Ryder

by L. A. Casey

  The first night we met, sex between us was almost instant. There was thick sexual tension from the moment we locked eyes on one another, but this time, we were trying a different approach. One where we listened to our minds, and hearts, instead of our libidos.

  We knew that if the FBI hadn’t uprooted our lives then we would have been perfectly fine continuing the way we were in our relationship, but since we were starting over fresh, we wanted to try taking a different path this time around. We switched up our tactics, and instead of doing everything arse backwards, we took things in baby steps.

  That meant on date nights a chaste kiss on my front porch was the only outcome.

  We spent time together, lots of time, and reintroduced ourselves to everything we loved about one another, and learned new things along the way. It sounded boring and it was anything but. When I knew I was going to see Ryder, my stomach fluttered with butterflies, my heart pounded with excitement and I couldn’t remove the smile from my face for all the money in the world.

  We were happy again. I was me, and Ryder was Ryder. We weren’t our old selves anymore, we were new and improved versions. What we endured, not only over the last two years, but from the moment we met, made us better people. Stronger people. It solidified our bond and proved to me that we really could overcome anything.

  I came to that realisation over a week ago, but I had yet to tell Ryder because I was a little afraid we would take our slow paced relationship and just run at a hundred kilometres an hour, and I didn’t want that, I loved how we were progressing, but even I knew we couldn’t stay the way we were forever, it’s why I planned on seducing Ryder and making love to him for the first time in nearly a year.

  There was one problem though, and it wasn’t with Ryder, or me, it was with our little siblings.

  As I was still living with Dominic and Bronagh, they both took our new outlook on our relationship very seriously, and wanted to help us as much as humanly possible… and that meant we had switched roles and they had become the parental figures. And let me say, they didn’t hold back. Once the clock struck ten when Ryder was over, Bronagh was there giving him his marching orders. When we went up to my room, Dominic would make a point of leaving the door wide open.

  I appreciated them, but I also wanted to strangle them.

  It didn’t help that Bronagh was thirteen days overdue on her sweet—and terribly lazy—baby girl. It added nerves and agitation to an already nervous and agitated person. The combination was not good.

  It was one of the reasons why I was happy I was still living with them because I wanted to be there to help them with the baby if they needed it. Being a first time parent is hard enough, so if they needed me to help out with anything, I was on call.

  Just call me Super Auntie.

  I smiled at my thoughts then looked at Ryder when he poked me again.

  “What’re you smiling about?” he asked, staring at my mouth like he wanted to devour it.

  An ache formed between my thighs, and I decided to play dirty.

  “Just thinkin’ about the plans I have for us later.”

  Ryder audibly swallowed.

  “What plans?” he asked, his voice now a whisper.

  I smirked in response, and his hold on me tightened.

  “One little smirk, and I’m already hard for you.”

  “How hard?” I boldly asked, and placed my hand on his thigh, giving it a squeeze.

  He gritted his teeth. “Stop, or I might succeed in traumatising my brothers this time.”

  I laughed at that, and thought back to our first night together, but quickly found it didn’t bode well to think of our hot, sweaty bodies moving together as one when I was almost panting with need next to him.

  “I don’t think I can wait,” I murmured.

  Ryder’s entire body tensed. “It’s your call.”

  Yeah, it is.

  “Now,” I breathed. “I want to feel you. All of you.”

  “Fuck. Yes.”

  He kissed me then, and a few moments passed by before many throats were cleared.

  “Uh, guys?” Alec mumbled. “I’m all for you both bumping uglies after such a long drought, but we’re still here. Jax, too.”

  At the mentioned of Jax, Ryder and I broke apart in an instant.

  “Sorry,” I squeaked.

  “What’re you sorry for?”

  I looked over my shoulder when my sister spoke, and smiled because she looked beautiful. She would disagree because she was convinced she was an undiscovered species of whale. Being a day shy of forty-two weeks pregnant was apparently no excuse either.

  “Nothin’,” I replied. “We’re just talkin’.”

  “Is that what you call it?” Keela snickered.

