Guts & Glory: Ryder (In the Shadows Security Book 2)

by Jeanne St. James

  She turned back to the counter. “We’ll see.”

  Yes, we will.

  His fingers skimmed over her ass as she laid naked on her belly on the bed.

  “I thought you were going to punish me for disobedience, back-talking and lying.”

  “Maybe the punishment will be not givin’ you what you want.”

  “Well then, I don’t want to be spanked.”

  “There you go lyin’ again.”

  She buried her face into the pillow, her body shaking next to him. Good to see she was easily amused.

  He continued to trail his fingers over her ass, his eyes following his hand’s movement. “Does it hurt?”

  She stilled and turned her head to face him, her left cheek now on the pillow. “A little but nothing I can’t deal with.”

  “I’ve never struck a woman like that before.”

  Kelsea drew herself up on her elbows and glanced down at him. “You’ve never spanked a woman before?”

  “Oh no, I have. Just not with the fury I was feelin’ when I spanked you.”

  Her brows furrowed slightly. “I drove you to it,” she said softly.

  “Darlin’, that does not make it right. That’s not the man I am nor is it the man I ever want to be.”

  “Then you can make it up to me.”

  “Well, I was already plannin’ that, but now that you mentioned it—”

  “Now I mentioned it, you won’t give me what I want. I mean what I don’t want!” she quickly corrected, then muffled a curse into the pillow and kicked her feet against the mattress in an overly dramatic display.

  He bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud. She was a pain in his ass, but, fuck, if he’d be able to keep his hands off her for the next week or so. Or however long he deemed it necessary they remain holed up in his cabin.

  He shouldn’t touch her. By touching her he was stepping into some potentially sticky shit. Shit he might not be able to wipe off the sole of his boot.

  Once again, he thought about how he shouldn’t have lost his temper. The first time by bringing her here instead of delivering her directly to Diesel. The second by spanking her on the ATV.

  He hardly ever lost his temper. But the woman naked on his bed had pushed him to do it twice in two days.

  He knew her well enough that she might never get her shit together and any intention he had to help her may be wasted.

  He liked a soft, pliable woman. One who enjoyed tending to his needs without a lot of back-talk or headache.

  Kelsea was not that. Not even close.

  Probably never would be, either.

  And, to be honest, if she did become that, he might be a little disappointed. He didn’t want to extinguish that wild fire, he just needed to reduce it to a controlled burn.

  The only problem was, he didn’t want to end up scarred for life from touching those flames. And with the dumpster fire Kelsea was, he was taking that risk.

  Fucking her once could be chalked up to an error in judgement. Doing it a second time was no longer a mistake. It was a conscious choice.

  A bad one.

  He needed to get off the bed, pull on some clothes and go sleep on the couch.

  Was he going to do that?

  Fuck no.

  Stupid motherfucker.

  But was the pussy worth the problems?

  At this point, also no.

  He’d dealt with a lot of shit in his life. Especially during his time in the military as an Army Ranger. He’d dealt with shit that even had its own shit.

  But it made him who he was today.

  Kelsea was the exact opposite; she’d always had it easy. And sometimes acted like a spoiled brat. Maybe her family wasn’t rich—not that the Doughertys were hurting financially—but she’d always had someone looking out for her. Maybe not a parent, but her cousins, her club “sisters,” and the whole damn DAMC family. Her mother, Annie, wasn’t as bad as Kels made her out to be. The woman had just made a couple mistakes. And one of those mistakes was Kelsea’s father.

  The fact was, someone was always there for her if she needed it and, in turn, she just spat in all their faces.

  Finding out who her father was, was a low hit. Knowing what a rotten motherfucker he was, was also hard to swallow. He got that. But it wasn’t enough reason for her to spin out of control like she had.

  Her life was a million times better than a lot of the women he’d seen overseas during his tours. She didn’t realize just how good she had it.

  Somehow, she needed to see what she did have and learn to appreciate it. He had no idea how to go about even beginning to open her eyes to that. None.

  While he was on the outside and could see it clearly, she was in the midst and was blind to it. Or maybe she was just ignoring what she’d had all her life. Support. Love. Family.

  Things some others would kill for.

  “Are we naked for a reason?”

  He turned his head to study her. “You in a rush? Got somewhere to go?”

  She had finally used the brush he’d bought her, since her hair now laid like golden silk across her bare shoulders. It was long enough to drape over her arms and onto the bed.

  Fuck, did he want to fist that hair and fuck her smart mouth.

  In fact, that might be the perfect punishment. And it at least would keep her quiet.

  He grinned.

  Her blue eyes narrowed. “What?”

  “Think I just figured out your punishment.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Am I going to like it?”

  “It’s punishment, darlin’. “

  “Oh yeah, right. I’m definitely not going to like it then,” she said.

  Not sure about you, but I fuckin’ will.

  “So now what?”

  “So now you get off the bed and get on your knees on the floor.”

  “Now?”

  “I’m pretty damn sure I included that word in my instructions.”

  Did she just roll her eyes at him?

  As she climbed off the bed, he asked, “Ever been tied up before?”

