Seized by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders, Book 1): Blue Ryder (34 page)

“You’re seeing crooked again, Dad. Those are his strengths.”

BLUE HEARD THE front door close and knew Lizzie had finally made it home. He tugged on the bottom of the apron he was wearing and glanced at the kitchen, where he’d worked all afternoon.

“Blue?” she called as she passed by the door to the basement.

“Down here,” he called up. His stomach dipped as he walked to the bottom of the stairs, nervously putting one hand on his hip. Then, feeling ridiculously self-conscious, he shook it out, only to put both hands on his hips again as she came into view.

Her jaw gaped and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head, but the appreciative smile and the heat that pinked her cheeks made it all worthwhile.

“You’re wearing my apron.” She descended the steps, staring hungrily at his bare legs.

“Yup.”

She circled him, and knowing she’d see his bare ass turned him on, but when she grabbed his ass, it sent a bolt of desire straight to his groin and there was no hiding his arousal.

“You’re not wearing any underwear.”

“Nope.” He laughed.

She finished circling him and stepped in close, running her hand up his thigh, beneath his apron, and lightly stroking over his cock. “I like this welcome-home attire.”

“Apparently so do I,” he said.

She wrapped her fingers around his hard length as he lowered his lips to brush over hers and said, “Better stop doing that. We have a show to tape.”

Her hand froze. “What?”

“Your apron’s in the bathroom. I suggest you go change before I strip you bare and have my way with you, because once I do that, I promise you, you’re not getting back up to film a damn thing.”

She shuddered against him.

“How can we do that with…?” She lowered her gaze to his tented apron.

“Angles, baby. It’s all in the angles.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to play first, tape later?”

Hell yeah, I want to play first
. “Nope. Work, then pleasure. My girl taught me that.”

She made that sexy-as-hell pouty face that made him want to forget what he had planned. He forced himself to point to the bathroom. “Go.”

She came out of the bathroom wearing heels and her apron, without the flesh-colored thong she normally wore.

“Damn, you’re sexy.” He pulled her in close again, and this time he sealed his lips over hers, soaking in the feel of her hot, wet mouth, her tongue tangling with his. He backed her up against the wall, holding her hands above her head as he devoured her mouth, pressing his hips to hers.

She broke away suddenly, breathing hard. “You went to see my dad.”

This time it was Blue who froze. After his initial visit with Lizzie’s father, it was clear that the man hadn’t really heard what he’d had to say. Blue had returned three more times, unwilling to give up until he’d not only heard him out, but really listened and understood what Blue had to say—and hopefully changed his mind. He wasn’t sure where things stood with the man. Vernon had sat stoically, listening to every word, but he hadn’t given any indication as to where his mind was. For all Blue knew, it would take another week, month, year of visits before the man opened his damn eyes.

Lizzie must have read his confusion, because she said, “He came to the shop and apologized.”

Blue let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “He did? Are you upset with me for talking to him?”

She ran her finger along his collarbone, making his entire body aware of that one sensual touch. “No, not upset with you at all, but it kind of bothers me that it took you talking to him to make a difference. Then again, he’s stubborn, and I’m glad that he finally came around.”

“He loves you, Lizzie.”

“I know. I think Sky was right when she said that my father loves me too much, and that’s why he was so upset.”

“Love can really screw with a person’s mind.” He stepped back and waved at his apron. “As you can see, people do weird shit for love.”

They both chuckled, and he kissed her again before leading her into her newly renovated kitchen. “I took the liberty of fixing things up for you. I couldn’t stand the idea of you working with an oven that was older than dirt or counters that looked like they belonged to your grandmother.”

Again her eyes widened. “You redid my kitchen?”

“I tried to match the look of your old appliances so it wouldn’t be too noticeable in your videos. I hope you don’t mind.”

“You did this in a day? Why did the upstairs one take weeks?”

He smiled, slightly embarrassed that her quick inhalation meant she’d just figured it out. “It was my chance to be closer to you. Do you blame me?”

“For dragging out a job so you could see me?” She laughed. “Hardly. But I do blame you for making me get up even earlier than usual so I could leave before you saw me.”

