Page 117 of Broken Butterfly
Elizabeth goes to Fallon’s side. “Besides, she knows what he’ll do if she ever does anything to us again,” she says, looking up at Fallon. He gives her a slight nod of the head and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her to his side.
“Fallon, call Mr. Worthington and have him make the deal. And you—” She looks at Maria. “You know I have a recording of everything you just said. I have a room full of witnesses. After all this is done, I never want to see you or hear from you again.”
Maria backs up until she’s a foot from the front door. “Thank you, Lizzie.”
“Don’t you dare thank me. Do the right thing for once in your life. We’re done here,” Elizabeth tells her and walks back upstairs with the other girls and Jack right behind her.
I meet Maria at the door.
“Ryder, I’m sorry.”
My gaze snaps to hers. “No, you’re not. I will never believe a word out of your mouth. Get this in your head: I never loved you. I never could love you. I pity you. Oh, and one last thing. You were right. You never could measure up to Elizabeth. Now, stay away from myfiancé.” I emphasize the word, knowing it’ll get a reaction.
Fallon must be rubbing off on me because I get great joy in watching Maria’s face crumble as I slam the door shut on her and lock the deadbolt loudly into place.
Chapter 36
I feel the bed dip and my body pulled backward as Ryder molds his chest against my back, one of his legs going between mine, and one of his hands wrapping around to splay a possessive hand flat on my stomach. I twist my head to capture his kiss, rolling over to snuggle deeper into his warmth. I love how it feels when our naked skin touches. I’m not in the mood for words or gentle platitudes. I don’t want anyone else to ask me how I am feeling or if I am okay. I want to lose myself in Ryder, and let his touch heal my wounded heart.
“What do you need, sweetheart,” he murmurs against my lips, his other hand roaming up and down my arm and back in a manner that is as seductive as it is soothing.
“Just you, Ryder. I just need you.”
“You’ve got me, baby,” he promises, and I give myself over to him. Completely.
Ryder worships me with his touch while placing open-mouthed kisses along every inch of my sensitized skin. He blazes a path down my quivering stomach, devastating me in a delicious way until he reaches my mons, dragging a finger through my folds to my bud that is throbbing and needy for him. He holds down my hips, anchoring me in place as my torso tries to arch off the bed, my breathy moan a testament to the pleasure he’s giving me. No sooner do I begin to tumble down from the high of my first orgasm, Ryder amps me back up again, spreading me wide and licking me until I’m falling once more.
Boneless, quaking, and thoroughly replete, I urge Ryder back up so I can kiss his full lips that are slick with my arousal. He settles on top of me just the way that I love. His heavy weight pressing down on me is exactly the thing I need right now. We spend what seems like forever like that, more than content to relish in our leisurely exchange of kisses. Something so simple, yet it is everything.
I wrap my arms around Ryder’s neck, inhaling the heated muskiness of his skin, and I’m instantly calmed. I give a small shove to his shoulder and he rolls with me so that I am now on top. I rub myself back and forth over his rigid length, my hands positioned flat on his chest. I ease myself down, taking him inside of me, and squeezing my internal muscles until he grunts. My smile is wide, and I do it again. Those gorgeous brown eyes hood with desire and he sits up to take one of my nipples in his mouth, steeping me in sensation. I moan again, low and long.
We take our time. There is no rush to the finish for us tonight. Ryder makes love to me, cherishing me like only he can. My friend, my lover, my forever. I climax for a third time, the sweetness of the rolling waves that consume me make me feel weightless and floaty. As I’m free-falling back down from the high of endorphins, Ryder thickens and pulses inside of me. I seal our mouths and drink in his release, capturing the sound and vibrations with my tongue.
Still seated securely inside of me, he holds me close to his chest and finger-combs my long hair. I feel the stickiness of his release and make a contented sigh. Ryder has always taken me bare. The likelihood of me getting pregnant is low while on birth control, but every time we make love, I always wonder whether our love has created life inside of me. I burrow closer into him and run my index finger in small circles on the top of his shoulder.
“How many children do we want to have?”
Ryder considers my question thoughtfully. “In my dreams, I’ve always seen us with a big family.”
“You’ve dreamed about our children?”
He pecks the tip of my nose. “Well, yeah. I’ve been dreaming about our future together since I was nine years old. What about you, babe? How many kids do you want?”
I scrape my fingernails feather-light up and down the side of his face, feeling his day’s-worth of stubble, liking how it tickles my fingertips. “Three or more. I would like nothing more than a bunch of cute little mini-Ryders pitter-pattering about.”
“You want all boys? God help us.” He chuckles, the rumble of it jostling me around on his chest and sending me into a fit of giggles.
Catching my breath, I say, “Just think, we could have our own little racing crew.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea.”
“Boys or girls. It doesn’t matter to me as long as they’re all half you and half me.”
“We’re going to have such a good life, baby.”
“I’ll be married to you. It’s going to be a fabulous life. Did you want to try to start a family soon or wait?”
Ryder takes his time in answering. “I want you to have your dreams, Elizabeth.”
