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“Everlie.” Ryker cupped my face, directing my eyes back to his. There was a question in his eyes, but he didn’t vocalize it. Instead, he brought his lips down to mine. His lips were soft, but commanding, as the kiss deepened. My body tensed, startled by the power of his kiss, but as his lips parted mine and his tongue circled mine, I purred in the back of my throat and relaxed into his body. Every hungry kiss vibrated through my body, until it was humming with anticipation. My hands went under his jacket, needing more of him, to feel his warm skin. Wordlessly, he broke away from the kiss, only long enough to strip off the jacket, dropping it over the upholstered bench at the foot of the king size bed. We crashed back together, his fingers slid down my arms, and I shivered as he grazed the side of my breasts. Through the thin, silky soft fabric, his touch was even more intoxicating.
“Turn around, Everlie,” Ryker said into my ear, before dragging his tongue over the sensitive skin there.
I spun around, and lifted my long hair out of the way, so Ryker could unzip the back of the gown. His fingers traced down the line of the zipper, pausing at the top of my butt, before going back up and tugging the zipper free, exposing my back to the electric current in the space between us. As the dress loosened, he slid it down my body—his hands skimmed my skin as he pushed it down my thighs and let it fold into a pool of black on the floor. I trembled as he felt his way back up. I’d been forced to abandon my bra to wear the dress since the straps weren’t in line with what I’d been wearing, and my cheeks went hot as I felt his eyes taking in my nearly naked body, my shoes and panties were the only thing I had left on.
He spun me around with a gentle tug on my hips, and I dropped my arms, letting him see my bare breasts. His fingers went to my nipples and I gasped at the sensations that danced over my skin. Ryker smiled as he watched me react, and I couldn’t take my eyes from him. Watching him take me in was intoxicating and empowering. His dark eyes searched my body as though he couldn’t get enough and when he kissed me again…it was with a renewed hunger that stole my breath away with the sheer ferocity of it.
The sensation of my hard nipples brushing against his stiff white dress shirt had me wet and writhing into him, wishing for his skin to be against mine. He sensed my urgent need and started to back me towards the bed. He laid me down and stripped away the shirt, tossing it aside. My eyes raked over his form, each perfect, firm muscle, and I nearly came undone just watching the way his body moved as he lowered onto me. His lips found mine after a lengthy tour of my breasts, collarbone and neck, and I moaned into his mouth, aching and hungry for more.
I bucked against his hard body and he smiled down at me. “You ready, baby? I can’t wait much longer to get a taste.”
Without waiting for a response, he worked down my body, his tongue and lips hot on my skin, but when he reached for the waist of my panties, his breath hot between my legs, I seized up. I bolted into an upright position and backed up the bed, putting space between us. He looked up, startled by my jerked movements, and the question was dark in his eyes. “Everlie?”
“Ryker, I can’t…I can’t do this tonight.” I looked down at the bedspread, unable to hold his intense stare.
“Everlie, look at me,” he commanded. I tugged my eyes back to his. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry, Ryker. I’m just not ready for…all this.”
He groaned, but shifted his weight off the bed and stood. He turned his back to me while he put his shirt back on and retrieved my dress from the floor.
“Here, get dressed and I’ll take you back to the studio to get your car.” He handed me the dress, his eyes averted away from me.
“You don’t have to—” He left the room, shutting the door before I could finish my sentence. I scrambled back into the dress, struggling to zip the back. When I finally wrangled myself into the dress properly, I went out of the room and found him standing by the door of the suit, his jacket back in place as though nothing had happened. “Ryker, you don’t have to do that. I’ll take a cab.”
He scoffed. “Everlie, stop, a cab all the way out there will cost a fortune. I’m driving you.”
“Why would you do that? You don’t owe me anything.”
“I know that. Come on, let’s go.” He opened the door and held it for me. I hesitated, wanting to continue to argue my point, but the stern look in his eyes told me there was not point. I left the suite and let him guide me back to the car. We drove wordlessly back to the dance studio.
“I’m sorry, Ryker,” I said softly when he parked next to my car, the engine of his rental still running.
“Don’t be. I had a great night.” He looked over at me and there wasn’t a trace of bitterness in his expression.
I stared at him, my insides a twisted mess of emotions. “Ryker—”
“It’s okay, Everlie, I swear. Please, just text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”
My heart dropped even further at his sweet, protective request, and I felt the burn of tears stinging at my eyes. “Okay. Thanks for everything.”
He nodded and I pushed out of the car, hurrying to get into my own car before the tears could break free. I resisted the urge to give him a final glance, knowing it would undo me completely, before I pulled out of the small lot and headed back home.
* * * *
“God, Everlie! You look like a fucking princess!” Tori pounced on me as soon as I walked through the front door. I’d waited for my tears to dry before going upstairs, and made sure there was no trace of my breakdown for her to find. “Wait! What the hell—did he give you these?” She tapped on one of the dangling diamond earrings.
I smiled sadly and nodded. “And the dress. Oh, and these,” I said, handing her the box of chocolates. “You can have as many as you want.”
Tori just stared at me, not blinking.
“What?” I asked, self-consciously tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Tori! Say something.”
“He just gave you all this shit? A dress? Diamond fucking earrings?”
I nodded again.
“You’re seriously not going to tell me what happened?” She fisted her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed in my direction.
