Page 6

CHAPTER SIX

R yker’s chest heaved as he stalked across the room, running both hands through his brown hair like he couldn’t stand being in his own skin. The air felt thick—charged—and not in the way it usually did when we were alone.

This was different.

Harsher.

Colder.

Like a wall had been constructed between us.

I swallowed hard. “If you’re angry with me, I get it. I’m disgusted with myself for falling for all that so hard.”

He froze mid-step and slowly turned to face me, jaw locked tight. “You think I’m angry at you ?”

I hugged my arms across my chest. “You’ve barely looked at me since we left Reid’s. You let go of my hand the second the door shut. You’re breathing like you’re going to explode. So yeah… I think you might be regretting all of this, and I’m sorry. That’s all I can say.”

His eyes widened, then narrowed as disbelief crashed over his face. “Regretting you ?”

I stared at the floor, not wanting to see his shock wear off and true disgust slide into place. I wasn’t strong enough to handle it, not with my entire world being ripped apart and making me question everything I’d ever known.

He moved so fast I didn’t even register it until his hands cupped my face, his thumbs brushing my cheeks. The gold blazed in his eyes as they burned into mine. “Ember. I’m furious. But not at you.”

My breath hitched as so many emotions poured into me. “You should be, at me. I was weak and let myself get manipulated by magic. I doubted you.”

He shook his head. “Lil rebel, I’ve been under a spell for almost two months now. I know exactly what that does and how it twists you up and makes you question your own instincts. I’m mad because you were forced into this nightmare, and you had to walk through hell, thinking your heart betrayed you. That I would betray you too.”

My knees went weak.

“Your feelings were manipulated,” he growled, voice raw. “You should’ve been able to trust them without second-guessing every emotion. But she stole that from you.”

I tried to blink away the tears that blurred my vision, but one slipped free.

He caught it with his thumb, his touch sparking something primal in me.

But he wasn’t done. “And then she let you stand there—on that damn cliff—humiliated, broken. Alone.”

I grabbed the hem of his shirt, fisting it in my hands. “I wasn’t alone. Not really. You were always there, Ryker. Even when I didn’t know what we were. You kept showing up.”

His hands slid down to my waist, gripping tight like he was afraid I’d disappear. “Because I felt it,” he rasped. “Even when it didn’t make sense. I felt you in my bones. I’ve tried so hard to protect you, despite you running straight into danger, but I couldn’t protect you from that.” His voice cracked on the last word.

I leaned into him. “Well, now we know what happened, and what’s brewing between us makes sense,” I whispered.

That must have released something in him, because his mouth crashed down on mine, not gentle or soft but desperate. Consuming.

I didn’t hesitate, and our tongues collided. I clawed at his back, dragging him closer. The kiss deepened, full of everything we hadn’t said, everything we’d feared.

When he pulled back, he searched my face. “I’m so damn tired of fighting this. I want this. I want you . But I need to be sure it’s what you want too, and I know I promised you time.”

"I don't need more time." My voice came out stronger than I expected, surprising even me. "I've wasted enough time doubting and trying to ignore what I already knew in my soul."

I stepped closer to him, pressing my palm against his chest where his heart thundered beneath my touch.

"Ryker." His name felt sacred on my lips. "I'm done waiting."

His eyes darkened, the gold flecks swirling and expanding until they nearly consumed the brown.

A growl rumbled deep in his chest, vibrating against my palm. "Are you sure?"

The question hung between us, heavy with meaning.

"More sure than I've ever been," I whispered, the words barely audible yet somehow filling the entire room. "It's always been you."

My wolf surged forward with such force I nearly staggered. She'd been waiting for this moment—recognition, completion, bonding with our fated mate.

Ryker's pupils dilated, and his nostrils flared as he caught the change in my scent. His hands tightened on my waist, fingers digging into my skin as if anchoring himself.

Our lips collided, and this time, it felt different… maybe because we knew there would be no stopping what we’d started.

My hand fisted his shirt, but he pulled back slightly. He rasped, “We’ve both been injured. We should take a shower to get the grime off us.”

I pouted as he released me and headed to the door. My wolf whimpered. When I’d told Ryker I was certain, I hadn’t expected him to leave my side until we’d completed our bond.

He jiggled the door handle, making sure the lock held, and turned back to me. A crooked smirk filled his face, and his brows lifted, causing the scar through his left eyebrow to become even more pronounced.

