Delivered Through the Storm

by Nicole Garcia

  “I’ll get it.” She takes the dirty dinner dishes to the sink and brings the flan she made to the table as well as clean plates, and the apple pie Ryder made earlier this afternoon. She looks at the pie and cocks an eyebrow before setting it on the table. “It looks like a rat has gotten to this one.”

  Ryder chuckles. “Yeah, a rat named Madison.”

  “Hey! I was hungry and you wouldn’t let me eat anything. I had to take matters into my own hands.”

  Standing at the sink drying the dishes as Ryder washes them is the most relaxing moment of the day. Everyone has gone home, the boys are finally asleep in their beds, and Tyler is snuggled up on the couch, dead to the world and completely knocked out due to the food coma he put himself in.

  “Ryder?”

  “Yeah?”

  When Aiden asked Quito what he was eating, the...rabo…?”

  “Rabo encendido.”

  “Yeah that. What were we eating?”

  “Do you really want to know?”

  I contemplate whether I want to know or not, but my curiosity is killing me. “Yes, I think.”

  “It’s oxtail stew.”

  My stomach turns at the thought of eating an animal’s tail and I moan. “Why didn’t you tell me what it was ahead of time?”

  “Because then you wouldn’t have eaten it.”

  “You’re darn tootin’ I wouldn't have.”

  He chuckles. “It was good, wasn’t it?”

  “I guess. Let’s just make a deal right now. I’ll eat whatever you put in front of me, just don’t tell me what it is.”

  “Deal.”

  We work in the kitchen for the next few minutes to get it clean before we head to bed and pass out ourselves. I know he’s exhausted after cooking, helping me busy the kids all day, and entertaining his friends. Yet, his happy disposition is shining through as always. He never complains about anything. Unlike my ex-husband who complained about everything. Ryder deserves the rest of the night off. Hell, he deserves the rest of his life off for everything he’s done for me and my boys. “Why don’t you go to bed. I’ll do the rest.”

  He smiles, placing a warm, tender kiss on my cheek. “I’m good.”

  “You look tired.”

  “I am. But so are you. We’ll get done faster if we work together. Then I won’t have to fall asleep alone.”

  “I had a good time today.”

  Handing me a dish to dry, he chuckles softly. “Yeah, they are a bunch, aren’t they.”

  “I think they’re amazing. I can see why they’re your friends.”

  “They’re more than friends. They’re my family. I never feel out of place when they’re around. Kind of like the same way I feel so comfortable here.”

  “Are you saying we’re your family?”

  He turns the faucet off and takes the dish rag from me to wipes his hands. “I’d like you to be.”

  Taken aback by what he said, I drop my hands to my sides; my heart racing at his words. “What are you saying Ryder?”

  Leaning against the counter, he pulls me close to him. His long finger brushing a wayward curl away from my face. “I’m saying…”

  He takes my face in his hands, gently gliding his bottom lip over mine and inhales a breath so ragged it causes my chest to vibrate. My lids slowly close, savoring this moment. “You’re saying what?” I say on a whisper.

  “I’m saying I love you Madison.”

  His warm breath fanning over my heated skin sends a chill through my body before I can register what he said. Although I’m almost positive he said he loved me, I think it would be best to double check. It could very well be my hopeful imagination running wild. “What?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ryder

  “I said I love you.” I sigh. “Madison, you’re the piece of my heart I never knew I was missing.” The words come much easier than I thought they would, in fact, they weren’t hard to say at all. It just felt...right. Only seeing the shocked expression on her face has me thinking twice about leaving myself so exposed to get hurt. If she’s going to rip my heart out and have me regret what I just told her, I might as well give her the chance to get it over with now. The sooner I know how she truly feels about me the better. Though I don’t know how I’m going to handle her rejection. If she were any other woman I wouldn’t give a shit, but this is Madison we’re talking about here. The woman who has turned me into a perfect picture of monogamy. There is no other woman for me. My heart has been branded by her for life. I used to think people who talked about falling in love at first sight were full of shit. One look into Madison’s eyes made me a believer, only I didn’t realize it until this very moment.

  Waiting for her to answer me is driving me insane. Every second that ticks by is another second my hope for a real chance at love deflates. I can’t take it anymore. I have to talk so she stops staring at me like she is. “Say something Madison.”

  She blinks rapidly, her blank stare shoved away and replaced by the affectionate gaze I’ve become accustomed to. “I don’t know what to say.”

  I skim the pad of my thumb over her slightly parted lips. My mouth is a hair’s breadth away from hers and the heat radiating between us has me climbing the walls, itching to touch her. “Say you love me. Say you hate me. Just say something and stop looking at me like that. Her features soften and the coy smile tugging at the corner of her mouth has me rock hard.

  “How am I looking at you?”

  “Like you want me to lift you up onto this counter and slide my cock into your soaked pussy. Now, are you going to say something, or am I going to have to fuck it out of you?”

