Текст книги "Beautifully Insightful"

Автор книги: K.C. Lynn

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Текущая страница: 14 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

“Yes, the ones on my arms I did. But the one on my ribs I got done after I graduated from Quantico.”

I look to the left side of his ribs and see a script. I had briefly noticed it when he didn’t have a shirt on the other day, but obviously I couldn’t read it. “What does it say?” I ask softly.

He clears his throat, seeming a little uncomfortable now. “Against all odds; but in the end I prevailed.”

My breath catches at his words, the quote so fitting for him. I glance up to see him watching me with an expression I can’t decipher. I trace the writing with my fingers. “That you did, Ryder,” I whisper before placing my lips on the tattoo and giving it a gentle kiss. His fingers thread through my hair, urging me to continue my exploration. I trail my lips down to his abs, my tongue darting out to lick along the dips and grooves of his muscles. With a rough groan, his fingers grip my hair tightly, but not painfully.

Once I finish exploring him with my mouth, my hands move to the waistband of his jeans and I look up at him, suddenly feeling a little nervous. “This is going to be the first time I ever see a penis,” I blurt out my thoughts stupidly, then feel my face immediately flame. Seriously, Emily? You could have kept that to yourself.

“And it’s going to be the only one you ever see, baby. So get well acquainted,” he replies with a sexy smirk.

My laughter erupts around the room, breaking the awkward tension, and I quirk a brow at him. “Feeling pretty confident, Jameson?”

“Not confident, it’s a fact.”

“Hmmm, maybe.”

He grunts, not amused by my teasing. Not wasting any more time, I slowly begin to push down his jeans, but it clearly isn’t fast enough for him because he takes over and disposes of them quickly, taking his underwear with it and leaving him gloriously naked before me. With wide eyes I stare at his massive erection. Oddly enough, it looks similar to what I expected… I think. Reaching up, I grasp him in my hand, loving the hard, but smooth, feel of him.

He hisses in a breath and pumps himself into my firm grip. “Fuck, Em, your touch feels so goddamn good.” His voice is tight and strained. A drop of clear fluid spills over the top. Getting the urge to know what he tastes like, I lean in and lick the smooth tip then moan, loving the salty, erotic taste. He growls, his hips jerking, as he pumps himself into my hand. Pleasure warms inside of me, loving that I can make him feel that good. I want to take him in my mouth but I’ve never done it before and I don’t want to do something wrong. I look up at him hesitantly and see his eyes wild with lust. I don’t have to voice my thoughts, he already knows them. “Open up, Em, take me in your mouth. I’ll help you.” I look back down at his erection in my hand then lick my lips before leaning in again and taking his hard length into my mouth.

“Ah, fuck yeah!” he groans, his fingers now causing a slight sting that shoots straight between my legs. “Take me a little deeper.” He moves my hand to the base of his shaft and guides my head to take more of him. I hum my approval at his control. “Now suck back to the top.” I do as he says. Hollowing my cheeks, I suck back to the top and swirl my tongue around his tip. It’s something I remember Cece telling me when we would have our sex talks.

“There you go, baby, fuck that’s good.” His words spur me on and I start sucking him with more confidence. “You have no idea how many times I thought about fucking this sweet, hot mouth of yours, Emily. I jacked off to the image in my mind so many times.” I whimper at his dirty words, the ache between my legs becoming so strong it’s almost painful. He starts flexing his hips, thrusting himself deeper in my mouth. He stills when he hits the back of my throat and I instinctively swallow. “Fuck!” he growls and pulls out of my mouth. “All right, baby, no more, it feels way too fucking good. I need inside of you, right now.”

“In a hurry, Jameson?” I ask sassily, feeling a little proud that I could make him feel that good.

He doesn’t smile like I expected him to, instead he reaches up and cups the side of my face, his intense gaze holding me captive. “Yeah, I am. I’ve been waiting six years for this moment, Em, and I don’t want to wait another fucking second.”

His words have my breath catching and my heart turning over in my chest. I lay my hand over top of his then turn my face to the side and press a kiss to the palm of his hand. “Me too,” I whisper truthfully. The only difference is instead of waiting for this moment, I prayed for it, because I didn’t think I would ever see him again.

Taking his hand, I lean back, pulling him with me. He comes over top of me, blanketing me with his warmth before taking my mouth in another kiss, one that reaches the very depths of me. I wrap my leg around his hip and try to urge him on, needing to feel him inside of me, but he hesitates. “Em, are you on the pill?”

