Burn for You

by Jillian Leeson

  I shake my head. “No, don’t say that. You had to go through it, not me. And what they did to you—what they were planning to do—” A shudder goes through me. “It makes me sick.”

  Ryder kisses my forehead. “It’s over now. You don’t have to worry any more. We’ll put this behind us and make new memories. Good ones.”

  “God, I want that—I need that.”

  He draws me in close, and as I breathe in his clean, masculine scent, my heart starts hammering against my ribcage. His fingers curve in the nape of my neck, and I feel the heat of his breath against my jaw. My whole body craving to feel his sculpted, luscious lips on mine, I tip my head back and close my eyes.

  A double knock on the door, and Ryder pulls away. I groan at the loss of contact.

  “Is it a good time now?” The Indian doctor from before enters the room, his stethoscope dangling from his neck.

  Ryder grins. “Couldn’t be worse. I was just about to kiss my girl. And it took me a while to get there.”

  “In that case, I’ll make it quick. I wouldn’t want you to lose her.” Closing the door behind him, the doctor winks.

  “There’s no way. I’m never, ever letting her go.” The expression on Ryder’s face grows earnest, warming me from within. He seems so certain that we will make it through this, and I want to believe him, badly.

  The doctor lifts the clipboard from the foot of the bed and studies it. “I’m happy with the blood results and the chest X-rays. You’re feeling good otherwise?”

  “I feel great.” Ryder’s gaze is still fixed on me, shining with determination. It shows he means what he says—he’ll do anything to make it up to me. I wonder what he has in mind.

  “Excellent. Let me just do a few tests before I let you go.”

  Starting with taking his blood pressure, the doctor swiftly performs the standard medical checks, and in my mind I say a silent thanks. Ryder has been so close to being hurt, crippled, or worse—dead. But thankfully, it seems the kidnappers have treated him relatively well.

  It isn’t long before the doctor nods and signs the release papers. The split second he is out the door, Ryder leaps from the bed.

  “Let’s go. We have to make up for lost time.”

  I manage a small smile as he gets changed at warp speed. Before I know it, we’re out the door and hurrying along the hallway, his hand gripping mine. As we pass the nurses’ station, a group of smiling nurses wave at him.

  “Bye, Mr De Luca. Take good care of yourself now.”

  I snort as he waves back at them. It didn’t take him long to establish his fan base.

  “Only you, beautiful.” I feel him smile against the nape of my neck before his lips brush against my sensitive flesh. “Don’t you forget it.”

  Goosebumps are prickling my skin as Ryder continues his mad rush out of the hospital. We cross the crowded lobby, through the cacophony of Chinese dialects, before the sliding doors open and the hot, humid air hits us in the face. Ryder leads me straight to a black stretch limo.

  Before I can object to this extravagance, his finger is on my lips. “Shhh. It’s a long drive back to Hong Kong. And I intend to make the most of it.”

  I roll my eyes and smile, but a feeling of worry starts building in my chest. I don’t know if I can handle being intimate with him again. What if memories of that video arise? Will I still be able to go through with it?

  As I sink into the soft leather of the spacious vehicle, I let out a sigh. “I’m beat. I think I’ll sleep the whole way.”

  “You’ll be rested and relaxed soon, I’ll make sure of it.” Ryder winks as the partition between us and the driver rolls up. He places his arm behind me, resting it on the back of the seat. The limo starts moving, and I tense up—will he make a move to have sex with me? But all he does is stare out the window, occasionally stroking the top of my hair, as the somber, gray buildings make way for the lush green rice fields of the countryside.

  The miles and miles of straight freeway make me feel drowsy, and I let out a yawn, letting my head rest against the soft leather seat. My eyes start to drift shut, and I feel my head tilt toward Ryder, unable to stop its slide down to his shoulder. At once, his arm curves around me, and I burrow my face in the crook of his neck. He feels so warm, he smells so good—a mixture of soap and that masculine scent that is uniquely him.

