Page 23 of Headstrong Cowboy (Montana’s Rodeo Cowboys #2)

T he elevator ride to Ryder’s floor seemed to take forever, but it was only a matter of seconds before the doors slid open.

Chrissy’s body buzzed with desire, and it had been hard to keep her hands to herself on the short journey.

She knew that if she did anything like kiss him, she wouldn’t be able to stop.

The second Ryder closed the door to his suite, she pushed him against it and found his lips. His hands cupped her ass, bringing her flush against his hard body, the evidence of his desire not hard to miss.

She wrenched her mouth away from his, her fingers busy on the buttons of his shirt. “God, I want you so badly.”

Chrissy didn’t care if she sounded desperate—she was. Ever since the kiss they’d shared at the table, she’d wanted nothing more than to feel his body slide inside of hers. The chemistry had been building and building between them, leading up to this moment.

“I want you too, but—” He grabbed her hands and pressed them against his hard chest. Her fingers dipped between the gap she’d created and stroked back and forth.

“But what?” she asked when he didn’t continue.

“I don’t want our first time together to be up against the door.” He ran a hand over her head, sliding his fingers into her hair. “I want to savor you. Worship you until you can’t think about anything but you and me.”

Chrissy shivered at the mental image he was creating. “I want all of that too. Want to know what makes you sigh. What makes you shudder with pleasure.”

Never before had she been so bold as to state what she wanted to do. Somehow, being with Ryder gave her the courage to be that way instead of being a quiet participant.

Ryder laced their fingers together and placed one on each of their chests, right over their hearts. “We’re equal partners in this. What gives you pleasure will give me pleasure.”

“Yes.”

The kiss they shared this time was passionate, but not in an I-want-to-rip-your-clothes-off way. That was there, but this was a promise of what was to come. A promise they made to each other.

Ryder broke the kiss and led them through his dimly lit suite to the bed. Chrissy didn’t even really have a chance to appreciate the elegance of the room. The drapes were open, and the moon cast a silvery glow over the bedroom.

They stood at the foot of the bed, gazing into each other’s eyes. The connection between them was getting stronger and stronger with every passing second.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, his fingers playing with the hem of her dress.

“I am too. I want to be here.” Chrissy didn’t know if he needed the validation that she was with him every step of the way, but she gave it to him, anyway.

His shoulders dropped a little, and she was glad she’d said what she’d said.

Further proving her point that there was no place she’d rather be, she finished the job she’d started against the door and tackled the rest of his buttons.

She sighed as she pushed the fabric off his wide shoulders and it whispered to the ground. Chrissy leaned forward and peppered kisses over his hard chest, Ryder’s groan music to her ears.

The fact he was giving her the lead wasn’t lost on her. This man was amazing. How lucky was she that he wanted her the same way she wanted him? He was lucky too. They both were.

Thoughts were impossible after that, as Ryder found the zipper at the back of her dress. With a little shimmy, it joined his shirt on the ground. Standing in front of a man who wasn’t her former husband, should’ve been scary. It was anything but that.

“You are breathtaking.” The words rushed out of Ryder and he traced a line from where her neck and shoulder met, all the way down her arm until he reached her fingers.

He raised her hand to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers as he pressed a kiss to the top before turning it and kissing her in the middle of her palm.

There was nothing overtly sexual about the gesture—in fact, it was quite innocent—yet her legs were weak, and she would’ve collapsed to the ground if he hadn’t had ahold of her.

“Why are you with me?” he asked, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was in the room with him, regardless of what he’d said to her earlier.

“I’m with you because you make me feel things I’ve never felt before.

I feel like I can finally be who I’m supposed to be with you.

” With a gentle tug, her fingers were released, and she climbed up on the bed, moving until she rested against the mound of pillows that hotel beds always seemed to have.

Her invitation was clear, and it spurred Ryder into motion. He quickly removed his boots and when his hand went to his belt buckle, she held her breath, waiting. Waiting for the moment when he would be exposing himself to her.

For half a heartbeat, his hand remained on the strip of leather, as if he wasn’t sure what to do next, but then he was back in motion and had it undone. He didn’t bother to remove it from his pants, undoing the button and zipper before pushing the fabric down.

Her gaze snagged on the red, puckered skin on his right thigh. Without giving it a second thought, she moved and crawled to the end of the bed where Ryder still stood. Reaching out, she traced the scarred flesh, feeling the way the skin dipped in as if there was a hole in his thigh.

