by Susanna Carr
“I feel you trembling,” he said with a knowing smile. “I don’t think you will hold out.”
“I will,” she promised.
He continued to circle his finger around her mouth. Her lips tingled and they felt fuller. Was it her imagination or were the circles he drew getting smaller?
Ryder’s finger was now on her plush bottom lip. She wanted to pucker her mouth. Okay, that wasn’t true. She really wanted to flick her tongue out and lick him before curling her tongue around his finger and drawing him into her mouth.
But that might be considered moving.
Ryder watched her mouth with unnerving intensity. She wondered if he would notice if she moved another part of her body, but she wasn’t going to take the chance. He dragged his finger along her red lips, smearing the lipstick. Still she didn’t move.
He dipped the tip of his finger into her mouth. Katie tried to control the tremor in her jaw. She wanted to give him a little nip. Catch him with the edge of her tooth. She longed to swirl her tongue around his finger and mimic what she could do with his cock.
And while her imagination ran wild, mostly with the idea of slurping his finger, she remained perfectly still. She wasn’t sure if she could keep it up much longer, when her body longed to pounce. Her hand pressed hard against the table and she sat ramrod straight. She was not going to mess this up.
Ryder withdrew his finger and Katie tried not to follow. She bet Ryder had expected her to crack by now. He didn’t get how much she wanted this. How much she wanted him.
Ryder covered her hands with his. Katie almost flinched from the unexpected touch, but caught herself just in time. She liked the feel of his warm, big hands. She felt small and delicate, but protected.
Ryder leaned closer until his mouth hovered above hers. He was going to kiss her—and she wasn’t allowed to kiss back! That was incredibly unfair.
His mouth was so close to hers. She felt his warm breath on her lips. He didn’t move any farther. She wanted to scream. This was the kiss she had been waiting for. The one he instigated. The one that was supposed to devour her, take her breath away and leave her swollen and limp, but begging for more.
He still didn’t move. She got the feeling he was fighting with himself. That he wanted to take the last step. That he only needed a little more encouragement.
His lips were right there, waiting. She could claim them now. This might be her last chance. . . .
Ryder lifted his hand and brushed his fingertips along her throat. She remained still as he softly rubbed his thumb against the fluttering pulse at the base of her throat. He said nothing but she saw the primal satisfaction in his eyes. She didn’t care what he claimed; he liked having this sexual power over her. He wanted to explore it as much as she did.
His hand glided down the slope of her breast, as if he couldn’t help himself. Katie’s breath hitched in her throat. Her skin tingled at the intimate touch, her nipples tightening with anticipation.
Katie felt like her entire body was wound tight, ready to spring wildly at the most gentle touch. Ryder lightly caressed the curve of her breast, the slick, clingy material of her vest the only barrier between them. Her soft, choppy panting echoed in her head while he drew lazy circles around the tip of her breast. A tremor swept through her as the circles grew tighter and closer. Her nipples were puckered and stinging for his touch. He was almost there . . . almost. . . .
Ryder pulled back abruptly. He rubbed his hands over his face, breaking the spell that bound them. Grabbing his coat from the back of the chair, he walked to the door.
“Are we done?” she asked without moving her lips.
“Yes,” he replied roughly. He grabbed for the door as if it were his lifeline.
The tension released from her in one giant wave. She punched her fist in the air. “Yes! I passed.”
Ryder stopped in his tracks.
“I will see you here tonight.” She was tempted to jump off the table and do a little victory dance, but that would ruin her sophisticated image.
His face was expressionless. “I’ll be here at eight.”
Eight? She couldn’t wait that long! She had thousands of fantasies to explore with him. “Can you come earlier?”
“No,” he answered in a strangled voice. “I’m moving, remember? I have stuff to do.”
She didn’t appreciate the reminder. “Fine, but I’ll be ready if you want to come around earlier,” she offered.
He kept looking straight ahead of him. “And don’t wear that outfit.”
She stroked her shiny vest, wondering what he had against it. “If you insist.” She would give in just a little. “What would you prefer? A negligee? Plastic wrap?”
His spine stiffened. “Something the old Katie would wear,” he said in a low growl as he closed the door behind him.
Something from her old wardrobe? Katie wrinkled her nose. Now what was the fun in that?
Ryder threw a bunch of old clothes in the charity box and slowly straightened to his full height, working out the stiff muscles in his back. He’d never really had much stuff to begin with, although Katie, who was addicted to those home improvement and decorating shows, made sure he had the basic necessities when he’d first moved in.
He looked around his small apartment. Legs braced with hands on his hips, his muscles shook in the aftermath of nonstop work. He was hot and sweaty, wearing nothing but a ripped pair of jeans, but the lust was still screeching through him, and he was desperate for relief. It didn’t matter how hard he worked his body. It was no use. He couldn’t get the image of Katie out of his mind.
