The Year of Living Shamelessly

by Susanna Carr

  She held his cock in her hands and guided it to her slick, hot entrance. Katie watched Ryder’s face as she gradually sank onto him. His hands were knotted into fists, his jaw clenched as desire blazed from his eyes.

  Ryder bucked his hips to bury himself deep inside her, but this time Katie controlled the pace and she wasn’t going to surrender the power. She gritted her teeth and pressed her lips together as she took all of him.

  Sweat glistened on her skin and her body shivered from the intrusion. She gave a tentative rock of her hips and moaned as the pleasure whipped through her.

  “More,” Ryder whispered.

  Katie knew she could tease him. Make him beg or even ask him to call her Mistress. She smiled at the idea, knowing it would not go over well. She knew what she wanted and that was to grant both their wishes.

  Katie made small, gentle circles with her hips as she grabbed the hem of her short nightie. She looked directly into Ryder’s eyes as she removed the gown inch by inch.

  “Come on, Katie,” Ryder said gruffly, as if restraining his primitive instincts was causing him pain. And maybe it was.

  The nightie cleared her hips and she offered him a clear view of their intimate joining. Ryder reached for her and his arms snapped back. He muttered something raw and ferocious, prompting Katie to laugh.

  “Not so easy, is it? Why don’t you just lie there and enjoy?” she asked as she pushed her nightie over her waist and rocked her hips a little faster.

  “Ride me harder,” he said, his breath growing choppy.

  “I will,” she said as she revealed her breasts and pulled the nightie over her head. “Soon.”

  “Now.” His tone was harsh.

  She increased the pace a little, moaning as his cock rubbed a sensitive spot inside her. Again and again and again. She wasn’t sure she was going to last much longer. Katie tossed her nightie to the floor and glided her hands over her body, secretly wishing it was Ryder touching her.

  “Don’t you wish you could touch me?” she teased Ryder as she squeezed her breasts.

  His eyes darkened and he swallowed audibly. “You are a brat.” He pulled at his cuffs and the headboard rattled against the wall.

  She rolled her hips deeply and Ryder tensed. “You love my bratty ways,” Katie declared, thrusting her breasts out and pinching the nipples.

  “I think the power is getting to your head.”

  She rode him a little faster and slid her hands down her stomach to her hips. She brushed her hand over her clit and shuddered. “Ooh, that felt good.”

  “Katie, I’m going to count to three,” he said in a low, dangerous growl, “and then I’m taking over.”

  “We’ll see about that.” She couldn’t wait to see him try. She was sure the coup he would stage would be as successful as it was glorious. She leaned back, riding him hard as she started to rub her clit. Katie tilted her head back and moaned.

  “One . . . ,” Ryder said.

  She grabbed her breast, pushing it up high so she could dart her tongue along the puckered nipple. She didn’t look at Ryder but she heard his sharp intake of breath. She continued to rub her swollen clit with her other hand. She couldn’t get enough.

  “Two . . .”

  Katie rolled her hips, riding him as fast as she could. She couldn’t catch her breath. Every move sent a shower of sparks through her veins.

  “Three!” Ryder announced and ripped his wrists from the Velcro cuffs. He sat up and grabbed Katie by the waist. Ryder ground her hips down on him and their cries mingled.

  “Put your hands on my shoulders,” he told her.

  “I’m the one giving the orders here,” she replied, tossing her long black hair away from her face.

  “In case you hadn’t noticed, you’ve been overthrown.” He reached for her hands and guided them onto his shoulders. “Hold on tight.”

  She did as he requested. Her fingers dug into his strong shoulders as she rode him hard and fast. Ryder held on to her hips, driving his cock deeper.

  Katie felt the sweet ache tightening inside her pelvis. It coiled tighter and tighter, gathering power at lightning speed. She tried to hold it off. She knew she was being greedy, but she wanted this to last.

  Katie looked into Ryder’s eyes, determined to hold on to this moment when they were joined as equals. She lowered her mouth against his, their lips clinging as she climaxed. The coil of need unleashed something wild inside her. She arched back and rode Ryder so fast that everything else was a blur. The sensations lashed at her and she cried out. It felt like she was splintering into shards and falling.

  Katie grappled for Ryder as he tossed her onto her back. Her head dipped past the mattress as Ryder knelt between her legs. He buried his cock deep inside her, each harsh thrust wringing the climax from her body.

  Ryder burrowed his face in the curve of her throat as he drove into her one last time. His hoarse shout was muffled, but Katie knew it was a cry of victory. Of relief and deep satisfaction. It was exactly how she felt.

  When she could catch her breath, Katie reached down and tousled his hair. “You cheated,” she felt obliged to point out.

  “I gave you fair warning,” he replied without an ounce of apology. “I counted to three.”

  She smiled down at him and was rewarded with a devilish grin in return. Katie wanted to stay like this, lying together skin against skin. She wanted to curl against Ryder and have his arms around her.

