Ryder

by Dale Mayer

  “Do you remember this?” He clasped both wrists with his injured arm and slid his other hand down to cup her breast, his fingers automatically testing the weight, the plumpness, the firm peak between his fingers. Then he slid his hand lower, then under her shirt to sweep across her soft smooth skin, his fingers dancing along the edge of her pants. “You remember this?”

  Her breath came out in harsh gasps as she twisted in his arms. “I remember this all too well,” she groaned, her body arching under him. “I remember threatening you if you didn’t let go of my wrists.”

  He chuckled and gently released one of her hands. “And I remember doing exactly as you requested.” He slid his hand down her hip, around the back to her cheeks and gave a gentle squeeze of her jeans-clad butt. Slowly teasing, he slipped his hand farther down her thigh to the back of her knee, skimming the space where she was so tender and ticklish, all the way down to her ankle. He slipped her shoes off and followed them with her socks.

  Within seconds his hand was at her jeans, opening the zipper and undoing the button. She’d been amazed back then at his skill in removing her clothes. Now she was damn grateful. Her jeans went flying to the floor almost without her noticing.

  Now that she was clad in a narrow thong, his breath caught in the back of his throat as he dipped a finger under the elastic to the tiny swath of curls underneath. “Jesus, you’re beautiful.”

  He lowered his head, placed a ribbon of kisses across her ribs, her collarbone, her arms and the inside of her elbow. He pushed her shirt higher and higher, making a path for his kisses, for that sensitive trail that drove her nuts. He’d always been able to do that to her. Their passion had been instant. Once they had given themselves permission to go that route, nothing had ever been the same again. And she knew nothing ever would be again.

  This was the man for her. This was the man she’d always loved. She didn’t know why it had taken her so long to figure it out. But now that she had, she didn’t want to waste another moment. With her shirt pulled up against her chin, and her chest exposed, he quickly loosened her bra around the back, letting it slide up over her breasts. He drove her wild as he suckled each in turn.

  She tried to release her other hand to get his shirt off, but it was so damn hard. She couldn’t reach more than his shoulders, a little bit of his back, his head. She stroked her fingers through his curls around his ear, trying to pull him up higher, but he wouldn’t let her. He was doing this his way, in his time, and she was helpless to resist. Nor did she want to. She twisted beneath him, moaning as he lit a fire deep inside. Finally he released her, and her shirt flew off her back to the floor. He straddled her and slipped the bra up her arms to join the rest of her clothing.

  As she lay there before him, beneath him in just a thong, she watched him as he studied her. Her heart thudded in her chest at his flushed skin and the hot gaze as he grasped her hands, tugging them against his mouth, where he kissed her fingers one by one.

  “Dear God, I never thought I’d get here again.”

  She stretched out her fingers to stroke his cheek, her body arching, and whispered, “Come to me. Come to me now.”

  He released her fingers and pulled his shirt off over his head. Her fingers slid down his chest to his jeans, opening the button, sliding down the zipper over the hard ridge underneath. Her finger slipped inside, searching, stroking and aching to grasp the erection she knew all too well. And yet, not well enough. He groaned, rolled to the side, and within seconds he was nude.

  His right hand closed around hers on his shaft, and he squeezed gently for a moment, shuddering. The fingers of his left hand slid in long strokes from her shoulders over her breasts down to her small waist. “Your skin … it’s so delicate … soft.”

  His fingers stroked, soothed and teased her skin. Tiny mewling cries escaped her throat. She barely recognized the sounds or her body movements as she twisted under his ministrations. When his fingers teased along the edge of her thong, her lower body both retreated and arched into his caress, wanting so much more but barely able to stand his sensuous touch. He lowered his head and kissed her navel, his tongue sliding along the elastic of her thong, his mouth dropping kisses on the curls below. She reached out and grabbed his head to pull him up, her legs widening and stretching, making room for him.

  “I need you now,” she whispered. “I want you inside me. As a part of me. One with me.”

