We met Kade’s baby brother, James, who is so different from Kade, but just as much of a pain in the ass. Kade and James put us both in a cab, and Kade said he would get our car dropped off at Ryder’s house. Kade is a serious trouble maker, I’m pretty sure he hustled us. He and James were laughing so hard, I had no idea what was so damn hilarious.
I help Tee up, and we lean on each other for support. We spend about five seconds looking through her handbag for the house key when the door is pulled open. Ryder.
“You made it home safely, I see,” he says, moving aside to let us both in. He looks so sexy, wearing nothing but a pair of black track pants. They're sitting dangerously low on his hips, below the sexy indentation of his masculine Vs. I swallow hard. My eyes stray to his nipple ring, which is so damn sexy I want to lick it and play with it with my tongue.
“Can you stop eye fucking him in front of me?” Tee laughs. I start giggling again. Ryder shakes his head at our antics.
“I knew you two were coming home drunk so I prepared myself,” he says with a smile, walking us over to the couch. He hands us both bottles of water and puts food on the table; sandwiches. I suddenly find myself ravenous and start digging in.
“You knew we were coming?” I ask before taking a bite of the chicken salad sandwich.
“Yeah, Kade sent me a message,” he says with a frown. “What the hell were you two doing at that bar anyway?”
“Well,” I start, “we found an apartment! It’s perfect! I’m going to miss this view though,” I say, staring at his chest once again. Ryder frowns at our announcement, not looking happy for us at all.
“I’m off to bed!” Tee announces merrily, walking a few steps before tripping over her shoes which she had just dumped on the floor. Ryder sighs heavily, walking up to Tee and picking her up. He takes her to her room and walks out seconds later.
“She usually has a high alcohol tolerance, so you guys must have really gone wild,” he says, shaking his head.
“Oh yeah. We lost a bet, but Tee had an extra few drinks. For fun,” I say with a snort.
“Oh I bet she did,” he says, rubbing his palm across the stubble on his chin. He looks even sexier with that scruffy stubble. I tell him so.
“Well perhaps I should keep it, then,” he suggests. I nod, my eyes wide.
“So, do I need to carry you to bed, too?”
“Oh, I sure hope so,” I say, putting down my now empty plate. Ryder just gives me a devastating smile as he clears up the plates and cups from the table. After he rinses and puts everything in the dishwasher, he lifts me up in his arms and heads to the guest room.
“Can I sleep in your bed?” I ask whilst nuzzling his neck. Ryder stills for a moment before turning to his room. This is the first time I’m inside his room, but I’m still tipsy and can’t think of anything else besides Ryder and bed. Ryder lays me down on his thick black bedcovers and I sink in with a sigh of contentment. He carefully removes my shoes, then leaves the room and comes back in with something in his hands. A makeup wipe from the bathroom. He really is adorable. He starts to wipe my makeup off for me, but I put him out of his misery by taking it from him and wiping it off myself. I jump up, slightly wobbly, and pull off my shorts, my shirt, and my bra. I glance over at Ryder to see his eyes dark, the darkest I have ever seen them.
“Do you have a T-shirt I could wear?” I ask huskily. Ryder nods, but doesn’t move for a moment. He finally reaches into one of his drawers and pulls out a soft, worn gray T-shirt. I put it on and quickly head into his bathroom. I spot a new toothbrush and open it, and then brush my teeth. I walk back into the room and give Ryder a giddy smile. He’s laying on his bed, arms crossed behind his head, his eyes on me. He scoots upwards and his body tenses and flexes with the motion. He's so damn sexy. His tattoos are pieces of art, and they give him a dangerous edge. My eyes stray to his nipple ring once again and my breath hitches. I climb into bed with him, slipping under the sheets. When I lean over and give him a hungry kiss, he pulls away just when things are about to get serious.
“Not tonight, Lexi,” he says.
“Wait, what?”
“Not tonight, you’ve been drinking. Just sleep now,” he soothes, pulling me close to him and rubbing his hand up and down my spine. I huff, but a few seconds later, I pass out.
