“I called the hospital early this morning. He’s on schedule to be released later this week.”
“That’s good.”
“Yes, it is.” A mountain of relief rained down on her when she’d heard the good news. “Well, I can’t wait for Sam to return. I’m raiding her closet. I can’t walk around like this all day.” She nodded to her current state of dress.
“I wouldn’t mind.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you wouldn’t. You men are all alike.”
“Not all of us.”
She made the mistake of lifting her gaze to meet his, and the desire in those brown depths sent a bolt of longing coursing through her like a raging tidal wave. She swallowed hard.
“I’d like to prove that fact to you.”
Another swallow. Not one single word she wanted to say came out. He was already making his way around the granite island toward her, and all she could do was sit and watch him advance, loving the way he made her feel.
“Jo Jo.” He stopped beside her, spinning the barstool around so that their bodies were inches from touching. The scent of his cologne tickled her senses further. “I’ve never forgotten you. Your sweet voice, those amazing eyes so full of life and hope. What passed between us that night.”
Finally her brain cranked a gear. “Ryker, I…” But she stopped at the throaty tone in her voice. If that wasn’t a come hither invitation, she didn’t know what was.
His jaw flinched, his control wavering, and she knew the invitation had been received. “Yes.” He stroked a lock of her wild hair from her cheek, and she remembered she hadn’t even combed it.
“I’m not sure this is a good idea. I mean—”
“What’s not a good idea?” He took a step closer, his knees bumping into the soft flesh of her inner thigh. “Us here together? Me touching you?” His fingers trailed a line of burning heat down her cheek, stopping to gently caress her bottom lip. “Wanting you?”
Her entire existence swelled at the word want, and she forced back the tight moan of hope at the base of her throat. Ever since her mother left, she’d never felt wanted a day in her life. And here stood a man wanting her in ways she’d never imagined would hit her so deeply. How could she deny something that felt so right?
Without a word she stood, letting the throw slip from her shoulders to her waist as she placed her arms around his strong neck. The twitching in his jaw increased, the ravenous look in his eyes making her tingly inside as she released the breath she didn’t know she’d held.
“I’ve never stopped thinking about you, Jo Jo.”
“Shut up and kiss me.” Raising a brow, she urged him on by pulling him closer, afraid any second she’d change her mind. And damn it, she didn’t want to change her mind. For once in her life she knew what she wanted and was willing to risk it all. But he needed to hurry. She heard that little voice of denial already pecking at the base of her skull.
Warm lips covered hers, softly at first, a sweet tenderness that made her go limp. But when she melted against him, his arms wrapping her in a hungry embrace, the kiss transformed. Firm, demanding, as if he’d been longing to do this for years.
Her appetite for him competed with his as her hands roamed freely over his taut shoulders and muscled biceps, ever careful not to touch his bandages. And she dared to go lower, her fingertips slipping down his sides past his trim waist. She needed to see and feel the effect she had on him. But he stopped her progress with a firm grip, breaking the kiss. “Not unless you’re one hundred twenty-nine percent certain. Cause I’ll die this time for sure.”
She laughed, placing both hands on his face and feeling the tension as he clenched his teeth. “Um…one hundred twenty-nine percent?”
“Only number that popped into my head,” he said, nipping the tip of her nose with his teeth.
“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life, Ryker.” She trailed kisses along his chin, teasing his lips open with her tongue as she rose up on her tiptoes and shoved the throw the rest of the way to the floor, exposing so much flesh she felt the hot rush of desire spread over her like wildfire. Then she molded every inch of her over-stimulated body to his hard glorious form. She couldn’t get close enough. She needed more. Wanted more. So much more.
The low, deep groan from Ryker sent her heart ramming against her ribs. She pulled back, breathless, almost lightheaded from the passion. His eyes glimmered with a naughty wickedness, his thumbs working circles of pleasure over her taut nipples through the thin material of her nightgown.
