He pulled his shirt off and let it fall on the floor at their feet.
Her hands traced over his chest, dragging her fingers over each ridge and indentation. Muscles. Golden skin. Raw strength. He was mesmerizing.
“Mrs. Boone,” he murmured against her neck. “Option A. We’re breaking the rules.”
Option A. She blinked. Option A. The plan with no sex and a temporary marriage. The plan she’d dreamed up to keep things under control. To protect them both. She stared at the wall of muscle that was his stomach and chest, a soft sound of pure frustration escaping her lips.
“Annabeth?” His voice was a low growl.
She wanted him—too much. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “After today... I just... You...” She shook her head. “I crossed a line—” It was hard to meet his gaze.
He was staring down at her, shirtless, gorgeous and barely controlled. “Hell, Princess, cross it.” His words were colored with unfiltered hunger.
She sucked in a deep breath, her lungs shuddering at the force of it. The look in his eyes, the heat of his hands and strength of his arms around her. She wanted this. She wanted him. She stepped forward, slipping her hand to the base of his neck and pulling his head down to her.
As their lips met, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. With the heel of his boot, he nudged the door shut. He didn’t lay her on the bed, but set her on her feet instead. He knelt in front of her, unbuttoning each of the buttons along her pajama top. When it hung open, he kissed her stomach, along her ribs, under the swell of her breast...leaving a spark of fire in his wake. His hair brushed along her skin, heightening each sensation. And his big hands held her up, solid against her back. His mouth brushed over her nipple, stealing whatever breath she had left.
She shrugged out of her top. It wasn’t enough. She needed all of him.
His broken groan shook her where she stood. He wasn’t touching her. He didn’t have to—his desire was all the encouragement she needed. She started to kneel with him, desperate to feel him against her. But he tugged her pajama bottoms down and stood, the brush of his chest against her own heightening her senses even more.
His hands tangled in her hair as his mouth sealed hers. The touch and slide of his tongue was too much. Her hands fumbled with his belt buckle and jeans. Somehow he managed to get out of them.
They fell back onto the bed, but he rolled them, bringing her on top of him.
She stared down at him, at the beauty of his body, the angles and planes and rugged masculinity. His hands stroked up her arms, his gaze devouring every inch of her. He was just as hungry as she was. His fingers brushed along her neck, wrapping in her long hair to pull her face to his.
His kiss was deep, leaving her lungs empty and her body writhing. He rolled them again, holding her tightly against him. When she dared to look at his face, she was stunned by his expression. Possessiveness—he looked at her as if she was his.
She wanted that...wanted to be his.
He rested on one forearm, his hand cradling her face as he moved slowly into her. She closed her eyes, too overwhelmed by the raw friction, the exquisite pressure. He grew still, his gasping breath cooling her heated skin. She looked at him, at the control he fought for. She kissed his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist. “Make love to me, Ryder.”
* * *
HE WAS A good lover. He could take his time, drive a woman mad. But something about Annabeth made him lose that, something about her drove him mad. She held him tightly, arms and legs and hands. Her body sheathed him so tightly he worried he’d be done before they got started.
He heard her words and looked down at her. Her hands cradled his face as she arched her back, joining them more deeply in the process. She moaned, her breath hitched, but she never looked away. And he happily drowned in her hazel eyes.
Damn, she was beautiful. Her body and her heart. He loved her. He would love her the way she deserved to be loved.
He moved, soaking up every reaction. Sweet sighs, the roll of her hips, the flush on her skin and the small shudders his touch caused. Watching her was magic, giving him the desire to make it last—to give her what she craved. Her hands tightened on his back, gripping his sides fitfully, dragging a moan from his throat. She was so close. He nuzzled her breast, drawing first one nipple into his mouth, then the next. She whimpered, her nails raking the skin on his back. His mouth on her skin made her crazy. He held her, watching, as every inch of her contracted. Her eyes closed as her neck arched off the pillow. She cried out, threatening Ryder’s control. This was about her.
I love you, Annabeth. He pressed kisses along her neck as her cries began to ease. I love you.
He let go, finally, moving frantically against her. He held her against him, the feel of her pulling him under. Her hands slid down his chest, gripping his hips in encouragement. The power of his release startled him, rocking him to the core. Her arms held him close until he calmed. But whatever calm his body might be feeling, the throbbing beat of his heart was anything but. He rolled onto his back, careful of her. She turned into his arms, sighing as he pulled her close against him. His heart was still thundering as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
A full-on storm raged outside, a hard rain was falling. But he didn’t mind. He was right where he wanted to be, happier than he’d ever been.
* * *
“SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED,” Annabeth announced, so pleased she wanted to jump up and down like a little girl.
Ryder, sleepy-eyed and barely awake, grinned. He rearranged his pillow, the quilts sliding low to his waist in the process. “You look torn up about it, Princess.”
She shook her head. “Not one bit.” She slid back into bed beside him, pulling the quilts over them. She frowned then. “You still have to go to the garage?”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “You suggesting I call in sick?”
She slipped out of the pajama top she’d put on to answer the phone. “I am.” She slid on top of him, kissing the tip of his nose.
