Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
Lifting the covers off her body, Sierra stood and unhooked her bra, dropping it to the floor, followed by her underwear. Then she drew her courage around her and headed for the bathroom, pushing the door open and stepping into the steam-filled room, her heart racing wildly in her chest at what she was about to do.
Ryder’s face was upturned to the water, and she took a second to admire the width of his chest, the hard muscles in his arms, and the way he braced his strong legs, his cock hard and standing upright. He obviously wanted her as much as she wanted him.
Desire didn’t scare her. It was the notion of falling hard for him all over again that frightened her. But she’d made her decision. She’d be brave and see where things stood, and right here, right now, she wanted Ryder.
Needed him.
Without waiting for him to notice her, she opened the shower door and stepped in. His eyes opened and flared but he didn’t hesitate. He pulled her against him, the hard ridge of his erection nudging against her belly.
She gasped at the feel of him, at the desire that spread through her and lit up her body, as his mouth descended on hers.
Water slid over her but she didn’t care, not when he was devouring her, his tongue delving deep into the back of her mouth, tasting her everywhere as it tangled with hers. With a moan, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave in to the yearning that was consuming her.
In the past, their time together was often rushed, hidden from adults, stolen moments when they could be together. Today they had all the time in the world or at least as long as the water remained hot, she thought, holding back a laugh.
He gripped her head and tilted her neck, giving him deeper access to her mouth, his lips gliding over hers, back and forth, and she pushed against him, rubbing her aching breasts over his chest.
“God, I missed this. I missed you.” His huskily spoken words sent a shiver through her along with a hint of hope that she ruthlessly squashed.
“Tell me,” he said, nipping on her bottom lip.
“What?”
“That this isn’t just revenge sex. Angry sex. Tell me you want me, too.”
Dammit, he was going to dig into her emotions and there was no way to stop it. Because she couldn’t deny the truth, and maybe she didn’t want to anyway. She’d been denying her feelings for Ryder for way too long, and it was time that she was honest with herself, as well as with him.
“I’m not here because I’m angry or pissed or because I want to get back at Jason for walking away from me. I missed you, too,” she admitted.
And she had.
So much it hurt.
“Then take off the bracelet,” he said on a growl.
She blinked, looking down at her right wrist, which held a bracelet that Jason had bought her with their initials intertwined. He’d given it to her when their relationship had gotten serious, and she’d been wearing it for so long it had become a part of her. She’d forgotten she still had it on, and she said a silent prayer of thanks Jason’s best man had been holding on to her engagement ring along with the wedding band. Ryder’s reaction to that wouldn’t have been good.
Although she’d made no decisions about her life, she knew things were over with Jason or she wouldn’t be here now, with Ryder. She unhooked the bracelet, stepped out of the shower, and put it on the counter, returning to Ryder.
“Done,” she said.
With a groan, he slid his hands down her neck and over her breasts, cupping the mounds. She closed her eyes as he plumped her flesh, then pinched her nipples as he pulled, the mix of pain and pleasure shooting straight to her core.
She’d been young when they were together last, and sex had been hot and frenzied so as not to get caught by an adult or so she could rush home for curfew.
She hadn’t been his first, though he’d been hers. Another reason she’d fallen so hard so fast for him. He’d been patient and sweet that initial time. But they’d both been inexperienced despite the burning passion between them.
Now he was a man in charge, one who knew how to arouse a woman, and he was taking care of her with an expert touch. He slid his hands through the soap on the shelf, rubbing both palms together before turning his attention back to her breasts, soaping them up while playing with her nipples, alternately pinching then soothing the sting.
Her legs trembled, need pulsing in her core. As if he knew she needed him now, he dropped to his knees, pressing his mouth to her stomach in a reverent kiss.
“Oh God.” Just the sight of him kneeling before her had moisture settling between her thighs and her damn heart swelling in her chest.
He glanced up at her, then slid his mouth lower, over her pubic bone and to her bare sex. The anticipation was killing her, made more intense when he slicked his hands up her legs until they settled at her thighs, her body on edge as she waited for whatever he planned next.
He licked over her sex and she leaned back, her head hitting the wall.
