No Turning Back, A Breaking the Rules Novel

by A. m Madden

  It seemed as though our separation had been necessary to get to where we were at that exact moment. Sure, we were about to face many unknowns on whether I was or wasn’t pregnant and what that meant, but I was confident Ryder would support me through it all. Even the daunting task of filling Cooper in on my new living arrangement didn’t worry me.

  Reading my mind, he snuggled closer and asked, “Did you decide if you wanted me to be with you when you told Cooper?”

  “I think so,” I answered easily. “It’s probably better if I did it alone.” The more I thought about it, the more I knew Cooper would think we’d lost our minds.

  “Whatever you prefer. Just know if I need to be there, I will be.”

  The tone in his voice piqued my curiosity. “You aren’t a fan of his.” He didn’t respond right away, and I waited for him to.

  “I get where he’s coming from and respect he would do anything for you.” When I turned my head to stare at Kayla, Ryder palmed my cheek to force my attention back to his face. “I love that you have that kind of support in your life and appreciate him and Ricky for always having your back. I just feel like he thinks I’m a threat of some sort… and I’m not, Ree. He needs to understand that.”

  “He does,” I said directly into his eyes. “And if not, I’ll make sure he does.” Appeased, he released my face just as I said, “In his defense, he knows how hard it was to get over you. It was strange, since we were dating at the time, but Cooper always knew you were the one. What I think is that maybe he’s now using you to defuse his own guilt, although he has nothing to feel guilty about. Just as I couldn’t help who was the love of my life, neither could he help wanting to find his.”

  Ryder’s blue eyes remained tethered to mine as he considered my words. “Am I still the love of your life, Riana?” he asked, his voice low and raw.

  Duh and obviously sat on the tip of my tongue, but wanting to keep him on his toes, I shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. I think I may have recently found another,” I admitted, glancing to where Kayla was now sprawled on his area rug, as though she owned the place.

  His lips twisted into a wry smirk. “Actually, you’re right.” He released a short shrill whistle to catch her attention. When she came bolting in our direction before wedging herself between us and placing her ass on my lap to stare into Ryder’s eyes, he mimicked my shrug. “Sorry, baby. It seems she feels the same way I do.”

  The next day, Monday, marked one week since my IVF procedure, and that meant I was in the clear to have sex.

  On a mission, I purposely set my alarm a half hour earlier than his, chose the vibrating option, and shoved it under my pillow. My goal was to send Mr. Carter off to work satisfied and thinking of me.

  Despite how many times he’d pleasured me, all while denying himself, for whatever reason, I ached for us to make love. I desperately needed that connection with him, a confirmation of our union. Ryder and I were always great at the intimacy part. Enough was enough, and it was time to push his buttons a bit.

  With that one objective, I skimmed my hand over his muscular torso and down his happy trail. Like a ninja, while still half-asleep, Ryder snatched my wrist and groggily grumbled, “No, Ree.”

  Stubbornness may have been the ridiculous reason he felt we needed to abstain, but the hardening that occurred before my very eyes beneath the sheet covering his lower half mocked him.

  “Ryder, stop being ridiculous,” I said with little patience.

  Still holding my wrist, he brought it to his mouth and kissed the inside of my palm. First one eye opened, and then the next. His gaze flicked away from mine, and we both focused on what was going on under that sheet. “Please don’t look at it. You’re making things worse.”

  I wanted to laugh but instead asked, “Why are you being so stubborn? I merely want to give you what you’ve given me so many times this weekend.”

  He scrubbed his hands over his face and groaned for the third time. From behind them, he then mumbled, “I think we should wait a bit more, because once you pop that cork, I’ll want to take you.”

  “Technically, you can,” I reminded him. When he still hid behind his hands, I pulled them away from his face. “It’s been a week now.”

  “Oh, I’m aware. But one of the websites I found said to wait seven to ten days. So let’s just wait a few more days, okay?”

