Rescued by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders): Jake Ryder

by Melissa Foster

  He lifted her top over her head and tossed it aside. Her nipples puckered at the cool air whisking over them.

  “Cocky, aren’t we?” he teased, before bringing his glorious mouth to her breast. His tongue slid over the taut peak, making her shiver all over.

  She ran her fingers through his hair. Oh, how she’d missed that. “Just like you’ve ruined me for all other men.”

  Turning with her in his arms, he laid her on the bed beneath him and inched down her body one kiss at a time until he reached her shorts. “Baby, I haven’t even begun to ruin you. Now, let’s see what’s on the menu tonight.”

  He took her shorts down slowly, licking his lips as he tossed them aside. The predatory look in his eyes made her ache.

  She covered her privates with her hands, a big grin tugging at her lips. “Fair’s fair. Naked, big guy. Now.”

  A low laugh sailed from his lungs. “My, my. I do love your demanding side.” He tugged off his shirt, swung it over his head, and tossed it across the room.

  “Woo-hoo,” she cheered, pushing up on her elbows to take in the show.

  He unbuttoned his jeans and swayed his hips as he unzipped them, revealing a tuft of dark hair. Sweet baby Jesus, the man had moves and he’d gone commando.

  “You’d better hurry. Knowing you weren’t wearing undercrackers is an instant aphrodisiac.”

  “Undercrackers,” he mumbled with a sexy smile. “I’ll remember my girl likes me ready and willing.”

  While she reveled in the endearment, he raised his brows, taking his sweet old time as he pushed his jeans down to his knees. His cock sprang free, and she scrambled to the edge of the bed and crooked her finger. He began pushing his jeans down further and she shook her head, taking his hard length in her hand.

  “Leave them on.” She slicked her tongue from base to tip, and he groaned.

  “Damn, you are my naughty girl.”

  She reached around, grabbing his ass as she took him in her mouth, earning another heady noise.

  “Fuck, Addy. How will I survive ten days without you?” He tangled his hands in her hair and she met his gaze, circling the broad head of his arousal with her tongue.

  “How do you think I feel?” She slicked her tongue along his length again and stroked him with her hand. “I’ll be hiking without any of my toys.” Her eyes widened. Why hadn’t she thought of bringing them?

  “Shit,” he ground out. “You’re bringing them, aren’t you?”

  She shrugged, sure she looked like the cat who ate the canary, but even as she teased him, she knew she could no longer be satisfied by a battery-operated boyfriend. He stepped from his jeans, flipped her onto her stomach, and smacked her ass. She yelped and laughed, trying to crawl away, but he tugged her back by the ankles and laid his full, delicious weight on top of her. She was so full of him she could barely think straight.

  “You’d rather have a toy than me?” he said heatedly into her ear.

  She lifted her ass, grinding against his cock, and couldn’t help teasing him a little more. “My Neanderthal won’t be there to satisfy me.”

  He scratched his scruff along her cheek, and she couldn’t suppress the wanton moan from escaping.

  “And who’s fault is that?” he growled.

  She laughed, trying to turn over beneath him, but he was too heavy, too strong.

  “Don’t try to avoid the question.” He kissed the back of her neck.

  “Are you kidding? I’m trying to turn over so I can take full responsibility for my actions.” He seemed to like that, and lifted up, allowing her to turn onto her back. While he was still perched on his palms, she lifted her hips, dragging her sex along his arousal.

  “You think you’re going to sidetrack me and make me forget about those toys?”

  Grinning like a fool, she shook her head. “I’d rather have you than a toy any day, but just in case, and since you’re hungry, maybe you should take your fill and make me forget those toys. Otherwise…”

  “Sexy girl, it’ll be a miracle if you can still walk when I’m done with you.”

  JAKE DIDN’T SLEEP a wink. He’d fulfilled his promise and worn Addy out to the point of exhaustion, and she’d fallen asleep lying on top of him. He didn’t want to move her. As he lay beneath her, her hair cascading over his side, her hand over his chest, he memorized the feel of her, the sure and steady cadence of her heart beating against his. He wanted to tell her he was going with her today and make her deal with it, but his father’s words held him back. You cage that girl in and you’re liable to get bitten.

