“Oh,” Her mother grimaced back to him and hugged Amanda again for the twentieth time, before getting in the car.
“Love you!” Amanda waved at their car until it turned out of sight. Her heart squeezed together a little tighter than normal for some reason. They left later than they usually did; all because her folks badgered her to come home with them.
Go back to Fort Collins? Ah . . . No. Her nose scrunched up. Make that a resounding N.O.
Her left hand played with her bracelet on her right wrist. Just feeling the loops made her feel better and her gaze shifted down and she watched her thumb outline the glittery silver circles. Breaking her out of the melancholy mood draped over her, Ryder looped his arm around her waist. “How about some lunch?”
“Okay.” Amanda leaned into him and they headed back into the house. “I’ll pull together a salad and get it chilling in the fridge if you want to go for a run.”
“That sounds good.” Ryder grabbed the door and held it open for her. “I really do need a few miles.” He flipped his wrist over and glanced at his watch.
“You got it, big boy.” She bit her cheek after the words spilled out of her mouth. Amanda groaned inwardly. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut sometimes?
Ryder arched his eyebrow up at her last big-mouthed comment, while heat invaded her face. “Big boy, eh?”
She lowered her head and closed her eyes hoping to erase her last remark. Walking past him, she flung open the refrigerator. Narrowing her eyes, Amanda scanned the contents for salad makings. Good. Looked like she had everything she needed. After grabbing lettuce and spinach out of the fridge, she elbowed the door close and turned to set the greens on the shelf behind her coming face to face with Ryder. He smiled as he plucked the salad greens out of her hands and set them on the counter for her. When his arms came around her waist, she was forced to take two steps backward until her rear-end pushed up against a cabinet.
“Wha―?” Her head jerked up as both hands automatically reached out behind her to touch the countertop to brace herself. With her heart hammering wildly, she realized they were totally alone. No one would come walking down the stairs at any given moment or almost catch them in an innocent kiss. Having her kids around had always kept them chaste.
He didn’t really mean anything by his flirting, did he? Amanda hadn’t read anything into his kisses, only that they were wild and wonderful. Oh, and it was flattering that he did want to actually lock lips with her when a woman like Sophia Edgington was climbing all over him for attention. She looked up at his face. His soft brown eyes resembled melted chocolate.
“Amanda,” Ryder half-whispered and half-groaned before he crushed his mouth down on hers.
That was when she realized her fingertips frantically gripped the edge of her kitchen counter almost to the point of pain.
Calloused, rough hands gently cupped her face as he bent over and touched her lips. When his soft kisses became more demanding, she reached for him. He became her anchor and she kissed him just as intensely back. It wasn’t until she felt her nails digging into her palms did she realize his lightweight T-shirt was fisted in her hands and she’d ground her body into his. Ryder had kneed her thighs apart and had somehow fit his hard body in between her legs. Even through the jeans she’d recognized his arousal and plastered herself more into his frame.
The pounding in his head and groin took control of his actions and before he could stop, Ryder advanced on Amanda. Her green eyes widened as he plowed into her, but she met him head on. His palms cradled her jaw gently but he had to fight himself every step of the way to ease up and not throw her over his shoulder. When she pushed her cheek into his right palm, his thumb automatically stroked her soft skin and she groaned.
She was such a little tiger. Ryder pulled his left hand away from her jaw and brought it down to rest on her stomach.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Amanda blurted out after their lips parted.
“Oh, yeah, I am.” He scrunched up the material that covered her stomach in his hand and touched the soft skin on her belly. As his hands explored the silky flesh around her belly button, her breath hitched and his desire spiked higher. “Starving.” Grabbing her waist, he lifted her on top of the kitchen counter.
“Ryder,” Amanda said softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt pressure on his back and he sucked in a breath when he realized it was Amanda’s legs around his waist.
He hadn’t had a woman in so long. But it wasn’t any woman that would do.
Only Amanda. And they were all alone. No kids to have to worry about. They had her place to themselves for two whole weeks. They could get to know each other slowly.
He grinned, thinking of all the things they could do to get better acquainted. His fingers fumbled at the hem of her shirt and she lifted her arms so he could pull it up and over her head. Her green eyes glowed between the blond strands that fell over her face and she shook her head to push them out of the way. She gripped him tightly at the waist and her fingernails dug into his abdomen. He leaned back and looked at her as his hand crept up her ribcage.
Damn, she was pretty. No, she was beautiful. Even in a white lace bra, she took his breath away. Amanda easily blew away any other woman he’d ever been with in the past.
“Do you want this, Amanda?” Ryder leaned in close and asked softly near her ear.
She nodded.
“You sure?” He needed to be sure she was in this just as much as he was.
“Yes,” she whispered back.
Her pulse thumped wildly on the side of her neck. He said a silent thank you to the all mighty powers up above and reached for her waist. Pulling open the button, he tugged the zipper down.
With her eyes half-shut, she grabbed for the end of his shirt.
He instantly obeyed her silent command and held his arms up. She made it as far as his head as she leaned forward to tug it off, but it got stuck around his shoulders.
