Promise Me Light (31 page)

I was bending down for my pants when the door opened behind me.
Squealing, I whirled around.

Ryder stood in the doorway, his eyes blazing down at me. His hair was
a mess, his face cut and bruised. His five o-clock shadow made him look
rugged. Unruly. Amazing didn’t begin to describe him.
Snap out of it, Maddie. The man is cold one minute, hot the
next. Who needs that?

Without taking his eyes off of me, he shut the door. The click of the
lock verified that he wasn’t letting me go anywhere.
Great, imprisoned with a mad man. Literally. Mad at
me.

I turned away, clutching my jeans tightly so I wouldn’t be tempted
to hit him.

“I don’t want to talk to you. Leave me alone,” I said over my
shoulder.

He didn’t say anything, just moved to stand behind me.

My heart started hammering but I chose to ignore it. Leaning down, I
started to pull on my jeans. I stuffed one leg in the jeans angrily.
Lifting my other leg, my bottom brushed against his pelvis, sending a
jolt of electricity through me.
Ignore him
, I
told myself.
Let him know you’re not going to put up
with any more of his bull crap.

But ignoring Ryder was hard to do.

His hand glided under my shirt, moving up my back. I halted, the
sensation of his fingers roaming over my ribcage, breathtaking. Heating
me like no fire could.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, outraged.

Without answering, his hands wandered further up my body, touching me
everywhere.

Straightening, I forgot about the jeans in my hands. Forgot about the
chill in the air. Forgot about everything except the two of us.

Pulling me to his chest, my back against him, he pushed my bra out of
the way. Once I was free, he cupped my breasts, taking possession of
what he wanted. When his fingers flicked over my nipples, I sucked in my
breath.

Oh, sweet mother of all that is holy, the man was
going to make me explode just by doing that.

I held onto his wrists as his fingers teased my nipple. His lips
found the back of my neck, nipping and biting my skin.

The light of the crank flashlight started to fade, leaving us in the
dark. It didn’t matter. I only cared about what he was doing to
me.

Both of his hands squeezed my breasts, tugging at my nipples.

“Maddie, do you want this?” his deep voice rumbled from behind
me, his breath hot against my skin.

“Mmmm,” was all I could say.

One hand clasped my breast while the other moved down, running along
the lacy edge of my panties.

My lips parted on a sigh as his hand dipped lower, disappearing
inside the silky material. Before he got where I wanted him to be, he
withdrew his hand, leaving me wanting more.

Suddenly he dropped down to his knees, surprising me. I looked over
my shoulder, a little bit shocked to find him kneeling behind me. His
lips were inches from my hips. Looking up, he met my eyes, the desire in
them intense. Eager.
Hell, exquisite.

His hands ran up my legs, kneading my skin with just the right amount
of pressure. His eyes followed the movement with forced restraint. I
started to turn around, wanting to touch him. Wanting my arms around
him. But he had other plans.

His hands tightened on my legs, holding me still.

“I didn’t tell you to move,” he said in a low tone. God, even
his voice could make me shatter.

Feeling like I was going to go crazy with need, I turned back around,
facing away from him.

“Ryder, I don’t know what you’re doing…”

“Don’t talk,” he instructed, his hands running up my legs, his
thumbs on the inside of my thighs.

What?
If there was one thing that made me mad,
it was Ryder telling me to be quiet. I opened my mouth, planning on
giving him a piece of my mind.
I swear I’m tired of
him pushing me around. This is the last time…ohhhhh!

His mouth was on me, traveling slowly up my right leg. He licked and
tasted my skin, sending a shiver through me. Needing something to hold
onto, I reached for the counter, grasping the edge tightly.

“Spread your legs,” he said, his fingers running along my upper
thighs while his mouth moved to my hip.

I hesitated, a blush running up my body.
We’ve
never…I’ve never…

“I said to spread your legs,” he said in a harder voice.

“No,” I snapped, hating to say it but needing to keep at least
some control. My body screamed at me to do as he instructed. My head
told me not to give in.

“Fine.” Grabbing my underwear in one fist, he yanked, sweeping my
panties down my legs and leaving me bare.