  Intoxicated, I can’t help myself—my tongue darts out for a little taste. And my lips follow to explore the wonders of that warm, warm skin, trailing a path up his neck to just below his ear. My earlier unease a far memory, I let my tongue swirl around his earlobe.

  Ryder is not unaffected—his eyes close, his breathing quickens, and his hold around me tightens, drawing me closer to him. And when I take his earlobe into my mouth, sucking it hard, he groans loudly, and in one smooth move, he lifts me onto his lap. His hands around my waist, I straddle him, his arousal producing a delicious friction against me.

  “Are you ready for this?” he says in a dark, low voice.

  My hands roam his chest, and I relish the feel of the hard planes of muscle beneath my fingers. “Yeah.”

  That one word sets off a dangerous glint in his dark eyes, and without delay, he leans into me, pressing his lips to mine. His kiss is hungry, frantic, full of fiery passion, robbing me of my breath. My whole body is on fire, wanting him—needing him. He abandons my mouth to trail kisses along my jaw, along my neck, and I tilt my head to give him better access. His hands glide under my hoodie, finding my skin. Shivers run down my spine as they slide up and down my sides.

  On an upward motion he extends his thumbs, letting them graze slowly up across my stomach and stopping just below my breasts. After a short pause, he resumes his prolonged, torturous path by following the swell of my breasts, until he reaches my nipples.

  His face buried in my neck, he licks and then sucks that sensitive spot where my neck meets my shoulder. The pads of his thumbs graze over my nipples, and I let out a loud moan. His thumbs continue to rasp over my unbearably tight nipples—up and down, up and down—and I feel a flush of heat spreading, I feel my orgasm building.

  But before I find my release, Ryder lifts me off his lap and swivels around so I am on the seat and he is on his knees in front of me, a blazing heat in his gaze.

  “I want to taste you.”

  His hands fly to my waistband, and frenzied with lust, I help him yank down my sweatpants, my panties, until I’m naked from my waist down. A shudder courses through me, but I don’t know if it’s from the cool air on my bare skin or from the predatory way he looks at me.

  “Open up.”

  I swallow, suddenly feeling self-conscious to be exposed like this in broad daylight. But Ryder doesn’t let up. He rests his warm hands on my knees and slowly pushes them apart, a devious grin splitting his strikingly handsome face.

  His gaze drops down to between my legs, to the wetness coating my inner thighs, and licks his lips. “Mmm, you’re going to be so delicious.”

  Before I know it, his mouth is between my legs, and I cry out as he thrusts his tongue deep inside my wet folds—in and out, in and out. But then he withdraws completely, and I am about to protest when he replaces it with two fingers. His tongue finds my swollen clit, circling it, playing with it. Strange, strangled moans come out of my mouth.

  Ryder notches it up a gear, from playful to serious, sucking my clit hard and laving it with a lick, while his fingers curl into my G-spot. My inner muscles contract, and I arch my back, my hands gripping his thick hair.

  It only takes three words: “Come for me,” and I shatter apart, my internal flesh convulsing hard around his fingers. Soft swipes of his tongue bring me down from that mindblowing orgasm.

  When the contractions die down, Ryder gets to his feet and seats himself next to me. Wanting to return the favor, I stretch out my arm and move my hand onto his crotch, where I find a massive erection straining against his pants.

  “And now you,” I whisper in his ear, grasping and squeezing hi
s glorious arousal.

  “No.” Gripping my wrist, he removes my hand. “You should have a rest.”

  I raise my eyebrows. “You sure?”

  He doesn’t reply, but curves his arms around me, drawing my head onto his broad shoulder. With a satisfied sigh, I close my eyes, and let exhaustion take over. Soon I sink into a deep sleep.

  When I wake, my face is buried in Ryder’s chest. His fingers are lightly caressing my hair.

  “Feeling better, beautiful?”

  “Hmm-mmm.” I gaze up into his perfect eyes, full of love and concern.

  He presses a kiss on my forehead. “When I was locked up, I was constantly worried about you. And I told myself that if I got through it, I’d make it my goal in life to make you happy.”

  “This stuff,” I wave around me, “doesn’t make me happy.” I flatten my hand in the middle of his chest. “You do.”

