He nods.
“I don’t like the fact that everyone will know you’re getting a divorce because of me, but no matter what happens, I’m glad you’re finally going to have your life back. You didn’t deserve what happened, and neither did Brittany for that matter. I hate her for the lies she told to get you, but she didn’t deserve to have her life taken away the way that she has.”
With unsteady hands, I cup his face and place my lips over his in a sweet, all-consuming kiss. I need him to know that I mean every word I said.
“I can’t lose you, Dahlia,” he whispers against my lips.
“You’re not going to lose me . . . just promise to always be honest, and I’ll always be here.”
He pushes the hair back from my eyes. “I can do that, even if you don’t like what I’m going to say.” He slaps a quick kiss to my lips before grabbing hold of my butt. “Hold on.”
Gripping me against him, he stands and I wrap my legs around his waist, bringing us up close and personal. He stumbles before righting himself. “You keep that up, and all my good intentions will go right out of the window.”
I wiggle closer and grin when I feel his desire—hard and long against where I want him the most.
“You feel good.” I suck his earlobe into my mouth and feel him shudder against me, seconds before I feel my back hit the wall.
Ryder buries his face in my shoulder while trying to catch his breath. “You set my body on fire.” He starts to bite along my neck and follows it with swirls of his tongue. “But we need to stop.” He thrusts his hips against my core. “I want you naked, Dahlia. But with everything you’ve said, we’re going to wait, because when I finally get inside you I have no intention of leaving for a very long time. And I don’t want you to have any regrets, which you’ll have as long as I’m still legally married. I, at the very least, need to have a chat with a lawyer and see what he suggests for the quickest way to be free of my marriage. I’ve waited years to put an end to something I should have dealt with at the beginning. I’m not just doing this for you so we can be together; I’m doing it for me as well.”
I’m listening and admiring his restraint, but right now I’m sure if both my feet were on the ground, I’d have stamped them in frustration. I’ve never had sex with anyone, but I certainly know what an orgasm feels like, and I’m on the edge of release, or I was until Ryder moved his hips out of reach.
“Ugh.”
He grins with a wicked glint in his eyes. “I turn you on.”
What a dick.
I punch him in the arm. “Ass.”
He starts laughing.
“I turn you on,” he slams me back against the wall, “and I’m going to give you your release . . . if you’ll let me . . .”
He licks along his lips, and all I want is to feel his wicked mouth where no one else has ever put their mouth before.
My blood thrums through my veins as my breathing hitches and becomes a labored pant at the look on Ryder’s face.
I want him with a desperation I’ve never known, and all thoughts about the other woman fly straight out of my head. “Yes,” I whisper.
Not needing telling twice, and before I can catch my breath, his hands are inside my sleeper shorts, gripping my naked butt as he strides into my bedroom.
He drops me to the bed, and drags my shorts down my legs before tossing them over his shoulder. “We don’t need those.”
I spread my thighs and try to hide my embarrassment when his eyes focus on my naked pussy. The intensity of his gaze nearly makes me close my legs, but before I can, Ryder follows me down to the bed. Lying on his stomach between my spread thighs, he grins at my embarrassment before kissing me on the top of my mound.
The shiver of delight rushes through me and builds until I feel like my whole body is going up in flames. Then he tongues my clit and all embarrassment leaves me.
“You’re killing me,” I moan.
He laughs. “Death by sex—a good way to go.”
I can’t even respond as I feel his fingers opening me up to his eyes seconds before I feel his mouth and tongue on me—kissing and licking. My legs wrap around his neck on their own accord and as he slides a finger inside me, I can’t control my response. My hips start thrusting against his mouth. I yank my shirt over my head, needing to touch my sensitive breasts.
Arching up, I pinch and rub my nipples at the same time that Ryder inserts another digit inside my core. He glances up and pauses. “Fuck me.” With one hand, he reaches up and knocks mine away and takes over pinching and rolling the tight bud.
