Forbidden Lover (The Diamond Club Book 7)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Jessa hugged her next. “I agree. Ryker is your man. Not that you couldn’t do it yourself, but why reinvent the wheel?”

  Carly smiled, waving as they got into their cars and drove away. When they were gone, she closed her front door, locking it carefully, then leaned her head against the door. “I’m not going to do it!” she muttered stubbornly. “I can figure this out on my own.” Lucifer pranced into the kitchen, grateful the visitors had gone. “What do you think?”

  Lucifer just stared up at her, silently telling Carly that she was nuts. “Your opinion is noted,” she replied.

  Chapter 7

  Ryker cursed the fates that kept him out of the office all day. Pulling into the parking lot of The Solutions Group, he muttered a curse that Carly’s car was already gone. “Woman, you can’t hide from me forever.”

  His cell phone chirped and he looked down before accelerating out of the parking lot. “Did you talk to Carly yesterday about the confidence course she wants to build for kids?” Oz texted.

  Ignoring the message, he turned right out of the parking lot, heading back into town. Ten minutes later, he pulled up outside of Carly’s house, pausing to check his phone when another text came in. The light on in her kitchen told him that she was home. The bigger question would be if she was going to let him in.

  “Not tonight, beautiful,” he muttered as he grabbed the drawings from his backseat.

  As soon as she answered the door, Ryker felt his good intentions fly out the window.

  “Ryker!” she gasped, her hand moving up to her hair, which was not in one of the sleek styles she normally wore to the office. Right now, it was a mess, everything pulled up on top of her head in a messy bun. As his eyes traveled lower, his body hardened as he took in her flimsy camisole covered by an old, flannel shirt. Before she pulled it closed, Ryker noticed that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Even better! A pair of leggings showed off her round hips and long, sexy legs. It was the perfect outfit for relaxing after a long day at the office, he thought.

  When his gaze moved back up to hers, he realized that her cheeks were flushed and she was doing that lip-biting thing. Other women had tried that in the past and he’d thought it looked painful. But the way Carly did it, she looked hot! Sexy and adorable.

  “Can I come in?” he asked.

  She hesitated for a moment, but stepped back, quickly buttoning the flannel shirt as she did so.

  “Sure. What’s going on?” Her eyes widened suddenly. “Oz and Jayce? Are they…?”

  “They’re fine,” he assured her quickly. Military families dreaded the visit by a friend that might tell them that their son or daughter had been killed in action. So, Ryker knew immediately where her mind had gone. “They’re still annoying, but fine.”

  “Good,” she gushed, walking into her house. Ryker closed the door, watching her as she walked. Bare feet. Now why the hell did he suddenly think bare feet were sexy? He’d never thought it before now. But Carly’s feet were nice. Pink toenails. Pretty.

  “I’ve heard that you’re trying to build a confidence course for school aged kids,” he began, handing her the designs he’d started. “Can I show you?”

  “Yeah!” she replied, her arms crossed just under her breasts. Was she doing that on purpose? He certainly hoped so. It was probably subconscious. “Why don’t you show me what you thought about over here,” she said, pointing to the coffee table in front of her comfy couch.

  A moment later, he spread the drawings out over the table. “Here’s the start,” he said, pointing to the far side of the building, well away from the current obstacle course. “Having it here will help us maintain security, but it will also give us more room to build out in this direction,” he pointed to the open land filled with trees that ran along the parking lot. “We’d need to put it behind a fence, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “I don’t want this to cost a lot of money,” she warned.

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry about the cost. The company can handle it. And if Oz or Jayce don’t agree, then I’ll cover the cost.” He looked at her, noticing the guilt in her green eyes, but wasn’t sure what that was about. “It’s a good idea, Carly. I’m glad that you thought of it. It’s a great way to reach out to the community. I’ve fielded a lot of questions about what we do. This will allow people to come close to the building and see something of what we do, without jeopardizing our mission sensitive areas.”

