She was sleeping with a content little smile on her face when the doorbell rang. I pried myself out from under her to answer the door before the shrill sound woke her. The face on the other side made me wary. My mother stood there with a wide smile, but I knew as soon as she found out Lexi was here, things would turn ugly.
“Good morning, baby.” She scooted past me and headed for the kitchen.
“What are you doing here, Mom?” I asked, following behind her.
“Do I need an invitation to have breakfast with my son?”
“No, but…” Shit. She knew Lexi was staying with me, so I had a feeling she came here looking for trouble.
“But what?” She placed a hand at her hip and crooked an eyebrow.
“You didn’t come here to start trouble, did you?”
“What are you implying, Ryder?” She began shuffling around my kitchen, pulling out the eggs.
She wouldn’t look me in the eye, so she was definitely here for Alexis. “Mom…”
I heard Alexis moving around in my room, and I hoped she wouldn’t come out. After the night we’d shared, I didn’t need my mom coming in ruining what should’ve been an incredible morning.
At that moment, Alexis came around the corner in one of my T-shirts. Her hair was disheveled, and she gave off the aura of a woman who had been thoroughly fucked.
She didn’t realize I had company until she was practically in front of me. Then she began to pull the shirt down, even though it draped down right above her knees.
“Hi,” she said shyly as my mother gave her a once-over.
“Alexis, this is my mother, Julia Kent. Mom, Alexis Cole.” My voice was tight and had an undercurrent of warning for my mother. She glanced at me, then back at Lexi.
Then she huffed and said, “Figures the hot bitch who stole my husband would have a hot daughter who’s panting after my son.”
Shit.
Lexi’s eyes widened, and she took a step back. Her chest rose as her breaths became ragged. Just as I thought she was about to run off, she stepped forward and glared at my mother with fire in her eyes.
“You watch how you speak about my mother.”
My mom let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Your mother is a whore who was fucking my husband before your father was cold in his grave.”
“That’s enough, Mom.” I stepped in front of her as she took a step closer to Lexi.
“Lexi, wait for me in the bedroom. I need to talk to my mother.” I stared into my mother’s eyes, but I knew Lexi hadn’t moved. When I turned around, I noticed her misty eyes and the way her hands were trembling. “Lexi…”
She blinked, looked away, and sighed before turning and going back to my room.
“Mom, what are you doing?” She looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. “Mom?” She looked at me and shrugged. “You’re going to mess this up for me.”
“What do you mean? You said you were just friends.” She turned her sharp, accusatory gaze on me.
“Things change.”
“What changed? Three days ago, she was your friend and now she’s what… your girlfriend?” Her eyebrows furrowed.
“No, but she’s important to me. I need you to leave her out of your fight with David and Vanessa.”
“So now it’s my fight with David and Vanessa? It used to be our fight. You were always on my side.”
“And I’m always going to be on your side, but Lexi doesn’t deserve your hate.”
“I just don’t get what it is about her and her mother. You slept with her, and now you’ve lost your mind. You’re just like your father.”
“If you continue attacking her, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” I crossed my arms, and our gazes locked. She always knew when I was serious about something. She’d back off. She wouldn’t like it, but she’d do it for me.
“Seriously?” she whispered, shocked I’d side with Lexi. She stared at me, flabbergasted.
“I won’t say anything else to her,” she said through gritted teeth. She went back to moving around the kitchen to continue making breakfast. “I guess she’ll be joining us for breakfast?”
“Yeah, she will. I’m going to go check on her.” I turned toward my room but paused and looked back.
“And, Mom?” She glanced over her shoulder at me. “What you said about her father…” She shifted nervously. “It was uncalled for.”
She nodded with a look of regret on her face. That was a good sign. A small one, but still good. Maybe I might just get her to see Lexi as a separate entity from her mom.
Lexi was not in the room, but the shower was running. I grabbed a condom before I joined her in the bathroom. I stripped off my shirt and briefs, pulling the glass doors open. She spun around, covering her wet breasts with her hands.