His question catches me off guard and I quickly realize I should have thought about protection too. “Yes.”

“I’ve never been without a condom, but I don’t want to use one with you, baby. I need to feel all of you.”

“Yes,” I whisper again, wanting that just as badly. Richard is the only other person I have been with, and he always used a condom. I don’t want that with Ryder. I want to feel all of him too.

Leaning in, he presses a soft kiss to the corner of my eye, my heart melting at the familiar act from all those years ago. He slightly rises up on one arm and grasps his erection before sliding it through my slick, wet folds, lubricating it with my arousal. I whimper when it skims over my clit and wiggle underneath him. “Ryder, please. I need… Ahhh!” I scream as he enters me in one powerful thrust, stealing the breath from my lungs.

He freezes. “Oh fuck! You okay, baby?”

“Yes,” I moan breathlessly, and reassure him by lifting my hips to bring him deeper. With a growl he starts thrusting inside of me with deep, hard strokes, filling me completely – body and soul.

“Goddamn, Emily, you feel even fucking better than I remember, and I didn’t think that was possible.”

I never forgot how incredible this felt with him. Never forgot a moment of our time together. Six years ago Ryder and I created a world of our own, one where money and status never mattered. Nothing mattered but the two of us.

As I stare into his heated gaze while he fills me with utter perfection, I can’t help but get thrown back into the past, to the night he snuck in my bedroom window and claimed not only my body but my heart.

“I hate that I can’t see you right now.”

“You see me, Em, far better than anyone else ever has.”

Closing my eyes, I reach up with both hands and frame his face, seeing him the way I did all those years ago. He slows his pace and encircles my wrist before kissing the inside of my palm.

“No one is going to fuck with this, Emily. You hear me? You are mine and no one is going to take you from me.”

My throat goes tight as I remember that feeling of impending doom, the fear of us not getting to be together and what my father would do when he found out. It turned out to hurt so much worse than what I could have ever expected. My heart swells painfully with the remembered pain of the past, and before I can stop it a single tear escapes.

Ryder stills, staying buried deep inside of me then drops down and rests his forehead on mine. I keep my eyes closed with my hands framing his face. I don’t need to tell him what’s wrong because he knows. Like always. “I thought about you, Em. All the fucking time, baby, I thought about you. I wish I would have came back sooner, I wish I wouldn’t have been scared.”

My eyes shoot open at his admission, shocked to hear he was scared. I didn’t think it was something he was capable of feeling. “Why were you scared?”

He stares at me indecisively, conflicted on whether to answer. “I was fucking terrified to come back and find you with someone else. Leaving you all those years ago gutted me, but if I would have come back to find out you belonged to someone else, to know you couldn’t be mine, it would have fucking destroyed me.”

For the first time, I realize how much this also hurt him. The pain that I felt all those years ago at the well he felt too, and it’s all thanks to my father. I wrap my arms around him and bury my face into his neck. “I never stopped being yours, not in my heart. I missed you so much it hurt.”

“I missed you too, baby.” I feel his breathing turn heavy as he struggles to hold in whatever emotions he’s feeling. “No one is going to take you from me ever again, Emily. You are mine!” He follows up his statement with a hard thrust.

I gasp and my back arches off the bed at the exquisite burn. “Yes, yours.”

“That’s right. You have always been mine and you will always be mine.” Rising up, he unwraps my legs from around his waist, draping them in the crook of his arms and changes the angle of his thrusts. I cry out as he hits that spot deep inside of me, and it has my inner walls fluttering around him. He groans. “You’re close, Em. I can feel it.” He’s right, I’m so close. I fist the sheets, my body wound tight as I teeter on the edge. “Look, baby. Look between us, watch my cock fuck what’s mine.”

Slightly rising on my elbows, I look between us and watch his erection slide in and out of me. “Oh god.” The sight is so intimate and arousing that it has me crashing over the edge. I fall back on a scream as ecstasy slams into me.

“Ah yeah, that’s it, baby, milk my cock.” He increases his pace, pounding into me relentlessly, fucking me through the most intense orgasm of my life.

I’m barely coming down from my high when he drops on top of me, bracing his weight on his elbows and spills himself inside of me. I hold him close through his own release, my fingers threading in his hair and my lips close to his ear. I get the desperate urge to tell him I love him, that I never stopped, but I decide to wait a little longer before admitting those words to him.

We both heave for breath as we lay in a sweaty, tangled mess. He rests his forehead against mine intimately. “You okay?”

