Ryder

by Ali Parker

  “Hello?” She whispered, squinting her eyes to try and minimize the stabbing pain in her head.

  “Sophie? Sweetie, its mom. Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice. How are you feeling?”

  “You too, mom, and I'm fine. A concussion and some stitches but I'll be alright. Cayden told me you and dad were flying into D.C.?”

  "Well, that's what I was calling about. We've been trying like heck to get a flight, but with the bad weather everything's been delayed." Sophie could hear the worry in her mom's voice and hurried to soothe it away.

  "The hospital is going to release me in a few hours anyway, and then I'll be flying back to New York first thing tomorrow morning. Why don't you and dad fly out to New York and meet me there instead? You can stay for a few days."

  "Well, I supposed that would work. Frank, change of plans. We're going to New York!" Sophie could hear her mom shouting at her dad and quickly put some distance between the phone and her ear. A moment later, she was back, “Well get it all sorted on our end, sweetie and we’ll be there as soon as we can. I just can’t believe this happened to you.”

  “I am okay. You'll see."

  “You bet we will. We always told you that job is too dangerous.”

  "I'm fine. I promise." Sophie sighed at her mom's familiar words. "I'll see you in a few days. Love you." She moved to hang up the phone, but her mom spoke again, stalling her.

  “Oh, and make sure that nice boy of yours is there too.”

  “My what?” Sophie snorted into the phone and instantly regretted it as pain shot through her skull.

  "That nice boy who helped you, Cayden. Your father and I can't wait to meet him so we can thank him in person for saving our precious girl." The tone of her mom's voice implied more than it should, but Sophie was too distracted by her pounding head to notice.

  “I don’t know, mom…”

  "Oh, sure you do. We'll all go out to dinner or something. I love you, sweetheart, take care of yourself, okay?"

  “Sure, okay mom, but…” Sophie trailed off. Her mom had already hung up the phone.

  Chapter 9

  Cayden

  A few hours later found Cayden back at the exact same spot he’d been in before everything that had happened in the past two days. At the hotel bar, drinking bourbon by himself. After Sophie had been released from the hospital, they'd caught a cab back to the hotel. Sophie had rushed to her room with the hurried explanation that she desperately needed a shower and he hadn't seen her since.

  A hundred times since then, he'd thought about going up there, knocking on the door just to make sure she was okay. That was all. No other reason. None. Nada. Definitely not because he couldn’t get the image of Sophie Stone naked and wet in the shower out of his head and he hoped to see if real life lived up to what he was imagining.

  I really should check on her, he thought to himself, again. Cayden was about to do just that when none other but the star of all his recent fantasies walked into the bar, making a beeline straight towards him.

  She was wearing a dress that skimmed her thighs beautifully. It was odd to him because besides last night he'd only ever seen her in those tasteful suits she wore to work. As she drew near, he could see that her long, glossy brown hair was still damp from her shower and it had his body tightening even more as all his shower fantasies swarmed back. Really Cayden? Get a hold of yourself, he chastised himself as Sophie drew near.

  “I’m starving.” She said, not looking at all like she’d just gotten knocked in the head with a large rock and then spent a day and a half in a hospital. Sophie smiled at him, and his heart hitched painfully in his chest. "Let's go grab a bite to eat."

  “I don’t know, Sophie, you should probably be resting.”

  “Come on. Harry said he's striking the articles because of what happened, so we have a free night on the paper's credit card.” Her smile widened into a grin that he couldn’t say no to.

  "Fine," Cayden said with a sigh. He wasn't used to women charming him into doing something. It was usually the other way around. But then again, everything seemed backward when it came to Sophie.

  He threw a bill on the bar for his drink. Less than twenty minutes later they were sitting at a corner booth in a dimly lit restaurant and, Cayden was surprised to discover, he was enjoying himself.

  As their food arrived, the conversation turned to their past and Cayden was surprised again to find that they had more in common than he realized.

  “So, your parents didn’t want you to be a journalist?” He asked, sitting forward as he took a bite of pasta.

  “Are you kidding me?” Sophie said as she reached for another French fry. “My parents hate my job.”

  "Mine too." Cayden admitted, "But why? It doesn't make sense. You're a great reporter."

  “I know! They think it’s too dangerous. And this little fiasco will just give them more fuel to throw at me.” Sophie gestured to her head, a reminder of what had happened so recently. She leaned forward. “What about you? Why did your parents not want you to be a journalist?”

  "Oh, it’s not just a journalist, per se. They’d hate any profession that didn’t revolve around the all mighty football." He said. It was the first time he'd ever really talked about his strained relationship with his parents, but it came easy with Sophie. "I played football all through high school and college. They had this big dream of me going on to play pro. Make the money. Live the lifestyle. But I tore my ACL. Twice."

  “Ouch. Yeah, that would end anybody’s football career,” Sophie said, wincing in sympathy.

  “Well, my folks didn’t think it was a good enough reason to quit. My father always said if I was healthy enough to walk then I was healthy enough to play.”

  “Jesus. That’s a little intense.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, I think you made the right choice. You’re a great journalist and an amazing writer." Sophie's gray eyes met his across the table, and he felt something shift inside him at her words.

