Page 92 of A Lot Like Love
Chapter 24
“So when are you heading back?” Chloe asked, snuggled against Ryder and running her fingers down his chest. His skin was warm, muscles taut as she teased across his abs.
“You mean when areweheading back,” he corrected, grabbing her hand and bringing it swiftly to his mouth to bite her wrist just hard enough to make her squeal.
Chloe shut her eyes when Ryder kissed her, tilting her mouth up to his. “I guess we can’t stay holed up in here forever.”
He chuckled, tugging at her lower lip as he kissed her slow. “There’s nothing wrong with a few days of sex, champagne, and room service.”
Chloe giggled. “You do realize your brothers will probably send a search party if we don’t emerge today. They haven’t heard from us in a while.”
Ryder stretched and kicked the covers down farther. They were lying naked, the sunshine streaming in through the bedroom window, plush pillows scattered around them and the sheets tousled from hours spent playing in bed.
“I think it’s time we let housekeeping pay a visit.”
Chloe sat, too, stretching her arms above her head and surveying the room. It was a mess. Their trays of half-eaten food from the night before were on the floor, along with clothes they’d first stripped off close to three days ago, and there were four champagne bottles she could count empty and tipped over.
“Ryder, don’t get me wrong, this has been fun, but…”
“No,” he said, his gaze piercing when he turned and stared at her. “You don’t get to blow me off, Chloe. I’m not listening to some bullshit it’s-not-you-it’s-me speech, not after all this.”
She blinked, keeping her eyes downcast, worrying the edge of the sheet with her thumb. She was suddenly conscious of how bare she was, exposed when before she’d felt so comfortable being naked.
“I just, well.” She sighed, looking up at him when he cupped her cheek and forced her head up. “You’re not a long-term-relationship kind of guy, Ryder. I knew that from the start and I still know it now.”
“You’re putting words in my mouth,” Ryder said, his voice so low it almost sounded menacing, as deep as a growl. “Have I not made it clear that I’m in love with you? I thought we’d already had this discussion?”
“Ryder,” she started, reaching for him, trying to put her arms around his neck.
“Damn it,” he swore, getting out of bed and storming toward the bathroom. He flung open the door and she listened to the faucet running. “You want me to prove myself to you, I will,” he called out, disappearing from sight when he entered the shower cubicle.
Chloe sighed and got out of bed. She retrieved a thick white bathrobe from the back of the bathroom door, standing for a moment to admire Ryder in the shower. He was pissed, she got that, but they’d lived in a bubble the last few days without talking about the future, about what would happen when they had to come crashing back to reality. She tied the robe tight around her waist to stop it from gaping open and smiled as Ryder aggressively rubbed shampoo into his hair, sliding his fingers back through his hair to rinse it, the suds running down his tanned back and over his buttocks. A lick of desire swept through her but she refused to acknowledge it. Stripping and stepping into the shower behind him, wrapping her arms around his slick wet body and letting him take her in the shower was what she wanted to do. Every beat of her body wanted to join him in there, even though it felt they’d been naked for more time of the past seventy-two hours than not.
He turned, as if he knew she was standing there ogling him. Ryder’s gaze was still angry, his eyes flashing as they met hers, a combination of pissed off and sexual heat merged into one delicious bout of fury.
“I’m gonna prove it to you,” Ryder said, shaking his head and sending water flying at the same time as he opened the shower door, his muscled body glistening as he stood there naked before her. “Now get the hell in here.”
Chloe thought about hesitating, but the decision was taken away from her when Ryder stepped out, water dripping off him as he yanked the knot free at her waist and shoved the robe off her shoulders, leaving it to fall off her body and pool on the floor. The heat in his stare was enough to set her on fire, sexual want licking through her body as he cupped the back of her head and yanked her forward into a searing hot kiss, grunting as he bent to scoop her up, mouth never leaving hers. Chloe locked her legs around his waist as he walked backward, taking her under the hot water, pushing her back against the tiled wall of the shower. The water was angled so it was falling in between them, splashing up over both their chests, dripping into their mouths to make their kisses even wetter, bodies slick as Ryder slid inside of her.
She moaned as he thrust hard, no foreplay, just hard, rugged sex. They’d played all night, pleasured each other for hours, but this was more animal, a raw need inside of both of them.
“I don’t want this to be the last time,” she gasped out as he gripped her waist hard.
“Don’t you say that,” he ground out, covering her mouth with his again so all she could do was moan. “Don’t you dare.”
Chloe held him tighter, her arms around his neck. Ryder was pumping hard into her but she still wanted him closer, wanted more of him.
“I love you,” she whispered against his ear.
Ryder didn’t respond, not with words, but he slowed down, taking a hand off her waist to brush his fingers across her face instead. He gently took her down, cradling her weight, looking into her eyes as he lowered her onto the wet tiles below. The water was still cascading down on them as he slipped inside her again, supporting his own weight so she could just arch below him, digging her nails into his back as he rocked gently back and forth.
Her body starting to hum, she forgot all about how hard the tiles were, only aware of the feel of Ryder inside of her.
“Ryder,” she gasped out, clawing at him, fighting to breathe as she rode a wave of pleasure.
He grunted, and when she opened her eyes he was watching her, his lids heavy. She knew he was close, too, and as she shut her eyes and gave in to her climax, tears spilled down her cheeks. She hoped Ryder hadn’t noticed, didn’t want him to see how much it hurt her just being with him right now.
She didn’t want to lose him. The thought of not having him in her life was like a knife through her heart.
