Chapter Thirty
Camille
I love this man.
I know I shouldn’t love him. But I do. How can I not after he brought me to his house to garden because I mentioned one time how I missed it?
Unraveling the softer parts of Ryker has been one of the greatest adventures I’ve been on, one I never want to end. Just like this day, it’s been absolutely perfect so far.
After I finished up in the garden, we had brunch. I taught Ryker how to make crêpes, my favorite, and topped them off with strawberries and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. We made a huge mess, but we laughed a lot as Ryker followed my instructions, yet his crêpe still fell apart miserably when he tried to flip it. But that didn’t matter to me. What mattered was that he was trying and doing something new for me.
Once we cleaned up, he threw a couple of snacks in his backpack along with two water jugs, and then we were on the road to the unknown.
Thirty minutes or so go by, and I still have no clue where we’re going. Truthfully, in all my time here, I haven’t gone too far out of the city limits. Until today, it looks like. Pine trees pass by in a blur of differing shades of green and brown as we cruise along a back road. I can see the mountains more clearly, their jagged edges more pronounced and beautiful this close.
It’s quiet this far out, the only sound being the bike’s engine and the few cars we’ve passed. I like the solitude of it, something I didn’t have much of growing up.
Eventually, we pull into a nearly empty red-dirt lot that’s caged in with a haywire fence, with the words Lottie’s Place hanging up high on a post.
“What is this place?” I ask Ryker as I fluff out my hair after removing my helmet.
He takes it from me and stores it underneath my seat. “You’ll see, c’mon.” He looks giddy as he takes my hand, and that alone makes me more excited.
There’s a cabin made out of logs with the words Lottie’s Place in purple on a banner hanging over the door, with two rocking chairs on the wraparound porch and a golden retriever eagerly waiting for us.
As soon as our feet hit the steps, the dog jumps up, its tail wagging rapidly back and forth. “Hi there, sweet…boy,” I confirm, giving him cuddles. I look for his name on his collar and burst out into laughter when I do.
“What is it?” Ryker asks.
“Sebastian.”
“Maybe his owners also realize The Little Mermaid is a great film.” He smirks, giving the dog head scratches.
“I see you’ve met, Bash,” an older man croaks, causing us both to stand upright.
“He’s adorable.” I swoon as Bash licks my hand.
“That he is, and a damn good dog too. Even gets me a beer when I ask him to.” The man chuckles, making both of us laugh. “ I’m assuming y’all are here to take the gondola up to the see the field?”
Field?
“Yes,” Ryker interjects quickly. “She’s never been, and I wanted to surprise her.”
The older man’s eyes crinkle, a knowing look in his eyes. “Say no more. I’ve been there. Why do you think I built this place? My wife wanted a place to look at the stars surrounded by her favorite flowers. God bless her soul, she left me last June.”
And now I’m going to cry. “I’m so sorry,” I offer my condolences.
“Thank you.” He coughs. “Lottie was everything and still is. She’s here with me, in the flowers and stars. And, of course, in our kids. But anyways, you two go have fun. This ride’s on me.”
“No, I—” Ryker attempts to protest, but the owner stops him.
“Don’t worry about it, son, go on up there and just be. Enjoy it and each other’s presence.”
We both thank him and proceed toward the gondola lift, my heart heavier yet lighter with each step. That old man just made my heart break and mended it back together in two seconds. He deserves all the best in life.
As we make our way to the top of the mountain, we’re both quiet and take in the stunning scenery around us. There’s a silent buzz brewing between us in the cabin, the same one I feel in my stomach every time I’m with him.
Ryker slides up next to me, his pinky interlocking with mine. I exhale deeply at the comfort of the contact, and he inhales sharply.
The top of the mountain becomes visible, and the sight before me steals the breath out of my lungs.
It’s a field of lavender.
Nothing feels real as Ryker ushers me off the gondola with a hand on my lower back. My eyes flit around the expansive field, full of differing shades of purple, all surrounded by a metal fence. There’s a rocking bench made out of wood, wrapped in fairy lights that I imagine would look breathtaking at night.
I turn on the spot, taking in the view from being this high up. I can see a mass of green trees in the distance, as well as other mountains. It’s like the city is gone, the only thing around us being nature.
It’s beautiful and perfect.
Taking a step forward, I bend down and run my hands through the flowers, feeling a sense of contentment wash over me like never before.
“Wow,” Ryker breathes, taking in our surroundings.
“It’s stunning. I can’t believe this is real,” I murmur, sitting on the grass, careful not to sit on any flowers.
“I know,” he says, looking right at me.
My heart swells, overcome with the love I feel for him. Staring into his eyes causes my chest to fill with warmth, while my mind whirls at the fact that he exists, and I get to be in his orbit by some lucky chance.
“Come here,” I tell him, my voice hazy and filled with a desire so strong that I might burn this field down if he doesn’t give me what I need, which is his body next to mine.
Ryker sits alongside me, pulling me in between his legs, my back to his front as we look out at the field in front of us.
“Thank you so much for this, for today. You were there for me with no questions asked. I appreciate you for it,” I tell him, stroking the hair on his forearms.
