Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
He brushes his lips against mine as he increases the pressure against my clit, and that’s all it takes for pleasure to rush through me.
I moan into his mouth, and he kisses me harder, scooping his hands underneath me and carrying me into the shower. It’s a good thing since my legs are trembling from the two orgasms that he’s given me.
Setting me down, he quickly disposes of his clothes and then goes about washing my hair and then my body. I’ve never had a man take care of me after sex the way Ryder does, and it has me falling even harder for him.
Once we’re both clean, he wraps a warm towel around me, and I pad through his room so I can get pajamas from my bedroom.
When I return, he’s already lying in bed with the blanket folded over, waiting for me to join him. I climb into his bed and snuggle into his chest, and he runs his fingers up and down my back.
“I meant everything I said earlier,” he murmurs. “I want everything with you…starting with you moving your stuff into my room.”
I snap my head up because that sounds a whole lot like …
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
“You already live here.” He chuckles. “But I am asking you to move into my room. I love you, baby. I’ve been hooked on you since the moment we met, and I don’t want you here as my nanny. I want you here as my girlfriend and, soon, my fiancée and then wife.”
I swallow thickly, suddenly overwhelmed.
“Talk to me,” he says, using this thumb and forefinger to lift my chin.
“It’s not that I don’t want the same things as you. I do,” I tell him. “But I guess a part of me always assumed that, eventually, Violet and I would move out. I never thought this would be our permanent home.”
“It can be whatever you want it to be,” he says softly. “I don’t want to pressure you, so just think about it. There’s no rush.”
I nod in understanding and rest my head back on his chest. “Thank you, Ryder,” I whisper as my eyelids start to become heavy. “I’ve never truly felt safe until now.”
“You’ll always be safe with me,” he promises just before my eyes close, and I fall into a nightmare-free sleep.
chapter twenty-two
RYDER
“Are you ready? When we go in there, you have to say surprise!”
“I can do that!” I hear Violet say.
“Can you say it?” Kira asks.
“Yeah!” Addie yells, making me chuckle.
When I woke up to Kira being gone and a note saying not to move, I remembered that today is not only Father’s Day, but also my birthday. So, after taking a piss, I laid back down and spent the next half hour getting caught up on some work emails while I waited for the girls to show up.
The door opens, and Kira, Violet, and Addie walk in with balloons, presents, and a tray filled with my favorite breakfast—an iced latte from the coffee shop down the street and chocolate-glazed doughnuts. I’m a simple guy—what can I say? Since I work out, I don’t eat a lot of junk food, but I once told Kira that my guilty pleasure was chocolate-glazed doughnuts.
“Surprise!” Violet exclaims.
“’Prise!” Addie copies as she climbs onto the bed and crawls over to me.
“Happy Father’s Day and birthday,” Kira says, leaning over and giving me a quick kiss.
It’s been almost a month since she started sleeping in my bed full-time—although she hasn’t moved her stuff in yet—and we started showing PDA in front of the kids, and I’ve never been happier. In two weeks, we’re heading to the beach for the Fourth of July picnic, and Kira’s asshole of an ex will be served divorce papers.
My hope is that he’ll sign without issue, but if he tries to start shit, I have enough to end him. That piece of shit has his hand in all types of illegal pots, and if he doesn’t want to lose his career, he’ll sign.
“Thank you,” I tell the girls.
“We made you gifts,” Violet says, handing me the bag in her hand.
“Oh, yeah? Should we eat breakfast first or open presents?”
“Presents!” Violet answers.
“That’s because I already fed the girls doughnuts.” Kira laughs. “They were up very early, and once they saw the doughnuts, there was no way they were waiting for you to wake up.”
“All right, presents first.”
I hand the tray to Kira, who sets it on the dresser, and then take the bags from both girls.
I open Violet’s first since she’s practically champing at the bit and find the most adorable handprint card.
“Is this your hand?” I ask.
“Yep! Addie made one too!”
“Me! Me!” Addie giggles.
“Ryder,” I say, reading Violet’s card out loud, “happy birthday. I hope you have fun. Love, Violet.
“I love it. Thank you.” I lean over and give her a kiss on her cheek, then open the card Addie got me. It has a smaller handprint, but unlike Violet’s messy yet legible handwriting, there are scribbles everywhere with Kira’s handwriting above. “Happy birthday and happy Daddy’s Day. I love you. Love, Addie.