Ryder wasn't big on the idea of Bree not moving in with him, not really, but he was playing it down for now and not raising hell because they just got back together and he didn't want to do something rash and ruin this perfect second chance. He wanted her around him, every fucking time because they've lost so much time already and most importantly, he couldn't trust her safety with anyone else, especially since they have a baby on the way. A baby, their baby. He has a child on the way that he'd had absolutely no idea about, that didn't make him feel any good when he thought of it. While he'd been acting like it's cool and all, he was totally flipping out on the inside. Somehow, he'd even fucked up more than he'd realised initially, and he'd left Bree all alone and pregnant. Pregnant!! It was a sin he'd have to live with for the rest of his life or maybe someday he'd find it in him to forgive himself, but till then, he'd have to
The car ride back to Bree's place was quiet and rather too tense for Bree's liking but there was nothing she could do about it. The problem wasn't one she had any solution to at the moment and Ryder was just sulking and not necessarily beefing with her about it so it wasn't really a biggie. Even the man knew it can't be helped and this was for the best, he'd called the shots and she'd agreed and his suggestion had never even been in the books for her - yes, moving in with Ryder hadn't. This was a chance encounter, a chance that should be treated so carefully so they don't fuck it up like they did the last time. How long can a couple weeks be anyways, they'd done months before this and look, they both survived it. Bree had her own fears about this whole situation to start with. It scared her to consider that she was moving too fast with him after e
Bree's been having a rough week and seriously, it was beginning to get to her. First, she'd woken up to having her face plastered on every available tabloid in New York with nasty captions attached to them and they had all been from the night of the ball. Of course they had all been about her fight with her ex boss Margo and for some reason she'd been painted as the bad egg and the villain of the story. She was the devil that had broken up the budding couple and done questionable things to steal the all mighty Ryder Steele from Margo, or so they'd said. It had been difficult to deal with and she'd spent her days in bed unproductive and crying herself to sleep. She had seen it coming, that in itself should have cushioned the blow but the harsh reality of it was what had plummeted her harder than she'd thought was possible. Going out of her apartment had been difficult because there was always a pair of eyes staring at her with disdain,
The first thing that came to Ryder's mind at the ringing of his phone on the nightstand at exactly forty five minutes past two in the morning the baby. Especially since it was Bree's name splashed across his screen while the device wailed him awake from sleep. He cursed as he swiped across his screen to take the call, his heart beating him to death. It'd kill him if anything happened to any of the two most important people to him even though he was yet to meet one of them. There's no manual for this first time dad thingy and he was doing his best even if that involves the constant paranoia that's taken permanent residence in his head. "Baby girl..." He said into the phone with a calming, tentative voice that his the panic and turmoil building in the pit of his belly, hoping for the best but unconsciously expecting the worst. It did come, the latte
The ride back to Ryder's place was silent except for the slow song playing on the radio, the text and the whole event of the night hanging thick in the air between them. The memory of it made Bree's skin crawl, it filled her with so much disgust and nausea and for Ryder, it irked him to hell and back that the bastard hadn't hung around long enough to be caught by him. He'd have pounded his face beyond recognition and made sure he got even worse treatment after. It was worse that there had been no fucking security camera footage to show who the corporate was, not even one. Another reason he hated these old apartments, which fucking building dosen't have one of those for security purposes. He drove them back to his house, his security details following discretely behind them for protection purposes. This might be some jobless, perverted, idiot playi
His scent, the warmth of his body behind hers, and the sure safety of his arms wrapped around her, these were the things that had finally cuddled Bree back to sleep, even though she'd dreamt about tonight while at it and had woken up again in a fright. It had been there, l the constant fear that it could all somehow repeat itself and this time she'd be conscious watching it, the loath, the disgust..... But sometime, much later in the morning, she'd succumbed to the beckoning arms of oblivion and had fallen asleep again, amd this time she'd had a long dreamless sleep that had lasted hours. She woke up much later to an empty, cold space next to her in the bed and a text from Rider that was checking to see that she was fine and not still traumatized from what had happened last night. She missed him almost immediately, it was like her morning had gone sour and lost its colors after she realised he was gone, but then again he had to work and she understood. It was just that she'd hope