  “I like it,” she smiled and that smile slammed into his gut. Then she leaned over and he saw the shadow of her breasts. His mind went blank for a long moment and he had to ask her to repeat her question.

  “Why did you put this here?” she asked.

  He looked down where she pointed, trying to focus. She had pretty hands, he thought. Or they would be if she’d let them heal from her foray into the woods without gloves. Ryker looked at the spot near her finger, trying to focus on her question and not her hands. “There are several different obstacles we can put in the course. These allow us to raise and lower the obstacles, make them easier or harder, depending on the age or experience level of each group.”

  Another smile and he knew that he wasn’t going to last long.

  “That’s a great idea. I hadn’t thought about that.”

  Carly blinked at the man, once again stunned by his perceptiveness. He’d really nailed this course. It was almost as if he’d peeked into her brain and knew what she was thinking, before she’d even thought it.

  When she glanced up at him, Carly realized that she was kneeling on the floor, wanting to get closer to the drawings. “This is great, Ryker,” she said softly. “Thank you for doing this.”

  He leaned back, looking at her carefully and, once again, Carly wondered if he could see into her mind. Before she could say something else, Lucifer jumped up onto the couch, immediately putting his fuzzy paws on Ryker’s arm and looking up at him with a pleading gaze.

  Carly’s throat tightened when he automatically reached out to scratch behind Lucifer’s ears, causing her gigantic cat to purr like an affectionate demon.

  “Why didn’t you come to me first?” he asked, unconcerned when Lucifer climbed onto his chest and settled into the curve of Ryker’s arms, his giant paws kneading the space under Ryker’s collar bone.

  “Because of that kiss,” she admitted honestly.

  His hand stilled. “Was it that bad?” He shifted and Lucifer jumped down, leaping onto the chair next to the couch.

  She stood up and stepped back, seeing the look in his eyes. Was he hurt by her comment? She hated the idea of him being hurt! Ryker was big, strong, and so unbelievably competent. She’d listened to Oz and Jayce tease him about some of the things he’d done in the world and the man was a bit like a superhero.

  “No, Ryker. Just the opposite,” she told him honestly, looking down at her toes.

  She jumped when she looked up. Suddenly, he was right in front of her. How could a man that large move so silently? It was crazy!

  “Explain, Carly.”

  She sighed, but couldn’t look into his eyes this time. Instead, she stared at his chest. “That kiss…sort of blew me away, Ryker. It was amazing.”

  He shifted slightly, moving a bit closer and she caught her breath. “I need more of an explanation.”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure what more I can give you.”

  “If you enjoyed the kiss, why don’t you want to kiss me again? Why won’t you even talk to me?”

  Lucifer wove his way in and out of her legs and she stumbled slightly. But Ryker’s strong hands whipped out and caught her. And then drew her closer.

  “Carly, I want to kiss you again.”

  That stupid trembling started up again. Visions of that kiss flashed through her mind. “Why would you want to do that?”

  “Because I love kissing you. Because I’ve thought of little else since. Because I want to see if it was as good as I remember it.” His hand slid up along her arm. “I doubt it could be as good. I’m pretty s
ure I’m only imagining how great it felt to have you in my arms like that.”

  “I’ve actually been thinking the same thing,” she admitted shyly. “But I can’t have an affair with you.”

  He reached up and gently tugged the band out of her hair, causing it to tumble down around her shoulders.

  “Why not?” he asked.

  Carly swallowed hard. “You don’t want an affair with me, Ryker.”

  “Why not?”

  Woah! Not the words that she’d been expecting. “Because…I’m like a sister to you?”

  He laughed softly. “You’re not my sister, Carly. I have never felt brotherly in any way towards you.” His hand drifted down her neck and she almost burst into flames as desire rolled over her. “Protective, yes. Even though you’d say that you don’t need protecting.”

  She laughed, but it wasn’t the full laugh that she normally gave off. This one was a bit breathless as she stared up into his eyes.

  “Maybe we should…” she started, but couldn’t finish the statement.

