She caught her lower lip in her teeth and shifted her gaze away. “We should find a couple other things, too.”
“Like what?”
“Hot water bottle. Heating pad.” She searched the aisle directory signs until she found the one she wanted.
His grin faded. His conversations with her cousin had given him a pretty good idea how much suffering was involved. He wondered how big this prescription was he was about to pick up, if there would be enough for that, too. If it was even strong enough.
“What did you need?” She put the heating pad box in the crook of her arm, and the hot water bottle into the basket.
He studied her face, not quite as pale now as she’d been earlier, green eyes guarded. “Come here.” He caught her arm and drew her close for a brief kiss. It didn’t sate his need, but it would do for now. He released her, gratified to see a bit more color in her cheeks. “We just need to hit the pharmacy counter and I think we’re good.”
They snagged a few other things along the way--water and soda, some snacks--and Mena paused in front of a display of hair accessories, her expression sobering. She took a card from a hook--bands designed to wrap around ponytails and added them to the basket, her lower lip in her teeth again.
He steered her to the pharmacy counter, where he paid for their things, giving her a hard look when she tried to hand him some cash.
“You’ve paid for everything,” she said quietly. “For days.”
He held her gaze. “Don’t worry about it.”
She frowned at him. “I have money.”
“I know you do. So do I. You should keep yours in case of an emergency. Or in case you see something you really, really want when we’re sightseeing.”
“More sightseeing?” Her mouth twisted. “That didn’t work out so well last time.”
He grinned. “This will.” He took their bags from the woman behind the counter and steered Mena out to the car.
She sat in silence, brooding once more, as he turned the car toward their destination. He patted her knee. “Almost there.”
She frowned, searching for a road sign as he drove. “Niagara Falls?” she said several minutes later.
He eased the car into the parking lot at the hotel. “Have you ever been?”
She shook her head, her gaze shifting from the sign in front of the hotel to his face.
“Neither have I. It’ll be fun.”
“It’s another honeymoon spot.” Pink tinted her cheeks.
He shrugged. “We’ll blend in just fine.”
She lifted one eyebrow in disbelief.
“People still honeymoon over the winter, Mena.” He took the key from the ignition and shoved his door open. “See?”
Her attention shifted to the couple coming out of the front door, arms wrapped around one another, oblivious to her scrutiny.
“Come on, baby. Let’s get checked in. I’m beat. And hungry.”
She climbed out of the car, gathering their shopping bags while he grabbed the suitcases, and then she followed him into the lobby.
This hotel was pretty swanky, compared to the rustic charm of the last place. Lots of gleaming, dark wood here, elegant furnishings in the lobby, again around a fireplace. Further, the formal dining room filled with white-covered tables was visible.
Mena kept her mouth shut while he checked in, though he could tell by her expression she was mentally calculating how much this place cost.
He didn’t care. It had been a long time since he’d spent money on anyone besides Jason, or anything beyond work and necessities. It had been even longer since he’d had a vacation. He’d saved plenty of money, enough to partner with Danny and Joel, plenty to put away for Jason’s future, and plenty more in case of emergency. This didn’t quite qualify as an emergency yet, since they’d managed to ditch the Harvesters yesterday, but it qualified as necessary travel. If he turned it into a vacation opportunity at the same time, well, he had a beautiful woman at his side, one he’d been trying to get his hands on for years. He wouldn’t waste his chance.
Their room was on the ground floor, as he’d arranged, for easy exit if necessary, and he led the way around the corner from the registration desk to the hallway leading to their room.
The room wasn’t just a room, but a suite, he discovered when they stepped inside, the outer room a sitting area with a small gas fireplace and cushy sofa and chair, a large television in the corner.
Ryder kicked the door shut behind them and then led the way to the bedroom. It was twice the size of the sitting area, a king-sized bed in the center of the room, flanked by matching glass night tables and facing an enormous window that overlooked the wooded area behind the hotel. The bathroom opened off to the side, an enormous jetted bathtub in one corner.
He set the suitcases on the luggage rack in the open closet, then took the bags from her. Her gaze had caught on the big bed, and he hid his grin.
She shook herself a little, forcing her gaze away from the bed, and avoided his gaze as she turned to the windows. “Pretty view.”
“It is. Let’s find a laundromat, get some supper, then call Jason, so we can relax.” He slid his hand up her back to her warm nape. “Okay?”
She nodded and let him steer her out of the room once more
Laundry time was interesting. He averted his gaze from an obviously newly-married couple wearing shiny new wedding bands and groping one another in front of their dryer. An older man seated in the far corner couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of them, the newspaper in his hands forgotten. Mena glanced at them, a faint, sad smile curving her lips again, then focused her attention on her task of folding jeans and ignoring his minimal attempts to engage her in conversation.
Dinner was quiet, and he let her be, not trying to tease her out of her brooding, or even to irritate her. Instead, he commented on the meal, touched her every chance he got, and bided his time.
Her phone call to Jason had her eyes shiny with tears by the end of it, and something twisted in his chest at the sight. At the knowledge of how much she loved his son. So much that she’d leave him to keep him safe, not knowing when or if she’d see him again.