Spending the morning with Karen was therapeutic for Brianna, taking her mind off of last night. She spent most of it in the kitchen with the older woman, making breakfast and cleaning up and she'd been so excited when she found out Ryder had offered Karen a full time, live in job instead of her usual three days a week housekeeping and that she had accepted. She had wondered what his motive was and what prompted the offer, but she didn't get to worry for long because her answer came sooner than later in the form of a knock on the door. She been busy cleaning out Ryder's room when Karen had come knocking to inform her that the movers were here and that she could come tell them where she wanted her things to be placed. It had come as a big surprise since Ryder hadn't mentioned anything about moving her things to his place. She had followed the older woman out to the front
The kiss wasn't supposed to be anything serious, because they were still taking baby steps with this, but it did, escalating quickly and getting deeper so easily like always, building an engulfing flame that burned so bright in them. Kissing the soft rosy buds that were Bree's lips was always like this for Ryder and in this particular moment, it was like coming alive again after a long time, he was home in her arms. This part of his life had been dead and buried the day he'd taken the irrevocably stupid decision to walk away from her life and what they'd had. But tasting the undiluted headiness of her kiss again, getting lost in the sweet intoxication that was her lips, wrapped in the mixture of both their scents.....that was everything he's dream of and prayed for. Cupping her face gently in his palm, he kissed her even deeper, familiarizing himself with her taste all over again.
Her box laid open in the middle of their bed while Bree went around the room, taking anything she thought she'd need and throwing them inside it.She's procrastinated this packing for a while now but it needed to be done and as a matter of fact now that Ryder was still at the office.She didn't want him to come home and find she was the only one delaying the vacation he'd taken the whole month to plan for them.Yeah, a vacation, more like a honeymoon except the kids, Karen and Issy, the new nanny, were coming too.In the couple of years that's passed, a lot has happened, none of which she regretted one bit.Not learning how damaged how husband had been before he waltzed into her life or that his plan had been to use her as pawn in his schemes to get revenge, none of it.That last part had hit harder than the rest, knowing that she could have so easily suffered for the crimes of someone who didn't even give two piece of flying shit about her.She'd taken her time to digest that piece
"You know you'll never hurt Xander, right?" She asked him quietly, and honestly, she had no idea what that did for him.He didnt know that, he's been afraid of that since he knew he was expecting a soon too and maybe, just maybe, that has affected his relationship with his baby.He wondered if she'd noticed, all the times he'd opt to hold Lexie instead of him, afraid that whatever had made his father get so awfully abusive to him might be nestled somewhere inside him.What if it was a bad trait living inside him too, waiting to grow and make him a monster too?It was the sole reason he hadn't wanted kids, ever, but Bree had come into his life and many things had changed with her presence.She'd made him want things that he had no right wanting, made him be live he deserved some good things in his life and now here they were, with two kids, one of them a boy......just like he'd been."I need you to understand this Ry, you'll never be like your father. You are a good man, one of the best
Bree knew that Ryder had gone through a lot growing up, hrll she knew he had had it tough growing up and has dealt with his fair share of traumatic experience, but abuse at ten?That was a lot to digest.It must have been so difficult for him, a different kind of hell even to loose the one person that genuinely loved him and have the other person who was supposed to love him now resort to abusing and molesting him instead.She couldn't stop the tears that rolled down the sides of her face as she listened to him tell it in that voice of his that couldn't choose between indifference, anger and pain.She could imagine him, so innocent, so small, so hurt and yet do afraid of the monster he calls father.No wonder his father snd hers had gotten so along together and had even made it as close friends.They were both bad pedophilic men, cut from the same nasty cloth.".......and just when I thought it couldn't get worse, he started bringing his friends over."Her breath caught in her throat s
Before he got into bed, Ryder had already made up his mind to tell Bree everything that she wanted to know about him and why he turned out the way he did.He didn't want a fight like the last time, that had been an absolute hell, and he didnt want to let his past keep winning.He wanted to get it out there, he needed to.This morning had shown him that, he might never be over those horrid incidents but it would be better to know he tried.And if he had to share it with anyone, then why not her? Why not the woman he was ready to spend the rest of his life with?Even though he hasn't popped the question, he knew that was his truth, he's been ready for that step for a while now and he'd ask her anytime from now."Baby please...."Her voice called his mind back from wandering off.He opened his mouth to, but the words weren't coming, his tongue sat heavy in his mouth, unmoving, while the forbidden images he's fought so hard to keep at bay flooded his head.His hand that held her close sque