  “Days?” Was he serious? Like a petulant child, I folded my arms.

  “I have my reasons, Ree.” It felt like a scene out of a bad rom-com. There he was, tenting the sheet with a hard-on he could raise a flag on while refusing a morning blow job. This went beyond what he’d read on a stupid website. This was Ryder putting me first, yet again.

  Right then and there, I knew one way or another Ryder would be having an orgasm before he left for work.

  For the time being, I placated him with a nod, a smile, and a purposeful slow swipe of my tongue across his scruff. His eyes fixated on my mouth before he mumbled something that sounded like killing me and slid off the bed.

  Kayla immediately jumped up from her own bed in the corner, her dog tags clinking noisily around her neck, and followed him toward the bathroom. The way she sniffed where his boxer briefs stretched over his predicament forced me to roll my lips to stop from laughing.

  “Stay, girl,” he commanded with a raised hand, gave me one last glance, and disappeared into the bathroom with a scowl.

  Like she was the scorned lover, Kayla turned to look at me and whined. “Chill out. He’ll be out soon.” After another mewl, she slid her front paws across the hardwood until she lay flat, plopped her head on her front legs, and stared at the closed door. Rolling my eyes, I threw on Ryder’s T-shirt and said, “Traitor.”

  When I grabbed my phone and padded my way toward the kitchen, a missed text from Cooper from a few minutes earlier prompted the need to call him. Now was as good a time as any, and after setting up the coffee maker for Ryder and filling the kettle for my tea, I tapped on his contact and waited.

  “Hey, cookie puss,” Ricky said cheerfully. “You’re up early.”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” I fibbed. Since it wasn’t unusual for him to answer Cooper’s phone, I asked, “Where’s your hubby?”

  “In the shower. What’s up? You okay?”

  “I’m great.”

  “Uh-huh… I bet you are.” If his words weren’t obvious, the chuckle that came next was.

  “And what does that mean, Ricky Stanton?” I asked, knowing he knew.

  “Nothing…” His next question confirmed my suspicions. “How’s Miami?”

  “Your cousin has a big mouth.”

  Ricky chuckled again. “He was telling me that you took Kayla, and then mentioned you were going to live with Ryder.” My groan prompted him to add, “Don’t worry. I haven’t told Cooper.”

  “Saving it for me to do? I’m so on to you.” Yet another chuckle came. “That’s why I’m calling, actually. I’ll be back on Wednesday to tell him in person.”

  “Okay, we’ll have dinner here. Ree, don’t worry about him. He’ll be fine as long as you’re happy.” There was a slight pause before Ricky asked, “You are, aren’t you?”

  “I am. Very happy.”

  “That’s all he wants for you, Ree.”

  “That’s not entirely true. He’s worried I’ll get hurt, and I know that has to do with our relationship.” Ricky’s silence gave me all the confirmation I needed. “He needs to stop worrying.”

  “You’re right, but easier said than done. You and I both know that stubborn man well. Sweetheart, you do you, and I’ll keep him in line.”

  It was my turn to giggle. “I’m going to hold you to that, Ricky Burrows. You can start by telling him I called, all is fine, and not to call back, because I’ll see you guys on Wednesday.” Ricky predictably groaned at that impossible task. “Yep… good luck with that.”

  Once I hung up, I listened for the shower and waited until the water shut off. Only then did I fill Kayla’s water bowl before o
pening the cabinet that held her dog food.

  Sure enough, the sound of kibble hitting stainless steel had her galloping out of the bedroom toward me. “Oh, so now I get attention,” I said as she sat like a little soldier at my feet. No sooner had I placed the food before her than she dived right in.

  And that was my cue to pay a naked, wet Ryder a little visit.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ryder

  Okay, I was an idiot.

  While showering—and doing my damnedest to stop from jerking off—I had to ask myself, What was the harm in her wanting to please me? I had made my point on having sex and would continue to protect her from harm. But being a martyr, while having the worst case of blue balls imaginable, wouldn’t accomplish a damn thing.

