“Why are you avoiding me?” Ryker angrily spat, closing the door to the sauna. His eyes ran over me as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. Clad only in a pair of gym shorts and no shirt, his skin gleamed with a sheen of sweet. He looked like he’d just finished working out. Fuck me.
“Are you really going to do this in here?” I snapped back as I clutched my towel to me.
His voice was gruff and matter of fact. “I have no other choice—you’ve missed class for almost three weeks now, and you won’t answer my calls.”
“I’ve been busy,” I lied.
The truth was that I’d been sulking around my apartment trying not to think of Ryker, which was almost impossible. He dominated every thought, much like his presence did in real life.
Eyes narrowing in determination, he advanced toward me, causing me to back up into the tile wall. Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared—Ryker never caused that kind of fear in me. What he made me feel was more of an exhilarating kind of the fear, the kind you get when you’re about to do something like bungee jump or skydive, the kind that excites your soul.
Caging me between his arms, my already fevered skin heated more from his proximity as he pressed against me with his body. I hadn’t realized just how much I missed his touch until his skin reunited with mine, making me feel as though a piece of me had been lost since we’d last been together.
Ryker’s eyes met mine, and there was no denying the desire and longing in them. “Always fighting me, Warrior,” he softly spoke as he caressed my cheek with the back of his knuckles. Leaning in, he grazed my neck with his lips. The combination of heat from the steam and his mouth began to blanket me in a heady fog, evaporating all thought and replacing it with lust.
“I’ve missed you,” Ryker murmured against my skin before tracing the curve of my jaw with his tongue. My breath escaped in a low moan as he pulled my body closer to him, leaving no space between us while he continued to taste me.
My hands tangled in his hair, leaving my loose towel barely clinging to my sweaty skin. When he brought his lips to mine, I let go of everything, losing myself in him and how he made me feel.
He groaned in my mouth as our tongues met, tangling together seamlessly as he lifted me. My legs automatically wrapped around him as he pressed me up against the wall, his hardened erection pushing against my already heated core.
Ryker nipped at my lips as he ripped the towel from my body, tossing it to the floor as his callused hands reacquainted themselves with my skin. God, I missed him. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same without his touch. Finding my breasts, Ryker’s talented fingers massaged my stiff nipples before his mouth claimed them. The blissful combination of his soft, wet mouth and hard, smooth tongue ring against my sensitive flesh caused a moan to escape from my throat.
Leaning my head back against the wall, I let Ryker consume me. He eagerly suckled my breasts, pulling each nipple with his teeth before caressing it with that amazing piercing again. I love how he makes me feel—so alive… almost whole.
“Ryker,” I breathlessly moaned as I reached for his shorts. Slipping my hand inside, I found his cock and pulled it out, needing him to fill me.
He didn’t hesitate—he never did. Gripping my hips, he thrust himself inside my slick sex as his mouth reclaimed mine. Sweat beaded on our skin as he roughly pummeled me against the tile, taking me closer to heaven with each stroke.
Ryker’s thick shaft stretched my walls, the pleasurable pain spreading throughout every inch of my limbs. I reveled in how he made me forget everything else, immersing me in us and the beauty of how our bodies perfectly connected. He unraveled and completed me all at the same time.
“Fuck, I missed you, baby, missed the taste of your sweet skin,” Ryker groaned against my lips.
I love it when he talks to me like that.
I forced him deeper inside me with my legs, tightening my hold around his hips. He growled his approval, increasing the pace and intensity of his thrusts as his cock blissfully ravaged me.
Ryker’s lips left mine as he nuzzled his face into my neck and placed soft kisses along my skin. “I haven’t been able to get you off my mind. I’ve been going crazy thinking about you, baby.”
“Me too. I’ve missed you so much,” I whimpered as I guided his mouth back to mine.
His strength amazed me, unwavering as he supported my weight while simultaneously using his body to fuck me senseless. Ryker continuously pumped into me, creating a sensual rhythm just for us as our bodies molded together in harmony.
Ryker pulled back and grasped my face in his inked hands. “Never again, Warrior.” His voice was gruff and deep, laced with emotion. “Can’t go through that again.”
“Never, baby, never,” I whispered.
His mouth crashed on mine again. Every press of Ryker’s lips, every caress from his hands, and every stroke of his amazing cock pushed me closer to ecstasy. My body ached for it, needing release after craving Ryker for so long.
As if sensing how close I was, Ryker pounded harder into me, creating the perfect combination of pain and pleasure within my body. My nails raked across his back as I cried out in euphoria, my climax sending tremors of sensation throughout my limbs. My thighs trembled against his hips as his strokes intensified in both speed and strength, seeking his own release. Seconds later, he withdrew his throbbing cock from my sex before shooting his cum up between my breasts.
The sticky heat of the room was stifling, making it more difficult to breathe as we disentangled ourselves. Picking up my towel, Ryker gently wiped his release from my skin, snapping me out the sensual fog we’d created. Immediately, I felt self-conscious, causing panic to root within me. Anxiety began to tighten in my body, trying to seize every muscle in its grasp as it attempted to take hold.
