by Ellie Danes
I’d never dealt with this kind of stuff, and I wasn't sure if I’d be able to hold up with this pressure coming down on top of me. Tristan wasn't going to be happy if Ryder wasn't wearing that logo, and I was going to be out a job if I didn't make sure it happened.
My phone rang, and I shouted and jumped.
“Hey.” Ryder’s voice came across the phone.
I’d been holding it together for the last twenty-four hours but upon hearing his voice, I lost it.
“I can't,” I sobbed into the phone.
“You're fine, baby,” he said. “The shorts fit really well. I like how they feel, too. A little thicker than the last pair and the colors are good. You did good, babe.”
“Wait, what?”
“The shorts. UPS dropped them off a few minutes ago. I've tried them on, and they fit perfectly.”
“You have them?”
“Yes. Why are you crying?”
“I don't know,” I said honestly because at that point it was a mixture of happiness and sadness and relief. My phone buzzed in my hand, and I got a picture of Ryder with the shorts on and no shirt. His phone turned to the mirror so I could see the fit from two angles. They looked really good.
“I sent you a picture. They look okay?”
“Yes, they do. Maybe they should be a little longer?”
“Not longer, but maybe a little wider around my thigh. It's cool for what we need them for now, but I'm afraid they may be too tight during a fight.”
“Okay good. I'll get in touch with Antonio and let him know. There will be another pair that arrives sometime tomorrow. I really wish I could be there for the shoot, but I have too much to do here.”
“I know, but I'll see you in three weeks.”
“I miss you so much, Ryder.”
“I miss you, too. Love you, babe.”
“Love you.”
I knew his schedule was insane, and I needed to keep that in mind. Our calls had become shorter and the texts fewer, but I tried to remember it was because of the situation, not us.
I called Amy to let her know that Ryder had the shorts and said they were great for the shoot but requested a few sizing adjustments before the fight. She was a little short on conversation, but I didn't ask why. I had learned over the last month that if she wanted to talk, she would.
I sat down on my couch and lifted the glass of red wine I had poured and smiled.
I spoke to out loud to myself. “It's all gonna be okay, girl. We got this. Be badass.”
My phone buzzed, and I lifted it thinking it would be Ryder, but it wasn't.
Can we at least get together for coffee? -Peter
No, and please don't contact me again. I am seeing someone.
I’d really thought he was going to let this go when I hadn’t heard from him in a few weeks. Apparently, I thought wrong. I pulled up my contacts, clicked his number and put him on my blocked caller list. Even if Ryder wasn’t in my life, after the shit Peter had pulled, I didn't want to hear from him.
I downed the rest of my wine and headed to the kitchen to pour another. I still had a lot to do with the line and working on it had become my outlet. My other job had become a chore, and I realized why. I wanted to design, not just sell other people’s designs. I knew in my head that selling was where I had to start, but dammit, I wanted to succeed so I never had to go back to this again.
I worked until Annette came home a couple of hours later. We got dressed and headed out to dinner. While we waited for our order, I told her about Peter contacting me again.
“I don't know why I wasted so much time on that asshole,” I spoke as I lifted my glass of wine to my mouth.
“He wasn't always an asshole. At least Rick doesn’t pretend not to be.” She laughed. “His inner asshole shows all over the place.”
“I don’t know how I didn’t see it from day one. It was always there. And now that I have Ryder, I know the difference. He’s so attentive and the way he treats me is like night and day from Peter.”
“I know I wasn’t on the Ryder train at first, but he really is kinda great, and him being hot as hell doesn't hurt. I bet he is a monster in bed.” She winked.
I hadn't really talked about our sex life with her as she was never alone. This was our first night out together in ages. I flushed at her comment and then gave her a shy smile.
“Not gonna lie. He kinda is.”
“Do tell.” She leaned over the table.
“I don’t even know where to begin. He knows exactly how to work me over, for sure.”
She clapped and her eyes grew wide. “I guess I'll have to live vicariously through you. Cause that ship sure as hell ain’t sailing my way.”
“Why do you stay with him if everything is so wrong?” I asked.
“It's better than being alone.” She shrugged.
“But if you were alone, you might meet your very own Ryder.”
“A girl could dream.” She reached her glass over the table, and I clinked mine with hers.
We chatted for another hour, and I sat and watched as she danced with a guy who had approached our table. She was behaving, but at the same time, I didn't like it. I thought about Ryder doing that to me, and it made me sick to my stomach. I wouldn't dance with another guy just out of sheer guilt. but it didn't seem to bother her. The rest of the evening, I watched and prayed that Ryder didn’t see things the same way Annette did.
“We should do this more often,” she said with a giggle as we walked the block back to our apartment.
“We should.” I smiled at her.
“You're gonna leave me, aren't you.” She frowned.
“Eventually, I guess. Not like we’re going to stay in this apartment until we’re crazy old spinsters.”
“Nothing wrong with being a spinster. I guess I know once you move out, our utopia will be over, and that makes me sad.”
“It's part of growing up, lady,” I reminded her.
“But I don’t wanna grow up.” She laughed and reached for the door.
