Live By The Team (Team Fear Book 1) (22 page)

Warm water slid over her skin, and she turned to face the flow, hungry for the healing water. Hands grabbed her from behind and she screamed, turned, and would have slipped in conditioner if Ryder hadn’t clasped his hands at her waist and held her upright. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” He dropped a kiss to her lips, but she was in too much shock to respond. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, staring up at him like an infatuated child. Her heart still hammered from his sudden appearance. Proclamations were one thing, but she hadn’t expected to face him so soon. Her mouth opened before her brain engaged. “You’ll always protect me. Right?”

“
Right.” He brushed wet hair off her cheek. “We’ll figure this out quicker now that Craft showed up.”

The deal with Smythe wasn’t really on her mind. Last night’s inebriated plan was to stay endangered. Ryder wouldn’t leave if he had to protect her, but tequila aside, the plan had serious flaws.

He helped rinse the remaining conditioner from her hair, his hands gentle and soothing, massaging away the pain, but his touch didn’t reach the hollow ache in her chest where soul-deep longing lived. She wanted Ryder, wanted a life with him, but that meant trusting him to stay. To get what she wanted, she’d have to fight, but first she needed a sleeve of saltine crackers and a gallon of water. Speaking of which. “What are you doing here? I told you I didn’t want to see you before noon.” So she’d have time to deal with the aftereffects of the night before. Plus, she’d been so angry.

“
Debi let us in.”

“
Really?”

He smoothed her hair back behind her ear. “After Rose and I fought off the bad guys.”

The spray hit her upturned face. “You’re making that up.”

“
Nope. While you were passed out like a drunk in an alley, two men approached on foot.”

The whole drunk thing wasn’t something she was proud of in the light of day. Embarrassed heat warmed her cheeks. “If we could
not
talk about last night…”

“
What are you willing to do to table that discussion?”

She choked out a laugh. Trust him to go straight for the kill. A grin aggravated her sore lip, but not enough to squelch the humor. “I think you know exactly how far I’ll go.”

“
Good to know.” Ryder grabbed the bar of soap. Keeping his gaze locked on hers, he lathered the soap in his hands. The muscles in his arms flexed with each slow movement. The lather showed white against the tan on his arms, the contrast sexy.

Lauren licked her lips, her eyes fixated on Ryder’s strong hands that led to his muscular arms, strong shoulders, and hard cut body. He scrubbed a hand over his midsection where a thick band of discoloration formed mere inches from the stitches in his gut.

Lauren gasped and reached to touch the darkening skin with shaky fingers. Tears burned her eyes. Knowing he was a soldier was one thing, but seeing him battered was a reality that hurt. “Did this happen last night?”

“
I’ll live.” He lathered more soap and brushed it over her chest. The silky slide of his soapy hands had her leaning closer. She bit back a moan, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. “I can’t keep my hands off you,” he said, his tone husky.

As distractions went, his touch was effective. She closed her eyes as he soaped the sensitive skin of her breasts, circling and teasing until he tweaked her nipples. Holy hell, the nerves spiked straight to her crotch, but considering all they’d been through in the last few days, maybe now wasn’t the time. She ran a finger over his bruise and around the puckered stitches. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

He chuckled, the sound reverberating in the small shower. “Making love to you could never hurt.”

“
Oh.” The seductive words silenced her. He always knew exactly what to say. It might not be fairytale love, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but— “I’m not letting you go.” She grabbed his forearms as if the move would tie them together. Her body fell in line and her thighs softened. Her nipples hardened.

“
Then why did you go to a divorce attorney?”

Lauren froze in the shower spray. She didn’t want a divorce. She’d only gone to the lawyer in desperation, and now Ryder thought—

“
Turn around.” His voice dropped into a seductive tone. “I’ll wash your back.”

The revelation shattered her nerves. He knew she’d been to a divorce attorney, but what did he think about it? Did he think that put them on the same page? “We need to finish this conversation.” She didn’t want him thinking that she was seeking an escape.

