by Zoe Chant
"Wow,” she said. It was Ryan’s turn to blush now.
"It’s proportional!” he said, sounding faintly embarrassed.
"It’s great,” Isabella replied with a grin, running her fingers down the length of his cock, watching as Ryan’s eyelids shivered closed with pleasure.
"I can’t wait to feel that inside me,” she said, and then blushed fiercely. That had sounded much filthier out loud.
Ryan groaned. "God, you’re going to be the death of me,” he said. He shoved his jeans the rest of the way off.
"How do you want me?” he asked. Even now, when he'd already given her a mind-blowing orgasm and she could feel his cock twitching hungrily in her hand, her wishes were the most important thing to him.
"Just like this," she said, drawing him down on top of her.
Ryan groaned. His hands were shaking minutely as he slipped on a condom. Isabella couldn't resist giving him one last, teasing stroke, just to feel the hot weight of him in her hand one more time. Ryan's hips jerked.
Isabella wrapped her legs around his hips. "Come on," she said.
She was so wet and open, he slid inside her as easily as a key into a lock. Both of them groaned.
Ryan moved inside her in slow, powerful thrusts that lit up her entire body. He slipped his hands beneath her hips and lifted her up a little, changing the angle. Isabella let out a startled gasp. God, that felt amazing.
She hung on to his shoulders, anchoring herself. Incredibly, unbelievably, she could feel her pleasure rising to a peak again. She slipped a hand between their bodies, moaning at the first touch of her fingers to her clit.
Ryan bent down to kiss her, his lips moving hungrily against hers. Isabella gasped, squeezed her eyes shut, and came. It seemed to go on forever. She'd never come with anyone inside her before, and it felt amazing, making everything more intense. Her pussy clenched around him.
Ryan groaned, gave one last hard thrust that sent a bright bolt of pleasure through her, and came. He collapsed beside her, his chest heaving.
"That was incredible," he said.
"Yeah," Isabella agreed, dazed. She rolled over to pillow her head on his shoulder. Ryan reached out with one hand to snag a blanket off the closest armchair and flicked it over them, and then he wrapped his arm around her, drawing her even closer.
"We should probably move this to a bed," Ryan said, his voice a low, sleepy rumble.
"Hmm," Isabella agreed, her eyes drifting closed. "In a minute."
She slept.
***
Isabella woke up alone. She opened her eyes and blinked slowly around the unfamiliar room. Right. She was in Ryan's mansion. Ryan was gone, and although she could see the impression his body had left on the rug beside her, the space where he'd lain was already cold.
Isabella looked down. Really, what had she expected? That she'd wake up still cradled in his arms? They gotten carried away last night. But he was a billionaire and she was a nobody. Of course he'd come to his senses in the morning.
She shoved the blanket away, sitting up. There was a loud clatter from the general direction of the kitchen.
"Bella? Be with you in a moment," Ryan called.
She blinked, her heart soaring. He wasn't gone after all!
The door opened. Ryan came in carrying a huge tray, stacked precariously with plates and glasses and cutlery and food. He put it down on the edge of the table and set out a big pan full of bacon and eggs, orange juice in a carafe, a crystal bowl full of berries and cream, a teetering stack of golden brown toast and another stack of pancakes. And, of course, a jar of honey.
Isabella laughed incredulously."We're never gonna be able to eat all that!"
"I didn't know what you like, so I made a bunch of stuff," Ryan said. "Anyway, I'm hungry as a bear." He grinned, as if at some private joke.
Isabella got to her feet. Her ankle had turned blue and purple overnight, but at least it had mostly stopped hurting, and she could walk without the crutches.
Isabella reached for a plate and started piling it up with food. She could still barely believe this was happening. Not only had she spent the night with Ryan, he'd gotten up to cook her breakfast in the morning. No man had ever treated her that well in her life. And now there was Ryan, who she could barely believe was interested in her at all, going to all that trouble! If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.