  “I know. But all the same, you deserve nothing but the best.”

  I give him a playful shove. “Stop it. All I want is to be with you and put it all behind us. This is a chance for us to start again.”

  He reaches for my hand and holds it. “If it isn’t for the police wanting to get our statements, I’d take you back to New York right now.”

  “You know, I can’t wait to go back.” I squeeze his hand. “To go home. Together.”

  He arches his brow. “Do you mean—my place?”

  I nod, and his face lights up. “That’s all I’ve always dreamed about. Waking up next to you each morning. Going to work with you each day. Spending our weekends in bed together.” His voice drops. “I know it’s only been a few days, but it felt like an eternity to be away from you. I’ve missed you so much.”

  “Me, too.”

  Ryder’s hand curls around the back of my neck, and he lowers his mouth to mine. His warm lips lightly brush and slide—a long, slow caress, never more than a skim, a touch. It triggers an involuntary shudder that sends waves of warmth deep inside of me. I taste the moist heat of his breath in this sweet, tender kiss, expressing the depths of his love that words never could.

  Slowly, slowly, he breaks contact and pulls me against his chest, his arms wrapped around me. My eyes drift shut. I feel so safe, so secure. This is how it’s supposed to be.

  It’s time to leave it all behind us.

  It’s time for us to move on.

  Ryder

  The sweetest sight in the world greets me when I wake up.

  Elle, her slender body twirled into the sheets, one leg across my stomach, one arm across my chest. The corners of her mouth curl up in a dreamy smile, and I use all my restraint not to kiss those soft, soft lips—she needs her sleep.

  As soon as we returned to the suite last night and had a quick shower, Elle flung herself onto the bed and immediately sunk into a deep sleep. She was so out of it that she didn’t even notice me sneaking out early in the morning to attend to some matters in the city.

  After I crept back into bed, Elle rolled over, flinging her long leg over me, and it didn’t take long before her cozy warmth sent me back to sleep.

  As I study her now, breathing softly against my shoulder, I feel so goddamn lucky. While I was in captivity, I had been preoccupied with breaking free and trying to make sense of the situation. I hardly even considered the possibility that I wouldn’t make it out of there, that I’d lose what’s even more precious to me than my life—Elle.

  As I feel her warm softness against me, I realize how devastated I’d be if I’d never see her again, if I could never touch her again. But the lucky bastard I am, I’ve been given the chance to start over. And I will not screw this up. The connection we have is special; I can feel that from the depths of my soul.

  I vow that from now on, I won’t let anything keep us apart. My single purpose in life is to make it work—to make us work.

  A vibration sound beside me yanks me out of my reverie. Rolling to my side, I grab my cell from the nightstand and check the caller ID, but it’s an unknown local number. The vibration stops, and I’m about to put my cell away, when it starts vibrating again. Sighing, I place it against my ear.

  “Yeah?”

  “Ryder? Hi, it’s Ying. I need you to come in. You have to identify who we think is the mastermind behind your abduction.”

  “Michael? You got him?” The thought that he is caught, that this is the end of the nightmare, sends a buzz through my body.

  “We might. You still have to identify him, though. I’d like to meet you at the morgue.”

  “You mean—he’s dead?”

  “Yep. I won’t take too much of your time. I just need a positive ID. And if you don’t mind, I’ll also like to take a formal statement from you. Can we meet in about an hour?”

  I stare at the ceiling, shaken by the news. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be there.”

  Slowly, I set my cell back on the nightstand and start sliding to the edge of the bed. But before I’m off the mattress, Elle rolls onto her stomach and stretches her arm out to me from beneath the tangle of sheets.

  “Ryder? Who was that?” Her voice is sleepy, sexy.

  I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. “It was Ying. She told me they found him—Michael.”

  “Really?” Her eyes open, swimming with surprise. “That fast?”

  “Yeah, but get this: he’s dead. Ying asked me to identify him at the morgue.”

  Her eyes widen. “Oh, wow. So that means it is over.” She rolls to her side, pulling me toward her. “And we can put all this behind us.”

