The Rider's Dangerous Embrace (An Interracial Bad Boy Romance Story) (20 page)

“Be patient, Jayda. I want to enjoy this. To enjoy you.” He looked over her body before he slid his hand out of her jeans making her groan. She didn’t want him to leave her. His gaze landed on her neck, so he dove down, taking the opportunity kiss it, his hands sliding under her shirt, pulling it up over her breasts. He broke his kiss just long enough to pull off her shirt, her body exposed to him.

“Damn, girl. Every time I see you, it is almost like the first time.”

She reached up tone of his bruises and touched it lightly, ghosting her fingers over the flesh. “How does it feel?”

“Better, I dunno what is in that salve, but it really does help.” He grabbed her hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing it softly, his lips going to each fingertip, planting small pecks along them.

It sent shivers up her spine.

He reached around her back, and undid her bra, pulling it off her, taking a moment to examine them. He suck in a breath as her peaks puckered and swelled, letting him know just how aroused she really was. Her body betrayed her at every moment. She couldn’t hide that she wanted him. Burned for him.

“Why me, Jayda? Why do you want me?” he whispered it into her ear as his hands worked on her jeans, unbuttoning them and unzipping them, pulling them down and off in one clean sweep, along with her panties.

Because, he was everything she wasn’t. Confident. Strong. Right. He should have been running her company, not her. She didn’t know what she was doing, but he did, and he pushed her, helped her to make the right decisions.

“No one has ever challenged me the way that you do.” That was her answer. The right answer. The one that she knew was true deep down inside.

“Challenged you?”

“To be the best version of myself. The person that I always wanted to be.” This time she sat up, taking control of the conversation, he was already topless, all she had to concentrate on was his pants. So she grabbed his belt and unhooked it, the big buckle popping out of the notch in his best. A few quick, studied movements later and he was just as naked as she was.

Jayda had to fight back urge to lick her lips. He was so damn delicious looking.

It was like her answer spurned him on, he was suddenly filled with a passion that she couldn’t understand, that she didn’t want to understand. Jayda pulled him down over her, her hands going up to his back, her nails digging in, just slightly. It was the feel of his flesh under them that made her most excited, and the way he arched his back as she scratched into it didn’t hurt, either.

“Christ,” he cursed bending down and taking her mouth, ravishing it as he forced his kisses on her, wanted kisses, but strong, passionate ones. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Is it really that bad.”

“Let’s see how you like being teased.” Luke reached down and spread her legs, his lips leaving hers and he kissed his way down her body, bit by bit until he was hovering over her sex. She as soon as his mouth was over her, she couldn’t help it, she bucked right into his lips.

“Nu uh, little miss. You are going to wait for me.” He pushed her hips down and stayed there, hovering over her, teasing her with his hot breath as he explored her inner thighs with his fingertips.

Each touch lit a new flame that she couldn’t quench, her aching need rising up again and again until she was positively frenzied. She tried to buck against him, but he wasn’t having any of it.

“Quit your squirming, or I won’t ever get to the good part,” He chided.

It was just so damn hard to listen, especially when she was so hot for him, she couldn’t think straight.

“Please, Luke. I can’t… I can’t wait much longer.” The words came out in a high pitched whine, the kind that would normally make him laugh, but this time he didn’t give so much as a chuckle.

“Do you need me?” He asked, his voice serious.

“Yes.” She purred, she was so close, all she needed was for him to touch her there, to give her what she needed.

“How much?”

“I think you know.”

“Tell me. Tell me you need me. Tell me you love me. I want to hear it come from you, Jayda. I want to hear you say it.” Luke ground out each word.

“I’m aching for you, Luke. I need you so much I can barely stand it. Please. Please take me.” She paused and then looked down at him, he was looking right up into her eyes. “… I love you.”

His mouth descended on her, taking her in with a low moan that she replicates, her head crashing against the pillows on the bed as her back arches. She reveled in his touch, moaning with ever lick, ever shift in movement as he flicked his tongue against her small, swollen nub. Jayda was so close to ecstasy, she could feel it, taunting her.

He was teasing her.

Two fingers along her slick center, parting her just a little before he inserted himself inside of her, making come hither motions with those very fingers. It felt amazing. The emptiness she that nagged at her evaporated as she moaned into the empty space, riding his fingers, bucking against them with ever push. She was greedy for him, she wanted more. She wanted all of him, and she aimed to get it.