The food was delicious. The eggs had been cooked to perfection, and the bacon was just crispy enough. Isabella closed her eyes in pleasure for a moment. Ryan watched her eat with a smile. He never seemed to mind that she had a big appetite. Greg had used to call her greedy, to roll his eyes whenever he caught her eating anything but salad and vegetables. Ryan, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy watching her indulge herself.
When she'd eaten her fill, she leaned back against her chair, sighing with contentment. "That was really good, thank you," she said.
"My pleasure," Ryan replied. He leaned over the table and gave her a quick kiss. She caught his shoulder when he would have pulled back. He sighed with contentment, kissing her long and deep, until they finally had to pull back and catch their breath. Isabella twisted her head to the side, wincing at the crick in her neck. Ryan reached out and laid his big warm hand over her shoulder, rubbing his thumb over the tense muscles until they relaxed.
"Mm, you're good at that," Isabella said happily.
Outside, the sun was shining brightly. It was going to be a hot day. But right now, the air was crisp and fresh, washed clear by yesterday's storm.
"Do you want to go for a swim?" Ryan asked.
A swim sounded fantastic, but…
"I I don't have a bathing suit," Isabella said. He'd seen her naked before, of course, but it was something else entirely to be naked outside, in the middle of the day.
Ryan gave her a mischievous grin. "Well, as you know, I usually swim naked."
Isabella blushed. So he'd seen her after all, that day she'd spied on him swimming in the pond. "Sorry," she squeaked, mortified.
"I didn't mind. I just hope you liked the view," Ryan said, winking at her.
Oh boy, had she ever. Isabella blushed.
"It's okay if you don't want to. I can drive you back home if you want," Ryan added.
"No, let's go for a swim," Isabella said, throwing caution to the wind. Her naked body hadn't scared him off last night, and if seeing her in the unforgiving light of day was going to be a deal breaker, better to find out now, right?
The water of the pond was crystal clear, sparkling in the morning sun. It was refreshingly cold when Isabella dipped a toe inside. Ryan unselfconsciously stripped down to his skin, revealing golden brown skin and the mouthwatering body she still hadn't gotten tired of admiring. He climbed up the steep slope to the top of the waterfall, effortlessly graceful on the uneven footing.
Isabella hesitated, suddenly self-conscious again. She waited until Ryan's back was turned and then quickly skinned out of her clothes and dove into the pond, gasping at the first shock of cool water on her skin.
Ryan jumped off the overhang beside the waterfall, as graceful and natural in the water as a seal. He stretched out his arms for her. She swam over, letting herself get wrapped up in his embrace. She tilted her head up for a kiss, her wet skin sliding smoothly against this.
Ryan's beautiful big cock was thickening and rising, pressing hungrily against her thigh. She could feel the low rumble of his groan echoing in her chest. Isabella wrapped her hand around his cock, feeling the heat of him in her palm.
Ryan moaned, his muscles tightening at her touch. He bent his head to press gentle kisses against her neck and the top of her breasts. Even in the cool water, Isabella could feel heat gathering between her thighs.
Finally Ryan pulled back with a groan, setting her gently back on her feet. "We shouldn't do this here," he said. "How about we go back to the house and finish what we started?"
They'd only just finished dressing, Isabella wearing Ryan's oversized shirt again,
when the cracking of branches announced someone coming towards them from the woods.
A woman emerged from between the trees. She was tall and thin, with the sharp cheekbones of a supermodel. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a severe ponytail. She seemed naggingly familiar, but Isabella couldn't quite place her face.
"Bethany?" Ryan asked, startled. "What are you doing here?"
At the sound of the name, it finally clicked. Right. Bethany Clay-Fitsburn, Ryan's ex-fiancé.
Bethany stood with her arms braced on her hips. "There you are," she said. "I've been trying to reach you since yesterday. Why don't you have your cell phone on you? I had to walk all over this… swamp to find you."
She lifted one foot, grimacing down at the bit of moss and earth clinging to the heel in exaggerated disgust.
"What do you want, Bethany?" Ryan asked sharply.
