by Jayne Blue
“Well, you didn’t get the chance to try did you?”
“No, I didn’t.” I saw the light come back into her eyes so I kept the conversation going. I wanted to grab her face in my hands as I’d done before but that was in the heat of combat. This girl was worth more than me turning on my normal moves. She was vulnerable but strong. Scared and bold at the same time.
“So tell me about your jewelry while I make these burgers.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Well, what does it look like?”
“I can show you some.” Jules fished around her lone bag and pulled out a velvet pouch. Inside the pouch were unique looking rings, bracelets, and chains.
“What do you have here?”
“My senior project. I grabbed it all before I ran. The pottery was too big. But I have my jewelry.”
I picked up a ring and turned it around in my fingers. It wasn’t blinged out or sparkly princess stuff. It was the opposite.
“It almost looks like something you could pick out of the lake. And I mean that in a nice way.” I had no idea how to talk about jewelry with this woman, but at least this topic had her smiling. Unlike the utter despair, she had in her eyes when she talked about her dad and her wedding day.
“No, I know, you’re right. I don’t like fussy, I like natural. I want it to look like what you said. Like you could see where it comes from.”
We ate my open fire burgers, and she explained her ideas. I didn’t press her about the Hawks. I also didn’t try anything. Though I couldn’t stop staring at her lips and the place where her collarbone and neck came together. I imagined it probably tasted very good.
We passed the time together until after sunset and I let the fire burn down to embers.
“I’m going to turn in. There’s room in there for two.” I indicated to my tent, which actually could sleep four, or so it said when I bought it at the camping store. But that would be four tiny people. At over six-feet tall I wasn’t the size of Ridge, Steel, or even Stone but I was bigger than your average bear. Still, this little thing could fit inside with me. I imagined the possibilities.
She must have been imagining too and gave me a sidelong look.
“I know you liked that kiss after our run in with the Hawks. But I get it. I’ll chalk it up to adrenaline.” She looked from the tent to the fire and seemed to be weighing her options.
“I appreciate you saving me. More than I can say. But it’s probably best if I just stay out here. I’ll be fine.” I had no idea what that meant, but I wasn’t having it.
“Get in. I’ll stay out here.”
“No, that’s not fair. I really can’t.”
“You’re not sleeping outside. Have you ever done that before?”
“No.”
“Okay.” Without warning, I lifted her over my shoulder and slid her inside the tent. We were both inside. Her beneath me. She’d barely had time to squeal in protest and my current position hovering over her on the tent floor was giving me a hard-on that was damned uncomfortable.
But I’d have to ignore it.
“Now, you stay here. Here’s my blanket. I’m taking this.” And I yanked the sleeping bag out from under her. It had the effect of lifting her body up to mine. Which was making ignoring my situation even worse.
I got up on my knees and crawled out, bag under one arm, Jules laying in the middle of my tent. I ventured a quick look back at her. She had a look of surprise, and her mouth was open. I wanted badly to kiss her again. But that was a bad idea. I didn’t want her to think my little roadside rescue came with strings attached.
She had plenty of strings wrapped around her, courtesy of her dad it seemed. I wasn’t going to add to them.
“Ryder. Really I can sleep out there.”
“Shh. G’Night.” I zipped up the tent and headed to the base of the tree just outside of my tent. I’d sleep outside. I’d done it before.
I slid into the bag. It was a warm night. It was hardly a hardship. The moon was bright as I settled in. One eye on the tent and one eye on the lake. It was really damn near perfect.
The small light in the corner of my tent clicked on. What the hell? Was she planning on reading? I tried to ignore it. This was, of course, impossible.
The light in the tent made it so I could see her silhouette. I watched her arrange the blanket I’d left. And then she killed me. Killed me dead. First, I watched her shimmy out of her jeans. Then that SCAD t-shirt went over her head. On the other side of one thin pup tent canvas was a nearly naked, completely gorgeous, damsel in distress.