She pulled away and quietly laughed. “Help?”
He tugged it up and over his head then handed it to her. She flung it behind her carelessly and then leaned forward to place her hands on him. The silver bracelet danced around her right wrist as she touched him. The silver circles moved erotically around her arm.
Shit, right now anything she touched was a sexual gesture to him. Amanda’s fingers pressed along his lower belly and edged underneath the band of his jeans and he jumped on the balls of his feet and closed his eyes.
Just a little lower.
He held his breath.
Lower.
Ryder sucked in his breath, waiting . . .
DING DONG. DING DONG. DING DONG.
Her doorbell ripped through the lower level of the house. Amanda jerked her hand out of his pants and her eyebrows jumped up as their eyes locked together.
DING DONG. DING DONG. DING DONG.
“Who could that be?” she whispered.
Ryder let out his breath as his options just plummeted downward. He leaned his head over right as Amanda did the same and their foreheads met.
Damn. “Don’t know, honey.” His teeth clenched together.
“What time is it?” She spoke so softly he barely heard her.
“I think it’s around fifteen hundred hours.”
“Is that three o’clock?” she murmured huskily. “Kelsey! I completely forgot.” Groaning, she shook her head. “Kelsey, my friend.” Amanda cleared her throat. “Called yesterday, said she wanted to come over and help me get ready for the Dinner Dance.” She pushed at his chest and set one foot on the floor.
“Not so fast,” Ryder growled before he pulled her up against him. He lowered his head and pressed her body into his. His mouth crushed down on hers and she threaded her arms around his waist and kissed him back.
DING DONG. D
ING DONG. DING DONG.
After he lifted his head, he walked behind her and grabbed up her top. “Here, honey.” He grinned and pushed her shirt into her hands.
Amanda stayed still where she was. Her eyes were wide and she hadn’t moved yet. He liked kissing her senseless.
Chuckling softly he said, “I like ya fine the way you are, but I don’t want anyone else to see you like this.”
She shook her head as if to come out of a trance.
“Oh!” Finally moving, she threw her top over her head and pushed her hands through the sleeves. “That will be the last time you’ll see me like this.” Her face was beat red. “I honestly don’t know what came over me.”
He chuckled softly. “Uh huh.”
Amanda stomped to the front door.
“We’ll finish this later, okay?” he said as she stalked by him. Turning toward the refrigerator he opened it. “Want a sandwich?” With the door open, he waited for her to answer at least one of the questions he’d thrown at her.
Amanda took a few steps toward the front door and nodded and then shook her head. “I mean, no.”
“Beg pardon?”
She looked back at him. “No sandwich, Ryder.”
She looked slightly unsteady.
He took out the bread, mustard, and ham, but his eyes followed her as she walked to the front door.
When he saw her ready to just fling the door open without using any precautionary measure, he bellowed from across the kitchen, “Damn it, Amanda, use the peephole. Use more caution.”
DING DONG. DING DONG. DING DONG.
She turned and glared at him. Oops. Maybe he should’ve toned it down; women were so damn touchy. He stepped out of her vision to assemble his lunch. Man, Ryder could feel her making a face at him even though he couldn’t see her. He chuckled at the thought of her probably even sticking her little tongue out at him, too.
“Hi, Kelsey.”
Ryder heard her greet her friend and then they spoke in lower murmured tones while he busied himself spreading mayo and squirting mustard on two pieces of bread. Trying not to listen. He peeled off four slices of ham and threw them on the bread. Their footsteps padded up the stairs.
Pouring a cup of milk, he took his glass and sandwich over to the kitchen table and chowed down.
While his body ached from what didn’t happen.
“Honestly, Kels, I’m not sure why Ryder is still here.” Amanda walked into her bathroom with Kelsey on her heels. “The kids have left. He really doesn’t need to be here all the time.”
“Hello, are you home, Amanda?” Kelsey said dramatically and held up both hands in the air. “Honestly . . .” Her friend shook her head as she lifted the blue evening gown up off the top of the closet door. Taking the dress off the hanger, she held it out to her. “Strip, girlfriend.”
“What are you talking about?” Amanda asked as she undressed down to her undies.
Arms up.” Kelsey held the pretty sapphire gown out. “Here, slip this over your head.”
With her arms straight up in the air, she nodded and the soft material cascaded down her body.
“He’s obviously attracted to you.” Kelsey put her hands on her hips. “Duh. It’s so freakin’ obvious.”
“What?” Amanda adjusted the beautiful dress and smoothed it down with her hands.
“Oh honestly, you can be oblivious sometimes! The guy is crazy for you, Amy!”
Amanda snorted. Why would he be interested in her? She was just so ordinary. Her reflection in the bathroom mirror caught her eye. Was that her? Wow. She looked almost pretty. She pranced around the bathroom and swirled the hem of the gown around her ankles a few times. “Not bad, eh, Kels?” In the midst of a turn, she stumbled slightly, but caught herself against the sink counter.
“Amy, you look be-a-u-tiful.” Kelsey’s smile turned downward as she sucked in a breath. “Ah! What are those?” Kelsey squealed. “That gargantuan panty line!” She pointed her finger at Amanda. “Off with your mother’s underwear and put the thong on.”
