by Sadie Jacks
He laughed. “I fully agree with you. I had no idea women were more interested in my money, fame, and body until I met you. So, I’ll worship at your feet, learn from you, so I can make you fall in love with me every day.”
I melted. “And you couldn’t have said something like that earlier?” I fanned myself.
He blinked at me. “I didn’t know that was part of the game. Are you telling me I could have just poured out my feelings for you and you would have crumpled?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure I would have crumpled, but it would have been a damn sight better than the mumbling. You’re so very good with your tongue. But this game put it in knots.”
He growled and hauled me against him. “I’ll show you knots.” He took my mouth, slid his hands down my body. With a single, quick tug, I was up in his arms, my legs around his waist.
I moaned into his mouth when he rubbed his sweatpants-covered cock against my core. The man might get his tongue twisted with words, but he had no problems using said tongue in dangerous ways. I was one lucky woman.
He backed up until he hit the bed. Sitting down, me straddling his lap, I rubbed myself against him. Tripped both of us higher towards that pretty edge of pleasure.
With nothing but his sweatpants between us, I could feel the moisture from my cunt soaking into the fabric that separated us. The outline of his cock molded perfectly against my clit. The texture of the cotton along with the motion against that sensitive bundle of nerves had me riding his hips faster and faster.
He grabbed my hips. Pulled me down as he pushed up. “Sweet fuck, cupcake. You’re dripping.” He gritted his teeth and tossed his head back.
I attacked his neck with my lips and teeth. The long line of muscle that taunted me with his power and sheer masculine beauty. I opened my jaw, sucked in a line of his flesh, and bit down.
He bucked against me as I continued to grind our sexes together. So close. So fucking close. Loosening my hold of his shoulders, I shoved his waistband down. I whimpered as I exposed the head of his dick.
I scrambled to my knees. I needed him inside me and I wasn’t going to cross the boundaries he’d put up for tonight. That I wasn’t willing to do.
On one long inhale, I had him to the back of my throat. My tongue slipped and swirled around his length. I used my hands to caress the remaining inches and to massage his balls.
His hands threaded through my hair with harsh pulls that set my body and scalp on fire. The perfect blend of pain soaked pleasure that called to my heart. Calmed my soul.
“Fuck, Willow. Fuck.” He slammed his hips up, his cock driving farther and farther into my throat. I gagged as the head of his dick tapped my throat before sliding down the littlest degree. I set my nails into his thighs as I tried to hang on. Tried to breathe.
As soon as I flexed my fingernails into his flesh, he gave a deep shout and pumped his load straight down my throat. My eyes watered as my lungs screamed for air.
Once I felt the last pulse of him hit my throat, I pulled off and sucked in deep breaths as the fire continued to rage in my body. He flopped back on the bed for a few brief moments before he had me up in his arms and we traded positions.
“I know I said I was going to color your tattoo. And I will, but sweet fuck, I need to taste you.” He looked up at me from his position on the floor. A question in his eyes.
I nodded, smiled.
With a hand to my chest, he pushed me back on the bed. He scooted me down so my ass was in danger of falling off the foot of the mattress before he spread my legs wide and dipped his head to my pussy.
The first pass of his tongue had me gripping the sheets in my fists.
The second had me chanting his name over and over.
The third pass included at least two of fingers deep inside my achingly empty cunt. As he curled his fingers forward against that bumpy ridge, I felt the orgasm spiral through me. I clamped my legs around his ears as I curled my fingers into his hair. Pushing my hips up, I felt him growl against my flesh.
As if someone had covered me with a weighted blanket, I sank into the mattress. The culmination of hours of teasing and sexual frustration left me feeling like I was floating off into the ether.
Ryker slid his mouth up my body, small nips and bites blazed a trail from my groin to my mouth. The slightly salty taste of my own pleasure on his lips was a surprise I hadn’t really planned on.
I smiled. “I like how I taste on you.” I curled into his side.
“I love how you taste, period.” He ran his hands up and down my back in long, slow slides. “You good?”