The one imperfection made him look deadly, dangerous, and delicious.

He came straight to me and hoisted me against him, and I wrapped my legs and arms around him willingly. His mouth covered mine once again, and we headed toward the bathroom.

Time seemed to stop as our mouths danced together and electricity jolted through my body. Need knotted in my core, making me wish he was already sunk deep inside me.

In the bathroom, he turned on the lights and set me on my feet. The bathroom's stark white tiles gleamed under flickering fluorescent lights.

He pulled away from me again and turned on the shower, and I leaned against the beige granite countertop and groaned, not wanting him to leave my side. With the water warming, he came back to me and skimmed his fingers along my sides until he gripped the hem of my shirt. He slowly lifted it over my head, and then carefully removed my clothes, piece by piece, until I stood bare before him. The vulnerability should have terrified me, but in his eyes, I saw nothing but reverence.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, his fingers tracing the outline of a bruise on my ribs. His touch was feather-light, contrasting with the dangerous power I knew those hands possessed. The same hands that had torn through our enemies now trembled slightly as they mapped the landscape of my body.

Steam billowed around us, fogging the mirror and creating a dreamlike haze. I reached for him, tugging at his shirt and lifting it upward with eager hands.

Inch by inch, his tanned skin was revealed. For the first time, I truly got to take in his hard frame and notice every place scarred from countless battles. I couldn't help but stare at the magnificent expanse of his chest. My every cell seemed to spark to life, and I wanted to freeze this moment.

I traced a particularly jagged mark on one side of his ribs. The very scar that was the result of him jumping in front of my sister to protect her for me.

Heart clenching hard, I wanted to scream. I should’ve known after he’d nearly died for me that there was no reason to hold back from him any longer. I had been so foolish and misled, and I planned on making that up to him every day for the rest of my life.

"See something you like?" he teased.

"I guess it’s all right," I whispered, trailing my fingers down the ridges of his abdomen.

“Just all right?” he murmured and kissed me before I could answer.

I traced the curves of his hard abs and lower, his muscles tensing as I slid my fingers into the waistband of his sweatpants.

Ryker's breathing quickened as I lowered it over his taut ass.

When his pants hit the floor, I pulled away from the kiss, wanting to see him completely bare. As I took in the handsome man before me, I grew dizzy.

He was more perfect than fresh brownies. And when my attention focused on his arousal, my wolf howled in approval.

I couldn't help but stare, heat flooding my cheeks even as my core tightened with want.

He stepped forward, closing the distance between us, and I traced every ridge and plane of muscle until my fingers wrapped around his dick.

Ryker hissed as his mouth found mine again and he moaned, “You’re going to be the death of me.”

My thumb circled his tip, and he bucked into my hand. Steam swirled around us, the shower almost forgotten as my fingers explored his length, learning what made his breath catch and his muscles tense.

"Shower," he managed to growl between kisses, his self-control slipping. "Before the hot water runs out. I want to take care of you, please."

With reluctance, I released him, and he guided me backward into the shower until the warm water cascaded over us both. His hair darkened under the spray, and water droplets clung to his eyelashes as he watched me with an intensity that made my knees weak.

"Turn around and step back," he commanded with a voice full of desire.

I obeyed, feeling his solid presence behind me. His hands slid up my sides, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

The shampoo bottle clicked open, and I heard the soft sound of the liquid being squeezed into his palm. His fingers tangled in my hair, massaging my scalp with firm, circular motions that sent tingles down my spine.

"Close your eyes," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear.

They closed of their own accord, and I surrendered to his touch. He leaned me into the water and shielded my face with one hand while the other guided the suds away. There was something achingly intimate about it.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this." His lips brushed my ear as he reached for the conditioner. His fingers worked through my hair, massaging my scalp until I couldn't help the soft moan that escaped me.

I leaned back against him, feeling his hardness press against my lower back. Fire flared through my body.

He took his time rinsing the conditioner from my hair. When he finished, his hands slid down to my shoulders and began to knead tension from muscles I hadn't realized were so tight.

His hands slid around my waist...and turned me to face him.

Steam swirled around us as he reached for the body wash, squeezing a generous amount onto a soft washcloth. The clean vanilla scent filled my nose as he began to wash me, starting with my shoulders and working his way down. The rough texture of the cloth contrasted with the occasional brush of his fingers against my skin, each touch igniting sparks that traveled straight to my core.