  The rest of the dinner came and went, and they spent long hours talking about their past, their different paths that brought them both to the same place. It wasn't until they were in the cab headed back to the hotel that Cayden realized it had been the first time in as long as he could remember having a real, in depth conversation with any of the women he went out with. Hell, with anybody at all.

  By the time they arrived back at the hotel, it was already late. Cayden knew he was making a mistake. As he walked through the hotel lobby with her, his eyes watched the room as he hovered protectively over her. He stayed on the elevator with her, passing up his own floor, telling himself all the while that he just wanted to make sure she made it to her room safely.

  When they were finally standing in front of her door, Sophie paused, turning to him with those big gray eyes of her and watched how they softened on his, glowing with an inner light that he damn well knew spelled trouble. And even still he couldn't make himself turn and walk away.

  “Thank you again, Cayden, for everything you did for me. For saving me.” Sophie said softly, staring up at him and for a moment he felt like was drowning. Like all the air had been sucked out of the hotel hallway.

  Sophie reached out and took his hand in hers, and he couldn't stop the grimace as a jolt of pain shot through him from his bruised knuckles.

  "What? What happened? Are you alright?" She must have noticed, but before he could shrug it off as nothing, she had grabbed his hand and was holding it up to her face. Her eyes widened on the scrapes and bruises scattered across the top of his right hand.

  “It was nothing.”

  “Nothing? Cayden, did you get into a fight or something while I was in the hospital?”

  "Not…exactly." He tried to shrug it off, but it was obvious she wasn't going to let it go. Damn reporters. “While we were waiting for the ambulance I found the guy who threw that rock at you.”

  “He didn’t throw it at me," Sophie corrected, "He th
rew it at a cop, and my head was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

  “Well, whatever his intentions were, he still hurt you,” Cayden growled, irritated at her defense of the man, “When I found him I may have roughed him up a little before turning him over to the cops.”

  “A little? Looks more like you beat him to a bloody pulp, judging by the state of your knuckles.”

  Cayden just shrugged. He wasn’t about to tell her it was closer to the truth than his description of events. She didn’t need to know that.

  Sophie muttered something under her breath, too quiet for him to catch anything but 'knight in shining armor'. The rest of her words were lost, but he'd already heard enough to make him uncomfortable. The last thing he needed was for Sophie to start believing he was a good guy. He was a lot of things, but knight in shining armor definitely wasn't one of them. He didn't slay dragons, he didn't steal from the rich and give to the poor and he sure as hell didn't rescue damsels in distress. You sure about that?

  Cayden tried to shrug off the inner voice, ignoring the question as he stared down at Sophie. Her gray eyes looked enormous behind her glasses. Just walk away, he told himself. Turn around and walk away. But even with those words echoing in his head he couldn’t stop himself from taking that final step closer to her. Couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and pulling her tight against him and angling his lips over hers.

  It was different, this kiss. It was gentle and edged with a tenderness that made Cayden want to push her away and pull her closer all at the same time. For a brief second, he tried to resist, but the feeling of Sophie melting against him had any chance at leaving flying straight out of the window.

  Passion and desire all twined together with an unfamiliar sweetness as the kiss deepened and Cayden was already desperate for another taste, but after a moment it was Sophie who pulled away. She looked up at him through a fringe of dark lashes, and he felt a pang of regret, knowing that she was about to say goodnight.

  “Sophie, I–.”

  “Wait, Cayden,” She cut him off with a hand to his lips as she opened the door behind her and took a step back into the room, “Do you want to come inside?”

  Her hesitant question had butterflies beating wildly in his chest, but he didn't wait to follow her into the room. His answer was a devilish, lop sided grin that he wasn't even aware of.

  “Hell yes.”

  Chapter 10

  Sophie

  Cayden’s lips were back against her before she’d barely gotten the question out, his reply a distant memory as he pushed her back further into the hotel room. Her whole world narrowed down to the single spot where they were connected, fused together so hard that Sophie could barely breathe but it didn’t matter. This was what she wanted. What she so desperately needed.

  Sophie was vaguely aware of Cayden kicking the door shut behind them but the temperature in the hotel room skyrocketed as he angled his mouth over hers, drawing the kiss even deeper as their tongues tangled together. He was everywhere. She inhaled his spicy masculine scent with every breath and his hard body surrounded hers as he towered over her, making her feel small and safe and secure in his arms.

  She was melting against him, going up in flames hotter than anything she’d ever felt before. Nothing with Peter had ever felt like this. Not even close. The moments she’d shared with her ex-fiancé were tepid in comparison. Hell, they weren’t even in the same class.

  But then Cayden was pulling away, holding her back away from his body. The body she desperately wanted to press herself against, and staring down at her with those ocean blue eyes of his. Sophie had to blink away the haze of desire and she didn’t know who was more surprised, her or Cayden.

  After a long moment, he dropped his arms and took a step back, and then another as if he didn’t trust himself to stand that close to her. He still had a look of shock on his face as he stared down at her.