“Please, Luke. Please. Not like this.” She squirmed under him.“I want you inside of me. Please.”

“But you taste so good,” He said before he went down for another lick. “I want just one more taste.”

If he kept licking her like that, she was going to be spent.

After the final, little lick, he crawled up her body and smiled at her. “Are you ready for me, Jayda?”

“I’m more than ready.” She was slick with want and he could feel it, but even though she wanted more, even though she wanted his cock, she still moaned when his fingers left her, lonely for him. Wanting his touch.

As quick as he left, he was back again, pulled her up, her body close to his. He shifted with her, placing himself under her, positioning her on top of him. “I’m tired of ridin’ today, I think it’s your turn, Jayda.”

He was large, erect, and pressing against her inner thigh. All she needed to do was take him in her hand and slide him right inside her.

So she grabbed his hard, throbbing cock, and looking him in the eyes. He handed her a condom and she put it on, wordlessly.

“You always want me to beg for it. For you. Now it is your turn.” Her grin was wicked, and she knew it. Just like she knew from the look in his eyes that he was game to play along.

“You want me to beg for you?” He asked, grabbing her hips and moving her back and forth, so that she was rubbing up against his strong, meaty cock.

“Yes.”

“I want you, Jayda. Like I have never wanted anyone else. Ever. Please, Jayda. Love me.” The last two words, they hit her, hard.

It was he needed to say, all she needed to hear, so she grabbed his cock and slid it into her, slowly.

“I do.” She said as she started rocking on him, taking his cock deeper into her with each stride. “I do, love you.”

He took ahold of her hips and pushed them over her, rocking her, making her ride him. Before she know it she was going at a pace that made her forget. The pain, the hurt, the grief. She loved him. Him.

Her orgasm snuck up on her, the forceful wave of pleasure washing over her as she surrendered to it. Surrendered to him. He wasn’t long after her, her orgasm spurring him on.

She collapsed on him, him holding her while the two of them laid still, linked like that for minutes. When she finally rolled over, curling into his side. She didn’t know how long they laid like that, but when he finally stood, she was half asleep.

It didn’t keep her from hearing him whisper. “I love you too, Jayda.”

“Are you sure I look okay?” She fidgeted with her earrings and tugged on her summer dress. “Dressy casual” was what the event called for, and she wasn’t even sure what that meant. The girl was normally in jeans and a t-shirt, so she felt completely out of place in the little dress. Turned out she owned more than one or two, and that this one still fit over her curves. So it was the winner.

They walked up the stars of the very large ranch home, his mother’s home. Really, it was a rustic mansion.

Did he grow up in this?

No, they struggled for a long time, he told me so.

“You look fine. Stop fussin’. You keep pullin’ on that and you are going to stretch it out.” He smacked away her hands and then reached up and tucked her hair back. “You look perfect, what are you so nervous about? You already met the woman, more than once.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t there, and I wasn’t going as your…” She struggled with the last word.

“Date?”

She gulped the world down. His date. It was almost too nerve wracking to consider.

“What? You don’t wanna be my date?” He glowered at her, his dark eyes dangerous. Sometimes it was hard to tell if he was joking, or not.

“I, I dunno. Is that what you want?”

“I think, Ms. Rivers, we have discussed this. You are mine,” he whispered in her ear, his words making her stand on edge. She could feel the shiver of her want growing as he touched the small of her back.

“I am.” She agreed to that. This would make it official. Public. She was okay with that, in theory, but the truth was, a part of her worried that it would all fall apart. That she would fall apart.

“Don’t you think it is time? It isn’t like they don’t already know, Princess,” he dipped down and kissed her neck. “The way you look at me, everyone knows.”

She blushed, her cheeks red hot with the embarrassment of being called out on it.

“What does a date do?” she asked curling into his arm, her body pressed against his at the top of those stairs. “I don’t know if I have ever been one. Especially for a bull rider.”

“I think you are doing a pretty good job so far, beautiful lady, but first we need to actually go inside. Get greeted by my mother. You know, interact with… people.” His grin was almost too much to bare, so she playfully hit his arm and stuck her tongue out at him.