He gathered her in his arms when she hung up and felt her trembling against his chest, trying to keep her emotions in check. “It’s okay, baby,” he murmured over the top of her head.
“It’s not okay.” She grasped his shirt tight in one hand, shuddering. “It is definitely not okay.”
He let her hold on, stroking her back, her head, until her shaking eased and her breathing evened out once more. Then he stepped away and dropped onto the sofa, pulling her across his lap.
Mena kept her face against his shoulder.
“You need to relax.” He glanced at the small table beside the couch and saw the remote for the fireplace. He lifted it and hit the button to start the fire burning.
The soft whoosh made her jump, and she glanced over to see what had made the sound, then relaxed.
“There’s a start.” He found the television remote and turned that on, too. “Maybe we should have picked out some wine.”
She shook her head.
“No?” He flipped through channels until he found a station playing music, no video, something new agey and soothing, then put the remote on the table. “You don’t like wine?”
“I like it just fine, but it’s not a good combination with my PMS or aspirin.”
He filed that away for future reference. “Okay. So you think soon?”
She nodded. “Very. Do you suppose there are any adult stores around here?”
His eyebrows shot up. “I’m sure we can find one, but do you really think you need toys when you’ve got me here?”
She lifted her head at last, her cheeks bright red. “I need one for during. The cramps get so bad that not much helps besides heat, either a shower or the heating pad, and...an orgasm,” she whispered. “I didn’t think about it while we were packing. I should’ve, but wasn’t thinking in terms of how long we’d be gon
e or how much the stress would mess with me.”
Ryder thought about all of that. He’d been distracting her while she packed, plus she probably hadn’t wanted to admit then just how long it would take to be safe from the Harvesters. “I can still help.” He watched the color in her cheeks deepen further as she averted her gaze, and he smiled. “I’ll find a store.” He eased her onto the couch, giving her a moment to collect herself while he went in the other room and got his laptop.
In a few minutes, he’d found three stores within a thirty minute drive of their hotel. Probably for all the honeymooners. “We have choices,” he announced, turning the screen toward her.
Mena’s jaw was tight and her cheeks pink, but she took the laptop and studied their options. “This one,” she said at last, turning the computer back to him and pointing.
“Okay. Do you want to go tonight, or can we wait?”
“Tonight, I think.” Her expression was serious, no hint of embarrassment now.
He cupped her face in one hand. “Okay.” Her skin was soft against his rough palm. “It’ll be all right, Mena,” he promised, leaning close enough to brush her lips with his.
She wanted to believe him. He could see it in her eyes. He could also see that she didn’t quite.
He’d make sure it was all right. If it was the last thing he did.
Philomena couldn’t believe she was wandering through an adult toy store with Ryder. Or at all. She’d made all her previous purchases via the internet. Why on earth hadn’t she packed something?
Probably because Ryder was there, stretched across her bed, already teasing her with the negligee. Distracting her.
She took in a fortifying breath and glanced at the table beside them. She thought her face must be glowing, it was so hot. The display at hand was a selection of S&M toys, leather floggers and paddles, gags and whips. Not exactly what she was looking for.
Ryder’s eyes gleamed with mischief when he caught her gaze.
Oh, no. She moved away, dragging her gaze to the next display. Vibrators. Just what she needed.
And just what she didn’t want to shop for with Ryder looking over her shoulder.
“This one looks interesting,” he murmured, his tone gravelly in her ear, as he pointed to a bright green one covered in tiny knobs.
She sucked in a sharp breath when his fingers settled low on her back. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’t like your toys fluorescent?” He chuckled. “How about that one?” He indicated a curved pink one with a small piece jutting out near its base, designed to stimulate her clit while penetrating to her g-spot.
She tried not to think of Ryder ‘helping’ with that. Failed. Heat rushed through her. “It’s a possibility,” she admitted after a second.
“Hm.” His breath warmed her cheek as he shifted nearer. “And this one?”
‘This one’ was enormous. Flesh-toned, with thick ridges. The box claimed it thrust on its own. Dear Gods.
“Perhaps not.” She instead lifted the last box on the table, a smaller vibe, smooth except at the base where tiny nubs jutted out all the way around a protrusion to stroke her clit.
“Why don’t we get both?” Ryder took the box from her and picked up the one she’d said was a possibility. “We need a shopping basket.”
She turned to look at him, alarm mingling with the desire simmering in her veins. “We don’t need a basket.”
He slid her that slow, sexy grin, and her temperature rose about twenty degrees. “We do.” He brushed a kiss on her mouth and steered her toward another display.
Blindfolds.
Her heart stopped for a few seconds. She hadn’t considered he was in danger by being with her during her period. She never had to worry about it at home, as she was always alone. Ryder was in grave danger just by being with her for the next few days. How could she not have realized?
While she stared at the vast arrangement of blindfolds, in various colors and sizes, hung on the wall, Ryder found a shopping basket. And had added to her two vibrators already, with silk scarves in several colors and a couple tubes of something. She tried to focus her gaze on the contents of his basket, but he distracted her by selecting one of the blindfolds.