Bethany arched one perfectly manicured eyebrow. "Maybe I just wanted to see how you're getting on out in the boonies. I see standards have been slipping around here since I've been gone." She directed a disdainful look at Isabella, who tugged self-consciously at the hem of her shirt.
Ryan made a noise, a low, barely-human growl of warning. "Don't you dare," he snarled, stepping protectively in between them. "If you want something, say so, but I'm not going to hear one more ugly word about Isabella."
Bethany smiled toothily. "What, worried I'm going to scare her off?"
"You don't scare me," Isabella said, stepping out from behind Ryan's back and squaring her shoulders.
"Oh, it's not me you should be scared of," Bethany said archly. "Or have you already told her, Ry?"
Isabella turned to look at Ryan and saw the way his face paled at the question.
Bethany saw it, too. "Didn't think so," she said smugly. "I'd take the chance to run now if I were you, girl. You've got no idea what a nasty secret he's hiding."
"You're lying," Isabella said.
"Am I? He's standing right here. Why don't you ask him?" She smiled nastily at Ryan. "Don't you want to tell her?"
"Ryan?" Isabella asked uncertainly. "She's lying, isn't she? You're not hiding anything bad?"
She had no reason to believe Bethany, and Ryan had been nothing but kind to her so far. But Greg had been kind until he'd betrayed her, too.
But Ryan didn't deny it. "It's not what you think," he said, shifting uncomfortably. "Bella—"
Isabella suddenly realized that she didn't even want to know. Considering how worried Ryan was about telling her, it had to be bad. She'd had enough of lies for a lifetime.
"I should go," she said. Her voice shook. "Bye, Ryan," she said. "Thank you for everything." She started walking towards the path, head held high with an effort.
"Isabella? Bella, wait!" Ryan called.
Isabella didn't stop. As soon as she was out of sight behind the trees, she broke into a run. Tears stung at the corner of her eyes. She sniffed. Dammit, it wasn't fair! She'd liked him so much. She'd felt such an instant connection to him, she'd been so sure she'd finally found the one; could she really have been wrong about all that? Maybe she should have stayed to hear him out…
But if whatever Ryan was hiding was really no big deal, then why wouldn't he have said so? The way Bethany had talked about it, she'd made it sound like something horrible, and Ryan hadn't denied it. No, leaving had been the right choice after all. Even if it felt like her heart was breaking into a million pieces.
Her ankle was beginning to hurt again, a deep throbbing pulse that echoed the frantic beat of her heart. Thank God it was still early enough that there wasn't anyone around to see her running barefoot down the street, crying, wearing nothing but Ryan's borrowed, oversized shirt.
Isabella breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the sanctuary of Sally's house. She slammed the door shut behind herself and threw herself face-down onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow to stifle her sobs.
***
Ryan watched helplessly as Isabella ran away through the trees. Bethany arched an eyebrow.
"Still a liar, I see,” she said.
"What do you want, Beth?" Ryan asked, keeping his voice even with an effort. All he could think about was the look of betrayal on Isabella's face. Why hadn't he stopped her? Why hadn't he simply told her the truth?
"I need you to sign these," Bethany said, holding out a sheath of papers.
Ryan took them absentmindedly. "I’m going to go through these with my lawyer. Please leave now,” he said.
"Fine,” Bethany said in a huff, turning off and stalking away, teetering slightly in her high heels on the soft forest floor.
Ryan slowly sat down on a moss-covered stone, burying his head in his hands. He’d wanted to tell her. He’d only wanted a little more time to win her trust, so she’d believe him when he told her his bear would never harm her.
Maybe he should have told her sooner. But he couldn’t forget what had happened the last time he’d shared his secret.
Monster, Bethany’s voice rang in his mind. Dirty animal.
And now he'd scared her off anyway, and she didn't even know what she was running from. He should have told her the truth right here and now, when Bethany had confronted him.
He’d simply frozen. He’d been completely unprepared for this situation. And Isabella had already run screaming from his bear once. He hadn’t known what to do, and so he’d simply stood there.