  She wasn’t sure what her own eyes revealed, but she saw the guarded expression creep back into Ryder’s features. He cleared his throat and looked out the window.

  She knew he was about to come up with a lame excuse and find a reason to get out of bed and get her out of his home. Her heart couldn’t handle that. She needed to beat him to the punch.

  “Well, this has been fun,” Katie said in the breeziest tone she could manage, “but I’ll have to go soon.”

  Something dark glittered in his eyes. She couldn’t define it, but it made her very wary. “Is this some sort of hit-and-run?” he asked as he rolled off her and got out of bed quickly.

  “I wasn’t planning to spend the night,” she lied. “Unless you need help packing.”

  That seemed to anger him even more. “No, thanks. Jake has offered to help.”

  “You sure you don’t need an extra pair of hands?”

  “I’m sure. We should get you home before he comes back.” He strode out of the bedroom like a conquering warrior. A gloriously buck-naked one.

  Well, she beat him to the punch, Katie thought as she watched him close the bedroom door, leaving her alone. She should be proud. So why did she feel like she had ruined a beautiful moment?

  Ryder stood under the showerhead, the cold water like stinging needles against his head and shoulders. He stared at the white tiles of the shower stall as the hot anger swirled inside him. He hoped Katie was already dressed and leaving because he didn’t trust this mood he was in. He would probably say something he would regret.

  She didn’t want to spend the night with him. Ryder couldn’t understand it. Katie had gone through a great deal to sneak into his apartment and tie herself to his bed. He thought she was going to be there for good, but she wasn’t looking for anything more than a couple of hours of sex. His cock was practically still inside her and she was ready to leave.

  That hurt, and the reason scared him. He wanted more than sex with Katie. He enjoyed the intimacy they shared. Didn’t she realize that when he let her tie him to the bed? He didn’t do that for just any woman.

  It hadn’t been easy for him, but he had loved watching Katie take control. She was bold and naughty, and he didn’t last long before he had to get his hands on her. Afterward, he wanted to hold her close and stay in bed with her all day. For a moment that need spooked him. He was getting too close, too fast. His desire for Katie overruled his caution. But before he could gather her in his arms, she was ready to hop out of bed.

  It didn’t matter that he had left her in the Sea
ttle hotel. That was different. When he had sex with Katie that night he had broken the one rule he had sworn he would always uphold. He needed to distance himself. But Katie was ready to leave now because she’d gotten what she came for.

  If she wanted a guy simply for sex, she could have had her pick of men in Crystal Bend. She managed to do just fine all year long. Why him? And why now?

  Well, he knew the answer to that. Ryder turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He was leaving and she hadn’t been able to check him off her “Men to Do” list. If Katie thought she could get away with that, then he had better set her straight.

  He reached for a towel, wrapped it around his waist and strode out of the bathroom. “Katie?” he called out as he entered the bedroom. He came to an abrupt stop when he saw the empty bed.

  She had already left. Just like he thought—had hoped—she would. So why did that make him feel worse?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  December 29

  The Crystal Bend Café was busy, as it was every morning. The scent of sizzling bacon, maple syrup and fresh pastries wafted from the old brick building and into the streets. It was one of the few places in town to hang out, and the café brewed a coffee that would instantly jolt you awake. Katie passed on the coffee—her nerves were already jittery.

  Katie saw her friend Melissa at the cash register and waved her down. Her friend’s cheeks were rosy from the cold morning, and her blond ponytail was bouncing from side to side as she made her way to the table.

  “Good morning,” Melissa said in a chirpy voice as she removed her red puffy vest, revealing her yellow warm-up jacket. “Isn’t it beautiful outside? The sun is shining and the air is cool and crisp, perfect for jogging.”

  “I can’t stand morning people,” Hilary muttered, her red hair flopping in her face like a curtain. She burrowed deeper into her oversized gray cardigan, as if she couldn’t face the day just yet. “No one in their right mind should be this happy before noon.”

  Melissa just smiled, which prompted a cranky growl from Hilary. She plopped down in the booth opposite Hilary and Katie. “I’m glad to see you survived the bondage club and are both back in one piece.”

  “You should have gone with us,” Hilary said, pouring a packet of sugar into her coffee. “We were the belles of the ball.”

  Katie wanted to roll her eyes as she listened to Hilary’s revised history. Belles of the ball? Couldn’t her friend have tried to get a little closer to the truth? Like that they were so invisible nothing had happened?

  “I bet you were,” Melissa said as she scanned the menu. “I wish this place would offer something low-carb.”

  Hilary growled in the back of her throat.

  “Getting a sore throat?” she asked Hilary.

  “January first is two days away,” Hilary informed her. “Pig out now and detox in the New Year.”

  “I treat my body like a temple,” Melissa informed her with a haughty tilt to her chin, “not like I’m on a bender in Vegas.”

  Hilary arched her eyebrows. “What exactly are you trying to say? That I treat my body like a casino?”