  Her cheeks blush at the blunt harshness of my words and she sucks her bottom lip between her teeth. She takes my hand, slowly guiding me down the hall to her room. I don’t pull her back, I just let her lead me as if I were in a trance induced magic spell. When we reach the room she crooks her finger, beckoning me inside. Closing the door softly behind us, she locks it and pushes me backward until my back hits the wall. Her hands glide down my stomach to the hem of my shirt, raising the fabric to my chest so I can lift my arms out of it. Before I can get it over my head, her mouth is on me, placing scorching kisses over my heated skin. I let my shirt fall to the floor and spear my fingers in her thick hair as her warm, wet tongue skates across my pierced nipple.

  She gives me a teasing bite over my rib, continuing the trail down my stomach until her mouth is lingering over the button of my jeans. When she drops to her knees, my whole world turns upside down. My stomach flips, the muscles between my shoulder blades bunching, my cock twitching in anticipation. The sight of her kneeling before me with her delicate fingers unfastening my pants takes my breath away. I wind my hands in her hair, savoring the moment as each soft curl glides through my fingers. She fists the waistband of both my jeans and boxer briefs, pulling them down in one swift motion. My cock springs free, the tip already glistening with a bead of pre-cum. Peering up at me, her fiery gaze meets mine, the usual soft blue of her eyes now the color of sapphires. Those precious jewels sparkle despite the dim lighting in the room and I feel a sense of satisfaction knowing I’m the cause of her desire. She licks the sensitive piercing and I sway a bit from the dizzying need coursing through my body. I don’t know how much more I can take, but if she continues to torture me like this, I’ll be done before we even get started.

  With her palms flat on my hips, she swipes her tongue over the head with one long, languid stroke. Her lids slowly close and when she opens her eyes again, her next words send me reeling.

  “I love you Ryder.”

  “I love...” The quick movement of her head has me gasping for breath as she takes me in her mouth until the head of my cock hits the back of her throat. I pull her hair, fisting it at the roots. “Shit.” I can’t take my eyes off her. Watching her mouth glide over my hard cock causes fire to blaze through my veins. She’s sucking me so hard, the relentless rhythm of her tongue elicits a strangled groan to escape my throat. “Oh
fuck Peaches.” I lean my head back against the wall, trying to hold on to what little restraint I have left so I don’t come, but her mouth, God her fucking mouth is so wet, so fucking warm. She swirls her tongue, sucking me in even deeper and my balls pull up begging for release. She has me so fucking worked up I can barely breathe. “If you keep this up you’re gonna make me come.”

  Smiling at me with those beautiful eyes of hers, she pulls back, her voice dripping with desire. “Then come.”

  “No, I…”

  “Yes, you can. Now give me what I want.”

  “Mmm, fuck baby. You talking dirty with that pretty mouth of yours is so damn sexy.” Though I would give my left arm to hear her say more filthy things, I don’t give her a chance to speak again. I slide into her mouth, draw back a little, then slip back in over and over until the familiar electrifying tingle that Madison is the sole source of, races down my spine. My release comes fast, and she moans around my cock as I spill my load in her mouth. I massage her scalp as she swallows everything I give her and I ground out a satisfied moan of my own.

  Chapter Twenty

  Madison

  If the day could go any slower the hours would be going backward instead of forward. I’ve never been this bored at work before. There’s usually a lot to do, but this week has been halted to a dead stop because of the bad weather. I grab my calendar out of the drawer to check the schedule for next week and thankfully we have quite a few clients and deliveries to keep Tyler and I busy. I just have to wait out the rest of the week until then. I place my elbow on the desk and rest my chin on my palm as I spin the pen to my right around and around and…around. That quickly gets boring, so I click the pen open and make circles on the pad in front of me. I make circle after circle, the tip of the pen going around and around and…

  “Why does the love of my life look so sad?”

  I lift my head. Ryder is leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed and looking delectable enough to eat. I swipe my tongue over my bottom lip remembering the salty taste of him on my tongue. A smile makes its way to my face as I stand to greet him. “What are you doing here?” I say, squeezing him into a tight embrace.

  He reciprocates the gesture, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. “Now there’s that beautiful smile I love seeing so much.”

  “Why aren’t you at work?”

  “I took the rest of the day off.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “What’s with the third degree? Can’t I take some extra time out of my day to spend time with my girl?”

  “Of course you can, but that’s not why you’re here. You never take time off work unless it’s absolutely necessary.” A bit of panic begins to settle in my stomach because what I said is true. Maybe someone in his family was sick? Maybe something happened to the boys at school? I did add Ryder as an emergency contact if the office couldn’t get in touch with me or Tyler. No, it couldn’t be the boys, Ryder would have called me right away. Which brings me back to my original idea. “Is everything okay? Is your mom sick again?”

  He chuckles. “No.”

  “What’s so funny?”

  He kisses the tip of my nose. “Nothing, it just amazes me how lucky I am to have such a caring, amazing woman in my life.”

  “Well, then why are you here?”

  “Why are you so suspicious?”

  I cross my arms over my chest. “Ryder.”

  “Fine, I wanted to show you something.”

  I roll my eyes, exhaling an exasperated breath. “Ryder, you cannot do that here.” He grabs my elbow as I walk away.

  He laughs. “No, I don’t mean that. But, now that you mention it, I do have plenty of time to...”

