lookin’ at me like you want my dick buried inside of you, or it’ll happen. I’m trying to do this right.”
She opened her mouth to tell him she definitely wanted to be bad and do dirty things with him, but Sprinkles barked again. And at that interruption, Ryder was now looking mighty determined to slow them down. Sprinkles was a cock blocker.
Ryder eased her back and opened her door, then waited there, arms locked against the opening as she buckled in.
She didn’t want to leave him. Tonight had been amazing. The whole day had been. She’d settled into something so comfortable and interesting with him in just a few meetings, and today had sealed her heart to him. But she couldn’t be that girl—the one who begged for more time when he was clearly saying goodbye. She’d done that before and had more pride now. She could tell him something else, though, something she felt compelled to share.
“Ryder?” she asked quickly before he could shut her door.
“Yeah?”
She used his words from earlier because she felt them down to her marrow. “You feel different to me, too.”
Ryder’s gold eyes sparked with intensity as he leaned into the front of her jeep. He cupped her neck and pressed his lips to hers. He wasn’t patient like with their first kiss. This time, he plunged his tongue past her lips, demanding she let him in, demanding to taste her.
She slid her hands over his shoulders and gripped the back of his hair, raking her nails against his scalp. Ryder’s reaction was instant, pressing her against the seat, kissing her so hard it stole the breath from her lungs. God, she loved this. Loved the way he tasted, loved the way his lips were moved on hers, loved the way his mouth fit hers so perfectly. She’d never met a man who could kiss her like this. One who could make her forget where she was. Ryder had the uncanny ability to make the rest of the world fade away to nothing.
He pulled her hand from around his neck and pressed her palm against his chest, right over his pounding heartbeat. She smiled against his lips. How could someone make her feel this happy? This okay? This whole? This wanted?
Perhaps Weston had visions of the future, but Air Ryder was magic.
He bit her bottom lip gently and disengaged, gave her a peck, and then another and another, each getting more gentle until he eased away completely.
Without a word, he tugged her cell phone from the cup holder, saved his number into it, then called his phone. She was glad he was handling the number-swap because right now her arms and legs were numb and her fingers probably wouldn’t work on account of him kissing her so thoroughly.
He pulled her hand to his lips, kissed her knuckles, then backed out of the car and shut the door. Right. Now she had to remember how to drive.
And just like he had on the side of the road, Ryder watched her leave. Except this time when Lexi glanced in her rearview mirror, he didn’t look troubled.
He looked hopeful instead.
Chapter Six
Ryder dropped the stack of logs from their resting spot on his shoulder to the ground. They clattered and scattered, but without a single second’s break, he strode back into the woods to grab the others he’d felled.
He and Wes had dreamed of starting a business like this since they were kids, but then they’d grown up, moved out of Damon’s Mountains, and lived in different places. Ryder had become a welder and Wes a logger, and he’d never thought this would be possible—their childhood dream.
But then Harper had called them in to give Wyatt some backup, and the small reunion with old friends had turned into so much more. They’d all landed an unexpected crew, and yeah, sometimes it was hell trying to figure everything out with the Bloodrunners, but this right here—the opportunity to follow through on a dream with his best friend—made Ryder feel like maybe he was supposed to end up here with the Bloodrunners all along.
Then he’d met Lexi. And holy shit,
She opened her mouth to tell him she definitely wanted to be bad and do dirty things with him, but Sprinkles barked again. And at that interruption, Ryder was now looking mighty determined to slow them down. Sprinkles was a cock blocker.
Ryder eased her back and opened her door, then waited there, arms locked against the opening as she buckled in.
She didn’t want to leave him. Tonight had been amazing. The whole day had been. She’d settled into something so comfortable and interesting with him in just a few meetings, and today had sealed her heart to him. But she couldn’t be that girl—the one who begged for more time when he was clearly saying goodbye. She’d done that before and had more pride now. She could tell him something else, though, something she felt compelled to share.
“Ryder?” she asked quickly before he could shut her door.
“Yeah?”
She used his words from earlier because she felt them down to her marrow. “You feel different to me, too.”
Ryder’s gold eyes sparked with intensity as he leaned into the front of her jeep. He cupped her neck and pressed his lips to hers. He wasn’t patient like with their first kiss. This time, he plunged his tongue past her lips, demanding she let him in, demanding to taste her.
She slid her hands over his shoulders and gripped the back of his hair, raking her nails against his scalp. Ryder’s reaction was instant, pressing her against the seat, kissing her so hard it stole the breath from her lungs. God, she loved this. Loved the way he tasted, loved the way his lips were moved on hers, loved the way his mouth fit hers so perfectly. She’d never met a man who could kiss her like this. One who could make her forget where she was. Ryder had the uncanny ability to make the rest of the world fade away to nothing.
He pulled her hand from around his neck and pressed her palm against his chest, right over his pounding heartbeat. She smiled against his lips. How could someone make her feel this happy? This okay? This whole? This wanted?
Perhaps Weston had visions of the future, but Air Ryder was magic.
He bit her bottom lip gently and disengaged, gave her a peck, and then another and another, each getting more gentle until he eased away completely.
Without a word, he tugged her cell phone from the cup holder, saved his number into it, then called his phone. She was glad he was handling the number-swap because right now her arms and legs were numb and her fingers probably wouldn’t work on account of him kissing her so thoroughly.
He pulled her hand to his lips, kissed her knuckles, then backed out of the car and shut the door. Right. Now she had to remember how to drive.
And just like he had on the side of the road, Ryder watched her leave. Except this time when Lexi glanced in her rearview mirror, he didn’t look troubled.
He looked hopeful instead.
Chapter Six
Ryder dropped the stack of logs from their resting spot on his shoulder to the ground. They clattered and scattered, but without a single second’s break, he strode back into the woods to grab the others he’d felled.
He and Wes had dreamed of starting a business like this since they were kids, but then they’d grown up, moved out of Damon’s Mountains, and lived in different places. Ryder had become a welder and Wes a logger, and he’d never thought this would be possible—their childhood dream.
But then Harper had called them in to give Wyatt some backup, and the small reunion with old friends had turned into so much more. They’d all landed an unexpected crew, and yeah, sometimes it was hell trying to figure everything out with the Bloodrunners, but this right here—the opportunity to follow through on a dream with his best friend—made Ryder feel like maybe he was supposed to end up here with the Bloodrunners all along.
Then he’d met Lexi. And holy shit,
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