“Ick.” Amanda scrunched up her forehead. “I don’t like them, they’re so uncomfortable, Kels.”
“You’ll ruin the entire look, Amy!”
“Don’t make me wear it, please, Kelsey.” Amanda studied herself, and oh no, she did have the lines and her butt looked terrible.
“Amanda Eugenia . . .”
“Ug, so now you think by sounding like my mother, you’ll get me to wear them?”
Kelsey chuckled. “Of course, it usually works, doesn’t it?”
Amanda pulled her brows down and reached under her dress to pull off her bikinis. She turned to look at her butt in the mirror. Yes, lots better.
I don’t need to wear that thin scrap of anal dental floss. I’ll go underwear-less under my gown! No one will ever know.
Kelsey narrowed her eyes. “Uh oh, why that smug look?”
“Ha! I just won’t wear anything under the dress tonight.” Amanda twirled around before facing her reflection again in the glass. “No one will ever know.”
“Uh, I do now.” Kelsey frowned. “Make sure the dress is cleaned five times before you return it, puleeze.” Her best friend laughed. “But seriously, you look much better than I ever did in it, I should just let you keep it.”
“I have a hard time believing that. You’re so much prettier than I am, Kelsey.”
“Oh, Amy, I’m just more colorful than you are, you mean.” Kelsey came and stood in front of her and set both hands on her shoulders. “You’re pretty, and you just don’t notice it. It’s like you downplay your looks or something.”
“Nooooo,” Amanda said before she turned to go into her closet. “Good news is, with this long dress, I can at least walk smoother again, because no one will be able to see my gross brace.”
“Ewe,” Kelsey scrunched up her face as her speech morphed into a Valley Girl voice. “You mean that totally un-cool and not tubular brace, right?”
“Yes, in tween-age speak that is.” Amanda giggled. “Totally not Rad. Barf me out brace, gross thong and totally un-tubular shoes.” She fitted her brace on her left leg and then slipped on some flat shoes. “But no one will be able to see them under my dress.” She turned serious. “OMG I need a total girl’s night out. I am going nuts. Kids are gone too. How about next Friday? You able?”
“Fer sher!” Kelsey laughed and bobbed her head. “You know, that actually hurt my head to talk like that.” She crooked her finger at Amanda still laughing. “Come. Sit. Must apply make-up.”
Amanda laughed along with her. “Yes, master.” She turned woodenly and walked like Frankenstein with her arms out to her make-up bench seat and sat down.
“Dark and smoky or soft and gentle?”
“Not sure. What do you recommend?”
“Let’s do sultry. Hey, Amy, when will you be going to the Dinner Dance at the Club again? You’ve got to live it up.”
“You’re right.” Amanda waved her off. “Go downstairs and let’s have a glass of wine. I got this. Oh, and . . .” She bit her lip. “Ryder will be down there. No flirting.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Kelsey wagged her eyebrows as she walked through the bathroom door into her bedroom. “I’ll be back in two hours!”
“Have fun down there,” Amanda snorted as she picked up her charcoal gray shadow from her table. Kelsey wouldn’t really flirt with Ryder would she? She carefully lined her top lid and tried not to think about them laughing and talking downstairs. Her cheeks burned and she shook her head.
I cannot believe that I’m jealous!
Even after that intimate tearing-off-the clothes scene while Kelsey stood at her front door, ringing the bell incessantly? Heck yes she was. She’d never had kissy scenes like that before with anyone―but Ryder. Not eve
n her Wayne, when he was her husband. They’d always planned out their sex. Looked at their schedules to make sure they were both available at the same time. Never did the devouring each other’s lips, crazy make-out sessions.
How pathetic was that?
Soft footsteps came up the stairs and Kelsey peeped into the bathroom and held up two glasses of wine in each hand.
“This is a peace offering.” She walked over and set down a glass of red wine by the eye shadow. “Mr. Studley Do-Right wasn’t even down there.”
Amanda looked away from the mirror and pushed her lips out. Yeah! “Oh, I’m sorry, Kels.”
“I did hear the kid’s shower going.” Kelsey slanted Amanda a sly look. “Thought maybe I could pop in and see what he was up to, you know?”
Amanda pushed her eyebrows up waiting to see how her friend would get out of this one. She loved Kelsey; she was the sister she never had. They always had fun together no matter what they did, and guys never got in the way of their friendship. Kelsey knew Ryder was off-limits. And Amanda knew without a doubt that her best friend could have any guy she wanted.
“But he’s not even remotely interested in moi.” Kelsey lifted her nose up in the air. “So, I’m not even going to waste my time on him.”
Good. “How should I wear my hair?” Amanda didn’t want to talk about Ryder anymore; didn’t want to joke about him. It was too personal for her.
Kelsey must’ve gotten the hint because she dropped the subject and came over and lifted the ends of her hair into her hands. “Up?” She tilted her head down studying her hair. “Yes, I definitely think up.”
Invisibility Cloak Page 25