Nerves through the roof today. She gritted her teeth and gripped tighter to him. Part of running the company from afar was easier. It meant she didn’t have to go to these… things. That she could hide away in her little house and she could avoid all of these faces. Staring at her, talking to her, demanding things from her.

A nagging voice inside her head reminded her that she was utterly helpless in it all. She wasn’t a business owner, she wasn’t charismatic. It all just fell in her lap. All of it. And it shouldn’t have.

No.
She was given this responsibility by her father. It was hers to take control of, and Luke was helping her do just that. He was the arm she could cling to. The one who was going to help her. The one who kept his promises. She didn’t know everything there was to know about him, and she had questions about his past, but they could wait. It would all come out, in time.

And she trusted him.

Luke knocked on the door and waited, sure enough Muriel was there in seconds.

“Luke, why you knocking on the door, you know you are always welcome here, sugar.” She pulled him in for a hug and then stepped back, looking at Jayda.

“Well, look at you, in a dress and everything. Don’t you just look gorgeous?” Muriel pulled into a huge too, her arms wrapped around her strongly, she as certainly not faking it. “Glad he could finally bring you up here. I know we only meet at the office, but he is my only child. Let a mother be excited. He hasn’t brought a girl home in a very long time.”

She winked at Jayda, which made her blush even harder, her cheeks completely aflame.

“What am I doing, talking you to out here on the porch, come in, grab a drink, or two. Enjoy yourselves, I have to go play hostess, but I want a chance to talk to you later, Jayda. Not as business women, but as ladies.” She patted Jayda on the shoulder and walked away.

“You mom is…”

“So different from when she is conducting business? Yeah, she is.” He guided her through the entry way and into the dining area. It was just as expansive inside as it looked outside. The entire house was open plan, beautiful exposed wooden rafters, a gorgeous lodge feel to it. It was warm and inviting, but so big it seemed like it was a commercial building, not someone’s home.

“Wow… this place is… amazing.”

“Yeah, she saved up, and bought one thing she really wanted. A house. Especially after years of growing up in the apartment, I think she deserves it.”

“You grew up in an apartment?”

“Yeah, one of those small shoebox ones that are subsidized. At least until she really got her feet under her. Then we rented a home, but I was long gone by the time she bought this thing.” He gestured to the home. “Still, I am so proud of her. She struggled, and overcame. Not without help of course, but she really raised herself up.”

“There she is! I was wondering if you were going to make it. And you, why aren't you on bed rest?” Mark smiled at them an sauntered over.

“Because I’m fine. The worst thing to happen to me at the rodeo was gettin’ a good look at your ugly mug.”

He gave her a squeeze, his touch a reassurance that kept her nerves at bay.

“Do you know all of these people?” she whispered to the two of them.

Mark gave her a confident smile. “No, and don’t worry about it, you won’t remember all of their names. Just be nice and smile. It isn’t something you need to worry too much about.” Somehow that advice didn’t calm her, but made her more nervous.

She felt like she was chum in the water, just waiting for the sharks.

“Luke, what a surprise, I didn’t know you came to these things.” He turned to see a beautiful, blond woman standing there, a drink in one hand.

“When my mother is hosting, I do try.” His tone was less than polite, and Jayda wondered why. Hadn’t he said to be nice and smile?

“Really, I seem to remember a totally different story.”

“Well, things change. People change.” His eyes narrowed.

“Yeah, I mean look at you. You actually look like you are in a good mood.” Mark smiled his trademark jackass grin.

“And who is that on your arm?”

“Jayda, Jayda Rivers.” She introduced herself and extended her hand, but the woman just stuck up her nose at it.

“Sophia Bell. I am a… business acquaintance of Muriel’s.” She paused and her eyes got big, like a thought clicked in her head. “Oh, the Rivers girl. How are you liking the business?”

“It is hard work, but I am enjoying it so far.” She smiled at Sophia, and tried to keep her tone upbeat.

“Must be nice. Have a business given to you like that.”

Wow.
Really
?

“It wasn’t given to me, I inherited it. My father passed away.” She tried hard not to let the bite come through, but she couldn’t help it.

“Yes, sorry to hear about that. What a shame. So, are you local now?”

“I think we are done here,” Luke grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away. “Nice talking with you.” They got some distance from Sophia and Mark, heading through another room.

