and feeling the pulse under her tongue, Katie caught the flesh between her teeth and sucked hard.
The breath hitched in Ryder’s throat. She felt the hairs on his neck stand up. He lurched forward, his body slamming against hers. As he grabbed the back of her head, his fingers twisting in her long hair, Katie hoped he was going to draw her closer, or at least hold her captive. Instead, he pulled her away.
He stared into her eyes. Their faces were almost touching. She felt his warm breath waft over hers. The air between them shimmered.
He didn’t say anything. The look in his eyes was feral. Red stained his cheekbones and she saw the muscle twitch in his jaw.
He looked like he was ready to pounce.
She waited, anticipation building inside her until she thought she’d burst. She loved the way his body trembled and eagerly watched the fire glow in his eyes. Ryder closed his eyes, and just when she thought he was going to make his move, he slowly unclenched her hair.
Katie watched almost in a daze as he stepped away. And then took another step for good measure. The crashing disappointment she felt was mingled with a hint of relief. As much as she hated to admit it, it was probably for the best. She wasn’t sure what she had just unleashed.
Katie reached up and rubbed her finger over the love bite she’d left on his neck. Ryder jerked from the delicate touch.
“There.” Her voice was heavy with satisfaction. “I’ve left my mark.”
“What has gotten into you?” Ryder looked stunned as he reached up to touch the bruise.
“Now everyone knows you’re mine,” she announced. Katie turned and walked away with a swing in her step.
Finally, she was being outrageous. One might even say uncalled for. She didn’t care. It felt good. It felt right. She was headed for the kitchen when she felt someone grab her arm.
At first she thought Ryder had caught up with her. But it was Hilary who was gripping her arm. Melissa stood behind Hilary, looking a little worried.
“Having fun?” Katie asked her friends. “Guess what just happened?”
“We have something to tell you first.” Hilary looked very serious.
“Is something wrong?”
“Sort of,” Melissa said as they guided her into a corner where no one could overhear. “It’s about Ryder,” she said in a hushed tone. She looked around and double-checked that no one was eavesdropping. “We’ve heard some disturbing rumors. He may not be the man you thought he was.”
Katie laughed at the suggestion. “That’s ridiculous. I’ve known him forever.”
“Let me take a crack at this,” Hilary told Melissa. “We might be asking the wrong question. Katie, what do you know about Ryder’s exes?”
Katie shrugged. “Not much, other than they are blond, beautiful and bitchy.”
“True,” Hilary said. “And you’re missing one more ‘B’ word. They are all into bondage.”
Katie blinked. “Say what?”
“ Bondage ,” Melissa enunciated. “Among other things. The guy you want is into the kinky stuff.”
“How do you know that?” Katie asked in a scandalized whisper.
“I talked to a few people who would know. Apparently Tatum told Emily Jones that Ryder has seriously X-rated tastes. And remember when Ryder dated Jessica Wheeler back in college? You don’t even want to know what they got up to together. I just forced Emily to give me all the juicy details,” Hilary explained. “Maybe you should have done a little more research on your crush.”
“I doubt Emily or Jessica would have told Katie anything,” Melissa told Hilary. “Everyone knows how defensive she gets when people gossip about Ryder.”
“True,” Hilary agreed.
“Bondage,” Katie repeated. She glanced in the hallway and studied Ryder, unable to banish the jittery feeling coursing through her body. Ryder was watching her as he dragged a shaky hand through his hair.
The breath hitched in Ryder’s throat. She felt the hairs on his neck stand up. He lurched forward, his body slamming against hers. As he grabbed the back of her head, his fingers twisting in her long hair, Katie hoped he was going to draw her closer, or at least hold her captive. Instead, he pulled her away.
He stared into her eyes. Their faces were almost touching. She felt his warm breath waft over hers. The air between them shimmered.
He didn’t say anything. The look in his eyes was feral. Red stained his cheekbones and she saw the muscle twitch in his jaw.
He looked like he was ready to pounce.
She waited, anticipation building inside her until she thought she’d burst. She loved the way his body trembled and eagerly watched the fire glow in his eyes. Ryder closed his eyes, and just when she thought he was going to make his move, he slowly unclenched her hair.
Katie watched almost in a daze as he stepped away. And then took another step for good measure. The crashing disappointment she felt was mingled with a hint of relief. As much as she hated to admit it, it was probably for the best. She wasn’t sure what she had just unleashed.
Katie reached up and rubbed her finger over the love bite she’d left on his neck. Ryder jerked from the delicate touch.
“There.” Her voice was heavy with satisfaction. “I’ve left my mark.”
“What has gotten into you?” Ryder looked stunned as he reached up to touch the bruise.
“Now everyone knows you’re mine,” she announced. Katie turned and walked away with a swing in her step.
Finally, she was being outrageous. One might even say uncalled for. She didn’t care. It felt good. It felt right. She was headed for the kitchen when she felt someone grab her arm.
At first she thought Ryder had caught up with her. But it was Hilary who was gripping her arm. Melissa stood behind Hilary, looking a little worried.
“Having fun?” Katie asked her friends. “Guess what just happened?”
“We have something to tell you first.” Hilary looked very serious.
“Is something wrong?”
“Sort of,” Melissa said as they guided her into a corner where no one could overhear. “It’s about Ryder,” she said in a hushed tone. She looked around and double-checked that no one was eavesdropping. “We’ve heard some disturbing rumors. He may not be the man you thought he was.”
Katie laughed at the suggestion. “That’s ridiculous. I’ve known him forever.”
“Let me take a crack at this,” Hilary told Melissa. “We might be asking the wrong question. Katie, what do you know about Ryder’s exes?”
Katie shrugged. “Not much, other than they are blond, beautiful and bitchy.”
“True,” Hilary said. “And you’re missing one more ‘B’ word. They are all into bondage.”
Katie blinked. “Say what?”
“ Bondage ,” Melissa enunciated. “Among other things. The guy you want is into the kinky stuff.”
“How do you know that?” Katie asked in a scandalized whisper.
“I talked to a few people who would know. Apparently Tatum told Emily Jones that Ryder has seriously X-rated tastes. And remember when Ryder dated Jessica Wheeler back in college? You don’t even want to know what they got up to together. I just forced Emily to give me all the juicy details,” Hilary explained. “Maybe you should have done a little more research on your crush.”
“I doubt Emily or Jessica would have told Katie anything,” Melissa told Hilary. “Everyone knows how defensive she gets when people gossip about Ryder.”
“True,” Hilary agreed.
“Bondage,” Katie repeated. She glanced in the hallway and studied Ryder, unable to banish the jittery feeling coursing through her body. Ryder was watching her as he dragged a shaky hand through his hair.
Similar Books
