Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“I’m so sorry, Cricket.” Anguish is clear on his face. “I hate that you’re having nightmares over this. I know how much you hate storms.”
I reach up, stroking his face. Something inside of me needs to comfort him, too. He always makes me forget everything else when he’s this close to me.
“It was just a dream,” I tell him. “I’ve had worse,” I admit. He’ll likely learn that if we carry on sharing a bed, and at this point that looks to be the case.
He closes his eyes as he leans into my palm. “The point of taking you was to make sure you never had nightmares again. It may have been the selfish thing to do, but I want to be the one to take all your clouds away.”
I have to fight back tears at his sweet words. No one has ever really cared that much about me. Not like he does. I was holding on to so much anger at the idea of being taken and no one knowing that I’d even disappeared, I forgot to see what was right in front of me—this man I know nothing about but am starting to feel like could be my world if I let him. He’s trying to make sure he’s my world. My mind bounces to all the small things he’s done for me, and then I wonder if maybe he’s making me the center of his world.
“Kiss me.” The words tumble past my lips before I realize I’m saying them. All I know is I want to take away the pain from both of us, and I know when his mouth is on me, all I ever feel is pleasure.
I stop trying to understand everything and my attempts to categorize and analyze everything. I can just be here in this moment and not worry about all the tomorrows. I’ve spent my life planning ahead and chasing other people’s dreams, and look where it got me. Right here, right now, I know I want Ryker.
He doesn’t need further encouragement. But I catch a smile pulling at his lips before his mouth falls onto mine. I slide my hand into his hair, holding onto him tighter, and I let myself get lost in him. Nothing else matters right now, but his kiss is not enough. It’s amazing, and I never want him to stop, but I also want to be closer, to feel more connected to him.
Because the truth is, no one else knows me like he does. While it should scare me how he knows all these things, I just don’t care. I only know I want to feel more of this connection.
Our kiss deepens as his mouth makes love to mine. He growls, and the sound reverberates through me and makes my nipples hard. I feel wet between my thighs, and I begin to wiggle.
“More,” I tell him, pulling my mouth from his. My hands roam his body, and I wish he didn't have a shirt on. I let out a little gasp when a dart of pain shoots up my side. I try to ignore it, not wanting to stop, but Ryker doesn’t miss a thing.
“Cricket, you have to stop,” he says, but he sounds like he doesn’t want me to. He grabs my hands softly and pins them over my head as he rains kisses all over my face. “Your body is sore from last night. I’m not letting you hurt yourself.”
Frustrated, I want to say something smartass back, but when I met his eyes, I give him a small nod. He’s right, and I know he’s only doing this to protect me.
“I’ll take care of you.” He sits up, and my eyes roam over his big body.
They travel down to his obscene hard-on. I have to squeeze my thighs together to try to get the lust coursing through my body under control. I’ve never in my life felt this worked up around a man before. I have this raw need inside me and it’s pushing down on me. Consuming me.
His callused fingers explore my body as he massages the muscles that I hadn’t even noticed were sore. I watch him work over me with tender care, and little moans slip past my lips. Each time one leaves my mouth, Ryker freezes in his actions for a moment. His control is being tested, but I can only focus on the need between my legs.
I lick my lips as I watch him work up my thighs. I part them for him, and he doesn’t ask for permission. I know he won’t. All I have to do is tell him to stop, and I know he will. I also think deep down he knows I’m not going to. Just like he knows everything about me. I’m starting to think he might know me better than I know myself.