It Started with a Bang by Piper James

Chapter Thirty-One

Annabelle

Ryder didn’t come by my office after his meeting with Dad. I’d been a hot mess, getting abso-fucking-lutely nothing done as I waited and waited, only to receive a text from Ryder saying there was an emergency at the ranch, and he would tell me everything when he got home. He didn’t even give me a hint.

My mind had been running in dark circles all afternoon, and when I pulled into the garage to see the Jeep still gone, I nearly broke down and called him. But my fear of what he might say kept me from pulling the trigger. I wanted to know how it went, but I wasn’t quite ready to hear the details if it went bad, and Dad called him out on all our lies.

That one was no help, either. He’d left the office shortly after their meeting and before I could catch up to him. Of course, it was safer if I talked to Ryder first, just in case Dad tried to trick me into admitting the truth. I needed to know exactly what was said so we could get our stories straight before I saw my father again.

Where was Ryder?

He had never come home this late before, especially not without calling or texting. His radio silence was making me jittery, and even a long walk with Thanos didn’t work out all the nervous energy. I was just picking up my phone for the hundredth time to make sure I didn’t miss a text when I heard the garage door roll open.

I hurried into the kitchen to wait for him, hoping I didn’t look like a maniac as I shifted my weight from foot to foot and wrung my hands together.

“Hey,” he said when he walked in and caught sight of me.

“Hey,” I said back.

He looked a little haggard, like there wasn’t a single ounce of energy in his body. I really hoped his ragged appearance was because of something that happened at the ranch, and not his meeting with my dad. I flinched, cursing myself for being so selfish.

“Is everything okay at the ranch?” I asked, moving toward him.

“Yeah,” he said, sidestepping around me to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. “Chase turned on the water valve this afternoon, and there were a few geysers in the yard where the pipe was cracked. They needed all-hands-on-deck to get it fixed before the whole place flooded.”

I nodded, but on the inside, I was skeptical. Couldn’t he have just turned the valve back off? Why would that be such an emergency? Of course, I knew close to nothing about plumbing, so I let the doubts go and crossed my arms over my chest.

“I can tell you’re stalling,” I said, my voice cracking with nerves. “Just rip the Band-Aid off and tell me. How awful was your meeting with Dad?”

“It actually went really well,” he said, his eyes not quite meeting mine. “I think he likes me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he said, finally looking into my eyes. “He said he’s happy we’re married and wants it to work out between us.”

“That’s…amazing,” I said, feeling all the tension drain out of me.

I floated forward, pressing my lips to his. A second later, he was back out of my reach.

“Sorry,” he said, scrubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “I feel gross and need to take a shower. We’ll celebrate when I get out, okay?”

“Okay,” I mumbled, confusion and hurt worming its way through me.

I stood there for several minutes, my mind whirring as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. If he made as good an impression on Dad as he said, why wasn’t he happier about it? And he never refused an opportunity to kiss me, no matter how tired or dirty he was.

No. I needed to stop overanalyzing every little thing. Ryder had a long day and needed a shower. There was nothing strange about that. But that kiss had been strange. Not once since I first kissed him at the bar had he ever pulled away like that. And I needed to know if it was a fluke, or if there was really something wrong between us. Something I wasn’t aware of.

After making sure Thanos had food and water, I wandered into the bedroom and closed the door to keep him out. The running water in the bathroom shut off, so I propped a hip against the bed and waited.

A few seconds later, the bathroom door swung open and Ryder walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist. He froze when he saw me, and my eyes trailed over his naked chest and abs to settle on the hand holding the towel together just below his navel.

I lifted my gaze, watching his eyes as my hands moved to the hem of my shirt. His eyes widened slightly as I lifted it and pulled the garment over my head before dropping it to the floor at my feet. When my fingers slid under the elastic waistband of my loose shorts, his chest began to heave. Pushing them down, I let the shorts drop to the floor and stepped out of them, leaving me in nothing but a pair of lacy white underwear and a see-through bra.

Ryder took a deep breath and released his grip on the towel. It fell to the floor, revealing his cock, which jutted out proudly and fully-erect. Relief washed over me as he rushed forward and gathered me up in his arms. He kissed me hard before moving his mouth to my neck, sucking and licking as his fingers roved up my back to unhook my bra.

He plucked it off my shoulders and threw it aside before cupping my breasts and lifting them, his mouth moving back and forth between them. Sucking each nipple into his mouth, he grazed his teeth over it before soothing it with his tongue. He had me writhing within seconds, pushing my underwear down my thighs so I could feel him everywhere.

Ryder guided me onto the bed, positioning me so I was on my back with my knees bent and my feet firmly planted on his shoulders. As he leaned in, the position spread my legs wide, opening me up for him. His movements suddenly became slow and calculated as he ran his tongue over me again and again. He was worshipping me with his mouth, and seemed to be in no hurry for it to end. Every time the tension started to build inside me, he changed speed or direction, bringing me back down a few notches. After what had to be at least thirty minutes, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Please, Ryder,” I groaned, my fingers tugging at his hair.

“Please, what?” he mumbled before dipping the tip of his tongue inside me just far enough to drive me even crazier.

“I want to come,” I said, knowing he’d keep teasing me until I gave him a straightforward answer.

As soon as the words passed my lips, his tongue picked up speed, flicking repeatedly against my clit. At the same time, his fingers pushed into me, curling upward to brush against that sensitive spot he never failed to find.

I came with a shout, and Ryder’s hand flattened against my belly to push me back down as my hips bucked upward. Holding me still, he continued to lick and suck my clit as his fingers pumped inside me, making me come a second time.

“Holy shit!” I shouted as my feet slipped off his shoulders to land on the mattress.

“That’s it, Belle. Give me every fucking drop,” he muttered as my body convulsed with aftershocks.

When I finally melted into a puddle of goo, he climbed onto the bed and hovered over me, his mouth pressing tender kisses along my collarbone and throat. I wrapped my legs around his waist, digging my heels into his ass to pull him closer. When I felt the tip of his cock brush my entrance, I lifted my hips, pushing him into me.

Ryder’s whole body shuddered as he slid inside smoothly, and he groaned against my shoulder as my inner walls clenched, squeezing him over and over. He held still for a few moments, breathing hard as he whispered words of praise in my ear.

“You feel so fucking good,” he murmured as he finally started to move.

Slow and languid, he pulled out to the tip before pushing back in with a roll of his hips. Again and again, he kept the same steady pace as his mouth kissed a trail down to my breast to worship it before moving over to the other.

It could’ve gone on for minutes or hours—I lost all concept of time—but Ryder never lost patience. He followed my lead, adjusting his pace and position at my subtle prompts as if he was completely tuned into my thoughts and needs. All the while telling me how beautiful I was. How perfect. How hot he was for me—hotter than he’d ever been for anyone in his whole life.

My third orgasm came out of nowhere with those words, and Ryder pressed his mouth against mine, swallowing my moans. He came a few seconds later, as if he’d been barely holding on while waiting for me.

The whole encounter was beautiful and touching, like we were actually making love for the first time. It wasn’t just sex. It felt amazing and fulfilling in a way I’d never experienced before. And the way he held me after, like he was afraid I might slip away, made me hold him tighter in return.

It felt like a turning point in our relationship, yet I had no idea what it meant. It felt like hello and goodbye all at once, but I didn’t want my confusion to ruin the moment. So, forcing all questioning thoughts from my head, I relaxed and just let myself enjoy being in his arms.

Everything was perfect, and I refused to allow my overactive imagination to breed trouble where there was none.