The pup tent next to me was small in comparison to the pup tent under my sleeping bag. It was a long hour before I finally fell asleep. And when I did, I dreamed about that kiss by the side of the road from a runaway bride.
Chapter Five
Jules
I thought I wouldn’t sleep. Couldn’t sleep. But I did. Ryder had given up his getaway and now his actual tent so I could be comfortable. And knowing he was outside the zippered tent made me feel safe. For the first time since my Daddy had thrown me into a drama that he controlled, I felt free.
As I dozed off, I thought of the day. The mad dash away from the church, seeing Ryder for the first time, and the way he handled my dad’s goons. I’d never seen anyone, not a single soul, ever, stand up against my Daddy and his club. And Ryder did it with a sexy smile on his face. He didn’t question himself or me. He just took care of it. And me.
And he listened to me go on and on about my designs. My dreams of designing for a living had no place in the Devil’s Hawks.
In art school, we all dreamed and shared and planned. But that wasn’t reality as my Daddy so cruelly put it when I got home. I almost think he was glad that I had a “useless” degree. He reveled in throwing it in my face. He wanted me to be dependent on him. Trapped was his favorite position for the women in his life. He’d bullied my Mom, and now it was my turn.
I messed up his plans with Ryder’s help. But I knew that my plans were sketchy at best. Where would I go? How would I survive?
I figured I had three days to come up with something. Ryder had paid for three days here at the camp sight, and he wasn’t kicking me out. That was something to hold on to. I could stay hidden while the Hawks spun their Harley wheels looking for me.
So I closed my eyes. I had three days. And I had a kiss from Ryder on my lips. I heard him breathing outside the tent. It was amazing to me that he didn’t help me in exchange for anything. He didn’t jump me or paw at me. He could have.
The truth was I wanted him to kiss me again. When he’d lifted me over his shoulder and landed on top of me, I’d held my breath. I thought I’d get another of his toe-curling kisses. He held back, though. And crawled out of the little tent. It felt like respect and I hadn’t had that from a man wearing leather my entire life.
Ryder was sleeping under the stars, and I had my head in the clouds. I needed to figure shit out. I also needed to sleep. So I did.
I awoke to bacon, eggs, and my new friend at another open fire. He was quite the stunning sight especially with a skillet in hand.
“Wow. That smells good,” I said. Ryder looked as delicious as the food smelled. He’d ditched his jeans, leather, and t-shirt and was, in fact, shirtless and dressed in board shorts. He was spectacular. His abs were chiseled. His hipbones jutted out, and I couldn’t help but notice the way he filled out those shorts. I had to stop myself from staring.
I also felt self-conscious for a moment. I couldn’t imagine what I looked like. Mouth open, hair a mess, and the same jeans and t-shirt from last night. All of a sudden, I wished I had a flat iron or even toothpaste.
“Hope you don’t mind sharing a plate. I only packed one,” he said and indicated I sit at the picnic table. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to sniff my own breath.
“I hope you don’t mind, are you kidding me?” Ryder sat across from me and used a knife to spear the bacon. He’d offered the fork to me.
&nbs
p; “How’d you sleep?”
“Surprisingly great. Thank you. How about you?”
“Not as great. But not bad either.”
“You’re taking the tent tonight.” I felt guilty as hell. He shrugged at my suggestion.
“So those the only clothes you got?” he asked me.
“Yes. Daddy would have been suspicious if I’d packed a bigger bag.”
“Do you know how to swim?” He was firing questions at me.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Well, I’m going for a swim this morning, thought you’d like to join me.”
“Naked?” I blurted out.
“That would be my preference.” He looked me in the eye and then his gaze followed down my body. My face got hot.
“I’ll hang out here. Thanks.”
“I thought as much.” Ryder went over to his bike and pulled out a bag with the words Covert Campground General Store printed on it. He tossed it to me.
“Nice catch,” he said, and I untied the knotted handles of the bag.