“You gonna walk by like you don't even see me?” The familiar voice echoed from the shadowed spot beside our apartment. Ryder. My body went on high alert as I looked around for him. When he stepped out of the shadows and straight for me, every nerve ending in me went on high alert. I took a step back and turned to Annette.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” She smiled and let the door click closed behind her.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him. He looked good—too good.
“I had to see you.” He took another step toward me.
“You really shouldn't have. You’re supposed to be training.”
“It's a quick visit, I promise—I just couldn't go another day without touching you.” He took two steps and reached for me, pulling our bodies together.
“God, you feel so good,” he rasped in my ear.
“I don't think we should...” he cut me off when his mouth pushed down to mine. I melted into him and felt everything that I knew was there. He pushed my lower back into his body and I felt his erection against my belly.
“You really shouldn't be here,” I said between kisses. “You have those meetings tomorrow.”
“Baby, there is nothing that can keep me away,” Ryder said as he kissed me again. He stepped backward and took me into the shadows, kissing me until I couldn't breathe. I wanted nothing more than to take him to my room. I pulled at him to try and get him to move.
“No, I want to kiss you, and if I move from here, I am going to miss out on enjoying your mouth. Once we’re in a private space, I'm gonna sink deep into you, and that would mean this moment will all be over.”
I shivered at his words, then relaxed into his kiss and gave him control.
He pushed at me and rubbed over my nipple under my shirt. He had me so turned on that my belly tightened in pain. I had never felt that before. My body was so sensitive that I was pulling from his touch. I needed an outlet, and he felt that. He lifted me and rushed to the door.
&
nbsp; “Hey, Ryder,” Annette called as Ryder ate up the living room with his stride. He waved at her with one hand as we passed, then dipped his head and kicked my bedroom door closed behind him. Once we were alone, he ripped his shirt over his head and reached for mine. Heated kisses trailed over my chest. He cupped each breast in his hands and returned to my mouth. In all of our lovemaking, I had never felt like this.
“Fast or slow?” he asked as he pushed my jeans over my hips.
“Fast.” I gasped as he cupped me.
“Fast it is.” He pushed my panties to the side and sank a finger into me immediately.
I moaned at the initial intrusion but relaxed and allowed him to push two in. He worked my wetness with precision before pushing me gently onto the bed, I watched as he shed his pants and took his cock in his hand. He positioned himself between my legs and I was ready and waiting to feel his hard length slide into me. Instead, I felt the heat of his mouth cover my clit pulling a gasp from my throat. He sucked long enough to make me want more, and then he was on me.
He took me with such force that it hurt, but oh it hurt so good. It was fast and hard, like I’d requested, and when he ripped an orgasm from me, I screamed his name into a pillow. I heard him gasp my name, then a trail of expletives left his mouth.
“Fuck, Zoey. I should have been making love to you my whole life.” He collapsed on top of me, and even though his weight was unbearable, I took it because it meant he was close to me. “I couldn't stand the thought of not seeing you until the day before the fight, and this was my only chance.”
“Your photo shoot is in the morning,” I reminded him as he rolled to the side and tucked me against him.
“Which means no workout in the morning, so I can stay for a couple of hours, then catch the train and be in bed by four a.m. I don't have to be at the shoot until ten.” He kissed the top of my head.
“You need to get some sleep, though.”
“I will, if you’ll stop talking.”
I giggled and he pulled my hair tilting my head up so he could look in my eyes. “This isn't over, but I need about two hours of sleep and then I'm gonna take you for another wild ride.” He smiled then dropped his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.
I smiled to myself. He had taken the train to surprise me. No one had ever done things like he did for me. I listened as his breathing evened out, and I drifted off next to him.
I was pulled from sleep by wandering hands. He kissed the side of my mouth before dipping his fingers inside of me.
“There is nothing better than feeling how wet you are for me even in your sleep,” he whispered.
I rotated my hips as his fingers pushed in and out of me. I moaned when he pulled me on top of him.
“I wanna watch you fuck me,” he said as I pushed against his erection.
Dim light streamed through the window. I leaned forward and kissed him. He lifted his hips, causing the tip of his cock to hit its intended target. I pushed back slightly and felt him push inside. I slowly sat back and lifted myself by putting my hands on his chest. I pushed until he was as far in as I could take him. Once more, I felt the pleasant heat I’d experienced the last time I was in this position. I began to move in a circular motion.
“Fuck.” He moaned as I shifted. I lifted slowly, tightening around him as I went. Once I felt like he was going to pop out, I slammed my hips down, and he raised up off the bed and grabbed at me.
“Oh my fucking god, Zoey.” He pushed my hips to a halt, and I wiggled on him. “You make me feel like a fucking teenager, and I'm about to come.”
“That's my goal.” I kissed him.
He lifted me from him and then flipped me over face down on the bed. He reached for my hips and raised them. I felt him hovering over me and then his mouth ran over my slit. He licked and sucked and I was bucking against him until he sat upright and then sank into me hard. His fingers ran over my spine as he moved inside of me. He whispered sweet nothings in my ear and he pushed my hips into the bed. He adjusted again and pulled my legs together between his and then sank into me once more. It was a whole new sensation, and I rolled my hips, pulling a groan from him.
