightest move,” he muttered. The problem was, he wanted that woman with a hunger he’d never experienced before, no matter how hard he’d tried to deny it.
She had secrets, and he knew her life wasn’t here in Lyntacky. In all likelihood, she was leaving soon, which made his stomach clench. They were different people from different worlds, and there was also the fact he’d slept with Libby when she’d only recently walked out of her wedding. But he knew her well enough to know she’d never have done that with him if she cared for someone else.
Do I know her that well?
All this thinking at such an early hour was hurting his head, so he shelved it for now but knew it, whatever it was, would have to be dealt with later. Libby Gulliver had crept under his guard and was now important to him.