Bree didnt know which bothered her the most this night between a tantrum throwing Xander who wouldn't calm down to anything and a Ryder she'd watched all day start to recoil into himself.But she'd be damned if he thought that she'd let him do that to both of them again.Not this time around, no.It was surprising still how fast his mood had swung from after she found him in the sittingroom with the last people on earth she expected to see today.He'd been okay at first, talking with them and even playing smug with her when she'd called him out on knowing they had guests snd not mentioning.But as the discussion in the room had settled more between herself and Larry, encompassing how much things had changed back home from when she left up until now and stuff, she'd noticed the start of his withdrawal. By the time Larry had come around filling her in on what had been decided on the case of her father, Nathan and Brandon, he'd been about ready to combust.She'd noticed, and before she c
The rest of the day passed in a blur for Ryder, centered around the two new men in the house and the babies they came to visit, mostly.It was nice to see Bree around other people that wasn't him and the kids, to see her around her own crowd.She needed this, he knew, because in these past months it's been just himself, the kids and Karen in her life, which wasn'tideal for anyone really.It must have been difficult for her, not having anyone or anywhere to go, especially in the times he'd been an absolute asshole to her and she must have needed someone to vent to, but she'd endured it without complaint.He hated that she had though, she should have said something, done something, but she hadn't and he couldn't even lay the blames at her doorstep now.He'd been all that she'd had here, away from her family, biological and adopted, and he'd fucked up royally.These thoughts and accusations in his head while he watched her bloom like a flower having its first taste of sunshine in a while
The memory of what happened in the bathroom stayed with Bree while she had her soak in the tub and an accompanying nice bath, making her flush every now and again.She never expected it to feel this good again, but Ryder had broken every of her doubts with how easily he'd made her body sing and how intensely he'd made her come.Her legs still felt shaky even after time had passed and she was out of the one room that now held a different memory for her.She'd worried that he didnt want her anymore since the babies came and mentally, she blamed it on her postpartum body and the scar that lined her flesh, the scar that marked her first step into motherhood.And those thoughts had almost made her hate it and herself too.But this morning, barely an hour ago, he'd shown her that she'd been worrying for nothing really.Her body ached sweetly even as she got dressed up, still humming from his sinful ministrations.The room was empty which means he'd taken the babies with him on his way out, s
"Then stay."That sentence, made only of two words, in that moment, sounded more powerful than any argument Ryder could think of.He wanted to, fuck, he's dreamed of staying, like she was asking him to and doing the things she was suggesting, but the fears he'd parroted to her were real for him.He didn't want to hurt her, shes been through enough in recent times to add that to her plate and he knew he might with how rough this could easily turn.She had no idea what she did to him, to his control and without it, he could do things that both of them would only regret later....While his head turned and tossed the pros and cons of indulging their flaming desires and fantasies right now, his eyes followed her body's slow descent until she dropped to her knees before him.She looked like an angel to him, in fact to him she was one, just naughtier and more tempting to his already thin control.Her dainty fingers reached up to the waistband of the sweatpants he had on and he just watched as
"Ryder.......please......"Bree could hardly believe the voice saying these words belonged to her.She sounded so different to her own self and that was probably because it's been a long while since she's had Ryder touch her like this.She was almost beginning to think they'd hit a drought in their sex life before this morning happened.The no sex rule made sense during her recuperation period she could understand, but even before that and then after, he'd still been reluctant to touch her in an suggestive way.It had bothered her enough to make her believe it was because she looked hideous to him now with her scars and all, but the eyes that had taken in every inch of her body just minutes ago had cleared her of worries.He wanted her snd he wasn't hiding that either.She arched her body as his fingers found her other nipple, catching it between his forefinger and his thumb and rubbing it mercilessly till she thought she'd come from the pleasure.Initially, she'd been afraid she might