She swallowed hard, the intense blaze of desire working its way over her entire body. Without a word, she backed away, breaking the spell, and laced her fingers with his, tugging gently until he followed her down the long hallway to her bedroom.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me.” Joanna couldn’t help but smile. Thankful, for once, she could return those feelings. A surge of sweet desire spurred her on.
When they came to the doorway, he took over, lifting her with his good arm and using his other to balance her legs as he carried her over to the bed. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, laying her down onto the polka dotted sheets. “More than in college, if that’s even possible.”
“You stalling, Rambo?” she asked, using the tip of her toe to trail a zigzag pattern down the tight muscles of his chest to the button of his jeans.
He jerked his shirt up over his head, exposing the muscled chest she’d felt through the material. The white bandage on his left shoulder was the only blemish on his perfectly sculpted torso, and the idea of how it got there only made him sexier.
He went to the button of his jeans, and she watched in heightened anticipation, fighting off the urge to hurry him along. Drawing out the moment, the pleasure. That way she could cherish this memory forever.
In all of Ryker’s wildest dreams, he’d never imagined anything like this. He’d wanted to talk to her, assure her she was safe and let her know how he really felt. The kiss was only meant as an innocent peace offering. Something to break the ice, show her he could contain his urges. That was what made him different from the others.
But she’d advanced on him. And his plan flew out the window, along with all his common sense the minute her body pressed against his. He knew he was in trouble and fought hard to figure out how to stop the hunger inside him, to keep himself from taking her right there on the damn cold kitchen counter. But thankfully, she’d made a move of her own. And now she lay before him on the bed, her hair spread around her head like a halo, her eyes dark, erotic, begging and promising to fulfill him like no other.
She reached for him, pulling herself up using the front of his open pants as leverage. Then she helped him undress the rest of the way, her magical fingertips spiking tiny prickles of delight over his skin as they edged his jeans and boxers down the sides of his thighs. She took extra care to put minimal pressure on the wound near his left knee.
He groaned, closed his eyes, let the feel of her touch strip him to the center of his core.
“My turn.” He grasped her wrist with one hand, pulling her to stand in front of his naked form, supporting her weight to keep the pressure off her injured leg. She lifted dreamy eyes to his and his heart faltered.
“I’ve missed you,” she said.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment.” With lightning speed he drew the thin nightgown over her head, relishing in the sight of her perfect breasts seconds before crushing them against his bare chest.
“Oh, I think I do.” She nibbled at the curve of his neck, her hands on the move again, trailing down his chest to…
“God, woman. You must be a witch.” He eased her backward onto the bed seconds before those magic fingers touched him again and covered her warm body with his as he kissed her mouth. Her neck. Those heavenly, perky mounds.
A low whimper escaped from her throat, and she arched her back, bringing her treats closer. His erratic pulse leaped as he hungrily explored her soft flesh. He’d wanted
to go slow, take his time, memorize every detail, every pleasure-filled sound. But that wasn’t going to happen in this lifetime, or any other. He was strung out, needing release.
His hand slid between the valley of her breasts, his mouth following the luscious curves and then moving to capture one of the taut rosy buds between his teeth. Bliss raked through her, her body quivering beneath his as he suckled the hard tip. She was so beautiful, tasted so sweet. And watching her melt beneath his touch splintered his control. Aching to be one with her, to move inside her, his hand continued on across her stomach, down her waist, to the intimate contours of her inner thighs.
“Oh, please…now. I need you now, Ryker.”
Blood pounded through his brain as well as his lower extremities. He wanted her with the same desperate craving he’d felt all those years ago. The only difference was the fact that she wasn’t drunk. And she clearly wanted him, too. The realization heightened the moment. With an unfamiliar moan of his own, he captured her lips with his, savoring the sweetness with his tongue as he kneed her legs apart and felt her tremble.
“Please…” she said against his lips.
