“No! Helicopter it is.” Kenzie grabbed his hand and sprinted toward the helicopter.
“So, you do want me?” Ryker grinned after they got settled.
“I’ve wanted you all week, but you’ve been Mr. Manners.”
Ryker laughed at her frustration. “I’ve heard anticipation makes it better.”
“Really? So, when I do . . .” Kenzie whispered to him all the things she wanted to do and Ryker was ready to take her in the helicopter.
“I might need to change your nickname, angel,” Ryker said, adjusting his tuxedo pants.
“Well, since you seem big on anticipation, I thought I’d help out.”
Ryker laughed. His angel had a devilish side and he loved it. Well, two could play at that game. He reached across the armrest separating them and placed his hand on Kenzie’s thigh. Every few minutes he inched his hand higher. By the time they made it to the airport in Asheville, Kenzie was breathless and he was hard as a rock.
The helicopter ride had been the most pleasurable torture Kenzie had ever lived through. The airplane ride kicked it up since there was a large comfortable couch they were snuggled up on.
Kenzie glanced toward the back of the plane where the bedroom was and was seriously contemplating it when Ryker’s hand dipped below the neckline of her dress to cup her breast. Yes, this was the best form of torture.
There were only fifteen minutes left of this flight and then a short drive back to Ryker’s house.
“We should go to my house. It’s closer,” Kenzie said, trying to keep her voice from moaning with pleasure.
“My bed is bigger and I plan to use every inch of it.”
As Katie-Jane always said, O. M. Geeee! Kenzie was panting with need and lust as she gave up all pretense of teasing. She yanked up the long skirt of her dress and slung her knee over Ryker so that she was straddling him.
Kenzie cupped his face with her hands and looked down into his eyes. “You don’t have to say it back, but I need you to know that I’m doing this because I’ve fallen in love with you. I don’t care about your money. I don’t care about who you are in the work world. I’ll sign every NDA you put in front of me if that means I can be with you. I love you for your heart, Ryker Faulkner.”
Ryker didn’t say anything back. Instead, he drew his lips down to hers and kissed her with his entire body. Only the jolting of the tires landing on the runway broke them apart.
Kenzie climbed off him and then they were running for his car with the luggage he’d ordered packed up and delivered to the helicopter in hand. She laughed as he held her hand and hurried her into her seat before getting behind the wheel.
“Is the anticipation getting to you?” Kenzie asked with a laugh when he peeled out of the parking lot.
The drive to Ryker’s place was somehow both quick and slow, but finally they were out of the car, lip to lip with arms and legs entangled, as they kissed their way into the house.
Kenzie opened her eyes to make sure she didn’t run into the door when she stopped moving. Ryker’s lips were torn from hers when he kept moving.
“Is everything okay?” Ryker asked her.
Kenzie looked around in wonder. Hundreds of candles lined the hallway and went up each stair. “What’s this?” Kenzie asked as she saw the vases full of flowers that lined the other side of the hall and stairs.
Ryker took a deep breath and reached for both of her hands. “I wanted tonight to be special.”
“You did all of this because we’re going to have sex?” Kenzie asked with disbelief. It was incredibly romantic and she wasn’t expecting that from Ryker.
“No. It’s not because we’re going to have sex. It’s because I have fallen in love with you and you deserve everything special in this world.” Ryker said the words so passionately it felt as if her heart stopped and then sped way up with excitement. “It’s been a long time since I’ve ever said those words and I wanted to show you I mean them.”
“Oh, Ryker,” Kenzie said, cupping his cheek with her hand. “If you say them, I know you mean them. The gesture is beautiful and so romantic.”
He leaned down until his lips were close to hers. “Then let me say it again Kenzie. I love you.”
Then he was kissing her with so much feeling she felt how much Ryker meant those words. She ran her hands through his hair to the nape of his neck. She laced her fingers together at the same time Ryker bent and picked her up. She giggled as her legs dangled over his arm while he carried her up the stairs.
The scent of roses caressed Kenzie as Ryker placed her on his bed. Large bouquets sat on each nightstand as candles cast the room in a warm glow. It seemed as if she were living a dream as Ryker slowly unzipped her dress and as she took the studs out of his tuxedo shirt. They didn’t talk as they explored each other. Instead, they kept their eyes locked on each other as they took in every inch with their hands.
The slow exploration set Kenzie’s nerves on fire. Every touch, every kiss, only seemed to heighten her reaction until she couldn’t take it anymore. Kenzie grabbed Ryker by the nape of his neck and pulled him in for a fiery kiss that seemed to ignite them both.
“I love you and I should make this slow and sweet, but I don’t know if I can,” Ryker said as he breathed heavily.
“Good thing I don’t want slow and sweet,” Kenzie said with a smirk that seemed to break his restraint.
Ryker smirked back and then gone was the slow-burn torture. In its place was hot, heavy, and hard. Kenzie said his name on a gasp and then all ability to talk was gone as together they set the world on fire.
22
Ryker couldn’t stop watching Kenzie as she got dressed. There was something erotic about the way she put in her earrings or the way she slid her bra straps up. All he could think about was taking them off again.
“So, we make a donation to the barbeque that we like best?” Kenzie asked as Ryker filled her in on Shadows Landing’s unique church tradition.
“That’s right. You’ll get two samples and you’ll put your donation in the box in front of the one you like the best. Then as soon as Reverend Winston announces the winner we all run like hell to that restaurant for family lunch. Tinsley may be small, but she’s quick and usually can get to the line pretty early. Now, don’t be fooled by the seniors. A couple of them race their wheelchairs and have scooters with dirt-track-level engines on them. They’ll knock you down without a second thought,” Ryker warned.
“This sounds exciting,” Kenzie said as she pulled on the sundress she had packed and opted to wear sneakers with it.
“Oh, it is. I love you and all, but the race to the restaurant trumps love. If you can’t keep up, I’m leaving you behind,” Ryker told her with a little laugh but the look on his face told her he meant it.
“I’ll try to keep up,” Kenzie said. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Ryker was ready. The sermon was over. The money counted. Reverend Winston was reading out the town announcements and Ryker was determined to beat his cousins today. Back in high school, he’d regularly won this race, but after that night he’d stopped caring about it. Now he did again and it felt great—the old anticipation and the way his muscles twitched as they got ready to explode into action. He felt alive again. He knew why, too. It was because of the woman standing behind him ready to race with him.