  She hesitated but didn’t turn to look at him. “Once.”

  “Did you like it?”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  She finished getting off the bed, took a few steps away before turning and slowly getting to her knees. She met his eyes as she answered, “I just didn’t.”

  “I need a reason, darlin’.”

  “I just didn’t.”

  She was avoiding the truth for some reason. For now, he’d let that go. But they might have to revisit that again in the near future.

  “Well?” she asked as she perched on her knees, naked as the day she was born.

  “Well what?”

  “I’m waiting.”

  “Maybe that’s your punishment.”

  “Your hard-on is trying to reach the ceiling, so I doubt me sitting here is the punishment.”

  She was right. He was rock hard in anticipation of what he was about to do next. “Maybe I’m gonna jack off while you watch.”

  “That wouldn’t be any fun.”

  He sighed. She was right about that, too.

  He rolled off the bed and onto his feet. As he studied her kneeling on the floor, her blonde hair falling softly around her face and shoulders, her lips curved in a naughty grin and her blue eyes holding some wicked thought, he wondered what she’d be like if she was always so compliant.

  Again, would he want that? Would that be Kelsea?

  Her eyes followed him as he approached her slowly, his fingers gripping the root of his dick.

  He stopped directly in front of her. The crown of his cock just a few inches from her parted lips.

  “How is this going to be punishment?” she whispered, her tongue darting across her bottom lip.

  He bit back a groan at that. “Because you won’t be able to speak, whether to back-talk or otherwise. And I’ll get to enjoy some blessed silence.”


  “That won’t be the only thing you’ll be enjoying.”

  “Depends on how good you are.”

  Her eyes flicked up from his dick to him. “Never had a complaint before.”

  “Had a lot of dick in your mouth, darlin’?” Damn it. He really didn’t want to know, so he hoped she didn’t answer it. And luckily, she ignored it, once again focusing on his cock, which now had a bead of precum at the very tip.

  In fact, when she finally opened her mouth to answer, he stepped forward and pressed his dick in between her lips to stop that answer. Her hand came up and gripped him. And, fuck, she was right, he wasn’t going to complain. Not yet, anyway.

  He grabbed two tight handfuls of her hair at the back of her head and ordered, “Hands off.”

  Her eyes flicked up to his again and he was surprised when she listened and dropped her hands to his thighs. He was okay with that because she was going to need to hold on, he just didn’t want her controlling the pace or how deep he was about to take it.

  Her eyes widened as he began to do what he fantasized about, fuck her face. With a tight grip on her hair, he plunged his dick in and out of her hot, wet mouth with each thrust of his hips.

  He figured if she gagged, he’d back off slightly, but until then, he was going to give her everything he could without hurting her.

  She made a noise around his length and he watched her carefully to make sure it wasn’t too much. When her hand came up, he grabbed it and placed it back on his thigh.

  “If it’s too much, you tap twice, darlin’. But do your best not to tap out.”

  Her eyelids got heavy but her eyes heated as she stared up at him, her mouth a stretched O around his cock, her cheeks expanding and contracting with each thrust.

  He guided her head with two hands wrapped in her long hair and, fuck, he hadn’t had head this good in a long fucking time.

  Too fucking long.

  Between the wet heat, the suction and her tongue, she was wreaking havoc on him. His heart was pounding, his mind racing, his hips twitching, and his balls were ready to explode.

  Damn. She was good. So good that he was going to blow his load too quickly. She knew just what to do with that mouth of hers to take him there.

  He wasn’t sure if he should be happy about that or disturbed. Now was not the time to think about her history.

  He began to thrust so deeply a tear escaped the corner of her eye. But she didn’t tap her fingers against him. She wasn’t indicating he should stop, so he didn’t. In fact, she sucked more enthusiastically, moaning around him like it was the best thing she’d eaten in a long time.

  Good thing she liked dick more than she liked beans.

  A groan vibrated up her throat and she dug her nails into his skin.

  He released her hair and began to pull out, but she grabbed the back of his thighs and leaned forward, keeping him deep.

  Jesus fuck. He thought she was suffering, but now he was.

  He was about to lose it. “Darlin’, gonna make me come doin’ that. You can let go if you want.”

  She didn’t. She began to suck more intently.

  “Darlin,” he groaned. “Gonna come.”

  That would end up being his last warning.

  With a grunt, he thrusted forward and spilled himself at the back of her mouth, down her throat and she didn’t stop, she continued to run her tongue up and down the thick ridge of his cock and sucked even harder.

  He jerked and his fingers found her head again. This time to pull her off.

  His head fell forward with his eyes closed and he was doing his best not to pant like one of his late grandpap’s hounds after it treed a squirrel.

  “That was quick,” he heard.

  He opened his eyes and stared down at her, still on her knees, amusement on her face.

  “Been a while,” he grumbled with a frown.

  “We just had sex earlier. You should’ve been able to hold out longer than that.”

  Fuck.

  He tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her face up. “Next time it won’t be your mouth, it’ll be your ass.”

  A slow grin crossed her face. “I’ll like that, too.”