He broke the kiss, pulling back to watch her beautiful face. Then slowly, sweat beading on his brow, he lowered his body to mere inches from entering heaven on earth and she gasped.
“Ryker!” She arched upward, her fingers digging into the muscles of his backside, trying to force him down. But he held off, didn’t go inside her. Instead he relished the breathless way she clung to him, begging for fulfillment. And then he could wait no more.
He plunged and she matched his rhythm, moving in unison with him as each thrust became more intense until the need gave way to an explosion rocking him to the core of his soul. His groan came a heartbeat before hers. Giving, taking, sharing as if fated to be one. He was shocked by the force, by her reaction that matched his. His breathing, raspy and shallow, paralleled hers as he collapsed onto her sweat-drenched body. He kissed her neck, her temple, loving the salty sweetness of satisfaction on her skin.
Life finally had meaning.
And he wanted more.
So much more.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ryker lay listening to the wind outside the window from the cold front that blew in as he watched Jo Jo sleep peacefully beside him, her beautiful face cushioned against the pillow. He smiled. He’d give everything he had to be able to do this every morning. Gently removing his arm from beneath her head, he eased from the bed, careful not to disturb her slumber. He hated to leave her while she slept, but the dark circles under her eyes proved she wasn’t resting well at night. And after the exercise they’d just had, he expected her to sleep for a while.
Scribbling a note on the side table for her to join him in the kitchen when she awoke, he slipped out of the room and headed to retrieve his cell phone off the coffee table in the living room. He needed to know if there were any new developments, if they had leads on Keith and his accomplice.
“Hello, lover boy.”
There was a swoosh from the right as he cleared the big grandfather clock at the end of the hallway and pain radiated down Ryker’s entire left side.
“Hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it?”
Before he could comprehend or recover, another blow hit him square in his bad shoulder. The agony exploded like a firecracker, ricocheted off his bones and splintering every nerve ending.
He went down hard.
“Why the hell can’t you just die?”
Ryker didn’t recognize the voice and tried to look up but was punished for the effort with another blow to the head. Then everything went black.
Unsure of how much time passed, he came to and tried to push himself up off the tiled floor, but his hands were tied behind his back with what felt like a strand of Christmas lights. His attacker sat on the couch in the living room with his back to him, an odd clicking sound repeating every so often from the man’s lap.
Noises of someone moving about at the other end of the house filtered down the hallway. Shit. Jo Jo was awake. Would be coming soon. He fought quietly against the restraints, wanting to get free unnoticed by his attacker. He still couldn’t figure out if this was Keith or Frank, or another accomplice they hadn’t yet identified.
“Ryker? You still in the kitchen?” The bedroom door closed at the end of the hallway, and adrenaline coursed thick and heavy through his veins at the sound of her sweet voice. He watched her shadowy image walk toward him, unaware of the danger, and started to call out some kind of warning.
But the man in dark clothing stood.
The gun in his hand fully visible now as it pointed in Jo Jo’s direction.
His gun.
Heart racing, he pulled hard on the wire cord tied to his wrists. First one way and then the other. So hard he didn’t know where the pain ended or started.
The sunlight from the big picture window hit her shapely form as she stepped upward into the living room, and Ryker’s breath caught. So beautiful. She’d already showered and dressed in a yoga outfit that had to be Sam’s, due to the outrageous color and style, her hair still damp, combed, and hanging loosely around her petite shoulders. Her eyes met his as he lay awkwardly on the floor against the far wall, confusion turning to terror as they drifted to the man on the couch.
“Enjoying yourself, Joanna?” A hacky cough erupted from the man.
The note Ryker had left for her dropped from her trembling hands, her face an ashen white.
“Yes, Joanna. It’s me. A broken, burned relic of who I used to be. But me nonetheless.” The man stopped and coughed again, pain appearing to course through his entire body.
From his position on the floor, Ryker tried to diffuse the situation. “Let us get you to a doctor, Keith.”
