on a slice of bread that afternoon, glancing over at Ryker. They’d made love twice this morning before cleaning up and showering together, finally getting something to eat.
“Hey, I got it working!” he said, a grin flashing across his face.
“Thank God,” she teased, watching as the coffee finally began to brew. The scent of her dark roast filled the small kitchen, and she swore that her mouth began to water. After that awful hospital coffee, she was ready for the real deal.
Ryker smirked and crossed the room toward her, ducking down to steal a kiss. “I’ve got loads of amazing talents.”
“In or out of the bedroom?”
“Both,” he quipped. “Although this counter looks quite sturdy….”
She laughed and moved out of the way as he playfully grabbed at her. “You’re the one who said I needed to eat more—and I’m starving. Someone kept me busy for a few hours after I woke up this morning.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said, putting his hands down at his sides.
She smiled and walked around him. Goodness. She didn’t know what had come over her earlier, but when she’d come out of the bathroom and seen him standing there, she’d needed him as badly as she’d needed her next breath.
Sleeping in his arms last night had felt amazing. It was odd to sleep beside a man she’d never so much as kissed before, but he’d been there when she needed him. He’d comforted and held her. And she was more attracted to him than she wanted to admit.
Lots of men didn’t seem to like that she was committed to her career. Some guys were old fashioned and thought the woman should stay at home playing house while they went off and worked. Ryker seemed to get what she wanted—to understand her need to continue her career.
Plenty of guys didn’t want kids, but they also didn’t want their woman to have as fast-paced job like she did. With Ryker, she sensed that wouldn’t ever be an issue.
The fact that sex with him was off the charts was just the icing on the cake.
“Did you talk to Caroline or your parents earlier?” Ryker asked, bringing her mind back to the present.
“Both. Caroline’s working with some officials at State. It seems insane that those guys got into the country so quickly, but I guess one was a U.S. citizen. The other had a visa, and there hadn’t been any previous alerts on them. They flew in unnoticed.”
Ryker nodded. “They won’t find you here, Em. And even if they somehow did, they’d never get past me. Not that you can’t protect yourself,” he said, catching the expression on her face. “But the point is, you don’t need to when I’m around.”
“And how long are you going to be around?” she asked.
Ryker lifted a shoulder. “As long as you want me. I wasn’t planning to come up here—wasn’t planning for any of this,” he said, gesturing between them. “I mean, how could I? It just sort of happened, but damn.”
“Damn,” she agreed. “And me either. A relationship was just about the last thing I expected.”
“But?”
“But I want it to work. I want to see what happens with us. I haven’t felt this way in—well, I’ve never felt this way,” she confessed.
“Me either,” he said, his voice gruff. “And I know we both travel a lot, but Jesus. What happened in there? When you and I came together like that? That was amazing.”
She blushed, and his lips quirked. “Hell, sweetheart. I didn’t take you for the shy type, but I love when you blush around me.”
“I’m not shy,” she protested.
“I know—only sometimes, I guess. You weren’t exactly shy when you sucked my cock earlier.”
She turned an even deeper shade of red, and he crossed over, pulling her into his muscular arms. His lips brushed over her forehead. “I won’t tease you,” he said roughly. “That was amazing. But next time I want my mouth on you. I got a sample after I made you come, and it was fucking spectacular. But next time I want the real thing—my mouth on your pussy and you crying out my name.”
“Ryker,” she chastised.
“Hell, what can I say? I’m a man who knows what he wants.”
She met his gaze and saw the spark of amusement in his eyes. She never really let a man get to her like this, but somehow with him, everything was different. He made her feel things she never expected, and the chemistry was certainly there. She’d never come so hard as when Ryker