Ryder (Player Card Series Book 3)

by Ellie Danes

  I nodded. I felt my throat tighten with the threat of tears and was afraid to speak.

  He started to say, “I don't want you to—”

  I put a finger over his lips and cleared my throat. I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes and knew they would fall but I spoke anyway. “I want you, and if that means moving to you, then I will. The clothing line has been getting positive feedback, so there’s a good chance I could technically work from anywhere. Plus, Amy found a place near your gym that I could use as an office. It could be a great arrangement if this works.” I motioned between us.

  “Nothing to worry about there.” He kissed me. “I will move heaven and hell to make this work.”

  He must’ve heard my fears and with those words, he took them from me. He reached a hand a wiped at my wet cheeks. I knew they were good tears, but he didn't know that. He kissed me softly, then pulled me into his neck. It wasn't long before I felt his breathing even out and I kissed his neck before falling asleep at his side.

  The next few days were insane. He was so busy getting settled in his hotel and the gym Tristan had set him up to work out in before the fight, that I barely saw him. I had been foolish to think that we would actually get some time. He crashed when he came into the hotel room and was gone before I woke up. I guessed I should have been prepared for it, but I missed him. I missed his enthusiasm at seeing me. I kept him at the forefront of all of my thoughts, making sure his every want was tended to and making sure there was nothing extra for him to stress about. I had several pairs of his shorts ready, and he just grabbed them as he left for training each morning. All of the meetings were starting to take their toll on him.

  “I just want to fucking fight. I am tired of all this bullshit camera stuff,” he complained as he shoved the door closed one evening. He threw himself into an armchair that faced out over New York. “I cannot stand answering questions that these assholes have no business asking.”

  “They have to drum up as much hype as they can.” I followed him to his chair, climbed over his arm, and landed in his lap with a thud.

  “Umph.” He made a funny noise, then kissed me softly. He rubbed his nose against mine. “I haven't said thank you today. I don't know what I would do without you.”

  “It's just clothing.” I shrugged.

  “No, it's much more than that. You calm me in my sleep just by being next to me. You keep my nerves in check.” He sighed. “I want this fight, but I didn’t realize how much media there would be. I mean, I knew, but I didn't.”

  “It’ll be over tomorrow. And then we can move on with us.” I kissed him quickly, then tried to stand.

  “Nope,” he laughed as he pulled me back down. “Just sit here with me for a while.”

  We sat in silence for the better part of an hour. Silence was something we both savored at the moment. He rubbed my back and shoulders as we watched the city rush around. It was peaceful until the sound of Tristan’s ringtone broke through it. Ryder stood, taking me with him as he grabbed it from the table.

  “Yeah? . . . Probably . . . Okay . . . Yup . . . Thanks.” He took the phone away from his face and clicked it off before laying it back on the table.

  “Can we take a shower?” he asked as he pulled me closer to him.

  “We?”

  “Yes ma’am. We. I really need to feel you wrapped around me right now.” He looked into my eyes.

  “Yes,” I said quietly.

  He was on me before I could look back up at him. He never took his mouth from mine the entire time he carried me to the bathroom. I felt him reach and turn the water on. He sat me on the sink then started to undress me.

  “I wanna fuck you so hard.”

  “I want you to fuck me as hard and fast as you can.”

  “Good, because Tristan is expecting us at dinner in forty-five minutes.”

  “Ryder!” I exclaimed as he shoved me under the stream of water. A mischievous grin spread over his handsome face. He pressed me against the cold tile and pushed into me. His thrusts bordered on painful but felt so good at the same time. An orgasm ripped through me, and soon he was pushing into me as hard as he could. I felt the hot spurts as he emptied into me and my body quaked as he pulled out.

  “Damn woman, I'll never get over wanting to get inside you, ever.” He kissed me hard. I knew I would never be ready when he had to leave, but he insisted that I come. He pulled my half-wet hair out of my face and then braided it. He worked so quickly that I could only sit there in shock.

