Three and Out

  “You’re kind of a pig,” Piper commented, as she looked around the room, noticing an untouched box of condoms on the night stand. She nodded toward it and said, “Not getting very lucky lately?”

  Mason’s jaw ticked with anger as he took her in. Why she liked it when he got mad was beyond her. Maybe it was the hot sex they usually had when he was angry, or the fact that his face turned to stone and showed off his sharp features and deep brown eyes.

  Instead of backing off, she continued making jabs; she couldn’t stop herself, especially when he was so easy to get riled up. “You know, when you get angry, there’s this little vein that pokes out on your neck,” Piper motioned to her neck as she said, “Right about here. It’s fun to watch…”

  She didn’t get to finish her barbing because Mason pushed her back on the bed and was on her so fast she didn’t think she could breathe. His strong body overlapped hers and his hands straddled her head. His delicious face was mere inches from her and his chest heaved from anger and passion mixed together. His dark eyes seemed even darker as he took her in. This was the Mason she knew, the rough one who took what he wanted when he wanted it, and even though she should stand up and push him away, there was no way her body was going to allow it, because she felt comforted; she felt at peace in Mason’s arms.

  Mason searched her eyes as he licked his lips, making her core melt in one fell swoop. Her breathing hitched as she anticipated his next move. She would be lying if she said she didn’t want him to kiss her, to feel her, to be inside of her. She wanted it more than anything. She itched for his touch, for his caress.

  “Now that I’ve got your attention, are you going to shut that snarky mouth of yours and listen to me?” She nodded her head, unable to speak from the sexy tone that laced his voice. “Good. Now listen carefully, because I’m only going to say this once. You running away from me and walking out on me is not a right you have anymore. You got that? You lost that right the minute you chose Jax over me and crushed my heart. If you are in this, then you are in this for the long run. No more running, Piper; your running days are over.”

  Piper gulped as she listened to the controlling voice that Mason very easily laid upon her. Normally, she would push against him and not take his crap, because she never liked anyone dominating her, but with Mason, it was different. The way he talked to her and used his controlled voice, she could feel the comfort he was trying to convey.

  He shifted slightly so his weight was balanced a little more on her, making her realize that he should be sitting, not trying to capture her.

  “Mason, you should lay down…”

  “I’m fine,” he said in a stern voice, making her step down. She realized that he needed this; he needed to be in control, so even though she thought he might hurt his leg again, she let him do what he wanted to do. “What happened between us a couple of months ago was shitty, and I get that we have to talk about it, but not now, not here. We’ll do it when we’re ready and in our own space. Got it?”

  Piper nodded her head as she searched his eyes. They were fierce and serious. At that moment, she knew, this was it for her. Mason was not going to let her go, and hell if she wanted to run anymore, not with this luscious and passionate man draping himself over her.

  Mason leaned down even closer, just a breath away from taking her lips. He looked her in the eyes, licked his lips, and breathed heavily as he lightly brushed his lips against hers. Everything in her body froze from the contact, the very light contact, but a contact she never thought she would receive from Mason again. His scruff tickled her chin, and just when she was about to settle in for a kissing marathon, he pulled away, leaving her wanting and yearning for his touch.

  “Don’t look so upset. There’ll be time for that, but right now, we have some friends to enjoy before we go off to Denver.”

  Mason stood up, placed his crutches under his arms and crutched toward the door. He nodded his head for her to follow him and said, “Let’s go, devil woman.”

  Piper stood up, adjusted her clothing, and steadied her racing heart. Looking at Mason, she took in his delectable body and the way his arms flexed from using the crutches. He was everything a girl dreamed of, and he was willing to give her a second chance. He was right; her running days were over…it was time to be an adult.

  Walking over to him, she placed her hand gently on his cheek, feeling the rough scruff of his face under her palm, and said, “No more running, Mace.”

  “No more running,” he repeated.