  He wrestled with that thought over the course of the morning, tempted to tell her anyway when they were making love in the shower and again now, as he watched her dress in a cute pair of cutoffs and a white T-shirt with a red flannel shirt tied around her waist. Her hair curtained her face as she tightened the knot on the shirtsleeves, and she tipped a sweet smile in his direction. He was so high on her he couldn’t think straight.

  She crossed the floor slowly, reaching for him, and hooked her finger in the waistband of his jeans.

  “Did you drop your luggage at your place?”

  He shook his head, too messed up to speak.

  “Is it in the hall?” She gazed out of the bedroom.

  He shook his head again, cleared his throat, and forced his pussy-whipped self to man up. “During the fishing trip my brothers were going on and on about how sexy their wives were at the wedding.”

  She trapped her lower lip between her teeth, that raging smile she’d been flashing since he’d arrived refusing to be erased. “I might have given them a few pointers in seduction.”

  “Of course you did.” He tugged her against him, kissing the top of her sexy, stubborn head. “Jesus, those men don’t know what they’re in for.”

  She kissed his chest and peered up at him. “How does that explain your lack of luggage?”

  “I couldn’t stand listening to them and thinking about you. We cut the fishing trip short, I asked my father to get my stuff in the morning, and I hijacked Lucky and Cage. And the boat.”

  She laughed. “Do they even know how to drive a boat?”

  “That’s why I took Cage with me. My brothers were too horny to sit still another minute, and I couldn’t drag my father out because he’d give me shit for not giving you space. When we got back to the island I saw Lucky and Cage at the tavern. Lucky jumped at the chance to help me out. Apparently Cage owns a boat, and taught Lucky how to drive, but I guess he’s a bit of a wild child, so Cage came along.”

  She wound her arms around his middle. “So you dropped everything, stole a boat, and probably bought an outrageously expensive last-minute plane ticket just to see me.”

  He leaned down for a kiss. “And to make sure you’re safe, baby.”

  She pressed her lips together, narrowing her eyes. He expected a fight, and when she said, “That might be the sweetest, most romantic thing a person has ever done,” he let out a relieved breath.

  “That’s an overstatement, and I didn’t do it to be romantic.”

  She touched his chest, and he flattened his hand over hers.

  “And I didn’t think I liked romance,” she said tenderly. “But we’re both testing new boundaries.”

  Yeah, baby, I’d love to test your boundaries. He dragged her out of the bedroom.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The minute ‘boundaries’ comes out of your sexy mouth, my mind goes to dark places.” He tugged her against him again, needing to soak in as much of her as possible. “I’m going to cook you breakfast and pretend that word doesn’t exist, or you’re never going to make it to the mountains.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  ADDY SAT ON a stool at the counter watching Jake move around the kitchen like he belonged there, easily finding her pans and dishes and cutting up vegetables like a chef. “You didn’t strike me as a guy who knew how to cook. It makes you even hotter. Not that you need an ego stroke.”

  “I told you my paren
ts taught us to be prepared.” Leaning over the counter, he gave her a chaste kiss. “And I need to hear that every single day if it’s coming from you.”

  “Flirt.” She sipped her coffee. “I thought you meant in the wilderness, and pushing you career-wise.”

  He waved the spatula in her direction. “Preparedness in all aspects of life. Cooking, cleaning, laundry. You name it, we did it. And it’s probably a good thing, or we all would have starved after we left home. You can only put up with pizza for so long.” He turned back to the stove and loaded up two plates with mounds of vegetable and cheese omelets and toast, then plunked one plate down in front of Addy.

  “That’s good parenting. My parents taught me how to speak to the chef.” She stared down at the heap of omelets and toast. “This looks amazing, but I’m not really a breakfast person.”

  “Sexy girl, that is not a proper response to the chef. I might need to have a talk with your parents. You are about to go hiking for ten days. Ten. Days. You need all the nourishment you can get.” He handed her a fork and took a bite from his own plate.