  “You can braid hair?”

  “My mom taught me after she hurt her shoulder. She had to keep her hair out of her way because of her job, and she had a hard time doing it herself. Dad wasn’t always home when she needed help with it. I learned and then I did it for her from time to time.” He kissed the side of my face, slapped me on the ass, and pushed me out of the bathroom.

  “Put some clothes on that beautiful ass and let's get going. Oh, and I’ll need some more naked time with you later.” He smirked before pulling his shirt over his head.

  Twenty minutes later, we were standing at the restaurant podium being checked in by a woman my age who was openly flirting with Ryder. It was harmless, but I wanted to stand in front of him and claim his as mine. Not that I blamed her, because if it was me, I didn't think I would be able to contain myself, either. He never encouraged it, but he never put a stop to it either. He took my hand and led me to the table.

  The waitress also ignored Amy and me and she took our drink orders.

  “It's so good to see you.” I leaned over and hugged Amy.

  “And you.” She hugged me back.

  “I cannot believe how quickly this clothing line is becoming a thing.” She let out a little whistle of excitement. “There were over ten thousand preorders this week. Just for men's t-shirts! There were over a thousand inquiries about women's shirts and tank tops, too.”

  “I can hardly believe how well all the sample feedback has been. They love the material, and that was all you. You did a great job,” Tristan said to me.

  I tried to hide my surprise. I wasn't used to being on the receiving end of his compliments. I watched Amy smile at him and place a hand on his forearm.

  “Quick dinner tonight?” Ryder suggested in question form.

  “Just wanted to see how my main man was doing the night before his fight.” Tristan looked him over.

  “He is doing great,” Ryder replied and lifted his glass of water to his mouth. Ryder didn't speak again until we were leaving. He ate three chicken breasts and brown rice with water to drink. He always ate differently before a fight, and I knew that, but I also didn't enjoy eating the food I was eating while he only ate chicken.

  “You don't have to bring your food home and eat it in the bathroom so I don't have to watch you eat it, you know,” he informed me as we were leaving.

  “What?” I feigned innocence.

  He smiled at me. “You can eat it at the table in the room when you’re hungry later. I don't mind. I know I have to eat clean to win. It doesn't bother me that you wanted all of that cheesy ravioli and red sauce goodness,” he teased.

  I slapped his arm. “Way to make me feel terrible. I wouldn't eat it now if you paid me to.”

  “Then I guess I'll hold you down and force you.” He winked.

  “Okay fine. I'll eat it while you are doing your last-minute tape reviews. At least then you'll be watching the television instead of me.”

  “Well, now I'll know what you're doing so I'll be completely distracted.”

  We both laughed. After we got home, Ryder finished his work and I at my leftovers in silence. When we climbed into bed, I was expecting sleep but I got a little more of Ryder before we finally curled into each other and closed our eyes.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Ryder

  I made my way toward the cameras and weigh-in looking for Tristan and my father. Instead, I found Curtis and Bret waiting for me. My father still hadn’t gotten back from a coffee run, and
according to Bret, Tristan was outside on the phone. I looked around the room and took in the lights and sounds. The cameras were clicking as Santiago talked about his fight and defending his title. I wanted to knock him down a notch or three. His voice grated my nerves, but I had to keep my head clear and my eye on the prize—the belt around his waist.

  “You ready?” Tristan asked from behind me. I turned to see him standing with Curtis. Amy and Zoey weren’t far behind them.

  “As ready as I can be,” I said.

  “Don't be so confident.” My dad smiled and cupped my shoulder before he walked by and pulled Curtis to the side. I knew they were talking strategy. They knew better than to get in my ear at this point. I needed to focus on the job ahead.