  “I hope so.” Laying my head on the pillow next to hers, I brush some stray hairs from her face. “But I still have so many unanswered questions, like why he did it. And now I’m not sure if we’ll ever get any answers.”

  Rolling her eyes, she nudges me with her foot. “Who cares? It’s over. Frankly, I don’t care anymore about the why. As long as he’s gone and you’re safe.”

  “You’re right. What matters to me most is this.” I place two fingers over her heart. “You.” My fingers shift to the middle of my chest. “And me.”

  Her pink, luscious lips curl into a smile, and my pulse kicks up a notch. How many times haven’t I kissed them? But somehow, it feels like I’m seeing them for the first time again.

  I tilt my head and little by little, I close the distance between us, until I feel the warmth of her quickening breaths. Our lips connect, and an electric current runs through me. Brushing her hair away, my hands cup both sides of her face. I explore every fraction of her mouth, from corner to corner, relishing her fragrant sweetness.

  Elle’s hands curl around my neck, and with a moan, I roll her over, onto her back. Propped up on my elbows, I gaze down, taking in the endless depths of her eyes, the perfect features of her face—so strong and so soft at the same time. “You’re everything to me, you know that?”

  With a slight shake of the head, she closes her eyes. “I keep on thinking about what I would’ve done if you hadn’t made it.”

  “Shhh.” I put my finger on her lips, and her eyes flick open, revealing a shimmer of unshed tears. “Don’t say that. I’m here now. The only thing I want you to think about is what you’d do now I am here, with you.”

  Before she has the chance to reply, I crush my lips against hers, infusing all my feelings into this kiss. I want her to know just how much I love her with every single fiber of my being: voraciously, desperately, endlessly. And by the way she kisses me back, I can feel she feels just the same way.

  Our kissing becomes deeper, and I barely register the beeping of a text message on my cell. My fingers glide into her silky hair as my tongue explores the depths of her mouth—dark, sweet, tantalizing. I lower my hands, letting them wander around her face, down her neck, across the swell of her breasts.

  Her eyes full of heat, she moans, and raw desire for her courses through me. In a circular motion, I knead her perfect breasts, rubbing my thumbs across her pink, erect nipples. Another loud moan from her causes my dick to ache so bad, I can’t w
ait to get inside her. I part her thighs with my knees and push my finger inside. God, she’s so wet for me. Drenched with her juices, my finger circles her clit. I lower my mouth to her breast, my tongue tracing a path around and around until it reaches her nipple. It swirls around, my teeth grazing the hardened peak. I can’t resist to take a bite, followed by a lick to soothe it.

  Her eyes shut, she writhes underneath me. “Ah, that feels so, so good.”

  I sink my finger deep inside her hot tightness again and use my thumb to rub around and around her clit. Soon her breathing becomes shallow, ragged, and she lifts her ass, shoving herself against my hand. As I speed up—sucking her nipple, circling her clit—her fingernails dig into my back, and her body stiffens. “I’m coming!” she cries out, and her orgasm hits with hard, violent contractions that shake her whole body.

  Her eyes flutter open, and to my surprise, they are still darkened with lust.

  “I want you inside of me,” she breathes.

  My dick instantly springs to attention, and with a twist of my hips, I position myself at her entrance. I am about to enter her in one hard thrust when a loud beep resounds—another text message.

  Damn, damn, damn.

  With superhuman effort, I tear myself away from Elle’s warm, delectable body and roll over. With a tortured groan, I stretch out my arm to grab my cell. A glance at the screen shows a reminder from Ying. While I want nothing more than bury myself deep inside Elle, I need to get up and ready for my meeting if I am to be on time.

  I also find a text from Cecil. He’ll be dropping off the contract and some other papers to the hotel this morning, for the project we’ll be working on together—the resort in Arizona.

  My heart lurches. After the tumultuous events of the past few days I’d almost forgotten. If Alex is right about the dire situation my business is in, I need this project and the cash injection that goes along with it more than ever. Without delay, I shoot back an affirmative text.