Building the Perfect Daddy (14 page)

He unfolded her arms and linked their hands together. “I'll remember, Lauryn.”

But the furrow in her brow remained.

“Are you really worried that I'm going to disappoint Kylie?” he wondered aloud. “Or are you worried that I'll disappoint you?”

Her eyes flashed with something that might have been anger—or guilt. “I don't worry about being disappointed anymore. I expect it.”

“Is that why you're trying to piss me off?” he asked quietly. “So that I'll get mad and leave, and your disappointment will be justified?”

“I'm not trying to do any such thing,” she denied, then she sighed wearily. “Or maybe I am. I don't know—this whole situation is outside my realm of experience.”

He dropped a brief but firm kiss on her lips before he released her hands. “The only place I'm going right now is to fire up the grill to cook the steaks, because man—and woman—cannot live on gummy bears alone.”

“We also have fun-sized chocolate bars and marshmallow ghosts,” she reminded him.

“Those will be for dessert.”

* * *

So they ate steaks and baked potatoes, washing both down with the excellent merlot he'd brought over. Sitting across from Ryder, Lauryn found herself replaying their earlier conversation and wondering why she was continuing to deny what she wanted. Did she expect him to disappoint her? Or was she more worried that she might disappoint him?

She'd only had one lover in the past eight years, and only one lover prior to that. And in each of those situations, she'd been in love with the man before she'd made love with him. She'd never had a fling.

She wasn't in love with Ryder, but she was definitely in lust. She wanted him with an intensity that bordered on desperation—and that was definitely something she hadn't experienced before. But she still didn't know if she had the courage to follow her sisters' advice and “go for it.”

“I think Kylie was right,” Lauryn said, setting her fork and knife on her empty plate. “This was a really good Halloween.”

“Actually, she said it was the bestest,” he reminded her.

“Well, at three and a half, she hasn't experienced many Halloweens.” She nudged a bowl of candy toward him. “Gummy bear?”

He peered inside. “You ate all of the red ones.”

“And left all of the green ones for you.”

“I'm in the mood for something sweeter,” he said, edging his chair closer to hers.

He captured her mouth slowly, but it was indeed a capture. She had no hope of evading—and no desire to even try. She savored his kiss—the warmth, the texture, the flavor. She'd never known a kiss could be so much and make her want so much more.

As his mouth moved over hers, patiently, seductively, her mind clouded and her body yearned. Yes, what she was feeling was definitely lust. And maybe just a little bit more.

“I'll load up these dishes and take them downstairs for you,” he said when he ended the kiss.

It frustrated her that he could switch gears so effortlessly while her body continued to battle with her brain.

“Why do you do that?” she asked when he came back, the frustration in her voice mirroring that of her body.

“Do what?” he asked, a little warily.

“Get me all stirred up and then walk away.”

“You said you needed some time,” he reminded her, sliding his chair back into place at the table. “I'm trying to give it to you.”

She should be grateful for that, but right now she was feeling too turned-on to appreciate his restraint. “I haven't had sex in a year and a half,” she admitted. “That's probably enough time.”

His fingers tightened on the chair. “Are you saying that if I were to make a move, you wouldn't object?”

She shook her head and moved closer to him, sliding her hands up his chest to link behind his head. “I'm tired of waiting for you to make a move.”

And then
she
kissed
him
.

* * *

Ryder thought he was pretty good at reading her, but Lauryn definitely surprised him when she moved forward to press her lips to his. Her mouth was soft and cool and just a little bit uncertain—as if she wasn't quite sure how he would respond.

He responded by sliding his arms around her and drawing her closer. Her body swayed into his, her soft womanly curves pressing against him and causing all of the blood in his head to quickly migrate south. But he held his own desire in check, letting her set the tone and the pace of the kiss.

One hand slid off his shoulder to trail down his arm until her hand caught his. She linked their fingers together as she eased her lips from his, then turned and led him toward the stairs.

He followed her willingly. Happily. Eagerly.

She paused at the door of her bedroom. “I should—”

“Check on the kids,” he guessed.

