“I need you, Ryder.” She guided him to the promised land, and gazed up at him with a fierce hunger that darkened her eyes to that deep chocolate and navy that he loved so much.

Needing no other prompting, he settled between her legs, but didn’t push inside. Not yet. He entwined their fingers and lifted their joined hands to rest on either side of her face.

“I need you inside me,” she whispered, her voice sexy and hoarse with need.

He dipped down to softly kiss her lips. “I need that too.”

He needed everything. Wanted everything. And wanted to give her everything, too.

With one last kiss, he held her gaze and slid into her. Home. That’s what she was to him. Everything. His world. She cried out his name, and it mixed with his groan, echoing the sound of their mutual pleasure.

“God, Sophia…” He closed his eyes, basking in the feel of her lush heat. “You feel so―always so damn good.” The way he filled her—the way she hugged him—it rocked him to his very soul.

“Ryder,” she whispered on a hitched breath.

He loved how her head arched back and lips parted. Unable to resist, he bent down and captured her open mouth with his, slipping his tongue inside, thrilling at the sound of her moan.  Her tongue brushed his as she rocked her hips, doing her damnedest to make him cross-eyed.

Breaking the kiss, he lifted up to stare into her eyes, needing to see she was just as thrown, as lost…as found, as he was in the crazy rush of heat, and need, and want. She wrapped her legs around him and arched up, and he felt himself slipping further inside.

And further in love.

Yeah, he loved her. She did it for him. Understood his moods. His needs. She was open, honest, held nothing back. He loved that about her, too. She got him. She understood and accepted. And, God, that was such a heady feeling.

He could tell she was falling for him, too. It was in her sighs, her kisses, the tender way she sometimes touched his face. The way her face lit up when he walked into the room. It used to scare him, now…it strengthened him.

But right now, the feel of her soft curves trembling beneath him, the way her breasts brushed his chest, how she hugged him tight inside, was all too much. She was too much. He had no strength left. He needed to start moving, to take them to the next level.

“Sophia,” he whispered hoarsely, squeezing their entwined fingers, as he began to move.

A low, sexy sound rumbled in her chest, and she matched his rhythm, apparently lost in the same delirious need consuming him from the inside out.

“Ryder…” Her gaze was open and full of all the emotions he was feeling in her touch.

“I know,” he murmured, letting her see exactly what she did to him, exactly how he felt about her.

He was done talking, he could only feel. Lost in the wave of heat, he locked his elbows, and upped their pace. Damn, she felt good. Her low moans and the way she arched into him stole his breath, and captured his heart.

Freeing her hands from his, she shoved them in his hair, like she needed to hold onto him, needed him to ground her.

And he knew then. Ryder knew that this was what it felt like when it was right.

He slid his arms beneath her and gripped her shoulders from behind. The movement brought them closer, and he slid deeper inside. She cried out and whispered his name over and over as she shuddered and quivered against him in the most amazing, fucking climax that spurred his own fierce release.

Later, after he found his bones and cleaned up, he climbed under the covers with her, and knew everything had changed. His outlook had changed. He’d changed. He wanted her in his life full-time and was willing to commute, or anything else she wanted to make that happen.

The soft, sweet woman in his arms had a little over five weeks before she headed back to New York. He was determined to use that time to help her realize she was happiest with him. God knew, he was with her.

Euphoric exhaustion set in, and he fell asleep to the soft sounds of her breathing, knowing he didn’t ever want to let her go.

***

Sophia hated keeping things from Ryder.

Especially after everything they shared last night, and again that morning before they got dressed and headed into town to work.

As much as she wanted to spend the day in his bed, surrendering herself to a multitude of mind-blowing orgasms, she needed to finish the set of the car so tomorrow she could start on the beauty shop. Besides, he told her he had a kitchen remodel he needed to finish by Friday.

That meant no surrendering or mind-blowing orgasms until tonight, after dinner at a restaurant he told her had a view almost as amazing as the one he shared with her yesterday.

Maybe then she’d tell him about her family. She’d tried, on several occasions, but each time, he either kissed her senseless, and she forgot what she was going to say, or fear got in the way. The fear of him slipping back into that safe zone of indifference and shutting her out.

He hadn’t shut her out this morning, though. A smile tugged her lips. That was why they were running a little late.

“My sister must be here,” he said, parking in front of the theater next to Ben’s truck.

She nodded. “Lea was bringing donuts so we can nibble and chat while I work on the car set. I’m guessing Ben brought her. I think he likes to be with his girls as much as possible.”

“I can relate,” Ryder said, gaze open and warm, causing her heart to catch. “We still on for dinner tonight?”

Smiling, she opened her mouth to reply when his phone rang.

He lifted it from the cup holder where he’d set it, and sent her an apologetic look. “It’s the office. I won’t be long.”

“No problem,” she replied, her pulse tripping while she waited to see if it had to do with the ice cream parlor.

“Hey, Cathy. I’m on my way.” He stilled. “What? We did?” His gaze narrowed before pleasure straightened his brow. “That’s fantastic news. I wonder what happened to make Colarusso back out?”

Sophia knew, and relief helped her breath in some air, while making a mental note to thank her brother.

“I will. Thanks. See you in a few minutes,” he said, before hanging up. “I don’t believe it.” A slight smile curved his lips while bewilderment rounded his gaze. “Colarusso backed out. I got the ice cream parlor job.”

“That is fantastic news,” she said, heart hammering out of control.

This was it. The perfect time to come clean. To tell him about her family, and how she’d asked them to back off and they did. Her family was not unreasonable. They weren’t the enemy. Neither was she. He’d see that. Surely he would.

Her palms were sweaty and they shook, so she entwined her fingers to keep them steady on her lap.

“Guess the New York big shots bit off more than they could handle. Spread themselves too thin.” He shook his head and frowned. “And put honest, hardworking people like me out of business.”

The need to defend her family because too much. “They probably started out the same way.”

His brow rose, then he shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s companies like that that tick me off.”

And everything she was about to get off her chest died on her lips. Maybe it would be better when he wasn’t so worked up.

“Sorry,” he said, reaching out to play with a strand of her hair. “Let’s get back to my question.” Leaning close, he dragged his mouth across her jaw to her ear where he nibbled.

His question, her family, their jobs, how to breathe…everything disappeared into the warm, sensuous fog taking over her mind.

“Mmm…” She fisted his shirt and tipped her head to give him better access. “I like the way you ask.”

He chuckled near her ear. “I like the way you taste.”

She turned her head to give him her mouth when her phone started to ring. Setting her forehead to his jaw, she sighed. “Think we should’ve stayed in bed.”

“We can always go back.” Amusement and heat were evident in his tone.

Her body perked up at the suggestion, but she fished out her phone and did her best to ignore the awareness pooling low in her belly. She glanced at the screen, and frowned. “It’s my dad.” She answered as Ryder shifted back to his seat. “What’s wrong?”

“How do you women do that?” he said. “It’s like a sixth sense or something. I’m calling because you need to come home.”

She swallowed a groan. “If this is about answering phones, I—”

“No,” he cut her off. “It’s about your mother. She’s at the hospital in the emergency room.”