  I looked at her grinning face and narrowed my eyes before grinning right back at her.

  “Keela said Dominic is sexy!” I quickly stated.

  Keela gasped. “You agreed with me!”

  Bronagh groaned. “Don’t use any word around me that has sex in it. Sex does this to you”—she pointed at her large round stomach—“and gives you stretch marks!”

  “Did you get many?” Keela asked, apprehension to her voice.

  She and Alec were trying to get pregnant.

  “Yes!” Bronagh almost cried. “On me stomach, boobs and even on me arse. Me fuckin’ arse!”

  Dominic opened his mouth to speak, but Bronagh pointed her finger dangerously at him. “Not now,” she warned. “I don’t want to hear it. I’m fat, I have stretch marks, I haven’t seen me feet in weeks, and I forget what regular sex feels like. Don’t annoy me more than I already am.”

  Alec looked like he was about to pass out.

  “Pregnancy stops you from having sex?” he asked wide-eyed before looking to Keela and saying, “We’re adopting.”

  We all laughed.

  “It’s only the last few weeks that it’s stopped,” Dominic grumbled. “It hurts her a little so we don’t do it.”

  “Why would it hurt?” Kane questioned.

  I’ve learned this about the brothers over the last few years—they have no limit on what we converse about, they don’t mind talking about a lot stuff lads normally turn away from.

  Everyone looked at me when Kane spoke, and I cleared my throat.

  “Lots of different reasons, but there doesn’t have to be a specific one. When a woman is pregnant, there is more blood flow to ‘er entire pelvic region, and that engorgement is sometimes just too uncomfortable durin’ sex. It goes away when the baby is born.”

  “Praise Jesus for that at least,” Dominic said. “And for anal.”

  The women cringed while the lads snickered.

  “Bronagh,” I said. “Chill on the sofa.”

  “I can’t, me body is currently experiencin’ some technical difficulties.”

  With a raised brow I asked, “What does that mean?”

  “It means her ass is sore and she can’t sit down.”

  “Dominic!” my sister screeched, horrified.

  Alec high-fived his younger brother and said, “My man.”

  Brothers.

  “You might as well do all the kinky shit now,” Kane mumbled. “After she has the baby all that stuff only happens on rare occasions… like when you get a babysitter.”

  I snorted. “Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll find a way.”

  “Damn right we will,” Dominic grinned and winked at Bronagh who was shaking her head good-naturedly.

  “Change the subject,” my sister said as she eased down onto the sofa next to Dominic who absentmindedly slung his arm over her shoulder.

  “Oh,” Keela chirped. “The let’s play ‘Ask Me Anythin’. It’s a game for adults where all questions are appropriate. I’ll start off simple, Alec, who is your celeb crush?”

  “Mila Kunis,” he replied almost instantly.

  “Mine is Chris Evans,” Keela chirped.

  “I know which male celeb Alec fancies. It’s Matt Bomer,” Aideen grinned as
she entered the room and sat down next to Kane with a sleeping Jax lying on her chest. “I asked him that ages ago.”

  Alec nodded. “It’s true, my lust for him was strong.”

  Bronagh burst into sudden laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked, amused by her outburst.

  “When I first met Ryder,” she laughed, placing a hand on her side, “I thought he looked just like Matt Bomer only he was heavily tattooed and now I learn Alec wants to have his dirty way with the lad. He wants to give it to someone who looks like his big brother!”

  I laughed and so did everyone else.

  “The joke’s on you, Bronagh, because Keela already ruined Matt Bomer for me when she said the exact same thing in the Bahamas. So fuck you very much!”

  I doubled over with laughter, while the other girls wheezed for air when their laughter amplified.

  “Let’s get off the topic of celeb crushes,” Alec then grumbled.

  “Branna,” Keela rasped, calming herself. “Ask one of us a question.”

  I thought about it, and since I had a feeling all the questions would be related to sex, I made mine related to it, too.

  “Bronagh,” I said, grinning at my sister. “What is your favourite position in bed?”