And she expected him to follow through on their agreement tonight and he couldn’t let her down. He should never have tested her. As much as he didn’t want her to pass, so he could leave town with a clean conscience, a secret, dark part of him wanted Katie to succeed, to prove that she trusted him. In truth, he was desperate for another excuse to touch her, kiss her.
He never could leave well enough alone, could he? Ryder thought with disgust. He only had to endure a few more days of Katie torturing him and he would have been home free. And what had he done? Screwed it up. He wanted to keep Katie ignorant of his sexual tastes, but at the same time, he wanted to initiate her. Tutor her. Because deep down he knew they would be amazing together.
Ryder heard a knock on his door. He tensed, his muscles quivering. Please don’t let it be Katie, he prayed as he went to answer it. He didn’t have much armor left to ward her off. He wanted her so badly right now that he wouldn’t put up even a pretense of a fight.
He opened the door reluctantly and frowned when he saw Tatum. She stood in front of him wearing bright red heels, a skimpy black raincoat, and a big smile.
“Tatum,” he greeted her warily. “What are you doing here?” It sure wasn’t to help him pack.
“I thought I’d come by and reminisce about the old times.” Her hands curled along the lapels of her raincoat, drawing his attention to the fact that she wore nothing underneath.
Ryder paused. He and Tatum had shared a good thing a year ago. It was kinky and dirty, but after a while he broke it off. No matter how creative Tatum could be, when he was with her, he felt empty inside.
“We were really great together.” She reached out and flattened her hand on his bare chest. Tatum smiled when she felt his strong heartbeat under her palm.
Did she think she had him hot and ready? That all she needed to do was show up and he would want to jump her? No, he wasn’t interested in Tatum like that anymore. Now, if it had been Katie knocking on his door dressed up like that . . .
“This morning I went past the drive-in movie and I remembered the night we . . .” Her voice trailed off and she glided her hand along his sweat-slick abdomen.
He remembered. It had been in the summer, but it wasn’t the heat wave or raunchy movie that had set him off. He had seen Katie on a date at the drive-in. It was bad enough watching a guy have his hands all over her while they stood in line for popcorn, but
she had looked incredibly sexy in a white lace cami and tiny denim shorts. Right then and there he wanted to grab Katie by her long ponytail, throw her into his truck, rip off her clothes and make love to her until the fierce lust drained from his body.
Instead he kept his distance. Did everything he could not to look at Katie while the white-hot need tore through him. And before that movie was over, he and Tatum had enjoyed some rough and wild sex in the cab of his truck. He immediately regretted it, and not because he gave most of the customers at the drive-in something more interesting than the movie to watch. He had felt restless, and guilty, which had made no sense.
Tatum palmed his rock-hard cock through his jeans and cupped his balls with her other hand. “Oh, you do remember,” she crooned. She reached for his zipper and slowly dragged it down. “This time it’ll be better than ever,” she promised.
Ryder wrapped his fingers around Tatum’s wrist, stopping her. “I’m sorry, Tatum,” he said in a cold tone. “It’s not a good idea.”
She appeared stunned by his refusal. “Why not?” she asked as she stepped closer until her breasts pressed against his chest and her hands were trapped between their bodies as she dragged his zipper all the way down.
Ryder wasn’t sure how to answer. A rough, fast screw with Tatum might take the edge off the lust that was eating at him. It had in the past, and there was no reason why it wouldn’t work now. Why not have a meaningless quickie with an ex-girlfriend who knew the score?
But he already knew the answer. Katie Kramer had gotten under his skin and wormed a place in his heart. He would only find peace and satisfaction with her, and there could be no substitute.
Ryder grabbed both of Tatum’s wrists and lifted her hands away from his pants. He guided her a step away from his door before he let go.
“Good-bye, Tatum. Next time call before you drop by,” he suggested as he closed the door. He turned the lock and rested his head against the wall. He didn’t regret his choice, but Tatum must be wondering what had gotten into him.
Katie had, along with the promise of something better, something sweeter. She really had turned his life upside down, and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t deny that something was about to happen between them. She obviously wanted it as much as he did.
Hilary set down her coffee cup with a clatter, the confusion apparent on her face. “So, let me see if I’ve got this straight,” she said to Melissa and Katie as they sat around a tiny table in the quaint coffeehouse later that afternoon. “Ryder laid down the law and told you what you can and cannot do.” She paused. “And we’re excited about this?”
“He accepted my offer,” Katie explained. She spoke very calmly as her pulse tripped and skipped. Leaning back in her chair, she tried to look as if she fully expected every one of her fantasies to come true. She wasn’t freaking out. Not at all.
“He sort of accepted your offer,” Hilary pointed out, “as long as you do everything he says.”
“Hey, don’t knock it,” Melissa said, as she wrapped a protective arm around Katie’s shoulders. “This is a major development. It’s a step in the right direction.”
“True.” Hilary nodded. “But how many steps are involved before you actually get to have sex with him?”
“I don’t know,” Katie admitted. It was something that worried her.