He growls and attacks my pussy with a vengeance. The minute he sucks my clit into his mouth, I shatter, flooding his fingers, then his mouth, with my release. Ryder doesn’t let up and keeps tonguing me while I thrash around on the bed. I’m surprised my fingernails haven’t torn the sheet under me.
It’s becoming too much. “Ahh . . . please . . . stop.”
“You sure?” He slowly withdraws his fingers and rears up on top of me to suckle a breast into his mouth, where he plays with one of my nipples before moving to the other.
When he finally meets my gaze, he moves up my body and seals his lips with mine. With the taste of my release on his lips, he deepens the kiss while wrapping me up in his embrace.
I wrap my legs and arms around him, wanting to keep him close and feel his erection straining against his zipper.
I’ve released but he hasn’t.
I grind against him, and hear his breath catch in his throat. Ryder pushes up with his hands as we both look down between our bodies. My eyes widen when I see the head of his cock pushing out of the waist of his jeans.
He meets my gaze, and clenches his teeth. “We need to stop.”
I arch against him.
“Dahlia—”
I may still be a virgin, but it isn’t the first time I’ve seen an aroused penis. I’ve messed around with guys, albeit not for a few years. They’d come all over my hand as soon as they’d start fondling my naked breasts or the minute their hand slipped into my panties.
So I’m not as innocent as Reece—my brother—seems to think. I’ve given a few blowjobs, which I don’t think ever lasted past the minute mark. I never let anyone come in my mouth, though. The thought of that just grossed me out, but I think I’d love it if Ryder did.
Having him losing control because of me fills my heart with love . . . excitement . . . and brings out the devil within me.
Reaching out, I slip my hand between us and rub the leaking head of his dick.
He hisses between his teeth, and kneels up between my legs. “God, woman. You’re killing me.”
“At least you’d die happy.” I quickly kneel in front of him and leaning forward, nip his earlobe with my teeth before soothing it with my tongue.
“You’re asking for trouble if you keep doing that.” His hand slips around me and grabs onto my butt. “I can’t get enough of you.” He doesn’t sound happy as he holds me against him. “I need to see a lawyer, and quickly. I’m not sure how long I’m going to be able to hold out.”
This suddenly fills me with dread and I have no idea why. Hopefully, the lawyer will be able to sort everything out quickly, as Ryder has never had a marriage, but my stomach feels full of nervous butterflies. Nothing ever goes as planned, at least where I’m concerned, so why should now be any different?
Chapter Six
Ryder
“Are you sure you’re really okay with everything I told you last night?” I ask Dahlia, who has an exasperated look on her face.
“Ryder, you’re starting to piss me off. If I wasn’t okay with everything, I wouldn’t have gotten naked, now would I? I also wouldn’t have let you spend the night holding me in my bed.”
I grin at my fierce warrior.
Dahlia rolls her eyes. “You’re impossible. You know that, right?”
“So I’ve been told a time or two . . . and,” I grin, “you being naked and so responsive to my touch last night had me beating of
f in the shower.” I smirk, seeing the surprise on her face.
I crouch down in front of the chair where she’s been sitting, flipping through a magazine, for the past five minutes.
“You didn’t?”
I smile.
“You did . . . why didn’t you let me watch?” She pouts.
“You’re killing me,” I state, and rearrange my dick, but not before I catch where her eyes are focused.
Shaking my head, I move away from the temptation of Dahlia, and sit on the coffee table.
The appointment with the lawyer, Ryan Townsend, is first thing this morning, having called late yesterday.
It would have been impossible to get an appointment, but for Amanda Kincaid, Dahlia’s half-sister. She works for Ryan, so she managed to slip me onto his schedule.
I’ve been trying to ignore the fact that Dahlia hasn’t asked to come with me. Stupid, I know. But I could really do with some support because I’m nervous as hell. My nerves aren’t just because of my appointment with the lawyer, they’re rampant because I’m planning on calling at my parents’ house on the way back to let them know what I’m doing.