  He shuddered at her words, and the triangle scrap of material was suddenly gone. He slid his hands under her hips, lifted her up, opened her even wider and then, sitting back on his knees, he placed himself at the heart of her.

  She opened her eyes and smiled. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes.”

  And he thrust home. She arched, crying out. He stilled, a question in his eyes.

  She shook her head. “So good. So damned good.”

  Then he started to move. Gone was the control. Gone was the restraint. He pounded into her, driving hard for the release they both needed. And she reached it, crying out, before collapsing down to hold him close. He drove once, twice, three more times, and unbelievably she could feel the tension inside her twisting harder, tighter, stronger yet again. Finally he groaned, and a long cry, guttural and deep, released from his throat as he rode through her.

  She splintered apart again. He collapsed beside her and held her close.

  When she could, she whispered, “I don’t think two days will be enough.”

  “I don’t think our lifetime will be enough.”

  Tears burned her eyes as she realized just how much she’d almost missed out on. She tilted her head back and said, “Welcome home.”

  He rolled over and kissed her. And she knew neither of them would ever be alone again.

  Epilogue

  Macklin opened his arms, and Caitlyn raced into them, laughing.

  Then she jumped back and exclaimed, “Oh, your shoulder. I’m so sorry.”

  It was his turn to laugh. “Oh, no, you don’t. There’s no way any injury will stop me from accepting a hug from you. Besides, I’m doing just fine. I’m heading back to work next week.”

  She squealed. “Oh, that’s excellent news.”

  He hugged her and stepped back. “I’m glad you think so.” He nodded at Ryder who stood behind her. “And I have you to thank for saving my life.”

  Ryder shook his head. “No need to thank me. You can return the favor sometime. Although I hope the situation doesn’t arise.”

  “It better not,” Caitlyn said. She spun to glare at him. “That would mean you were in a really bad place.” She reached out and slugged him gently. “And I won’t have that. Not anymore.”

  Ryder’s smile quirked, and he wrapped an arm around her, cuddling her close. “I’ll be fine.”

  Mac was happy the two of them had settled their differences and appeared to be on a smooth path for the first time in years. They looked like they’d make it this time.

  Mac, on the other hand, was avoiding all relationships for the moment. He was happy to be around his friends, but not one of them had had the horrible experience he’d had. And no way would he repeat it.

  Marsha had been a bad mistake—but he’d chosen her. So what did that say about the decisions he made? It said he was absolutely shitty at them. And the last thing he wanted was to make another shitty one.

  So it was abstinence for him.

  Something he never thought he’d say.

  A commotion at the restaurant entrance had the diners turning to look. The military police stepped inside and turned to study the patrons. The officer closest to them stood tall, her posture commanding, powerful. He’d seen that in men but not in a woman. In spite of himself, he was intrigued. The thought of abstinence was immediately discarded.

  Hell no. Not with this woman.

  Now seated at the table again, Ryder took one look and said, “Uh-oh, I hope she’s not coming over here.”

  “Why?” Caitlyn asked. “I’ve seen Alex at the gym several times. She’s
really nice.”

  “She might be, but she’s also the hotshot new CID special agent. She just transferred in from Back East.”

  Macklin studied the tall slim woman who even now walked toward him. “I don’t think I’ve met her.”

  Caitlyn jumped to her feet as the agent approached. “Hi, Alex.”

  A warmth lit up the thirtysomething woman’s eyes. She acknowledged Caitlyn’s greeting, but her gaze was locked on Macklin.

  He raised his eyebrow and waited.

  “I need you to come down to the station, please,” she said in low tones.

  Macklin frowned at the others at the table, then turned back to her. “Sure. Can you tell me why?”

  “We need to ask you some questions.” She waited quietly. No pressure but no relenting.

  He would go with her one way or the other. “Questions about what?” He pulled out his wallet and tossed a few bills on the table. Lunch was obviously not happening.