She nodded.

“I'll wait right here,” he promised, because he understood that she was, first and foremost, a mother. And surprisingly, he didn't find that aspect of her life off-putting at all.

She didn't make him wait long, but he could tell by the uncertainty in her eyes when she returned that those few moments she was away had been sufficient to create doubts about the next step. He was confident that he could erase all of those doubts in thirty seconds if he put his hands on her, but it needed to be her decision, so he held his ground.

“They're both sleeping,” she told him.

“They had a lot of excitement today.”

“It was a great day,” she said, “but I'm still not convinced it was the bestest Halloween ever.”

He recognized a challenge when it was issued. “I bet I could convince you.”

“I'm willing to let you give it your best shot,” she said.

It was all the invitation he needed.

He lifted her off her feet and carried her across the threshold into her bedroom.

Chapter Fourteen

L
auryn's breath whooshed out of her lungs; her heart fluttered wildly inside her chest. She'd watched many movie heroes carry their lovers off into the sunset, but she'd never imagined that it would happen to her. The fact that the sun had set hours earlier didn't detract at all from the sheer romance of the moment when Ryder swept her into his arms.

A thin sliver of moonlight slanted into the room, guiding him toward the bed, where he set her back on her feet and kissed her again.

Nerves jumped in her belly, twisted into knots. Now that they were here, she expected a race toward the finish line. And that was okay—her body was more than ready for the intimate connection they both craved. But she was apprehensive, too. Eighteen months was a long time and she wanted this—wanted
him
—so much she was a little worried that the anticipation might supersede the main event.

Then his hands moved over her as he deepened the kiss, and she stopped worrying. He found the buttons at the front of her shirt, his fingers adeptly unfastening them. It was only when he parted the fabric and she felt a rush of cool air against her skin that she remembered she had a plan for this eventuality.

“Wait.”

He paused with his hands at the button of her jeans. “What am I waiting for?”

“I need a minute to change into something...”

“More comfortable?” he guessed.

“More seductive,” she admitted.

“
You
are seductive enough,” he told her.

“I can do better,” she promised.

“Naked would be better.”

She pressed a brief kiss to his lips. “I just need one minute.”

“One minute,” he agreed.

She opened her top drawer and pulled out the black silk slip with lace inserts that she'd recently bought in anticipation of showing it to Ryder, even before she was sure that she would ever do so. She ducked into the bathroom and quickly stripped away her clothes, spritzed some of her favorite but rarely used fragrance on her skin, then slipped into the silk. The fabric was cool against her body, making her nipples tighten, and the hem flirted with the tops of her thighs. Drawing in a long, deep breath for courage, she opened the door.

Ryder had turned on the lamp beside the bed and was lounging on top of the covers, staring at his watch, when she stepped back into the bedroom. Though she didn't say anything, he immediately looked up, as if he somehow sensed her presence. Then he rose from the bed, his eyes skimming over her from her head to her toes with obvious appreciation. “Wow.”

She smiled, the single word successfully untangling most of the knots in her belly. “I told you I'd only be a minute.”

“You were actually behind that closed door for almost a minute and a half.”

“You were keeping track?”

“It felt like the longest eighty-five seconds of my life—but you are definitely worth the wait.” He took her hands to draw her closer and felt her fingers tremble. “Are you nervous?”

“A little,” she admitted. “It's been a long time for me.”

“There's nothing to be afraid of,” he promised.

“Should we talk first?”

“If you wanted to talk, you should have said so before you came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but...that.”

“I just wanted to reassure you that I have no expectations beyond tonight,” she said.

“I might not be the forever-after type, but I don't do one-night stands anymore, either,” he told her. “So why don't we agree to simply enjoy being together for so long as we do?”

“One day at a time?”

“Something like that,” he agreed.

“That works for me,” she said.

“Good. Are we done talking now?”

He didn't give her a chance to answer before he covered her lips in a slow, deep kiss that had all of her worries fading away like a bad dream. He had a way of kissing her that made her feel not just wanted but adored, not just desired but cherished.

