finding Reese.: a SAFELIGHT novel vol.2 (SAFELIGHT Series) (30 page)

“Clearly your qualm is with me, Stryder,” I state, as I wipe away my tears with the back of my hand.

“Damn straight it is. Save me your tears, Catalina. It’s too late for regrets,
sweetheart,
” he patronizes, his voice laced with disdain. “I was in fucking Australia counting the days until I could be back here with you, and I have to admit I never saw this shit coming, especially from you. I’m disappointed, Catalina. I really am.”

I step forward in an attempt to look deeper into his eyes, but all I see are hurt and anger. It takes a lot of effort not to take his words to heart. I know we say things in passion, in the heat of the moment and the majority of the time we don’t mean them, but Stryder is under an illusion I somehow caused him great hurt.

“You think I cheated on you,” I deadpan.

“I don’t think, Catalina.
I know.
”

“Then show me your proof, Stryder Martynus. Let me tell you, I have done no such thing, and I never will!”

Stryder shoves his hand into the front pocket of his jeans and retrieves his cell phone. After several angry taps, he dumps it into my hands. “Look.”

The images are very grainy. It was obviously taken at a considerable distance, and the zoom feature distorted them a bit. It’s a picture of Jackson and me dancing. It does look like he is kissing me, but that is just the angle. Jackson never kissed me on the lips, and for Stryder to even consider I’d be capable of cheating breaks my heart.

With determined steps, I walk to where Jackson is standing by the staircase. Shaking my head, I give him Stryder’s phone. “Look at this shit.”

Jackson glances at the picture and laughs so hard he almost drops the phone. In the blink of an eye Stryder tackles Jackson and violently presses his forearm against his neck, pinning him against the wall.

“No!” I scream.

“What, Catalina? Are you worried I’m going to break your lover’s face into pieces?” he growls, looking at me square in the eye. He turns his head and focuses on Jackson. “You think it’s funny to steal the love of my life from me, huh? Do you think it’s hysterical for me to be across the world and have to deal with this kind of shit? It’s bad enough I had to put up with your sister’s bullshit, but you, brother? That title no longer suits you.
You mean nothing to me! You are dead to me!
”

Jackson blinks rapidly, panicked. “Dude, no! I’d never do this to you!” He looks in my direction. “Don’t take offense, Catalina. You’re cute and all, but I don’t like you in that way. Let us explain, man,” he says to Stryder. “It’s not what you think, but you have to let go of me!”

Stryder’s breathing is heavy, and my hands cradle my belly in anxiety. “Stryder! Let him go!”

With reluctance evident in his movements, he cuts Jackson loose. Both men are breathing heavily, and I can see hurt reflected in their eyes as they stare at each other in silence. Jackson eventually breaks the stare-down, and walks towards me. Pulling his cell phone out, he taps his screen a few times. Sam Smith’s cover of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” begins to play. Stryder crosses his arms across his chest in irritation.

“Come on, Catalina. This is the only way he’ll believe us over that fucked-up picture,” Jackson urges, grabbing my hands and standing in frame.

“It’s supposed to be a surprise, Jax!” I whine, but I straighten my torso and begin to sway my hips.

“Suck it up, buttercup,” Jackson breathes. “Now stop thinking and start moving.”

As the song plays, I close my eyes and lose myself in the sultry melody, and as Jackson lifts my arms and hugs my body from behind, I open them for the briefest of seconds. Stryder’s eyes meet mine, and they instantly wet with tears. The corner of his mouth curves up in a smile. Jackson turns me around and moves to grab my leg. He stretches it and positions it over his thigh, his movements professional, and far from seductive, despite the sensual nature of the dance. We continue dancing until the song ends. Jackson immediately lets go of me, and stalks towards Stryder with determined steps.

“See, you big goof? We were dancing. That’s what those pictures are. We were dancing a rumba at Hellbenders, and if you look closer at the picture, you’ll see Gregg and Kathryn are in it too, you jackass.”

Stryder looks at us with apologetic eyes. “God, I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, motherfucker, you can start with ‘I’m sorry I was a stupid asshole who misinterpreted a picture,’ and then you can follow by extending a deep apology to the woman who has been pining for you since the moment you left and who begged me to teach her how to dance because loves you with every breath she takes. Yeah, I’d start there,” Jackson says evenly, his hands rested on his hips.