  “Sophie, listen…” He started and then paused, swallowing hard before continuing, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea. Maybe we should wait. You were just in the hospital and you’re still hurt…” Cayden trailed off again, looking like he could barely believe the words that were falling from his lips. Sophie couldn’t believe it either.

  “I should probably just go back to my own room and let you rest–.”

  “Don’t you dare move.” Sophie growled, cutting him off before he could even finish whatever he’d been going to say.

  Cayden stared at her wide-eyed. “What?”

  “I said, don’t move.” Cayden froze at her words and a sense of power swept through Sophie as she met his gaze. She didn’t know where it had come from, but as she stood there looking up at him, she knew the truth. She wanted him. And she was done denying herself. For the first time in her life, well technically speaking the second, Sophie Stone was going to be reckless and go after what she wanted no matter the consequences. And she wanted Cayden Ray.

  She wasn’t about to deny herself. Not when they were flying back to New York in the morning and things would go back to normal between them. They’d be back to fighting each other for the best stories. If not all out enemies, they would still be competitors and co-workers. This was probably going to be the last night they’d ever spend together. No way in hell was she letting him walk out of that door.

  Sophie didn’t let herself stop and think about what she was doing as she took a step forward, and then another, until Cayden was just inches in front of her. She kept moving forward until his back hit the wall and she reached up and grabbed the collar of his shirt. Sophie pulled it hard, at the same time pressing her needy body against his but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough to satisfy the ache burning deep inside her.

  “I know what I want, Ray.” Sophie said, her voice low and huskier than she’d ever heard it. It was nearly a purr as she spoke again, “And believe me, it’s not to rest.” As she was staring up into his azure eyes an intense emotion swept through her as the past forty-eight hours seemed to catch up all at once.

  “Please, Cayden.” The words were pouring out of her mouth before she could stop them, “I don’t want to be alone. Not now. Not after everything that happened.”

  Sophie could almost make out the exact moment that his resolve to leave crumbled under the weight of her desire but she couldn’t be sure because the moment his mouth slammed against hers in a powerful kiss that sent them both reeling. She was drowning in that kiss, lost in a sea of lust and mindless need. And Cayden was drowning right along with her.

  Gone was the controlled, experienced lover of the night before. Now, they were running on leftover adrenaline and a desire that had them both shaking like leaves caught in a summer storm. All that was left was the aching need and the spiraling pleasure as they stumbled towards the bed.

  Cayden slowed as the backs of Sophie’s knees hit the bed and instead of rushing headlong under the covers like she expected he stopped them both. For one awful moment, she was afraid he was going to suggest leaving again but those fears fled as he reached out, grabbed a handful of the hem of her loose cotton dress and dragged it over her head.

  Sophie quickly kicked off her high tops to land somewhere unheeded in the room and Cayden slowly, methodically stripped her until she was standing there in nothing but a bra, panties, and her glasses. As if he was moving in slow motion, Sophie watched as Cayden reached out and gently took her glasses, sliding them off her nose and placing them lightly on the nightstand.

  Cayden took a step back then and all Sophie could do was stand there and watch, mesmerized as he stripped off his own shirt, kicking off his shoes and pants in a rush before he was back in front of her. Just inches away but suddenly the tension was so thick in the air between them that it seemed almost impossible to penetrate.

  Still moving in slow motion, Cayden reached out and laid his hands feather light against her bare shoulders before turning her around until her back was plastered against his front. Sophie could more than feel his thick erection burning against he
r hips but he didn’t hurry as he trailed a path of kisses down the side of her neck. Cayden didn’t stop until he reached the strap of her bra, slowly teasing it down her arm before sliding off the other one.

  Sophie’s breath trembled from her lips as Cayden blew gently against the skin he’d just kissed until she was shaking in his arms. Only then did he reach down between them to unhook the clasp and let her bra fall to the floor.

  She felt Cayden’s touch as he swept his hands around from behind her, teasing her nipples into hard peaks. He was still raining kisses on every inch of bare skin he could reach until she was dizzy. Sophie’s head was spinning with crazed desire, her knees were weak and she felt a moment away from melting like a puddle of hot wax on the floor.

  But something rose from deep inside her, twined with the aching need and haze of lust that was blinding her. As much pleasure as she got from the last time they’d slept together, she didn’t want to be just a passive observer. She wanted to take control.

  Sophie had to fight back a moment of insecurity as she turned around, standing face to face with Cayden but her instincts and desire pushed her on as she opened her mouth.

  “Lay down on the bed.”

  Cayden’s eyes widened in surprise at her order but he didn’t hesitate to do what she asked. She waited until he was lying on his back on the queen-sized bed, contemplating what to do next but the need spiraling out of control inside her knew exactly what it wanted.

  “Strip all the way.” She whispered, “I want to see you naked.”

  Once again, he didn’t hesitate at all before following her command. Sophie inhaled deeply as he slid his boxers off, kicking them off the bed and for a moment all she could was stare at him in disbelief. It was hard to imagine him fitting inside her at all, but she remembered exactly how perfect he felt. The exquisite pleasure of their bodies joined together. And she was dying for another taste.