Sheltered(36)

“Now that’s a sight to wake up to,” I say, and reach down, rubbing it into her skin.

When I look up at her she’s biting her lip and her cheeks are red.

“Don’t go getting shy on me now, Cricket. You’re about to come meet my parents.”

“Oh god, you were serious!” she nearly shouts as she immediately hops off the bed like they’re in the room. “I need to shower!”

She takes off running to the bathroom, and I grab her by the waist and pull her to me. “Think again, Cricket. You’re not about to wash that off.”

I throw her over my shoulder and smack her ass again as I carry her into our closet. She wiggles on top of me, laughing, and I sense a bit of nervousness. When I put her down on her feet again, I pull her into my arms.

“Don’t be nervous. They’re excited to meet you,” I say and kiss her forehead.

“They know about me?” she asks, surprise clear in her voice.

“Of course. They know about everything that’s important to me.” Winking at her, I turn around and grab a pair of jeans and place them on the chair nearby. I pull out two shirts and hold them up. “Which one?”

“The blue one,” she says, and I put it with the jeans. “Do they know you kidnapped me?”

Her face is smug as she takes off my shirt and stands in front of me naked. I look her up and down slowly, enjoying every inch of her. I stalk towards her, and she retreats until her back is against the wall. I place my hands on either side of her and lean down so that we’re eye to eye.

“Yes, they know that you belong to me.” I lean close to whisper in her ear. “And after what your pussy got you into this morning, I think you might know it, too.”





Chapter 18





Blair





I’m so nervous as we walk down the hallway and to the stairs to meet Ryker’s parents. I mean, who tells their parents they’re kidnapping a woman and then bringing her home to meet them? He’s anything but traditional when it comes to romance.

He takes my hand, and I take comfort in the gentle touch. I glance over at him and he’s smiling from ear to ear. How does he do that? Know when I need him before I do, and then smile as though everything in the world is perfect. I guess it is, though.

I woke up this morning and the first thing I thought was how happy I was. I can’t remember the last time I had that thought, if ever. Could this all be happening for real? Am I truly falling for a man who stole me in the night and laid a claim to me? But even now as I walk beside him, I want to lean closer. I’m beginning to crave his touch, which is why I did what I did this morning. My cheeks flush and my body heats as I recall how free I was. Free to make the choice to touch him, free to let him touch me. I might have been kidnapped, but I’m far from caged.

Everything that’s happened between us, I’ve allowed. I don’t regret a second of it, and if I’m really honest with myself right now, there’s a reason I let it happen. I’m falling for him. Hard. I try not to think about it too much, because that’s when I get into trouble. Right now, I’m just going to focus on what’s in front of me, and that’s Ryker’s parents.

When we enter the kitchen, I can see them sitting at the bar having coffee and talking to Lily. Ryker wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me even closer. And for the millionth time today, I wonder if he can read my mind.

We walk over together, and his parents catch sight of us and stand up.

“Cricket, I’d like you to meet my mama, Kathleen, and my dad, Jackie,” Ryker says as he leans forward and hugs his mom, and she gives him a kiss on the cheek. I’m a little surprised when he does the same with his dad, even getting a kiss on the cheek from him, too. Something about it is kind of sweet.

“Cricket? And all this time, I thought her name was Blair,” Kathleen says with an accent thicker than my own. She sounds like she could be from Louisiana, and that warms me a little.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say, trying my best to be as polite and refined as possible. I’ve got a need to make a good impression.

Kathleen is tall, probably almost six feet. She’s got solid white hair that’s pulled back in a ponytail and she’s wearing dark jeans and a plain white T-shirt. I notice she’s got on boots and looks like she would be comfortable on a horse. She’s got dark eyes like Ryker, and he’s got her smile. There are lines around her lips and eyes, but they appear to be from smiling. When she reaches out and takes one of my hands with both of hers, I immediately like her. Her hands are a little rough, which makes me think she might actually work on a farm, and for some reason that makes me like her more.

Jackie takes my hand next, and his smile is soft. He’s got sandy-blond hair with gray around the temples and he’s about as tall as Kathleen is. He’s got a thin build but is wearing pretty much the same thing as Kathleen, except his shirt is dark green. His eyes are a warm blue and he’s kind as he says hello to me.

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Jackie says, and then steps back to grab his coffee.

“I’m guessing you two are hungry,” Kathleen says, winking at me and turning around to take her seat at the bar.

I almost choke with embarrassment as Ryker slides his hand down my back and grabs my ass before going over to the bar and making us both plates of food.