Ryder

by Ali Parker

  I looked up at him. "I'll know."

  "Yeah, so live with it. We all do.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Nate would get rock hard over this. Get in the car. Now."

  His voice was nothing more than an echo in my head as I stumbled out of the house and walked toward the car. The door slammed and I turned in time to watch him jog toward me as the house exploded into a million pieces. The force of it threw me to the ground, but I was in Erik's arms a few minutes later, struggling to keep consciousness.

  Too much. It was all too much, and the one person I needed to help bring me through all of it wasn't available to me, nor would he ever be again.

  Nate.

  Chapter 29

  Nate

  "Mr. Hayes? You're free to go." The nurse walked into my room the next morning with some of my clothes folded up in her hand. "Your friend Mikey is outside the room. You want me to tell him that you're not seeing people?"

  "No. Let him in." I got up and pulled the gown off as she yelped and turned, walking to the door while cursing me.

  I chuckled and walked over to my clothes.

  "Okay. Thanks, ma'am." Mikey walked in and turned his back to me. "You fucker. How did I know you'd be wanting to wag your cock and make us all jealous? Sick ass."

  "You missed me. It's obvious." I pulled my jeans over my legs and buttoned them. "You alone?"

  "Yeah." He turned around, squinting. "Is it safe?"

  "Only threat is jealousy." I picked up my shirt and pulled it over my head as the smell of Jenna's perfume filled my nose. I flinched and lifted an eyebrow as I glanced over toward Mikey. "Why does my shirt smell like Jenna?"

  "Because she went with Erik to get you clothes a day or so ago. She held them clutched to her chest for most of the night." He glanced down. "You know I hate getting in your business-"

  "Right. So don't." I brushed my hand over my nose and tried not to let the scent of her all over me drive me to the brink of insanity. I missed her so bad I felt like I had the fucking flu.

  "Yeah, and I wouldn't if I didn't love you like a brother." He moved in front of me and gripped my shoulders. "You ain't never had nothing good in your life, Nate. Nothing. None of us, or a good woman. A mother that loved you. And finally this angel shows up, and because of shit that was out of her control, you dismiss her like she was a whore you paid money for."

  "I'm not hearing this, Mikey. You weren't there. You didn't see the way I behaved. The things I said. The way I treated her."

  "Word on the street is that she tied your ass up and rode you like a prized stallion."

  "And you think that's the way a woman wants to be talked about?" I gripped his throat, striking at him like a viper. "She's a good woman. She deserves a man that never puts her in the position to have to do that shit."

  He gripped my fingers and pulled. "What if she liked it, Nate? Some girls like rough sex. Ash did."

  I released him and turned my back to him in search of my shoes. "Jenna isn't like other women. She's beautiful and kind. And don’t talk to me about Ashley again. I need to forget all that shit. You bringing it up ain’t helping."

  "Alright.” He nodded. “But even if Jenna is sweet and kind, she’s still a woman. She's strong and sexy. Bold as fuck. You're telling me on a wild night in the future the two of you might not have tied each other up and fucked half the night?"

  I glanced over my shoulder. "She put you up to this shit?"

  "No. She's out cold." He glanced down to his hands as my blood ran cold.

  "What the fuck do you mean, out cold?"

  "She and Erik found Ashley last night, at least that's what I'm assuming with the little bit that he's telling me."

  "Where is Jenna?" I walked toward my oldest friend with a pleading in my voice that I knew I didn't need to explain.

  "What do you care?" He took a step back.

  "I'll fucking take you to the ground and whoop your ass like I did when we were kids, Mikey. Where is my girl?"

  "Your girl?" The door opened a little wider behind Mikey and Erik leaned against it, looking like the cocky fucker he was. "I was thinking you threw her away. I was trying to be a gentleman, sweeping in and playing prince charming while you were tucked away, nursing your wounds."

  "Stop dicking around with me." I gave them both a look that said I was going to find a blunt object and start fucking people up pretty soon.

