Chapter 13
ASPEN
My mind is all over the place as I lie in the tub. Ryder disappeared to get food, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m famished. Sex with Ryder is exhausting in the best possible way. I really thought what we just did was kinky. I’ve never had a guy use ice on me before, and my ass—I thought I would never be into something like that, but with him, I want to.
He appears in the doorway looking impossibly handsome in his faded gray jeans. With a plate of food in hand, he perches on the edge of the tub.
“Open.” I lean forward, taking a bite.
“Oh, I’m good. This is good.” A soft smile creeps at the corner of his lips as he picks up a forkful to taste.
“Holy shit. You’re not kidding. This is amazing. We’re putting this on the menu as a special.” I pull my knees up to my chest as the bubbles begin to dissipate. Holding out another bite for me, I accept, but I can’t take my eyes off him.
“Aren’t you going to come in?”
“No. I’m going to finish feeding you, wash you, and tuck you in bed.”
“Are you going to stay the night?” My voice is so quiet I barely recognize it.
“Of course. Do you really think I want to go home after fucking you?”
“I don’t know. It’s uncharted territory for us.”
“I’m staying.” He leaves no room for discussion, which is fine by me.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Depends.” His brow furrows.
“What?”
“You’re going to ask me about the club.”
“Why don’t you want to talk about it?”
“Because I was pulled into this lifestyle, Aspen. I vowed I would never do that to a woman.”
“But you love it, don’t you?” His silence speaks volumes. “I’m asking you to tell me what you need from me in this relationship, Ry.”
“Did you enjoy what we did tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, then we can do more stuff like that. Can you just trust me that I’m doing what’s best for you?”
“What about you? Don’t I get to worry about you?”
“No.”
“Ry—” He cuts me off as his lips find mine.
“Iwantyou, baby girl. Now eat up like a good girl so I can take you to bed.”
I do as I’m told, letting Ryder care for me, and it feels really good. By the time he takes me to bed and slips in beside me, I’m more content than I’ve felt in a long time. I could get used to falling asleep in Ryder Stevens’ arms, and that scares me.
Life is good. The restaurant is ready to open in a week, and things with Ryder and me are great. He seems content with what he describes as ‘vanilla kink,’ and I love the way he can make my body sing.
I’ve gotten used to his eyes on me, opting to leave the sheets off after we have sex, and more often than not, I’m rewarded with another round of toe-curling pleasure. In truth, I feel completely different about myself. I get to see myself through Ryder’s eyes, and I like what I see.