“It’s ugly, isn’t it?” he said.

Chrissy looked up at him. “No, it’s not. It’s a sign of resilience. Of bravery. Of survival.” She then leaned forward and kissed the evidence of his last bull ride.

Ryder’s swift intake of air spurred her on to trace it with her tongue. “Little flower,” he muttered before his hand sank into her hair and gently pulled it back. “You slay me with everything you do.”

He braced himself on either side of her, and their lips fused together. She couldn’t get enough of this man or the way his touch lit her like a match to grass that hadn’t seen rain for months, instant and fiery hot.

Somehow they made their way back up the bed, her head resting on the pillows as his lips tracked down her body.

With deft movements, he had her bra off and his hands were cupping her breasts, teasing her nipples.

Sensations flared through her like fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

She fell back against the pillows as his mouth closed over one nipple.

Heat coalesced low in her belly and she pressed her thighs together to ease the ache.

As if he could tell what havoc he was creating inside her, he trailed his fingers down her belly until reaching the lacy edge of her panties.

He hooked a finger around the band and tugged until she lifted her hips to allow him to slide them down her legs.

She lay naked in front of him and the urge to cover up wasn’t there, like she’d expected it might, considering he was the first man to see her this way since her marriage to Beau.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again... you take my breath away.” He smoothed his hands down her thighs, pushing them apart.

Chrissy’s breath caught at the first touch of his mouth on her.

Her fingers gripped the sheet as he licked and sucked her silky folds.

Thoughts were impossible. All she could do was feel and experience what Ryder had meant when he said he’d worship her.

She’d never felt more like a queen with the way he was touching her.

Sensations built from the tips of her fingers, through her bloodstream, all meeting where his mouth was against her flesh. Her legs shook, and she moaned loudly as her orgasm slammed into her. Ryder held her throughout it, soothing her until she relaxed against the bedcovers.

“Thank you,” she whispered. It sounded so silly saying those words, but he’d made her feel cherished as if she was the most important thing in the world.

“We’ve only just started,” he murmured against her inner thigh, brushing his lips against her skin, causing another shiver to ripple over her. He got up from the bed and padded into the bathroom.

“I can’t wait for what’s next.” And she couldn’t. After what Ryder had just given her, she wanted to hold him tight against her body. Feel him move inside of her. Give him more of herself than she thought she could give to another person.

She only had to wait a few seconds before Ryder returned with a box in his hand.

He opened it and pulled out a foil packet.

Chrissy watched as he removed his boxer briefs and dealt with protection.

He climbed back on the bed and lay next to her.

Chrissy reached out and ran her hand down his hard chest before encircling his erection and stroking it a couple of times.

Ryder’s eyes closed as he emitted a tortured groan. “If you keep doing that, it will be over before it’s begun.”

“We can’t have that, can we?”

His eyes flicked open, and their gazes met. “I suppose we can’t. Any ideas on what to do?”

Talking during sex wasn’t something Chrissy was used to, but she couldn’t deny she liked knowing how Ryder was feeling. “I’ve got a couple.” She straddled him, his cock resting against her entrance.

“I do like this one.”

“Me too.” Her eyes drifted shut as she slid down his length. There was a slight pinch of discomfort, because it had been so long since she’d been with a man, but it passed quickly, and they both sighed when she was fully seated against him.

“Little flower, you feel so good.”

Chrissy began to rock slowly, the movement bringing her sensitive flesh pleasure.

Ryder’s fingers dug into her hips as he raised his hips to meet hers.

Her head fell back as she increased her pace.

Her whole body was on fire and she welcomed the burn.

Her release was just out of reach, but she didn’t want to come by herself.

She wanted Ryder with her when she fell over the edge.

She leaned down and fused her lips to his and, in the next instant, Ryder had rolled them, and she was on her back and he was in control.

Chrissy gave herself over to the moment.

To this instant in time when nothing and no one existed, except the two of them.

It wasn’t long before their movements became erratic as they both reached for the pinnacle.

Chrissy clutched at his shoulders as her second release for the night hit her and, a second later, Ryder thrust in and held, his own shout mingling with hers.

He collapsed on top of her and she held him close.

It didn’t matter that he was squashing her a bit.

All that mattered was that she had him and he had her, and letting go wasn’t an option.