  “A young woman. I believe you know her. Marsha McEwan?”

  He froze. Caitlyn and Ryder’s gasps echoed his own. Corey jumped up from his seat at the table. “I’ll come with you, Mac.”

  Macklin stared at the agent, hating that he wanted to drown in her clear-mountain-lake blue eyes, and stood, instantly dwarfing her. In no way did she appear intimidated.

  “I’d be happy to come,” he said calmly. “What’s the problem?”

  “She’s dead.”

  This concludes Book 14 of SEALs of Honor: Ryder.

  Book 15 is available here.

  Macklin: SEALs of Honor, Book 15

  Buy this book at Google Play.

  SEALs of Honor Series

  Mason: SEALs of Honor, Book 1

  Hawk: SEALs of Honor, Book 2

  Dane: SEALs of Honor, Book 3

  Swede: SEALs of Honor, Book 4

  Shadow: SEALs of Honor, Book 5

  Cooper: SEALs of Honor, Book 6

  Markus: SEALs of Honor, Book 7

  Evan: SEALs of Honor, Book 8

  Mason’s Wish: SEALs of Honor, Book 9

  Chase: SEALs of Honor, Book 10

  Brett: SEALs of Honor, Book 11

  Devlin: SEALs of Honor, Book 12

  Easton: SEALs of Honor, Book 13

  Ryder: SEALs of Honor, Book 14

  Macklin: SEALs of Honor, Book 15

  SEALs of Honor, Books 1–3

  SEALs of Honor, Books 4–6

  SEALs of Honor, Books 7–10

  Author’s Note

  Thanks for reading. By now many of you have read my explanation of how I love to see Star Ratings. The only catch is that we as authors have no idea what you think of a book if it’s not reviewed. And yes, every book in a series needs reviews. All it takes is as little as two words: Fun Story. Yep, that’s all. So, if you enjoyed reading, please take a second to let others know you enjoyed it.

  For those of you who have not read a previous book and have no idea why we authors keep asking you as a reader to take a few minutes to leave even a two word review, here’s more explanation of reviews in this crazy business.

  Reviews (not just ratings) help authors qualify for advertising opportunities and help other readers make purchasing decisions. Without triple digit reviews, an author may miss out on valuable advertising opportunities. And with only “star ratings” the author has little chance of participating in certain promotions. Which means fewer sales offered to my favorite readers!

  Another reason to take a minute and leave a review is that often a few kind words left in a review can make a huge difference to an author and their muse. Recently new to reviewing fans have left a few words after reading a similar letter and they were tonic to a tired muse! LOL Seriously. Star ratings simply do not have the same impact to thank or encourage an author when the writing gets tough.

  So please consider taking a moment to write even a handful of words. Writing a review only takes a few minutes of your time. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy book report, just a few words expressing what you enjoyed most about the story. Here are a few tips of how to leave a review.

  Please continue to rate the books as you read, but take an extra moment and pop over to the review section and leave a few words too!

  Most of all – Thank you for reading. I look forward to hearing from you.

  I love to hear from readers, and you can contact me at my website: www.dalemayer.com or at my Facebook author page. To be informed of new releases and special offers, sign up for my newsletter or follow me on BookBub. And if you are interested in joining Dale Mayer’s Fan Club, here is the Facebook sign up page.

  Cheers,

  Dale Mayer

  Heroes for Hire

  Welcome to the first 3 books in Heroes for Hire reconnecting readers with the unforgettable men from SEALs of Honor in a new series of action packed, page turning romantic suspense that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Dale Mayer.

  Levi’s Legend: Heroes for Hire, Book 1

  Buy this book at Google Play.

  Stone’s Surrender: Heroes for Hire, Book 2

  Buy this book at Google Play.

  Merk’s Mistake: Heroes for Hire, Book 3

  Buy this book at Google Play.