  **Hannah**

  Hannah couldn’t steady the nerves that were coursing through her body. Ryker was on his way to her place to make dinner with her, but little did he know, she had plans for after. She was ready to finally give herself over to Ryker, but she was unsure if he was ready. He could easily turn her down, since they were still kind of trying to figure each other out. If he turned her down, she knew she would be crushed, absolutely devastated, but she would move on.

  There was a knock at her door and she knew Ryker was here. She took a deep breath, adjusted her sundress and opened the door. Ryker was standing on the other side of the door wearing a pair of navy blue pants, a checkered orange shirt, and his classic boat shoes. In his hands was an audacious display of flowers and a bottle of wine. He smiled brightly at her, which made her heart melt as she leaned against the door.

  “Hey, boo,” Ryker said, as he walked into her apartment. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips, nothing sexy, but very romantic. He handed her the flowers, and said, “These are for you. I hope you like them. I’m not sure what your favorite flower is.”

  “They’re beautiful,” Hannah said, while grabbing them and sniffing the daisies that were in her hands. “I love daisies; they’re so simple and pretty.”

  Puffing his chest out a little at picking a good flower, Ryker said, “Well, I’m glad I did a good job. Now, what are we making tonight? I brought some wine.”

  “Thanks. We’re going to just make something simple tonight, is that alright?”

  Ryker wrapped his arms around Hannah and pulled her into his chest. “Listen, as long as I’m with you, I don’t care what we do.”

  “Aren’t you sweet? Who knew Ryker Lewis could be romantic?”

  Shrugging his shoulders as if it were nothing, he said, “Nothing to it, Boo, where you’re concerned.”

  Hannah placed a chaste kiss on his lips and led him to the kitchen. While she placed the flowers in a vase, Ryker poured them each a glass of wine. They worked well together in the kitchen, making homemade gnocchi, which wasn’t too difficult, and then heating up some store bought spaghetti sauce. Ryker had fun putting flour on Hannah’s nose whenever he got the chance, and she would always squeal at him, making him laugh.

  As they worked together to make their meal, Hannah thought about how idiotic she was for waiting so long to be with this man. He cared deeply about her, and it was obvious in the way he needed to be at her side, constantly touching her, and the way his eyes shone whenever he looked down at her. He made her feel special. With Todd, she never felt special like she did with Ryker; she always felt mediocre with Todd, second best. With Ryker, she knew she was number one in his life.

  Once the food was ready, they sat down together, held hands, and ate their meals. It might have been cheesy, they might have even looked like goofballs, holding hands and eating their dinner together, but it was endearing to Hannah. She loved the fact that Ryker was secure with his manhood and had no problem showing affection toward her. Affection was something she’d been missing out on for a while.

  Ryker leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach as he looked over his empty plate. “Damn, girl, we know how to make a good meal.”

  “We sure do,” Hannah said, while smiling, because looking back at their food preparation, Ryker mainly held her and goofed around with the flour; there wasn’t much making on his part, but she wouldn’t tell him that. He apparently had some pride for the meal he “helped” make.

  ?
??Is there dessert?” Ryker topped off his wine glass and took a big swig. The man was a never-ending pit of food consumption. Hannah was shocked at the amount of food Ryker was able to consume in one sitting.

  There was dessert, but not the kind Ryker was probably thinking about. The nerves that started racking her body at the beginning of the evening came back in full force as she started clearing their plates. She didn’t know if she could be the girl that Ryker needed in the bedroom. He was the type of guy who needed someone adventurous, who would try anything he wanted, but she was a vanilla kind of girl. She didn’t explore that much in the bedroom, and it wasn’t necessarily because she didn’t want to, but more because she was shy as hell. She liked the lights off and she liked the basic positions, because that was what she knew, but just looking at Ryker, she knew that wouldn’t do; he would need more. That was why her hands were shaking as she rinsed the dishes so she could put them in the dishwasher.

  In her head, she was going over her plan of attack as Ryker slipped in behind her and wrapped his strong arms around her waist.

  “Hey, boo, what’s got you crinkling that pretty forehead of yours?” Ryker asked, as he kissed along her neck.

