Wild Embrace (Wilder Irish #11) - Mari Carr Page 0,55

up her body and placed his cock at her opening.

“I took my pill,” she said softly.

He hadn’t even thought, hadn’t…

Ryder pressed inside her slowly, desperate to feel every single inch as he penetrated, filled. Claimed.

Darcy lifted her legs, wrapping them around his hips, drawing him in that last tiny bit. And then they moved together, slowly. Through it all, he kissed her, drinking in her lips and her quiet moans, certain he’d never tasted, never heard anything more wonderful.

It didn’t take him long to reach the pinnacle. It never did with her. He reached down, stroking her clit, dragging her to the edge of the cliff as well. And when they dove in, it was together. His lips never left hers as they fell.

The entire encounter hadn’t lasted more than ten minutes, but as Ryder shifted to the side and pulled her to him, spooning her, he felt irrevocably changed.

Maybe he’d have regrets tomorrow, but tonight, he just felt thankful.

Chapter Twelve

“Told you we were in trouble.” Ryder grinned as they pulled into his driveway. Yvonne, with Reba in her arms, and Leo were there, waiting on the porch for him, Darcy, and the boys.

“We’re late. I know,” Ryder said, waving his hand in apology as they got out of the car. “Overtime. Sorry.”

Clint and Vince were a lot less sorry. Probably because it had been one hell of a game, the Ravens winning after a Hail Mary pass that would probably be repeated on the Internet for the next decade as one of the greatest plays of all time.

Darcy was just as giddy. She and Clint had jumped up and down, screamed and hugged when the receiver caught the ball in the Ravens’ end zone, winning the game and getting their team that much closer to a playoff berth.

While Ryder was thrilled as well, extending the season always meant a shit-ton more work for him.

“It’s fine. We were watching the game on TV,” Leo said. “There was no way I would have left that game, either. Freaking awesome. That throw.” Leo and Vince high-fived.

“I don’t think your mom is going to be as understanding. She hates football,” Yvonne said, walking to their minivan. “Vince, Clint, do you guys need anything from the house? Because if not, we have to hit the road now, or we’re all going to be in the doghouse. You know Grandma Watson serves Sunday dinner at six thirty sharp.”

Vince and Clint said they had everything they needed and, within five minutes, Yvonne had the baby in her car seat, the boys in the back, Leo behind the steering wheel, and all of them waving as they backed the minivan out of the driveway. He and Darcy waved from the porch.

“They’re never going to make it on time,” she said, her voice a bit hoarse from all the cheering.

“I know.”

“So…you going to invite me in?” Darcy had met them here earlier, the four of them going to the football game together in one car.

Ryder’s choice for a date had been box seats at the Ravens game with the boys. He’d wanted her to see that while, yes, he was a workaholic, there were some perks to putting in all those long hours. He also wanted her to see him with the boys. He knew she was great with them, but she hadn’t had many opportunities to see him in dad mode for more than a few minutes at a time.

It had been the most fun he’d had at a game in years as the four of them ate their way through everything the snack bar offered and drank enough hot chocolate to float a yacht. It also helped that their team won.

Despite all that, Ryder realized he was standing at a crossroads. He’d already let things with Darcy go way further than he’d intended. Her suggestions that they just go with the flow, test the waters as far as dating each other, had seemed good in theory because he’d expected the experiment to flop.

It hadn’t.

And now when he combined the “official dates” with all the work and family events, happy hours, and lunch breaks, he realized they weren’t trying anything on for size anymore.

They were dating.

He’d had ten long days since Thanksgiving to wrap his head around that. He wasn’t sure he’d managed. And today was only going to muddy the waters more because he wasn’t going to be smart, wasn’t going to slow down the train.

Nope. Instead, he was testing one more thing, something dangerous that