Chapter 12

Insanity. That’s exactly what kept his arms wrapped around Gabby and his mouth fused to hers. It didn’t take much to deepen the kiss. Once she moaned, he took the invitation. His fangs grazed her flesh, nicking the soft pad of her tongue. He tasted the smallest amount of her blood … mind-blowing. Ryder didn’t think he had ever savored anything so exquisite, like the finest ambrosia. It was nothing short of sheer willpower that kept him from moving to her neck and sinking his fangs gum-deep.

Christ, if he thought Gabby was pissed at him before, she’d not only be livid with him but furious at herself for allowing things to go this far once passion no longer factored in. Ryder needed to be the bigger person. Hell, he was the bigger person, by weight and the strength of many men. And yet, this little slip of a woman made him weaker than any woman had in his past. One taste of her blood and he no longer had the power to step away. The vampire in him growled, roared to life, and damn if it didn’t want to be gratified.

If they were going to go no further, then she’d have to be the one to put a stop to it. Ryder backed her against the wall. Using his hand, he gathered her flowing skirt, bunched it to her hip, and slipped his fingers beneath her thong. Fuck, she was smooth as silk. His fingers slid between her folds, finding proof she had wanted him.

Gabby broke the kiss. Ryder waited for her to tell him to get the hell out, rail at him for taking such liberties. Instead, she tilted her head to the ceiling, baring her neck and moaned.

Fuck!

His fangs ached with demand. He could always partake, then mesmerize her into forgetting, except Ryder had fed two nights prior. Drinking from her wouldn’t be about sustenance. It would be for pure pleasure. He’d not violate her trust by taking something she didn’t freely offer. She may not recognize his vampire traits now that she was hypnotized to disregard them, but Gabby was well aware of what they were doing and had the will to say no at any time. He wasn’t about to cross that line and obtain from her what he’d later have to scrub from her memory.

He dipped his head, his nose scenting the very blood he had tasted running through her veins. After licking a path from the hollow of her throat to the soft flesh of her ear, he nicked the small lobe, savoring her essence again as he drew it between his lips and suckled. Damn, but he could easily become addicted to the delicacy.

Pure torture.

Another moan escaped her lips. He slid a forefinger into her, slowly gliding along her inner velvety flesh. Her thighs quivered against his hand. His breath hitched; his balls ached. The phrase “Minute Man” came to mind as he feared having no more discipline than a schoolboy with his first peek at a great set of tits. And damn if she didn’t have a beautiful set.

For what he had in physical strength, his self-control could use a little work. Ryder’s need for a release increased, making his options limited to fucking her and suffering the consequences or using his own damn hand. Either would get the job done, but the former held more appeal. Stopping? Yeah, that was no longer an option.

Using his thumb, he traced the tight bundle of nerves between her legs, added just enough pressure to her clit to make her breath catch. Gabby arched her hips, pressing against his palm.

“Oh … Ryder … I—”

Withdrawing his fingers, he said, “Not yet, Gabby. When I make you come, I want you wrapped around my cock. Before we go further, though, I need to know you’re okay with this.”

The scent of her desire wasn’t enough. Her vocal confirmation was a necessity. And although he wanted her to affirm she wanted this, Ryder needed her to tell him to get the hell out for the good of his mission. Kaleb was going to have his head and rightfully so. If Raúl left the house before any of the Sons arrived, losing the kingpin’s whereabouts would be on Ryder. His number one priority was the mission, not getting under Gabby’s skirt. He’d be damned, though, if he could do what was right in his present state of hard-as-fuck.

Her tongue wet her lips.

“What’s it going to be, ángel?” And she was. She was his angel.

Gabby placed a palm against his whiskered cheek. “I should throw you out on your ass, you know.”

He wasn’t about to argue. He chuckled. “You should.”

“But it’s been so damn long.”

“How long?”

“A couple of years.”

Ryder blew out a stream of air. “Then you deserve better than me.”

“You joined up with my uncle’s men?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re correct. I do deserve better, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting you.”