Pushing my shirt further up my back, his hand moved up my spine as
his mouth went to my hip, savoring and sucking every inch of me. The
stubble on his jaw stroked against my sensitive skin, making me burn.
Branding me.

I gasped when his fingers slid between my legs, touching me. Hinting
at what they would do if I let them.

“You want to spread your legs now?” he asked, huskily.

“God, yes,” I answered in a throaty voice.

As soon as I did, his fingers were there, filling me. I threw my head
back, a moan escaping.

“Don’t make any noise,” he ordered, running a finger over
me.

Did he know how impossible that was?

I grasped the counter harder when his fingers delved inside. With one
hand holding my hip and his other hand driving me insane, his mouth
tasted my hip. My bottom. Everywhere. His fingers pulled out before
pushing back into me. It was too much.

I started wiggling, pushing into his hand. He held my hip tightly as
I whimpered, soft mewling sounds escaping me.

I never heard him rise to his feet. I was too busy riding the orgasm
rolling through my body. But I did hear him lower his zipper.

“Lean over.”

I did, feeling like I was spiraling out of control.

“More,” he said, his fingers spread across the middle of my back,
pressing down.

I obeyed, leaning more. With a hand on my spine, he guided himself
into me, inch by inch. Halfway in he stopped, waiting for me to adjust
to the length of him. I moaned and pushed back with my hips, desperate
for more.

“Damn,” he hissed, his hands going to my hips to hold me tight as
he buried himself deep inside.

I gasped, arching my spine.

One of his hands left my hip to run over my back, holding me steady
as he throbbed within me.

“God, you feel amazing. Tell me if it hurts.”

Closing my eyes, I nodded.

He started thrusting, his hips rolling against mine. Each time he
withdrew only to slide back into me, I felt ecstasy ripple through me.
The feeling was so intense, building to such insurmountable levels, that
I felt like I was going to come apart.

His fingers bit into my skin with each thrust. I held onto the
counter, my fingers grasping the marble. Biting my lip, I kept from
crying out as he moved in and out of me, driving me closer to another
orgasm.

Grabbing a handful of my hair, he tugged my head up. Opening my eyes,
I could see him behind me in the mirror, his body moving against mine.
His eyes were closed, his jaw clenched hard.

Opening his eyes, he stared at our reflection, sliding deep inside of
me. Holding himself still, he waited a second before pulling halfway
out. His eyes burned into mine as he drove back into me, deeper this
time. I gasped but kept my eyes opened. We watched each other, the
sensations building and vibrating between us. His hand ran down my back,
his touch gentle while his hips moved against me roughly, over and
over.

I closed my eyes when the feelings became too much. Something was
building in me, begging to be released. The moment when I would lose all
control.

Suddenly, Ryder stopped and pulled out.

“Ryder, don’t stop,” I whispered, meeting his eyes in the
mirror.

“Turn around,” he instructed, taking a step back.

I turned, the counter at my back. My gaze landed on Ryder. His jeans
were down around his hips, his hardness wanting attention.

And I wanted to give it to him but before I could, he was in front of
me, his hands lifting me to sit on the counter. My arms went around his
neck, holding on tight while I balanced on the edge.

In one fluid movement, he slid into me, making me gasp. His hands
went under my thighs, hiking my legs up and keeping me from falling. I
sucked in a breath when he pulled out then thrust back, picking up
speed.

I arched my back, leaving my neck exposed. His lips dropped down to
taste me, one moment kissing me, the next nipping at my sensitive
skin.

“I told you I wanted to fuck you on the bathroom counter. How does
it feel?” he asked, his voice low in my ear as he buried himself deep
within me.

“Hmmm,” was my only answer as his hands roamed further up my
body, cupping my breasts. Locking my legs around his hips, I tightened
my muscles around him, making him groan as his thumbs skimmed over my
nipples.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Out of nowhere, someone banged on the bathroom door.

“Maddie?” a deep voice said from the other side.

Ryder stilled, his face buried in my neck, his hardness buried in
me.

I didn’t say anything, frozen in shock.
Gavin?

“Maddie?” he asked again.

“Answer him,” Ryder whispered low in my ear.

