It Started with a Bang by Piper James

Chapter Twenty-Five

Annabelle

By the time we got home, it was late afternoon. I’d texted Sage after Ryder and I left the motel, and she said she’d bring my dog home in an hour or so. So we had a little time to kill before she showed up, and without Thanos as a buffer, I found myself nervous.

Which was ridiculous. Ryder and I had been fucking like rabbits for the last twenty-four-plus hours, so there was no logical reason why I would be nervous to be alone in my home with him. I slipped into my bedroom to take a shower and change…and really think about what had me so on edge.

I was rinsing the conditioner out of my hair when it hit me—I didn’t want Ryder and me to go back to having separate rooms. I didn’t want to lie in my bed at night, alone, wishing his warm weight was next to me. Wishing his arms were around me.

And that scared the shit out of me.

The whole sex thing was supposed to have been casual and fun. The Vegas stuff was supposed to stay there, but I’d already broken that rule on the plane ride home. And in the car. And in that motel room.

Just thinking about it had my nipples tightening. God damn, when did I become such a sex addict?

I shook my head and turned off the water. It wasn’t just the sex stuff—though that had been positively mind-blowing. I liked Ryder. He was funny. And charming, when he wanted to be. And protective. And a slew of other traits I found attractive.

I liked being around him. And that could end up being a real problem when our year was up, and I had to let him go.

I knew I needed to put on the brakes. Keep my head in the game and make sure I kept everything with Ryder in perspective. But I honestly didn’t want to. I wanted to invite him into my room. Into my bed.

And not knowing how he felt about it, or how this all would end up was making me jittery as hell.

Once I was dried off and had my hair twisted up in a towel, I threw on a pair of loose cotton shorts and a tank top. I brushed my teeth, rolled on some deodorant, and called it good. I planned to relax and get mentally ready for work tomorrow. Facing my father and telling him my big news was not going to be pleasant.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I froze. Ryder was perched on the edge of my bed, his elbows propped on his knees with his head hanging low.

“Uh, hi,” I muttered, and his head snapped up.

“I’m sorry,” he said frowning. “I shouldn’t have come in here, uninvited like this. I just wanted to talk to you, and I wasn’t thinking. I’ll wait for you in the living room.”

He stood up, and I rushed forward to block his path. “It’s okay. You just startled me, is all. What do you want to talk about?”

I was terrified to hear his answer. Was he here to tell me things had gotten too complicated? Was he going to tell me it had been fun, but it was over? What if he moved out and got our marriage annulled because it had just become too much?

“Belle.”

“Huh?”

“Where did you go just now? You look like you’re going to throw up,” he said, tilting his head to study me.

“Sorry. Just…what did you want to talk about?”

“This,” he said, waving a hand toward the bed. “I was in my room before, and it felt…wrong. I don’t want to stay in there anymore.”

“You’re leaving?” I asked, my heartrate accelerating as my anxiety spiked.

“What?” he asked, his head rearing back. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. Why would you think that?”

“You said you didn’t want to stay here anymore,” I mumbled slowly.

“No, I didn’t,” he shot back. “I said I didn’t want to stay in the room you gave me anymore. I want to move in here. With you.”

No words. I just stared at him, slack-jawed, for several silent moments until he scrubbed a hand across the back of his neck.

“If you don’t want me to, I understand. Really. I don’t want to pressure you. I just wanted to tell you how I was feeling.”

He turned toward the door again, and I reacted without thinking. Dashing forward, I leapt on him, my hands bracing on his shoulders as my legs wrapped around his waist. Not prepared for the assault, Ryder stumbled backward, and when his legs hit the mattress, he lost his balance.

He landed on the bed, his back against the mattress with me on top of him. I’d lost my towel-turban at some point, and my wet hair enshrouded our faces as I kissed him, pouring all of my relief and happiness into it. When I finally pulled away, he gave me a sexy little smirk.

“So, I guess that’s a yes? You want me to move in here with you?”

I rolled my hips in answer, rubbing my whole body against his, and his smirk fell as he flipped me over and pressed me into the mattress. His mouth ravaged my neck, sucking and licking as one hand slipped under the hem of my tank top. Ryder hummed with pleasure as his hand found my bare breast.

I moaned and writhed beneath him, the feel of his hardening cock pressing against me driving me wild. Even though I was a little sore from all the stuff we’d done in such a short amount of time, my lady bits were acting like they were starved for attention. My clit was throbbing, begging for Ryder’s touch as he lifted my shirt up above my breasts and sucked one nipple into his mouth.

I bucked my hips, looking for relief as I rubbed myself against the ridge of his cock. The thin material of my shorts and his sweat pants did little to prevent me from really feeling him, and I was sure he could feel the heat pouring out of me when he groaned.