“I think he’s playing you,” Hilary said under her breath.
Katie bristled at her friend’s opinion about Ryder. “Ryder won’t jerk me around. He’s not like that.”
“If you say so.” Hilary’s thoughtful gaze wandered down Katie’s long-sleeved blue T-shirt, black PVC pants, and black ankle boots. “You know, it’s weird. You look like a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners woman, but you’re acting like—”
“So,” Melissa interrupted quickly. “When do you see him again?”
“Tonight,” Katie answered, dragging her gaze away from Hilary. She knew what her friend was saying. How could she be a confident and sensual woman if she had essentially agreed to be a sex slave? “At my place.”
“Interesting,” Hilary commented. “He meets you on your territory. Then again, he’s free to leave when he wants.” She flinched and groaned as Melissa kicked her under the table.
“Don’t listen to her,” Melissa advised Katie. “What are you going to wear tonight? I recommend those stiletto boots.”
“Forget that,” Hilary said, leaning down to rub her injured shin. “The important question is how are you going to go after what you want if you’re tied up?”
“I’m after Ryder,” Katie clarified. “And the beauty is that I don’t have to do anything but lie there and take it.”
“You’re taking whatever you can get. If I had Jake in my hands”—Hilary tilted her face up as she let her imagination run wild—“I’d have him naked and shaking and I wouldn’t let him walk away.”
Katie held up her hand. “Okay, first off, please don’t use my brother as an example. It’s going to traumatize me. Second, I had agreed to follow the parameters. If I had ignored them, the deal would have been off.”
“You’ll find a way to fulfill your fantasies. I know you will.” Melissa patted Katie’s arm. “You’re being very patient for someone who only has a few days left to get her man. I’m impressed.”
“Unless . . .” Hilary leaned back in her chair and studied Katie as she took another sip of coffee. “Unless you’re hoping for more than a couple days.”
Katie looked away guiltily. Her friends knew her well. They knew how much she loved Ryder, and she wanted more than one night or a week. She wanted Ryder to stay and be with her forever. And if her plan worked, he would discover that she was his dream lover and he wouldn’t consider leaving. At least, she hoped so.
Melissa frowned. “What are you talking about? Ryder is leaving on New Year’s Day.”
“If Katie doesn’t give him a reason to stay.” Hilary gave Katie a knowing look. “That’s what you’re hoping for, isn’t it?”
Katie fiddled with the neckline of her shirt. “I’m just offering him a taste of what he’ll be missing.”
“Oh!” Melissa blinked as she suddenly caught on. “Hey, it’s possible,” she told Hilary. “Ryder has feelings for Katie and they are entering a relationship.”
“It’s not a relationship; it’s sex,” Hilary said. “And they haven’t even had that yet.” She cast a suspicious look at Katie. “Are you hoping to drag it out and prevent him from leaving, even though he specifically told you it would end on New Year’s Day? I’m just worried about you getting your heart broken, Katie.”
“No, I’m not going to drag it out.” She wanted him hot, hungry and wild in her bed. She wanted to take him in so deeply, her legs tightly wrapped around his hips, well and truly caught, that he didn’t ever want to break free. “But I can’t lie. I hope he considers staying.”
Hilary pursed her lips. “After your whole no-consequences speech?”
Katie fiddled with her hair. She wasn’t a hypocrite. If Ryder really wanted to walk away, she would put up a very sophisticated front and wouldn’t give him any drama. “Actually, he seemed kind of offended when I said that.”
“Katie, sweetie, don’t get your hopes up,” Hilary pleaded, her eyes filled with concern. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings . . .”
“I hate when people say that,” Katie muttered. “It means they’re going to lay it on me.”
“Ryder Scott is what you would call a lone wolf. He isn’t going to stay because he’s in your bed. It doesn’t matter if you had the best sex ever, or never got around to having sex. You’ve seen how he treats his ex-girlfriends. He has a short attention span and he breaks things off fast and clean. There is no guarantee that he will treat you differently. I expect that he’s going to leave you without a backward glance. Nothing you do or say will keep him here.”
“Ow,” Katie said dryly as the shaft of pain went through her heart. She liked to think she was a little more important to Ryder tha
n that. She was different than the other women in his life. But, then, maybe she wasn’t.
“Not necessarily,” Melissa argued. “Ryder is teaching Katie about being a submissive. Hey, here’s an idea. What if she’s the worst submissive? I mean, really, truly horrible. He’s not going to leave her if she’s not ready to handle the bondage scene without him.”
Katie tilted her head as she thought Melissa’s idea over. She would rather be the best submissive Ryder ever had, but if she was good at it, he’d have nothing to worry about. “That might work.”
Hilary groaned and covered her face with her hands. “No, it won’t.”
“Think about it,” Melissa urged, leaning forward, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. “Ryder is very protective about her, and will see her through a rite of passage. Remember when he taught her how to drive because her dad basically gave up?”