Gabby gathered his T-shirt in her hands, pushing it over his abs and up his chest. Ryder gripped it between his shoulder blades and pulled it over his head, tossing it to the chair.

“What will it be, ángel? Yes or no?”

Her smile warmed his soul. He could easily lose himself. “I thought I made myself clear.”

Gabby’s gaze went to the scar on his left pec, following it up to his shoulder. She raised her hand, trailing her fingers over the disfigured flesh, heating a path in their wake.

Ryder placed a hand over hers, stopping her exploration. “It’s ugly.”

She lifted her brown eyes. “On the contrary. I find the scar hermoso.”

“Now you humor me. There is nothing beautiful in disfigurement.”

“Then you have no idea what it represents.”

Ryder shook off her touch, wondering why the hell they were talking at all. “What is that, ángel?”

“Amor. That you loved someone so deeply you were willing to die to save her.”

He had loved her, more than life itself. Not to mention his baby she carried, who had died with her. “It was a long time ago.”

Gabby placed a kiss on his left pec. Ryder hissed. The simple act added gasoline to the fire that already burned, touching his cold, dead heart. He had no business inserting feelings into an already dire situation. They’d both walk away from this emotionally scarred, worse than the physical one marring his shoulder. Instead, he ignored the latter, drowning it out in the desire pulsing through him.

“What’s your answer, ángel?”

“Please.”

Not exactly a “yes,” but an affirmation just the same. Ryder backed her against the wall again. He didn’t need to be told twice. His cock strained painfully against the zipper of his jeans. Fuck, he needed to be inside her. He wouldn’t last long.

Ryder fumbled with her flowy skirt, bunching it at her waist, then ripped her thong from her as if it were no more than a mere thread. Before she could reach for the button on his jeans, Ryder crouched, placing a palm on one cheek of her ass and drew her forward. He used his free hand to spread her thighs, baring her to him.

He leaned in, softly blowing on the folds before slipping two fingers inside. Using the pad of his tongue, he licked a path from her center forward before circling the tiny clit. Damn, but nothing had ever tasted so sweet. He could go on forever, not seeking anything in return. All that he cared about was giving her pleasure, a pleasure she was no doubt missing from her life.

A couple of years.

Lord, who the hell could go so long without being physically touched? Without life’s simple pleasures? Gabby was about to end her dry spell and he was only too happy to be the one to lay it to rest.

Her hips arched off the wall; her legs trembled. Her breath shook from her chest and her sheath tightened around his fingers. She was close to reaching her release, but he’d be damned if he’d allow it just yet. Ryder not only wanted to draw out her pleasure, but he wanted to feel her from the inside while her body contracted around him. Only then would he allow his own release.

Ryder stood, earning him a few curse words from her lips, causing him to chuckle again. “We’re far from done, ángel.”

He flipped open the button on his jeans and gently slid down the taut zipper. Gabby hastily pushed the denim over his hips. His cock sprung free, with him having gone commando. Ryder hissed as she fisted his erection. If she did much more the already strained leash he had on his control would snap like a fucking twig.

“Condom?” she whispered.

Not that he needed them as a vampire. He couldn’t get a human pregnant, nor get a disease. Ryder had used them in the past to put his non-donor partners at ease. Donors already knew the score.

“I’m sorry. I’m at a fucking loss. I didn’t come here with the intention of fucking you.”

Gabby drew her lower lip between her teeth. “I’ve been on the pill for a few years even though I haven’t slept with anyone.”

“I’m clean, Gabby. I never go without condoms.”

He was just about to concede and get her off, his blue balls be damned, when she nodded. It was all the permission he needed. Gripping her waist, he easily lifted her from the floor, one hand anchoring her delectable backside. Her legs wrapped his waist, ankles crossing at the small of his back while her heels dug into his ass. Ryder’s erection lay trapped between them as he braced her against the wall. He used his free hand to guide his penis along her folds, wetting the tip, then slowly pushing inward, giving her time to accommodate his large size.

