by Mandy Baxter
It didn’t matter now. After this weekend, Ryder was going to make damned sure that no other man laid a hand on Lara Montgomery ever again.
She was ready for him, so wet the evidence of her arousal had spread over her thighs. He ran his finger down her soft skin and up, taking some of that sweet honey onto his finger as he worked it into her folds and the swollen knot of nerves at her center.
Lara’s back arched off the countertop with the first tentative touch and her hands balled into fists at her sides. She came alive from that one touch, her body so responsive to him that she trembled. It was a heady thing, one that Ryder enjoyed almost more than the sex itself: the knowledge that he was responsible for her pleasure. That he awakened that response in her. As though her body lay dormant until he provided what she needed to spark to life. It was that power that Ryder craved. Needed. And with such a strong-willed woman as Lara, the rush he felt pleasuring her intensified by leaps and bounds.
While he stoked her soft pink flesh, Ryder’s free hand traveled up Lara’s torso, pausing to grip the curve of her hip before passing along her ribs. His palm closed over her left breast and a contented sigh escaped Lara’s lips. He slowed his ministrations, eyes locked on her face. Her little pants of breath caused his own to speed in his chest. Lara spread her legs wider and urged her hips toward his hand and Ryder took the cue, circling her bud with the pad of his finger. He took her nipple between his fingers and teased the already stiff peak, plucking at it, all the while gauging Lara’s reaction.
It was instant and intense. She cried out from the contact, her back bowing off the countertop. The sound of her voice, ragged little sobs of pleasure, shot straight through Ryder’s body and tightened his balls to the point that he was aching for release. But he promised himself that first she’d be screaming his name and he was going to make sure that happened before he allowed himself to enjoy her.
When he abandoned her breast, Lara whimpered in protest. A smile curved Ryder’s lips. He’d give her whatever she needed—and maybe even a few things she didn’t know she needed—in good time. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to taste her, to work her into a frenzy so that when he finally took her, they’d both be mindless with need.
Ryder pressed his palm, fingers splayed, on the flat of Lara’s stomach. Her muscles flexed beneath his hand as he traveled upward between her breasts to her throat. He cupped the back of her neck, his grip firm as he stroked his thumb along her jawline. She was so responsive, so fucking beautiful it damned near stole his breath. “Oh god, Ryder, I need to come.”
Lara’s heavy-lidded eyes locked on his and her tongue darted out to lick her lips. He imagined her soft pink tongue swirling over the head of his cock and he let out a groan. She was everything he wanted in a woman: sensual, strong-willed, intelligent. She knew what she wanted and how she wanted it. Unlike the other women he’d bedded, she didn’t give a shit about his money and likewise, she didn’t judge or measure him based on the numbers in his bank account. She told him she wouldn’t sleep with him in exchange for the horse and he believed her. And knowing that she was here, naked, and willing because she wanted to be and not because she thought she’d get something out of the deal meant more to him than any conquest in his past.
Ryder leaned over her and put his mouth close to her ear. She nipped at his earlobe and the contact was electric. If he didn’t fuck her soon, he was going to explode. “I want you, Lara. I want you so fucking bad I can’t stand it,” he said, low. “I’m going to touch you, taste you, lick every inch of you and then fuck you until you can’t even imagine having another man’s hands on you.”
“You talk a good game.” Lara’s voice was a husky murmur that vibrated through Ryder’s body. “Now, let’s see you back it up.”
EIGHT
So much for sticking to her guns. Lara should have been ashamed at how easily she managed to succumb to Ryder’s charms, but when he touched her she couldn’t seem to remember why. His heated, almost crass words in her ear only managed to prove that when Ryder Blackwell set out to do something, he gave it his all. He didn’t want her thinking of other men? No. Problem. He was so unlike any man she’d ever been with. As though he’d made it his life’s ambition to learn the intricacies of her body and how to give her pleasure. And if she did say so herself, the man was a freaking master at his craft. If he could evoke so much from her with a simple touch, she could only imagine what he’d be like buried deep inside of her.