“Yes. It was perfect.” Framing his face in both my hands, I lift up and press a soft kiss to his mouth. “You’re perfect.”

His expression softens. “You’re the perfect one, Em.”

“How about we’re perfect together?”

He grins back. “Deal, baby.”

As he pulls out of me with a groan, his phone rings. Leaning over, he pulls his cell from his jeans then looks at the number. “Sorry, I have to take this.”

“It’s fine, go ahead.”

He gives me a quick, delicious kiss before answering. “Jameson.”

Sitting up, I swipe his shirt off the floor and throw it over me before making my way to the bathroom. I clean up quickly then assess my reflection in the mirror as I wash up. My tumbled hair is messy from Ryder’s urgent hands, and my skin has a glow I’ve never seen before. I touch my swollen lips and smile as I think about how they got that way.

Feeling happier and lighter than I have in days, I walk out of the bathroom to see Ryder sitting up against the headboard, still talking on his phone. The sheet is draped low on his hips, displaying his incredible, decorated perfection for my viewing.

His intense gaze devours my body that’s covered only by his shirt. “Yeah, I figured as much,” he says to whoever is on the phone, then pulls the sheets aside for me to get in. I make my way over, but instead of getting in beside him I crawl on top and straddle him. His eyes darken and he grips one of my hips possessively. I smile and quirk a brow when I feel him grow hard under me, but my flirtatious demeanor vanishes with what he says next: “No, she doesn’t know where, but she does think it’s on the property. If she isn’t able to get the key we will find another way.”

I slam back into reality and my heart becomes heavy once again. This horrific situation was easy to forget when I was wrapped in the safety and pleasure of Ryder’s arms.

“I imagine security is tight, but if we find out what he uses we can work around it and explore the perimeter at night.” He watches me, my expression clearly giving away my feelings. “Listen, I need to go, we’ll talk more about it tomorrow. Let me know what Senator Adams has to say and I’ll let you know when I get the key.” After saying goodbye, he reaches over and puts his phone on the nightstand.

“Nick?” I ask quietly, even though I already know the answer.

He slides his hands up underneath the shirt and grips my hips firmly. “Yeah. He was checking in to see how it went with Rosa before he had his meeting with Senator Adams.”

“I’ve met Senator Adams before, he seems nice.”

“He seems to be, but he’s still a politician so…” He trails off with a shrug.

“You don’t like any politicians?” I ask, his response intriguing me. I always thought he just hated my father.

“I don’t necessarily hate them all. I just think the majority of them are nothing but fucking liars.”

“It’s definitely hard sometimes to know who you can trust,” I admit truthfully.

“You can’t trust the majority of the people in this world, baby, believe me.”

His statement doesn’t surprise me, and I can even understand why he thinks that. He must see a lot of corruption in his line of work; not to mention he grew up with people he couldn’t trust. I suddenly remember that night all those years ago, when he showed up in my room vulnerable and hurt. He never talked about his parents when we were together. I brought them up once but he shut it down quickly, telling me they were off limits. It makes me wonder if he still feels the same.

“Have you seen your parents since you’ve been back?” I ask cautiously.

He tenses under me for a brief second before forcing himself to relax. “No. I haven’t seen or spoken to them since I left, and I don’t plan to.”

I try to gauge his expression, wanting to know what he’s feeling, but he shows no emotion. I tread on carefully. “Maybe you should. Maybe they’ve changed and they miss you.”

A bitter laugh erupts from his throat. “No. Believe me, they don’t give a shit about me, they never did.”

My heart swells sadly to hear that. I never had parents who loved me either but at least I had Rosa and Summer. Ryder never had anyone. “I’m sorry,” I whisper sadly.

He shrugs. “Don’t be. It is what it is and I really don’t give a shit. It’s not like they were good parents. I never relied on them a day in my life. I’ve been on my own for as long as I can remember, and I like it that way.”

I’m sure it’s more complicated than that. No matter how terrible they were to him it must hurt to have nobody. Staring down at him, I reach up and trace his lips with my finger. “You will always have me, Ryder,” I tell him truthfully. “You can trust me.”

He grasps my wrist gently and places a familiar kiss on the inside of my palm, his gaze intense as he stares back at me. “There is no one in the world I trust more than you, Emily.” My heart explodes with happiness to know that, because I know he doesn’t trust easily.