“I’d forgotten how good you taste,” he said, following that erotic comment up with another teasing glide of his tongue. “I’m going to rectify that,” he murmured, then began to eat at her like a starving man devouring his last meal.
She had nothing to hold on to as he slid his tongue over her lips, nipping and licking over and over before thrusting it into her body. She whimpered at the slick invasion, shocked when he began to circle her clit with one thumb.
Her fingers curled into his hair as he worked her into a frenzy, her orgasm building fast as she came with a cry, her body not her own as waves of pleasure overtook her.
Coming back to herself, she realized he’d stood up and she looked into his satisfied expression. “Pleased with yourself?” she asked.
“Quite,” he said with a grin.
Glancing down, she saw his cock hard and erect, in need of attention. She reached between them, wrapping her hand around his velvety thickness.
He grasped her wrist and pulled her off. “I’m not coming unless I’m inside you.”
She moaned her frustration. “Why don’t the same rules apply to us both?” she asked as he slipped his fingers between her lower lips once more.
To her surprise, her hips bucked greedily, as they sought out harder contact, more friction.
He chuckled at her clearly mixed message. “Because I’m in charge, sweetheart.”
And as his finger pinched her clit, she couldn’t bring herself to argue the point.
“This pussy’s mine, baby. Nobody else’s,” he said as he slid one finger inside her, then another.
“Oh God.”
“Am I right? Nobody’s ever worked you up like this?” he asked, not mentioning anyone else by name, but Sierra knew he was staking his claim. And why.
And as he hooked his finger, gliding the pad over her G-spot, she felt as if he owned her. Her legs trembled, her body shaking as a need to climax built inside her. He knew just where to touch her and how. He rubbed over the spot inside her while holding her upright with one hand around her waist.
“Tell me or else.” He stopped all movement, gliding his fingers out of her body.
“It’s yours. Only you can get me this hot. Now don’t stop,” she implored him, and he immediately reinserted both fingers into her body, pressing, gliding in and out, taking her higher.
Before she knew it, she was coming, the waves of rapture rushing through her and consuming her whole. As she returned to herself, he was kissing her, rubbing his cock against her.
She moaned, arching into him, needing to feel him inside her.
“We need to talk,” he said, meeting her gaze. “I don’t have any condoms. It’s not like I came prepared for this. And I’ve never not used one.”
She looked into his familiar green eyes, and in this, she trusted him. “I’m on the pill. And I’ve never had sex without one.”
“I swear to you, neither have I.”
She reached for his shoulders, but he grasped her hips and spun her around. “Hands on the wall.”
He was a different man than the boy she used to sleep with, she thought, enjoying everything he did to her body. Without hesitation, she braced her hands against the tile, her ass out.
He eased her legs apart and slid his fingers over her, slicking her own juices around her body. Then his thick cock grazed her entrance. She gasped at the size of him, closing her eyes and groaning at the delicious invasion. He shoved in deep, his back covering hers as he paused for a long while.
“What’s wrong?” she asked when he paused and waited.
His lips grazed her neck, licking, nibbling, and kissing her. “I’m just savoring the moment,” he said in a deep voice, made rough by emotion.
Her heart cracked at the admission, the words meaning something deep in her heart. The heart she’d sworn to protect.
And then he started to move again and she wasn’t thinking about anything except maintaining her hold on the wall and the way he filled her up, thick and hard. With his grip on her waist, he pounded into her, taking everything and giving back at the same time.
“Ryder, Ryder, Ryder,” she chanted in time to his thrusts. “I’m so close.”
“Damn, my name on your lips sounds like heaven,” he muttered. “Wait for me,” he said, followed by increasingly faster shifts of his hips.
She held on, whimpering, until he groaned. “Now, sweetheart.”
She gasped, released everything she’d been holding back, and screamed as she came, feeling him swell and pulse inside her as he climaxed along with her.
Her legs shook and she wasn’t even aware when he turned her around and eased her down on the stone seat in the shower. The water had cooled and he moved quickly, soaping up his hands and rinsing them both off.
She was a boneless mess as he cleaned them both up, shut off the shower, and wrapped her in a fluffy white towel.
