Everleigh nodded and sighed. “Thank you.”
“So, are you at least ready to get out of this hospital?” I asked, taking my arm from around her and standing up.
“Hell yes,” she said, throwing off her blanket.
“Do you want to go back to the penthouse for just one more night?” I asked.
She thought about the idea for a moment before she shook her head and said, “No. I have nothing but good memories there. Can we just leave it as a happy place for us?”
I leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Of course we can. Besides, I think after everything that happened to us tonight, for us to come out of this as well as we did, we have earned a night in a suite at The Plaza Hotel,” I said, pulling out my phone. “Don’t even try to argue.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, rock star,” she said, grabbing a bag that was on a chair next to the bed. One of the girls must have brought her some clothes. “Hey,” she said softly as I was searching for the number to the hotel on my phone.
“What?” I asked, turning to look at her.
Tears glazed her eyes and she said, “I love you so much, Ryder Matthews. Thank you for loving me enough to fight.”
I moved back to her and pulled her into my arms. “No baby, thank you for loving me. I don’t deserve someone as perfect as you but I am willing to spend my life trying to feel worthy of you.”
She snuggled into my embrace and hummed lightly. “Right here, in your arms…this is my home.”
Despite the horrific night we’d lived through, my chest felt warm and tingles shot all through me to my fingers and toes. I kissed her messy ruffled hair and held her tight as the world around dissolved. It would forever be me and Everleigh against the world and that was okay with me.
Six weeks later it was the middle of March and today was Everleigh’s birthday. I had been busy all day trying to make this a memorable day for her. We had left New York the day after the attack and the rest of the band shortly followed. Our relationship began in her hometown but I will admit I was glad that she wanted to replant her roots in Cincinnati…the place where our story really and truly began.
I was desperate for this day to be perfect for two reasons. Reason number one: I wanted to help Everleigh keep her thoughts from wandering back to that night and Scott’s death and to keep her on the path toward healing. Reason number two: I needed to keep my thoughts (and other things) from wandering and reminding me how I now had the biggest case of blue balls known to man.
I felt bad for feeling this way, especially since she’d been through something awful, but my body was literally hurting every minute of every day without holding Everleigh’s bare skin against mine. It had been a month and a half since we’d made love and my body and mind were fighting a hormonal battle every single day. I was not going to push her and I would wait until she was ready to take that step again, but I couldn’t lie that is was harder and harder (literally) to keep my hands and body to myself.
My plan for the day was to keep her (and me) as busy as possible so my “gun” would remain a concealed weapon, so we’d spent most of the day together shopping and taking in some of the sights. After a few hours of spoiling my girl with jewelry and clothes (she drew the line at a new car), we stopped back at the house for Everleigh to get ready for our evening. I was taking her to dinner at the most exclusive and expensive restaurant in Cincinnati and we definitely couldn’t go there in our usual jeans and rocker tees.
I didn’t take long to get ready and I was dressed in my suit and I sat down in the nearest chair in the living room, resisting the urge to take her into our room and strip her naked. It was killing me knowing that there was a perfectly good king sized bed in the master bedroom of my house not being used.
“Evie, baby, are you ready to go?” I called out. “We have reservations for six o’clock!”
She was still in the bathroom putting the finishing touches on her makeup. “Hold on, Ryder! I’m putting on my mascara. Give me two seconds!”
While I waited for her to finish my cell phone rang. I pulled it out and answered it without looking to see who it was. “Hello?”
“Hey, bro, how’s it going?” Jude asked, his voice irritatingly cheerful. “Did you have fun with the birthday girl?”
“Yeah, it’s been a good day. Why do you sound so flipping happy?” I asked. “Got you some pussy already today?”
He snorted out a laugh. “Actually no. Sadie just said something funny,” he said and I heard the unmistakable snort Sadie sometimes made when she was laughing really hard over something.