  "I told you where she was." Mikey turned and walked toward the door. "Come on. Get your shoes on and we'll take you home."

  "Is Jenna at my place?"

  "What? No." Erik smirked. "Why would she be at your place?"

  "Did she kill Ash? Or did you do it?"

  "I did it, and you owe me for it. She almost did it though. You should have seen her. I've had a hard on since last night. She's lucky she belongs to you, because I would have violated every part of her. So beautiful. So strong and fucking sexy." Erik's eyes grew dim.

  "Hey. Shut the fuck up. Now." I moved toward him and he lifted his hands.

  "She's pretty upset, man. I can't get her to eat or drink anything. She feels like a monster even though I put two slugs in Ashley’s pretty face.”

  I swallowed my questions. All but one. "Where is the body?”

  "Burned it."

  "And Jenna’s brother's murder case?"

  "It’s going to get pinned on Ashley.” Erik shrugged. “She attacked you and Jenna at your place and then fled town.”

  Mikey cleared his throat. “Hey. They’re going to wonder where the hell she is.”

  “True.” I glanced over to Erik. “We say that we don’t know or what?”

  “Have you seen her since she went ape shit over at the apartment?” Erik lifted his eyebrow and smirked.

  “No, but the cops aren’t going to stop looking for her.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Dude, there isn’t anything to tie my girl to Ash’s death, right?”

  “Nope. They got a tip this morning that Denise, or Ashley ran out to an old house in the woods and the water heater was faulty. Whole fucking house blew up. Cops are out there now, I’m sure.” He looked far too cool for the situation at hand. Asshole. “Let’s just say I paid an eyewitness at the house beside it to help cover the story of nothing being out of the ordinary.”

  “Paid or threatened?” Mikey snorted and jerked back as Erik turned and growled at him. “Okay. Shit. Sorry.”

  “What’s going to happen to the money Ashley was set to inherit?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “It will go back to the family.” Erik chuckled darkly. “Why? You still wanting your cut?”

  “No. I’m done with that shit. Never. I’d never take anything from Jenna or her folks.” I let out a long sigh. “Her family knows me as one of Denise’s old friend.”

  “Good. That helps then.” Erik shrugged and moved back to rest against the door.

  “How so?” Mikey glanced between me and my old friend.

  I spoke up. “It could help in that they might think I met Jenna through Denise, but honestly that doesn’t matter. I told her dad that I go to De Luca all the time. He already assumes that I’ve seen Jenna, I’m sure. This isn’t as fucked up as it seems. We can work through it.”

  “If you can work through killing Ash, then you got this in the bag.” Erik gave me a knowing look. “Besides, this pretty woman is totally in love with you. She mentioned not wanting to live without you. I even told her my dick was far meatier than yours, but there's just something about-"

  I charged him, popping him in the mouth once before he returned the favor.

  "Fuck you for that," I barked in his face.

  "Yeah. Fuck you too for almost giving up the best thing that's ever going to happen to your sorry ass. Get your shit and I'll take you to her, but you fuck it up and that's it. She's mine. And you're not going to do a goddamn thing about it."

  I turned and walked back into the room, sliding my hands through my hair as I looked around for my shoes. He was right. She was the best thing t
hat was ever going to happen to me. She needed me. Even watching someone die was a big fucking deal.

  Shit changed you forever.

  Only love and high doses of lust offered a reprieve from that type of nightmare. I wanted to give her both. Fuck my pride. Jenna needed my acceptance and I needed hers.

  ***

  "Baby?" I whispered softly as I stood at the edge of the darkened room where she lay spread out on the bed. The fact that it was Erik's bed left my skin itching. I hadn’t seen that fucker in years and now he was hanging around like a bad habit.

  She didn't move.

  I closed my eyes and held my breath, listening for the sound of her sleeping. Nothing. She wasn't asleep, but pretending.

  "Jenna." I pulled my shirt off and worked on my jeans. I wasn't sure how I felt about anything anymore, but I wasn't going to let her heal alone. She wouldn't do it.

