No Turning Back (Breaking the Rules #4) - A.M. Madden Page 0,21

sand, while he still firmly clasped my hand, I decided to broach the subject.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Why did you go back?”

His grip tightened a bit before he said, “Because I missed you… and I wanted to see if you’d entertain moving to California.”

My steps halted so quickly it forced our arms to stretch between us. “You did?”

“Yeah.” He shifted until we came face-to-face. “I hadn’t asked you before I left because you were finally finding your stride in a job you loved, and it would be wrong to expect you to give it up for me.” Looking back, I probably would have. Yes, I loved my new job, but I loved him more. But he didn’t ask, and I couldn’t ask him to stay with me. Ryder had worked hard for that opportunity, and I wasn’t about to be the reason he passed on it.

“Plus, I had no idea if it would even work out or if I would fail and go back to Jersey. I’d hate myself if you gave up everything for me, only to fail.” The stress he must have experienced because of that decision came through in the tone of his voice. “But after I settled in California, and my client list increased, I thought, why not try…”

“I had no idea, Ryder. You never—” I couldn’t finish my sentence.

“I was dumb, Ree. First for not asking you, and then for keeping that plan from you. Then again, if I had filled you in, it may have put pressure on you or prevented you from moving on. In the end, you had moved on, and you looked so happy.”

I didn’t know what to say. Admitting I would’ve gone would cause him undue regret for not asking back then. My stunned silence caused him to add, “Should I not have told you that?”

“No, I’m glad you did.” Deciding he deserved the same level of honesty, I said, “Cooper and I dated for about ten months. It was easy, we got along well. But with each month that passed, even as our relationship developed organically, I always felt something was missing between us. I knew he cared, even loved me, but not in a planning-our-future kind of way. I broke up with him two years ago. Again, there was no drama, mainly because he agreed with everything I said. He also felt something was missing and blamed himself. Turns out, Cooper had a sexual awakening of sorts and eventually fell in love with another man.”

Ryder instantly dropped his shoes and my hand to cup my face. “I’m so sorry, Ree.”

“Don’t be. Cooper is now one of my closest friends… along with his husband, Ricky. We’re very close, and they are one of the reasons I decided to move to Florida.”

The concerned lines etched on his face smoothed out as he smiled. “I guess I owe them a huge thank-you.” During his pause, an electrical current tethered our gazes. It buzzed and sparked like a live wire. While I waited for him to say a word and to act on what we both knew was coming, I dropped my clutch and heels, hearing them land beside me with a soft thump.

Step away, Riana.

Step. Away.

I didn’t.

Instead, I remained entranced and frozen under his spell.

Meanwhile, Ryder’s gaze ping-ponged between my eyes and mouth before he said, “Fuck it. I’m breaking my own rule.”

With that admission, he slowly brought his face closer to mine. Like magnets, our lips connected for a deep, long kiss. Every ounce of my resolve flew out of me and nose-dived into the ocean beside us. There wasn’t a shred of willpower in me to ward off Ryder Carter’s talented lips, and as a result I gripped his shirt to push myself against him. When my lips briefly parted, he slipped his tongue in to stroke against mine. He moaned, pulling his hands away from my face to press against my lower back and compress my breasts against his hard body.

Oh. My. God.

It felt amazing, and I didn’t want to stop.

Again, logic vanished when Ryder wedged a leg between my thighs, and combined with the way he devoured my mouth, I was sure he could have me climaxing sooner than later.

My embarrassing enthusiasm spurred him to skim his hands from my lower back until they rested at my sides, beneath my breasts.

“Ree,” he breathed into my mouth. “I’ve craved you for so long. I can’t believe I have you back.” His voice was raw and breathy.