He couldn't stop thinking of the pleading, hopeful look in Isabella’s eyes, the expression of betrayal on her face when he’d stayed silent. God knew what she thought he was hiding. Maybe much worse things than the truth.
He needed to tell her. She deserved to know. And if she rejected him for what he was, then at least she’d reject him for the truth.
Ryan got to his feet. He had to find her. He could only hope she’d give him a chance to explain. He pushed through the trees faster and faster, and finally broke into a run.
***
Isabella startled awake when she heard a loud pounding at the door.
Ryan! was her first, hopeful thought. Maybe he'd followed her, maybe he had an explanation after all… Maybe it had all been a huge misunderstanding.
"Coming!" she called.
She pulled on a pair of pants and a t-shirt and yanked the door open.
"Greg? What on Earth are you doing here?" she asked, staring wide-eyed at the unexpected sight of her ex-boyfriend in the doorway. She took an automatic step backwards, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Hello, pumpkin! How have you been?" Greg asked. He gave her a big, toothy smile.
Isabella flinched. She'd been charmed by his silly nick names and his easygoing manners once. Now that she knew what he was, a conman and a thief, he made her skin crawl.
"What the hell do you want?" she asked.
Greg's smile didn't falter.
"Don't be that way, honeybee," he said. "You're not still mad at me, are you? I know I made some mistakes, and I'm so sorry you got caught up in all that… ugly business. It's not what you think, though! You need to let me explain… I didn't have any choice! There was an emergency, you see? Why don't you let me in? I'll tell you all about it."
For a moment, Isabella almost wavered. She'd loved this man once, and she'd thought he loved her back. If he'd come here yesterday, she'd probably have let him in. She'd have wanted there to be an explanation, some reason to believe she hadn't given her heart to a lying conman.
But now that she'd met Ryan, she could see how little Greg had ever had to offer her. In a single day, Ryan had treated her better and connected with her more deeply than Greg had in months. Of course, Ryan had been lying to her, too…
"Go away, Greg," she said tiredly. "You've already got my money. Isn't that enough? What more do you want?"
"Babe, you don't understand! I was desperate!" Greg said, taking a step towards her. Isabella instinctively flinched back. "See, I used to have this little side hustle going… Just a little wheeling and dealing, so I could provide for y
ou, darling."
"Don't pretend you did any of that for me," Isabella said disgustedly. "If I'd known you were doing something illegal, it would've been over a lot sooner between us."
"I had no choice! You know the banks wouldn't even give me a loan?" Greg said, his voice taking on a wheedling tone. "Those people in the bank, they're all just corporate drones, taking advantage of little guys like me!"
He took another step closer, and Isabella suddenly realized that she'd made a mistake in stepping back. He was inside the house now, and she had no way to slam the door in front of him.
"I used to work in a bank," she said coldly.
"Oh, not you, sweetie," Greg said quickly. "You're a good person, I've always known that. That's why I know you're going to help me. See, I never would've taken your money if I had any choice! I made a deal with these gentlemen, but there were some problems with my supplier. So I just needed a little cash in a hurry… it was a matter of life and death! I didn't have any choice!"
"You could've talked to me," Isabella said. "We could've found a way to deal with it together. But instead you took my money, and you got me fired. I was scared half to death I was going to end up on the street!"
"Oh, don't be that way," Greg said. "I knew you were going to be fine. Your aunt was always going to take care of you, right? I'd never have taken your money if I hadn't known you were going to be fine, you gotta know that! I love you, after all!"
Isabella flinched at the words. "What do you want?" she asked again. She felt incredibly weary, exhausted down to the bone. She wanted to be back with Ryan, eating ice cream and laughing. She'd felt so safe and happy with him.
But that had all been a lie, too, after all. Ryan was hiding a secret, too, he'd admitted it himself.
"I just need a little bit more money," Greg said. "I'll pay back everything I owe you, and with interest, too, I promise! But first I got to pay my debts back, or they're going to do something terrible to me. You gotta help me!"