It was clear from his voice that it was anything but nice.

“What happened to, be nice, smile and be polite?”

“Not with that bitch, she revels in drama, and without a care in the world about who gets hurt in the process.” His anger was palpable, the look in his eyes dangerous.

Something more was going on.

“Is that all, are you sure there is nothing else about her that angers you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

End of conversation. He always got to chose the perimeters of what and where they got to talk and it was really starting to anger her. She wasn’t some pretty thing on his arm, she was a strong, independent woman, and she had a reason for her questions.

“I am not going to be scolded like a child, Luke.” Letting go of his arm, she walked through a small room and out the back door onto the deck.

“No, off somewhere.” Her sour look said it all, and she knew it.

Mark nodded and then handed her a drink. “Here, I grabbed two, but it looks like you need it more than me.”

“What is it?”

“Bourbon. Pretty good stuff. Just drink it.”

She swallowed the liquid, letting it burn on the way down her throat. Bourbon wasn’t her choice of a good drink, but anything right now was welcome.

“I suspect you will want to be introduced to people, mingle with the common folk, as it were, Princess?”

“Please, don’t call me that, not tonight.” She shot him a serious look, and his tone changed, but the smile did not leave his face.

“Okay, okay. I won’t. But you wanna mingle?”

“I don’t see why not.” She took Mark’s arm and let him introduce her to people. Most of them were less dressy than she was, and a few women were even wearing jeans with nice blouses.

If only she had known, she would have worn jeans, and felt a little less out of place.

“I’m pretty sure you met some of the girls from the rodeo,” Mark waved at the ladies, who smiled at her.

“I haven’t seen you in a good while, Jayda. How are you doing? Tammy Lynn smiled at her. “I see you have a different man on your arm, did you take my advice about Luke?”

“Tammy Lynn, can’t say it is a pleasant surprise, but a surprise none the less. How did you get an invite?”

“Muriel is a very nice woman, invited all the riders, thought, why not? Free food.” She smiled and pumped Jayda on the arm.

“Mark is just stepping in for Luke at the moment, he is busy, elsewhere.”

“Well, damn. Someone finally snagged him,” Tammy’s smile went wide. “Didn’t think that would ever happen, again.”

Again.

Another reminder of his previous marriage. The marriage he had yet to tell her about. The idea swirled in her brain.

“Yes. Yes she did. Little does she know how bad that really is.” Luke was behind her in an instant, his hand on the small of her back, touching her. Possessing her.

It made her hot with anger and arousal, the combination of the two setting her completely on edge. She prickled at his touch and tried to move away from it, but he pulled her closer.

She couldn’t deny that she liked it.

“You actually sticking around on this one?” Tammy asked, amused.

“That is the plan, if she’ll keep me.” His eyes were on her, serious, the depth of emotion in them beyond any she could have imagined. It was almost more than she could handle.

So she chuckled and let go of Mark’s arm.

“You did pretty good yesterday, at the rodeo. But took one hell of a fall, I hear. How are you feeling?”

“A bit bruised, but nothin’ I can’t handle.” If he was in pain he barely let on, but every once in a while she saw the wince in his face. She knew bull riding was dangerous, but to see the man she cared so deeply about get hurt. I made it real for her.

She understood her mother a little better now, her fear, her anger.

“It was crazy to ride again, man. You could’ve hurt yourself.” Mark said, “But gotta say, I bet on crazy pretty often.”

“I was fine. Besides, it got me where I needed to be.”

They continued talking, the banter between the three of them, when she spotted him. Edward. He was at the hors d’oeuvre table, a napkin in his hand as he loaded up on coconut shrimp. It took all her control not to march right over there and confront him that very moment, but she had to wait. The right moment would present itself and it was going to be tonight.

***

“Did you think I wasn’t going to find out?” She snuck up on him the first chance she got. As soon as she saw him alone in the hallway, next to the buffet she knew it was time.

Edward was completely unaware.

“Find out? About what?”

“You know exactly what I am talking about. Don’t try to deny it. I’ve been to the construction ‘office’. I know about the embezzlement, I know about the sabotage.” She kept her voice low, but didn’t leave out the little bit of hiss. She was angry, and it took all her effort not to hold herself back.