“We won’t be apart,” he promised her. “We will see each other often, I swear it.”
She nodded, biting on her lower lip to keep from sobbing aloud. Again, their lips met for a sweet kiss and Paige hung her head, trying to understand how her life had taken such bittersweet twists in so short a time.
Ryder embraced her tightly, inhaling the sweetness of her hair. “Everything will be okay,” he promised her, but as she finally allowed the tears to slip from her golden eyes down her cheeks, she knew he couldn’t guarantee that, not when Oculus continued to define their actions. All she could do was hope that they would remain together as Ryder had promised. And as she pulled back to stare into his eyes, she knew he would never let her go without a fight. After all, he hadn’t stopped fighting to keep her so far.
Everything will work out, Paige told herself, swallowing the lump in her throat. Ryder would never leave me alone.
Epilogue
The springtime sun shone blindingly off the Potomac River as he steered the car toward the cul-de-sac at the end of Riverpoint Drive. Ryder’s heart was racing with excitement, his fists gripping the steering wheel tightly. It doesn’t matter what Drake says, he thought grimly. I am doing the right thing for everyone.
The past four months had been like living atop a bomb with an unknown detonation time. From the minute he had sent Paige away, the days dragged on, filled with nothing but constant arguments with his father. It had started to seem recently as if Drake was intentionally throwing up roadblocks in their search for his brothers. He refused to entertain solid leads and continued to say that they had to wait until the five Conway men were reunited before they could successfully attack Oculus.
Ryder wanted to be more proactive. When wispy leads had come across their path, Ryder wanted to go check them out. There had been stories of a teenager who could do mysterious things in Texas several years ago. Ryder wanted to go there and check it out. Who was this kid? Was it all fancy illusions, or could he actually make time stand still? Where was he now? But all Drake wanted to do was collect intel. If it was up to him, neither one of them would have left the safety of his house in the past months.
And lately, Ryder got the feeling that Drake was actually hiding stuff from him. It was just a feeling, but there were sudden halts in phone conversations when Ryder came into the room, and then there were the hastily covered papers in his office. Ryder had survived this long by listening to his intuition, and right now, it told him that something was off.
And all the while, the threat that Oculus would storm through the front doors of the house in Leesburg remained, just as they had all those years before.
Ryder had put out feelers with his old contacts around the world – the ones he felt he could trust – to let him know about any stories of “weird” abilities, or unexplainable events. So when he had gotten a tip about strange things happening around a set of twins in Thailand, he had decided it was time to part ways with Drake. Trust was a very big issue for Ryder, and he was sad to say that he didn’t have it with Drake. At least not yet. They just hadn’t known each other long enough for it to grow, and when he added his “sixth sense” into the mix, he just felt it was safer to keep the details of this tip to himself.
“I’m leaving,” Ryder told Drake that morning. “I’m going to Thailand.” Drake blinked at him uncomprehendingly. “What the hell does any of that even mean?” he demanded. “How can you leave when we’re – “
“When we’re getting absolutely nowhere? When we’re butting heads? When I go to bed every night without holding Paige in my arms? I can’t do this anymore.”
“And what about Paige?” Drake demanded. “You’re going to prance off to Asia and leave her here after you’ve upset her entire existence?”
“Don’t worry about Paige,” Ryder snapped back. “And stop being a dick. I am going to Thailand because I believe that’s where the twins are.”
“You believe?” Drake echoed. “What makes you think that?”
“It’s just something I’ve heard rumblings about,” Ryder hedged, playing his cards close to his chest.
“Let me come with you,” Drake said suddenly, his demeanor abruptly changing as he realized that Ryder was serious. “If they are there, we can find them together.”
Ryder shook his head. “No,” he said flatly. “You concentrate on finding Xavier. I’ll send word if I locate the twins.” Surprisingly (or not), Drake didn’t argue any further. He was either in agreement for once, or he was relieved that Ryder was leaving.
