“Sure.” Zane adjusted the pillows behind him. He was bare-chested, and the muscles in his arms flexed as he pushed himself up, then leaned back.
Ravyn watched the sheets fall to Zane’s lap. They draped over the interesting bits and she licked her lips as she wondered if he had something on under there. She missed his touch more than she’d ever thought possible.
The day they’d been discharged from the hospital, Addison had met them in the foyer and led the way up the stairs. Cade and Jackson had carried Zane to his room, dumped him on his bed, and then left. Addison had smiled at her and she’d known instantly that the little redhead had a plan and she was in trouble. Before she could run away, Addison had asked her to help take care of Zane because she wasn’t feeling well, Jenna was helping with the cooking, Cassie was riding shotgun with Luc and Logan, and Marisol was hiding from Thor.
Ravyn had done the gracious thing and agreed to nurse him. What choice had she had, really? But then bedtime had come around and Zane had patted the bed next to him. She’d protested, but he’d acted shocked when she’d told him she didn’t think it was a good idea for them to share a bed. Before he’d been able to say anything, Cade had knocked on the door and walked in with a pile of bedding in his arms. He’d dumped it on the couch. “For Harper,” he’d said then left.
Zane had folded his arms behind his head and watched her, and she’d known he was waiting for her to throw a fit, so she hadn’t. Instead, she’d smiled and fixed a bed for Harper, bathed him, and dressed him in his new pajamas. He’d refused to wear the shirt because his “Papa” didn’t wear a shirt and she’d gritted her teeth and smiled through everything. Then, she’d showered and put on a gown and approached the bed. Zane had thrown the covers back, smiled and patted the bed. She’d grabbed the decorative pillows, arranged them in a line down the center of the bed, ignored his chuckle, and then claimed her side of the mattress.
Harper had truly become one of them when he’d said, “Night, Mama. Night, Papa.”
Zane, the dirty rat, had said, “Night, son,” then reached over the line of pillows and poked her. “Tell our son goodnight, Ravyn.”
She’d sighed loud enough for Zane to hear, then said, “Night, sweetie. I love you, Harper.”
Every morning since then, including this one, she’d woken up pressed back against Zane. His left leg had been thrown over her hip and his arm had been around her waist, holding her firmly against his chest. His hand had cupped her breast and as soon as she moved, it had tightened and he’d mumbled a complaint against the top of her head that had made her shiver with arousal. The fact that he knew exactly what he was doing to her and was enjoying it really got to her. This morning, as soon as she’d rose from the bed, he’d taken a deep breath, then said, “I love the scent of an aroused woman, princess.” Then, he’d patted the bed and invited her to snuggle. She’d fled to the bathroom for a shower and a stern self-lecture with the sound of his chuckle following her.
Most of the day had been spent thinking she should just give in and let him have his way, and her, but some sixth sense forced her to stand against him. Zane wasn’t the kind of man who wanted a woman who was easy to conquer, and she wasn’t the kind of woman who wanted to be easily conquered.
Plus, the thrill of going up against him really turned her on. Resisting him was becoming the best game they’d played so far, she thought, as she opened the bedroom door. The sight that met her eyes froze her in her tracks. Zane stood by the bed, buck naked, with drops of water running down his back. They followed the muscular curve of his waist, then converged and slid down the crack of his butt. She licked her lips and shivered.
He turned and smiled at her. “Could you dry my back, pet?”
“Uh, sure.” Ravyn closed the door, then took the towel he handed her. She dabbed at the water on his back, then stroked it down his spine and side to side. Her heart pounded in her chest as she concentrated on drying him. Without even thinking about it, she slid the cloth over the sharp angle of his waist then down both sides of his hips and over his buttocks. She went to her knees and paid extra attention to the drops that had disappeared between his toned ass cheeks.
Zane moved his feet farther apart and she leaned closer to him as she ran the towel down the back of his right leg. When it was dry, she buffed his skin on the way back up, then dried his left leg, being careful around the area of the healing wound. “Turn around, please, Sir.”
When he did as she asked, she was on eye level with his erection. Ravyn stared at it, licked her lips, and then concentrated on drying his feet. She worked her way up his left leg, then over his belly and down his right leg. She moved the towel up to his belly and a drop of water ran down from his belly button. She dropped the towel and caught the drop on her tongue. Zane groaned and she rose up on her knees and kissed her way from one side of his flat belly to the other, deliberately avoiding his cock.
His cock rested against her cheek as she kissed him and slid her hands up his torso. The highest she could reach was his nipples, which suited her spur-of-the-moment plan. She strummed her fingers over them and felt them harden as he took a deep breath. She grinned against a hip bone, then licked her way across to the other one and his dick bumped her chin. His chest rose and fell with every stroke of her hands as she traced his muscles. They rippled when she stroked her fingers over them and then grasped his waist and urged him to step back. When his knees hit the edge of the bed, he lowered himself onto it, then lay back with his arms out to his sides, fists clenched.