Stryder places a hand over his mouth, embarrassment evident on his beautiful face. I stand by the wall with my hands clasped over my belly waiting for him to say something. Every second is agony and the silence in the room makes the blood rush through my ears sound like a freight train.

Jackson, the most impatient of us, breaks the silence. “Well, stop standing there and talk to her.” He gently shoves Stryder in my direction, but stops and hugs him hard. “Dude, I love her like I love Kathryn . . . like I love you. I’d never do anything stupid to break your trust, let alone your heart. Now go!”

Stryder hugs Jackson, and pats his back several times, like close friends do. I love Jackson more than ever because he was able to put Stryder’s hateful words aside, to understand they were coming from a painful and misconceived place. “I’m sorry, Jax. I didn’t mean to-”

“Save it. The one you need to apologize to is standing right over there, Jup. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to put an icepack on my jaw.”

Jackson leaves the room, and Stryder walks towards me with his shoulders slumped and his eyes on the floor. He stops a few feet away, and then removes one of his hands from his pocket and combs his fingers through his hair.

“I’m sorry, Cat,” he whispers, and raises his eyes to look at me. “I- God, I-”

I close the gap between us and wrap my arms around his waist. He reciprocates, and we stand in absolute silence hugging each other. The sobs I’d been holding back come out full force. Having someone as strong and as loving as Stryder doubt my love and fidelity is heartbreaking, but then again, he was under the influence of a conniving bitch. I know in my heart this was Olivia’s handiwork; there’s no doubt in my mind about that.

“You dance beautifully, Catalina,” Stryder breathes into my hair, reaching for my cheek with one hand. “I guess I ruined your surprise. I’m sorry, baby. I totally messed up here.”

I peer up at him, and caress the scruff covering his super-tanned skin. His hazel eyes scream sincerity and regret, and his voice cracks on his last words. I hate that Olivia has put our relationship to the ultimate test, but it gives me the courage to say the words I feel in my heart.

“When I said I love you, Stryder, I meant it. I don’t cheat, because I don’t share well with others, and it is best you understand that. The moment I said I love you I vowed to love you and forsake all others. I’d never betray your kindness and trust . . .
never.
” Stryder blinks twice, processing my words, and by the third blink two fat tears roll down his cheeks.

“I’m sorry, baby. The possibility of losing you blinded me from the truth. I was consumed by rage, and I hate that I allowed a stupid picture weigh more than our love. I’m an idiot, Catalina. I know what I said was inexcusable, and if you tell me to fuck off I totally will. I deserve it, but you need to know I love you. I cannot breathe when you’re not around, and I become a pigheaded prick when our love is at stake. I love you.”

“I love you too, Stryder. I’m not going to allow Olivia to break us apart. We belong together, and I’m not going to let a fucking picture get in the way of our happiness. We both deserve it. I forgive you because I know where you’re coming from. You didn’t know what Jax and I were up to. I shouldn’t have kept it a secret, but I wanted to impress and surprise you. It’s easy to lose focus when you have a manipulative bitch preying on your weakness to get what she wants. I’m sorry, Stryder, but she’s going to get an earful from me.”

Stryder cups my face, and smiles apologetically. He lowers his lips to meet mine. At first, his kiss is delicate, unsure, but when I open my mouth and allow my tongue to slip past his lips, the embers that were simmering between us turn into a roaring fire. We kiss like we’re harboring the last oxygen on the face of the planet, and in a quick move Stryder lifts me onto his waist. I’m lost in our kiss, but I know we’re on the move because my body bounces against his, his hard erection rubbing against my core with each step. He kicks the door to our room shut, and then lays me on top of the white comforter. His body is over mine like a blanket; his lips kissing my jaw line and neck.

“God, I’ve missed my sexy Raven Girl so damn much,” he mumbles in between kisses.

The last time I saw Stryder with scruff was during the press tour, and I absolutely love the effect it has on my over-stimulated skin. My hands tangle through his unkempt hair, rejoicing at his gruff appearance. He’s incredibly sexy, looking all caveman and shit. I wholeheartedly approve.

“Mmm. Shut up, and make love to me.”