  “Try that kiss again?”

  She heard his words, and her heart sped up several notches. Finally, she was able to respond, but only with a nod.

  “Now?” he asked, but she realized that he was teasing her.

  “Just kiss me, Ryker,” she pleaded.

  He moved closer, his head lowering with painful slowness. Was he trying to give her an out? Did he want her to tell him no? If that was the case, he was going to be disappointed. Because she’d dreamed about that kiss every night, wondering what it would be like for the kiss to progress. To not stop. She wanted to know what it was like to be held in his arms, breathing in the afterglow of incredible sex. And yeah, she knew that sex with Ryker would be amazing! None of this wham, bam, thank you ma’am stuff she’d experienced with her last boyfriend.

  Sure enough, as soon as his lips touched hers, a jolt of electricity shot through her. The shock was intense, but she didn’t pull away. In fact, Carly moved closer, craving more. Wanting him to deepen the kiss and make her feel those crazy sensations that she’d experienced the last time.

  She almost panicked when he started to pull back, her hands fluttering over his chest to stop his retreat. And that’s when he released his control and waves of lust rolled over them both.

  “Carly!” he groaned, then lifted her into his arms so that he could carry her back to the sofa. He sat down with her on his lap, but when she leaned forward to kiss him again, he took control and leaned backwards, shifting until he was on top of her. Her flannel shirt was whipped off, tossed aside as he stared down at her camisole. His breathing quickened as he rubbed a thumb back and forth over her nipple while kissing her again. Just as had happened last time, Carly’s mind blanked and all she could do was react as her arms moved up to wrap around his neck, her hips ground against him. In the back of her mind, she was vaguely aware of his erection and his hands moving along her ribs, but she couldn’t concentrate. All she could focus on was finding his skin, letting her fingertips run along the muscles she’d admired from afar for the past several years.

  He pulled away from her, but only long enough to reach behind his head and pull his shirt off, dumping it onto the floor beside the couch. “Touch me, Carly,” he ordered, guiding her hand to his chest, closing his eyes as his massive body shuddered at the feeling of her fingers against his skin.

  “I’ve wanted you to do that for so long,” he admitted, his voice rough with desire.

  When her shaking fingers pulled down the strap of her camisole, he stilled, watching as her breast was revealed to his hungry eyes. Carly watched in amazement as he stared down at her, his hand almost reverently coming up to touch her breast. But she wasn’t watching his hand. She watched his eyes, noticed the way his eyes filled with desire and she suspected that he wanted her almost as much as she wanted him.

  But then his head lowered and she stiffened, bracing for the effect of his mouth on her breast. She wasn’t ready! The heat was so intense, so powerful, that she cried out, arching upwards and pressing her nipple into his mouth. Meanwhile, his left hand teased her other nipple through the material of her camisole. She couldn’t think, could only react. She pulled down the other side, revealing her other breast. He didn’t hesitate but moved quickly, his mouth covering that nipple and torturing it with equal fervor.

  “Where’s your bedroom?” he demanded, pulling her up so that she was straddling his hips now.

  “Upstairs,” she told him, her hips grinding against his. The straps of her camisole trapped her arms, but she didn’t care, her hands glided over his tanned, heated skin.

  “We need to…” he started to say something, but that’s when she leaned forward, her lips brushing against his shoulder, then moving lower. “Ah…damn, it Carly!”

  He set her feet on the floor so that she was standing in front of him. He slid her leggings down, taking her underwear along with them. Carly lifted her feet out of the leggings as she licked her lips, eager to get back to where she’d just been.

  He stood up as a well, tearing his jeans off before stripping her camisole away and tossing it over his shoulder. He only paused to pull a condom out of the back pocket of his jeans.

  Carly waited, but he was taking too long. While he leaned over to get the condom, she let her fingers slide along his back, impressed with the muscles but also surprised by the scars that marred his perfect skin. There were many of them. She could discern knife wounds, bullet scars, and a few others that defied categorization.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t give her time to ask about them. He tore open the condom open with his teeth and rolled it down his shaft.

