Page 86 of Bonded Chaos

“Ryker,” I murmured, at a loss for words.

Ryker gripped my hips and pulled me into the pool with him. The water was smooth as silk as it embraced me, and a slight gasp slipped between my lips as I felt the tip of Ryker’s length brush against my entrance.

Ryker swallowed the sound as he sealed his lips over mine, and I wrapped my arms around him.

The kiss wasn’t gentle, but it lacked his usual dominance. Instead, it was probing, as if he wanted to taste every inch of my mouth.

When we broke apart, he pressed his forehead against mine as he sucked in ragged breaths.

“I want to do better, Cadence.”

His words were so quiet, it was as though he was afraid to speak them aloud. Ryker pulled back and met my gaze. The intensity in his eyes caused my heart to skip a beat.

“I know I’ve made things difficult for you, and I’m not the easiest person to be around, but I never meant to hurt you.”

It wasn’t an apology, nor was it a promise to free me.

But he was trying.

“We could be good together, Cadence. I could give you the world if you’d let me.”

The question was, did I want that? I had many reasons to despise Ryker, yet something kept tugging me back to him. Unable to come up with an answer, I redirected the conversation.

“How Ryker? How can you say that when you’re marrying someone else?”

Not to mention he’d kill me without hesitation if he knew the truth, but I kept that thought to myself.

“I won’t be marrying Celeste, Cadence.”

“That’s not what you said this morning,” I countered.

“I have a plan. I’ve set things in motion to secure our future. I can’t tell you everything yet, but trust me when I say I’ll take care of you, and I’ll keep you safe.”

“How can you ask me to trust you after all you have done?”

Ryker’s gaze held mine, imploring and earnest. There was a rawness there, too. Something unguarded that had mewantingto trust him, to give in to him.

“You’re right,” he said, breaking the silence. “Let me prove it to you instead.”

His words settled over me, and I felt the weight of his sincerity.

But I would never trust Ryker. How could I after everything he’d put me through? Yet, for the very first time, I wished I could.

And that thought terrified me.

I was losing myself to him, and it enraged me that my hatred was not enough to overpower his intoxicating presence.

“All right,” I murmured.

The words escaped before I could stop them, and there was no taking them back.

Ryker squeezed my side, and the water rippled around us. He trailed his fingers over my waist, tracing a slow path to my back.

As he caressed my spine, he tucked my head beneath his chin. The action both comforted and confused me, but I felt myself sinking further into his embrace.

“I promise you, Cadence,” he whispered, “everything will be as the fates intended it.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

---