Inside the bag, I found a t-shirt with a silhouette map of Michigan and the words “unsalted” printed on it, a travel toothbrush, a three pack of cheap cotton underwear, and at the bottom, a red bikini. All items you could get at a drugstore, or in this case apparently, the General Store of Covert Campground.
“They sell underwear?”
“Everything you’d need. They’ve even got Boones Farm. Another critical element to long-term survival.” I wrinkled my nose at Ryder.
“This is nice. Here.” I tried to give him cash like I had last night. But he pushed my hand away.
“It’s on me. I realize that the high-quality items you see, there would lead you to believe that thousands were spent, but I barely broke a twenty.”
“You should take it for gas money.” I already had hijacked his mini-camping trip. I didn’t want to owe him money too.
“You should hang on to all the cash you can.” He was right about that. I had no real idea where I was going or how I was going to make money once I got there. The $5,000 I had stashed in my bag could disappear fast.
“Well thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now I’m planning on going for a swim, maybe fish, and generally, appreciate nature. You’re welcome to join me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Am I sure I want a hot blonde hanging out with me all day? Yeah. I’m sure.” Ryder was a flirt. No question about it. And the idea of getting close to him in the water had me blushing
I took a quick walk to the campground facilities. The bathing suit was tiny. Four triangles and a few strings to hold it all together. I wondered if this was the only option from the camp store or a deliberate preference on Ryder’s part. I kind of hoped it was his preference.
I popped the Michigan t-shirt on top over the teeny bikini and walked back.
I worried about my bag and the cash inside. And at first, I didn’t see Ryder. I looked toward the water, and there he was. We were isolated. There’s no reason anyone would think I had my life savings in the pup tent, and it would be in my line of sight. I carefully placed the t-shirt over my bag in the tent and walked toward the water.
Lake Michigan was gorgeous. I had grown up in this state but on the other side. My dad built us a pool but wasn’t one to visit the lake. The President of the Devil’s Hawks didn’t do family vacations. Looking at the lake, I realized how much I had missed. It was spectacular and the color I’d imagine the Caribbean to be.
I put a toe into the water, and a little gasp escaped my lips. Cold!
Ryder heard me and turned to see me contemplating a complete retreat.
“Wow,” he said, and a gasp of his own escaped his lips. I watched his eyes dart to each little scrap of fabric.
“It’s a little small,” I said. But then again I was not in the position to complain. This man had thoughtfully provided me with a few things that I needed and didn’t have since fleeing my nuptials.
“It’s perfect.” Ryder hadn’t looked me in the eye since I’d showed up in the teeny bikini.
“Thanks,” I said and took one more tentative step. The sun was warm but this water. I wasn’t sure about.
“Come on.” Ryder put a handout.
“It’s freezing.”
“It’s not freezing. It’s invigorating.” I put my fingers in his, and he closed his hand around mine. Then he gave a little tug to urge me forward. I took a few more steps.
“Woo!” We were quickly knee deep, and Ryder was relentless.
“Come on Princess you won’t melt.”
“No, I’ll turn into an ice cube.” I had my arms lifted above the water as we waded in waist high.
“Sorry in advance,” Ryder said, and a smile spread across his face that despite the cold water, heated me down to my toes. Before I had a chance to ask what he was sorry for he pulled me forward and off balance. He lifted me up and literally chucked me into the lake! I went completely under.
It was cold, but he was right. Going under at once was way better than my bit by bit method.
But I wasn’t going to admit that to him! I charged. I got as much leverage as the sandy bottom would let me. I was going to get him under or die trying.
Ryder laughed as I jumped up to his shoulders and pushed down. He then pretended I wasn’t there.
“Ah, lovely day at the lake. I’ve got the sun and the water and the fish are biting.”
“You will go under! You will pay.” He laughed again and grabbed me around the waist. His skin was warm against mine. He drew me in close. His arms circled around me, and my body pressed up against him.
He had me lifted up and our lips were inches away.
I closed the distance. There was no reason, if I wanted a kiss, that I shouldn’t have one.