“
After the shower.” Ryder turned her away from him, so she didn’t have his expression to judge his mood. He soaped her back before his slick caresses circled her butt cheeks. He stepped into her and rubbed his chest across her back, lathering them both. Heating them both. He pulled her hair aside and nipped and kissed the back of her neck, sending feel-good vibes through her body. It was the best kind of high. “Talk,” she insisted.

“
Later.” He ground his hips, pressing his erection on her soapy skin, her heart tripped into triple time. Her internal walls clenched with need. She gyrated her hips, gliding her backside over his lower body. He cupped her breasts, teasing while her lower body’s frantic moves spoke of her desire.

Ryder dropped the bar of soap and it slid down her body, crashing to the floor of the tub. “I should get that.”

“
Don’t.” He felt too good next to her skin and she didn’t want to lose the heat.

Arms encircling her, he kissed his way down her spine, his hands trailing her front leaving suds in his wake. His teeth nipped her ass and his hand cupped her core.

Lauren moaned. She’d come right here and right now, if he’d just move his hand. “Ah.” She was beyond words. Turned on, her sensitive skin begging for his touch. Then his big hands moved to her inner thighs. They widened to make room—yes, please—but he continued his trail of torture down her body, spreading seeds of desire. She’d never been this clean or felt this needy. His mouth trailed heat from his kisses while his hands shattered her control.

Control? Hell, she had no control when he touched her.

Then he stopped. Released her. Lauren opened her eyes, disoriented. Seconds later, he grabbed her hips and yanked her down to his lap.

She half screamed when her feet spilled from under her. He flipped her so she straddled him, her knees knocking the sides of the tub. She knew exactly what he had in mind. “There’s not enough room in this guest bath.”

“
Wanna bet?” He kissed her neck while his hands pressed her lower back, levering her closer to his erection and shooting sparks through her body. She arched her pelvis forward, grinding against him. The hot shower beat against her back, keeping her warm and wet and unbelievably ready.

“
Remember that hotel in Austin?” Their honeymoon, such as it was, a few days before his last deployment.

He found the soap and used it to slick up her thighs and smooth the slow grind. “We yanked the curtain rod from the wall.” He laughed. “Baby, you’re far more flexible than I knew.”

“
It was mortifying.” The maid had called the manager while they’d been out to lunch.

“
Worth every cent.”

“
If we ruin Debi’s shower, I’ll have to find a new best friend.”

Ryder’s hands slipped down to cup her ass. “Might be worth the cost.”

Lauren teased his erection with her cleft, hitting just the right spot—

He lifted her off his lap, the easy strength making her wet and ready. The new position put her chest in front of him, and he took advantage by sucking one nipple in his mouth. Her internal muscles tightened, flexed around her empty core. “Ry?”

He switched to the other nipple, sucking until it beaded hard in his warm mouth. “Mm?”

“
I need you.”

“
Anytime, baby.” He switched back to the first nipple.

“
How about now?” She wrapped a hand around his erection.

He leaned his head against the shower wall and slowly lowered her. She guided him inside. So. Damn. Slow. The way he filled her set off mini-explosions. Her breath went rough, panting out until she had taken him fully and was seated on his lap.

“
You’re on top, baby. You set the pace.”

She started slow until they were both wet, as slick as the soap, then she moved to a slow grind, rubbing her clit against his pelvis.

“
That’s it.” He grabbed her hips and strengthened her moves, putting more force into her groove so each time she rubbed his pelvis, another round of explosions, small, electrical volts shot through her core. She rested her hands on his shoulders to hang on as her body took over, moving faster, her knees hitting the sides of the tub, the smack of flesh on flesh. Dear God, her head fell back as the orgasm threatened.

Ryder grabbed her waist and slammed her down as he thrust; hitting so deep it triggered the orgasm. Wave after wave shot through her entire body. She held her breath to keep from screaming as he stroked through his orgasm, extending their pleasure, until she flopped, boneless, against his chest, still straddling him. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, her breath panting against his skin. “You killed me.”