She tugged his T-shirt out of his jeans so that her hands could explore beneath it. Her palms slid over the warm, taut skin of his stomach, slowly tracing each rippling contour. He took his hands off her only long enough to lift his shirt over his head and toss it aside, allowing her to continue her exploration of his glorious muscles unimpeded.

And his muscles were indeed glorious. As tantalizing as he'd appeared in all those close-ups on TV, the images didn't do justice to him. She pressed her mouth to the warm skin, just above his heart that was beating as rapidly as her own.

He took a minute to shed most of his clothes, with the exception of a pair of very sexy black boxer-style briefs, then he laid her down on top of the bed and straddled her thighs. His fingers caught the edge of her slip and began to slide it upward over her skin.

She grabbed his wrists. “What are you doing?”

“As fabulous as this looks on you, I want it off—I want to see
you
.”

“No, you don't.”

“Yes, I do,” he insisted.

She shook her head. “Ryder, I've given birth to two children—”

“Two beautiful children,” he agreed. “Why would you think that carrying them would somehow make you any less beautiful?”

How was it that he always seemed to know exactly what to say? It was unnerving...and incredibly appealing. But she'd lived with her own doubts and insecurities too long to give them up easily now. “I thought guys your age were only interested in perfect bodies.”

“And I thought women your age were more comfortable in their own skin,” he countered, his hands continuing to explore her body in a way that assured her even more than his words that he wasn't finding any flaws.

“Touché,” she said. “But you still don't know how old I am.”

“Thirty-three,” he guessed.

She frowned. “Where did you come up with that number?”

“I figured you did four years of college to get your business degree, then another two for your master's. If you started college at eighteen, then you would have been twenty-four when you finished, and Tristyn mentioned that you worked at Garrett Furniture for four years after you graduated and before you got married, and you were married for five and a half years.” He looked at her. “Am I close?”

“Actually, I turned thirty-four on my last birthday.” She eyed him warily. “It doesn't bother you that I'm six years older than you?”

“No,” he said. “I just wish it didn't bother you that I'm six years younger than you.”

“I'm trying not to think about it.”

“Let me help you not think,” he suggested, lowering his head to kiss her again.

“Okay,” she said. “But the slip is not coming off.”

“If you really want to keep it on, I won't object...this time.”

Despite his opposition to the silk covering her body, it didn't seem to get in his way or inhibit his exploration of her body—or her enjoyment. He brushed his thumbs over her nipples, already tightly beaded beneath the silk, the brief contact making her gasp as arrows of pleasure streaked toward her core. Then he lowered his head and suckled her through the fabric until she was panting and squirming and desperately wishing that his mouth was on her bare flesh.

Thankfully, he had no inhibitions about his own body. And why would he? He was hard and strong and so perfectly put together he might have been sculpted by a master. But he wasn't a monument of cold, hard marble—he was a man, warm and strong. And he was in her bed. All those yummy muscles were right there for her to explore with her hands and lips and body.

His hands slid beneath the fabric, his fingertips trailing along the sensitive skin on the inside of her thighs, gently urging them apart. When he parted the soft folds of skin at the apex of her thighs, he hummed his approval.

Not quite brave enough to slide her hand beneath the waistband of his boxers, she explored the size and shape of him through the fabric.

She bit down on her lip when his hands slid between her thighs again. Keeping his gaze focused on her face, he dallied beneath the hem of her slip. When his thumb grazed the aching nub at her center, the light touch set off a myriad of sensations that made her gasp with shock and pleasure.

“I think I found a sensitive spot,” he teased, brushing his thumb over it again.

“Ryder...
please
.”

He slid a finger deep inside of her and slowly withdrew it. She clenched her teeth together to prevent herself from making any sound as he repeated the action, with two fingers this time. Then his thumb found that ultrasensitive spot again and circled around it. Her breath caught in her lungs as everything inside her tensed and tightened...and...finally...shattered.

He captured her mouth with his, swallowing the cries she could no longer hold back and holding her close while the aftershocks continued to shudder through her body.