  Dominic looked at his lady, a smirk playing on his lips. Bronagh mulled my question over in her mind then after some serious consideration she said, “Near the wall, so I’m closest to me phone when it’s chargin’.”

  I tittered at her answer, then looked to Dominic and burst into laughter. The look of hurt and betrayal was plastered all over his sculpted face.

  “Kicking me in the nuts would have been less painful, Bronagh,” he muttered as he stood up and practically dragged himself, and his wounded ego, out of the room.

  Bronagh looked at his back then looked to me and frowned before she widened her eyes and asked, “You meant sexual position, didn’t you?”

  I nodded, still laughing.

  She sighed and shouted, “Doggy style!”

  Things were silent for a moment then there was a loud shout.

  “I fucking knew it!”

  My shoulders shook as I laughed.

  “Why do you bait him like that?” Bronagh asked, a smile twitching at her lips.

  I shrugged. “It amuses me.”

  “You’re a sick woman,” she growled. “Being on morphine when you were in the hospital has messed with your mind, it’s wiped away all your niceness.”

  I continued to laugh.

  “Dominic, come back,” she called out, groaning. “Me back is still sore.”

  He re-entered the room as quickly as he left and fell back down next to Bronagh who leaned forward enough for Dominic to slip his hand back behind her so he could rub the base of her spine.

  “Don’t be afraid to do it harder,” she grunted.

  “That’s what she said,” Alec said earning a laugh from Keela and myself.

  “Have you ever thought of givin’ up sexual innuendos?” I asked him with my lip curled upward. “Because you should, you can be so disgustin’ at times.”

  “I’ve tried,” Alec sighed. “But it’s hard, so hard.”

  I picked up the cushion next to me and threw it at his smirking face. He caught it before it could make contact though.

  “Ryder, you go next,” Damien said, as he stretched his arms over the back of Keela and Alec’s sofa.

  Ryder thought about it, then to Dominic he said, “What was the first thing about Bronagh that you found yourself attracted to?”

  Dominic looked down at Bronagh and said, “Your eyes. I had never seen eyes so emerald green before, they were, and still are, beautiful.”

  Bronagh’s face flushed crimson, and it made Dominic smile.

  “I thought you were goin’ to say me arse,” she mumbled.

  His lip twitched. “You hadn’t turned around at that point so I just got a frontal image of you. I didn’t get a good look at my baby until we were in woodwork class and you were at the gluing station. I swear I instantly fell in love with you when I saw your ass.”

  I snorted.

  “You’re such a perv.” Bronagh said, but I could tell she was pleased with his original answer.

  Dominic shrugged. “I’ve always made my fondness for your ass known, don’t act like it’s a sudden surprise.”

  Ain’t that the truth.

  “Okay, next question,” my sister said. “Alec, what won’t Meatloaf do for love?”

  “Anal,” he replied. “It’s definitely anal.”

  We all laughed.

  “Are all these questions going to be about sex, or a sex act?” Alannah then questioned when she entered the room and leaned her arms on the back of the sofa beside Bronagh’s head. “Because sex is overrated.”

  Every one of us snapped our attention to Alannah when she spoke. She rolled her eyes at us and said, “It is, just because you all have good sex lives doesn’t mean everyone else does.”

  Meaning her?

  Alec grinned. “I know someone who would be more than happy to rectify that problem for you, darling.”

  He didn’t understand the term ‘subtle’.

  “I’m going to get some water,” Damien said and shot up from his position on the sofa, and briskly walked into the kitchen.

  Alannah focused on Alec. “I don’t think I need a someone when I have a somethin’.”

  “Sex toys?” Keela questioned, with her eyebrows raised. “You’re filled with surprises.”

  I was surprised too, because Alannah was very timid compared to the rest of us, the fact that she was openly taking part in a conversation about sex was shocking in itself.

  “It’s 2016,” she replied to Keela. “Vibrators are perfectly acceptable life partners.”

  Bronagh frowned. “We need to get you a boyfriend.”

  I second that.

  Alannah laughed. “Trust me, as long as I recharge me double A batteries, I’ll never need a man again.”