“Why did you do that?” He folded her into his arms.

“Because I knew that if I was alone with you I’d have a hard time saying no when you asked me out. And I also knew you’d see that on my face, or sense it in my vibes or something.”

He nuzzled against her neck, drinking in her sweet floral scent. “I do love your sexy vibes.”

She threw her arms around his neck and went up on her toes, striking his favorite position with their bodies and mouths pressed together. They kissed like it was their first time, a slow, intoxicating kiss that made him want to forgo the baking altogether.

“Thank you,” she said before she pressed her lips to his again. “Thank you for loving me, for everything you do for me, and”—she shifted her eyes to the baking supplies on the counter—“for baking with me.”

He forced himself to pry his mouth from hers, and she giggled as her eyes dropped to his raging erection.

“We’d better get cooking before I bend you over the counter and have my way with you.”

“That’s number thirteen on my Fuck-It list,” she said as she dragged her finger across his jaw.

He cursed under his breath. “How am I supposed to function with
that
on my mind?”

She eyed his erection. “I could say the same. You sure you want to do this? You said you couldn’t watch me film, that it was too hard.”

“Obviously it is
too hard
,” he teased, pulling her against him again. “I realized while I was talking with your father that I needed to cross this line. It’s the only one we have left, so let’s do this.”

“Only one? I can think of a dozen or more.” She raised her brows.

“
Christ
, Lizzie, that’s
all
? Baby, I’m going to show you lines you haven’t even thought of yet.” He lowered his lips to her in a kiss that left his entire body throbbing. “I meant lines relating to your webcast.”

“What if I can’t do it?” She bit her lower lip nervously.

“What do you mean? You do this several times a week.”

“I’ve never had to seduce a camera in front of you. It’s embarrassing.”

He slid his hand to the nape of her neck and brought her in close again. God, he loved her. “Not half as embarrassing as it is for me wearing an apron with a hard-on. Together we can do anything. Haven’t you learned that yet?”

***

LIZZIE WONDERED WHAT she’d done in life to deserve to be this happy. Blue had put on black-framed glasses like the ones she wore and a baseball cap. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she thought her viewers were probably mostly men and might not like watching a guy. Then again, what did she know? Maybe they would.

She and Blue laughed the whole time they baked, and she found she didn’t like him seducing the camera
at all
. It made her even more jealous than she cared to admit to herself. She’d never been on the other side of the fence, and now she understood why it had made Blue’s skin crawl. She had the urge to stand between him and the camera, so women wouldn’t see his gorgeous biceps and chest peeking out from the apron, or the hard planes of his back, and want him the way she wanted him.

He moved with confidence, every muscle coming to life with the smallest of motions, and that made him even sexier as he stirred the frosting they’d made.

“Everyone knows you need a taste test,” he said in a husky voice as he dipped his finger into the frosting and brought it to Lizzie’s mouth.

As he slid his finger into her mouth with a scorching-hot look, her body smoldered from the inside out. She swirled her tongue around his finger as she dug her own finger into the frosting, then stroked it over his lower lip, following it with her tongue. She nibbled at his lip, making him groan—and hard—before stepping back and bending over to take a tray out of the oven. She sensed his heat before she felt his erection press against her. It took all of her focus not to let on to the camera that she was suddenly madly aroused.

She set the hot tray on top of the oven and turned a seductive gaze to the camera while she fanned her face. “It sure is getting hot in here.”

Blue moved beside her again, dipping his finger into the frosting and sucking it off with a look that could melt steel. She narrowed her eyes again, this time taking him up on the obvious challenge. No way was he going to do a better job of seducing the camera than she was.

She stuck three fingers into the frosting, eyeing the camera, and said, “There are so many good uses for frosting, and as we all know, it’s the little lusty surprises that bring us the most pleasure.” She slid her hand beneath his apron, knowing that all the audience would see was her hand disappearing below the counter, and she wrapped her frosting-covered fingers around his erection.

Blue’s chin dropped to his chest as he uttered a curse.

