Page 45 of All Because I Found You

“Hey.” Raelyn moved to him, cupping his face with her hands. “That is not true. I’m sure one day you’ll be a great father.”

“That’s never going to happen. Anyway. Why are you here?”

Her hands fell to her side, and she stepped away from him. “Oh. I just thought after last night.” She waved her hands toward the bedroom, then fumbled them together. “I clearly misread the situation. I’m going to…” She hitched her thumb over her shoulder and spun around.

Jesus. He was an asshole. He grabbed her wrist and spun her back to him. Her hands landed against his chest, and she blinked up at him.

“You didn’t misunderstand anything.”

“Oh.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she shook her head. “You’re not always easy to read, and it can be confusing, especially—”

He cut off her words with his mouth, and she immediately sunk into the kiss, moving her lips in sync with his.

“You snuck out on me this morning.”

“I had a million things to do. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“You sucked the life out of me. I usually don’t sleep like that.”

“You’re welcome.” She kissed his lips too quickly and turned her head toward the living room. “I guess you saw all your other goodies.”

He shook his head, trying not to let his amusement show. He was past the point of annoyance. She got one over on him, and after the way he’d treated her in the beginning, he deserved it. “I did.”

“Do you like them? I only put in for things I thought you’d like.”

His head coiled back. “You thought I’d like bath bombs? I didn’t even know what a bath bomb was until earlier.”

“It’s a relaxation basket. Figured it couldn’t hurt.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re always so tense and grrr.”

“We went over this. I’m not growly.”

“Hmm. The jury is still out on that one.” She patted his chest, and he trapped her hand between his and his pec.

“Maybe I need to do a little persuading.” He lowered his gaze, lingering on her lips.

“Persuading always helps.” Her voice was breathy. Just how he liked it. He backed her up until she was flush against the wall. He grabbed her ass and lifted her up. “It’s time to make good on my promise,” he said before claiming her mouth and yanking her panties aside.

Chapter 14

Raelyn loved being in Ryder’s bed, but more than that, she loved being in his arms. There was a strong comfort he provided that she’d never felt before. He didn’t just care about sex like the other guys she’d been with. Sheesh, getting them to cuddle after was like pulling teeth. They either rolled over and went to sleep or asked her when she was leaving. This was different. It was nice. And if she wasn’t careful, it was something she could get used to.

She had no idea what was going on between her and Ryder. Right now, she’d say it was just sex, but the way he looked at her, the way he made her feel, calling it just sex cheapened whatever it was. It was more powerful than that. It went beyond a physical level to something she couldn’t explain because she couldn’t quite understand it.

After he took her against the wall, he carried her into his bedroom, and after a twenty-minute break, they went at it again. It was crazy how she never seemed to get enough of him. Every time he touched her, she wanted more.

She pressed her hand against his bare chest, lifting her head and glancing up at him. “That was fun.”

“I’d say let’s do it again, but I think two times is my limit. I need to refuel.”

“I can cook us something. Or…” A smile spread wide across her face. “We can have some of that jam that smells so good.”

He brushed her hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. His hand drifted down her face and rested under her chin, his thumb rubbing across her jaw. “We can do that.”

“Yay!” She jumped up, the bed sheets falling away from her body. Ryder’s eyes darkened, and she shook her head. “Oh no, mister. You need sustenance first. I don’t want to be responsible for breaking you.”

---