“You’re welcome.” He kisses the top of my head. “But if you want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.”
I debate it in my head, quickly deciding that it’s best if he knows what’s going on. My voice threatens to shake, but I maintain my composure. If Ryker knows I’m scared, he’ll be on guard more than he already is. “The clip of me getting hit by that ball went viral, and my parents saw it. They know I’m here.”
His hold on me tightens. “What? How do you know?”
“Quentin has a PI on his payroll, and they hacked my parents’ PI guy…yeah, it’s shady work, I know,” I joke. “But yeah, they found the video on their laptop. Meaning my parents have seen it.”
He’s silent for a beat as a light breeze washes over us, wafting the scent of lavender.
“So what happens now?” he asks carefully.
I shrug in his arms, looking out into the differing lavenders planted amongst the grass. “Nothing really, not until we know what they plan to do with that information. My brother’s team is on high alert now, watching my parents’ every move. I won’t know anything until they see movement, like travel plans to come here or something.”
Ryker releases a harsh breath against my neck, nuzzling his nose against it. “What about you? Are you safe?”
“Nothing’s any different. Quentin’s social media team made sure nothing came up about connecting me as the long-lost princess of Lorsica, so we’re good there. He also hired a bodyguard of sorts to tail me discreetly, to look for things I don’t know how to be aware of,” I explain, those feelings of fear beginning to trickle in at how serious this could get.
“I don’t like this, Cami,” he grumbles. “What if your parents come here? What then?”
I shrug once more because I have no idea. “Pretend I have amnesia. Forgot who they are. Move to Canada. Ask them to leave,” I deadpan, throwing out ridiculous solutions.
“No, we need an actual plan.” He shakes his head on my shoulder.
We?
I like the sound of that .
“Can we brainstorm later? I wanted to escape it for today,” I remind him, not wanting the talk of all of this to ruin my perfect day with him.
“Okay.” He kisses my head once more. “Tell me something.”
“I’m wearing black lace panties.”
Ryker groans, a pained laugh leaving him. “Jesus Christ, Cami.”
I feel him harden against my ass.
“You’re hard from that?” I say, astonished.
“Baby, I can get hard from watching you breathe. Knowing you’re real and mine is all it takes to get me going.” He grins, his deep blue eyes swimming with something I don’t dare to name.
I adjust my body, turning to throw my legs over his hips. I straddle him as he leans back on his arms. My fingers thread in his long hair and pull his face toward me as our lips meet in a soft, sweet kiss.
Our lips move together in perfect harmony, memorizing each other as we kiss slowly, longingly. It feels like appreciation for one another, mixed with desire and something deeper than we care to admit.
Our hips start to grind together, seeking friction to ease the fire that’s blazing between us now. The kiss turns heated, our tongues seeking and taking, teeth biting and pulling as moans fill the air between us.
Before I know it, I’m on my back in a field of lavender as Ryker peels off my jeans and panties and slides into me with something other than just lust in his gaze. Our bodies move together sensually. It’s slow and gentle, and our eyes stay locked on one another’s the whole time.
My arms wrap around his neck, while he leans on one forearm with his other hand framing my cheek with gentle swipes. It’s bliss and ecstasy wrapped into one fluid motion that I never want to end .
“Ryker,” I breathe.
“Camille.” He sighs, resting his forehead on mine as he continues to rock in and out of me.
“I feel complete like this,” I whisper, staring into his deep blue eyes.
“Me too,” he groans, sounding pained.
“What’s wrong?” I frown.
“I don’t want this to end. This moment, it’s perfect. But my cock fucking aches to come.” He chuckles at the end.
I giggle at that and press my lips to his. “It’s okay. All good things pause, then resume once again.”
“Isn’t the saying all good things must come to an end ?” He stills inside of me.
I shake my head. “Nope. I like this better because then no good things have to end. Instead, they pause, and then happen again.”
“I like that.” He grins, kissing me once more as he pulses inside of me. “You gonna come for me too, princess?”
“Yes,” I moan as he hits that spot inside of me, the one that makes me dizzy with pleasure.
“That’s my naughty little thing,” he grunts, putting his hand between our bodies as he moves to rub my clit just the way I like.
“Only yours,” I cry as a wave of pleasure crashes over me. His name leaves my lips in whispered pleas as my orgasm washes over me, taking over all my senses.
“Fuck, Cami,” he moans into my neck, stilling as he finds his release.
We lie like that for a few moments, my hands running up and down his back as he presses kisses all over my neck and face. Once he pulls out, he uses my panties to clean me up, then helps me get dressed. After we’re fully clothed and cleaned the best we can be in the middle of a field, we relax into one another once more, staring out at the clear blue sky .
“You asked me to tell you something.” I clear my throat.
“Mhm,” he hums peacefully.
“My life was meant to come straight out of a fairytale, but today’s the first time it’s ever felt like one.”
Ryker crushes me against him, nuzzling his face against mine.
“If I believed in fairytales, you’d be in mine,” he whispers.
In the silence that follows his confession, I can hear the faintest crack of my heart, the first fissure from the man I know is going to obliterate it beyond repair.