I squeal in surprise when he swiftly flips me over onto my back and comes over top of me. His shirt rises past my hips and I moan when I feel his erection settle over my wet heat. Leaning down, he presses a soft kiss to my lips before entering me in one smooth thrust. I gasp then whimper at the ecstasy of being filled by him.

He stills deep inside of me and gazes down at me with an intensity that captures my breath. “You can trust me too, Em. I’m going to figure out what the fuck is going on here and I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’ll take care of you and protect you. Just like I was always meant to.”

Before I have a chance to think about that he begins moving inside of me with perfection. This time he makes love to me with slow, tender precision. There is nothing rushed or frantic about it, but no less intense than the last.

As I stare into his warm, green eyes I pray that whatever my future holds he is a part of. Because the thought of losing him again brings on a pain so deep I’m not sure I would survive it.

Chapter 19

Emily

A few mornings later I’m bustling around my room, getting dressed. My body feeling a glorious tenderness, and muscles aching that haven’t been used in a long time, especially as well used as they have been. I smile thinking about all the dirty things Ryder has done to me the past two nights. I swear the man is a machine, and I love it. I know I will never tire of his touch, or the pleasure he brings not only to my body but also to my soul.

I slip on a pair of dark jean shorts and a white tank top, knowing we will most likely be staying in again. We haven’t left the house in days, much to my dismay, but I understand why Ryder is being cautious. Tomorrow we will go see Rosa, which I’m looking forward to. I’m praying everything goes well for her tonight at my father’s.

Spotting Ryder’s plaid button-down hanging off my dresser, that he wore the previous night, I grab it and throw it on over my tank top, loving being surrounded by his yummy scent. It reaches the tops of my thighs, and I roll up the massively long sleeves to my forearms like he always does.

Leaving my room, I start down the hall in search of the man himself and find him on the couch, leaning over his laptop that’s on the coffee table in front of him. Summer sits on the floor next to his feet with her chin resting on his knee. I’m starting to think I should worry that she’s trading me in for him, but, to be honest, the sight of them warms my heart. I lean against the wall and watch Ryder deep in concentration, typing furiously, my eyes drinking in all of his sexy perfection.

“You going to stare at me all day, or are you going to bring your sweet ass over here and come sit with me?” He glances up at me from his computer with a sly grin.

“How did you know I was here? You didn’t even look up.”

“Because I’m a special agent, baby, I know everything.”

I roll my eyes with a giggle then start over to him. His gaze sweeps down the length of me, and by my body’s reaction I’d swear it was his hands. As soon as I get within an arm’s reach of him, he grabs my hips and pulls me down on his lap. His erection nestled in my ass.

“What are you working on?” I ask, not being able to read anything on the computer screen in front of me. It reminds me that I need to get back on my programs and resume learning what I need to. Lately I’ve pushed that to the back burner, but I shouldn’t because it’s important.

He brushes my hair aside and places a soft kiss on my neck. “Just writing a progress report for my chief.”

I nod, even though I don’t quite understand what that entails. Leaning over, I trail my fingers along the keys softly, making sure to be mindful and not mess anything up for him.

He encircles my wrist in a gentle grip, then surprises me by taking my finger and pressing a key. “E,” he says before moving to another. “M,” he whispers, bringing his lips close to my ear. “I,” he states, causing a delicious shiver to travel through me. “L.” I smile as he moves to the last letter. “Y.”

My heart warms and my throat grows tight at how kind he is to me, never making me feel dumb. I lean the side of my face closer to his as I stare at my name on the computer screen. “That spells brilliant,” I whisper, before belting out a giggle that I can’t hold back any longer.

He chuckles and flips me to the side so I’m cradled in his arms. “Yeah, baby, you’re fucking brilliant,” he presses a kiss to my mouth, “and sexy,” he mumbles, moving his lips to the underside of my jaw, “and sweet.” He trails his tongue down the column of my throat, drawing a moan past my lips. “And… did I mention sexy?”

“Yeah, you’ve said it a time or two,” I respond breathlessly.

“That’s because you are. Always, every day, especially in my fucking clothes.” He growls, cupping one of my ass cheeks in his large hand.

“I guess that means it’s okay I borrowed your shirt?”

He grunts. “Baby, I don’t mind one fucking bit. Hell, keep it and wear it every day. I like seeing you in my clothes, it makes my dick hard as fuck.”

I roll my eyes at his dirty mouth, but can’t deny the minor ache it creates between my legs. “I should probably let you get back to work,” I say weakly, then completely contradict my words by tilting my head to the side to give his lips more access.