I know how Brittany will take it, and her family will follow suit, so I’m going to leave them until the last minute before I get an even bigger headache.
As I stand in front of the mirror trying to get my hair neat, I glance at Dahlia’s reflection and watch as she makes her way over to me.
Without a word, she takes hold of my arm and turns me to face her before wrapping herself around my waist. Her head rests against my chest, which she kisses. She pulls back and cups my face in her hands.
“I know you’re nervous,” she kisses me, “but you’ll be fine. Just remember I’m there with you in spirit and I’ll be here when you get back.” Reaching up, Dahlia takes over the job of taming my hair. I usually wear it cropped close to the scalp, but I’ve kept putting off the trip to get it trimmed, which is why I can’t do anything with it now.
Dahlia, as she starts to run her hands over my shoulders and chest, has a pensive look on her face, and she’s pulled her lower lip between her teeth. A sign she’s nervous.
“Babe, please talk to me.”
Her eyes flash to mine before she looks away.
“I want to come with you.” She meets my gaze and shrugs. “I know I can’t because it’ll look bad on you having me with you. I just want you to know what I’m thinking.” She tries to act nonchalant, but I see through her.
She’s really bothered that she can’t be with me, which I guess makes me happy considering not five minutes ago, I was wanting her to at least offer.
I slide my fingers into her gloriously, long, red hair and bring her close so I can taste her. No sooner have I sealed our lips together than my hunger for her takes over. The minute we touch, I always feel like I’ve had a large steak dangled in front of me after not eating for months.
Although I think I might keep that thought to myself. She’s a girl and might not see the relevance to being compared to a steak.
A thumping on the door causes us both to jump slightly apart, but it doesn’t prevent me from stealing one more kiss.
The thump increases to a rapid banging, each thump louder and harder than the last.
Where the fuck is the fire?
“God damn. You break that door you’re paying to get it fixed,” I yell over the racket as I dash over to unlock it.
“Stay back.” I look at Dahlia and take the chain off.
The door swings open and a furious Reece confronts us.
This isn’t good.
Raising his fist to obviously strike out at me, Dahlia gets in his way and narrowly misses having a broken jaw.
No way is she getting in his way when he wants me. I’ll be damned if I let anyone hurt my girl.
Reaching out, I grab Dahlia’s arm and put her behind me, and face Reece.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I spit out at him, anger coursing through me as my muscles react to combat. No one hurts my girl . . . even if it’s unintentional.
“My problem is you, stringing her along.” Reece steps into my apartment and slams the door shut behind him. “No one treats my sister like . . . like . . . a whore.”
Hearing Dahlia gasp at his words pisses me the fuck off.
I step forward into his space. “Don’t you dare come into our home insulting Dahlia! You won’t be welcome here anymore.” I jab him in the chest.
“You’ve been sleeping with her, and she had no idea about your wife,” he sneers.
“You can stop right now.” Dahlia shoves her way in front of me. “I’m still a virgin. And don’t expect me to announce to you when I’m not because it really isn’t any of your business. You have no right bursting in here without getting your facts straight.”
“My facts . . .” he fumes. “Are you crazy? He’s married, or did you already know that?”
“Oh, for God’s sake. We spoke last night and I know everything, so leave it.”
Reece stands with his hands on his hips. “You’re cool with him being married.”
Before my eyes, Dahlia seems to pale. All I want to do is hold her close and tell her everything will be all right in the end, but I’m not sure she’ll appreciate that right now.
“I’m not all right with him being married.” She offers me a wry smile and wraps her arms around my waist.
My knees nearly give way with relief that she’s still on my side, not that a side should be taken. But knowing she still supports me causes my heart to fill with love for her—I didn’t even realize I could love her more than I already do . . . until this moment.
