“Okay,” he said on a sigh. “Two minutes, then I’m coming in here to check on you,” he added.
“Got it.” She nodded and shimmied backward onto the bed, folding her legs beneath her.
He closed the door behind himself to give her privacy. He wouldn’t encroach on her; she had a right to her private conversations. Even if what they had went long-term, he wouldn’t take away her individuality.
But they’d agreed to keep things light, casual, not long-term material—so it was a non-issue. He didn’t need to make future plans. He didn’t have to worry about her.
So why was he?
Chapter 15
“So, how is chateau Ryder?” George asked with a wide grin as he came out of his kitchen holding two beers. He handed Samantha one and plopped himself down on his couch.
Samantha rested the bottle on the arm of the loveseat and smiled.
“It’s fine. He has a great view from his apartment.” She took a drink of her beer. She’d promised Ryder she’d talk to George. Her brother and Anderson also expected her to tell George what was going on. She’d managed to keep Paul from getting too involved, but it took more than a dozen text messages and a phone call that lasted over thirty minutes. She had Paul’s agreement to stay away from Chicago for the time being, but she’d also earned a short interrogation from Ryder. Thankfully, she skirted the questions successfully.
She didn’t like keeping this from him, but she didn’t want him to worry. They were having fun, and she wouldn’t spoil that with all her drama from back home. He’d been so good to her, so kind, and strict—fuck, was the man strict. He’d given her five swats with a spoon after breakfast because she’d argued with him about the stupid sunblock again.
“Yeah, he got lucky with that one.” George leaned back and crossed his foot over his knee. “How’re the interviews going?”
She took another sip of her beer. “Wonderfully horrible. I interviewed in Tinley Park today. The starting salary was only slightly higher than what I was making part time at the university back home, and the health benefits were…well, non-existent. I wish they’d discuss those things on the phone interview so I wouldn’t have wasted my time…or theirs.”
“What about the Harold Washington? You really wanted that one.”
She shrugged. “I’m waiting to hear, but I don’t think I have much of a chance. I feel like I’m going up against people who’ve been working for years. Not fresh out of school like me.” She sighed. “I might have to get a job doing something else while I keep applying.” She couldn’t stay at Ryder’s forever, and without employment, no landlord would give her a lease.
“Don’t rush off into that.” George put out his hand. “I’m sure Ryder isn’t ready to kick you out just yet. Don’t settle, Sam. It’s only been a few days.”
“I don’t want to put him out.” Though, when she thought about packing her bags and leaving his apartment, her stomach soured.
“I’m sure you’re not. Ryder would tell you if he had a problem.”
She held back a bubble of laughter. Ryder definitely had no trouble letting her know when he didn’t like something she’d done. A sharply peaked eyebrow warned her to toe the line.
It had been two days since he’d taken her shopping for panties, and even sitting with George, knowing she wore the Because Daddy Said panties, her body reacted as though it were Ryder’s hands covering her ass. She readjusted on the couch and tucked her legs beneath her while sipping her beer.
“I had a missed call from Paul last night. Everything okay down there? He didn’t leave a message.”
The beer bounced around her stomach. Paul had promised he’d stay out of it.
“No, not really.” She shook her head. Telling him about Randall would be the same as telling Ryder, and she wasn’t looking to have any more overprotective males hovering over her.
“Really? Nothing?” George tilted his head, furrowing his brow.
Did he already know?
“When’s your mom coming home? I thought she might like to get dinner tonight.” She turned the tables.
“She’s actually with some friends today, won’t be home ’til late. Answer my question, Sam.” His tone dipped.
“You didn’t have a missed call.”
“I did.” He nodded. “But I caught the second one.” He winked.
She leaned forward and put the beer down on the coffee table. “I told him to stay out of this.”
“You haven’t told Ryder about it, have you?”
“No. And he doesn’t need to know. Randall is harmless. He’s hundreds of miles away, and since he’s out, there’s no reason to even think about me much less do anything about my testimony. Ryder doesn’t need the worry. Leave him be.” She pointed to George. The job Ryder had been working on had finally gone into full swing. He was working twelve to fifteen-hour days. He didn’t need to add a non-existent threat to his time.
“From what I heard, he’s not harmless.” George pointed back.
“I’m not worried. I’m here, and he’s there.”
“It would be good for Ryder to at least know,” he continued.
Yeah, and then he’d be all over her about when she could leave the apartment and where she could go. No thank you.
“There’s no need.” She waved a hand.
“Because you’re just roommates who don’t really see each other,” he added for her.
Heat crept up her neck.
“What are you trying to say?”
George narrowed his eyes. “I’m not an idiot, Sam.” He shook his head. “I’ve known you since you were a kid. I can tell when you’re crushing on someone.”
“I am not crushing on him.” She pushed as much annoyance as she could into her tone, but the little crack at the end was probably a big giveaway to her real thoughts on the subject.
She was crushing.
And hard.
“You’re a liar too.” He laughed. “Don’t get mad, I’m only teasing.”
She stiffened. Was he teasing because he knew with certainty about Ryder, or was he trying to get her confession? Which road did she step foot down?
