Chapter 58

* Elena *

“Oh!” I slammed my hand down on the mattress like a wrestler in the ring who was begging for mercy or, at the very least, asking for some time to catch my breath. You know, someone who was tapping out. The truth is I wanted neither of those things. I might need them but want is a whole different ballgame.

I kept my head down and gripped the sheet in my other fist as Ryder pummeled me from behind. That’s the only way I can describe it. Each stroke was a masterpiece; each thrust hit its mark. Speaking of tapping, he has been tapping into something inside me for the last ten minutes, something sweet and hot that makes my whole body tingle.

I’ve never been a violent person, nor have I ever been the most sexual being, but I’m pretty certain that if he stopped now, I might do him serious harm. And then his hands, have mercy. His hands trailed a path down my spine and back up to my head, where he gripped my hair roughly before massaging the pain away, only to then slip around and under my sides to my chest, where he cupped my breasts. All while moving in and out of me.

I know two languages, Italian and Spanish, but I think I garbled a combination of the two with some pygmy thrown in. I’ve never studied pygmy, though I have heard it spoken on my many trips to the African continent, but I’m pretty sure that those were the sounds I was making or trying to, at any rate.

“Ryder!”

“Shhh!” See, he knows. He knows that the hurt in my voice came from a place of good, that I was only voicing my distress to keep him up to date with the situation, but the boy wanted to live, so he knew that if he changed anything at all about what he was doing, his life might be forfeit.

And so he kept it up, long, deep strokes, followed by short hard thrusts that knocked my head into the headboard and made a racket. Thank goodness the other rooms were on the other side of the house; thank you, whatever genius designed it that way a hundred years ago. Maybe they, too, were as freaky as I seem to have become.

My eyes, they were twirling around in my head. At least it felt like it, but I was sure that my mouth was hanging open and my legs were spread wider than was humanly possible while my ass was sticking up in the air at an odd angle, in a most unladylike fashion, but did I care? Nope. I am brave; I am bruised. I am who I’m meant to be. This is me. I’m not sure those lyrics were meant for such an occasion, but that’s how I felt, so I’m going with it.

When he went from cupping my breasts to pinching my nipples, that’s when the fireworks went off. My hips rocked back to meet his every thrust, trying valiantly to keep the pace, and then it happened. I felt something strong, like a storm, build in my core and spread throughout the rest of my body. My legs went numb, my head fell limply back on my neck, and my back arched like a cat about to strike. A scream left my lungs and ripped through the air just as a gush of liquid rushed from between my thighs and splashed against the mattress between my legs.

This must be how it feels when your water breaks. Not sure why that thought came to me now, but it was all I had at that moment. I looked down at the wreckage, not quite computing what was happening to me, but then it was his turn, and oh sweet mercy, the speed of his hips increased, which sent him deeper into me at a faster pace, which set off those fireworks again and it was a never-ending cycle of the most intense climax I’ve ever experienced, and I have had some beauties these past few days.

“Yes…yes…yes!” I didn’t have the strength to tap out any longer, so I let my rocking ass do the talking, but wait, when did I become hoarse? All that screaming must’ve done it. Ryder roared; yes, he roared the arrival of his orgasm, and that set me off again. There’s nothing more beautiful or sexier than feeling your man’s essence splatter against your insides. This was one of those times I was glad we didn’t need to use protection.

I have long come to terms with the fact that I cannot bear children. Something that had foolishly caused me to accept his leaving me in the past. I’d used that as an excuse for it being okay for him to move on. Ryder always wanted kids, and finding out that I couldn’t have any, after the fact though it was, was one of the things that had helped me make peace with letting go.

But he’d assured me time and again in the last few days that it didn’t matter, that he’d rather have me than someone with his face if it came to that. I never thought that I would be so accepting of my fate, but good sex would do that to you, I suppose. And we have been having magnificent sex for the past few days, locked away in our little paradise.

I knew it wasn’t over, though we’d both come. He does this thing now where he stays inside me for at least another minute or two until he either goes soft or hardens again; I wasn’t sure which I was going to get this round, but I was up for anything. Then he leaned over and kissed my nape, one of my sweet spots, and I locked down on him, trapping him inside me.

“We have to change the sheets; I can’t let the servants see this.” My mind is ever a source of erraticism, bless its heart. I did not appreciate his snort of laughter, and the glare I threw over my shoulder told him so. Well, it wasn’t much of a glare; even my facial muscles were too happy with him for that, but he got the message.