He took Drake’s Mercedes, packing very lightly and headed down the Harry Byrd Highway toward Lansdowne. Somehow, it was reminiscent of the last conversation he had had with Joe Quinn when he had left Seattle forever. He felt the same twinge of loss somehow. When I get back from Thailand, I’ll call Joe and see how he’s doing, Ryder thought. It was uncharacteristic of him to feel a sense of yearning for the man he had believed to be his father. But a lot had changed in Ryder since Paige had entered his life.
He was constantly thankful that Paige had remained with him. She could have opted to separate herself completely from the chaos of the Conway house but instead, she had quietly moved to the next town over, where his father had arranged for her to have a house and a monthly income.
Although they were able to communicate occasionally, he hadn’t been able to see her – the one thing him and his father had agreed on was that it was too dangerous to go to the house she was living it. Drake’s overconfidence that fateful night weighed heavily on both of them.
There hadn’t seemed to be an easy solution to his problem until he decided to part ways with his father and take Paige with him to Thailand. No one there would be searching for them, and they would have fake ID’s to travel with.
He jumped from the car, walking quickly as he reached the front porch, letting himself inside with his key.
“Ry! What are you doing here?” Paige gasped as he tore through the front door, grasping her by the waist and swinging her around happily. “Pack a bag,” he said. “We’re going to Thailand.”
She blinked and stared at him, a half-smile on her face, as if she thought he was joking. “Thailand?” she echoed. “What’s in Thailand?”
“A lead on my youngest brothers. Come on. I have no idea how long we’ll be gone but we’ll be together away from this mess at least,” he told her.
Instantly, the smile on her face faded completely. “No,” she whispered sadly. “No, I can’t go with you, Ryder.” He stared at her as if he had heard the words wrong, his world slowly crumbling around the edges.
“Of course you can. We won’t be in any danger and – “
“No,” she sighed, wriggling completely out of his arms. “I can’t. I can’t do this anymore.” Shock filled him and he stared at her, his jaw dropping. “I know it’s been a rough four months, Paige but we will get over this, I swear. If we can find the twins, we are that much closer to defeating Oculus!”
She smiled softly at him and Ryder felt his heart sink into his boots along with the color in his face. “The last four months were rough,” she agreed. “But that is going to be nothing compared to the next few.”
“What?” he asked, not understanding. “What is coming up in the next few months?”
She lowered her amber eyes and exhaled slowly. “A baby,” she sighed. “I’m pregnant.”
He gaped at her openly, a combination of staggering emotions filling his body. “You’re pregnant?” he whispered, reaching out to embrace her. “Oh my God! Are you okay?” To his surprise, Paige sidestepped him.
“You don’t understand,” she said. “I have to think of the baby now, Ryder. I can’t keep looking over my shoulder and jetting off from place to place on a whim. I have to prepare for a child now.”
Ryder stared at her, a lump growing in his throat. “No,” he told her gruffly. “We have to prepare for a child. This is our responsibility now. Our number one priority.”
Paige shook her head miserably. “You made a
commitment to your father,” she breathed. “And I can’t live like this, not when there’s an innocent child at stake.”
“Paige, my first commitment is you and our baby,” he replied, grabbing her firmly around the waist. “We are going to leave here and start over somewhere new with new identities. We’ll get married and raise this baby properly.”
She stared up at him, her eyes hopeful. “I can’t ask you to do that,” she whispered. “It’s not fair to your family.”
Ryder cupped her face and lowered his lips to hers. “You didn’t ask me to do anything. And besides, you are my family.”
She leaned forward into him and kissed his lips.
Her body lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July when their lips met and the stirring within her core heightened. Ryder cupped her face with his free hand and deepened their kiss, penetrating her sweet mouth with his hungry tongue. He had missed the taste of her and she moaned softly as their tongues intertwined.