  As I wrapped a towel around my waist, my cell phone buzzed repeatedly from where it sat on the dresser, and I went to answer it. “Hey,” I said to my friend, noticing both Riana and Kayla were MIA.

  “Whatcha up to after work? Wanna hit Circles with me?” That place was the biggest pickup joint in the state.

  Without hesitation, I said, “Nope. I have plans.”

  “Watching ESPN for hours does not constitute as plans, dude. Your life makes me sad.”

  “Fuck off. I have a date.”

  “Oh yeah, and how did that happen? You refuse to start a conversation; you aren’t on any hookup apps. This lady… is she fictitious?” When I didn’t respond, he chuckled. “Wait… is Maggie back? Never say never, dude. Horniness can be very persuasive. What the dick wants the dick usually—”

  “Stop talking. It’s not Maggie. It’s Ree.”

  “Ree? As in Riana Carter?”

  “Yes. We’re back together.” His groan prompted me to bark, “I don’t want to hear it, Wes. You did enough damage once before trying to protect me. I don’t need protecting.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe it’s me I’m worried about and not you. It’s my life that’ll be hell when I have to pick up the broken pieces of your heart once again.”

  “Cut the dramatic crap,” I argued. “My heart won’t be broken.”

  “Can I borrow that crystal ball?” he asked on a laugh. Before I could tell him to fuck off, he added, “I’m just keeping it real, Ryder.” He then went on like a broken record, reminding me of the one very important thing that could have history repeating itself… my job and its demands.

  What Wes didn’t know was I’d been thinking about those demands recently, but before I could inform him of such, Riana coming into the room had all coherent thoughts escaping me. While sporting a sexy smile, she closed the door and sauntered closer in nothing but my T-shirt. Once again, my cock began to moan and groan in protest over his neglect. But it was when she flicked the towel off my waist, searing me with those gorgeous eyes of hers, that I knew I was in big trouble.

  She brazenly took hold of my cock and proceeded to fuck me up with each stroke she made. Meanwhile, Wes never stopped yapping over the line… and my continued silence gave him the green light to keep going.

  It was when her warm lips peppered kisses on my bare chest that I simply hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed.

  “Who was that?”

  “Wes.”

  “Did I interrupt something important?” she asked while keeping an even momentum on my dick.

  “Nope.”

  “Good,” she said smoothly. Meanwhile, I white-knuckle gripped the edge of the dresser behind me while trying to remain upright.

  The way her hand wrapped around me had already further solidified my decision to succumb… but watching as she dropped to her knees to cover my cock with her mouth made it impossible to argue even if I wanted to.

  While she determinedly worked me over in earnest, I knew this would be the shortest blow job I’d ever received. And I admitted as much by saying, “Fuck… fuck, Ree. I’m going to come soon if you don’t slow down.”

  She ignored me, increasing her efforts. It all caused a wicked surge of pleasure, quickly followed by an explosive release, to barrel through me with the same velocity of a freight train.

  I looked down just in time to witness her suck me dry. The way her big brown eyes held mine made it go on longer than it took to get me there… which was less than a minute. That had to be some kind of a record.

  A sexy smirk lifted the corners of her lips, the same ones that had just devoured me whole, and she stood. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  “Are you mad?” she asked, her eyes never leaving mine.

  “Can’t you tell? I’m furious.” I crushed my mouth to hers for a hard, passionate kiss. By the time I pulled away, her breathing had become as labored as mine was a few minutes earlier.

  “You have to admit I was right.”

  “You were right.” I lifted her until her bare ass met the smooth surface of my dresser. “Your turn,” I then said, before dropping to my knees to return the favor.

  “This wasn’t on my agenda,” she argued. “And you’re going to be late for work.”

  “I don’t care.”