His hands landed on her rear, sending all sorts of amazing tingles down her back. “Think that can be arranged.” His voice was rough and sexy.
She kissed him, loving the way one of Ryder’s big hands slid along her back to cradle her head. His lips tugged on her lower lip, and she melted against him hungrily. She moved, gripping his head to tug him close. There was something freeing, knowing they had hours before Cody woke up, hours before they had to face the day.
Ryder groaned softly, pulling her under him.
Her bedroom door creaked as it opened, giving Annabeth just enough time to nudge Ryder off.
“Ma?” Cody’s voice was a croak. “M-my bed’s wet. W-water coming in.”
“Oh, Cody, I’m sorry.” She couldn’t exactly get up—she was naked.
Ryder slid to the side of the bed. “I’ll check it out.” Ryder shivered. “Brr. Why don’t you climb in the bed there and warm up.”
Annabeth tucked the sheets around her before wrapping Cody with quilts. Tom appeared, leaping up to sleep on Cody’s chest. It took less than five minutes for Cody to fall asleep, then she slipped into her pajamas.
The house was cold, so she tapped the thermostat and turned the heat up. The unit clicked several times before a gust of warm air came through the floor vents.
Ryder stood on a chair, lightly pressing on the ceiling. A huge patch was clearly soaked through.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” She shook her head.
Ryder nodded. “It’s bad. Not just in here.” He jumped down, took her hand and led her into the small living area. The patch extended for almost half of the room. There were several puddles on the wooden floors, the rhythmic tap-tap of water muffled by the water already accumulated.
“How bad?” she asked, refusing to let this ruin the sense of peace she’d woke
n to.
“New roof bad. New heater, too, probably. And then there’s the wiring...” Ryder pushed the hair from her shoulder, enfolding her in his arms. “We should move out to the ranch for a while.”
Annabeth stared up at him. “We...we can’t inconvenience your dad that way.”
“It’s no inconvenience, Princess.” He kissed her forehead, then her nose. “We can’t stay here, it’s not safe. This is gonna be a major cleanup, too.” He looked at the roof. “Be a good idea to put most of this in storage, for now.”
“All I wanted was a morning in bed with you.” She frowned. “Talk about a mood-killer.”
“There are beds there. Big, comfy beds.” The muscle in his jaw was working. “Morning, afternoon, night, I’m there.” He kissed her, leaving no doubt that he meant it.
She burrowed into his arms, ignoring the leak and the puddles and the cold for a minute longer.
“I’ll call my dad.” Ryder’s voice was muffled in her hair.
“It’s barely six,” she argued.
“He’s up, I guarantee it.” He smiled, his hold easing.
“I guess I’ll get dressed and see about finding packing materials.” Her brain was already making lists of things she’d need to do. “What a mess.”
“Nothing that can’t be fixed.” He tilted her head back. “How’s your stomach?”
She smiled. “Hungry.”
“Good.” He headed for the kitchen and pulled out a skillet and eggs. “Breakfast will be ready in a bit.”
She watched him, smiling at his outfit. Boxer shorts, boots and his thick work coat. And he still managed to look hot. “You want your pants?” She laughed.
He smiled at her. “Am I distracting you?”
She cocked her head. Did he know that she wanted to drag him back to bed? She sighed. The bed where Cody was now soundly sleeping. “Yes, you are,” she admitted.
His jaw was working again, and she liked it. “The couch isn’t wet,” he suggested, an egg in his hand.
She rolled her eyes, but her breath was unsteady. “What am I going to do with you, Ryder Boone?”
He grinned, his signature I’m-going-to-rock-your-world grin. “I have some suggestions—”
She held up her hand, heading from the kitchen. “Stop.” But she was giggling.
Chapter Thirteen
Ryder stood watching his wife mingle with the people of Stonewall Crossing. He knew she was exhausted. Neither one of them had been getting a lot of sleep recently. Between the storm, the damage to the house and moving into the Lodge, he and Annabeth hadn’t had much time alone. But he felt confident he was making headway with his plan—destroy Option A.
Sure, living under the same roof as his father took some getting used to. But Annabeth was one of those people who kept the peace, without even trying. And Cody was settling in. His father had given them the only suite in the Lodge, so he had his own room—even if he’d spent last night sleeping between them. Overall, life was damn good.
“I think she gets prettier every time I see her.” John Hardy clapped him on the back.
Ryder nodded. “No one prettier.”
John chuckled.
Ryder shook his head. “I’m whipped.”
“That’s all right.” John laughed. “A man would be downright foolish not to be with a woman like that.”
Ryder watched Annabeth laugh. He couldn’t agree more.
“I need to talk to you, if you have a minute?” John asked.
“Yes, sir,” he agreed, leading John into one of the smaller rooms off the great room.
“My kids have all up and moved, you know that. None of them are interested in my line of work, anyway. You are.” John paused. “Now, with Annabeth and your family, I figure you might be willing to take on the garage.”