“He’s your friend,” she forged with caution.
“Yeah.” He nodded, a more serious tone to his expression. “So are you. And you’re both adults.”
Still unsure of the progression of the conversation, she looked away from him and started to play with the label on her bottle.
“Sam, you’re not a teenager anymore. I’m not gonna threaten to rough him up if he steps out of line. He’s a good guy and you could do a hell of a lot worse. But…” he blew out a breath, “he’s not really the settle down type.”
And there it was.
“Nothing to worry about, I swear.” She crossed her fingers over her heart.
He pinched his lips together.
“I’m not saying anything else about it. He’s on the schedule to DM on Friday night, think you’ll tag along?” he asked.
“Friday? My social calendar is pretty clear, so maybe.”
“Good. You have until then to tell Ryder about Randall.” He pushed himself off his couch and grabbed her beer from her hand. “If you don’t, I will, and if what’s going on at chateau Ryder is what I think…you don’t want that.” He winked.
“I wasn’t finished with that.” She tried to reach for her beer, but he’d already started walking back to the kitchen.
“Half a beer,” he called as he walked away. “You’re driving.”
She glared at his back until he disappeared. She was surrounded by bossy men.
Chapter 16
Ryder stepped out of the shower, steam swirling around him. It had been a hard ass day. Even the heat from the water couldn’t give relief to his sore muscles. The week had been grueling once the red tape had been dealt with, and he was able to get back to work. The men on his crew put in as many hours as he did, and they were all looking forward to the weekend.
For Ryder, that meant a few hours
at Gallant Domination, then the rest of the weekend would be focused on his girl. Samantha spent most of her days reading and getting her resume out, but he knew she snuck off to the beach several times as well. It wasn’t hard to tell considering the woman constantly forgot to put on sunscreen. He’d come home to find her sporting a pink complexion yesterday, and by the time he’d tucked her into bed, her ass matched perfectly.
He’d expected things to get strained with his long hours. He couldn’t be home with her as much as he wanted, but she wasn’t sitting around waiting for him. Samantha had taken over keeping the apartment clean, and she did most of the cooking.
They spent the evenings together, but they hadn’t been able to have any playtime. And he knew his girl was aching for it. He’d tucked her into bed after her spanking wearing her Eeyore pajamas, after taking the time to braid her hair. If it hadn’t been so fucking late, he would have climbed into bed with her, but she’d been tired, and he couldn’t justify rewarding her with an orgasm after she’d disobeyed him. Instead, he’d left her in her own bed and went to his, sporting a steel beam in his pants.
The door to the bathroom opened, and Samantha rushed inside.
“Sam?”
“Hot!” She waved her hand in front of her mouth and turned on the cold-water tap. Sticking her entire face beneath the spout, she began gulping up water.
“What’s wrong?” He finished tucking in the towel at his waist and grabbed hold of her hair to keep it from falling into her face.
“Hot Cheetos!” she mumbled from beneath the water stream. He noticed the tips of her fingers were bright orange.
He swiped her hair back into a makeshift ponytail and fisted it while she continued to sputter beneath the water stream until she recovered enough to turn the water off.
“You aren’t supposed to be eating Cheetos,” he said with less firmness than he intended. The water was dripping off her chin when she stood back up, spilling all over her t-shirt. She was a complete mess.
He let go of her hair and grabbed the hand towel from the rack and began cleaning off her face. She grimaced and tried to pull back, but one hard look from him and she settled down.
“What’s the rule on junk food?” he asked as he swiped off the last bit of water from her chin.
She ran the back of her hand across her lips.
“Not until after dinner,” she said without making eye contact.
“And did you have dinner yet?”
“It was a snack. People have snacks,” she pointed out. He wouldn’t normally care if she had a bag of chips whenever she wanted, but she’d been finishing off more and more junk the past few days, and he had to put his foot down. The woman ate her feelings, and the stress of having less than stellar experiences with her interviews was making her go to bed with more than one stomachache.
“You aren’t people. You are my girl, and the rule is no junk food before dinner.” He pushed her hair behind her shoulders.
“Can’t losing the top two layers of my tongue to those Cheetos be punishment enough?” she asked with a wry smile.
He laughed. “That, and I’m taking away your snacks tomorrow. If you can’t be a good girl with them, you can’t have them at all. You can have all the fruit, crackers, and cheese you want, but I’m taking the chips away.”
She screwed up her lips to the side. He’d never seen anyone so addicted to savory snacks.
“Fine.” She nodded.
Taking a step back, her gaze roamed over his body.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when her lips pressed together.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispered, bringing her eyes up to meet his.
He stepped toward her until her back hit the wall. “And that upsets you?” he asked, letting his fingers skate over her waist. She was in yoga pants and a t-shirt, usual for her afternoon session of job searching.
“No, of course not.” She flattened her hands against the wall. “I just hadn’t seen you without a shirt on.”
He nodded. “Oh… well, maybe you should take your shirt off too. Then we can match.” He lowered his head and captured her lips beneath his. She softened against him, yielding to the power he wove over her when he grabbed her hip and pulled her to meet his.
“That’s a good idea,” she said after he broke the kiss. Her breath came out in little spurts.