  By giving in to a blow job, Riana had also given in and agreed we could wait the ten days to have sex. I’m glad that pressure was gone, because what I had held back from telling her was that I’d gone online and read nightmare stories that had managed to scare the hell out of me. Granted, it was just a message board of ladies claiming that having intercourse was what caused their failed attempts at IVF, but it still freaked me out.

  If by some very slim chance Riana didn’t become pregnant this time around, we’d never know if having sex was the reason. I’d rather not have that on my head. Selfishly, I also wanted her to be pregnant sooner than later to avoid month after month of undue stress for either of us.

  But because I had made it all such a huge event, every act we did seemed to be exaggerated foreplay until then… not a bad thing, more a frustrating one.

  Meanwhile, having her there when I got home from work, and when I woke, was better than I could’ve imagined. It had been only three days, and I was thoroughly addicted to having her around.

  As I tried to get some work done at the office while not thinking of her all day, she kept busy by exploring Miami with Kayla. Once I got home around seven, we’d have dinner and then take Kayla for a stroll along the beach.

  After Ree and I had broken up, I’d never imagined what a domesticated relationship would look like for me. That was far from what I’d had with Diane. Our time together had been all about parties, events, being seen by the right people. If I opted out of going, she went without me. Thinking back, we’d been doomed to fail… and thank God we did.

  Although, it wasn’t just because I left that caused our demise. If Diane had moved with me, and we were still together when I ran into Ree, I know we wouldn’t have survived. Even if there had been no prospect of a future between Riana and me, just knowing she was near would’ve fucked with my head.

  Things most definitely happened for a reason.

  Today she headed back to Fort Lauderdale to talk to Cooper. I arranged a ride for her, and she’d then drive her car back in the morning. That way she had transportation with her in Miami whenever she’d need it. Kayla was joining her. I think I’d miss that dog as much as Riana.

  With her away, it was going to be a long day. Besides the back-to-back meetings I had, not having her in my bed tonight put me in a cranky mood.

  No sooner had I gotten myself coffee before diving into my workload than a text from my boss stating we needed to talk only worsened it. He asked for me to meet him at three, and I haven’t been able to concentrate for the last few hours.

  There was usually one reason that kind of spur-of-the-moment announcement came… he had an idea. In my business, that often created a chain reaction that ultimately resulted in some sort of change in my life. Over the years that I’d worked for Doug Morton, my relationship with him had become a loyal one. I had proved myself more times than I needed to, and with that came all the promotions and salary increases that mad
e me one of the highest-paid agents in the industry. Truth be told, I’d also helped him become a very wealthy man.

  But I no longer cared about any of that. After first seeing Riana, when Wes reminded me of the very real possibility that I’d be transferred again and again, I meant it when I’d said maybe it was time to change that reality. I could start my own business, one where I called the shots and decided where my life would be. Now that I was with Riana, I’d quit Morton Sports & Entertainment in a heartbeat.

  As I stared out the window contemplating the situation, Wes walked into my office without knocking. “You need to sign this.” The dazed look I gave him forced a scowl. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” I reached for the contract in his hand before skimming over it to be sure all the clauses were correct while Wes plopped into a chair facing me. “What?” I barked, hating when he hovered to be sure I did what he needed me to do.

  “Let’s start with your mood. You’ve had a stick up your ass all day.” He folded his arms in a challenge. “My gut says it’s because of a certain woman in your life. Care to talk about the trouble in paradise that’s obviously happening already?”

  “Your gut doesn’t know shit. It has nothing to do with Riana, and paradise is perfect.” I lifted the contract, dismissing him by saying, “You can go now.” Undeterred, instead of leaving me alone, he sat and stared.

  “I think I’ll wait here.”

  Knowing he’d sit there for days if need be, I reluctantly confided in my assistant / best friend. “It’s Doug. He wants to talk later.”

  “He’s not on your calendar.”

  “I’m aware.”

  One brow rose in understanding. “So soon? We’ve only been here six months. Where do you think he wants you now?”