“I think leather would be too hot,” he mused, replacing it on its hooks.
“Leather?” She stared at him, trying to ignore the pulsing low in her belly.
He winked at her. “Too hot for what we need.” He picked up another. The front was black satin, the backing soft cotton. “Hm, this might be good.”
She blushed. She was going to have to let him blindfold her. For three days.
She shut her eyes for a second. Wow, this might be awkward.
He added the blindfold to the basket.
“I think we’re covered,” she said tightly, pointing toward the front of the store.
Ryder grinned at her. “We haven’t looked at everything yet.”
She sighed, resigned, and followed him around the rest of the shop, grateful that at least they were the only shoppers there at the moment.
By the time they got to the counter, Ryder had added lube and toy cleaner to their items, as well as flavored massage oils and batteries. She couldn’t even look the woman behind the counter in the face while they checked out.
Ryder tucked her into the car with the bag, then went around to his side. He leaned across and kissed her, just a feathery brush of his lips on hers. “It’ll be fun.”
She shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
“The drill sergeant kept telling me the same thing during boot camp.” He winked at her and started the car.
“We should find a grocery store to stock up on snacks and drinks, before this really kicks in,” she said, as much to distract herself as to distract him.
“Okay.” His grin didn’t waver.
So much for distraction.
He kept his arm around her during their quick trip through a grocery store on their way back to the hotel, never letting her break contact. While they chose some fruits and other snacks that didn’t need to be chilled or heated and drinks, her brain wouldn’t stop inventing new ideas about what might happen later. Forget ‘might’. What would happen later. The musky scent of his cologne teased her nose, made her knees weak. Gratitude mingled with the desire when he guided her to the car and let her slide into her seat.
She shut her eyes and leaned her head against the seat. Sex toys. The man had bought her sex toys.
Heat swam along her veins. And he intended to use them on her.
Her nipples tightened, making her glad she had her coat buttoned up tight to her throat.
“Are you wet yet?” he asked, his tone conversational as he set his hand on her knee.
A helpless laugh passed her lips. Of course she was. But she wasn’t going to tell him.
His fingers slid higher, into the space between her thighs. “Mm. Should’ve bought the paddle, too,” he murmured, stroking along the damp seam of her jeans.
Philomena bit her lip, torn between laughter at his outrageousness and setting loose the moan trying to escape. “I don’t think so.” Even she heard how ragged her voice was.
“Open yourself to new experiences, Mena,” he teased, stroking her harder, so her hips lifted into his touch.
“I think I can live without that one, thanks.” She shut her eyes for a second at the rush of heat between her thighs.
“I don’t know, seems like you might be interested.” He shot her a dangerous glance in the light from the dashboard. And pressed right on her clit.
A startled moan passed her lips.
He whipped the car into the parking lot, driving around to the side of the hotel so they were as close to their room as he could manage, then eased his fingers from between her legs to shut off the engine. “Let’s go find out.”
She sucked in an unsteady breath and pushed her door open. Her knees didn’t want to hold her weight when she stepped out, so she braced herself on the car for a second, t
aking another deep breath, but the frigid air did nothing to cool her down.
Their bags dangled from Ryder’s fingers when he met her at the door to the hotel, then set his free hand at the small of her back to guide her to their room. Her heart beat much too fast.
She was sure it had nothing to do with the idea of spanking and everything to do with Ryder.
That certainty didn’t make her pulse slow, however.
Inside, he shut the door and steered her right into the bedroom.
When his cell rang as he was dropping the bags onto the low dresser, she breathed a silent sigh of relief, moving away to unbutton her coat. She needed a few moments to get herself under control. The mirror over the dresser showed her flushed cheeks and darkened eyes. She shoved her hair away from her face, then paused, studying her curls.
She’d have to deal with her hair tonight. Or very early tomorrow morning. Her heartbeat slowed a little, knocking painfully against her ribs.
She turned away from the mirror to look for the bag from the drugstore. She rummaged through it until she came up with the elastic bands.
“What are you doing?” Ryder set one hand on his hip.
She shut her eyes for a moment. “I need to braid my hair.”
He dropped his phone on the dresser and took the comb and elastic bands from her. “Not yet.” His fingers slid into her hair, tipping her head back so he could catch her gaze.
“Andi used to chop hers off every month.” She swallowed hard, thinking how difficult that must have been for her cousin. “So short the snakes couldn’t....” She bit her lip.
His fingers massaged her scalp as his dark chocolate gaze slid over her face, pausing at her mouth, lifting to meet her gaze again. “It would be a shame to cut it off.” One of his hands cradled the back of her head, and the other slipped forward to touch her cheek. “It feels really nice on my skin,” he whispered.
Philomena blinked up at him. She’d never considered that. His fingers eased down to the corner of her mouth, and when one tugged lightly at her lower lip, she opened, letting him slide in. Her tongue tasted him, almost of its own volition. The crotch of her panties was soaked in an instant, and she shifted a little, weight moving from one foot to the other. He tasted good, tempting.
Protecting Medusa Page 12