She sure as hell hoped he was a man who kept his promises.
Her body vibrated with need, every inch of her skin sparked into awareness. He circled her clit with the pad of his finger and a shudder traveled the length of her spine and settled low in her core, a deep throbbing need that drove her past the point of reason. “Make me come, Ryder.”
As though repeating herself would spur him into action. Lara knew better. No one pushed Ryder Blackwell or made him do anything before he was damn good and ready to do it. His breath was hot in her ear as a satisfied growl rumbled in his chest. Knowing which places on her body were the most sensitive, his mouth brushed the skin at her throat and then moved lower across her collarbone. Each contact was a brand, the heat traveling through her veins like liquid fire. His tongue dipped at her belly button and Lara gasped at her sensitivity there. Their eyes met for the briefest moment and a satisfied smirk spread across Ryder’s lips. He gripped her thighs, the rasp of his calloused hands on her skin a delicious torture as he dipped his head between her legs and paused.
Oh god, yes.
“Tell me what you want.”
Apparently the powerful Mr. Blackwell enjoyed having her boss him around. He’d been the same way with her in the stable, holding off, teasing her until she gave him a command. Not that Lara had any problem voicing what she wanted. On the contrary, her previous partners had practically needed a detailed map and voice-activated GPS to bring her to orgasm.
But not Ryder.
“I want you to make me come,” Lara said, her voice breathy with anticipation.
“How?”
“You know how.” He brushed his thumb against her clit and Lara’s hips bucked at the intense sensation. Damn him. Once again, he refused to go further until she played his game.
“Maybe I don’t,” he teased. “How will I know what you like if you won’t tell me?”
“You’ll know,” Lara said. He brushed his thumb against her sensitive flesh once again and she let out a low moan. “Don’t worry, if you’re doing it wrong, I’ll be sure to tell you.”
The low chuckle that answered her caused a rush of warmth to radiate low in Lara’s stomach. She enjoyed his playful side and wondered what it would be like to stick around long enough to learn more about him. “I have no doubt you would, doc.”
“I’m not going to beg.”
He stroked her once more. Slowly. “I don’t want you to.”
Ryder certainly wasn’t a selfish lover, but she’d known that. When you managed to rock a woman’s world the way he did, word got around. It was the other part of the rumors that Lara was really curious about, that when it came to his own pleasure, he got down to business and that was that. If Lara had any say in the matter, she was going to make sure Ryder enjoyed himself as much as she did.
“I want your mouth on me,” she said after a moment, “when I come.”
His lips curved into a wicked grin. “Oh, I can do that.”
When he sealed his mouth over her sex, Lara let out a low, drawn-out moan. The marble countertop chilled her overheated skin as she relaxed back on its surface, the extreme sensations only heightening her enjoyment. Ryder circled her clit with his tongue before taking it into his mouth and sucking gently. He increased the pressure and when Lara felt the soft rasp of his teeth, it almost sent her over the edge.
“That feels so good, Ryder. Don’t stop.”
He grabbed her hips, his fingers curling around her ass as he angled her hips up toward his mouth. Lara reached behind her and grippe
d onto the edge of the counter as though it would anchor her and keep her from floating away on a cloud of bliss.
His assault was unhurried, calculated to gain the results he wanted. For a brief moment, a pang of jealousy stabbed at Lara’s chest as she imagined the number of women he must have been with in order to hone his skills to so sharp an edge. He’s not with those other women now. He’s with you.
“Oh, god. Just like that.”