“Where’s Harper?” Zane asked, his voice desperate.
“Jackson and Jenna took him to see the colts.”
Ravyn moved between his knees, then licked her way up to his cock. She licked him from his scrotum to the head, then back down. She loved the silky, smooth texture of his cock against her lips and tongue as she used the veins to navigate from the base to the head. Zane groaned when she closed her lips around the mushroom-shaped head and sucked, then whipped her tongue back and forth before tracing circles over the top.
His hands fisted in her hair. “God, Ravyn,” he groaned. “Feels so good, pet. So good.”
Ravyn pursed her lips around the head, then took more of his shaft into her mouth and pulled back. Each time, she took a little more as she flicked her tongue over him, until she took him to the back of her throat. She swallowed and hummed her pleasure, and he groaned and tightened his fists in her hair.
She pulled off him, then kissed the crease spot where his thigh met his pelvis, then flicked her tongue over his balls. He stilled as she kissed one, then the other, then sucked one into her mouth. She heard him mumble something about torture and almost smiled as she released him and moved to the other one. Her heart pounded out a fierce rhythm and she couldn’t seem to pull in enough air as moisture slipped down the inside of her thighs. Ravyn pulled in a deep breath, then moved back to Zane’s cock. She sucked the head into her mouth then worked her way down the shaft, flicking her tongue down the length over and over again. She felt him lengthen and harden and took him to the back of her throat and swallowed around the spongey head.
Zane hands pressed down on her head as his cum exploded from his cock and he yelled her name. She swallowed and lashed him with her tongue as he shook and groaned. She sucked on him, then slowly released him and blew her breath across his dick before she stood up and looked down at him. He looked totally wasted and she almost laughed.
“There. I think you’re dry now.” She smiled, swiveled around, and walked toward the door. “Lunch is ready.”
“Ravyn, would it make a difference if I told you I love you?”
Ravyn leaned against the closed door and looked at Zane. He was up on his elbows, watching her. “I love you, too, but words are easy, Zane.”
He nodded. “Would you agree that some words are more important than others?”
“Yes, I agree with that.”
“I was wrong for not trusting you. When I heard you say you loved Harper, I felt
like I’d had my heart torn out.” Zane looked away for a moment. “You could marry me and make me grovel. I could get some tips from Logan.”
Ravyn smiled. The groveling game Cassie had been playing with Logan had given her and the other royals some great laughs. It was a great game for Luc and Logan and Cassie, but not for her and Zane. She smiled as she felt a small spark of hope flare in her heart. “Are you proposing?”
“Yes. I love you and I want you to marry me.” Zane narrowed his eyes at her. “I also want you to be my slave.”
“What about your job?”
“I’ve resigned. I’m going to work with Cade, Thor, and McCabe on their new project.”
“You had to resign because of me.”
Zane shook his head. “No. I knew I’d have to give up my job when I found you.” He smiled. “How would I explain to a judge why you were handcuffed to my side? And, besides I wanted to move back home.”
Ravyn saw the sincerity in his eyes and her heart sped up. She was going to be another one of the Ramsey women. All happy fools for the men they loved. She smiled. “You and Harper are going to gang up on me, so my vote will count for two until I can get a daughter of my own.”
“I see a lot of stalemates in our future.” Zane grinned.
“That’s what you get for waiting for the woman you earned.”
“Come here and kiss me.” Zane reached down and stroked his cock. “I’ve got something for you, pet.”
Ravyn laughed, then shook her head. “Doc said no strenuous activity for you for a week.”
“You can be on top, but I’m in charge.”
Ravyn shook her head. “I’d die for you, but I won’t let you take a risk that I can prevent. Get dressed and come down for lunch.”
“I can see we’re going to spend a lot of time in the playroom in the future.”
“You wouldn’t have me any other way.” Ravyn smiled, then closed the door behind her. As soon as it closed, she fist-pumped the air and covered her mouth to keep from laughing with the sheer joy of being alive and in love and getting married. There was no doubt in her mind, or her heart, that she was going to be Mrs. Zane Ramsey, but she’d let him sweat for a few days before she gave him the answer he expected.
Epilogue
A week later, Ravyn sat on Zane’s lap in Cade’s den and wondered what was going on. She kissed his jaw and he glanced at her, then lifted her hand and kissed the three-carat pink diamond he’d place on her finger the night before.
All of the Ramsey brothers, as well as Addison, Jenna, and Cassie, were present. Thor and Marisol sat in the chairs by the window. McCabe sat across from her and Zane, with Deuce a few feet away from him. Trey and True leaned against the back of the couch while Cin and Ace leaned against the wall of bookshelves behind them.