He dried her off, then slid the hotel robe around her body. By then she was able to help get herself together. He dried himself quickly and picked her up in his arms, striding back to the bed. He stripped her of the robe, and they crawled back under the covers, where she proceeded to crash hard.
Ryder couldn’t fall back to sleep. Not after what had just happened in the shower with Sierra. He wanted a second chance. Not because the sex was spectacular, which it was, but because this woman was the very best part of him.
As much as he, his father and brother, had been a tight-knit family after his mother died when Ryder had been thirteen, it had taken being with Sierra to fill that missing piece and make him whole.
After he’d ended things, he’d more than missed her but he’d had to let her go. He’d had no choice but to move on with his life, and sure, there had been other women, but he’d already had the best and none after had been her. None lived up to her memory, so he’d never gotten close with anyone else, never considered a future with any other female.
As he’d told her, he hadn’t let himself think about going back to her, but now that he thought about it, maybe a part of him had been holding on to the past, hoping for another chance with her. Something had kept him from moving on completely.
She, on the other hand, had had no choice but to believe they were over for good. He’d given her no reason to think they could have anything ever again. She’d been so hurt, she’d avoided him when his relationship with her brother brought them together. She’d had boyfriends who came and went. And then she’d found Jason, a good man, but she hadn’t been in love with him. Something inside Ryder’s chest had loosened when he’d heard that, learned she’d had second thoughts.
He might have objected as a spur-of-the-moment decision, the fear of losing her forever suddenly stark and clear. But when they’d been in the car, his understanding had crystallized, along with his determination to see if what they had was still real.
By this morning, he knew what he wanted.
And when she’d joined him in the shower? A purely primal need to claim her had overtaken him. He’d never experienced a moment like that with a woman ever before in his life.
He didn’t think that just because he’d explained himself, she’d fall into his arms and they could go forward together. She was sweet and sensitive and he’d bruised her heart. He’d also proven himself to be unreliable when it came to his staying power. Which left him in the unenviable position of having to win her all over again.
Because he had every intention of keeping her, this time for good.
Since Ryder was the only one with pants and a shirt to put on, he went to the shops downstairs and bought everything he could think of that they might need. Most of the clothing included resort logos, which he didn’t think Sierra would be too fond of but he found amusing.
The weather in Pennsylvania was warm for this time of year, so he picked out tank tops, T-shirts, shorts, and sweat pants for later on when the sun went down. He added bathing suits, knowing Sierra was going to strangle him for his choice for her. He shrugged. Next time she could go shopping for them, he thought wryly. He even found resort-themed flip-flops so they didn’t have to wear their dress shoes. All in all, he was pretty impressed with himself.
While in the lobby, he looked into the resort’s offerings for things to do while they were in the Poconos. The hotel and its neighboring resort events were booked thanks to it being the end of May and the beginning of the late spring-early summer season. But there was a small bay trip that had been booked by a couple who had apparently had an argument and abruptly canceled their reservation.
Ryder was able to order a picnic basket filled with lunch and Prosecco, a golf cart that he could use to drive them to their destination, and thanks to the fact that the water rides were open and full, they might even find time and space to be alone.
He was walking back to the room when his cell rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen, hitting answer.
“Sebastian.” He wasn’t shocked to hear from Sierra’s brother.
The man might be Ryder’s best friend, but his first concern was always going to be his sister. As it should be, Ryder thought. He had no doubt Sebastian was making the call because he was the closest to Ryder, but Ethan and Parker were probably right there, breathing down his neck, waiting for answers.
“Hey, man. Everything okay?” Sebastian asked.
“Everything’s fine. Sierra’s okay,” Ryder said, reassuring his friend. He stopped by a tree outside and spoke quietly and in private.
“Is she? Because she was supposed to be married and on her way to her honeymoon right now.”
He glanced up at the blue sky. “She left with me willingly. I didn’t kidnap her or anything. We’re… working through things.” Ryder blew out a breath, knowing he had to tread carefully.
His personal relationship and what he did with Sierra was none of her brothers’ business, even if her well-being was.
“Can I talk to her?” Sebastian asked.