“Ryder needs to head out before he’s late.” She looks to me before turning her attention back to Reece, “Once he’s gone, you are going to calm down, then drink some coffee with me, and providing Ryder’s okay with it, I’ll tell you what’s going on.” She turns her gaze to me.
“Okay. Although I’m not sure I want to leave you two alone.” I throw Reece a threatening glare.
“It isn’t me she should be worrying about.”
She kisses me on the cheek, and turns to glare at Reece. “He’s your friend. Please don’t let anyone come between that friendship, because he really could do with support from you instead of your antagonism.”
Wow. I never thought I’d see it but Reece deflates in front of me, all the anger flowing out of him to be replaced with chagrin.
“I’ll wait until I know what’s really going on before I decide whether he has my support. You’re my sister, Dal.” Reece spears me with his gaze and I understand completely, family before friendships. He continues, “How the hell am I supposed to react when I hear what I heard?”
“Like an adult who knows there are two sides to every story.” She grins at him.
Reece rolls his eyes and drops to the sofa.
I take his silence as an opportunity to pull Dahlia closer to the door. “You call me if you need me.”
“I will.” She kisses my nose. “Just remember I’m there with you, always.”
Dahlia
Well, that went well.
Why the hell did I have to get a brother who acts before thinking? I love him, but ugh! We really could have done without that right before Ryder left for the lawyer’s office. He was full of nervous energy, and I’d wanted to try to take some of that away from him, but Reece kind of screwed that idea up.
“You’re a big lump.” I slump into the armchair, and realize I’ve been stomping around on my sore ankle. It doesn’t seem too bad at the moment.
“Oh, that’s great. You’re calling me out? And what about the coffee you suggested?”
“After that pissed off display, you can get your own.”
He opens and closes his mouth, as though he doesn’t know what to say. Either that or he’s decided against his first thought.
Reece sits back and tries to relax, with his ankle resting over his knee. He’s anything but, and his leg twitches as he tries to remain still. I�
�m certainly not willing to prod the tiger anymore.
Starting from when Mara dropped me back at Kix yesterday, and leaving out the lust that ran rampant, I spend twenty minutes or so explaining to Reece about Ryder’s past and what he intends to do about it.
I’m surprised when I’ve finished that Reece stayed quiet, letting me tell the story instead of interrupting me every five minutes like a two year old—par for the course when dealing with Reece.
The silence is driving me nuts though, now that I’ve finished. Reece hasn’t moved from his seat and he’s facing me with a thoughtful expression on his face. I’m not sure whether or not I should be worrying.
Unable to take it anymore, I glare at him. “Well? Please say something?”
“Do you believe him?”
I wasn’t expecting that.
“Of course I believe him. He doesn’t have any reason to lie, and if you think about it, he hasn’t lied in the past.”
Reece raises an eyebrow.
“Okay, he lied by omission. But you have to admit no one actually asked him if he was married. Everyone just presumed he wasn’t. He doesn’t wear a ring and has never lived with her so why would we think of asking?”
“Dal, you’re my sister. It’s my job to protect you. I wasn’t always there to interfere with that bastard, but I’m around now and I need to make sure you’re all right.”
I cringe at the thought of the man who I grew up thinking was my father, only to sigh in relief when I discovered he wasn’t.
“Ryder is nothing like him.” I can’t even say his name. “Ryder, wouldn’t lay a finger on me, as you well know.”
His eyes narrow as he zeros in on me chewing my bottom lip. I do this when I’m nervous and apprehensive.
“If I promise not to blow a gasket, will you talk to me about what is really going on in that head of yours?” Reece sits forward and rests his elbows on his thighs.
I nod.
“Would you consider me the other woman now that you know Ryder’s never had a marriage?”
I thought I’d be good with being close to him, but at the back of my mind, I’m still frightened everyone—mainly his family—will look at me as the scarlet woman. If anything, I trust Reece to tell me as it is. His opinions sometimes vary to everyone else, but I’ll always listen to him.
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