He moved me forward, and the washcloth glided over my shoulder blades and down my spine, lingering at the small of my back before continuing lower. His free hand followed in its wake, tracing patterns on my clean skin that made me shiver despite the warm water.

When he finished, he dropped the cloth and replaced it with his lips on my neck, causing me to gasp. His mouth was hot against my wet skin, his teeth grazing my pulse point before soothing the spot with his tongue. I pressed my neck to his teeth, desperate for him to claim me.

"Not yet," he breathed as his hands slid around to cup my breasts. "I've dreamed about this," he murmured against my skin, his thumbs brushing over my nipples until they hardened beneath his touch. "About you. About us."

I let out a shaky breath. “Me too.”

His hands wandered lower, tracing the curve of my waist. One of his hands splayed across my stomach, holding me against him while the other dipped between my thighs. When his fingers found my center, my body shuddered, already slick and ready for him.

"So wet for me," he rumbled.

I reached back, threading my fingers through his wet hair as his touch became more deliberate. One finger circled my entrance before sliding inside, making my knees buckle. His other arm tightened around me, supporting my weight as a second finger joined the first, stretching me in the most delicious way.

Desire increased, demanding more than just his fingers. "I need you," I whimpered, my head falling back against his shoulder as his thumb found my spot and circled with just enough pressure to make stars dance behind my eyelids.

His teeth grazed my earlobe before sucking it. "You'll have me. All of me. But first..."

His fingers curled inside me, finding that spot that made my entire body tremble. The dual sensation of his fingers thrusting while his thumb worked had me climbing toward release faster than I'd thought possible.

"Ryker, I'm—" My words dissolved into a moan as he increased his pace.

"Let go for me. You’re safe with me." He turned me around and lowered his mouth to my breast and said, "I want to feel you come apart in my hands." Then he sucked on my nipple, pushing me over the edge.

My back arched as pleasure crashed through me in waves. His name tore from my throat as my entire body shook with the force of my release. He held me tight against him and began kissing my shoulder as I shuddered through the aftershocks.

"Beautiful," he murmured, slowly withdrawing his fingers as I came down from my high. "So fucking beautiful."

Legs unsteady, I pressed my forehead to his chest. The water cascaded over us both, washing away the evidence of my pleasure. When I'd caught my breath, I looked up at him, taking in the hunger in his eyes, the tension in his jaw as he held himself back.

"Your turn," I whispered, reaching for the soap.

He raised an eyebrow, that dangerous smile lifting one corner of his mouth as I swirled the soap between my palms until they were covered in lather.

I placed my hands on his chest and took my time, tracing his muscles. My soapy hands glided over his broad shoulders, down his powerful arms, feeling the strength beneath my fingertips. His eyes never left mine, darkening as my touch became less about cleaning and more about exploring.

"You're enjoying this." His voice strained as my hands worked lower, tracing the defined lines of his abs.

"Immensely." His muscles tensed as my fingers dipped just below his navel.

My hands slid lower and wrapped around his dick again. His sharp intake of breath sent a thrill through me, a surge of power at knowing I could affect him this way. I stroked him slowly, taking in his changing expression.

I tightened my grip slightly and quickened my pace. His breath came in shorter bursts, and the water poured over us, smoothing my movements as I worked him.

His response was a strangled sound, somewhere between a groan and my name. Emboldened, I experimented with pressure and pace, cataloging every twitch, every hitch in his breath.

"Fuck, Ember," he managed, his voice rougher than I'd ever heard it. One of his hands braced against the shower wall while the other tangled in my wet hair.

I marveled at the contrast between us—his large frame towering over me, muscles coiled tight with restraint, while I explored him with deliberate movements. Steam wrapped around us like a cocoon, creating our own private world where nothing existed beyond this moment, this connection.

His hips rocked against my hand. I could feel him growing even harder. The way his jaw clenched and the tendons in his neck stood out in stark relief told me how close he was getting to the edge.

"You feel incredible," I whispered, mesmerized by his reaction to my touch. "I could do this all day." My free hand traced patterns on his chest, and I raked my teeth against his neck.

His body tightened and he jerked away, causing me to damn near stumble.

Had I done something wrong?