“Fuck work. I hate paperwork, I’d rather work you.”

I giggle, but his statement makes me curious. “What’s your favorite part of your job?” He ignores me and starts sliding his hand up my shirt but I stop his attempt. “You didn’t answer my question,” I say, biting back a smile.

“That’s because I don’t want to talk, baby, I want to fuck.” He brings his mouth to mine again, and as hard as it is for me to do, I push him away then sit up and straddle him. “That’s what I’m talking about.” He groans, gripping my hips and bringing his mouth to my collarbone.

Chuckling, I push him away again. “I’m serious. I want to know.”

When he realizes I’m not going to let it go, he drops his head back on the couch with a frustrated breath. “What was the question?”

“I said, what’s your favorite part of your job?”

I watch him think about it before his eyes drop to my chest, blatantly staring at my boobs. Grabbing his face between my hands I bring his gaze back to mine. “Focus, Ryder!” I scold firmly, but bite my lip and try to stop the smile that wants to break free.

He gives me a dirty grin, not ashamed in the least. The man is seriously cute sometimes.

“Okay, okay.” He finally relents. “What’s my favorite part of my job?” He repeats my question then shrugs. “I don’t know. I like almost everything about it other than the paperwork. But I guess, if I had to pick one, I’d say it’s delivering justice. Especially for people who don’t get a voice.”

I tilt my head in question. “You mean the victims?”

“Yeah. Some of my cases deal with victims of civil rights. People who are considered lower class and get fucked over by assholes who are in positions of power.”

Like my father.

He voices my thoughts, treading carefully. “Take these girls for example. They’re kids who got delivered a shitty hand. They don’t have any family that give a shit about them, and no one cares to look for them, which is why they are in a group home to begin with. They are perceived as troubled teens, or junkies, which is what makes them easy targets. People don’t see they’re humans with just as many rights as anyone else. I remember what that was like, how it was to be judged because of where you came from, or rather who. People would fuck you over in a blink of an eye because they had the money and power that you didn’t. I couldn’t do a goddamn thing about any of it most of my life, but now I can. And I love bringing these assholes down as much as I love fighting for all the people who don’t get a voice because they’ve already been labeled.”

I sit stunned, his words completely breaking my heart. He’s right, he was labeled years ago, and he never had anyone to fight for him. But in the end he prevailed, he worked hard and never gave up.

Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I frame his face then lean in and kiss his lips. “I’m so proud of you,” I tell him softly, knowing no one has ever said that to him before. “I’m proud of you for working so hard and never giving up. I’m proud of you for being strong and fighting for what’s right. And most of all, I’m proud of who you are. These girls are lucky to have you…” I shake my head. “No, scratch that, this country is lucky to have you fight for them. I’m lucky to have you, and I will fight for you, Ryder. Always.”

Something passes over his expression, something painful yet beautiful, and before I can anticipate it, he crushes his mouth to mine, kissing me with an intensity that steals my breath. I wrap my arms around his neck and give just as good as I get, wanting to show him just how much he means to me.

“Ryder?” I mumble against his lips.

“Yeah, baby?”

“We can fuck now,” I tell him, smiling into our kiss.

He growls. “Fuck yeah.”

I let out a giggle which turns into a squeal of surprise when my back suddenly hits the couch, his body covering mine. Lifting my hips I grind against his erection and whimper, my panties growing wetter by the second. He groans and cups my ass to bring me closer while his mouth begins trailing down my neck. I start clawing at his shirt frantically, desperately wanting to feel his hard, naked body. Just as I start pulling it off, someone knocks on my door.

I still, but Ryder continues his delicious assault. “Ryder, someone is at the door.”

“Fuck them, they can wait, or better yet, go away.” He slips his hand under my shirt and I moan when he cups my breast. I think about agreeing until the knock on my door becomes more insistent.

“Emily, open up. I know you’re in there.”

We both freeze at the sound of my father’s voice, and Ryder’s expression turns dangerously hard. “Stay here,” he commands before getting up.

I quickly sit up and fix myself as he walks to the door. He glances back at me to make sure I’m decent before opening it. My heart thunders in my chest, scared for what’s about to happen.

Ryder leans against the door, blocking me from my father’s view. “What do you want?” he greets coldly.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m here to see my daughter.”

“Wrong. She is my business, and you aren’t going to see her until you tell me what you want.”

