I searched the room for some sign of Ryker, but the bathroom door was open, and he didn’t stand within. Then, the scent of cooking bacon wafted to me. My stomach rumbled, and my mouth watered in response to the delicious aroma.
Throwing back the covers that I’d found tucked into the hall closet, I climbed out of bed and trudged to the bathroom. After searching the grounds and manor last night and taking care of the remaining animals, we’d both been so exhausted that we’d fallen into bed without eating.
I regretted that decision as I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and used the toilet. At least the exhaustion had kept my nightmares at bay, or maybe it was being nestled securely in Ryker’s arms again. Either way, I only had one dream about Gaius rising from the dead and coming back to drag Ryker into a burning pit.
I’d woken, shaken and struggling to breathe. When Ryker stirred and pulled me close, I settled into his arms. I’d expected to be up for the rest of the night, but with the reassuring beat of his heart against my ear, I’d fallen back asleep and, judging by the position of the sun, slept far later than normal for me.
I didn’t bother putting on my clothes from yesterday before leaving the room. I descended the stairs to the main entry, wearing only the shirt Ryker had given me last night.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I glanced into the dining room. The area above the fireplace remained bare of the portrait; I’d known it would, but disappointment still tugged at me as I turned away from the room.
The delicious scent of breakfast lured me toward the kitchen, where I discovered Ryker scraping eggs onto two plates. His back was to me when I entered, but when he turned around, he froze.
A lazy smile curved the corner of his mouth. Despite my lingering sadness over the state of my old home, my heart warmed at the relaxed air surrounding him.
I hadn’t seen him look this at ease in months… no, not months, ever. There were times when he’d relax with me, but tension had always thrummed through him; I didn’t sense that now.
Before his father captured him, I’d felt his rising anger and worried about him, but my concern faded as he set the plates on the table. Yes, things would still be difficult, and we had a lot to organize, rebuild, and do, but we’d get through it all together.
“I was going to bring you breakfast in bed,” he said.
I beamed back at him. “I couldn’t resist that smell.”
As if to confirm this, my stomach rumbled, and Ryker’s grin widened. “Come and eat then; we can’t have you starving.”
When I walked toward the table, I didn’t miss it when his gaze ran down my chest to my bare legs. He looked hastily away, but not before I saw the lust blooming in his eyes.
Between his capture, his injuries and healing, and our fatigue after everything, we’d barely had any time alone. Now, we were here, in a place that had stopped feeling like home, but we were safe, and no one hunted us anymore.
It felt like years had passed since I felt as safe as I did now.
Ryker pulled one of the chairs at the table out for me, but when I stopped beside it, I rested my hand on his cheek. His scruffy beard tickled my palm as I rose onto my toes and kissed him.
I’d only meant it to be a quick exchange of love, but a rush of warmth and desire speared through me the second our lips touched. Even my belly forgot about its emptiness as his lips burned into mine.
Little crackles of electricity danced across my flesh, warmed my soul, and ignited a fire that heated me from the inside out. Ryker’s arm locked around my waist as he hauled me against his chest.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
Ellery
When his tongue prodded my lips, they parted to his invasion. His tongue teased mine before demanding more; I met his urgency as I rubbed against his rigid cock, and wetness pooled between my thighs.
It had been so long since we’d come together like this, and every part of me ached for him so badly that it was a physical pain. He’d barely touched me, yet my clit throbbed, my breasts felt heavier, and my nipples pressed against the thin fabric of his shirt.
When his hands found my ass and he lifted me higher, I thrust against his dick like it was already inside me, pounding out its rhythm and pushing me to the brink of ecstasy. I rotated my hips so my clit rubbed against him; strange, breathy sounds escaped me as my fingers bit into his nape.
I needed to be fucked until I was screaming in pleasure and couldn’t think. I needed to be lost in him.
Ryker lifted me higher, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me to the island counter. I barely felt the cold bite of the marble beneath my ass when he sat me down. I was too hot to notice any chill.
Ryker’s hands skimmed my thighs in a teasing caress that I couldn’t tolerate. I wasn’t in the mood for teasing; I was in the mood to have his shaft ramming into me as his body engulfed mine.
To make my desire clear, I grasped the front of his shirt and yanked it open. Buttons bounced around the kitchen before spiraling into oblivion. I rested my hands against his chest and relished the feel of his muscles flexing beneath my palms as I scored his skin.
Understanding what I needed, Ryker undid the button on his pants. My fingers traced his scars, both new and old. The marks covered his body and stood as a testament to his strength and determination.
They were a reminder of how much he’d endured and overcome throughout his life. He’d risen from torment and torture multiple times to become the most devoted man I knew—to Tempest and me.