“You’re hanging out with Sadie?” I asked, fighting the urge to punch him through the phone.
“Yeah, I am. Is that a problem?” he asked defensively.
“No it’s just…you are hanging out with one of your best friend’s little sister, who happens to be smoking ass hot, on a Friday night. That’s one of the nights of the week that you are almost guaranteed to get laid, bro.”
“Hey, Sadie, hold on,” he said and I heard shuffling on the other end of the phone as he obviously was leaving whatever room he was in to talk to me. “You don’t have to worry about that, Ryder. Sadie is like my sister too and I’d never touch her like that. We decided to hang together today because we are both on our own tonight and I actually didn’t feel like going out. She said she was bored too and suggested we hang and catch a movie or something. Believe me it won’t go any farther than that.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. I couldn’t help that I still felt protective of Sadie after all this time since she was now twenty-one and grown but I did. I’d known her since she was born and the thought of any guy, even Jude (hell, especially Jude) having his hands on her made every protective cell in me come to life.
“Well, if we get pizza that might be a different story. You know pepperoni makes me really horny,” he joked.
“Jude,” I warned.
“I’m just kidding, Ryder. Relax! We are just going to chill tonight. Just go have fun with our girl and tell her I said happy birthday, okay?” he said. Jude and Everleigh had gotten along instantly from the moment they met, but after what happened in New York they’d gotten much closer. I imagine that he felt as protective of her as I did over Sadie.
“I will. You two have fun too. Not too much though.”
He sighed. “Shut up man. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye,” I said and as soon as I hung up the phone I heard Everleigh’s heels clicking their way down the hall.
“I’m ready to go, rock star,” she said and when my eyes lifted, I saw her looking mouth watering in a snug plum-colored dress and black stilettos. My heart skipped a beat and I knew I was really going to have a hard time getting through the evening with all our clothes still on.
Chapter 6
Everleigh
As soon as I saw Ryder’s expression as he took me in I knew that my plan to seduce him tonight was off and running. It had been six weeks since the attack and surprisingly as soon as we left New York I began to feel more like myself than I had in a long time, despite the void I would always feel after losing Trish. Everything that happened was still weighing on my mind and sometimes I had nightmares, but they weren’t about killing Scott. They were about Ryder being either dead or far away from me; I would wake up terrified that he wasn’t there. It would always take a few seconds to remember that it was just a dream and that Ryder was sleeping next to me, but those few seconds that I was forced to relive my nightmare were pure torture.
Ryder had also been treating me with kid gloves since we came to Cincinnati, refusing to let our physical relationship go any farther than just light kisses on the lips and an occasional kiss on the neck. Even though Scott had violated me during the attack it didn’t make me any less attracted to Ryder. I know it probably wasn’t the healthiest way to deal with a trauma, but for me I was craving Ryder’s touch so much and his hot, hard, naked body on mine was the therapy I needed.
After Scott attacked me on New Y
ear’s Day at 7-6-5 we’d made love that night in my shower and all my fear and worry melted away. Ryder had to see that I needed him to help me melt it all away again.
I stopped in front of him and did a little curtsy. “Do I look okay?” I asked. I wore a plum-colored strapless asymmetrical dress, black suede stilettos, and I had my hair up with a few curls falling down around my face. I kept my makeup simple since Ryder loved to see as much of my bare face as possible, telling me often how beautiful he thought I was without makeup.
He stood and walked over to me. As he pulled me into his arms I inhaled his delicious musky scent. He looked gorgeous in his black suit and skinny tie and it was like torture having him this close knowing he would just push me away again. I know he was just being respectful for what I’d been through but I needed things back to normal in a big bad way, including having his naked perfection lying in our bed waiting to make love to me.
“You look absolutely perfect,” he said, his voice husky.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his neck and lightly pressing my lips to his pulse. I heard a faint groan escape him and I was hopeful that we would never even make it out the door.