“Ryder, what are you doing? Get out.”
I smiled at her attempt at modesty. She placed a hand on my chest to hold me back as I approached, exposing her hard, pink nipple. There was something about seeing her wet, in any way, which made me hard as a rock. I reached out and dragged a finger over her nipple. She moaned, and my cock jerked in appreciation. Her gaze flitted down, and her lips parted as she watched my cock lengthen.
“Lexi, I’ve touched every curve of your body.” My hand traveled down her side, over her hip, and slid over her ass. I pulled her against me, licking the water off her skin.
“I’ve tasted you when you came.” Her body trembled as I slowly slipped my fingers over her thigh to the moist heat between her thighs.
“And I’ve fucked this tight little hole.” She moaned and bit my shoulder as my finger slipped into her wet pussy. Her nipples were hard beads against my chest, and her whimpers made my dick harder than I thought possible.
“But your mom…”
“I don’t care. She fucked up our morning after, and I’m trying to remedy that.” I needed in. I put on a condom, grabbed the back of her thighs, and lifted her up, spreading her until her legs were wrapped around my back. The head of my cock stretched her entrance as I pushed in. Her fingernails dug into my shoulders. Her head fell back against the shower wall, eyes squeezed shut as she gasped and panted. My cock jerked as her soft muscles clenched around it. I rocked slowly into her, watching as water swept down her outstretched neck, over the curve of her breasts and down her belly to where we were joined. She ground down to match my strokes. Her tight pussy and the wet visual would quickly bring me to the end.
I leaned in and kissed her, thrusting my tongue into her mouth. I swallowed her moans and fed on her lust as her tongue swirled around mine—warm and hungry. Our lips separated. The steaming water fell over us, clinging to her eyelashes as they fluttered open. Her tongue glided out, and she slowly licked my lips, then bit. My control snapped.
I buried my head into the crook of her neck as I thrust into her over and over—hard and fast, almost savagely. With each thrust, her back arched, and she clawed at me, spurring on my animalistic hunger.
“Ryder, please…” She begged for release. I rocked into her at a faster pace, her slick heat making me delirious. She pushed her breasts forward. They jiggled temptingly with each thrust—like an offering. I latched onto her pebbled nipple, sucking and tugging on it with my lips. She screamed my name and writhed as she reached her climax. Her pussy tightened in a series of clenching spasms, grasping onto my cock—jarring me. I pumped frantically as I tried to prolong the ecstasy flowing through my veins. I released hot jets that rocked my body. Her nipple was an angry red when I released it, so I ran a soothing tongue over it. She shuddered, her fingers tugging at my hair.
“Oh. My. God,” she said breathlessly. “I think I saw stars in broad daylight.” I laughed as she kissed under my jaw. “You can put me down now.”
I shook my head. “I like you right where you are.”
She laughed and clenched her inner muscles so hard I groaned.
“Jesus, you’re trying to kill me.” I reluctantly lifted her off my semi-erect cock and pulled her directly under the water. She
grabbed the shampoo and started massaging it into my scalp.
“Did your mother leave?”
“No. She’s making us breakfast.”
She paused in the middle of washing my hair and stared at me. “I’d rather drink one of your disgusting shakes than eat her breakfast.”
I laughed, but she stared at me with one eyebrow lifted.
“Come on, it’s not that bad.” I ran a soapy hand over her breast. Her eyelids lowered and her nipple tightened under my finger. “I’ll even taste your food before you eat.” I smiled at her, but she shook her head.
“This is not funny. Your mother hates me.” She pouted.
“Well, I don’t. Come here.” I pulled her into my arms and kissed her until she moaned, forgetting all about breakfast with my mom.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alexis
I was not looking forward to going back out to face Ryder’s mom. He thought it would be fine because he’d talked to her, but I knew it wouldn’t. I didn’t know every detail about what happened between my mom, David, and Julia, but I knew all that hate was about to come down on me.