“Again?” He whispered the question in my ear, his lips barely brushing against the tip of it, and that, too, was enough for me to sign up to be tossed around like a rag doll again for the next half hour. He didn’t wait for my answer, not that he needed one, and we were off again, lost in our own little world of sexual wonder. I think my mind has finally fractured itself because I find myself thinking that those five years apart, horrid as they had been, had done some good.

Gone was the selfish lover and the barely interested recipient, and in their place were two horndogs who could barely keep their hands off each other. Given that in the past Ryder never could keep his hands off my ass, this time around, I was more receptive to his attentions. As hyper as my mind always was and still is, back then, my mind and body were not in sync.

There were times when I didn’t even want him to touch me because we were fighting or I was mad or disappointed about something. I’ve since learned that the mind plays a huge part in lovemaking, and it has been proven here lately because with all the detritus out of the way, with nothing holding my mind hostage, I have enjoyed the act of sex way more than at any time in the past.

It could be that I am in my sexual prime, I’ll have to research that later, or it could also be that I had gone without for so long that I was making up for lost time. Whatever the case, I am truly grateful for this newfound lust for his dick, and I’m sure he appreciates my appreciation.

We were like two locomotives coming into the station when we finally pulled apart and dropped onto our respective sides of the bed. I don’t think I will ever breathe through my nose again, but that’s okay. It’s the price my greedy ass will have to pay. “You had enough?” His question implied that I was the one who had started this whole thing when in truth, I can’t quite recall how we ended up here again. Last I remember, we were talking about my upcoming trip to New York for work.

Things were said, words were spoken, and what those things were, I forget, but they’ll come back to me at some point, I’m sure. Oh yeah, he was having a hard time letting me go there while he stayed back here to finish what he was doing.

He’d been very honest with me about some things, and others, I was told, were not for me to worry about. That statement would’ve sent me into a tizzy in the past, but this time, I choose to trust his judgment because I have both eyes open this time around and I’m sure Mr. Ryder Sumner knows and understands that if he fucks with me this time around, it won’t end so well for him.

There was only one thing I had a bit of an issue with, and that was the fact that Janie didn’t know about the divorce. He told me how it came about, and given everything else that was going on, I could see why he’d done things the way he had. Another issue I had, more with myself than with him, is that even though it would kill me if he had to go see her in the hospital, he didn’t know where she was, no one did.

I came to understand that my new messy bestie, MengeLiNi, had something to do with her disappearance and have become even more intrigued by the three little girls he claims are responsible for all this. “I don’t want you to go. Can’t they delay it or postpone it or something?” His musings broke into my thoughts.

“Ryder, we’ve already discussed this. You can always come out to see me.”

“Yeah, but three months is a long time. And I don’t know how busy I’m going to be here or when I can get away.”

“We were apart for five years; you did pretty good then.” Obviously, I’m not exactly over it all. There are still times I’m reminded of the past and want to throw some shade his way, but he’s taken it surprisingly well. Only ever accepting his faults and his responsibility for the mess he made of our lives.

“Anyway, it won’t be that long, and we’ll both be busy, so the time will go by even faster. Next year we’ll plan better so that we won’t have to be apart for that long, okay.” He sulked and drew me into his arms, and that felt good too. I must’ve pinched myself black and blue since the day he brought me here.

This all seems like a fairytale, like something out of a cheesy movie, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying every minute of it. We’ve talked, we’ve cleared the air, and I now have a better understanding of who he was and is because of his past trauma, so I am better equipped to deal with it.

I haven’t let on, but I want to hurt the people who did this to him. My hands are tied right now, though, since we can’t let anyone know that we’re back together for now, but I had a talk with Mr. Lyon, who promised to pass on a message to the nieces for me. I can still remember that conversation word for word though it was a few days ago.

I’d waited for Ryder to be busy elsewhere and went in search of the big man who had been in the home gym at the time, reaming out one of his men as is his wont. I have yet to see him calm and collected, as Ryder describes him to me when he’s singing his praises. I was even a bit hesitant to approach him, but what do you know, he’s the perfect gentleman when not riled.

“Mr. Lyon.”

“It’s Lyon or Colt Elena. It feels odd calling you that; that’s my mother’s name. You’re not as annoying as she is, are you?” It took me a second to realize that he was kidding, and I remembered that Char had once said one of the nieces might be helping me because I have her grandmother’s name, or that that could be one of the reasons. I found that preposterous at the time, but if she’s anything like her father, I’m not sure it’s such a stretch.