Unfortunately, he kissed my forehead gently and said, “We should go or we’ll lose our reservation.” He backed away from me and got my coat from the closet.
I bit back a pout and stowed my disappointment as I walked to him and let him help me into my coat. As soon as his was on, we walked out of the house without a word.
We didn’t really make much conversation through dinner either. The atmosphere of the restaurant was romantic, the place was beautiful, and the food was delicious, but I ate my food as quickly as possible. At this point I wasn’t above begging Ryder to do whatever he wanted to me.
After we shared a piece of triple chocolate cake and he paid the check, he helped me into my coat again and said, “Did you have a good time tonight, gorgeous?”
I nodded and put on my best smile. “Yes I did. This has been the best birthday I’ve had in a long time,” I said. Even thought I was sexually starved, I was being honest. My last twenty four birthdays before this were spent mostly alone and last year at this time Dad was quickly getting sicker and sicker. Ryder’s presence alone made this my happiest birthday so far.
“Did you like all of your presents? I didn’t get you too much, did I?” he asked, smiling that damn crooked smile I loved so much.
I laughed. Ryder had gotten me way too much and I usually felt uncomfortable when he tried to buy me anything extravagant. Today, however, I wasn’t about to protest because this was just as much a special day for him as it was for me. He’d never really had a girlfriend before he met me and he wanted to spoil me on my birthday, so I let him. As I ran my fingers across the diamond tennis bracelet that matched the diamond pendant he bought me, I smiled and said, “Not at all.”
As beautiful as all of my gifts had been, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness because I didn’t get the gift I actually wished for…Ryder making love to me.
After he’d helped me into my coat, he leaned in and kissed my neck, sending shivers down my spine. “I’m glad. Let’s go home, huh?”
I nodded and smiled at him again. “Okay,” I said, and took his hand in mine.
We walked out of the restaurant and as we waited for the valet to bring Ryder’s Escalade around, he touched my cheek gently and said, “Is everything okay, gorgeous? You’ve been really quiet all evening.”
“Everything is fine,” I lied. “Thanks for an amazing birthday.”
His brows furrowed and he had worried look on his face. “You’re welcome.” As soon as the valet brought his car around, he held open the door for me and I climbed inside. Once he was behind the wheel, he put the car in drive and we drove back to the house. We held hands for most of the drive and before I realized it we were at the gate and Ryder was punching in the security code.
The gate opened, we drove up the driveway and he pulled into the garage and parked. I reached for the handle to get out, my plan seemingly defeated, but before I could he stopped me. “Hey, Evie, is everything okay? Seriously?”
I fought back the urge to cry and I turned to face him. “Of course it is, Ryder. This has been a perfect day.”
“Everleigh, you know you can’t lie to me. Please tell me what’s wrong so I can try to make it right. Is it me? Did I do too much today?” he asked softly.
I decided that, since I wasn’t getting any tonight, now was the time to be honest. “No, that’s not it. If anything you didn’t do enough,” I said bluntly.
He blinked in surprise. “I didn’t? What do you mean?”
“This has been a great birthday, Ryder, don’t get me wrong. You did a lot in the sense of buying me presents and spoiling me today, but you didn’t give me the one thing I actually wanted.”
“What was that?” he asked.
I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his face to mine, kissing him hard and sliding my tongue past his lips. “You. I want you.”
He gritted his jaw and groaned. “Everleigh, I…I want you so damn bad but it’s just...I don’t want to push you into something you might not be ready for.”
“Damn it Ryder,” I grumbled, “You aren’t pushing me into anything! Don’t you know by now that you have never pushed me into anything when it comes to you? You’ve been what’s saved me every time I’ve been lost or scared. I need you, Ryder, I need this,” I said, my voice lowering to a seductive whisper as my hand moved down and my fingers traced the outline of his growing erection.