Breathing hard, Paige moved in even closer and grabbed his head with both of her hands. She pulled him onto her, pressing her soft breasts against his firm chest as she spread her legs, pushing his body against her own. Feeling him so close to her ignited a fire deep inside of her, making her breasts swell and a small moan escaped her.
“Ryder,” she breathed between kisses, “I want you – it’s been so long.”
That was all he needed to hear. He reached behind her and unzipped the back of her dress, pulling it down around her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck, inhaling her fragrance. He forced her dress down to her waist, taking the straps of her bra with it. With her luscious breasts exposed, Ryder looked his fill, and then traced the rise of one breast with his finger. “Beautiful. So fucking beautiful.”
Paige arched her back and ground herself into him, feeling a hardness press against her stomach. She ran her hands through his thick soft hair, breathing deeply, inhaling the scent of his body.
His hands on her back supported her as she arched backwards, thrusting her breasts forward. Ryder leaned his head down and captured one nipple between his lips. Her gasp and low moan proved to him how sensitive her breasts were, so he increased the power of his suction, taking the whole nipple deep into his mouth then releasing it slowly, laving the tip with his tongue as he released the pressure. His lips made their way over to the other breast, showing it the same attention as her breathing became more labored.
His lips made their way back up to her neck as he lifted her body upward and pulled her dress down over her hips. He forced it the rest of the way down her body, and standing, she kicked it off onto the floor. His hands found her thigh and slid upward until it reached the thin lining of her pink lace panties.
He shuddered as he felt the wetness between her legs. Paige moaned loudly as he caressed her clit, applying just the right amount of pressure to cause her back to arch in response.
She cried out, grinding onto his hand, begging for more of his intimate touch. The tips of his fingers found her slit already dripping wet with her juices. He slid a finger inside of her and she raised her hips upward, forcing it deeper.
“Oh yes!” she cried. Ryder slid another finger into her and she cried out, lost to the passion, holding his head and burying her fingers deeply into his hair.
He felt the walls of her core trembling, squeezing his fingers hard. He inhaled the scent of her arousal, almost causing him to lose the tight grip he was holding on his control. Moving back slightly, Ryder freed himself from the prison of his pants, his rock-hard erection springing free. Paige reached down and wrapped her hands around his length causing a growl to escape his lips. She stroked him intimately, running her hands along his girth, rhythmically, as his fingers sunk deeply into her core again, continuing to stretch her, fill her, until she was whimpering with her approaching orgasm.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He picked her up and laid her down on her carpeted floor. Hurrying the rest of the way out of his jeans, he knelt down and spread her legs wide, caressing her soft, creamy skin and trailing kisses down to the valley between her thighs. Paige let out a loud cry as his lips found her clit and his fingers slid into her again. His technique was so precise, bringing her right up to the edge of her climax.
“Paige, you’re so fucking hot,” he hissed.
He flicked his tongue quickly against her button until she raised her hips up high, grabbed his head and screamed.
“Oh, God, Ryder, I’m gonna…”
The rest of her sentence was lost, as a fierce cry of intense pleasure shook her uncontrollably. Her entire body tensed up and her back arched with the strength of her orgasm. Hot honey exploded onto Ryder’s fingers as Paige finally began to breathe again in deep panting breaths, as her orgasm started to taper.
But Ryder wasn’t finished with her yet.
He slowly sat back on his heels, watching her intently, the power of his emotions radiating from his eyes. Leaning forward, he trailed kisses up her navel and made his way back up to her breasts, pausing to show them each some attention before kissing his way up to her open, waiting mouth. Paige reached down and took his erection into her hand, guiding it to her wet, warm entrance. She watched as he closed his eyes and slid his length into her slowly, exhaling deeply.
“Fuck!” he hissed passionately. “You feel so fucking good, Paige.”