  The sensation of his lips trailing along her skin had her temporarily forgetting the nerves that were coursing through her body. Her head fell to the side as he continued to kiss her neck very, very slowly. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought Ryker was planning on the same thing she was.

  Pulling away gently, Ryker whispered in her ear, “Did you make me pie? You know how much I like pie.”

  Smiling, Hannah turned in his embrace and placed her hands on his chest. She took a deep breath and said, “I didn’t make you pie.” Ryker pouted. “I have something else planned.” She grabbed his hand and led him to the back of her apartment, to her bedroom. Ryker stopped in her doorway and pulled away, setting Hannah on fire from the distance he put between them.

  “What are you doing, Hannah?”

  Taking one last deep breath, Hannah grabbed the hem of her dress, pulled it over her head, and tossed it to the ground, exposing the white lace lingerie she had on underneath. She watched as Ryker slowly took her in with hooded eyes. His chest heaved and his fists clenched at his sides. She couldn’t tell if he was mad or intrigued.

  “Hannah…”

  “Take me, Ryker,” she said, as she stood with all the bravado she could muster.

  Ryker didn’t say anything; he just stood there, and at that moment, she knew he was going to say no. If he wanted her, he would have been on her already. Her cheeks blushed from being turned down, and her stomach rolled from embarrassment. She scrambled to the floor and picked up her dress as she tried to put it back on. She shut the door on Ryker and ran to her bathroom as tears started to streak down her face. She was completely mortified. She knew Ryker turning her down was a risk she had to take, but she didn’t think it would actually happen. Now what was she supposed to do?

  **Ryker**

  Stunned would be one word to describe the way Ryker was feeling, but completely flipped on his ass surprised could be another. Never did Ryker think Hannah would be the one to make the first move toward the bedroom in their relationship. That theory was destroyed the minute she led him to her bedroom and took off her dress. Ryker couldn’t move; he was frozen in place. He couldn’t believe the woman standing before him; the woman he’d claimed to marry one day was taking him by the balls and giving him everything he ever wanted. She was giving herself over to him, and it struck him to the core.

  He didn’t realize he was being silent and unresponsive until she started scrambling around for her dress and shut the door on him. The slam of her bathroom door woke him from the racing thoughts in his head and propelled his body forward. Not even bothering to knock, he walked into Hannah’s bathroom to find her sitting on the edge of the tub, crying into her hands.

  Ryker knelt down before her and pulled her head away from her hands. “Hey, why the tears?” he asked, as he wiped them away with his thumbs.

  “I don’t want you to see me like this. Just give me a second, okay?”

  Ryker let out a little laugh, which caused her head to snap up with anger. “I’m sorry,” he said, as he laughed, “but there is no way in hell I’m going to leave you in your bathroom crying. Are you crazy? Come here.” Ryker sat on the ground and pulled her onto his lap. “Now, tell me why you ran away from me when you were looking magnificent?”

  “You didn’t do anything,” she said shyly, as she buried her head into his shoulder.

  Chuckling, Ryker said, “Hannah, you didn’t even give me a chance. Frankly, you shocked the hell out of me; I wasn’t expecting you to take your dress off.”

  “Oh, God. I’m so embarrassed.” She kept her head tucked, so he couldn’t see those beautiful ice blue eyes of hers.

  “Look at me,” he pulled her head out of his shoulder and made her eyes meet his. “You should not be embarrassed at all. That was so fucking hot. I was just taken by surprise. You have to give a guy time to react. I was just starting to take in your gorgeous body when you ran away.”

  “I thought you were going to turn me down,” she admitted.

  “Why the hell would I do that?”

  “Because I’m so vanilla…”

  “Whoa, stop right there,” Ryker said, as he started to get angry. “Whoever told you that you were vanilla?”

  “No one, but it’s kind of obvious. I’m not like all the girls you used to date. I’m not a supermodel, I don’t dress like one, and I sure as hell don’t act like one.”