  He dropped his hand and headed to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

  After hearing the slam, Kelsea got to her feet and stared at the closed door. She curled her fingers into fists and ground the heels of her palms into her eyes as she fought the urge to scream.

  She was struggling to keep from crawling out of her skin. She needed to take the edge off, but there was no way he was going to stay in the bathroom that long. Maybe the sharpness would dull once he came back out and fucked her.

  She looked with longing over to where she had hidden the whiskey. Her gaze slid back to the closed bathroom door and then to the bed.

  Her decision was made for her when she heard the water stop running in the sink. She hurried to the bed and climbed on, not bothering to get under the sheets. Instead, she propped two pillows under her head, draped her hair around her shoulders, and pinched her nipples until they were peaked.

  He wouldn’t be able to resist her.

  Would he?

  No. Impossible.

  She heard the door open. Look natural. And sexy. Sultry. And not like the pain in the ass he thinks you are.

  Kelsea snorted. She was losing it.

  Well, that was to be expected when she was stuck on a mountain somewhere in Kentucky without any connection to the outside world.

  As Ryder stepped out of the bathroom, she lost her breath as she watched him approach.

  His broad chest, his muscular arms, the slight ridges in his stomach, his sexy, defined obliques—phew— which pointed in a V to all the goodness below. She’d had bigger, but she’d had smaller, too. And he was no slouch. He kept the wiry hair trimmed around the root of his cock, which was semi-soft at the moment as it swung between lean, but muscular thighs with each step he took.

  He might be some former Special Forces badass, but he was also a country bumpkin and that made him endearing. However, he was stubborn, too, and that made him frustrating.

  Good thing she was just as stubborn.

  Her mouth opened as he turned off the light on the nightstand on his side of the bed and climbed in. Her head jerked up as he yanked one of the pillows she’d been using out from under her and stuffed it under his own head. He squeezed and hit it a couple of times to get it just right, then, with a sigh, settled in.

  She snapped her gaping mouth shut. “Uh...”

  “’Night, darlin’.”

  “Um...”

  “’Night,” he said more firmly, wiggling deeper under the covers.

  “I think you forgot something.”

  “Nope. Turned off the bathroom light, didn’t I?”

  Her gaze slid over to the open bathroom door. “Yes.”

  “Then I didn’t forget anything.”

  “Me.”

  “What about you?”

  “You forgot to do me.”

  “Up here, it’s not all about you. One of the lessons you’re gonna learn while here.”

  “Are you serious? You’re going to leave me hanging like that?”

  He flipped over onto his back, tucking his arms under his head and yawned loudly, not even bothering to cover his gaping pie hole.

  “Oh no.”

  “Oh yeah, darlin’. Like I said, from the moment I dragged you outta that Demons’ cum-stained bed, your life was no longer your own. I own your ass right now. And until I think you’re ready to head back to Shadow Valley with a new attitude, that’s the way it’s gonna be.”

  “But I—”

  He waved a hand half-assed toward where she gave him head. “That there wasn’t for you. It was for me.”

  “Well, that’s fucking selfish.”

  He turned to his side and propped his head on his hand as he stared at her. “Damn right it was. Gettin’ a little of your own medicine.”

  “I’m not selfi
sh.”

  He snorted and flopped onto his back again.

  “I just gave you head.” Not only that, she swallowed. That was far from selfish.

  “Thanks.”

  “I don’t want thanks.”

  “Okay, then. I take it back.”

  “I want fucked.”

  “Oh darlin’, you’re going to get fucked. But you don’t get to decide when. That head job was punishment, not to get you warmed up.”

  “But it got me ‘warmed up.’”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “Look how hard my nipples are.”

  “Saw ‘em.”

  “You don’t want to—”

  “Nope,” he cut her off. “It’s late. Time for bed. Turn off your light.”

  She glanced at the lamp with what looked like a deer skin shade on her side of the bed. Oh no, she wasn’t turning that off. And she wasn’t done.

  Not only had her blood been humming since giving him that blow job, she’d also been wet and throbbing with anticipation. He wasn’t going to be the only one who went to bed sexually satisfied. She still needed not only a release, but to tamp down her edginess. And that wasn’t going to happen just by closing her eyes and trying to go to sleep.

  If he wasn’t going to help, then...

  She’d help herself.

  Chapter Nine

  What the fuck.

  What. The. Actual. Fuck.

  He was not going to react. Fuck no, he was going to pretend he was sleeping. That’s what he would fucking do.

  She was not lying next to him touching herself, squeezing her own fucking tits, moaning, sighing, groaning.

  No, she wasn’t.

  He inhaled a deep, slow breath, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Not that it would matter, she was making so much noise, she wouldn’t have heard the whimper he released.

  His cock was like a steel rod, throbbing as if it had a heart of its very own. He wasn’t going to touch it. He was going to ignore it.

  Because if he reacted, she would win. She would get what she wanted. And she wouldn’t be learning a lesson which she needed to learn.

  One being, the Earth didn’t revolve around her. Another being, some of her actions affected others.

  Right now, her actions were affecting him. Godfuckindamnit.

  He turned his head just slightly until he could see her out of the corner of his eye.