There’s a moment of silence before my father speaks again. “Listen, you let me see my daughter now or there will be serious repercussions.” My stomach sinks at the icy disdain that drips from his threat.

“Better be careful, Senator, sometimes we don’t realize just who we’re threatening.”

I stand up and quickly make my way over to the door before things get out of hand. I step in front of Ryder and feel him tense behind me, clearly not happy that I didn’t stay put. “What do you want, father?”

“I want to talk to you for a minute… Alone,” he adds, glancing at Ryder.

Before I have a chance to respond, Ryder does: “Not going to happen, old man.”

“Both of you stop it already,” I snap, knowing this is getting us nowhere. “Ryder is right, whatever you have to say, you can say in front of him. If you’re here to fight then leave. I don’t need it.”

My father registers how serious I am, and although his jaw is hard, he finally backs off. “I’m not here to fight. I just… I came to check on you.”

I falter in surprise. “To check on me?”

He nods and Ryder expels a disbelieving grunt. I too know he’s full of shit. He hasn’t worried about me a day in his life.

“Can I come in?” he asks, gesturing behind me.

I back up, bumping into Ryder, and he walks in, heading straight to the far corner of the living room. I go to sit over on the couch, but Ryder holds me back, keeping me close to him. We stare at my father and wait for him to say something. I have no idea what he’s up to, but I’m hoping he won’t be here long.

He clears his throat before finally breaking the awkward silence. “I just wanted to see how you’ve been. At brunch you said you were having a hard time adjusting and that you were thinking about trying hypnotherapy again. I was wondering if that’s still the case, and what doctor you plan to see. I want to make sure they’re qualified enough.”

Yeah, right. Ryder touches my back, warning me to tread cautiously. “I haven’t thought about it lately. I have other things I’m focusing on at the moment.”

He nods, seeming pleased about that. “Have you had any more nightmares?”

Anyone who didn’t know my father would think he was calm and cool right now, but I know better. He’s nervous. How did I never piece this together before? “No, I haven’t,” I grate out, angrily, even though I try hard not to. It enrages me to know I’ve lived a lie almost my entire life. To know I lived in the dark for so long because of something he did.

Relief flickers in his gaze. “Well that’s good.” I don’t respond because I’m finding it hard to keep my patience. “Your mother wanted me to make sure you were still coming to the charity dinner next week.”

“Of course she did. She wants to make sure this false image she has portrayed of our perfect little family doesn’t get squashed publicly.”

His eyes narrow in disapproval. “Watch your attitude, Emily.”

“This is her fucking house,” Ryder replies, his tone low and threatening.

I jump back in before things escalate. “I’ll come on one condition. Ryder gets to come with me.”

“No!”

“Fine, then I won’t be going.”

He points at me angrily. “You have an obligation to this family. You will not back out now! Do you hear me?”

“You watch your fucking tone with her!” Ryder barks, startling me. I can tell he’s close to losing his patience. Something he already doesn’t have much of when it comes to my father.

“If you want me at that dinner then that’s my condition. I told you Ryder is a part of my life now, and if he isn’t welcome then I won’t go.”

His jaw clenches in rage. “Fine!” he snaps and starts heading for the door. “Make sure you’re there on time, and don’t embarrass us!”

Ryder tenses and starts toward him, but thankfully my father leaves, slamming the door on his way out.

“Jesus, I seriously fucking hate that guy.”

I stand frozen, feeling… I don’t know – tired, sad, angry?

Ryder pulls me against his hard, warm body. I wrap my arms around his waist, and breathe him in, soaking in his comfort. “You okay, Em?”

“I just want this over already.”

He hugs me closer. “I know, baby. Soon, I promise.”

Before I can say anything more there’s another knock at the door. My heart rate spikes thinking it’s my father again. Ryder answers it, and I let out a breath of relief when I see it’s Nick. He walks in and senses the tension. “Hey. Bad time?”

I wave away his concern. “No, not at all. Come in.” I glance at the folder in his hand and realize he’s probably here to do some work with Ryder. “You guys go ahead and do what you need to do. I’m going to go work in my room for a bit.”

I start to walk away but Ryder grabs my wrist, halting my pursuit. “You don’t have to leave, Em.”

I give him a small smile. “I know, but I need to work on some things that I’ve been neglecting.” He watches me uncertainly and I rise up on my tiptoes to give him a quick, reassuring kiss. “I’m good, I promise. Help yourselves to whatever you want.” I walk down the hall with Summer trailing behind me, then close us in my room.