“I’m leaving,” Ryder told Drake that morning. “I’m going to Thailand.” Drake blinked at him uncomprehendingly. “What the hell does any of that even mean?” he demanded. “How can you leave when we’re – “
“When we’re getting absolutely nowhere? When we’re butting heads? When I go to bed every night without holding Paige in my arms? I can’t do this anymore.”
“And what about Paige?” Drake demanded. “You’re going to prance off to Asia and leave her here after you’ve upset her entire existence?”
“Don’t worry about Paige,” Ryder snapped back. “And stop being a dick. I am going to Thailand because I believe that’s where the twins are.”
“You believe?” Drake echoed. “What makes you think that?”
“It’s just something I’ve heard rumblings about,” Ryder hedged, playing his cards close to his chest.
“Let me come with you,” Drake said suddenly, his demeanor abruptly changing as he realized that Ryder was serious. “If they are there, we can find them together.”
Ryder shook his head. “No,” he said flatly. “You concentrate on finding Xavier. I’ll send word if I locate the twins.” Surprisingly (or not), Drake didn’t argue any further. He was either in agreement for once, or he was relieved that Ryder was leaving.
He took Drake’s Mercedes, packing very lightly and headed down the Harry Byrd Highway toward Lansdowne. Somehow, it was reminiscent of the last conversation he had had with Joe Quinn when he had left Seattle forever. He felt the same twinge of loss somehow. When I get back from Thailand, I’ll call Joe and see how he’s doing, Ryder thought. It was uncharacteristic of him to feel a sense of yearning for the man he had believed to be his father. But a lot had changed in Ryder since Paige had entered his life.
He was constantly thankful that Paige had remained with him. She could have opted to separate herself completely from the chaos of the Conway house but instead, she had quietly moved to the next town over, where his father had arranged for her to have a house and a monthly income.
Although they were able to communicate occasionally, he hadn’t been able to see her – the one thing him and his father had agreed on was that it was too dangerous to go to the house she was living it. Drake’s overconfidence that fateful night weighed heavily on both of them.
There hadn’t seemed to be an easy solution to his problem until he decided to part ways with his father and take Paige with him to Thailand. No one there would be searching for them, and they would have fake ID’s to travel with.
He jumped from the car, walking quickly as he reached the front porch, letting himself inside with his key.
“Ry! What are you doing here?” Paige gasped as he tore through the front door, grasping her by the waist and swinging her around happily. “Pack a bag,” he said. “We’re going to Thailand.”
She blinked and stared at him, a half-smile on her face, as if she thought he was joking. “Thailand?” she echoed. “What’s in Thailand?”
“A lead on my youngest brothers. Come on. I have no idea how long we’ll be gone but we’ll be together away from this mess at least,” he told her.
Instantly, the smile on her face faded completely. “No,” she whispered sadly. “No, I can’t go with you, Ryder.” He stared at her as if he had heard the words wrong, his world slowly crumbling around the edges.
“Of course you can. We won’t be in any danger and – “
“No,” she sighed, wriggling completely out of his arms. “I can’t. I can’t do this anymore.” Shock filled him and he stared at her, his jaw dropping. “I know it’s been a rough four months, Paige but we will get over this, I swear. If we can find the twins, we are that much closer to defeating Oculus!”
She smiled softly at him and Ryder felt his heart sink into his boots along with the color in his face. “The last four months were rough,” she agreed. “But that is going to be nothing compared to the next few.”
“What?” he asked, not understanding. “What is coming up in the next few months?”
She lowered her amber eyes and exhaled slowly. “A baby,” she sighed. “I’m pregnant.”
He gaped at her openly, a combination of staggering emotions filling his body. “You’re pregnant?” he whispered, reaching out to embrace her. “Oh my God! Are you okay?” To his surprise, Paige sidestepped him.
“You don’t understand,” she said. “I have to think of the baby now, Ryder. I can’t keep looking over my shoulder and jetting off from place to place on a whim. I have to prepare for a child now.”
Ryder stared at her, a lump growing in his throat. “No,” he told her gruffly. “We have to prepare for a child. This is our responsibility now. Our number one priority.”
Paige shook her head miserably. “You made a commitment to your father,” she breathed. “And I can’t live like this, not when there’s an innocent child at stake.”
“Paige, my first commitment is you and our baby,” he replied, grabbing her firmly around the waist. “We are going to leave here and start over somewhere new with new identities. We’ll get married and raise this baby properly.”
She stared up at him, her eyes hopeful. “I can’t ask you to do that,” she whispered. “It’s not fair to your family.”
Ryder cupped her face and lowered his lips to hers. “You didn’t ask me to do anything. And besides, you are my family.”
She leaned forward into him and kissed his lips.
Her body lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July when their lips met and the stirring within her core heightened. Ryder cupped her face with his free hand and deepened their kiss, penetrating her sweet mouth with his hungry tongue. He had missed the taste of her and she moaned softly as their tongues intertwined.