Her gasp echoed throughout the empty room. Her breath hitched and her head lulled back against the cement wall. Fuck, she was tight. No way in hell was he going to last long, but he’d be damned if he allowed himself a release before giving one to her. He moved slowly at first, not wanting to hurt her since it had been so long for her. Gabby’s back rode the wall with each of his thrusts. Her fingers dug into the flesh of his shoulders.

“Ángel, look at me.”

Doing as she was told, her warm brown eyes nearly swallowed him whole. Fuck, he had it bad, making him go against his own code of honor. His better judgment had told him what he was doing was all sorts of wrong. And yet, he didn’t care. He paid mind only to the woman in his arms, watching her come apart in pleasure. Knowing he was the one she chose after two years of abstinence was a heady thought.

Instead of standing there fucking her, he should’ve been having a chat with Grigore. A definite buzz-kill. This was far more preferable, regardless of it being wrong on so many accounts.

Her breath hitched, bringing his focus back to the gorgeous woman in his arms. Her pupils dilated and her mouth rounded. Ryder increased his rhythm, slamming into her, no longer able to hold back. Gabby cried out, her fingernails biting into his shoulders. Her walls contracted around his cock, pushing him toward his release.

“Ryder,” she whispered as her head tilted forward. She rested her forehead in the crook of his neck. Her breath fanned over his flesh.

Her actions were enough to send him over the edge. His ass muscles tightened as he thrust a final time, spilling his release into her. Fuck! They had certainly complicated matters. He thought of the mission again as the euphoria of desire crashed down and reality sank back in.

Once Gabby found out about him bringing the Sons of Sangue to her uncle’s doorstep, she would never forgive him. He was a fucking snake in the grass and rightfully deserved her disgust.

Christ! Forgiveness would be hard-won, if at all.

And Ryder couldn’t say he blamed her … not one fucking bit.

* * *

Gabriela smoothed down her skirt the minute her feet touched the floor, the soft material swishing about her ankles. Tugging at the hem of her form-fitting top, she pulled it back into place. She had no words. Her breath sawed out of her as if she had run a marathon. Dear Lord! She certainly couldn’t say she regretted it, not when Ryder had given her an award-winning orgasm. One she certainly wouldn’t mind repeating.

Finished righting herself, she glanced at Ryder who pulled his T-shirt over his head and covered his mouth-watering abs. His longish curls were pleasantly mussed. Gabby wouldn’t mind running her fingers through the strands, but she had a feeling it might start another round of awesome sex. Not that that would be a bad thing.

A sly grin curved Ryder’s very kissable lips. “What?”

Heat rose up Gabriela’s neck, surely reddening her cheeks. She tipped her chin toward the floor. “I’m sorry, staring was rude.”

Ryder laughed as he closed the distance, his booted feet echoing across the marble and pearl-glass tiles. He didn’t quite fit the room in his vintage concert shirt and worn jeans. Her uncle had designed the room for a princess. She’d bet had he found Ryder there, he wouldn’t think the biker was ever good enough for his niece.

And yet, Ryder was exactly her type, what she wanted in a man. Right down to his worn, brown leather boots. Gabby hoped to ride on the back of his motorcycle one day. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of the open road and clinging to him like a second skin. The man was all sorts of delicioso and then some. Her girly bits already craved round two.

Using the pads of his fingertips on her chin, he brought her gaze up to meet his whiskey-colored one. “Ángel, feel free to look all you want. I’m flattered you’d even want to. Does this mean you’re no longer pissed?”

“I’m not thrilled that you joined my uncle’s camp, or the fact you killed a man, even if it was out of self-preservation.” Gabby stepped back from his touch and walked to the open French doors, giving him her back. “You have to understand, Ryder. I’ve lived my whole life disapproving of my uncle and his men. I can’t go anywhere without the ugliness of his chosen profession touching me in some way. I guess I had hoped you’d be different. I wanted you to be.”

Ryder gripped her shoulders and turned her. “I am different, Gabby. You’ll have to trust me on that. I have to go now, but promise me we’ll talk later.”

“Even if my better judgment says to walk away, I can’t. Not now, not after what we did.”