*****
I wake up with a headache and groan out loud. I haven’t had a hangover in such a long time, and I sure as hell didn’t miss them. I hear a chuckle and glance over to see Ryder, his eyes peering lazily at me through his thick black lashes.
“I made you breakfast in bed,” he says, gesturing to the tray on the side table next to his bed.
“Why are you yelling?” I ask in a rough voice, lifting the sheets over my head.
“You should know by now to never try and keep up with Tee. I’m pretty certain she could drink me under the table,” he adds with a chuckle. Well, someone is a morning person.
“Try Tee and Kade. I think those two should be banned from seeing each other,” I croak.
“Coffee?” I ask hopefully.
“Right here, darlin’,” he says, and I lift the sheet off my head and sit up, greedily accepting the coffee.
“Thanks, Ryder,” I say, taking a sip. The liquid goodness slides down my throat and I moan.
“So good,” I bite out, before taking another sip. Ryder’s lips curl into a grin. It suddenly hits me that here I am, in Ryder’s bed, wearing nothing but his T-shirt and my panties, and he's right next to me wearing only a pair of pants. I choke on my next sip of coffee, and cough a little.
“You okay there?” he asks. I nod and put my coffee down on the side table. I glance over at Ryder and our eyes lock. The air suddenly gets thicker, and I see Ryder swallow hard, his throat working with the motion. I push the sheet down off my body and sit up on my knees, facing him.
“What is this?” I whisper to him.
“I don’t know,” he responds, his gaze raking over me. Suddenly feeling bold, I lift up his T-shirt off my body, and throw it on the floor. I hear his sudden intake of breath, and my pulse starts to race. His eyes stray to my breasts, and I watch as he nibbles on his lower lip.
“Are you sure?” he asks in a husky low tone. I nod, which is all the answer he needs, because he's on me in a second. He grips my ass with both of his hands and lifts me up to straddle his thighs. He's sitting on his knees in the middle of his bed, and he groans as my breasts rub against his chest. Our lips connect in an instant, and Ryder’s lips devour me, his tongue tasting and playing with mine. I run my fingers through his messy chocolate brown hair, and he groans slightly, his own fingers digging deeper into the flesh of my ass. I sense Ryder’s impatience when he moves from my lips to my jaw, trailing wet kisses down my neck, and across my shoulder.
Ryder lifts me up and pushes me back on the bed, instantly lying on top of me. He takes one of my nipples into his mouth, suckling gently as his hands slowly pull down my lace panties. He pulls away from my breasts and I take the opportunity to lick his nipple ring, and gently tug on it with my teeth. Ryder hisses out a curse and pins me down to the bed, capturing both of my hands in one of his, lifting them up over my head so I can’t touch him and he's the one in total control. I watch as he leans back, my arms still pinned, and use his free hands to pull down his track pants. I groan. He is huge; thick, long, and beautiful. But even better than that, he's pierced. I moan and lick my lips.
Ryder lets go of my hands and reaches over to pull out a condom from his top drawer. He rolls it on easily, before leaning over me, and kissing me hungrily. He slowly slides the tip into me, and I can’t help the loud throaty moan that escapes my mouth. He gently pushes himself inside me, and I can tell he's using all of his strength not to slide home. He knows it’s been a year for me and he's taking it slowly. I lift my hips up, so he slides into me faster, causing him to call out another curse.
“Lexi,” he groans, moving his hips in smooth deep strokes.
I lift my hips up to
meet him, moving in time with him to each thrust. It’s not long before I can feel the warmth tugging in my lower belly, and I scream out Ryder’s name as I climax. I ride each wave, panting heavily. As I finally sag onto the bed, sated, Ryder shudders on top of me with his own release.
Afterwards, he kisses me tenderly on the forehead, before sliding out of me, and heading to the bathroom to clean up. I stretch out my body lazily as Ryder walks back into the room, and hops back into bed with me. He starts to kiss me again, gentle, chaste kisses, at first, that soon turn into deep, demanding ones. I gasp when I feel him hard and ready to take me once again.
“Ryder…” I moan out in surprise and eagerness.
“I told you you'd be blown away,” he whispers with a smug grin.