  That’s when she saw him for the first time and gasped. He was so big! So incredibly beautiful! His erection jutted from his body like a massive sword and all she wanted to do was touch him, let her fingers wrap around the impressive girth and hold him.

  She reached out for him, but he took her hands, pulling them back onto his chest. “Not this time, honey. I’m too close as it is. If you touch me there, I’ll lose control, and then this will be all over.”

  And then he was kissing her again, his mouth hard and demanding, his hands gripping her hips as he lifted her up in the air, sitting down with her again with her legs on either side of him. With his strong hands on either side of her hips, he leaned forward, taking her nipple into his mouth once again as he lowered her down against his shaft.

  Carly couldn’t think anymore. Ryker held her imprisoned in his hands. As she held on to his shoulders, he lowered her slowly and she held her breath as Ryker filled her up. When she dug her nails into his skin, he paused, reading her silent body signals perfectly.

  A moment later, she let her head fall back, reveling in the incredible feeling of finally having Ryker here. Inside of her. A part of her! She wiggled slightly, trying to adjust as he stretched her wide, but it felt too good, so she did it again. And again.

  “Carly, you’re killing me,” he groaned.

  When she focused on his face, Carly realized that there was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead and shoulders. Smiling as the sensation of power exhilarated her, she shifted again. Then, because it felt so good and she liked the fire that lit his dark eyes, she did it again.

  “You want to play?” he asked teasingly. Those strong hands lifted her and, because he was sitting up, that sensitive nub rubbed against his abdomen on both the up and down slide against his shaft.

  Now she wasn’t playing! Now she wanted more! Unfortunately, Carly had never experienced anything like this before so she was at a complete loss as to how to…!

  Shaking her head, her fingers curled into fists against his shoulders.

  “Just relax, honey,” he soothed, somehow understanding what she couldn’t say. Then she felt his hands on her bottom as he lifted her higher, slowly lowering her down again. Over and over, he showed her how to move, how to shift her hips so that she could feel the friction against that spot. When she took control, he gave her
the room to move, to shift on her own for perhaps five minutes. But then he shook his head, his eyes watching her breasts, and he shifted against her once more. “Carly, I can’t…” he pressed his thumb against that throbbing nub and the direct contact was all she needed to lose herself in the sensations.

  Her head fell back again as she rode him, pressing against him in an unconscious rhythm that took her higher and higher until…

  “Oh, Ryker!” she gasped, her body throbbing with the spike of pleasure that was so intense, she couldn’t see, couldn’t think, could only wrap her arms around his neck as he too exploded with pleasure. When she felt him shudder, she was already gasping, trying desperately to hold on.

  Then it was all over! Carly collapsed against his chest as he leaned back against the sofa cushions, both of them panting. Carly smiled faintly as she listened to the pounding of his heart under her cheek.

  A long time later, she felt his fingers tangle in her hair and smiled. “Thank you,” she whispered in a voice that she hoped he couldn’t hear.

  But Carly had forgotten that Ryker had ninja ears. He heard everything. Saw everything. Sensed too much. So, when she whispered those words, he shifted until she was underneath him, then gently kissed her lips over and over again, still intimately connected to her and she sighed with happiness.

  When he finally lifted his head, she smiled up into his eyes. “Do you have to go?” she asked, her body tensing as she waited for his answer.

  “Do you want me to go?”

  She thought about that, wondering how to admit she didn’t want him to leave. Ever. But that wasn’t the right answer. Keep it cool, she reminded herself. Casual and cool and just….a one night thing.

  “No. I don’t want you to go,” she answered honestly.

  But her words must have been the right thing to say because he pulled out of her and stood up. “Stay here,” he said and kissed her lingeringly before he walked into the kitchen. A few moments later, he came back, unselfconsciously naked as she tried to thread her arms into the tangled flannel shirt she’d been wearing earlier.