  Before I knew it, I was on stage fielding questions about nothing that mattered. They asked about Zoey, and they asked about my signing with Tristan. Only three out of the hundred questions seemed to even pertain to the fight. You would think people would care about that, but they didn't. They wanted to know about my personal life. What my plans were if I lost or won. I wanted to talk about what an asshole that prick was and how I planned to take him down. Tristan led me away from the podium about fifteen minutes later and took me to where the final photo shoot would take place for the clothing line. They snapped a few photos all in front of a brick wall that would eventually be photoshopped to look more like my home gym—which I would be buying after the fight, win or lose. I’d already talked to Bret and promised him a job for life. I just needed my own place, somewhere I could use as needed to train. I was hoping I could eventually help some of the underprivileged kids in the area. I wanted to talk to Zoey about it, but at this point, I was choosing to keep it on the down-low until I had some real plans. I knew she would be extremely busy with her ventures, but I was still excited that she would be home, with me.

  “You need to go and nap and then relax. I'll see you back here at five, okay?” Tristan instructed as he pulled Amy in a different direction. I turned to walk out of the room and toward a cab when I found Zoey. She was walking away from the entrance quickly with tears in her eyes.

  “Zoey?” I asked as she ran into my arms.

  “Are you okay?” I pulled her chin up and looked into her tear stained face.

  “Yes, I'm just overwhelmed. Some reporter stopped me in the street and was asking all kinds of questions. It was just more than I was ready for.”

  “I'm so sorry, babe.” I pulled her against me. “I don't want anyone to ask you questions because of me, but I can't stop it. I guess we’ll have to make sure one of the guys is with you all the time. I don't want you to get cornered by strangers. Your safety is important to me, and I don't want to have to worry about you.”

  “I’m safe physically, it was all that badgering that got to me. I wasn't ready for it.” She shrugged and wiped at her eyes. “Don't worry about me, please.”

  “I found you crying—of course I'm going to worry about you.” I kissed her softly, just brushing my lips against hers.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, then looked over my shoulder. “Shit,” she groaned as she moved closer to me, looking away from whoever was behind me. “That's him,” she groaned.

  “Who’s him?’ I asked looking over my shoulder.

  “That guy in the black hat, he’s the one asking all the questions.” I pushed away from her and turned toward the asshole. I marched over and grabbed him by the collar, shoving him against a wall.

  “If you ever make my girl cry again, I can't promise you what I’ll do,” I spoke through clenched teeth.

  “I—I—I—” He struggled to speak. I pushed my forearm against his chest.

  “Do you understand me?” I asked again. It dawned on me this could possibly get me in a whole heap of trouble, but I didn't care.

  He nodded his head, and I released him. His feet hit the floor about the same time he started gasping for air.

  “You'll pay for that.”

  “I'm sure I will.” I retorted as I walked back toward Zoey. She was standing there mouth openly gaping at what had just happened.

  “Why, I don't… Why?” She sounded shocked. She had never seen anything like that from me outside of the ring.

  “Look, I am not a violent person…okay maybe a little,” I shrugged and put a finger over her mouth. “I am not going to tolerate anyone being mean to you for any reason. If there is anything I can do to make that stop, then I will. I am sure he’ll go and blab to all his friends, but what he doesn't realize is that most of the guys that question us aren't going to go after you like that anyway. They tend to be a little more respectful of our families.”

  Zoey nodded. “That’s good, then.”

  “Can we go nap?” I need to relax as much as possible over the next few hours.

  “Yes, we can nap. Tristan told me no extracurricular activities, though.” She flushed.

  “He said what?” I cocked my head.

  “No sex,” she said plainly. “He said you would need all your energy for tonight. Apparently, it's a thing for all athletes.” She shrugged as she reached for the door that would dump us back on the street. I had purposely come out the side entrance to avoid the cameras placed all over the front. Tristan’s car was waiting for us, and we climbed in.

  “Great minds think alike.” Tristan’s driver said.

  “Thanks, man.” I tossed him a twenty and then settled back against the soft leather.

  “If I get no sex today, then I want all the sex tonight.” I kissed her neck. She shoved me away from her neck.