He grabbed the hem of her shirt and yanked it up over her head. “No bra?” he asked, but he’d already known. Her nipples had been peeking out for him already.
“Laundry day,” she answered with a carefree smile.
“Ah…” He pressed his body against hers again, retaking her mouth in a deeper kiss. He couldn’t get enough of her. The very taste of her sent his body on edge, needing to find relief in her arms. But to touch her, to have her tongue dance with his own, made his cock ache.
His hands roamed up her sides, sliding over her ribs to cradle her breasts. Her breath was heavy when he pulled back, nipping at her chin, then moving down to her neck. His thumbs flicked her taught nipples.
“I have to be at the club at ten,” he muttered against her skin, licking a bead of water.
Ryder took a deep breath, inhaling her honeyed scent and biting down harder on her shoulder. She turned her face toward him, beckoning his mouth once more, and he wouldn’t deny her anything.
“That gives us lots of time,” she managed to say between kisses.
He growled. Standing in the damn bathroom is not where he wanted her. He needed her in his bed, naked and bare for him. Without explanation, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to his room.
“Daddy!” She giggled as he maneuvered them through his doorway.
“Take those yoga pants off, and if you aren’t wearing any panties, you’re getting spanking,” he ordered as he dropped her onto the bed. She bounced and laughed but scrambled to obey. She could be the very best girl when she wanted to be, and right now, with him removing his towel and her eyes focused on his hard cock, she wanted to be a very good girl.
After she shimmied out of the black yoga pants, she flipped over to her belly and got up on her hands and knees, laughing while she wiggled her Daddy’s Naughty Girl panties at him.
He grabbed her ankles and yanked them toward him, flattening her to the mattress.
“Teasing me?” he said in a mock firm voice.
“No, Daddy. I would never!” She laughed.
“Hmmm, we’ll see.” He grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her back. With his fingers hooked in the elastic, he pulled the panties down her legs and free from her body, tossing them over her shoulder.
“No.” He shoved her knees apart when she tried to clamp them together. “I want to see you, sweetheart. All of you. Let Daddy see you,” he said, climbing onto the bed and settling between her thighs. He lowered himself to her sex and touched her pussy lips with the tips of his fingers. “You’re a wet girl for me, aren’t you?”
She didn’t answer, but she didn’t need to.
Slowly, he ran his fingers through her folds, gathering her wetness and bringing them to his mouth. He dragged his gaze up her body, across her belly and round tits, until his eyes were locked with hers.
“You taste so good, sweetheart.” He sucked his fingers. “Your pussy is shaved. I like you this way. Bare and wet for my touch.” He shifted his body farther down and slid his middle and ring fingers into her sex. His cock throbbed at the little gasp she gifted him. He wanted more.
He moved his attention to his fingers, watching them slide in and out of her pussy. Her whimpers of pleasure quickly moved to frustration when he continued his methodical movements.
“Do you want something, sweetheart? Tell Daddy what you need.” He lowered his face until his lips hovered over her clit. He took in a deep breath, taking in her arousal, her need.
“My clit. Please touch my clit,” she urged.
Using his thumbs, he pulled her pussy lips apart to expose the swollen bud. “Like this?” he asked, running the pa
d of his thumb over her clit while continuing his paced strokes.
She groaned, annoyed at wanting more and having to wait like a good girl until her Daddy gave it to her. He chuckled and bit down on her inner thigh.
Her sharp hiss nearly snapped his resolve, but he was determined to make the moment last. To take her and claim her and leave her with no doubt as to who she belonged to.
“Please.” She pulled on his shoulders. “No teasing,”
He laughed again. “Who makes the rules around here, little girl?” he asked, biting down again on her thigh.
“You do!” she cried out, trying to wiggle away, but all he had to do was curl his fingers, finding the sweet spot that made her melt, to keep her where she was.
“Shhh, be my good girl,” he prompted, then lightly flicked the tip of his tongue over her clit.
She gasped and moaned. He’d never heard such beautiful music before.
With more practiced patience, he licked her pussy, suckled her clit, and pumped his fingers until he could feel her resolve starting to crumble. Her erratic breaths and moans were building.
He pulled his hand free of her and quickly scrambled up her body, covering her with his own. Caging her face with his hands, he stared down at her. Her eyes were full of arousal, yes, but more, so much more at the foundation of it. The emotions, raw and intense, mirrored his own as her bright eyes shined up at him.
“I know we talked about it, but are you sure you’re okay bareback?” He brushed the hair from her face, his cock pressing against her entrance. Her legs spread farther beneath him, and her hips arched up at him.
“Yes. I told you, I got my shot last month.” She reached up and captured his face with her hands, pulling him down to kiss her.
He gave into her demanding gesture and sank into her heat with one quick thrust. She cried out, throwing her head back as he dragged his cock backward and plowed forward again.
“Samantha,” he growled, rocking into her body harder and harder, while her nails dug into his shoulders. Every bit of her body touched him, setting him on fire. “Mine.” He crushed his lips to hers as he deepened his thrusts, quickened his pace.
WINDY CITY: The complete series Page 91