He leaned over me and pulled my head to the side, kissing me hard. His fingers ran around and pinched my clit between them. My body tensed as he worked me and when every muscle in me tightened around his shaft, he pumped his orgasm into me.
“It always feels like the first time.” He kissed the side of my face and then flopped onto the bed on his back. I raised up on my elbows and looked at his face.
“It really does.” I smiled and laid my head on his chest.
After a few moments, he kissed me sweetly and moved to get out of bed.
“I have to go, sweetheart, I love you.”
I pouted for a moment, but then tried not to make his leaving any harder than it already was. He got dressed and kissed me softly on the lips. I walked him to the door for one more goodbye kiss and locked the door behind him.
When I woke up the next morning, I was sore in all the right places. I stretched and then heard my door open.
“Holy shit, girl!” Annette said as she bounced on my bed.
I smiled, remembering the sensation of Ryder all over me. “You heard?”
“I'm sure the whole damn neighborhood heard. Where can I get one?” she laughed as she laid down beside me, pretending to swoon. “He took the train just to come see you for a few hours. That is so incredibly sweet.”
“I'm a lucky girl.” I smiled then pulled the comforter over my head. It smelled like Ryder and sex, and I didn't want to move.
“What time is it?” I asked through the blankets.
“A little after nine.” She sighed as she spoke. I lifted the blanket from my face and rolled on my side toward her.
“He is kinda great.” I smiled.
“He sure as hell sounded that way,” she joked. “I am so happy you found someone that gets you. He is so much better than what’s his name. So, when will he be back?” she asked.
“His fight is in a little less than three weeks,” I answered, then sat up to reach for my tank top. I pulled it over my head, and she laughed.
“What?” I said.
“He left a nice mark on you. Claiming his territory.” She pointed. I looked down over my chest and saw the small hickey under my belly button.
“Must be his favorite spot,” she laughed.
“Not gonna lie. It kinda is.” I slapped at her. “Get out of my room so I can get ready. Amy should be calling me in about thirty minutes. I’d much rather chat with you, but I’ve gotta get moving.” I shoved her off the bed and toward the door.
“We are gonna talk about this later.” She winked as she closed my door.
I headed for the shower and stepped under the hot water. My muscles relaxed beneath the spray. Fifteen minutes later, my hair was in a loose bun on top of my head, and I was in front of my computer.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tristan
I watched as Amy got everybody where they needed to be. She was completely in charge of the photo shoot and it made me proud. She’d made this clothing line happen, it was her baby, and it was going to stay that way. She had Zoey on Skype as she walked around making sure the lighting was set and Ryder was ready. She avoided the lady that was rubbing the oil overs Ryder’s skin even though Zoey knew it was happening. Out of sight out of mind, Amy had justified. Once he was oiled up and the pants were on, he stepped up to the platform and took his place.
He was an impressive man. Probably more ripped than any of the men I’d worked with. Just so happened he was also a really decent guy. For that reason alone, I wanted him to win this fight and move forward in his career. He worked really hard and, honestly, after our first few conversations getting things settled, he rarely called me, and he always took his contract seriously. He did whatever I asked even when he didn't want to. He trusted that I knew what I was doing and I continued to make certain to deliver on my promises.
&nbs
p; “Put your hands here,” the photographer instructed. I watched as Ryder balled his fists and lifted them and then turned his hips slightly, highlighting the logo on his shorts.
“Don't smile,” the photographer said.
Ryder changed his expression.
“Scowling isn't what I want either,” the photographer said. “I want a more concentrated look.”
“Give the I have to shit look,” Bret called out. Ryder flipped him off and the camera clicked a few times. I watched as he stood and took directions like a pro.
An hour later, I was looking at the pictures on Amy’s computer screen. She had Zoey on video chat looking with us.
“I really like this one,” Amy stated. “His expression is just right. He looks focused but not overconfident.” I agree Zoey chimed from Amy’s phone.
“If we could get a few more like that one maybe it would be all we need,” Amy spoke.
“There are over three hundred pictures,” Ryder complained. “I really want to wash this shit off. I smell like a male stripper.”
“I have the photographer for another hour. Let's get some shots with the shirts on as well,” I stated.
“But—” he started to say, but Amy cut him off.
“Thirty minutes, then you can shower. First we’ll get a few shots with shirts. Okay?” Amy made it sound like a request, but it wasn’t.
He nodded then walked over to the machine she pointed at. Amy wanted to get a few pictures of him actually working out for ads to promote the clothing line. He lifted weights, ran on the treadmill, and went a few rounds with the bags as the photographer took pictures. Thirty minutes later, I waved to him to go shower, and when he came back, he pulled a fresh shirt over his head. The bright red logo was situated perfectly over his chest. I wasn't sure how I felt about it initially, but seeing it on the clothes and being worn, it was pretty amazing.
The Mountain was going to be a household name for fight fans.
Ryder
Over five hundred pictures later, I didn't want to take another damn picture for at least a year. Of course, I knew that was a hopeless desire. Photographs were part of the job. A job I really needed to get back to. I needed to at least get some cardio in today. It was after three already.