  “Ryder!”

  “Okay okay. Seriously though, I do want to show you something. Can you go on your lunch break now?”

  “Sure. Things are pretty slow today. Let me tell Tyler I’m leaving.”

  Twenty minutes later we pull up to a beautiful two-story home surrounded by huge evergreen trees lightly dusted with snow. The picturesque scene looks like something straight out of a magazine. He walks around to my side of the car and opens the door for me. I follow him up the few steps to the porch and he jostles a set of keys in his hand. He sticks the only silver key in the lock and pushes the door open. Stepping to the side, he allows me to enter ahead of him and closes the door. I look around the open floor plan of the house, admiring the warm beige tone of the walls, vaulted ceilings, and modern light fixture hanging above the rustic wood table in the dining area. There isn’t much furniture, in fact, there isn’t any furniture on the first floor except that table. “Ryder, why are we here? Whose house is this?”

  “It’s mine. Escrow closed the other day.”

  I throw my arms around his neck, squeezing him hard. “Ryder this is amazing. I’m so happy for you!”

  “You like it?”

  “I think it's beautiful.”

  He bows his head, looking at the floor. “I know it isn’t much, but…”

  “It’s yours.”

  He smiles. “Yeah.”

  I know how much this house means to him. He’s told me he always wanted to have a home of his own. I just had no idea he’d made an offer or was even looking right now. “Well, show me around.”

  “There’s really nothing to show yet. I still have to buy more furniture because the stuff I have in my small apartment downtown doesn’t really fit here; and it wouldn’t be enough to fill the rooms anyway. The only piece of furniture is that table over there and that framed painting on the wall next to it.”

  I crane my neck to see the painting, but it isn’t visible from this angle. “What painting?”

  He takes my hand, leading me over to the table. When I get closer, my breath catches in my throat when I see the painting on the far-right wall. I don’t know what it is about this one, but it has always been special in my eyes. The abstract artwork appealed to me from the very start. The large brushstrokes in various shades of red, yellow, and black is the perfect background for the couple embracing. The male figure is painted all in black with his arm wrapped around the woman painted in white. Her flowing blonde hair covers her bare back and her long, silky, pale yellow skirt hangs low on her hips. Neither of them have faces, but the love they feel for each other is obvious. “Ryder, it’s…”

  “Your favorite painting.”

  “How did you know? I never told you it was.” Then I realize there is only one way he’d know that information without me telling him. “Tyler?”

  “Yep.”

  Closing the distance between us, he wraps his arms around my waist from behind and brushes his lips across my nape. “I know it’s only a print, but I wanted you to feel comfortable here. I wish I had enough money to buy you the real one hanging in the museum.”

  I turn in his arms, combing my fingers through his soft brown hair. “Ryder, you never have to buy me extravagant gifts. Ever. That’s not why I fell in love with you. I fell in love with your heart.” I bring my hand to my face and tap my chin with my finger. “Hmm. Or maybe it was that perfect pierced dick of yours.”

  His pupils dilate until the steel gray of his eyes becomes barely visible and the heat radiating off him is burning hotter than a five-alarm fire. He walks me backward until my ass hits the edge of the table. “Damn Peaches. You know I like it when that pretty mouth of yours says the dirtiest things.”

  A pool of liquid heat forms between my thighs. Knowing I can turn him on so easily gets me worked up in the best way. My heart races, my breathing coming in short bursts as I try to suck in enough oxygen to fill my lungs. He grabs me by the waist and turns me around, his erection now digging into the small of my back. Taking my wrists in his hands, he leans forward, placing my palms flat on the wood table and bites my shoulder. “I want you so bad. I’m gonna fuck you so hard.”

  I gently push back, straightening us and tilt my head to the side. “Ryder?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I went to the docto
r a couple of weeks ago and…”

  “Is something wrong? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. I…”

  “You what?”

  “I went to the doctor to get a prescription for birth control.”

  “And?” He gives me a confusing look, a deep V forming between his brows. It takes him a few seconds to realize what I’m trying to tell him. A coy smile crosses his lips as he frames my face in his hands. His voice goes low and deep. “Is that your way of asking me to give it to you raw Peaches?”

  I avert my gaze, feeling embarrassed that I said anything in the first place. I mean yeah, it’s something he should know, but maybe now wasn’t the right time to be having this discussion. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…”

  Without warning, he slams his mouth to mine, sucking my bottom lip between his teeth. He pulls back slowly. “There’s nothing I want more than to be buried deep inside you with no barrier between us.’” He kisses the tip of my nose and brushes a loose curl away from my face. “I’ve never been with anyone that way before Madison. If you’re worried about...I mean I’m clean...I’ve been tested...”

  I touch my fingers to his lips. “So am I. I haven’t been with anyone since I got pregnant with Caleb and I kind of had no choice but to get tested myself because of Mitch.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for? We’re standing here wasting precious time. Time that I could be spending driving my perfect pierced dick in and out of that sweet pussy of yours.”

  I settle my hands back on the table and slightly spread my legs apart, swaying my ass to entice him further. “It looks like you're the one wasting time.”