  Dominic blinked. “Right now, as a man, I feel cheap. We’re more than sex machines, we have feelings too, you know?”

  Alannah rolled her eyes. “Please, in school you fucked your way through the girls in our year for sport. Their hurt feelings never made you feel cheap, but I can guarantee your actions made them feel cheap.”

  The conversation took a turn from playful to serious in a spilt second.

  Dominic frowned. “I was a kid…”

  “That doesn’t change anythin’.” Alannah angrily cut him off. “You were old enough to know what you were doin’ was hurtful, but you did it anyway. You broke hearts and didn’t care about it. You were so horrible.”

  Shit. I thought. What the hell was up with Lana?

  Dominic looked sullen as he said, “I’m not Damien, Alannah. I didn’t do those things to you.”

  Alannah blinked her eyes then darted a scared look over her shoulder to make sure Damien wasn’t in earshot. Her shoulders sagged with relief when she didn’t see him. I looked over my shoulder too, and from my angle I saw he was leaning against the wall outside of the sitting room. There was no doubt from the expression on his face that he had heard everything she just said.

  Fuck.

  “I know,” Alannah then mumbled to Dominic, “it’s just hard for me to separate him from you sometimes. You have his face and when I see it, I hurt all over again.”

  “Lana—”

  “Look, I’m sorry,” she quickly stated. “I had a bad start to me day and I’m takin’ it out on all of you and that’s not fair.”

  “What happened?” Ryder asked, and I heard it in his tone that he was concerned.

  Alannah may not be dating any of the brothers, but she was part of our family and we all loved her.

  “Some arsehole rear ended me and I’ve to fork out a fortune to get me car fixed. It’s the last thing I need. Shit has just been goin’ from bad to worse for me lately. I just can’t catch a break,” she said and shrugged her shoulders.

  I
felt like a pretty shitty friend because I had no clue she was having problems, and from the look on my sister’s face, she didn’t either.

  “Talk to me,” she stood up and rounded the chair until she was in front of Alannah. “What’s wrong?”

  Alannah looked at Bronagh then out of nowhere she burst into tears.

  “Me da,” she cried. “He is havin’ an affair and me ma has no clue about it.”

  “Oh, fuck,” Alec whispered when Bronagh folded her arms around Alannah.

  Oh fuck was right.

  “What am I goin’ to do, Bee?” she sobbed. “If I tell me ma it’s goin’ to break ‘er heart, and if I don’t, I’ll be the worst daughter for keepin’ it from ‘er.”

  Bronagh hugged Alannah tightly.

  “Are you sure he is havin’ an affair?” she quizzed. “Maybe you’re mistaken, babe.”

  “I’m not,” Alannah sniffled. “I went into town yesterday evenin’ to get some ink cartridges for me printer, and as I was passin’ by a restaurant somethin’ told me to look through the window. I did, and there he was, sittin’ with a woman half his age at the table near the window where anyone could see them. I think she might be the same age as me! At first I didn’t even consider anythin’, then he reached out and took ‘er hand in his. One-second they were holdin’ hands, and the next he leaned over and they kissed!”

  “Double fuck,” Alec whispered.

  “I didn’t know what do,” she said, her lower lip wobbling. “I was scared he would see me so I just ran back to me car and drove back to me apartment. I rang me ma to see what she was doin’ and she said she was preparin’ dinner for me da, his favourite because he had been workin’ such long hours lately. She doesn’t know, Bronagh… how could he do this to ‘er? To our family? I hate ‘im.”

  My heart broke for her, and for her unknowing mother.

  “We’ll figure this out,” my sister said, consoling her friend.

  I knew Bronagh was saying what she thought was necessary, but I could see from her face that she had no clue how she was going to help Alannah through this, but I knew she’d do everything possible to help her. We all would.

  “About your car,” Aideen added, shifting the attention onto her. “I’ll ring me da and have ‘im hook your car up at his garage. Me brothers love you. Dante thinks you’re, and I quote ‘im, a goddess, so I’m sure he will work on it free of charge.”