“I’m not in the room right now, but I’ll let her know you called, and if she wants to get in touch, she will.”
A few beats passed before Sebastian spoke again. “You hurt her badly once. I know you had your reasons and I was torn by what you did, but I understood it. But if you aren’t in this for keeps, Ryder, bring her the hell home now.”
“I’m in it deep.” He just wasn’t sure whether or not she was. “Have you heard from Jason?” He forced out the name because he needed to know if the man had had a change of heart, wanting to find and talk to his almost-bride.
“No.”
Ryder heard the anger in that one word, and though the news came as a relief to him, he knew it was going to hurt Sierra to know the man hadn’t come after her. Unless she asked, he had no intention of telling her and rubbing salt in an open wound. One Ryder, himself, had created.
“I didn’t handle it well but I know what I’m doing,” he said to his friend. He was trying to win the girl.
“I hope so,” Sebastian said. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Yeah.” He disconnected the call and Ryder shoved his phone back into his pocket, pushing away thoughts of Sierra’s groom.
He clearly had no place in her life.
But Ryder wasn’t ready to think about what the future held for them. After coming together in the shower, they’d silently agreed to drop the heavy conversation and just enjoy the time they had here. He could tell from her change in mood and how she’d relaxed that she wasn’t dwelling on yesterday, the wedding, or anything they’d discussed about the past.
The time would come when they’d have to deal with leaving here and whatever the future held. But while he had the chance, he had every intention of finding his way back into her heart.
He arrived back at the room, bags in hand, to find Sierra sitting with the hotel robe wrapped around her, thumbing through a resort magazine.
She glanced up as he walked in the door, excitement in her expression as she eyed the packages. “What did you get?” she asked, tossing the magazine onto the other side of the bed.
“A lot of clothing with Paradise Cove logos on it.” He tossed the white plastic bags onto the mattress. “But the good news is, we have plans for today. A picnic on a small bay near a lake.”
She raised her eyebrows at that. “And what are we wearing there?”
“Bathing suits.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Oh, really? And how did you know my size for that?”
“Guesswork based on how you fill my hands,” he muttered. “It’ll be fine. We should be alone. Let’s just get changed.” He opened one bag, then another, pulling out his shorts so he could change.
Knowing he was in for it when she saw her bathing suit, he grabbed his clothes and headed for the bathroom, closing the door as she yelled.
“I’m not leaving the room in this!”
He winced. Manning up, he returned to face her. “Come on, it’s not that bad.”
“It’s nonexistent, that’s what it is!” She held up the tiny red bikini for him to see. Not that he’d been able to get the idea of her wearing it out of his mind since he’d seen the suit on the mannequin in the store.
He couldn’t help the grin lifting the edges of his mouth. “Wear it for me?”
Her gaze softened at the request. “Here in the room, yes.” She pointed to the spa tub. “Not out in public.”
“When we use that tub, you’re going to be naked,” he told her. This time those blue eyes of hers darkened with need. “Come on. Just change into it and let’s enjoy the day.” He used his best cajoling tone.
Frowning at him, she snatched up the suit and stormed past him into the bathroom.
He chuckled, calling out, “You might need help with some of the ties!”
She cursed at him from behind the door.
A few minutes later, he’d changed into the shorts and slipped on his shirt just as she walked out of the bathroom in the bathing suit he’d chosen.
He nearly swallowed his tongue at the gorgeous sight. Despite her concerns, the top of the suit had a ruffle over her breasts but her ample cleavage was evident above the edging. She held the sides together with her arms, the strings dangling in the back. And the bottom was a sleek triangle that left little to the imagination and had his mouth watering.
“Turn around and I’ll help you.” He made a pivoting motion with his finger.
“No.” Her eyes flashed icy fire at him.
“You’re going with it untied?”
She shook her head. “I’m not going.”
He bit the inside of his cheek. “Turn. Around.”
“Fine!” She spun one hundred and eighty degrees, giving him a look at her sleek back… and the globes of her ass.
His cock throbbed inside his shorts. He’d be lucky if they made it out of this room. “You look edible,” he murmured, cupping his hand over one cheek and squeezing the bare skin.