  “And that’s what I like about you, Hannah, you’re you. I don’t want a supermodel; I want the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever set eyes on, and that’s you. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, why can’t you see that?”

  She shrugged her shoulder and then lightly kissed his jaw. “Maybe because I wasn’t good enough for someone else.”

  “Well, that someone else was a total fuckstick. Don’t let him affect you, you’re everything, Hannah.”

  Ryker placed his finger under her chin and lifted her mouth to his. He started out lightly kissing her lips, letting her know how much he cared about her, but the moment she opened her mouth and allowed him to deepen their kiss, he started to slowly lose control. He groaned in the back of his throat when she straddled his body and slowly started to rotate her hips. Was this the same girl he’d grown to know? Was this his Hannah? She was anything but vanilla.

  Pulling away, Ryker said, “I don’t want to do this here.” Bathroom sex was only good in the shower, or bent over the vanity, but with Hannah, he didn’t want their first time to be quick and easy. He wanted to explore every last inch of her body.

  He pulled her up and worked her back into her bedroom, walking behind her with his hands wrapped around her waist, making use of her exposed neck. Once they reached her bed, Ryker kept her facing away from him and grabbed the hem of her dress. He pulled it over her head and dropped it to the ground. His hands went instantly to her shoulders, where he stroked his fingers from her shoulders, down the sides of her body until they were at her waist, just above the waistband of her thong.

  Thong.

  Ryker felt his dick grow three sizes the minute he saw Hannah’s sweet ass perfectly displayed by her innocent white lace thong. Her color choice didn’t escape him as he took in the little bubble butt that she had. Ryker bit down on his bottom lip as his hands trailed down and cupped her ass.

  “Fuck, your ass is perfect.”

  “I’m going to allow the swearing for now,” Hannah joked, as she leaned into his grasp.

  Ryker ran his hands up her back to the clasp of her bra. Not thinking twice, he unhooked it and gently removed the straps off her shoulders, letting the bra fall to the ground. Her skin was so smooth, so porcelain like, it was hard to not run his hands up and down her body.

  He pulled her body against his, knowing she sure as hell was going to feel how excited he was, but he didn’t care.
He ran his hands to the front of her waist, right to her hip bones. His thumbs stroked her skin, making her breathe heavily, eliciting a slight purr from her. She was so responsive.

  Knowing he was about to go into new territory, he took a deep breath and prepared himself. He ran his hands up her stomach to just below her breasts. Her breathing hitched as she waited for his hands to encase her breasts. Just before he took her into his hands, he leaned over her shoulder and got the perfect view of her pert breasts and little pink nipples.

  “Fuck…” Ryker said, as he took her breasts in his hands. “Damn, boo. Your tits are amazing.”

  Hannah’s hands ran up her body and found their way around Ryker’s neck, pulling him closer. Her hair went to one side of her body as she titled her neck to the side. Getting the clue, Ryker bent his head and started nibbling on her collarbone and neck as he continued to massage her breasts. They were the perfect size, and he couldn’t get over how great she felt in his arms.

  “Ryker…” she breathed out.

  “Yes?” he asked in between kisses.

  “Touch me.”

  “I am,” he said with a smile, knowing fully well what she wanted.

  “Not just there?”

  “Where else?”

  “Are you going to make me say it?”

  “Yes, I am. I need to know what you want, boo.”

  She squirmed in his grasp as he bit down gently on her ear.

  “Touch me…touch my…pussy.”

  Smiling, Ryker removed one hand from her breasts and lowered it ever so slowly down to right above her waistband.

  “Right here?” Ryker asked, as he stroked her skin with his thumb.

  “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Please, Ryker.”

  “Only because you used your manners,” he teased.

  He slipped his hand under her waistband and her legs spread instinctively, making Ryker bite down on his lip once again. She was going to slowly kill him, one innocent act at a time. His hand ran over her bare skin and down to the juncture between her thighs. With one slip of his finger, he was able to gauge how wet she was for him…she was primed and ready to go.