“
Not even close.” He ran a hand up her spine and back to land on her backside. “You have a very fine ass, Mrs. Ryder.”

“
Same goes, Mr. Ryder.”

His shoulders tensed beneath her lips, so Lauren leaned back. A muscle ticked at his temple. “What’s wrong?” When he didn’t answer, she thought through her last words trying to decipher the tension. Her words, Mr. Ryder, a reminder that he was a civilian now. “I’m sorry, Ry.” Lauren grabbed a fistful of hair and tugged so he’d meet her gaze. “You’re more than the Army, and you’ll always be Ryder.”

A knock pounded on the door. Lauren jumped, and he slid free.

“
Hey, there are other people in the house wanting hot water.” Debi yelled through the door. “And we’re not getting lucky, so we need it more.”

A warm flush climbed her neck and face to contrast to the cold shower water hitting her back. Was Debi guessing or had she actually heard them? There was only so much she was willing to share with her best friend. Lauren straightened to climb to her feet, but Ryder held her still. “Quit it,” she whispered. Embarrassment coated her words. “This is as bad as Austin.”

“
Not quite.” His chest shook with laughter. “The shower rod is still standing.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“
The dirty son of a dog.” Lauren yanked on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt, dressing for battle, the most important of her life, and she was seriously hung over. She couldn’t believe Ryder left when he promised to finish the conversation after the shower. After the sex. Man, did he know how to distract her, but she couldn’t go the rest of the day, even another hour, with him believing she wanted a divorce. The scent of coffee led her to the farm kitchen. All three soldiers quit talking when she walked in. “I hate that,” she muttered.

The smell of coffee and bacon reminded her of the lazy Sunday mornings she’d once planned to have with Ryder. This morning, Debi was cooking. She lifted the coffee pot from the warmer. “Want a cup?”

“
I really don’t.” She turned to face the men at the breakfast table. Laptops were open along with notebooks, pens, and half-filled coffee cups. The soldiers stared like she was a three-headed goat. “Ryder, can I have a word with you?”

“
We’re in the middle of something.”

“
And before that, we were in the middle of a conversation.” The three-headed goat thing might actually happen as her brain rattled and shook, ready to explode. She turned her attention to Rose, trying to think of a way to get him out of the room. “I could really use some Vitamin M.” She turned her gaze to the new man. “It’s good to see you again, Sergeant Craft. Can you give me and my husband a minute?”

Behind her, Debi turned off the stove, the knob turning with a sharp
click
, and her heeled boots clomped on the wood floor and faded as she went to the back of the house. Rose and Craft remained seated, glancing at Ryder for direction. She lifted her brow at her husband. “You really want to do this in front of your men?”

Ryder pushed back the chair with a harsh scrape and rose to his feet. He wore dust-colored cargo pants and a matching t-shirt, and he looked just as strong, as solid, as he had in uniform. “Do you?”

Not particularly, but they needed to talk about the attorney. About the aborted divorce. She turned her gaze from the men at the table, knowing they’d wait for orders. “We can do this here.” She’d rather get Ryder alone and she knew one sure way to get the soldiers the hell away from the very private conversation she needed to have with her husband. “I don’t appreciate the way you ran off after the shower. You don’t get to ‘hit it and quit it’ with your wife.”

Rose paused with a coffee cup midway to his lips. Craft stared at his laptop. Ryder glared at her, unblinking. Even the bacon stopped sizzling behind her. Lauren’s legs shook with the need to back away, but pride kept her grounded. She lifted her chin, and a warning glint flashed in Ryder’s deep green eyes. The predator in him snapped. Sleek and graceful, Ryder leapt across the room and scooped her up. Microseconds later, he flipped her over his shoulder. A squeal lodged in her throat as he carried her upside down out the front door, down the steps, and across the drive, his long legs eating up real estate faster than a financial speculator. They arrived at the barn door before blood had time to rush to her head.