Breathing hard, Paige moved in even closer and grabbed his head with both of her hands. She pulled him onto her, pressing her soft breasts against his firm chest as she spread her legs, pushing his body against her own. Feeling him so close to her ignited a fire deep inside of her, making her breasts swell and a small moan escaped her.
“Ryder,” she breathed between kisses, “I want you – it’s been so long.”
That was all he needed to hear. He reached behind her and unzipped the back of her dress, pulling it down around her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck, inhaling her fragrance. He forced her dress down to her waist, taking the straps of her bra with it. With her luscious breasts exposed, Ryder looked his fill, and then traced the rise of one breast with his finger. “Beautiful. So fucking beautiful.”
Paige arched her back and ground herself into him, feeling a hardness press against her stomach. She ran her hands through his thick soft hair, breathing deeply, inhaling the scent of his body.
His hands on her back supported her as she arched backwards, thrusting her breasts forward. Ryder leaned his head down and captured one nipple between his lips. Her gasp and low moan proved to him how sensitive her breasts were, so he increased the power of his suction, taking the whole nipple deep into his mouth then releasing it slowly, laving the tip with his tongue as he released the pressure. His lips made their way over to the other breast, showing it the same attention as her breathing became more labored.
His lips made their way back up to her neck as he lifted her body upward and pulled her dress down over her hips. He forced it the rest of the way down her body, and standing, she kicked it off onto the floor. His hands found her thigh and slid upward until it reached the thin lining of her pink lace panties.
He shuddered as he felt the wetness between her legs. Paige moaned loudly as he caressed her clit, applying just the right amount of pressure to cause her back to arch in response.
She cried out, grinding onto his hand, begging for more of his intimate touch. The tips of his fingers found her slit already dripping wet with her juices. He slid a finger inside of her and she raised her hips upward, forcing it deeper.
“Oh yes!” she cried. Ryder slid another finger into her and she crie
d out, lost to the passion, holding his head and burying her fingers deeply into his hair.
He felt the walls of her core trembling, squeezing his fingers hard. He inhaled the scent of her arousal, almost causing him to lose the tight grip he was holding on his control. Moving back slightly, Ryder freed himself from the prison of his pants, his rock-hard erection springing free. Paige reached down and wrapped her hands around his length causing a growl to escape his lips. She stroked him intimately, running her hands along his girth, rhythmically, as his fingers sunk deeply into her core again, continuing to stretch her, fill her, until she was whimpering with her approaching orgasm.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He picked her up and laid her down on her carpeted floor. Hurrying the rest of the way out of his jeans, he knelt down and spread her legs wide, caressing her soft, creamy skin and trailing kisses down to the valley between her thighs. Paige let out a loud cry as his lips found her clit and his fingers slid into her again. His technique was so precise, bringing her right up to the edge of her climax.
“Paige, you’re so fucking hot,” he hissed.
He flicked his tongue quickly against her button until she raised her hips up high, grabbed his head and screamed.
“Oh, God, Ryder, I’m gonna…”
The rest of her sentence was lost, as a fierce cry of intense pleasure shook her uncontrollably. Her entire body tensed up and her back arched with the strength of her orgasm. Hot honey exploded onto Ryder’s fingers as Paige finally began to breathe again in deep panting breaths, as her orgasm started to taper.
But Ryder wasn’t finished with her yet.
He slowly sat back on his heels, watching her intently, the power of his emotions radiating from his eyes. Leaning forward, he trailed kisses up her navel and made his way back up to her breasts, pausing to show them each some attention before kissing his way up to her open, waiting mouth. Paige reached down and took his erection into her hand, guiding it to her wet, warm entrance. She watched as he closed his eyes and slid his length into her slowly, exhaling deeply.
“Fuck!” he hissed passionately. “You feel so fucking good, Paige.”
He opened his eyes as he began to move, thrusting into her, slowly at first, and then increasing his pace as her body moved to meet his. He locked his eyes with hers as she cried out in ecstasy, completely lost in his eyes, in the intensity of the pleasure he was giving her as he plunged into her, over and over again. His hand found her breast and he fondled it as he moved in and out of her, bringing her closer and closer to another mind-blowing orgasm.
As she felt herself reaching the edge of her climax, she grabbed onto Ryder’s muscular buttocks and wrapped her legs around his waist, forcing him even deeper inside of her. She raised her hips upward and cried out again as her entire body shook, the tremors seeming to build in intensity, the pleasure overwhelming.
Her gripping pussy sent Ryder over the edge. He couldn’t hold back any longer. With one final hard, deep, thrust he let out a loud groan, his back arching with the force of his release. His eyes burned into her and his jaw clenched tightly as he exploded, his release filling her to the brim with his essence. He closed his eyes as his body came down over her gently, being careful not to put too much pressure on her abdomen.