Ryker’s hand cupped my cheek. “What’s wrong?”
My eyes snapped to his, trying to focus on him to pull myself out of my downward spiral. My chest heaved as it struggled to breathe, causing Ryker’s eyes to crease in worry. “Breathe, baby, breathe. It’s okay, everything is okay.”
Breathe. In, out, in, out. The pressure began to relinquish as I concentrated on Ryker’s face. Both of his hands clasped my face. “You with me, baby?”
I gave him a tight nod. My chest was still somewhat constricted, and my muscles were stiff, but the tension was slowly easing away.
“I’m sorry—I have to go,” I stammered as I snatched the towel from Ryker’s hand. I darted around him toward the exit while trying to wrap the cloth around me.
“You don’t have to run from me, Warrior,” he called out after me.
Ryker’s words stopped me, only a few feet from the door. I felt him behind me as his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my body against his. Pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder, he murmured, “Talk to me, baby.”
My mouth dried up, the words stuck in my throat. I blinked rapidly, willing back tears. Ryker slowly turned me to face him and pressed our foreheads together as he released a breath.
“I know you’ve been hurt before, experienced things that no one should ever have to. Just know that I’d never do that to you. Ever. I know you’re probably not ready to talk about it yet, but when you are, I’ll be here.”
And with those words, Ryker smashed a small hole in the barrier surrounding the broken pieces of my heart. My eyes watered as I looked away. “My demons are torturing me a lot lately. I’m having trouble dealing with them.”
“You know I’m here for you, Warrior. You don’t have to fight alone,” he said as he caressed my cheeks with his thumbs. My eyes closed from the blissful sensation, wishing I could just stay like that with him forever.
Opening my eyes, my gaze locked with Ryker’s. My voice cracked, sounding weak and small as I spoke, “You know how I told you that someone abused me when I was little?”
“Yes,” he growled angrily.
“Well, that person was institutionalized, but he’s being considered for release.” I sighed deeply and look
ed away as the reality overtook me. “Kamden and I went to protest it. The whole thing overwhelmed me.” My hands wrapped around my body, keeping the towel in place and the shiver coursing through my body at bay. “I… I hadn’t been that close to him in years, and I didn’t deal with it well.”
Ryker enveloped me in a hug. “Why didn’t you tell me? You shouldn’t have dealt with that by yourself.”
Laying my head against his chest, I confessed, “I didn’t want to bring you into it. You shouldn’t have to deal with my issues.” With my psychotic brother.
Ryker pulled back, gripping me softly by the shoulders and leaning down to look in my eyes. “Don’t start this shit again, Ky. If I didn’t want to deal with your issues, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt,” I choked.
“Hurt? Why would I get hurt?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and his forehead creased as his eyes ran over my face, looking for an answer.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “If my… he gets out, he’ll come after me. He’ll hurt you just for being with me.”
He laughed—actually laughed. “Baby, you don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He paused before his eyes steeled, his voice deepening angrily. “And if he lays one finger, one fucking finger on you, he won’t be breathing for long.”
My eyes searched his, looking to see if he was joking—he wasn’t. This had to be the most serious I’d ever seen him. My heart swelled at his protectiveness, and my resolve to stay away from him crumbled.
Melting against him, I wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek to his muscular chest. “I’m not good for you,” I whispered.
His body rumbled beneath me with a soft chuckle. “Oh, yeah? Why not?”
“I’m just not.” I’d already divulged too much, and I didn’t want to reveal anymore, afraid he’d leave if he learned the whole truth about me. That might be best for him.
Tilting my chin up, he stared deep in my eyes. “You are.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Then, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, evaporating all my fears and doubts and replacing them with hope. He made me feel as if one day, I could be complete, not the fucked-up, fractured version of a person that I was.
The door opened, causing me to jerk away from Ryker and tightly grip my towel around me. An older man walked in, giving Ryker and me a suspicious look as we darted around him and exited.
A laugh burst from Ryker as soon as the door closed. My heart beat fast as adrenaline rushed through me from almost being caught. I couldn’t fight my own laughter when Ryker’s was so contagious.
Draping his arm over my shoulder, he led me toward the locker rooms. We both were still laughing as he said, “That was a close one.”
“Yeah, and whose fault is that? You’re such a bad influence,” I joked.
“Me?” His eyebrows rose incredulously as a playful grin tipped up his lips. “You’re the one who makes me crazy. I can’t control myself when it comes to you. Especially when I haven’t seen you in weeks.”
My stomach and chest bunched tightly from his words. I felt so terrible for avoiding him, especially when I considered how I just stopped talking to him with no explanation or reason. Who knows what was going through his mind that whole time; he probably thought he’d done something wrong, and it was really me and my madness.
“I’m sorry,” I looked up at him as we walked. “I was only trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need you to protect me, Warrior. I just need you.”
Need? Needing someone was way different than just wanting someone—did he really need me? I wasn’t ready to go into that, and I doubted he was either, but I couldn’t ignore the joy that fluttered within me at the thought.
We had reached the locker rooms, and Ryker stopped and faced me. “Are you going to stop fighting me now, Warrior? Or do I have to keep chasing you?”