*****
After spending the whole day in bed, Ryder and I finally resurface. I jump into the shower, and blush when I think of all the things we did. The man has many talents, that’s for sure. I get dressed and walk out into the kitchen, and start to laugh when I see the note Tee left on the fridge.
Lexi,
I really didn’t need to hear all that. He's my cousin after all, I DO NOT need to hear how good he is in bed. I’ve gone to hang out with Layla. See you in the evening. Call me if you want anything.
Love, Tee XXX
“What’s so funny?” Ryder asks, also freshly showered. He's wearing a pair of faded jeans sitting low on his lean hips and a v-neck black t-shirt that is stretched deliciously over his chest. I show him the note, and he just shakes his head at his cousin's antics.
“I gotta head out, I was meant to be at rehearsal hours ago,” he says with a raised eyebrow.
I bite my lip. “Can’t say I’m sorry.”
“Me neither,” he says, smirking and pulling me towards him by the waist. He brushes his lips once against my neck, before pulling back, and watching me, affection evident in his eyes.
“I’ll see you this evening, my queen of hearts,” he whispers against my lips, leaning in for a slow kiss. When he's done, I’m more than ready to head back into the bedroom.
“Don’t look at me like that, Lexi,” he warns in a gravelly voice.
“Like what?” I ask innocently, my eyes wide. I may or may not bat my lashes at him.
“You’re such a temptress,” he mock growls, ravishing my lips once more before heading for the door.
I exhale deeply.
Only Ryder could leave my pulse racing with just a simple kiss.
*****
Tee walks in about an hour later, a knowing smirk on her gorgeous face.
“You’re a screamer. I wish I didn’t know that about you, Lexi,” she says with a smirk. I choke on my coffee. The woman has no filter.
“What’s that you have?” I ask, purposely changing the subject. She's carrying a box of something that has ‘Eat and Die’ written on the side. Tee glances down at the box and laughs. “Oh, this. I was at Layla’s and found this box of chocolates, so I thought I’d help Layla out by taking them,” she says with a shrug. I walk over and peer into the box. It’s filled with Twix bars, about twenty of them.
“How are you helping Layla by eating all her chocolate? You’re taking chocolate from your own sister now?” I say in a surprised and slightly horrified tone. Tee chuckles evilly. “Nah, I’m pretty sure it’s Chase’s.”
*****
Chapter 9
Lexi
I stare around at our new apartment and grin. Tee and I have officially been moved in for five days now, and the place is already starting to feel like home. Luckily it was already furnished, so we didn’t need to do much besides add our personal belongings and stock up on food. We also had to buy bed sheets, towels, cleaning products, and other household items.
Ryder wasn’t too happy when I moved out. In fact, he sulked for a little while, saying there was no rush to leave. I’m not too far away from Ryder’s apartment, maybe about ten minutes, so it’s no big deal. I love the feeling of having a place to call mine, the freedom to do whatever I please.
I started my job at the bar yesterday, and so far, so good. I’m only working every Tuesday, because I got offered another job as a receptionist at law firm. The manager at Steele is a really nice girl named Payton. She's covered in tattoos and has thick jet black hair, the woman could be a pin up model. I love the fact that I’m earning money again, and that I can stop pulling money out from my savings account.
Tee's gone to visit her parents and calm them down after they finally found out she was in town and hadn’t told them. She'll be gone for two nights, so I thought I’d invite Ryder over for dinner. I’ve baked chicken with garlic bread, corn, and salad; everything is ready and waiting.
There's a knock on the door and I quickly glance down and check over my outfit. I had decided on black skinny jeans with a thin yellow belt and a black top that was all covered in front, but very open at the back. I walk to the door and open it, my heart thumping in my chest when my eyes land on Ryder.
“You look beautiful,” he tells me huskily, stepping in and capturing my lips in a searing kiss. Then he walks forward, our lips still connected, and closes the front door with a push of his foot.
“I’ve missed you,” he says against my lips.
“Me, too,” I whisper, pulling back, my gaze still on his sinful mouth.