  “I wouldn’t dream of saying such a thing.” Melissa closed the laminated menu with a slap, as if indicating she was changing the subject. “So, how was your Seattle trip? I was worried about you guys, and when Jake and Ryder came by asking questions, I thought it was best to tell them.”

  “Don’t worry.” Katie patted Melissa’s hand. “They weren’t happy to find us there, but everything turned out fine.”

  Melissa put her elbows on the table, then looked around the crowded café before asking in a low tone, “Did you finally complete your New Year’s resolution? And, Hilary, what about you and Jake? Rumor around town is that you guys didn’t get home until the next morning.”

  Katie was struck by something in Melissa’s questions. She tilted her head and considered the eagerness in her friend’s face. “Melissa, did you send them our way because you were worried about us, or to help us with our goals?”

  “I don’t know.” Melissa thought about it for a moment. “Both, I guess. I figured you wouldn’t mind your knights in shining armor riding out to save you.”

  “Did you hear any other rumors?” Hilary asked, pouring yet another sugar packet into her coffee. Katie sensed the tension in her friend. She hoped Jake hadn’t revealed anything about their night in Seattle.

  “I heard this strange one about Katie that didn’t make much sense. Something about her dangling off a ledge half-naked to get Ryder,” Melissa said and shrugged.

  Katie felt the sizzling blush flooding her cheeks but chose not to say anything. She was sure she had Mrs. Graham to thank for that rumor.

  “I assumed it was some kind of metaphor. Although”—Melissa wagged her eyebrows at Katie—“last night I heard something about you visiting the sex shop and coming out with a very little bag. Anything you’d like to share?”

  “You know what they say.” Katie leaned closer to Melissa. “Good things come in small packages.”

  “So you were there.” Melissa’s eyes brightened with interest. “And what’s this about you dangling naked on a ledge?”

  “That’s not true,” Katie said, waving her hand carelessly. “I was wearing lingerie.”

  A shadow fell on her. “Helloooo, Katie.”

  Katie winced as she heard Darwin Jones’s voice. It was the third time in a week he had surprised her. Something was definitely off with her Darwin radar. She must be so focused on Ryder that she was blind to everything else that went on around her.

  “Good for you on taking my advice,” Darwin said, leaning his hip against her booth and giving her a close-up of his belt buckle. Today he wore the one that spelled out “Stud” in gold and rhinestones.

  “I . . . did?” Darwin gave her advice? What was he talking about?

  “You went to the sex shop,” he reminded her in a booming voice. Katie sensed people turning their heads, but she wasn’t going to look around to confirm it. “But why didn’t you call me? I would have been glad to show you around.”

  “That’s okay,” Katie said politely. “I managed all on my own. It was so nice seeing you, but—”

  “And you were supposed to call me the other night,” Darwin complained, not taking the hint that she wanted to talk to her friends alone. “What happened?”

  Katie narrowed her eyes as she tried to follow what he had just said. She really had no idea what he was talking about. “I was? I don’t remember that.”

  “When I gave Hilary the directions to the bondage club,” Darwin explained, gesturing toward her redheaded friend. “I gave her my cell phone number so we could hook up. That was the price for my information.”

  Katie gave Hilary a threatening look. She had made a deal with Darwin to hang out with him? Was she nuts? “Is that right?”

  Hilary shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Must have slipped my mind,” she muttered against her coffee cup and took a big swallow.

  “I could have gotten you the VIP treatment,” Darwin confided, slicking back his already slicked-back hair, “but I didn’t see you until Ryder carried you out.”

  “He carried you out?” Melissa repeated, her eyes widening. “Were you drunk?”

  “I would have stopped him,” Darwin said, puffing out his chest, his tight TV test pattern sweater stretching to the limit,“but when he claimed you as his own, I couldn’t interfere. You know the rules.”

  “Here comes Ryder now,” Hilary said, perking up. “He doesn’t look happy that you’re talking to his woman.”

  Katie saw Darwin turn several shades of green as Ryder strode from the cash register to where she was sitting. Her heart did a funny little flip as she watched his approach. Wearing a black hoodie, jeans and hiking boots, he wasn’t dressed to impress, but it didn’t matter. Ryder Scott was a force of nature in this tiny café, and his dark masculine beauty took her breath away.

  Ryder towered over their table and gave a nod of acknowledg
ment to her and her friends before focusing all of his attention on the hapless Darwin. The men were the same height, but Darwin seemed so insignificant next to Ryder. Darwin was heavier, but Ryder moved with such a lethal grace it was obvious that he could take Darwin down in a split second.

  “Jones.” Ryder’s low, husky greeting hinted at the anger roiling underneath the surface.

  Darwin gave a wheezing cough. “Ryder. I was telling Katie—”

  “I heard what you were saying to Katie.” Ryder didn’t move closer, but there was something in his voice that made Darwin lean back. “And you must have been mistaken.”

  “M-m-mistaken?”