His smile returned, this one cocksure. “You liked it, huh?”

Gabby chuckled. “Maybe just a little.”

“A little? Well, that sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one. I can certainly fix that.”

Ryder’s jaw hardened. He tilted his nose toward the ceiling, his nostrils flaring. Gabby followed suit but didn’t detect any scent out of the ordinary.

“Fuck.” Ryder moved her further into the room, then returned to the exit and began to shut the double doors. “I have to run before it’s too late. I’ll text you.”

Gabby couldn’t formulate a proper sentence prior to his taking the steps two at a time down to the grounds, so she said nothing. He stepped over his motorcycle seat, started the engine, and sped off down the driveway. His helmet stayed strapped to the back seat. Ryder had been in such a hurry to leave, he hadn’t bothered with his own safety. She couldn’t help but wonder what had spooked him.

A knock sounded on the door, causing her to jump. She turned and looked at the heavy wood, wondering who was calling now. When she didn’t answer it straight away, the knock turned into incessant pounding.

“I’m coming,” she grumbled, angry with the sudden interruption.

“Gabriela! Open this door immediately or I swear I’ll pull it from its hinges,” Raúl growled.

Gabby was unsure what had her uncle so fired up, but she wasn’t about to test him. She jogged to the door, flipped the lock, and opened it. Raúl’s eyes were damn near black in his rage. What the hell?

“Uncle Raúl?”

“Where the fuck is he?”

Her brow furrowed. How had he known? Had the guards tipped him off? If that were the case, he certainly would have come long before now. “Who?”

“Don’t play coy with me, Gabriela.” Her uncle tilted his nose upward, just as Ryder had done before he sprinted down the cement steps as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. “The man who was in here.”

“It’s really none of your business, Uncle.” Her own temperament hit a high note. How dare he tell her who she could entertain? “You forget, I’m an adult.”

“Who were you just fucking, Gabriela? I can smell the bastard. You know I’ll find out. I have eyes everywhere.”

Her gaze traveled the room. He wouldn’t have dared put cameras in her room. How had Raúl found out what they had been up to? Ryder wasn’t the first man she had brought home, despite the infrequency of it. Her uncle had never seemed to care before.

“Relax, princess.” He hissed the term of endearment. “There are no cameras in your private quarters, but don’t tempt me to add them. Out there, though, I have men and cameras on every entrance, yours included. All I need do is ask. So tell me, who was here fucking you like a common puta?”

Gabby gritted her teeth. Her uncle had gone too far. “How dare you?”

“I dare because I own you.” His hand indicated the room. “I own all of this.”

Raúl struck her so hard across the cheek, he knocked Gabby to the marble flooring. Stars floated in her vision as she lay at his feet, fearing she might just pass out from the pain. Touching her cheek, she could feel the swelling, praying he hadn’t broken anything. As it was, she’d be sporting a large bruise. Tears sprung to her eyes. She had never been struck by her uncle before. He had been angry yes, but never to the point he hit her.

“Tell me his name, or I swear to the bowels of Hades, I’ll have my men hunt him down and slaughter him like a rutting animal.”

Gabby glared at him. “You touch one hair on Ryder’s head and I promise you’ll never see me again. You may think you own me, but you don’t. I will see whomever I please.”

Raúl’s jaw tightened as he looked at her. He didn’t bother to help her off the floor, nor show remorse for striking her. “This Ryder, the new guy Luis and Sergio hired, you better hope he doesn’t fuck up. If he even gives me reason to not trust his motives, I’ll fucking kill him myself. You don’t know what you’re dabbling in, little princess. There may be more to Ryder than he’s allowed you to know.”

“Leave him alone, Uncle.”

“Ryder and I? We’ll have a talk. I promise I won’t harm him … yet. But we’ll have a long conversation, you can count on that.”

Raúl turned and quit the room, his back rigid. The tears she held at bay now slipped down her cheek. What had she done? If her uncle hurt Ryder because of her, she’d never forgive herself.

Gabby stood and retrieved her phone. She typed a quick message, then hit SEND.

Raúl knows. Be careful.