“Why, it looks like my baking partner is having a hard time.” She picked up the towel from the counter and wiped her hands. Blue’s eyes bored through her, filled with wanton desire she could practically taste—and
oh, how she wanted to taste him
!

“Let’s see those big, strong arms in action.” She turned her eyes to the camera again. “Watching a man in the kitchen is such a turn-on, isn’t it?” She handed him the spatula as he gritted his teeth. “You spread the frosting, and I’ll—” She dramatically dropped the towel to the floor. “Whoops!” She sank down to her knees and lifted his apron, dragging her tongue along his
frosted
length.

He grabbed the counter as she loved him with her hands and mouth. She cupped his sac as she licked the wide crown of his arousal, then swallowed him deep.

“Lizzie,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Camera’s rolling,” she whispered, though she’d already turned it off with the remote she kept beneath the counter. He tried to frost the cake, stopping every few seconds to breathe heavily or mutter a curse. Knowing he was close to exploding, she pulled back and slicked her tongue over his swollen head again.

“Fuck,” he said under his breath.

“Oh? Okay.” She tossed a seductive look over her shoulder as she bent over the counter and spread her legs, revealing her bare ass.

He moved between her and the camera. “Lizzie.”

She backed up, pressing her ass against his hard length, before she reached back and guided him between her legs. “What’s wrong? Camera shy? I just knocked another thing off my Lick-It list.” She licked her lips playfully. “Frosting. Yum.”

“Your…Oh, I’ll show you a Lick-It list.” He tore off his hat and glasses and tossed them aside. He took a handful of frosting and smeared it between her legs, then turned her to face him and dropped to his knees. The first slick of his tongue made her entire body shudder.

She fisted her hands in his hair as he guided one leg over his shoulder and licked the frosting clean, then thrust his tongue inside her and brought his fingers masterfully into play. Within seconds, she shattered, crying out his name as he thrust his fingers inside her and took her up to the peak again and again. She could barely breathe, barely think, as he rose to his feet and untied both their aprons.

“You’re so damn sexy, Lizzie. I’ll delete the tape, but I’ve got to have you.”

She swiped her fingers in the frosting and rubbed it on her nipples. “Enjoy.”

“You’re damn right I’ll enjoy.”

She took off her wig and glasses and dropped them to the floor, then leaned back against the counter as he feasted on her body. From the tug of his lips over her nipples to the feel of his heat searing into her skin and the scrape of his teeth as he dragged them over each taut peak, she was completely, utterly lost in him. There were no words for the sensations consuming her: gratitude at being loved so completely, desire for more of his touch, taken by the rasp of his scruff against her skin, wooed by the sweetness he whispered as he tasted every inch of her. Carnal lust made her want to do even dirtier things with Blue—
only with Blue
.

“Turn around.” It came out like a demand, and she knew that he was as lost in them as she was. He placed her hands on the counter and bent her over at the waist.

Lacing his fingers with hers, he held her there, nudging her legs farther apart with his feet before he drove into her in a thrust that made them both gasp a breath.

“Blue,” she cried out, the last of his name fading away to sheer bliss.

He pressed his chest to her back as their bodies moved together.

“God, I love you, Lizzie,” he said against her neck. “I have to see you.”

He withdrew, and she whimpered at the loss. He turned her in his arms and lifted her to the counter, tugging her to the edge.

“Look at you. You’re stunning. Gorgeous.” He ran his finger over her collarbone, sending shivers through her entire body. Following the path with his mouth, he buried his mouth on her wet heat again, laving her sensitive flesh until she was sure the heat inside her would sear her skin. He brought his tongue to her clit, taking her higher, until her entire body was quivering, and finally—blissfully—she came again. She arched against his mouth, her body quaking from the intensity of the orgasm, on the fringe of another.

She couldn’t take any more. Her flesh was too sensitive, too ripe and ready. Even though she felt like every touch sent her insides spiraling, she ached for more of him. She yanked his head back and pulled him to his feet, locking her lips over his. The taste of him overpowered the taste of her, and when he drove into her again, her head tipped back with the pleasure of it.