I held his gaze with mine. “I don’t want to keep running, but it’s hard to let go of my ways. If we do this, it’s not going to be easy.”
“Easy is boring—you know I like a challenge.”
My lips curved up in a smile. “Well, good luck because I’m definitely a challenge. I’ll probably try to run again—will you keep chasing me?”
“Until you don’t let me catch you anymore,” he softly grinned, sending a tingle through my body.
I wasn’t really afraid of Ryker hurting me any longer—I didn’t think anything could hurt me as much as Kaleb had. I was more scared of myself, of what my emotions could do to him if I let him in. I might not have been ready to let him in completely, but I wanted to try to make things between us work.
“You’ll stop chasing me before that happens,” I teased, placing my hand on his chest as I dipped my face to hide the blush that touched my cheeks..
His finger tilted my chin up. “I don’t think I’d be able to stop chasing you—you’re like an addiction.”
“That’s really what I want to be compared to, thanks,” I replied sarcastically as I moved away from him.
He pulled me back to him, not letting me get away. “That was a compliment.” I raised an eyebrow and pursed my lips in doubt. He cocked his head to the side and tightened his arms around me. “Addictions give you a high unlike anything else, make you crave whatever it is you’re addicted to. And, Warrior, I crave you.”
His lips found mine, fueling the flames his words had started inside me. The kiss was greedy and hungry, filled with passion and longing. It spoke volumes without needing words. It was the kind that made your stomach knot while igniting your soul.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless and flushed. The feelings that kiss evoked within me confirmed that it would be almost impossible for me to walk away from Ryker. I’d never be the same after him, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing yet.
After finally fixing things with Kaiya, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I was the happiest I’d been in weeks. It kind of fucked with my head how much she got to me, but she made me feel things I hadn’t felt in a long time. The thought of being with her didn’t give me the urge to run like it had with every other chick since that stupid bitch.
After working on the bags at Sunday’s class, I decided to have the students work on techniques for what to do if they fell down during an attack.
“Today, we’re going to work on ground defense. You can easily fall during an attack, whether it’s because you were knocked down or because you tripped. What you don’t want is for your attacker to get on top of you if that happens. The moves we are going to show you will prevent the attack from escalating, and can also disable your attacker if executed correctly.”
Kaiya and I found a spot on the mat as everyone broke into their pairs. She smiled at me shyly when we locked eyes, and her face started to flush.
“Still nervous around me, baby?”
“No, things are just different now that we… that we’re you know,” she softly stammered.
“Having sex?” I blurted.
Her eyes looked around then glared at me. “Yes! We probably shouldn’t be hooking up since I’m your student.”
“It’s frowned upon, but it’s not forbidden. Don’t worry about it, okay?”
“What if the other students find out?”
“Who cares?” I shrugged. “It’s none of their business.”
Her lips twitched as she fought a smile, but it broke through after a few seconds. “So, what’s the first technique?” she asked, changing the subject.
I laid down on the mat. “If you ever get knocked down, the first thing that you need to do is turn on your side and pick your leg up to defend yourself. Most attackers will try to pin you from here.” I shifted my body demonstrating what I was doing. “Your only concern is to avoid him from climbing on top of you and getting knocked out.” I made sure to keep my eyes on hers. “Come toward me.”
I stoppe
d her when she got about a foot away from my legs. A few strands from her ponytail fell across her face and she quickly tucked them behind her ear. “Once your attacker is this close, you can kick them in the stomach or the groin. Hook your bottom foot here.” I moved my foot to the back of her ankle. “Use all your force to kick them in the knee with your top leg.”
We continued the technique until she got it. I’d go over it again and again just to make sure that nobody would ever hurt her again. Now that we were together or dating or whatever it was we were doing, I felt more protective over her. I didn’t even want to think about the possibility of her being attacked, and just the thought of it laced my veins with rage. I wished she’d known how to defend herself when she was a little girl. What kind of sick motherfucker would hurt her? I shook away those thoughts and focused on her face.
Once class was finished, I closed up the gym and walked Kaiya to her car. “You wanna come back to my place?” I asked as I framed her against the driver’s side door.
“I wish I could,” she answered, her voice full of disappointment. “Mondays are hell for me. I have to wake up earlier.” She placed her hands on my chest and traced over the tattoos showing with her fingertips. “If I go home with you, I won’t get any sleep.”
“Are you sure?” I leaned closer before trailing soft kisses along her jaw line.
She lightly moaned but still resisted. “I can’t, baby. I’ve been slacking at work the past few weeks, and I really need to catch up.”
“Okay.” I nuzzled my face in her neck, getting as close to her as I could as I slid my hands in hers. Pulling back, I said, “Hey, don’t make any plans for Friday night. I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh, yeah? Will I like it?” she smiled coyly at me.
I pressed a kiss to her lips, then another to each side of her neck. “I don’t know. I hope so.”
When I pulled away, her eyes were closed as she wore a look of contentment. They slowly fluttered open as she smiled at me. “I can’t wait.”
The Scars of Us Page 15