“Christ, Evie,” he moaned. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
I rubbed his dick harder through his pants and let out a moan. “Please don’t think badly of me for saying this, especially after everything that happened in the past few months, but if you don’t take me upstairs and fuck me right now I might punch you in the face.”
In the darkness of the garage, I saw a smile spread across his lips. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, and he suddenly pulled me from my seat, across the gear shift and onto his lap.
I leaned in and kissed him like I’d been dying to do for weeks. Our tongues found each other and his tongue was merciless as he passionately made love to my mouth. He opened his door and climbed out with me in his arms like it was nothing. Despite how turned on I was I tried to suppress my smile as I said, “Are you really going to carry me all the way upstairs like they do in the movies?”
“Well this is your birthday. I have to do something cliché today,” he said, and I giggled. “I’ve missed that giggle of yours, Evie. I’ve missed making you laugh.”
“Yeah? Well, I’ve missed you making me scream,” I answered back, tugging his hair with my hands to show I was done talking.
“Well let’s remedy that right now,” he said as he shut the door to the Escalade with his foot and carried me into the house, taking time to set the alarm, and bringing me up the stairs into our bedroom. He gently laid me on the bed and took a few steps back, taking off his coat and suit jacket. I pulled my coat off quickly and tossed it on the floor.
I licked my lips as Ryder untied his tie and tossed it to the side. He stepped closer to me and I reached my hands out and pulled him forcefully toward me. Just as I was about to tear off his shirt, he stopped me and said, “No rough stuff tonight, Evie.”
I almost pouted like a child. “What? Why? Ryder, it’s been too long. I want rough, I want to be restrained, I want all of it.”
He traced the curve of my cheek with his fingers. “Everleigh, all I want is to make you happy tonight but being rough with you just isn’t something I can do yet. You may be ready to play like that again but I’m not. Tonight I want it to be just us. No toys or cuffs or blindfolds, just you and me. We can try any positions you want and more,” he said and a shiver of excitement shot through me, “but no additions tonight. Is that okay?”
I pressed my hands onto his hard chest and I looked up at him. “That’s more than okay. I know that this is going to
be a healing experience for both of us and I am just happy that we are finally going to make love again after what’s happened. Being with you again like this is all I want.”
He smiled at me and leaned his head down to capture my mouth with his own. He took his time undressing me and I did the same for him, slowly taking off his clothes and trailing kisses all along his neck and chest as I did. As soon as we were both finally naked, I was sitting on the bed and he leaned over me. I scooted back toward the pillows as he crawled over me until we were at the head of the bed.
“This kind of feels like our first time all over again, doesn’t it?” I asked, pulling him on top of me and gasping at the feel of his hot toned body against mine.
“Every time we make love feels like our first time, Evie. I don’t think you will ever know just how much I love you. I really never thought I’d find anyone I’d love like this. You are the most important person in the entire world to me and I have been thanking every God there is that I have you,” he said, more sincere than I’d ever heard him be.
Tears burned my eyes and I fought them back. For once I wasn’t going to cry and ruin this beautiful moment. I placed my hand on his cheek and felt his scratchy two day beard on the palm of my hand. “I love you too, Ryder, with everything in me. We aren’t just soul mates…you are my soul.” I looked at him, all my love for him shining out of my eyes. “Make love to me?”
“Every night for the rest of your life, gorgeous,” he said, and our lips found each other again. He carefully touched and kissed his way down to my breasts, almost like he was truly worshipping my body. He kissed and licked down my stomach and he parted my legs, nestling his head between them. “God I’ve missed this,” he said, almost like a prayer. “You are so beautiful,” he said before I felt his tongue take a long lick up my folds that were already dripping wet for him.
I cried out in pleasure and I gripped his hair in my hands. “Ryder, oh god,” I breathed. He said he’d missed me but I think I’d missed him even more. I missed his lips, his hands, his mouth, his tongue…every part of my body had missed him.
Redeemed (Bad Blooded Rebel #4) Page 6