I should’ve waited for Ryder, but if I stayed in that room a minute longer, he’d have me pinned to the bed. I’d be screaming his name regardless of his mother in the next room. But as soon as I stepped into the kitchen, I knew I should’ve waited. Leah was perched on the kitchen island with a heaping plate in front of her. I felt cornered but put on a brave face as Julia smiled at me.
“Have you met Leah?” she asked with a contented smirk, placing a much smaller plate down for me. “I made you some breakfast.”
“We’ve met.” I mumbled as I grabbed a glass from the cupboard, opened the fridge, and poured a glass of the health shake Ryder had leftover. I grimaced as I sipped it.
“Don’t you want your breakfast?” Julia asked. Her smile was so fake it made stomaching the drink that much harder. “Are you on some kind of diet? Your ass is a bit on the large side.”
“There is nothing wrong with her ass.” Ryder walked in and smiled at my grimace as I tried to swallow more of his shake. He hadn’t noticed Leah, but I saw the moment he did. His smile melted away, and his features turned hard with anger.
“What the fuck, Mom?”
“Watch your mouth, Ryder. I never get to see Leah anymore. She’s a family friend, and I thought she might like to have breakfast with us.” She turned around and began filling up a dish for Ryder.
“Mom?” She ignored him and continued filling his plate. “Can I talk to you in the other room for a minute?”
“After you eat, dear.”
She placed his plate next to Leah at the end of the island. He rounded the counter, stepping behind his mother, and barked, “Now!”
They left the room, and I had no intention of staying in a room with Leah. I placed the half-empty glass in the sink and turned to leave the kitchen.
“I won’t let you take him from me,” she said to my back.
I whipped back around to face her, and she glared angrily at me. The sugary sweet smile she wore when Ryder was in the room was gone.
“Your mom may have stolen David, but—”
“What’s with you two blaming me for whatever happened with my mom? What they did hurt me too, but that’s in the past, and Ryder and I have nothing to do with it.”
She jumped up and got in my face. “The same thing you’re trying to do happened. The difference is I won’t let you win.”
I pushed farther into her space because I refused to let her intimidate me. “You vandalized my car and the gym, didn’t you?” I didn’t know if it was true, but I wanted to see the look on her face when I said it.
“What?” She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “I would never do that to Ryder. He knows that. Obviously, I’m not the only one who knows what you are.”
I hated confrontations, and I didn’t want to be part of this one. I left the apartment in a hurry, glad when I found Ty in the gym.
“What’s the matter?” Ty asked as I slammed through the gym doors and dropped my bag in an angry heap at his feet.
“I want to be with Ryder. I really do. And I finally accepted that. Last night was… Well, last night was amazing.” I felt a blush spread over my face as Ty laughed at my stammering. I was ranting, but I didn’t care. “But you know what, Ty?”
“What, Lexi? I get the feeling we’re getting to the part that made you angry.”
“Yes, we are. This morning I woke up and realized it was all a fairytale. Ryder’s mom shows up this morning—uninvited—and to top it off, she invites Leah over. She hates me and would much rather see him with that bitch. Leah with her perfect dimples, sparkling gray eyes, and cute ass. Do you know she said my ass was large?”
Ty tilted his head to get a better view of my ass and smiled. “Your ass is fantastic, Lexi.”
“This is never going to work. She’ll always be in the middle, and I don’t want Ryder choosing between me and his mom.”
“Lexi!” Ty grabbed my arm and shook me lightly. “It doesn’t matter what Ryder’s mom wants. He wants you.”
“But—”
“He. Wants. You. And Ryder always gets what he wants. Now come over here and I’ll show you how to get rid of all that pent-up anger.”
Ty taught me to release my tension by punching a bag. I started out thinking it was ridiculous, weakly hitting the bag but producing more damage to my hand than to the bag. But Ty showed me how to jab and kept taunting me about Leah. Before I realized it, I was powering my fist into the bag, actually moving it off its axis.