Lara’s brain spluttered. Short-circuited as Ryder did wicked things to her with his mouth. He lapped at her mercilessly, circling her clit only to reward her with a long, languid pass with the flat of his tongue. He lifted her ass up off the counter and repositioned her, scooting her higher until she was damned near laid out like a sacrificial offering on the cool marble surface. He bent over her, propping one of her legs up on his shoulder while his free hand wandered up her torso toward her breasts. They tingled with anticipation, her nipples puckering tight as though anxious for his touch. When his skillful fingers found a pearled peak, her breath caught in her chest.
“I’m so close, Ryder,” she gasped. “Don’t stop.”
There’d be no “please” from her. No pleading words, only urgent commands. He groaned as his tongue flicked out at her and Lara felt the vibration of it travel through her sex and up her spine in a delicious shiver that left her panting as she threaded her fingers through his thick hair to urge him on. “Harder … yes, like that…”
Ryder reacted to her words as though he could barely restrain himself. She wondered at his control. Any other guy would have been on top of her and pounding away by now, totally unconcerned with whether or not she got off. But she already knew that Ryder was a rare breed. She didn’t bother to stifle her moans, the intense pleasure of Ryder rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers as he lapped at her, stealing all coherent thought. Her body tensed, the sensation of coiling in on herself almost unbearable. She rocked her hips against his mouth and his name burst from her lips as she came. “Oh, god, Ryder! I’m coming.”
He didn’t relent, but pressed his face tighter against her as the orgasm rolled through her body, wave after wave until her limbs were heavy and her breath sped in her chest. She doubted she could move even if she wanted to, though she might float away without the use of her limbs. “Ryder, you’re going to kill me.”
Lara couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up in her chest. Boy was in his own little world down there … He looked up and when their gazes locked the grin he gave her was enough to melt every bone in her body until she was nothing more than a helpless puddle of goo.
Damn. She was in deep trouble with this one.
* * *
Right about now would be the time that Ryder unzipped his pants and went to town. The faster he came, the faster he could leave his partner a happy girl. Most women failed to notice that he never stayed the night. Why would they when he paid so much attention to their needs prior to seeing to his own? He left them with smiles on their faces, and he didn’t feel as guilty for the quick, wham-bam encounter.
But Lara wasn’t like any of the others. Christ, he didn’t want this moment to end. He wasn’t interested in getting off and sending her home. He wanted to savor her, again and again. Take his time with her. Fuck her for hours until neither of them could stand and they’d have no choice but to fall into bed together. Ryder wanted to hold her. Take her clover-honey scent into his lungs and wake her with plying kisses before he buried himself deep inside of her and started all over again.
Holy shit. These thoughts were completely out of character. And it scared the shit out of him.
“Ryder, maybe we could go to your room?”
Lara’s words woke him from his reverie and for a moment he drank her in. She was something to look at, naked and lounging on his kitchen counter, her skin flushed and her sex soft and glistening. Her full breasts were perfect, the dusky nipples still erect and Ryder reached out and cupped one, brushing his thumb across the peak. Lara’s head rolled back on her shoulders and a sweet half-moan, half-sigh escaped her lips. “Ryder, let’s go to your room. Now.”
The urgency in her tone stirred the glowing embers of his lust and he lifted her insubstantial weight off the counter and set her to her feet in between his legs. She didn’t seem bothered by the fact that she was bare as the day she was born while he was still wearing all of his clothes. He admired her confidence and it only added to his need to have her.
His gaze wandered to her full lips and the urge to kiss her was so intense that it damned near took him to the floor. But Ryder held back, and instead ripped at his shirt, popping a couple of the buttons in his haste to get it off. He tossed it on the counter. Lara’s eyes took in his naked torso, her expression hungry and it spurred him to new heights of need as he seized her hand and led her through the house, up the stairs, and past the second-story landing to his bedroom at the end of the hallway.
No time to see the sights. He’d give her the grand tour later.
Lara looked around his bedroom with wide eyes, pausing at the king-sized bed. “And I thought your kitchen was impressive,” she said with a laugh.