He opened his eyes as he began to move, thrusting into her, slowly at first, and then increasing his pace as her body moved to meet his. He locked his eyes with hers as she cried out in ecstasy, completely lost in his eyes, in the intensity of the pleasure he was giving her as he plunged into her, over and over again. His hand found her breast and he fondled it as he moved in and out of her, bringing her closer and closer to another mind-blowing orgasm.
As she felt herself reaching the edge of her climax, she grabbed onto Ryder’s muscular buttocks and wrapped her legs around his waist, forcing him even deeper inside of her. She raised her hips upward and cried out again as her entire body shook, the tremors seeming to build in intensity, the pleasure overwhelming.
Her gripping pussy sent Ryder over the edge. He couldn’t hold back any longer. With one final hard, deep, thrust he let out a loud groan, his back arching with the force of his release. His eyes burned into her and his jaw clenched tightly as he exploded, his release filling her to the brim with his essence. He closed his eyes as his body came down over her gently, being careful not to put too much pressure on her abdomen.
He had never felt such pleasure in his entire life. He had had sex countless times in his life, but nothing compared to what he experienced with this woman. The connection they had was deeper than ever, and now, with a baby between them, nothing was ever going to tear them apart again. He vowed it solemnly to himself as he lightly kissed her temple, cupping her face in his hands. Then he looked into her eyes and vowed it to her too.
“I love you. I’ll always love you. And I’ll protect you and the baby forever. I swear it.”
As they embraced, Ryder felt a deep sense of relief, a huge weight being lifted from his shoulders. His path was set, he knew where he was going now. Yet he also knew, somehow, that his path would eventually cross with Drake Conway again.
HARD
Time
Prologue
New Haven, Connecticut
It was the first supper Drake Conway had eaten at home in over two months and he smiled lovingly at his wife, wanting to treasure every second of the idyllic moment. Who knew when he would be granted such an opportunity again? He was already taking a major risk being there that night.
No one knew where he was; he had violated protocol to see his family and the consequences of such a blatant disregard for the rules could be devastating.
Drake shoved the dark thoughts from his mind, turning his attention back to Shirley and the boys.
I deserve to be a normal man for one night, he reasoned. I have earned it.
“Darling, these potatoes are divine,” Dra
ke announced and Shirley smiled beguilingly, placing her elbows on the table as she eyed her husband.
“I put in a special ingredient,” she confessed, winking a light blue eye at him. “It’s like I sensed you coming home today and knew I needed to make them extra special.”
Drake grinned, a surreal quality overtaking him as he looked around the mahogany table. It was difficult to reconcile Major Drake Conway, Department of Defense Special Forces with Drake Conway, husband, father and fantasy football player.
They are two completely different people. I don’t even know if they would like one another if they were to meet, Drake thought wryly. He wondered if Bob next door would even recognize him in his other persona.
“I no like potatoes!” Three-year-old Xavier declared, pushing his fork about the plate in disgust and the twins babbled in agreement. They smashed their tiny fists against the plastic trays of their high chairs, sending a spray of mashed vegetables all about the elegant dining room.
Shirley sighed but before she could answer, Ryder, the oldest boy, interjected.
“I don’t like potatoes,” he corrected his younger brother. Xavier shook his head.
“No,” he insisted. “I no like them!”
Drake grimaced slightly and turned to his middle son.
“Your mother worked very hard on this dinner, Xavy,” he chided. “You should be thanking her, not criticizing her cooking.”
“Drake,” Shirley laughed, rising to take the three-year-old’s plate from him. “He doesn’t know what that word means. Sometimes I think you forget how small they are.”
Drake glanced at Xavier and they exchanged a private smile.
“I don’t know, honey,” he replied, winking at the boy. “I don’t think you give them enough credit sometimes. Children are like sponges.”
Shirley chuckled as she stepped into the kitchen, looking back over her shoulder.
“I wish they were like mops,” she joked, disappearing with the dishes. “This house is in a perpetual state of chaos with all the testosterone coursing through it.”
HARD Series Box Set: Bad boys with powers Page 12