“There you go,” Ty egged me on. “That’s my girl. We don’t let anyone get in our face. We fight back.”
I was sweating, but the endorphin release was incredible. I pictured Leah’s little body dropping to the mat as I pounded her face in. I was in my own world where I was a champion fighter and Leah was learning to back off what was mine.
An arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me out of my alternate universe. “Is Ty trying to teach you how to kick my ass?” Ryder pulled me back against him with both arms around my midsection.
“No, but I’ve been picturing Leah’s face on that bag for the last fifteen minutes.”
“I talked to my mom.”
“Again?” I wasn’t foolish enough to believe anything Ryder said could change how she felt about my mom and me.
“She’s going to back off.”
“Okay.” I didn’t believe that for one minute, but there was no need to argue about it. Ryder’s mom hated me, and she wasn’t going to suddenly accept us.
Ryder kissed me on the neck. “Now, go find yourself another trainer. This one is mine.”
Ty smiled at me. “Sorry, Lexi, I’ll let you pin me to the mat and have your way with me tomorrow.” Ryder smacked him on the back of the head. I laughed as I walked over to the treadmill, hoping if I made my muscles burn a little more, I’d be fully over Julia’s little stunt upstairs.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ryder
“What’s all this?”
“Dinner.” Lexi waved a hand over the meal she set up on the small dining table. It seemed once Lexi gave in to her feelings, she went all in. She stood there in a tiny apron with nothing but skimpy underwear underneath.
“Where did you get all this?”
“Well, Shelby picked me up, and I went to the supermarket.”
“And the apron?” I moved my gaze to her breasts. The apron didn’t cover much, so I was hypnotized by the way the material hugged the curve of her creamy flesh.
“I thought you might like dessert, so we made an extra stop.” She bit on her bottom lip, twisting her hands behind her back. She was totally out of her comfort zone, but I liked that she made the unnecessary effort to please me. I’d think she was sexy if she was wearing my clothes.
“You did all this for me?” I stepped closer. I’d never wanted a family life, especially after how everything ended with David. But with Lexi looking like a housewife
from a Playboy magazine, I was considering domestication.
She nodded. I placed my hands on the smooth exposed skin of her hips.
“I want my dessert now.”
She shook her head as I leaned in to kiss her.
“The food will get cold,” she said, lowering her eyes and staring at my lips hungrily.
“I’ll warm it up,” I whispered against her lips. “I want to get you hot first.” She yelped as I swept her off her feet and carried her into my room.
I feasted on her for over an hour. Until the greedy, moist center of her convulsed with pleasure, and I became drunk from the taste of her on my tongue.
“Wait,” she said as I was ready to plunge into her. “Condom.”
“We don’t need it.”
“What?” She looked panicked as she pushed against my chest.
“I cage fight. We bleed a lot. I get checked out religiously. I’m clean, and you’re on the pill.”
“Ryder…” She was still skeptical, but I wanted all of her with no barriers. “I’ve never done this without protection.”
“Neither have I.” I leaned in and stroked her hair. “You have all of me, Lexi. You want my heart; it’s yours. You want to have my kids? I’d give them to you.” I pushed her hair behind her ear and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
“I love you, Lexi… So what’s it going to be? Will you take all of me?” She nodded as I wiped the moisture threatening to roll out of her right eye.
I knew it was hard for her to drop the wall she’d built around her heart, but she agreed. So I made love to her. I gave her everything I had until she was fading in and out of consciousness.
~*~*~
It was late, and I couldn’t sleep. I checked on the gym three times since Alexis fell asleep. With the windows boarded up, I was nervous the asshole would return and do something stupid. Like fuck with the equipment I had down there. After three hours, I got fed up and decided I wasn’t going to get to sleep until I took care of the problem.
As I closed my apartment door, Ty’s door opened, and he stuck his head out. “Dude, go to sleep. If I hear you pacing up these hallways one more time—wait, where are you going?”
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