Page 129 of Ryker
“He hated me before, but he made life absolute hell after that. He’s never stopped, honestly. In retaliation for sleeping with his bestie, the fucker cut the crotch out of all my underwear and wrote slut across my mirrors in black sharpie and on my face while I was sleeping.”
“That’s juvenile.”
“Yeah, well, I put laxatives in his Gatorade sporadically to make up for it.”
“You’re diabolical.”
“Aren’t I?” Pride makes me less guilty about it. Fuck Garret. He’s done worse to me, but I’m not going to tell Ryker about the worst parts. What’s done is done. And now it’s over. “Any anger he has now can be redirected elsewhere. I’m not going to take his Daddy’s company, and I don’t even want the trust fund William set up for me to have after I’ve put my time into Brisbane Realty. Garret can have it all, just like he’s always wanted.”
I twist around and straddle Ryker’s lap.
I feel free. Untouchable.
Walking away from my troubles is already the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. And I’m sure the company is already buzzing with the mass email I sent saying goodbye and attaching my resignation letter for everyone to read.
My mother will have an aneurism when she finds out. Too bad, so sad. She’ll get over it. I’m done bending over backwards so she can have a “happy life” with someone she “loves”. It’s bullshit and I’m over it.
“What are you thinking about now?” Ryker runs his hands through my hair, tucking some of it behind my ears.
“About us.”
“What about us?”
Our time is up at the end of the month. What happens then? All my questions lodge in my throat.
Ryker holds the back of my head and brings me in for a kiss. “I’m not going anywhere, Butterfly. Are you?”
“No,” I whisper, relief rushing through me. “I want to stay.”
“Then stay,” he whispers against my mouth. “Stay for however long you can.”
A zebra striped butterfly lands on the back of the bench by his hand, reminding me how life is so fragile, so fleeting.
Ryker rubs his nose along my neck. He kisses and licks my sensitive skin, massaging the back of my head while he holds me in place on his lap. “Let me keep you.”
I close my eyes and let the moment sweep me up into the fantasy that Ryker keeping me is actually possible.
Chapter 43
Ryker
Sitting smack dab in the middle of Heaven with my girl on my lap, her scent in my nose, and her taste on my tongue, I know what love is. It’s peace. It’s passion. It’s bright and dark. It’s wild and unshakeable.
I have no idea what part of Tara spoke to my soul first—her negotiation tactics, her innocent eyes, her blind trust, or her brutal honesty. Hell, it doesn’t even matter what hooked me. She has me.
For now. For later. For life.
I’ll spend every minute of my next ten lifetimes making her happy and showing her that even monsters can love fiercely.
Tara moans against my mouth as she deepens our kiss.
A fever builds between us. We go from peaceful contentment, to starved and unhinged. She scrapes her nails against my scalp, fucking my hair all up. My dick hardens in my jeans. Bent the wrong way makes it hurt and I like it.
She pulls my shirt off and scratches down the backs of my shoulders next. “Fuck, girl. You’re killing me.”
Tara’s all rosy cheeks and red lips. Her pupils have blown wide already. “I want you.” She tugs on my belt.
“You want it…” I get it off much faster for her. “Come get it.”