Wild Embrace (Wilder Irish #11) - Mari Carr Page 0,56

had the potential to seal his fate once and for all.

“I’m going to leave coming inside up to you,” he said.

She grinned with delight. “Okay, then, I’m com—”

“Wait,” Ryder said, turning to look at her. “If you come inside, Darcy, the kid gloves come off. You’re still relatively inexperienced sexually, but the things I—”

“I’m coming in,” she said.

He studied her face, read the determination there, and sighed. He wanted her so badly, he could taste it. Even if she’d said she wasn’t ready to advance their play, he didn’t doubt for a second, he still would have invited her in, cuddled with her on the couch, and given her all the missionary she could handle.

Maybe if he hadn’t gone head to head with her since Halloween and lost every single battle, he’d fight a little harder now. But the truth was, he loved losing to her.

He and Darcy had had sex three times, all of them far from his wildest encounters. Yet it was the best sex he’d ever had.

“As you wish,” he said, dropping a line from The Princess Bride on her, loving the way it made her laugh.

He opened the door to his house and gestured for Darcy to enter before him.

Boomer was there, greeting them in true goofy, loving-dog fashion. The damn dog—his damn dog—barely spared him a glance as he jumped up on Darcy, his tail wagging a million miles a minute as the big mutt tried to tackle hug her. Darcy laughed as she bent down to pet him, giggling as Boomer licked her face. “Aw, I’ve missed you too, big guy.”

“Boomer. Down,” Ryder said. And because they’d done a shitty job training the dog and a great one spoiling him, it took Ryder three more times to get the dog away from Darcy.

Darcy turned toward him, laughing, but he shook his head, his expression stern as he pointed down the hallway. “My room.”

He’d warned her what was coming, but Darcy—being Darcy—had viewed his words less as a threat and more as a challenge.

Unlike the dog, she took to his command like a fish in water, leading the way to his bedroom, her steps sure, even quick. They hadn’t had sex since Thanksgiving. They’d both agreed what they’d done on the floor of his office couldn’t happen again, professionalism too important to them, and with the Ravens certain to clench a playoff bid, his work hours would increase greatly, despite his desire to pull back as she’d suggested.

As for Darcy, she’d put in some long hours at work too then spent a great deal of time helping her family prepare for the Boob Voyage party for her godmother, Bubbles. The fact that they both lived in houses full of people didn’t increase their chances for alone time, either.

Well, they had hours ahead of them now—and he intended to put them to good use.

Darcy still didn’t understand how much he’d held back his own desires, determined to make her initiation into sex special and painless.

He couldn’t offer her the same today. He wanted her with a need that overpowered every single voice in his head screaming that being with her was a mistake, something that would end in heartbreak.

As they entered his room, he closed and locked the door. No one else would be home for hours, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He didn’t want Yvonne or Leo or—God forbid—the boys to return unexpectedly and catch them in the act.

She walked directly to the bed and ran her hand along his thick, soft duvet. Yvonne had helped him pick it out a few months ago after declaring his old one too threadbare to even be considered a quilt anymore.

“Take off your clothes,” he demanded.

Darcy twisted toward him slowly, and he waited for her to either balk or perhaps give him that seductive smile of hers that tied his insides into knots.

She did neither. Instead, she pulled her Ravens jersey over her head and dropped it to the floor. The rest of her clothing fell away just as easily and without comment. Once she was completely naked, she faced him, chin held high, haughty as a queen.

She wasn’t going to make this easy on herself. Or him.

Then he grinned. He liked a challenge too.

His wolfish expression finally triggered at least a smidge of self-preservation in her, as her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t question him. She merely waited for his next command.

Ryder walked over to his closet and grabbed a handful of neckties.