McCabe had just arranged to build a small residential area on the Ramsey ranch for his family and friends he referred to as a clan. Ravyn figured by the time all of the building projects were completed, they’d have a small, populated town. Cade, Thor, and McCabe had agreed that the new buildings would be off the grid and self-sufficient, with plenty of land for animals, gardens and orchards. McCabe had said the females in his clan insisted on growing their own food as well as weaving their own cloth. Ravyn could see from the expressions on the other women’s faces that she wasn’t the only royal interested in meeting these mysterious women.
The McCabe’s had shaved and it was startling to see them together. The only difference between them was the tattoos that circled their arms. The design was a tribal design with the outside line in black, then an inside line in red, but the center was filed in with different colors. McCabe’s and Deuce’s were black, while Trey and True’s were amethyst, and Cin and Ace’s were green. She wondered what they meant, then blushed when Cin caught her staring. He winked, then grinned when Zane growled, almost as if he’d heard the low sound.
Ravyn snuggled into Zane. “What are we waiting for now? I thought they’d settled it.”
“We’re waiting for the DEA to get here,” Zane said, just as the door opened and Nate and Isabella walked in.
Ravyn felt Zane stiffen, then curse beneath his breath.
Nate pulled out a leather holder and flashed his badge. Isabella did the same.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Cade said.
Nate didn’t smile. In fact, Ravyn thought he appeared tense and as if he was being forced to be here.
Isabella stepped forward. “Nate and I were sent here two years ago to keep an eye on Earl Baume and Barbie Johnson. When I heard about the opening Luc and Logan had for a cook, I applied for the job and got it. Several weeks ago on the night Cassie escaped from Luc’s and Logan’s house, Mendez had sent three men after her. Nate and I managed to intersect them at the truck stop. They’re in federal custody and being questioned. We brought the McCabe’s in to help us with Ravyn and her little brother.”
“You knew about Harper?” Ravyn asked McCabe.
“We found out about him recently and figured out he was the reason you were letting Mendez control you,” McCabe said.
“You didn’t think that was something we should have known?” Zane asked.
“Not at the time, no,” Isabella said, drawing their attention back to her. “You were doing such a good job gathering intel, you made our job easy.”
“Mendez will continue to come after all of you until we shut him down,” Nate said.
“We’re aware of that,” Cade said. “We’re prepared for it.”
Nate nodded. “We were informed this morning that Mendez sent some men after Marisol’s sister Valentina. They didn’t get her, and now the convent is being guarded by your father’s men, Marisol.”
Marisol jumped to her feet. “He must not get his hands on her.” She turned to Thor. “Please, you have the flash drive. Please help me get my sister out of Colombia.”
Thor rose to his feet and slid his arm around her waist. He tugged her into him. “We’ll get her, skjebne.”
McCabe cleared his throat. “My jet is on standby. Cin and Ace are going with you.”
Thor nodded. “I’ll take Ben and Mac with me as well.”
“And, me,” Marisol said. “I’m going, and you can’t stop me.” Thor crowded her and she said, “I mean it. You take me with you or I’ll follow you on my own.”
Ravyn saw Addison smile as she cuddled closer to Cade and realized this had probably been her plan all along.
Cade grinned, then said, “Better tighten those reins, Thor.”
Isabella laughed. “We’re going to be sticking around until this is over, and because we’re sticking around, there’s something else you all need to know.”
“Isabella,” Nate said, his voice desperate. “Not now.”
“Yes, Nate, now. You promised.” Isabella looked from one Ramsey brother to the next. “They deserve to know the truth.”
Zane stood and lowered Ravyn to her feet but kept his arm around her waist. She felt his hand dig into her as the other brothers rose to their feet.
“Zane?” Ravyn asked, trying to reassure him as the room buzzed with tension. “What’s wrong?”
Zane patted her shoulder. “It’s okay. Trust me.”
Nate paled, then swallowed, and Ravyn swore she saw tears glaze his eyes.
“Go on, Nate. Tell them,” Isabella said.
Nate stepped forward. “I go by Nate Grant but my name is Jonathan Grant McLeod. I’m your father.”
THE END
WWW.MARDIMAXWELL.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I was born in Utah, but I’ve traveled throughout America and lived in sunny California, hot and dry West Texas, and the mountains of Colorado. I wrote my first erotic romance in the summer of 2013. It was accepted and published that same year. Since then, I’ve written three more books in The Doms of Club Mystique series. At this time, I’m busy writing the fifth and final book in the series. My heroes are tough cowboys with military backgrounds and my heroines are strong, sassy, and su
bmissive. I like my readers to laugh, and cry, so I put a lot of emotion in my books as well as suspense and happy endings.
Other than writing, I love to read, travel, garden, swim with my family, and go to the local drive-in movie with a carload of friends and a huge container of homemade cheese popcorn.
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For all titles by Mardi Maxwell, please visit
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
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Maxwell, Mardi - Zane's Choice [The Doms of Club Mystique 4] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 22