“It’s been so boring at home, it’s so damn quiet now,” he adds with a crooked grin.
“I’m sure you'll survive,” I say playfully. Ryder grunts, shaking his head. “Something smells amazing,” he says, wandering into the kitchen.
“I’m not sure what I want to eat first,” Ryder muses suggestively, as he glances between the food and me. My face goes a little red, and Ryder chuckles throatily.
“I think that blush answered that question,” he says, walking over to me and lifting me in his arms. He carries me to my room and to my bed, laying me on the red and black skull comforter. He gets down on his knees and pulls me down the bed so my legs are dangling. Then he undoes my belt and the button of my jeans, pulling my pants down. He makes a sound at the back of his throat before he nuzzles the inside of my thigh, slowly heading upwards.
“You smell so good,” he says gruffly, “I’m going to take my time with you.”
And he does.
In fact, we eat dinner four hours later.
*****
I’m home alone, and bored. I pull out my guitar and start to play a few random songs. I play ‘Underneath Your Clothes’ by Shakira. I sing the last line, already thinking about which song I want to practice next, when I hear someone clear their throat behind me. I spin around, and my eyes widen when I see Ryder standing there watching me, his eyes glimmering with emotion. He's leaning against the door, his posture casual, but his eyes are heated and intense.
“You are so fucking amazing, Lexi,” he rasps. I open my mouth, and close it again, still in shock. I don’t usually let anyone hear me sing, unless I'm extremely comfortable with that person. The only other person I have sung with is my ex, and that once wonderful memory is now tainted.
“Play me another song, please,” he begs quietly, walking into the room and sitting down on the bed next to me. I open my mouth to decline but he says, “Please, Lexi,” once more and I break.
“Okay,” I say, clearing my throat. I think for a moment and decide on ‘Creep’ by Radiohead. When I’m done, my hands are shaking. Ryder shakes his head in awe. “It should be you up there on stage, instead of me.” I blush at his compliment.
“You know, for someone who likes R&B music, I’ve never heard you play or sing it,” he muses with a grin.
I shrug. “Wouldn’t want to get kicked out of your apartment. I do love all different music genres though.”
Ryder laughs. “Who are your favourites?” He seems genuinely interested, so I name a few.
“J. Holiday for one, I love all of his songs,” I tell him.
“Never heard of him,” Ryder says with a sheepish smile.
“Joe?” I
ask.
“Oh yes, I’ve been practicing Joe ‘I Believe in You’ for Layla’s wedding. She wants me to sing it."
“You're so damn sweet,” I tell him.
“Yeah, well, it was that or a One Direction song,” he says with a shudder.
I burst out laughing. Layla is a treat, she really is.
“Will you play it for me?” I ask him softly.
“I believe in you?” he asks, and I nod. “Okay, I’ve only learnt the first verse and chorus so far though,” he admits as he takes my guitar.
“That’s okay,” I assure him.
“Don’t laugh. I think this is the first R&B song I’ve ever sung,” he says shyly. I hold my breath as Ryder sings the first verse. Layla is going to be blown away at her wedding, that’s for sure. I won’t be surprised if there are rivers of tears shed. He sounds incredible, and the song is beautiful. When he hits the chorus, I swoon.
As soon as he finishes the last note, I pull my guitar away from him and jump on his lap, practically attacking him, my mouth attached to his. Ryder chuckles huskily when my hands start to roam his body.
“I should sing for you more often,” he says, as he pulls off my tank top, his eyes heatedly raking over my body.
*****
The next night Ryder and I are staying in watching movies. I picked up three movies on my way home from work, and I’m sitting comfortably on Ryder’s couch waiting for him to bring the popcorn from the kitchen.
“So what are we watching, darlin’?” Ryder asks as he walks in with a huge bowl of popcorn and two wineglasses.
“We have three choices. Pitch Perfect, Hotel Transylvania or Ten Inch Hero,” I tell him as I take the wineglasses from him and place them on the coffee table.
“Ten Inch… you got us porn?” he asks me, his eyebrows almost hitting his hairline.
“Porn? What?” I sputter.
Ryder (Resisting Love) Page 5