I nodded as the fog of the long day enveloped my mind. “When I’m with you, always.” Sleep took me under in a one fell swoop.
Chapter 27 – Ryker
Her body went limp against me. I’d never realized the intimacy of holding someone as they slept. That complete and utter trust to slide into oblivion. It was a treasure I hoped never to grow tired of. To take for granted.
The candles’ flickering glow provided soft light in the room that I now considered ‘ours’ instead of just mine. Her words flickered through my mind again. ‘It’s only been three weeks. Are we moving too fast?’
Snickering at the thought, I curled around her tighter, shivered as the heat finally fled from my overly warm skin. It would be stupidly fast if it were anyone but Willow. Most of my flings lasted barely this long, but I’d never cared. Was usually looking for the next one.
I wasn’t rabidly guarding the woman. Hell, I was more likely to be ushering her out the door with a nice piece of jewelry or shopping trip to thank her for her time and attention to detail. The idea of even contemplating that reality with Willow had my belly twisting in knives and jealous rage.
She sighed in her sleep, nuzzled her nose against my chest. As if she’d felt my emotions, she tried to calm me. Let me know she was still here.
Fuck, I loved this woman. Had I known she was out there, and in my own fucking city, I would have found her sooner. The idea that I could love someone as much as I loved this woman was still a bit foreign to me. That she could love me in return…I still wasn’t sure what I’d done to earn it, but I was holding it tight with both hands.
Holding her tight.
We’d both been broken. Hell, still were in many ways. But our broken and jagged pieces aligned perfectly. They made us stronger, together.
My wrist buzzed with a reminder notification. CHASE GALA streamed across the screen of the mini computer. I bared my teeth in a grin. We had about a week before I could slay those monsters for her. Rescue her once and for all from the dungeon her parents had put her in.
The fuckers didn’t even give her a tiny room in a tall tower. Instead, they’d put her down with the victims, the criminals. The monsters and the prey.
But my girl had showed them. Shoved their plans for her life back in their faces. And she was going to topple their world.
We both would.
Together.
Getting up from the bed, I went to the bathroom and wetted a rag. I needed to clean both of us up. Once we were clean, I grabbed the blankets from the floor, blew out the candles, and curled around my reason for being as I followed her into sleep.
**
I glared against the bright light that seemed to have locked onto my eyes like heat-seeking missiles of death. Groaning, I turned over. Reached out for my girl.
The bed was empty and her side of the sheets were cool. She’d been gone for a while. I sat up, looked around the room.
“Willow?” I called out.
“Out here, Ryker.” Her voice was a little muffled.
I got out of bed, pulled my sleep pants on. My sweatpants would need a good washing before I wore them again. I smiled as memories from last night flashed through my head. While I hadn’t gotten to color in her tattoo, I was in no way disappointed with how things ended last night.
Really it just made me hungry for her this morning. I walked out the bedroom door into the living area.
There she was. My t-shirt skimming her upper thighs, her hair a messy knot on her head. Her ass playing peek-a-boo as she whisked something in a bowl.
“What’cha cooking, good looking?” I said as I walked up behind her. I slid my hands over her hips. Leaning down, I pressed my lips to her neck. Inhaled. “You smell good in the morning.”
She chuckled. “I already brushed my teeth, so we’re all clear of dragon breath.” She moved her head just a bit. I kissed her neck again. Her gritty mmm had my lips twitching.
“Pancakes,” she said after a minute.
I nodded. “Syrup and peanut butter or butter and powdered sugar?” I asked as I got some glasses down from the cabinet. I blinked a couple times as I saw a huge cake on the counter under some plastic wrap. “Is that actually a giant penis cake?”
She giggled. “Yeah. I modeled it after you.”
Hell yes she did. I got the glasses on the kitchen island, grabbed the plates and flatware. The slight sizzle of the batter hitting the hot griddle had happy memories washing through me. My Grams had loved making shapes and characters with her pancake batter. Had gotten pretty good at it, really.