She sucked in a startled breath. “You can’t really expect me to go out in this.”
“I can.” He reached for the strings and tied the back of the suit into a tight bow. “And I do. You look amazing and the girl at the desk promised me we’d be alone. They’re fully booked at a concert on the pier. It’ll be fine.” He leaned in close and pressed a kiss to the flesh between her neck and shoulder.
A full-body tremor shook her frame. “Ryder,” she said in a husky voice.
“Sierra. Come on a picnic with me. You won’t be disappointed. I promise.”
Thank goodness Ryder had bought a tank top dress for her to wear over the bathing suit. Red, in the resort colors, with the white Paradise Cove logo above her breast. Sierra didn’t care because her ass cheeks were now covered.
She walked beside him and he took her hand. She couldn’t help but notice how good her hand felt in his bigger one. How right. She pushed those thoughts aside and focused on where they were heading. They approached the far side of the resort, where he gave his name and a golf cart was waiting for them.
The man in charge handed him a resort map and indicated where their destination was by drawing a circle with a magic marker. “Basically follow this path until you reach the bay,” the older gentleman said.
“Thank you.” Ryder tipped him before helping Sierra into the passenger side of the cart.
He walked around, joining her, and soon they were off.
The sun beat down overhead, but the covered cart protected her skin. And when she’d packed a bag for the day, she saw that Ryder had bought them sunscreen, too. She’d noticed a picnic basket and ice bucket in the back of the cart, and she had a feeling he’d thought of everything for this little trip.
She glanced at his profile, his face covered in sexy scruff, a Paradise Cove baseball cap backwards on his head. His facial features were relaxed as he maneuvered the cart with one hand.
Considering all they’d been through in the last twenty-four hours, it was amazing they were here. Together. She couldn’t say she didn’t want to be here, and that scared her.
“Looks like this is it,” he said, pulling the cart up to the edge of the path and parking it.
She’d been lost in studying his handsome face, she thought, as she turned to look at the scenery in front of her. Sun danced over the water. The sky was clear, the temperature warm. It was a beautiful day, and she was glad he’d dragged her kicking and screaming here. She knew they couldn’t go into the lake. Although it was hot today, the temperature hadn’t been consistently warm enough for the water to be comfortable for a dip.
Together they carried supplies from the back of the cart to a place on the shore. They spread out a large blanket, put the picnic basket on it along with a cooler that, it turned out, contained Prosecco on ice.
Then they settled down on the blanket. She opened the basket and began taking out the assortment of food the resort had supplied. Everything from sandwiches to cheese and crackers, strawberries dipped in chocolate, and the wine.
“Sebastian called me earlier,” Ryder said, as he opened the bottle and poured the liquid into plastic cups.
He handed her one and she took a long, bubbly sip. “I know what he wanted. What did you tell him?”
Ryder glanced at her. “That you were fine. And here of your own free will.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “Poor Sebastian. He must feel like he’s in the middle of something he doesn’t understand.”
Ryder shook his head. “He’s not in the middle. He’s all Team Sierra. If I hurt you again, he’ll kick my ass and not think twice.”
“He’s a good big brother. But he’s also your friend. You know that. Even after you broke up with me, you two stayed close.” As she spoke, the truth dawned on her. “Sebastian knew why you ended things, didn’t he? And he let me cry over you, knowing your feelings for me hadn’t changed?” she asked, her voice rising. “That’s not Team Sierra all the way.”
He took a large gulp of the drink, too. “Yes, it was. He wanted you to go away to school because it’s what you always said you wanted. He didn’t want you to have any regrets in your life, either. He was torn but he thought he was protecting you.”
She shook her head in frustration. “Why the hell don’t the men in my life think I can make decisions for myself?”
“You were too young to know what was best. And honestly, we can’t go back and change the past, so we have no choice but to live with it and move forward. Like we had started to. Can we do that?” He lifted his hat off his head, adjusted it, and slid it back on again.
She drew a deep breath, knowing he was right. “I’m trying.”
But there was a huge issue of the trust that had been destroyed in his making decisions for her and behind her back at the same time. His willingness to hurt her to give her what he thought she needed. That frightened her.