Ryder never liked the fuss people made over his wealth. He worked hard and got lucky. That was about all there was to it. And it bothered him that a lot of people forgot about the fact that the Blackwells had been one of the poorest families in town at one point. But Ryder never forgot. Those memories of growing up would blight his soul until the day he died.
Lara sauntered up to him, her blue eyes shining and limpid, and a soft smile curved her full lips. She reached for the button on his jeans and unfastened them with a muted “pop” as the brass button slid through the denim. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips as she pulled down his zipper, tooth by agonizing tooth, and Ryder’s lungs all but seized up as she slid his jeans and underwear down, her palms lingering on his ass, before she pushed them down past his thighs. It only took a moment for Ryder to kick the restrictive clothes the rest of the way off and when he stood before her, naked and hard as stone, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her hand around his cock.
Ho-ly shit.
Her touch was like a brand, stoking the flames of his need until Ryder’s brain went damned near blank and all that remained was a haze of primal lust. Lara smoothed the pad of her thumb over his swollen head, already slick with a bead of pre cum and Ryder groaned, long and low. “Don’t stop what you’re doin’, doc. Because that feels damned good.”
A half-smile, half-smirk lit her features and the expression heated every molecule of his body to the point of combustion. While her tight fist worked up and down his shaft with slow precision, she backed him up to the bed and eased him down on the mattress.
“Sit.”
Hell yeah he was going to sit, because honestly, he wasn’t sure he legs could hold him upright for another second. She knelt between his legs and Ryder leaned back on his arms so he could see her face. Their eyes met for a long moment and then she took his length into her mouth.
Ryder sucked in a sharp breath. The heat of her mouth was amazing, the wet warmth like satin sliding over his cock. She swirled her tongue over the crown and he bucked his hips toward her, the sensation so intense that he felt a tingle run the length of his spine. None of his other partners ever went down on him. They sort of expected the Ryder Blackwell treatment and waited for his legendary “servicing.” The fact that Lara would be interested not only in receiving pleasure, but in giving it was one more thing to set her apart from all of the others.
“Oh … yeah…” Jesus, she had him speechless. “You’re driving me crazy, doc.”
Her eyes met his. Watching her while she worked his length with her mouth caused his balls to draw up tight. She increased the suction and speed, gripping onto his thighs, the bite of her fingernails giving him the slightest bit of discomfort and the right amount of edge. He’d thought this weekend would give him an opportunity to work her out of his system once and for all. But as he s
at up and wound his fists in the silky strands of her hair, Ryder realized that he was too far gone to be anything other than hopelessly addicted to Lara Montgomery.
A long moan vibrated in Ryder’s chest as her teeth grazed his shaft and nipped at the swollen crown. He was going to come if she kept it up and he wanted to be buried to the root inside of her slick heat when that happened. He tossed his head back, a low growl rumbling in his chest as she sucked a little harder, slowing her pace until Ryder’s thighs shook and his muscles tensed. “Faster. Don’t stop.”
Of course she did the opposite, pausing to run the flat of her tongue up the backside of his shaft. A deep growl resonated in Ryder’s chest as she licked him once more. Slowly. Then she took him into her mouth and sucked. Stopped. Licked him again. And sucked. Ryder’s jaw clenched tight. He didn’t know how much more of her merciless teasing he could take. With his fists still wound in her hair, he eased her back and then moved his grip to her shoulders as he urged her to stand. She gave him a bemused look but he didn’t give her time to question him. Instead, he spun her around to the side of the bed and leaned her over the mattress, her tight little ass jutting up in the air. He jerked opened the drawer on the bedside table and grabbed a condom, tearing the package with his teeth in his haste. With shaking hands, Ryder rolled it over his cock and positioned himself at her opening.
And drove home in a single thrust.
She was so wound up, so utterly ready for him that her body accepted him with ease. He seated himself deep inside of her and paused, breathing through the intense sensation of her inner walls clenching him tight. She felt like heaven wrapped around him.