I put my lips on his. He let me kiss him, and it blinded me. I don’t know about love at first sight but maybe love at the second kiss. Whatever it was it was like lightning.
His tongue probed into mine. I held on as our kiss deepened. We were in the water, and he supported my body. I rubbed against his hard muscled chest and wanted more. The strings of my suit were flimsy at best, and I felt him slide them to the side. There was nothing but a tiny wet bit of fabric between him and me. He separated our mouths and looked down at me, nearly naked in the water with him.
He locked eyes, and I nodded. More than yes. That’s what I wanted to say. But all I could manage was a nod.
Ryder’s mouth trailed down my neck. I wrapped my legs around him and did everything I could to get closer. He used his teeth to trap my already hard nipples and I almost came right there. Right then. I was insane for more. I could feel his hardness pressed up against me. It almost hurt in the most delicious kind of way.
Ryder nudged the triangles of the bikini top to the side and exposed both my breasts. He buried his face in me, and his tongue and teeth teased me mercilessly. I squeezed my thighs around him and kissed his ear, his jaw, and his mouth. I couldn’t wait any longer I had to have him inside me.
I slid my hands down around his hips and slid the top of his shorts down just a little. Just enough to feel him spring free.
“Don’t play with me, Princess,” Ryder growled the warning into my ear. His breath was hot and heavy.
“Please. Fuck me.” I didn’t mince words. It’s what I wanted and what I needed.
“Dirty mouth for such a white dress,” he said and pulled up hard on the side of my bikini bottom before tugging one string completely free.
Ryder somehow maneuvered me right above him. The tip of him teasing me like his lips had earlier. The combination of his hot skin and the cold water made me crave the heat of him. He held me by my hips over him, and I tried to get lower, take him in, make it happened. But he was in control. He slid me down slowly, inch by torrid inch, and I moaned loudly into the air. God I hoped we were as alone as I thought we were.
He was almost too much. He pushed my hips down so I was filled with him. I cried out again as h
e clamped his lips down on my breast and rocked into me. Then slowly I felt him lift me and slide almost out. I clenched for him with my hands, with my core, with everything I had.
“I love watching you come apart. It’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” He told me and then pushed my hips downward onto him again.
The water slowed the motion down enough to have me desperate. I was at the mercy of his hands lifting me and pushing me down onto this length. I couldn’t rock against him with no gravity to help me. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced. His hands roamed from my hips to the back of my cheeks, and he squeezed them hard.
All the while he gave both of my breasts attention with his tongue. I was overwhelmed. Out of control. Out of my head. We were in the open air, in the morning sun, and I didn’t once think once about anyone catching us.
He slid me up again almost away. And that’s when I snapped.
“I’m begging. Please. Let me. Now. I can’t hold on I can’t,” I said, and he gave me a smile that was almost cruel if it wasn’t so damn sexy. He looked like a wolf, ready to eat me whole.
“Come.” Was all he said and then he pushed me down again. He was deeper than anyone had been with me before. Maybe it was my position on him. Maybe it was the water. I don’t know. He lifted me and rocked me at his own whim. I felt light explode in my eyes. I felt tremors run from my center to my toes as he finally sealed my hips to his. His hard up tight against my soft.
“Yes, oh my God. Ryder. Yes.” The waves of pleasure went on and on. I was outside my head. I opened my eyes to find him watching my every move. His eyes drinking me in as I felt something more intense than I thought possible.
I fell apart under his hands. I came and yet he was still hard and long. He had me in pieces, and he was still right there.
He dragged us both to the shallower part of the beach, and we fell into the sand. Only a thin layer of water washing over us. I was now on the sand beneath him. I was raw. Quivering.
I was still trying to process when he levered over me and supported his body with his own strong hands. And then ripped apart my world. He split me open with his size, he pounded and pounded while I felt a new wave of pleasure build. The sand was grinding into my skin from the bottom while he grinded into me from the top.