“That’s all I can ask,” he said, sounding and looking relieved.
Another question ran through her mind. “Did he say if Jason reached out?” She hated bringing him between her and Ryder, but she had to know.
Ryder shook his head. “He hasn’t heard from him. None of your brothers have.” He set his jaw, then said, “I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t stop him from trying to talk to me.” Or from picking up where they’d left off in the ceremony, which she had asked him to do.
As much as she hated to admit it, Jason had done her a favor by walking out. She’d been settling, and by extension, so had he. As angry and hurt as she was, a part of her was coming to understand the way things had played out yesterday. Not that she wanted to dwell on it now. She’d promised herself these two days of respite and she planned to take them.
She breathed in deeply, then exhaled in an attempt to let the negative energy go.
“Take off your dress and let’s relax in the sun.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re pretty focused on seeing me in that bikini.”
He pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the edge of the blanket, drawing her gaze to his tanned, well-muscled chest. “You look pretty focused, too.”
She couldn’t help it. She laughed as he broke the lingering tension.
Although they weren’t totally alone—a few couples were far away on their own spots around the lake—she knew nobody was paying attention to what she and Ryder were doing, too wrapped up in each other to pay attention to anyone else.
She shifted to her knees, lifting the dress, easing it off her head, and placing it on top of his tee.
He patted his lap. “Lie down and let’s chill.”
Scooting forward, aware of her skimpy suit, she positioned herself until she could place her head in his lap and stretch the rest of her body out on the blanket. She inhaled and took in his now familiar scent, the heat of the sun feeling good against her skin, and she sighed with pleasure.
“Remember when we used to do this under the big tree in your yard?” he asked, looking down at her.
She nodded. “It was hard to find places where we could be alone. Even there I was never sure one of my brothers wasn’t looking out a window, watching.”
He laughed. “I’m glad I just have an older brother. No sisters to worry about.”
“How is Andrew?” she asked.
“Still a workaholic. Still looking for a woman able to tolerate him.”
His lips lifted in a grin and she knew he was kidding. He’d always been able to joke about his stuffy older sibling. But they both knew it was thanks to Andrew that Ryder hadn’t just stayed home to work at his father’s business but had gotten his degrees.
“And your dad?” she asked.
“Retirement is good for him. Good for his heart. So is Elsa, his next-door neighbor in Florida, where he moved. They’re together without living together.”
She smiled. “Cute. I’m glad everyone is well in your family.”
“What about you?” he asked. “I know how your brothers are, of course, but how are you? How’s work? Are you happy?”
Her job as the head of the Social Media Division for Knight Time Technology made her happy. “I love the work. I appreciate being able to contribute to the family business by doing something I not only love but I’m good at. It’s fulfilling. And I have a good staff and friends. So my work life is great. Personally, family-wise, it’s been tough.”
“Ethan,” he said and she nodded.
“It was hard, him losing his wife that way. And when Sebastian and Ashley went to San Francisco to figure out some company issues, they ended up asking me to do some digging—and I’m the one who found out Mandy had been cheating on Ethan.” Her heart squeezed hard in her chest.
She hated that her brother was so unhappy. As the unofficial head of the family, he took care of everyone else, and he deserved more from life than he’d gotten so far.
Ryder squeezed her bare shoulder in support. “Ethan’s tough. He’ll come out on the other side.”
“Eventually, I hope,” she murmured, as she relaxed into his lap.
Ryder reached over and picked up a strawberry, its bottom covered in chocolate. “Hungry?” he asked.
“For chocolate? Always.”
He grinned and held the small piece of fruit over her mouth so she could take a bite. “Mmm,” she said as the mixed sweet and sour flavor exploded on her tongue.
“Does it taste good?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
He dipped his finger into the wineglass and ran it over her lips. She slid her tongue out and licked her mouth, catching his fingertip, too. She sucked the liquid off him, watching above her as his gaze darkened with unmistakable need. And beneath her head, his erection swelled and thickened. She felt the arousal in her own body, her breasts suddenly heavy, a slick pulsing between her thighs.
She wasn’t surprised when he tossed his hat and leaned his head down, his lips pressing hard against hers.