  She gazed into Jake’s warm hazel eyes, thrills chasing through her veins. She still couldn’t believe he was there. “Thank you, but seriously, I never eat breakfast. I’m good with coffee.”

  He leaned his forearms on the counter, bringing his serious face within inches of hers. “You don’t have enough meat on your bones to argue this point. You need to eat.”

  She crossed her arms, feeling bad for refusing him, but she really wasn’t a breakfast person.

  “You’ve never done this, Addy. Backpacking is hard work, probably the hardest thing you’ll ever do. You’ll burn through thousands of calories just making it up to Riser’s Ridge.”

  “You have no idea what else I’ll do in my lifetime. Maybe this won’t be the hardest thing.” She hated the automatic response, but she’d obviously spent too many years tying up the obedient girl and releasing her counterpart, Little Miss Independent.

  He rose, his eyes boring into her. “Addy, this isn’t a battle of wills. It’s simple math. The average person needs a certain amount of calories every day. You add to that the three to five thousand calories they’ll burn by carrying a pack and hiking for four or five hours a day, and you’ve got a bigger calorie requirement than you can imagine. If you don’t replenish your calories, you’ll waste away.” His gaze softened, and he leaned in close again. “This isn’t me trying to bully you, sweetheart. It’s me trying to make sure you don’t end up too sick to make it down the fucking mountain.”

  She clenched her teeth, wishing he didn’t make sense.

  “You’re not giving in by taking care of yourself. Learning from others doesn’t make you weak, Addy. It makes you smart.”

  She stared at him for a long moment, battling herself more than him. “I’m not trying to be stubborn, and I appreciate your advice.” She picked up the fork, and as she scooped eggs onto it, she smiled up at him. “I’ll try, but don’t let this be like opening a door to you bossing me around or picking apart my abilities. Just because you make sense once doesn’t mean you’re Superman. Despite that tattoo.”

  “Are you going to be this belligerent the whole time we’re packing?”

  She shrugged. “I would say no, but we both know it would be a lie.” She ate the eggs, and the mix of spices and vegetables caused an explosion of flavor in her mouth. “Mm. Okay, this is seriously amazing.”

  He grinned.

  She pointed her fork at him. “I deserved that one, but watch it, buster. Tell me about your Superman status.” As she scooped up more eggs, she added, “But not if it has to do with a girl. No triggers today.”

  As he ate, his eyes drifted to her plate, nudging her along to put another mouthful down the hatch, which she did.

  “‘No triggers.’ I think I’m going to have that tattooed on your wrist.” He finished his plateful of eggs in a few fast bites and rubbed his hand over his tattoo.

  She felt her cheeks heat up, thinking about her earlier mention of toys. Maybe she did need a little reminder to behave after all. “I think I like ‘taken’ better.”

  He climbed onto the stool beside her and kissed her. “I’m glad you can finally admit it.” He lifted his shirtsleeve, his muscle flexing beneath the ink. “Do you really think I’d get a Superman tat because I think I deserve Superman status?”

  Her eyes slid down his chest. “If I were you I might.”

  He leaned forward with a sexy smile and said, “I’m not quite that arrogant.”

  She arched a brow, and he laughed.

  “Okay, maybe I am, but not in this case.” He pulled his sleeve down over the tattoo, but his hand remained on the cotton as he spoke. “I told you about my college buddy Chris. Well, Superman—Samson—was his older brother.”

  Addy placed her hand on his leg, drawn by the emotion in his voice.

  “Sammy was like a brother to me. He was funny as hell, and he gave me and Chris shit for being idiots, you know, like most college guys are. But he also took every chance he could to pound responsibility into our heads.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “We used to take an annual fishing trip up the Aucilla River. We’d camp, go fishing, hiking, and talk about how we’d still be taking the same trip when we were seventy. Sammy was a big guy. He had two inches and a good twenty pounds on me. There was nothing he couldn’t do. Sports, academics, you name it, he nailed it. The girls dug him. He had a clean-cut look. Dark eyes, pitch-black hair, muscles on top of muscles, but a warm, friendly demeanor despite his size. Clark Kent. Superman.” His voice got lower, and he looked away, blinking repeatedly, revealing the sensitive man behind the bravado.