Keith turned toward him, the gun in his hand pointed directly at Ryker’s head. “Shut up, Rambo. Too late for that.”
Shit. This couldn’t be happening again. No way in hell he’d gotten past the officers parked outside this time. So how long had Keith been in the house? Had he overheard Jo Jo call him Rambo? Unease knotted his gut. Watched them make love?
Ryker focused on Keith’s face. He’d never seen anything like it. Pieces of charred skin on his cheeks curled out and back, stiff in relation to the smooth undamaged skin of his chin. As the burns moved upward to his scalp, the flesh turned white, soft and blistered well into his now non-existent hairline. Clearly, infection had set in. His stomach lurched at the thought of what the rest of Keith’s body looked like.
“Keith, please let me help you,” Jo Jo said as she stepped toward the phone in the kitchen. Ryker worried what she’d do in her panicked state.
“No. Stop!” Slowly, Keith maneuvered his body back around to face her. “Sweet Joanna. No one can help me now. How can you be so damn beautiful and yet so naive? The only thing I want, the only thing I’ve ever wanted, is you.”
“Okay. Let Ryker go, and I’ll go with you.”
Keith laughed, his head falling to his chest. “Does it look like I can go anywhere? This ends today. Right here. Right now.”
Her eyes darted toward the front door, and Keith shook his head.
“I don’t want to shoot you. But I will.”
She bit at her lip, her hands fisted by her side. “Well, you got all the way out here somehow.” Finding control, her fists eased to her hips, her tone tinged with anger.
That a girl. A different approach might do the trick. Buy some time. The strand of Christmas lights Keith used to tie him up with wasn’t the best choice nor was the knot. Ryker felt it slip with each attempt.
“You have Sam to thank for that,” Keith sneered.
The slight twitch above her right eye was the only visible sign this shook her composure. “Sam’s in town,” she said, calling his bluff.
Keith pushed himself forward a step. “Was.” He then moved around the coffee table toward her. “Sam was in town. Now she’s here. After she dropped Andrew off at work, she stopped at the market near y
our house. Frank helped hide me in the backseat under all the stuff she collected from your place while she shopped. She didn’t know I was there, ‘til we got back here.” He stretched his neck, twisting it from side to side.
“I don’t believe you. She had a cop following her. So how’d you avoid being seen?”
“Stupid cop must have taken a lunch break with his buddy back at the hospital when Sam stopped there. You know how she drives. He probably got sick of trying to keep up.” He sounded irritated by her line of questions.
“Where is she now?”
“I put her body in the trunk.”
Jo Jo gasped. And Ryker gulped back the possibilities.
“Don’t worry. She’s still alive. For now.” He drew in a jagged breath. “I never wanted to hurt either of you. I hope you can believe that. This isn’t how it was supposed to go down. Denise is the one who screwed this shit up. She’s the one who got involved with your father. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for that stupid bitch.” Pure evil coated every single word.
“So you killed her.” Her bitter tone echoed off the walls.
Ryker froze in mid tug. Not sure how far Keith would let her push before losing it.
“I had to.” Keith took a step forward and staggered.
Ryker watched her brow furrow, realized she’d taken special note of Keith’s feeble condition. “No one has to kill anyone, Keith. That’s a copout and you know it.”
“Okay, so I killed Denise because it made me feel better. Is that what you want to hear? Do you really want to know what kind of monster I truly am? Is that it?”
She didn’t answer.
“’Cause I can show you. Make you understand how painful my life has been. Make you feel the frustration, the anger, and bitterness needing release. Make you just like me.” With each statement Keith inched closer, his strength gaining ground as the anger festered inside him.
“Run, Jo Jo. Get out!”
But it was too late. Keith lunged forward, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her against him. “Lover boy doesn’t want to share. But I took notes. Know exactly what you like now.”
Sinful Secrets Page 26