Chapter 18
RILEY
Iwas wiping down the kitchen counter for the tenth time when I finally heard the familiar rumble of Ryot’s Harley pull into the driveway. He’d been gone most of the day, and I knew something big was happening with the club.
The garage door went up and down, then Ryot came through the door into the kitchen. As soon as his eyes found me, his expression softened. He crossed the room in three long strides and pulled me into his arms, kissing me like he needed the contact as much as I did.
When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine. “It’s over, baby.”
I blinked up at him. “What do you mean?”
He cupped my face with both hands, thumbs stroking my cheeks.
“The club business I was on was brokering a deal with the guys Shawn got mixed up with. They agreed to stay away from you. Raze is handling the legal side. The police will have everything they need by morning. The warrant’s going to be dropped, and your name cleared. ”
Tears sprang to my eyes so fast I couldn’t stop them. I clutched his shirt, my voice shaking. “It’s really over?”
“Yeah, sweetheart.” He kissed my forehead, then my temple, and my lips again. “You’re safe. No more looking over your shoulder. It’s done.”
I buried my face in his chest, letting the relief crash over me. Although I trusted Ryot to keep me safe, I was now willing to admit I was a little more nervous once I found out I was pregnant because we had an innocent life to protect.
I cried ugly, messy tears. Ryot just held me tighter, rubbing my back and whispering, “You’re safe. And mine. Nothing like this is ever going to touch you again.”
“I know,” I mumbled against his chest. “It’s probably just the hormones.”
“Go ahead and cry it out, baby.”
When I finally pulled back, sniffling, he smiled down at me. “Now that you’ve got all that out, how about we celebrate?”
Gesturing toward my face, I gave a watery laugh. “How can you possibly want me when I look like this?”
“I will always want you.” He captured my mouth in a deep kiss that left me breathless. “And you’re fucking gorgeous even when you cry, baby.”
I twined my arms around his neck, and he walked me backward all the way to the bedroom. When my legs hit the edge of the bed, his hands slid under my shirt.
“Been thinking about this all day.”
He pulled my shirt over my head and dropped to his knees in front of me when he saw I wasn’t wearing a bra. His big hands spanned my waist as he pressed a soft kiss to my stomach.
“Gonna keep you safe,” he whispered, his lips brushing my skin. “Take care of both of you because you’re mine.”
I shivered, threading my fingers through his hair. “Ryot.”
He looked up at me as he hooked his fingers in my leggings and panties, dragging them down my legs. The second I was bare, his mouth was on me.
I cried out as his tongue dragged through my folds. He groaned against me, the vibration making my knees weak.
“Fuck, you taste good,” he growled.
He devoured me with hungry strokes, two thick fingers sliding inside me and curling just right. It didn’t take long before I was gasping his name, my thighs shaking as the first orgasm crashed over me.
But he didn’t stop. He kept licking and sucking, his fingers pumping steadily until I came again, harder this time, crying out as pleasure rolled through me in waves.
“Yes, oh yes! Ryot!”
Only then did he stand and strip off his clothes with impatient movements. He was hard and ready as he gently guided me to my back on the mattress and climbed over me.
“Look at me, baby.” He notched himself at my entrance. “Want to see your gorgeous eyes when I take you.”
He pushed inside me in one smooth thrust, filling my pussy completely. I moaned, my nails digging into his shoulders as he started moving with deep strokes that made my toes curl.
“That’s it,” he groaned. “Gonna keep you full of me. You’re never getting rid of me, Riley.”
“Don’t want to.” I wrapped my legs around him, meeting every thrust. “Love you so much.”
He kissed me, his hips snapping faster. “Love you too, baby. Forever.”
We came together this time, Ryot burying himself deep as he groaned my name, pulsing inside me.
Afterward, he collapsed beside me and pulled me into his arms, pressing soft kisses to my forehead, my temple, my lips.
“Mine.” His hand rested over my stomach. “Both of you.”
I cuddled against his chest, and I felt truly safe for the first time in longer than I remembered. With his heartbeat steady beneath my ear and his warm breath brushing my hair, I drifted off to sleep, wrapped in the arms of the man who had fought for me and the tiny new life we’d created together.
The following morning, sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows as Ryot and I moved around each other in comfortable sync. He was flipping eggs at the stove while I poured him a mug of coffee and a glass of juice for myself, still riding the high of last night’s news and celebration.
Ryot’s phone rang on the counter, Kane’s name flashing on the screen. He answered and put it on speaker.
“It’s done. The warrant’s been lifted, and your name is officially cleared. Raze handled the legal side. The police have the evidence that Shawn framed you.”
Relief washed over me so strongly I had to grip the counter. “Thank you.”
But Kane wasn’t finished. “One thing, though. When they went to arrest him, Shawn wasn’t there. My contact says there’s evidence he’s in the wind.”
“So he just gets to disappear?” I frowned, annoyance flaring. “After everything he did?”
Kane murmured, “Guy’s like that rarely escape justice for long. In one form or another.”
After he hung up, I turned to Ryot, still frowning. “That was awfully cryptic, don’t you think?”
“Don’t worry about it. Kane’s always impossible to read.” Ryot chuckled as he plated the eggs. “Only Edge and Savannah can usually figure out what he’s thinking.”
“It still sucks that Shawn was able to run off before he could be arrested,” I muttered.
“Shawn has the police and the guys he owed money to searching for him,” he reminded me. “And with how much of a jackass he is, it’s likely that there are others who want him hunted down.”
“I guess so.”
“Don’t let him spoil your appetite.”
Before he could remind me I was eating for two, I rolled my eyes and mumbled, “I won’t. That bacon smells too good.”
He guided me toward the table, pulling out my chair before setting breakfast down in front of me. As he sat down, his phone buzzed with a text. He glanced at it, then tucked it away.
“Got some club business I’ll need to handle later tonight. Shouldn’t take long.”
I nodded, content to let him have his secrets when it came to the club. After everything we’d been through, I trusted him completely. And I knew he’d always have the other Kings looking out for him.
“Love you,” he murmured against my lips.
“I love you too,” I whispered back, smiling. “So much.”
For the first time in longer than I could remember, the future felt full of possibility. With Ryot by my side, and our little one growing inside me, I knew we could face anything together.