  She’d seen glimpses of that side of him, but witnessing him struggling tore at her heart.

  Jake cleared his throat and placed his hand over hers. His thick fingers curled around her hand. “It was the summer before our senior year of college. We were fishing from the boat, having a good time, and Samson leaned over the boat to pull up a line of fish.” He swallowed hard, his eyes downcast, and nodded to her food. “Please eat, baby.”

  She picked up her toast and absently took a bite, wondering how he could think of her when he was in the middle of talking about something that brought heaviness to the air around them. “Keep going.”

  “I can still see him laughing at something Chris said as he leaned over the boat to grab the line. He was smiling so hard. We knew the river. Knew the dangers. We were always careful. But he didn’t look before he reached. A water moccasin got hold of his radial artery. What are the chances? Sammy’s eyes opened so wide, and there were two, maybe three seconds when we didn’t realize anything had happened, and then he let out a wail so loud it echoed against the trees. The goddamn snake had latched on and he was shaking it off.”

  His voice cracked, his eyes glazed over, and he shook his arm as if it were Sammy’s, shaking off the snake. “He grabbed it by the back of the neck and tore it off. And we knew. We knew…” His voice trailed off, and he released her hand to rub the tattoo again. “We were too busy talking shit. We never saw it coming.” Unabashedly turning damp eyes to Addy, he said, “It was over fast. When poisonous venom gets in a main blood vessel, there’s no slowing it down. He knew. We knew. The two minutes that followed were the worst of my entire life.”

  Addy couldn’t stop her tears from falling, even though she knew she should be strong for Jake. She climbed onto his lap, thinking of the look that had passed between him and his father at breakfast yesterday morning. Goose bumps rose on her arms. He held her in silence, the weight of his confession binding them together.

  A minute, or maybe ten, later, he said, “Come on, baby. You need to eat.”

  Addy finished most of her breakfast, even though she didn’t have the stomach for it, while Jake busied himself cleaning up the kitchen.

  “I’m sorry about your friend,” she finally said, feeling like there were no words that could possibly convey how deeply s
orry she truly was.

  He nodded, forced a half smile. “Yeah, me too.”

  Jake was quiet as he dried the frying pan and put it back where he’d found it. Addy washed her dishes, and they went into the living room. As he looked through her supplies, showing her how to use the compass and leafing through her unread wilderness books, dog-earring pages he insisted she read, she realized everything had changed again. While she was busy demanding to keep her independence the last few days, he was reliving a nightmare in his head. How often did he think of Samson? Superman. Sinking down to the floor beside him, she looked at the pointy design of his tattoo peeking out from beneath his sleeve, and she knew he thought of his friend every single day, whether he wanted to or not.

  THREE HOURS LATER Addy stood at the trailhead in her pink hiking boots and cutoff shorts, hands on hips, shaking her beautiful head at Jake and looking cuter than any woman should be allowed to.

  “Jake…”

  “Don’t look at me like I’m ridiculous, Addy.” After he told her about losing Samson, she’d eased up on her insistence about doing this whole camping thing on her own. She’d allowed him to teach her the basics about camping, hiking, and first aid, but she’d shut him down when he wanted to go over her meal plans and go through the food she’d packed. There was nowhere near enough time to cover everything he wanted to, and he’d given in, because fighting with Addy wouldn’t make saying goodbye any easier. But on the drive to the mountains, with the loss of his friend fresh on his mind, the realization of what she was taking on hit him head-on. He hadn’t expected to feel the need to push his way into her trip, but the idea of her walking up that trail without him went against everything he felt.

  “Anything can happen to you out here,” he insisted.

  She stepped forward, her smile reaching her eyes as she took his hand. “I know you have all sorts of scary thoughts going through your head about what’s going to happen to me. And after what you told me about Samson, I have to admit, I’m a little more nervous about doing this, too.”