The musky scent of cinnamon had me spinning around. I peered over Willow's shoulder. Saw the speckled batter as it bubbled. “You made cinnamon pancakes?”
She looked at me over her shoulder. Nodded. “Yeah. I played with a recipe. We’ll have to see how it tastes. I made a vanilla frosting syrup to go with them.”
I groaned. “You turned our cupcakes into pancakes?”
She smiled. “I tried to, anyway.” She flipped the first round of golden brown batter. “We’ll see if I was successful in about three minutes.”
I snagged the plates up from their spots. Held one out for the pancakes that she delivered. I lifted one plate, inhaled the scent of cinnamon. “They’re going to taste amazing. I know it.” I waited for her to grab a small saucepan and a trivet before we sat down.
We stared at each other for a minute. A heavy, expectant pause sat between us.
Willow chuckled. “I feel like we should say grace or something. That’s what we always do with Momma and Papa.”
I smiled. “Go for it. I was just trying to be polite and not rip into these things as soon as my ass hit the chair.”
Her laugh was full of light and beauty. “Then dig in. I’ve got to keep my man’s belly full.” She grabbed up the saucepan. Drizzled her syrup frosting over the top of her short stack. She slid her finger under the rim, caught up a stray string of heated sugar.
I snagged her hand before she could put it in her mouth. I leaned forward, licked her digit clean. “Yum.”
Her sage green eyes heated. “At least you’re getting to lick some frosting off of me.” She leaned up and over the table. Kissed me. Slid her tongue over my lips. “Yum, indeed.”
She sat back down and grabbed up her fork.
I doctored my own pancakes and could barely wait to start taste testing. If they were anything like her cupcakes, I was going to demand she make these every morning.
I slid a bite in my mouth. The explosion of flavors was unlike anything I’d ever had. Minus, of course, the baker herself. The sharp, musky bite of cinnamon. The cooling sweet vanilla. It was us, our personalities, in a single delicious breakfast item.
I groaned. Shook my fork at the plate. “Yes.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “It’s not so bad, huh?” She scooped up another bite, slid it between her lips.
“Not bad? You should open a restaurant and serve nothing but this. You’d be an overnight success.”
“With just one menu item?” She laughed. “I can tell that you’ve never worked in the food industry.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Never. But, seriously, this is amazing.”
We finished the rest of our breakfast in relative quiet. It was good. Comfortable. Intimate. Perfect.
And I was going to ruin it.
I wiped my mouth after essentially licking the plate clean. “So, I really don’t want to ruin the mood.”
She smiled. “But…”
I nodded. “But I got a reminder notification in my calendar this morning, after you fell asleep in my arms, that the Chase Gala is on Friday.”
Her shoulders stiffened, her plush mouth firmed. “Yeah. And?”
I plunged ahead. “And…you know how I said I might have a plan for how to deal with your parents?”
She nodded. Waited me out.
I licked my lips. “If we can get it sorted and coordinated, I think we could take them down.” I paused a beat. “At their own gala.”
Her eyes lit with a glow that had my blood pressure rising. “I want to know everything.” She stacked our plates, carried them to the dishwasher. After giving them a good rinse, she turned to me. “Well, regale me so I can jump your bones. Offering to take my parents down is one of the nicest, sexiest things you could ever offer.”
A chuckle escaped. “Sometimes I forget that you’re just as cutthroat as I am. It’s very sexy.”
She batted her eyelashes. “We do aim to please, Mr. Penn.”
“We’re going to need the Amatuccis, my mom, Corrie, and Jerrod Wright to pull it off. Okay, so here’s the rough idea.”
Chapter 28 – Willow
That night
“Momma, you don’t have to cook when you come here, you know. You can just sit down and enjoy your family,” I said as I stirred the sauce. We were going full Italian tonight. Simple, filling, and easy: Spaghetti and meatballs with enough garlic bread to kill a vampire coven. With side salads in fresh vinaigrette, it was going to be easy enough to concentrate on the bigger picture tonight without worrying about the food.