“Okay, Lyon, I need a favor. I want to talk to your daughter and her friends.”

“Oh? How come?” I filled him in on why and watched his eyes soften. That was the day I realized that he was a big old fraud. That gruff exterior of his hides a very caring soul that could feel that easily for a complete stranger.

“There’s nothing for you to worry about there; the kids are already working on it. You just be there for him. He needs it.” I don’t know why, but after that conversation, I felt doubly sure of Ryder’s future and the direction he was going in. “I’ll pass on the message all the same, okay? By the way, they want your autograph. I’m supposed to bring them back, so no rush.”

For some reason, I found it odd that they would want something like that. Their actions seemed to put them way above such mundane things as my name on a piece of paper. They hadn’t exactly been quiet the last few days, but things had died down some. It kind of feels like the calm before the storm. Ryder, having realized that my mind had wandered again, instead of getting incensed as he once would, just nuzzled me and snuggled in closer.

“Okay, fine, but while you’re there, I think you should start planning our wedding.” I don’t know why his words came as such a surprise. It’s what I wanted, what we both wanted, I think, but hearing him say it so nonchalantly brought tears to my eyes.

“No, don’t cry.”

“These are happy tears.” Still, he wiped them from my eyes and kissed my brow, something else he’d taken to doing whenever the mood struck. Maybe he really had changed completely, or perhaps it was me knowing what he’d endured, but something had changed inside of me for him as well. I no longer distrusted him. I no longer felt like I had to keep him at arm’s length even if we did get back together, I trusted him, and that is a huge hurdle to jump.

I looked at him now as I turned in his arms to cup his cheek. “No, we’ll plan our wedding together.” I could’ve said something about his hasty shod of a wedding but refrained from doing so. I’ve taken enough shots at him already in the last week and will probably do so again in the future, but now was not the time to bring that mess here to our bed.

***

* Scott *

Things aren’t so bad after all. For a moment there, it seemed like everything was going to shit, but now Ryder had that great deal with Saunders for good money, his image was being cleaned up a bit by his association with the great man, and things were starting to settle down at last.

I regret every day the decision to have him marry Janie Andrews. Elena was a bitch, sure, always wanting things done in a manner that she could live with where Ryder was concerned as if it had anything to do with her. But this one was a nightmare. She’d fooled us all into thinking she was a nice Christian girl with the type of morals and ethics one would expect from someone who supposedly grew up in the church, but she was far from what she pretended to be.

Her obsession with Ryder was one thing, but she’d amped up the crazy as soon as the ink was dry on the marriage certificate. I’m still peeved that she’s going to get all that money once he gets rid of her, something I am sure will be coming soon now that he’s sober and no longer under her influence, but I’m no longer afraid that he’d realized my part in all that since he’s been in communication with me a lot more lately and we were even talking about setting up a tour to make up for the one he’d left halfway through.

I took a sip of my cocktail as I looked out over the water from my Malibu home. It still tickles me to say that; me, the kid who had dropped out of college on a whim when everyone else was telling me it was a bad idea, had made it all the way to the top. It helps to know things that can get you things that you want.

Others had gone the same way as me, but they were more interested in working for their money, while I wanted my money to work for me. So what if that money came through less than ethical means? If people didn’t want their dirty laundry aired, they shouldn’t do dirty shit. I had to laugh at that one because I, too, was guilty of things I wanted to keep hidden. The only difference is I was smart enough to put things in place to see that they remained that way.

The phone chimed, and I reached over to the table to pick it up. The message didn’t seem to make sense at first until the second one came. “We’ll give you fifty million for Ryder Sumner’s catalog in two days. No negotiation.” I snorted at the obvious prank and wondered fleetingly how the person got my private number. I was about to put the phone away when it chimed again, and that’s when I knew it wasn’t a joke.

“You don’t comply; we go public with this.” The image that came through next had all the blood leaving my head. I looked around as if expecting someone to be standing there behind me. How did this person know about this? This isn’t possible. I felt the cold hand of dread run down my spine. What the hell am I supposed to do? This can’t happen, this cannot happen, not now.

That catalog is worth four times that, if not more, and how the hell am I going to square this with Ryder and everyone else involved? If he was still high, maybe, but… Who do I call? Who do I get involved that won’t ask too many questions? I looked down at the phone again and felt my life force wane.