He had never felt such pleasure in his entire life. He had had sex countless times in his life, but nothing compared to what he experienced with this woman. The connection they had was deeper than ever, and now, with a baby between them, nothing was ever going to tear them apart again. He vowed it solemnly to himself as he lightly kissed her temple, cupping her face in his hands. Then he looked into her eyes and vowed it to her too.
“I love you. I’ll always love you. And I’ll protect you and the baby forever. I swear it.”
As they embraced, Ryder felt a deep sense of relief, a huge weight being lifted from his shoulders. His path was set, he knew where he was going now. Yet he also knew, somehow, that his path would eventually cross with Drake Conway again.
Enjoy the second book in this series, titled “HARD TIME”, available in January 2018!
A thief and a con artist – who’s going to win this battle? Xavier thinks he has the upper hand because his “powers” allow him to control what everyone wants more of, but money can’t buy.
Xavier has a secret, and this secret gets him what he wants, whenever he wants it. Until he meets Danica. Danica is used to controlling the men around her by using her sex appeal and her cunning – okay, her ‘conning’ would be more like it! Because Danica has been a con artist ever since she was a homeless youth – now she’s a successful and independent woman, but Xavier makes her feel unsure of herself – her body is drawn to him at the same time her mind is saying “Hell, No”.
So, will Xavier use his powers to control Danica too?
PREVIEW OF “HARD TIME”…
Oh my God. I am so fucked, he realized.
A knock on his window caused him to jerk back. He looked up, expecting to see a police officer.
Instead, a stunningly beautiful woman peered in at him, her grey eyes lit with concern.
Embarrassment colored his face as he rolled down the window, struggling to breathe normally.
“Are you all right?”
He nodded slowly, averting his eyes.
“Have you been in an accident?” she asked, her brow knit. He shook his head, hesitant to speak. He worried that whatever came out of his mouth would just get him in even deeper.
“Are you hurt? Do you need me to call 9-1-1?”
“No!”
It was the first word he had spoken and it came out much too forcefully.
She stepped back from the car, her eyes narrowing.
“Then may I ask you what you’re doing outside of my house?” she asked coldly, folding her arms over her chest.
Xavier lifted his head, taking in his surroundings.
Shock wracked his body as he recognized the neighborhood.
“I – I’m not sure,” he mumbled, glancing back at the woman. “I wasn’t feeling well and needed to pull over.”
She eyed him suspiciously.
“Have you been drinking?”
Xave shook his head, scowling at her. Although, at least that would explain his behavior, he thought wryly.
Her eyes softened slightly.
“Are you having a bad night?” she asked and there was a gentleness in her tone which Xave detected.
“To put it mildly,” he grimaced.
“Come inside,” she said suddenly and he stared at her, dumbfounded.
“Are you crazy? It’s almost five o’clock in the morning and I’m some random guy parked outside your house. You’re going to invite me in?”
She shrugged nonchalantly.
“I have a good sense for people,” she replied. “Anyway, you’re not really a random guy, are you?”
He gazed at her uncomprehendingly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you’ve been standing outside of my house almost every day for the past three weeks.”
Xavier began to deny her allegation, but she held up her hand.
“No need to deny it. I’ve seen you almost every day now.”
He didn’t know how to answer her since he wasn’t even sure yet why he was drawn to her. Or maybe it was this house?
“Don’t you think that there’s a reason that you’re here right now?” she asked quietly. “Don’t you wonder if you were brought here? By…something?”
Xave studied her lovely face.
Am I buying into this? He asked himself, glancing at the house where he knew she did readings – likely a con of some kind. But what other explanation was there for how he had ended up here tonight, in front of the very place he had been drawn to for weeks?
“What is your name?” she asked, drawing closer to the car again.
“Xavier Sinclair.”
“My name is Danica Cortez.”
She offered her hand
to him through the window and Xave reached for it.
A surge of electricity coursed through them and he was sure she felt it also as they stared at one another. Their eyes locked and held for a moment, and time seemed to stand still.
“Won’t you come in?” she asked a little breathlessly. “I would love to do a reading for you. I feel like you have a lot to…unburden yourself of.”
Xave almost shivered, knowing that she was a scam artist, but wondering if she had something, some kind of ‘power’ that helped her run her scams.
“You could say that,” he murmured, removing the keys from the ignition.
Danica’s smile widened as he exited the car.
“Welcome to my home and reading room,” she said as they mounted the short steps to the doorway.
Xave paused at the threshold, glancing back at the Mercedes.
You shouldn’t be going with her! For fuck’s sake, you have a dead body in the trunk of your car that you need to deal with! a voice in his mind warned, but he silenced it instantly. He didn’t want to hear it. He just wanted to follow the woman who was offering him a helping hand out of the darkness. There was something about her…something that called to him, to his soul.
“Don’t be alarmed,” Danica called, waving him inside. “Your car is safe out there.”
He turned back toward her, entering the doorway.
“Welcome to my shop,” she said cordially, closing the door in his wake. “You have nothing to fear here but awakening.” Her smile told him that she knew how corny that sounded.
Hard Instincts Page 12