She waved me away. “Go help your brothers bring your table in. Your sister and your man should be bringing chairs.” She shooed me out of my own kitchen…that was at least par for my particular course.
I headed off towards the freight elevator. It apparently opened on the other side of the elevator from Ryker’s public entrance. I got to be a literal door stop to keep the doors from sliding closed every thirty seconds.
Ah, the lives of the rich and famous.
Well, at least my guy was rich. I had a trust fund, but hated using it since it came from my parents. And now that I knew where that money came from, I was going to use it for shelters and programs and scholarships and any other ideas I could think of to give it back to the families and victims.
“Coming through!” Rafe called from the dark cavern of the freight elevator room. “And honestly, could have you designed a bigger table?”
“Probably.” I shoved my hand out to stop the door from shutting as I stuck my leg out to get the next set of doors. “This one’s only fourteen feet, you big whiner. If we all get married and have babies, this will eventually end up being the kids’ table.”
“Goddess save us all,” Rafe said as he started the train with my table on a trolley cart.
Mas brought up the rear. The trestles for the table were stacked on top. He had a big smile on his face. “We need many babies in this family, sorella. Don’t let our youngest brother tell you otherwise.” He leaned over, pressed a kiss to my cheek.
I smiled. As soon as this fiasco with my parents was over, I knew we would be devoting all of our focus to finding Amara. I could already see the hope in Mas. The idea that he wasn’t doomed for all eternity. The possibilities of a daughter had brought him back from the edge.
We would find her. Or we would die trying.
“Beep, beep,” Ryker called as he swung his chair around the corner like he was a Nascar driver.
From behind him, Tali rolled her eyes. “Why are men such children?”
I winced. She’d had a bite in her voice I hadn’t been expecting. Especially if she’d gotten laid last night. Post-sex Tali was chill. Like imbibed freely of marijuana chill. This Tali sounded like she had a piece of rebar stuck up her butt.
Turo, Nico, Jessa, Nik, and Foster all showed up with chairs as well. I blinked. I hadn’t e
xpected the whole crowd, but the more the merrier when it came to destroying the empire of suffering and selfishness my parents had built.
“Welcome to the party and planning pad of paradise.”
Jessa snorted. “No.” She kept walking.
I made a face at her back. Fix a girl some cupcakes and she craps on your alliterations the next day. Some people.
The last of the chairs came through. I let the doors close and made my way back inside. Now I understood why Momma had helped. I hadn’t made nearly enough food for all the extra people we had with us. I was almost surprised Daphne and Jerrod Wright weren’t in residence for the discussions.
The guys got the table set up. We each grabbed something from the kitchen island that Momma laid out. Setting it on the table, we then grabbed our chairs and sat down as Papa handed silverware down in an assembly line of eating utensils.
Momma and Papa took their customary positions at the head of the table once everyone had something to eat with. I popped up from my chair when I realized we had no glasses or drinks. Ryker got up with me while we got everyone served.
Momma smiled at us. Nodded. When I leaned down to set her glass of wine on the table in front of her, she kissed my cheek. “I’m so happy to see you so happy, figlia.”
I smiled, kissed her cheek in return. “I love you, Momma.”
Her cheeks went pink. She shooed me away to the other end of the table. Ryker was waiting, my chair in his grip to slide it under me.
Once again, we were all seated. Momma looked at Papa. He smiled before bussing her knuckles. Their hands entwined, Papa said his customary blessing over our food. “Per la famiglia, per gli amici, per l'amore, per l'onore, ti ringraziamo, amen.”
My mind provided the translation without missing a beat: For family, for friends, for love, for honor, we thank you, amen.
A round of ‘amens’ rose before everyone started digging into the meal. I smiled in true pleasure. I watched my family, my friends dig into the meal I’d helped prepare. I watched their faces as they took their first bites. That slight fluttering of eyelashes, the quick inhale. It was the biggest compliment I could think of.