He was just running a hand down my body to cup my mound when the doorbell rang. Ryder gritted out a curse, his forehead dropping to my shoulder. I wanted to order him to ignore it, to continue on with what he’d been doing, but then it dawned on me who was most likely at the door.

“That’ll be Sage with Thanos,” I said.

“So we have to answer it,” he replied, so grumpily, it made me laugh.

“Unfortunately, yes,” I said, pushing at his shoulders.

He rolled off of me to land on his back, and impressive hard-on tenting those barely-there sweatpants. My mouth watered a little as I stared at it, unmoving, until Ryder cleared his throat.

“If you keep staring at me like that, Sage is going to be waiting on the porch for a long time.”

“Right,” I said, shaking the sexually-induced cobwebs from my head. “Door.”

“I’m going to need a minute,” he said, pointing to his erection like I hadn’t just been staring at it like a starving man in a buffet line.

“Sure,” I said as I hopped up, pulling down my shirt and striding toward the door. “Come out whenever you’re ready.”

I hurried to the front door, suddenly eager to see my boy now that the haze of lust had cleared a little. When I swung the panel open, he rushed forward, whining and wagging his tail as he pressed his sides against me.

“There’s my big boy,” I cooed. “Did you miss me? I missed you, buddy.”

“Welcome home,” Sage said, pushing her way past Thanos and me to step inside.

I straightened to greet her with a hug, but got sidetracked as Ember stepped in behind her. She repeated Sage’s greeting as she moved past me, her eyes roving over me critically.

“Did we interrupt something?” she asked, arching one eyebrow.

“What? No. What do you mean?”

She looked from me to Sage. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, hoping my tone sounded confused and not guilty.

“Your hair is a mess and you’re practically glowing,” Ember explained.

“Not to mention the red marks all over your neck and chest. Looks like beard burn to me,” Sage threw in, cocking her head.

My hands flew up to cover my neck and chest. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Oh my God, is that a hickey?” Ember shouted.

“What? Where?” I yipped, falling right into her trap.

“Uh, huh,” she said. “There’s no hickey, but the fact that you thought there could be?” She shook her head. “Busted.”

“Hello, ladies.”

I spun around at the sound of Ryder’s voice. Thanos charged toward him, and Ryder braced himself, taking the brunt of the dog’s weight without falling over this time. If I were wearing panties, they would’ve melted at the sight of Ryder hugging my dog, scratching behind his ears, and speaking to him in that baby voice people use when talking to their pets.

When Thanos had gotten his fill of attention, Ryder straightened and moved toward us, shooting first Sage, then Ember a megawatt smile.

“I’m Ryder…Belle’s husband,” he said, holding out a hand to Ember.

Hearing him say that word made my heart skip a beat. I shook off the sensation and watched him greet my friends, shaking their hands as they practically drooled over him. Ember was at a loss for words, which was saying a lot. I found myself chuckling at my friends’ stupefied expressions.

“Hi. I’m, uh…”

“Ember,” Sage supplied as she nudged Ember out of the way. “And I’m Sage. Nice to meet you, Ryder.”

Ember’s gaze shot to mine while Sage had Ryder’s attention. Her eyes widened before narrowing accusatorily, like I was in big trouble for not telling her exactly how attractive Ryder was. One corner of my mouth lifted, an unexpected sense of pride coursing through me.

It was obvious my friends heartily approved of him after two minutes in his presence. I knew they would grill me mercilessly the second they got me alone, so I cringed a little when Ryder invited them to come in and stay for a while.

Ember stepped forward, eager to accept his invitation, but Sage threw an arm out to block her path. Ember started to protest, but Sage cut her off.

“Actually, we have to get going. You two have a good night, and Belle?”

“Yeah?” I replied, fighting a grin.

“We should get together. Soon.”

“Of course. We’ll set something up,” I promised, nodding.

Sage pulled Ember toward the doorway, shoving her through before shooting me a wink and pulling the door closed behind them. I looked at Ryder, who’d gone back to petting Thanos’s head.

“So, those are my friends,” I said.

“I like them,” he replied, meeting my gaze with a seductive smile. “Though their timing leaves a lot to be desired.”

“I agree,” I said, feeling my insides clench at his smoldering expression.

“Go wait for me in our bed,” he said, his voice firm and demanding. “I’ll feed this guy and get him settled, then I’ll meet you there.”

The breath whooshed out of me at the words our bed, and my heart pounded in a syncopated rhythm for several beats before settling. And that tone? I never thought for a second I’d be into the dominant type, but Ryder’s voice had me practically sprinting to my bedroom.

Our bedroom.

I took a few deep breaths, stripped out of my shorts and tank top, and stretched out on the bed. Whatever Ryder had planned, I knew I’d enjoy the hell out of it.

And I could hardly wait.