A breath gets caught in my throat at the sight of him as he rises from his desk. He’s gorgeous as all hell in his sharp navy suit, his gold tie with crimson threads that pick up the light. His thick ebony hair is slicked back like the feathers of a raven. Those royal blue eyes light up the otherwise monochromatic room. He gives the slightest impression of a smile as his eyes glaze over with lust. His lids hood low while his chest rises and falls at an animated pace.
“What brings you to this side of town?” he asks as his dimples hedge in and out like shadows.
“You.” I speed my way over, and he meets me at the edge of his desk. “Always you.” I land my lips over his, and Ryder takes the initiative, spearing me lovingly with his tongue. He tastes fresh and minty as if he just rinsed with mouthwash, and it invites me to linger right there for another few minutes.
“Just me?” He peppers my face with kisses.
“I had a meeting with some friends.”
“Sounds nice.” He pulls back with a careful smile. “Do I know any of these friends?”
“Baya, Roxy”—I sigh—“your mother.”
His dimples flex. “How did it go?”
I take in his warm cologne, and my panties melt to nothing. I still can’t believe I’m standing here, in his office, with his heated hands secured over my hips. It all feels like a dream—the best dream.
“It went”—I clasp my fingers around his tie and pull him in—“really, really well.” I land another boiling kiss over him.GodI love Ryder’s lips. It’s like falling into a cloud, then his mouth opens, and you find that an entire supernova waits for you. I bump my tongue over his teeth before pulling away. “She invited us over to a dinner party she’s having tonight, and I said I’d love to come after the show.” I bounce my shoulders. “What do you think?”
He lets out a breath as if he’s been holding it for weeks. “I think that’s great. Are you sure you’re okay with it?”
“I’m fine. I was able to share how I felt, and she apologized. And now we can kick-start our relationship with both our families intact. It’s going to be great, Ryder.”
“Good.” He melts those lips over my mouth before tracking up to my ear. “Because I never want to see you get hurt again.” He pulls back, and a pinch of grief sweeps over his features. “There’s one more thing we need to discuss, but I don’t think we need to go there right now.” He tugs on the lip of my jeans. “Lose the clothes. Keep the hat.” He flicks the ball dangling near my ear, and the bell goes off. “I’m about to make your wish come true.”
“What wish is that?” I haven’t a clue, but whatever the hell it is, it’s safe to say I’m on board.
“You said you wanted to come after the show.” He runs his tongue over the rim of my ear, and my skin lights up in a trail of prickles. “I’m going to make sure you come before and after. Consider it an early Christmas gift from my tongue to your—”
“Whoa, cowboy.” I cut him off with a laugh caught in my throat.
Ryder zips across the room and locks the door. He sweeps the curtains closed, turning the oversized office into a virtual tunnel of darkness, or, more to the point, tunnel of love.
I jump out of my jeans and boots and peel off my sweater, leaving my red lace bra and underwear. Ryder and his prying eyes were exactly what I had in mind when I dressed myself this morning.
He swoops in from behind and lands a searing kiss just shy of my temple. I can feel his hard-on pressing against my bottom, and I reach back and run my fingers over the length of it.
“Since we’re exchanging gifts a little early…” I purr, spinning in his arms. “I have something that I thinkyoumight like.”
“I’m likingyou.” His lips run up and down my neck, leaving his silky suit pressed against my bare skin. “You’re all the gift I need, Laney.” He slips his fingers in my panties, and they voluntarily fall to the floor. “I’m the luckiest bastard alive. The only thing I want is my body in you.”
I pull off his coat and work the buttons on his shirt.
“Well then”—I slip his belt off, nice and slow, never losing contact with his glowing eyes—“that fits right into my gift.”
Ryder hoists me up onto his desk, and I knock over a glass of water—about a dozen objects go flying in every direction, and the intercom beeps for our attention. He brings his hand down over it before clearing the papers off the surface with a sweep of his arm.
“Is this where you’re going to have me?” I land my legs on either side of him, trying not to wince as my skin adheres to the icy glass laid over his desk.
“This is just the beginning.” His chest rattles over mine with a dark laugh. “I’m going to have you everywhere.” He dots a kiss to my lips. “In every single way.”
I run my fingers down his chiseled abs and a breath gets caught in my throat. “Ryder Capwell, you have been working out like a prisoner this past year, and you can’t deny it because, believe you me, it shows.” I wanted to say that to him the other night. I wanted to say a lot of things the other night, but whiskey and my stubborn ego prevented me from doing so.
I rake his shirt open, and my hands meander further south. There’s a bulge in his boxers that borders on obscene, and it brings a smile to my face.
“I see my gift is waiting to be unwrapped.” I work on his button before plunging his pants and boxers down past his thighs, and his most enthusiastic body part springs out and says,hi there!
He opens his desk an inch and pulls out a small gold packet.