  “Don't try and trick me, mister.” She smiled. “And of course there will be sex tonight. It will either be celebratory sex or a pity fuck, who knows.”

  She laughed, and I laid into her most sensitive tickle spot.

  “Stop!” she laughed as I started poking and tickling her. She screeched as she tried to get away from me. I couldn’t help laughing at her. I loved that she brought this out in me. I had trained so long and so hard that I had forgotten to have any fun lately. After tonight, I wanted to learn how to be a new Ryder. I reached for her again, and she screeched again.

  I threw my hands up to signal I would behave. “I'll stop if you’ll come here.” I pulled her across the leather seat and into my lap. “Thank you.”

  “For what?” she looked up at me.

  “For being you. For allowing me to be me.”

  “Who else would you be?” she grinned.

  “The uptight asshole I was before I met you.”

  She leaned up and kissed the end of my nose. “I want you to be happy—that's all that matters to me.”

  “I am happier than you can imagine, and no matter what happens tonight, I want our future to be a guarantee.”

  “I can't guarantee anything, but I can promise you that I am in this with you.” She smiled, and my heart melted. I had become a giant wuss, and for whatever reason, I was okay with it.

  When we got to the hotel room, I tried to rest. I had watched the last round of tapes and ate a big meal, and it was time to rest. My head was running a million miles an hour, and I knew what I needed but my beautiful girlfriend was a rule follower, and that meant sex was out of the question. My dick slowly grew as I thought about sex with Zoey.

  “Tristan said no,” she reminded me when she felt my erection against her back.

  “You sure he said no sex?”

  “Yes, no sex.” She wiggled against me.

  “That’s not helping,” I groaned at the friction.

  She rolled over to face me and smiled.

  “He never said anything about a blow job, did he?” I questioned mischievously.

  She put her finger on her chin and cocked her head. “I don't think he did.”

  I felt my body tighten with the thought of her mouth on me. She shimmied down my body and traced her fingers over my cock. I watched as she moved over me. After pulling back my boxers, her lips grazed the tip of me and I wanted to come apart. I needed this release more than she knew
, or maybe she did know and maybe I had underestimated her again.

  “You need this and it shouldn’t require any energy from you.” She smiled before dragging her tongue around the head of my cock and then closing her lips around me. Her hand wrapped around the base and squeezed with enough pressure that my hips lifted off the bed. Her soft hands felt amazing against my hot skin. Right then, there was nothing I wanted more than to sink deep into her. I knew she wouldn't go for that, but this—this was everything.

  The movement of her hands, her warm mouth, and the moans and groans coming from her had me so close for so long, but I wanted it to last just another minute, just one more. When I felt my orgasm start, I pushed at her head to make her watch me release. Her mouth popped when I pulled my sensitive cock out and she grinned as she watched me lose it. Every muscle relaxed in my body, and sleep started to take over.

  “I’ll get you a towel,” she whispered with a cheeky grin. After we cleaned up the mess, she climbed over my body and laid her head on my chest. I reached down and squeezed her ass and kissed her softly.

  “You are fucking amazing,” I half spoke, half sighed.

  * * * * *

  I woke an hour before I had to be back at the arena and smiled at the sight of Zoey’s hair fanned out over my chest.

  I wiggled out from under her and went to the shower. Before closing the door, I looked at her. Her face was completely relaxed in sleep. I stopped and walked over to her.

  “Zoey, babe.” I rubbed the side of her face and tried to wake her gently.

  Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled through a stretch.

  “We should get up and get going. I have to be down at the arena in an hour. I've got to get a little workout in to prime my muscles.”

  “Okay, can I shower after you?”

  “You can shower first if you want.”

  She rolled over and huffed.

  “What?” I asked.

  “This no sex thing is bullshit.”

  The humor in her voice made me laugh.

  “Don't you worry, I've got you later, for hours,” I promised and I intended to keep it regardless of the outcome.