“Definitely a sensitive spot,” he mused, smiling against her mouth.

“I told you it's been a really long time for me,” she said, her tone accusing.

“So you did,” he acknowledged. “And I wanted to make sure the experience was enjoyable for you.”

“Do you have any doubts?”

He grinned as he discarded his boxers. “Not one. And we're not close to being done yet.”

“Condom,” she said, suddenly remembering the box she'd bought
just in case
. “In the night table drawer.”

“I've already got that covered,” he said. “Or I will in a second.”

It took a little longer than that, but once he'd ensured her protection, he parted her thighs with his knees and, in one smooth, powerful stroke, buried himself inside of her. She closed her eyes and sighed her appreciation. He was so hard and so deep...and it felt so good.

Then he began to move, thrusting deep, deeper, and sending fresh waves of pleasure straight to her core. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, anchoring herself to him as wave after wave of sensation washed over her. She tried to hold on, but it was too much. So she gave herself over to the storm and let it carry her away, and finally Ryder let himself sink into the abyss with her.

* * *

It was a long time later before her breathing evened out. Minutes? Hours? Days? She didn't know; she didn't care. She felt too completely sated to worry about anything.

Several more minutes passed after that before Ryder eased himself off her and brushed her hair away from her face. “You were...wow.”

She shook her head. “The wow was all your doing.”

“Or maybe the wow was the two of us together,” he suggested, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her against his body.

She smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder and her palm on his chest, beneath which she could feel the still-rapid beating of his heart. “I'm convinced,” she told him. “This was definitely the bestest Halloween ever.”

“For me, too.”

He continued just to hold her for a long time, his hand stroking leisurely down her back. She felt comfortable and contented and was starting to drift off to sleep when reality jolted her awake again.

She lifted her head to look at him. “You can't stay.”

“I know,” he admitted.

“I wish you could, but—”

“You don't have to explain,” he told her. “I understand.”

He eased himself into a sitting position, then brought her mouth to his and kissed her, long and slow and deep.

When he finally pulled away and reached for his shirt, she glanced at the clock. “You know, it really isn't that late,” she decided.

He paused, one arm in a sleeve. “There are still a lot of hours before sunrise,” he agreed.

“So you can stay a little longer, if you want.”

The shirt dropped back to the floor.

“I want,” he said, and proceeded to show her how much.

* * *

When Lauryn arrived home the next day and saw Ryder's truck still in her driveway, her heart did a happy dance inside her chest. While the rational part of her brain warned that she was venturing into dangerous territory, she didn't care. All that mattered was that he was there.

And when she finally got the kids into the house and he smiled at her, the intensity of his gaze made her suspect that he'd been thinking about her as much as she'd been thinking about him throughout the day.

“I missed you,” he told her.

The simple sincerity of the words filled her heart, but she kept her own tone casual and light when she said, “I would have hoped you'd be too busy finishing my kitchen to miss me.”

“We finished at two,” he told her. “The unveiling is tomorrow morning, if you can be here.”

She would have to call Adam to open the store for her, but she didn't want to wait a minute longer than necessary to see her new kitchen. “I
will
be here,” she promised.

“Good.”

“What's in the microwave?” she asked, when she heard the appliance ding.

“Pasta sauce.”

“You're making dinner again?”

“Last night I grilled,” he said, as if that didn't count. “And this is just spaghetti.”

But it wasn't “just” anything to Lauryn. Finding a handsome man in her ad hoc kitchen, making dinner for her family, was a big deal to her. And it made her question again the wisdom of what she was doing.

Could she really have a physical relationship with him—and the greatest sex she'd ever imagined—and not expect it to develop into something more? After one night, it was already more. Because even more than she enjoyed being with him, she loved how comfortable and natural he was with Kylie and Zachary. Not surprisingly, her children were both becoming more attached to Ryder every day, and maybe that should have been the biggest warning sign—her signal to back off. But she knew it was already too late for that, and she was already more than halfway in love with him.