Ryder stared at him. John Hardy had always believed in him, giving him a job and a roof over his head since he was eighteen. He was a good man, someone Ryder was proud to know. It hadn’t been easy to say no to JJ, and JJ wasn’t ready to give up yet, but Ryder knew he was where he belonged. And now this.
John held up his hand. “I know you’re sore about staying put, not getting to work with JJ, but hear me out. If the garage was yours, you could do the bodywork and custom jobs you’ve always wanted to. Stonewall Crossing might be a little off the main road, but they’d come—for your work.”
His own garage. With an established clientele. Here, not starting over. He was getting everything he always wanted.
“Just think about it. Seems like you’re settling down all right, putting down those roots you’ve never wanted to plant before. This might help with that.” John nodded, clapping Ryder on the shoulder again. “I’ll let you stew awhile while I hunt down some more of that honey lemonade Fisher made.”
Ryder nodded, wishing he was better with words. “You’re a generous man, John.”
John smiled. “And you’re a good man who loves an engine almost as much as I do.” He nodded once then headed off in search of Fisher’s lemonade.
“Hiding?” Hunter asked, coming in as John left. “Renata really did invite everyone, didn’t she?”
“The entire damn town.”
Hunter grinned. “Your wife’s looking for you.”
His wife. The woman he took every opportunity to touch, to kiss and hold.
He smiled, heading back to the great room. There was no shortage of activity. The ice storm had delayed the party a week. And now, with the cold and ice hanging on, the party couldn’t spill out onto the series of decks that ran down the hill behind the Lodge, the way Renata had originally planned. Add in the endlessly revolving servers coming to and from the kitchen, and it was a little too close for comfort. His brother Fisher sat with Cody and Eli and a few other kids, making paper airplanes out of Renata’s fancy wedding announcements. His father and a few of his cronies were seated along the back wall, their chairs grouped around the massive fireplace. His other brother, Archer, had been cornered by two women with single daughters. To marry a Boone in Stonewall Crossing was pretty damn close to becoming Hill Country royalty.
“Hey.” Annabeth smiled as soon as she saw him. It warmed him through, seeing her look at him like that.
“How’re you holding up?” He took her hand in his and stared at her. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. And when she smiled up at him like that, she made him feel like the only man in the world. A man who wanted to kiss her more than anything. His fingers laced through hers.
“Ryder,” she chastised him. “You shouldn’t look at me like that.”
Ryder laughed. “Like what?”
She turned to face him, flushed. “Like that...” Her voice was unsteady.
He grinned. “I don’t know what you think I’m thinking. I was thinking about me.” He kissed the back of her hand. “And you—”
“Exactly.” She nodded, wiggling her fingers.
“And Cody going fishing when it warms up,” he added, watching her cheeks turn a deep scarlet. “What did you think I was thinking?” he teased.
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “Nice to know I’m in your thoughts.”
He slid an arm around her waist. When was she not in his thoughts? Every decision he’d made had been with her in mind. He stroked her side, getting accustomed to the way his heart reacted to her. “You are, Princess,” he whispered.
She smiled up at him.
“Ma.” Cody tugged on Annabeth’s denim skirt. “Can I take Eli to my room? To play with Tom? Or watch a m-movie?”
“’Course you can,” Ryder replied.
Cody looked at Ryder, then Annabeth. She nodded, ruffling his hair. “’Kay, thanks.” The two ran out of the room.
“Can I go with them?” Ryder asked.
; “Nope.” She shook her head. “You’re not leaving me.” Her smile faded into a frown.
He didn’t have time to ask what was wrong—his father was headed their way. Once he saw the people his father had in tow, he realized what Teddy Boone was up to. He and his father might not see eye to eye on some things, but they both wanted to help Annabeth any way they could.
“Annabeth, you remember Mack?”
Mack enveloped Annabeth in a hug. “Good to see marriage is agreeing with you, Mrs. Boone.”
“Well, thank you for marrying us,” she said, smiling.
His father grinned. “Don’t know if you know Don and Haddie Miles?”
“In passing, I think.” Annabeth was all warm smiles and handshakes. “It’s a pleasure.”
Pleasure might be pushing it, but Ryder just smiled. Haddie Miles was one of the few women who used to rub his mother the wrong way. Hell, she was an older version of Winnie Michaels.
“Look at you, Ryder,” Haddie said. “What a fine man you’ve turned into. Either Annabeth doesn’t know what a rascal you are, or she’s decided to try to redeem you.”
Ryder didn’t flinch. “She knows all about my past, ma’am. And she’s shown me the error of my ways.” Haddie smirked, but the men present turned a universally appreciative gaze upon his wife.
“And this old pain in the rear is Charles Sharp.” Teddy stepped back so the gnarled older gentleman could shake Annabeth’s hand.
“Call me Cutter,” the old man said as he waved Teddy back. “My eyesight’s not so good,” he grumbled, coming to stand inches from Annabeth. His milky eyes widened. “Hell’s bells, boy, you married well.” Cutter shook his head. “And she’s the principal, too, Teddy? The one there’s all the fuss over?”
“Cutter—” Haddie shushed the older man.
Twins for the Rebel Cowboy Page 14