Stryder gives a strangled groan. He breaks our kiss and takes off his t-shirt tugging it from the neckline, over his head, and then kicks off his shoes. I giggle at his eagerness and watch in awe when I see his tanned muscles ripple with each of his movements. There’s no denying my body has missed his. The fluttering in my belly increases every time our eyes connect.

I unclasp the buttons of my blouse with trembling fingers. My entire body is humming with anticipation, and when Stryder stands at the foot of the bed in nothing but his distressed low rider jeans, I almost come right then and there. With a devilish grin on his face, he tucks his fingers underneath the waistband of my leggings and yanks them off in one swift move, panties included.

My hands unclasp the buttons of his jeans and tug the denim past his hips. I gulp when I see his cock thick and ready for me with a small drop of dew glistening on the tip. The urge to feel him deep inside me becomes a primal need. I wrap my legs around his waist and dig my heels into his firm ass cheeks, pulling him forward. Stryder chuckles but makes no protest. His hand touches my core, causing him to let out those raspy, sexy sounds from the back of his throat.

“You’re more than ready for me,” he whispers, licking his fingertips, which are already slick with my wetness.

His body is perfectly aligned with mine and he gazes into my eyes for approval. Not one for words, I wiggle my wetness against his cock which is more than a green light for Stryder to sink into me in one tantalizingly slow move. Inch by inch I feel him; a deep sigh of satisfaction escapes me. He reaches for my legs to tighten them around his waist, and then he lies on top of my body, his head seeking refuge in the crook of my neck. His firm hands squeeze my ass cheeks, and deep inside me I feel the twitches of his cock.

“My true North,” he breathes. “I’m finally home.”

My body buckles at his words; my need for him becoming too much. I tilt my hips, bringing him to a steady pump. With each thrust, I whimper in delight, and I reach for his overly-long locks, pulling at them gently.

“I’m so happy you’re home,” I croak.

We make love like it’s the first time. Our hands battle, unsure where to grab or what to hold on to, and we kiss feverishly, then let go to catch our breaths as we climb the mountain towards ecstasy. Having Stryder tangled over my body, falling apart in my arms is something I’ll never tire of. He is a passionate man with a huge heart, and while he’s flawed I love every single aspect of him; both good and bad.

Basking in the afterglow of our reunion, his eyes meet mine. There’s always an edge in the way he looks at me, mysterious and intense, that keeps me on my toes, but today it’s different. His eyes are soft and dewy, making him look downright vulnerable. He smiles with a tenderness that takes my breath away.

“Welcome home, Stud,” I whisper, returning his smile.

“I missed you so damn much.”

His hands reach for mine; our fingers lace with each other’s, and then he raises our joined hands to kiss them. I’m melting at his affections and enthralled by the intensity in his eyes as he does it.

“You looked
really
sexy dancing with Jackson. Of all the things I imagined you’d be capable of doing, dancing was the furthest from my mind.”

My cheeks warm, and instinctively I close my eyes, feeling shy. Stryder chuckles deeply and lays his head over the swell of my breasts, letting out a contented sigh. “You liked it?” I squeak.

“Mmm-hmm. Very,
very
much. I can’t wait to see how you dance with me . . . Who do I have to thank besides Jax? Which reminds me- I was a complete asshole to him. I need to apologize.” He looks at me with apologetic eyes. “I’m sorry, baby. I was so upset I couldn’t think straight.”

I let go of one of his hands to stroke his hair. “Kathryn and Gregg. I’ve spent the last month at their studio taking lessons with Jax as my partner,” I reply with a grin. “I think Jackson would appreciate the talk. He’s been keeping my mind occupied so I wasn’t moping all over the place. You don’t need to apologize to me, babe. It must’ve been hell thinking I was unfaithful. I will have words with Olivia . . . You can count on that.”

“But still . . . I should’ve known better, Cat. It was wrong of me to assume what I saw in the picture was real. I feel sorry for Olivia. I really do. It was obviously a desperate act from a desperate woman.”

I tap his shoulder and wiggle underneath him, trying to get up from the bed. “It is water under the bridge, babe. I’m going to wash up and head downstairs. I’m starving.”

Stryder grumbles, but he eventually rolls off. He lies on his back with his elbows propped beneath him and states, “You’ve lost weight, Catalina. Dancing does the body good.”

I look down at myself and smile. “I suppose. Dancing has
some
benefits besides impressing this sexy guy I know . . .”