Ryder’s hold on me tightened. “This is a great idea. The fucking best idea.”

I smiled, lightly. “Your brother just made me realise I’m acting like a... like a... slut.”

Alec winced up front. “I didn’t mean you Branna.”

“But I’m going to have sex with Ryder and I’ve only known him half an hour. I’m no better than the girls who you’re goin’ to ring up for sex.”

“First of all,” Kane chimed in, his voice very gruff. “There is nothing wrong with no strings attached sex whether you’re a man or a woman. If you want to fuck everyone in sight that is your business, no one else’s. Second of all, it’s quite obvious you don’t do this often so you don’t need to feel ashamed or embarrassed. Sex is a part of life, deal with it.”

I stared at Kane, unblinking, but shifted my gaze to Dominic when he snapped his fingers in Z formation and said, “You sure told her, Oprah.”

Kane thumped Dominic’s shoulder making him snicker as he rubbed the spot with his hand. I looked to Ryder who lifted his hand and rubbed his thumb over my lip. I held onto him as Alec took a few sharp turns.

“We can just talk,” Ryder murmured even though it looked like it pained him to say it. “If you don’t want to do anything else, we won’t.”

He became instantly hotter in that moment.

“We’ll see,” I whispered making him grin.

I yelped when the car came to a sudden halt.

“Welcome to casa Slater!” Alec announced, proudly.

Nerves settled in as I climbed out off of Ryder’s lap and out of the Jeep. I stood on trembling legs and gasped when an arm came around my waist and tugged me back into a hard, warm body. I glanced over my shoulder to Ryder when he nudged me forward, and I smiled up at him. His breath caught and he mumbled something to himself.

“What was that?” I asked as we walked in the garden of a huge, four story house.

“I said,” he murmured, “you’re so beautiful.”

I chuckled. “You’re definitely the sweet talker out of the pair of us.”

He grinned as I glanced at my surroundings before walking through the front door Alec opened and entered the beautiful house.

“You live in Upton,” I commented.

“Yes,” Ryder said. “Where do you live?”

“On Old Isle Green, it’s just ten minutes from here.”

Dominic halted next to me then. “Old Isle Green did you say?”

I nodded.

He blinked. “What’s your sister’s name, can I ask?”

I wondered why he asked, but I didn’t get a chance to reply because I was suddenly turned, picked up and thrown over a large shoulder.

“Omigod!” I breathed and gripped onto Ryder’s shirt as I hung upside down. He headed for the stairs and ran up them two at a time, with me bouncing and grunting against his back along the way.

“Have fun!” Alec shouted followed by Damien’s yelling, “Don’t break her!”

The last thing I heard was from Dominic as he stated, “I want to be like Ryder when I grow up.”

Ryder heard him, too, and it caused him to rumble with laughter.

“Thank God,” I breathed when I was placed upright on the ground.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply and stayed that way for a few moments until the dizziness I was experiencing passed. Ryder’s hands were on my shoulders, gripping me tightly reminding me of his presence. “Sorry,” he chuckled when I opened my eyes and looked up at him. “They would have started a conversation with you and I didn’t want that.”

I grinned. “I could tell.”

He reached behind me and flicked on the light to his room. He stepped past me and it gave me view to his humble abode. I stared around with wide eyes. The room was huge, and brilliantly decorated. A massive king-sized bed was in the middle of the room, the furniture was all dark oak, and the theme was black and white. It looked incredible.

“Wow,” I breathed. “This looks like it belongs on an episode of cribs.”

Ryder snorted as he rid himself of his shirt. “Thanks, I like it.”

His room, and how well it was decorated, was forgotten the moment Ryder removed his shirt. I swallowed as I took in his heavily tattooed torso. His oblique muscles were so defined that I audibly groaned. I allowed my eyes to roam over his hardened chest, large, wide shoulders, thick arms and, of course, his incredibly cut abs.

He had six of them. And they were mouth-watering.

“Damn,” I whispered.

“You’ll need to worry about me jumping you if you keep looking at me like that.”

The sweet spot between my thighs pulsed back to life.

I licked my lips and looked up to Ryder. “That doesn’t sound bad to me.”

Ryder took a step towards me. “Are you sure?”

I frantically nodded my head, even though I felt heat spread out over my cheeks at my obvious need.

“Last chance to run, darling,” he warned as he gripped his belt. “Once you allow me to touch you, you won’t leave this room until I fuck the shyness right out of you.”

My legs trembled as he undid his belt and slid it through the hoops of his jeans. The throb between my thighs kicked into overdrive and took full control of me.

“I need you,” I pleaded. “Right here. Right now.”

Ryder invaded my space at a rapid speed and backed me up against his bedroom door.

“I’m going to make you scream, beautiful.”

I licked my dry lips and whispered, “I can’t wait.”

He lowered his head and took possession of my mouth with his and kissed me with a hunger that almost hurt. Almost. I lifted my hands to his thick arms and gently scraped my nails against his skin. A low growl rumbled deep in Ryder’s throat, and I swear it felt like a physical stroke against my clit. It provoked my hips to rock forward and knock against his pelvis which caused him to tear his mouth from mine and press his talented lips against my ear as he whispered, “One more bump like that, darling, and I’ll forget about easing you into my way of fucking.”

His way of fucking, I mentally repeated.

My eyes rolled back at both his words and the sensation of his hot breath on my ear. “I can take it,” I replied, huskily.

I hissed when Ryder sucked my earlobe into his mouth and lowered his right hand to my thigh. He raised said hand farther and farther up my thigh while sucking on my earlobe. It was probably the most basic thing a man had ever done to me, but it garnered top results with Ryder, and I knew I’d never let another man do it to me again.

It was something just for him.

Just Ryder.

“How long do you think you can take of my cock pounding this sweet pussy of yours before you scream my name?” he asked, his tone laced with desire.

I couldn’t focus on his question as he brushed his fingers over the soaked wet lace material of my underwear. The brief contact caused a loud groan to tear from my throat.

“Answer me,” he growled in my ear before sticking his tongue inside it.

I cried out, “Ryder, please.”

His low chuckle was the sexiest sound I had ever heard. “You cried out my name before we even got started,” he murmured, moving his lips to my cheek. “Oh, darling, I’m going to have so much fun with you.”

Yes, I silently pleaded.

He took my hand and led me over to his bed; his gaze on me like I was his next meal.

“You look stunning, but I want you naked. Now.”

Oh, fuck.

I swallowed. “O… Okay.”

Ryder bit down on his lower lip as I gripped the hem of my dress and slowly shimmied it up to my waist, exposing my bare stomach, hips and thighs. Ryder set his jaw and balled his hands into fists by his sides, like he was forcing himself to remain still as I undressed for him. It gave me a spurt of confidence and urged me to remove my dress completely.

I dropped the fabric on the floor next to me and stood before Ryder in my matching lace black strapless bra and underwear. I still had my heels on, which oddly make me feel sexier, not that I needed them when I had Ryder’s burning eyes locked on every inch of me.