  "Leave me alone." She curled up into a tight ball and sniffled.

  "Not happening. Erik said he was stealing you away if I didn't grow the fuck up and get over everything." I crawled onto the bed and slipped under the covers. "I'm sorry."

  She sniffled again.

  I reached for her and moved up behind her, finding her completely naked. I pressed myself against her back, tucking my dick between her ass cheeks and pressing my mouth to her ear.

  "Why are you naked, baby? Did Erik touch you, cause I'll burn this fucking house down with him and all his crazy family in it."

  She reached back and gripped my thigh. "I tried to kill her, Nate. She killed Darek, and almost killed you. I tried to kill her, and I would have if Erik hadn’t stepped in and done it."

  "I know, baby." I moved up closer and ran my hand down her side before pulling at her shoulder. "Come over here and let me hold you."

  "No. It's okay." She pulled away and curled up tighter.

  "What's okay, princess?" I brushed her hair off her neck and leaned down to run my lips across her skin. Heat raced across my center and all I could think about was sinking into her, reclaiming what belonged to me.

  "You don't have to be here. I know we're done." She pulled at her pillow as a soft sob left her.

  "Are we?" I traced her ribs and cupped her thick breast, squeezing it softly. "Is that what you want?"

  "Don't play your games with me." Her voice lost all softness. "I almost gave up everything for you, and you can't control one situation, so you leave me?"

  "I didn't leave you, Jenna. I didn't know how to come back from hurting you." I forced her to turn over and moved on top of her, settling down between her legs. "I'm not going anywhere."

  "And what if I don't want your wishy-washy bullshit." She pushed at my shoulder and turned her face toward the window.

  I leaned down and ran my nose around her breast, licking and kissing her soft skin. "I'm not wishy-washy. I wasn't sure how to move past hurting you." I reached up and grabbed her chin tightly. "You hear me? Listen to what I'm saying."

  She jerked away from me, but wrapped her legs around my waist and rolled her hips, sliding her sweet pussy along my shaft. "I hate you."

  "I know, baby, but I'll win you back."

  "You didn't hurt me. Not one time."

  "I remember hurting you, Jenna. Don't lie to me to make me feel better." I adjusted my hips and rimmed her tight hole, teasing her.

  "Then your memory is fucking with you. You never once hurt me." She choked up. "You were willing to die for me."

  I pressed into her and wrapped my arms around her as I tucked my face against the side of her neck. "And I still am."

  She groaned loudly as I raised up and forced her legs up a little so I could fuck her deeper.

  "You didn't hurt me." She pressed her heels against my ass and worked me from underneath, tugging at my dick in ways that had me feeling lightheaded.

  "Stop that shit or I'm gonna come too soon."

  "Come. We'll go again." She rolled us over and sat up, rolling her thick hips as her breasts bounced.

  "Fuck, I love you." I reached up and gripped her breasts, tugging at her nipples as she let her head drop back and her hands reach behind her.

  I glanced down, watching her fuck me nice and slow. It was heaven. Bliss. Everything to me.

  "I love you too." She whimpered and lifted her hips a little faster.

  I reached up and pressed my palm against her stomach as I brushed my thumb over her clit in tight circles. "Good. Come for me, and remind me why I'm an idiot for thinking you didn't love me anymore."

  Watching her come was the hottest thing I could remember seeing in my long life. She let herself go and coated my stomach in her sweetness.

  "So good," she cried out and I smiled.

  "We're just getting started." I reached up and ran my hand down between her breasts before flipping us back over and locking my arms under her knees. "Time to fuck you in all the ways I've imagined in my head."

  She groaned as I shook the bed with my deep thrusts. I made her come a few more times before I pressed myself fully to the front of her and trapped her beneath me.

  "Who do you belong to, princess?" I drove into her.

  She moaned and tensed. "You."

  "Anyone else?" I pulled out and drove in again, stroking her clit with the angle of my dick.

  "No. Just you."

  "Good girl. That's not ever going to change, is it?" I raised up and smiled. "Tell me if I hurt you, okay? Code word is derelict."