“Yes?” I said, my voice too high-pitched to sound normal.

There was a pause.

“You okay?” Gavin asked sounding concerned.

I cleared my throat.
Holy cow, I could feel Ryder
pulse inside me.
“I’m fine,” I managed to say.

“Good. Listen, Ryder’s a first-class asshole and doesn’t
deserve you. Him losing control tonight proves it. But he’s gone now.
You can come out.”

Ryder stiffened. He started to pull away but I grabbed him, refusing
to let him leave.

“I’ll be out in a minute,” I said, trying not to moan when
Ryder started to slide out of me. I tightened my legs around his waist,
driving him back into me.
Ahhh!

“Okay. Well, I just wanted to check on you,” Gavin said.

Ryder and I didn’t move, listening as he walked away. When he was
gone, Ryder started moving again. Slowly, like each stroke was a
punishment. It drove me crazy. I grabbed his hair, turning his face to
mine.

“Kiss me, Ryder,” I begged in a whisper, tightening my fingers in
his hair as he thrust harder into me.

“No,” he said, his lips traveling down my neck.

I moaned as his fingers toyed with my nipples.

“Dammit, Ryder,” I hissed, feeling something building in me.

He placed his lips near my ear, brushing his mouth across my earlobe.
“Come for me, baby.”

And I did. When he started sliding into me harder and harder, I
exploded.

My whole body vibrated as the orgasm rocked me. A scream erupted from
my throat but Ryder slapped his hand over my mouth, stifling it. I
moaned behind his hand, squeezing my eyes shut as my world exploded.
Desperate to taste him, needing to have him in my mouth, I parted my
lips beneath his hand. My tongue darted out, luring his index finger
into my mouth. I ran my tongue over the tip of it then started sucking,
bringing him deeper into my mouth. Saltiness and the rough texture of
his finger met the softness of my mouth.

“Holy fuck, Maddie,” Ryder rasped, driving into me with more
urgency.

My tongue swirled around his finger as his hips started pumping
faster. With a growl, he pulled his hand from my mouth, letting the wet
tip of his finger run across my lower lip. A second later, his mouth
took over, ravaging mine as his hard length plunged in and out of my
body.

I coaxed his tongue into my mouth and gave it the same treatment as
his finger, licking and sucking. As soon as I did, Ryder’s body
jerked. An orgasm rolled through him. He buried himself as deeply in me
as he could go. A growl interrupted from his throat as he rode out his
release. His mouth became more demanding as he pulsated inside me,
emptying in me.

When we both floated back down, his hold on me softened. He ran one
of his hands up my body, curving around to cradle the back of my head.
His other arm wrapped around my waist, keeping me connected to him.

His mouth became gentle on mine, achingly soft kisses as if he was
afraid I would break.

“You okay?”

I nodded, still trying to catch my breath.

We stayed like that for a minute, maybe two. My body hummed, every
nerve ending alive and screaming. He was kissing the corner of my mouth
when we heard talking. A man’s voice.

“He’s a ticking time bomb. I just hope he doesn’t hurt Maddie.
He’s come so damn close before. One small slipup and he could kill her
or their baby.”

That’s when the moment between Ryder and I ended like it had never
existed.

Abruptly, he withdrew from me, leaving my mouth and my body. Taking a
step back, he didn’t glance at me once as he zipped up his jeans.

Still feeling the sensations vibrate through me, I stood on shaky
legs. Bending down, I grabbed my underwear and pulled them back on.

He watched me in the darkness. His gaze drifted down to my bare legs,
exposed beneath the shirt I wore. Swearing softly, he glanced away.

“Ryder?” I asked in a whisper. “What’s wrong?”

He ran a hand through his hair, looking at the floor.

“Ryder?” I asked again, taking a step toward him.

He jerked away, refusing to let me get close. Reaching for the door
handle, he looked over his shoulder. His eyes skimmed over me with
aloofness.

“Thanks, I needed that.”

For one second, I felt as if my heart had been ripped out. I grasped
my jeans to me, turning my knuckles white. Heartache filled me but then
it vanished into thin air, replaced by pure, red-hot rage.