Strike by Jennifer Ryder

Author:Jennifer Ryder [Ryder, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 22467867
Publisher: Jennifer Ryder
Published: 2014-08-28T16:00:00+00:00

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“Can you turn off the lamp? As much as I could talk all night, I’m gonna have to get some sleep,” I say, pulling April in close, our semi-naked bodies tangled together in a heap. I didn’t trust myself to sleep naked. When we’re sleeping together, then I’ll sleep naked next to her. In the meantime, my dick needs all the resistance it can get.

April kisses at my neck and makes this funny noise as she holds me closer, as if she’s trying to claw her way inside me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing. It’s stupid,” she whispers.

I lift her chin so she’s forced to look at me. “Let me be the judge. Talk to me.”

“I’m afraid,” she says, her voice shaky.

“Of what?”

She sighs out loud. “That I need you.”

Her honesty causes my heart to wrench in my chest. I hug her tight. “That’s not stupid.” Because I need you too.

“I’m just … I’m afraid if I sleep with you, that’s gonna be it. I don’t want this to be over.”

Doesn’t she get that I’m already hooked? What else can I do to show her? We have this incredible chemistry, beyond what I’ve ever had before. It’s all consuming, and I know that there’s no way I’m walking away once we’ve been together. Once I’ve been inside her. Sweet Jesus.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I affirm.

She takes in a shuddery breath, as if she might burst into tears any second. I rub her arm in a comforting gesture, hoping it stops them from falling.

“When shit happened with Todd, I ran. I left for overseas as soon as I could book a ticket. Like I told you before, I had a few one-nighters. I think I needed them to get him out of my head, and I thought that was the way to do it.

“When I got back into my work over there, it made it harder to leave, but I got to a point where I had one one-night stand too many. Then there was this guy, Nick …”

I swallow the lump in my throat, hoping to hell he didn’t hurt her. Nick had treated her as disposable. She’d said something not long ago about how she couldn’t be treated like that again.

“What happened? Did he hurt you?” I say as calmly as I can, but my jaw is tight.

“I thought he was relationship material. So I jumped in … heart first. I always do. My feelings for him were stronger than they should have been, but I soon realised that to him I was just an empty vessel. I wasn’t special; he didn’t see me. He wasn’t the least bit interested in getting to know me. I was a dime a dozen in a place where sex was on tap. He wanted to share me with whoever was willing, but I wasn’t into it. He had no qualms about inviting another woman into our bed after I’d made it clear to him I wasn’t into it. He’d set it all up, thinking I wouldn’t say no if it was right in front of me.

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