  Heroes for Hire Series

  Levi’s Legend: Heroes for Hire, Book 1

  Stone’s Surrender: Heroes for Hire, Book 2

  Merk’s Mistake: Heroes for Hire, Book 3

  Rhodes’s Reward: Heroes for Hire, Book 4

  Flynn’s Firecracker: Heroes for Hire, Book 5

  Logan’s Light: Heroes for Hire, Book 6

  Harrison’s Heart: Heroes for Hire, Book 7

  Saul’s Sweetheart: Heroes for Hire, Book 8

  Dakota’s Delight: Heroes for Hire, Book 9

  Michael’s Mercy: Heroes for Hire, Book 10

  Tyson’s Treasure: Heroes for Hire, Book 11

  Jace’s Jewel: Heroes for Hire, Book 12

  Heroes for Hire, Books 1–3

  Heroes for Hire, Books 4–6

  Heroes for Hire, Books 7–9

  COMPLIMENTARY DOWNLOAD

  DOWNLOAD a complimentary copy of TUESDAY’S CHILD? Just tell me where to send it!

  Touched by Death

  Adult RS/thriller

  Get this book at Google Play.

  Death had touched anthropologist Jade Hansen in Haiti once before, costing her an unborn child and perhaps her very sanity.

  A year later, determined to face her own issues, she returns to Haiti with a mortuary team to recover the bodies of an American family from a mass grave. Visiting his brother after the quake, independent contractor Dane Carter puts his life on hold to help the sleepy town of Jacmel rebuild. But he finds it hard to like his brother’s pregnant wife or her family. He wants to go home, until he meets Jade – and realizes what’s missing in his own life. When the mortuary team begins work, it’s as if malevolence has been released from the earth. Instead of laying her ghosts to rest, Jade finds herself confronting death and terror again.

  And the man who unexpectedly awakens her heart – is right in the middle of it all.

  By Death Series

  Touched by Death – Part 1 – FREE

  Touched by Death – Part 2

  Touched by Death – Parts 1&2

  Haunted by Death

  Chilled by Death

  By Death Books 1–3

  Vampire in Denial

  This is book 1 of the Family Blood Ties Saga

  Get this book at Google Play.

  Blood doesn’t just make her who she is…it also makes her what she is.

  Like being a sixteen-year-old vampire isn’t hard enough, Tesla’s throwback human genes make her an outcast among her relatives. But try as she might, she can’t get a handle on the vampire lifestyle and all the…blood.

  Turning her back on the vamp world, she embraces the human teenage lifestyle—high school, peer pressure and finding a boyfriend. Jared manages to stir something in her blood. He’s smart and fun and oh
, so cute. But Tesla’s dream of a having the perfect boyfriend turns into a nightmare when vampires attack the movie theatre and kidnap her date.

  Once again, Tesla finds herself torn between the human world and the vampire one. Will blood own out? Can she make peace with who she is as well as what?

  Warning: This book ends with a cliffhanger! Book 2 picks up where this book ends.

  Family Blood Ties Series

  Vampire in Denial – FREE

  Vampire in Distress

  Vampire in Design

  Vampire in Deceit

  Vampire in Defiance

  Vampire in Conflict

  Vampire in Chaos

  Vampire in Crisis

  Vampire in Control

  Vampire in Charge

  Family Blood Ties Set 1–3

  Family Blood Ties Set 1–5

  Family Blood Ties Set 4–6

  Family Blood Ties Set 7–9

  Sian’s Solution – A Family Blood Ties Short Story

  Broken Protocols

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  Dani’s been through a year of hell…

  Just as it’s getting better, she’s tossed forward through time with her orange Persian cat, Charmin Marvin, clutched in her arms. They’re dropped into a few centuries into the future. There’s nothing she can do to stop it, and it’s impossible to go back.

  And then it gets worse…

  A year of government regulation is easing, and Levi Blackburn is feeling back in control. If he can keep his reckless brother in check, everything will be perfect. But while he’s been protecting Milo from the government, Milo’s been busy working on a present for him…