  "Shut up and fuck me, Nate."

  I laughed and moved my hands to her shoulders, pressing her down tight as I jack-hammered her sloppy wet mound. It took seconds and she had me coming unglued.

  Forever.

  Forever was what I wanted.

  I sure as fuck hope she planned long-term like I did.

  It was me and her... till death do us part.

  Epilogue

  Jenna

  A week later

  "Hey, kiddo. What do you know?" Sam glanced up from something he was working on and smiled. "I got a call from your father, and he said you would be out for a couple of weeks. No?"

  "Nope. My dad doesn't run my life. I'm a grown woman." I walked around the counter and put my purse up before wrapping my arms around Sam. "Thanks for letting me work here. I know you know who my family is and stuff."

  He chuckled. "Jenna, we love you here. You know that. You're like family to me and Cynthia."

  "I know, but sometimes dealing with people like me and my family-"

  "Like your family." He picked up a small cookie and handed it to me. "Stop loving on me. You're making me blush."

  I laughed and took the cookie, popping it into my mouth. Nate and I had moved in together a few days back, which was fast, but then again, when you knew you were going to spend the rest of your life with someone, what was the sense in waiting to start living?

  My family accepted him right in, which was good and yet a little odd. Something told me that my father was a little iffy over it, but he wanted more time around me, and somehow that meant keeping his opinions to himself. Him and Nate got along almost too well though. It was funny. The criminal and the DA.

  They closed down my brother’s case a week after everything went down, and changed the files to reflect the murder. Denise’s remains were found, and her dental records identified her as being Ashley Talmant. After digging through everything, my father connected the dots and sealed the case. It was heartbreaking, but it was over. The full range of evidence showed only one person involved in Darek’s death… his pretty young wife. Relief was mine.

  Cynthia’s voice pulled me from my thoughts as she stood from kneeling and gave me a warm smile. "Your friend Grace stopped by earlier today."

  "Oh yeah? She knows my schedule. What did she want?"

  "Something about a big event coming up in November at the library? I don't know, but they wanted to order some cookie trays and stuff."

  "Oh yeah. Holiday time is always nutty for them. Poor thing. She hates social events." I picked up my apron and tie
d it around my waist as I walked around the counter to check on the tables. "You guys been busy?"

  "No, not much." Sam leaned forward as I turned to face him. "Your guy friend hasn't been back. I think my theory holds true."

  "What's that? That he's coming for something other than the coffee?" I couldn't help but wonder if Sam hadn't seen me and Nate kiss on more than one occasion before everything went crazy.

  "Exactly." He stood up and smiled.

  "Maybe. Who knows?" I shrugged and turned as Nate walked into the shop with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

  Sam laughed loudly behind me. "I told you so."

  "Here," Nate handed me the flowers and studied my face in a way that always left me hot and bothered, "smell these and I'll take them out back to the dumpster."

  I snatched them from him and laughed. "Asshole. I only did that because we were heading to the park."

  "Mmmm... that the day we tried to get your dress fitted for you?" He licked at the side of his lips.

  "Stop it." I pressed my hand to his chest and moved closer to him. "What are you doing in here? I'm coming home to you in five hours."

  "Far too long of a wait." He kissed the tip of my nose and moved around me. "Hey, Sam."

  "Hey, buddy. I kept your secret pretty well."

  I turned and put my hand on my hip as Nate ordered a cup of coffee. "What secret?"

  Nate glanced over his shoulder. "I've been coming here since I was a kid. Sam's always taken good care of me. He told me about you when you started working here. Worked out pretty well, hmm?"

  "What? Sam, you told me that he didn't like coffee." I moved beside Nate and glanced up at him. I was close to being consumed by the passion between us, and it wasn't dying down, but getting hotter and hotter.

  "It was all part of the gig." Nate reached over and tapped my nose. "God, you're beautiful. Did I tell you today how gorgeous you are?"

  "Hush." I looked over at Sam. "So he does like coffee?"