Jaeden was only somewhat aware of putting enough distance between her and Ryder in order to slide her hands up over his chest and sink her fingers into his thick hair, anchoring his mouth to her own as their tongues mated.

Her blood seemed to bubble under her skin, a heat so intense building inside of her she thought she was going to incinerate them both.

Ryder was kissing her.

Ryder.

Wow.

One of his hands slid down her side, his thumb brushing her breast and setting off another blast of fireworks inside her. Eventually, he curled said hand around her thigh so he could wrap her leg around his waist. Automatically, she did that with her other one, and found herself flat on her back, while Ryder pressed his body into hers.

Oh goddess!

She gasped into his mouth.

And then suddenly a breeze blasted over her, and she opened her eyes to find Ryder pushing himself back to the foot of the bed, his hand shaking as he brushed his hair off his face.

Why had he stopped?

“That wasn’t meant to happen,” he said hoarsely, his eyes round on her.

With that, a crushing sense of deflation swamped her. What? Did she think Ryder, the most notorious bachelor in the pack, would actually be interested in her seriously? Puhlease. Of course he had stopped before things went too far. He was disgustingly honorable.

Plus her father would kill him.

“Yeah, I guess not,” she snapped and then bit her tongue. Damn it. She didn’t want him to know he had hurt her.

“I didn’t mean the kiss.” He shuffled towards her quickly, and she strained back from him.

“Stay back. OK. I don’t need this kind of crap right now, Ryder.”

His eyes seemed to darken in anger, confusing her.

“Hey.” She shrugged, unable to meet his eyes. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to tell my dad. You’re safe.”

He snorted in disgust, and she looked up to see him glaring at her - really glaring at her.

What was his problem?! She was the one who was going to end up with her heart broken if she didn’t get away from his dumb, tight ass! As if she didn’t have enough pain in her life without adding him to her already broken soul!

“What?” she snapped. “What is your problem? Stop looking at me like that!”

“I’m trying to decide whether I want to kill you,” he growled through clenched teeth, “Or haul you underneath me and finish what we started.”

“Charming.”

Ryder’s hands flew up in a strangling gesture. “Can you shut up for one second so I can explain?”

“Explain what? Your almost molestation of me?”

“I swear you say one more word and I-”

“You’ll what?”

The next thing she knew he had a hold of her, his hand clamped tightly across her mouth. She wriggled but to no avail.

“Ah much better.” He grinned down at her.

“Mm mmm hu uhh uu.”

“What’s that sweetheart? I’m a little hard of hearing.”

Goddess, he was a schmuck.

“Now.” He pulled her closer. “Let me talk before you continue jumping to all the wrong conclusions, and decide I’m a bastard and that you hate me.”

What was he talking about?

His eyes had gone all warm and buttery as they wandered across her face. She stilled, suddenly too intrigued to fight him anymore. Did Ryder...? No... Could he?

“I stopped kissing you because I was this close to making love to you, and I would rather we did that after I’ve spoken to your father.”

Huh?

He laughed as if he could read her reaction in her eyes. “Jae... I think we have something. You can deny it all you want, but there’s something more between us. Something real.” He smiled, suddenly looking unexpectedly shy. “I think we could be mates.”

Jaeden’s eyes widened and she tensed. Was he serious? Was Ryder Alexander, the biggest crush of her life, actually suggesting they were mates?

“I don’t know how it happened.” He unclamped his hand from her mouth and cupped her face tenderly. “But the thought of not being able to spend every day bickering with you and then kissing you quiet, knocks the breath out of me, and when we get home I’m going to ask permission from Dimitri to court you, if that’s OK with you?”

“Then why did you stop?”

He chuckled as the question tumbled out of her mouth with a life of its own. “Because I want to do things right with you.”

“Ryder,” she breathed, resting her forehead against the top of his chest. “Are you sure? I mean... if you hadn’t noticed I’m not exactly Miss Normal right now. I mean... Are you sure?” She laughed in disbelief.

His cheek slid against her own, sending sparks running throughout her as he breathed in her ear, “Completely. You’re mine, Jae.” He pulled back. “If that’s OK with you?”

As he smiled down at her, a weight she didn’t even know she had been carrying, floated off of her body and out of the room. She knew she looked too serious, but she couldn’t help it. “I’ve had a crush on you forever.”

His eyes widened and he appeared all of sudden smug. “Oh really.”

She slapped at him half-heartedly. “Now don’t be going and getting yourself a big head there, cowboy.”

“I can’t help it. The untouchable Jaeden Rodriguez has a crush on me.” He pulled her closer again, and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. “Why didn’t you say anything to me?”

Jae snorted. “Yeah, right. You barely even noticed me.”

His hand slid down her waist to her hip and he squeezed her to him. “I’m noticing you now,” he growled.

Giggling, she shifted away from him. “I think we better cut that out before you deflower me.”

“Deflower you?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Does that mean...”

She blushed. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with Ryder. “Yes,” she heaved an exaggerated sigh. “I am a virgin. Scared?”

His eyes darkened, and she shivered as he shook his head, his throat thick with a possessiveness that should have alarmed her, and yet only stirred the heat in her. “Glad,” he managed, seeming just as surprised as her. “I think I’d have to take the head off of any other guy that had touched you.”

She smiled. “How caveman of you.”

“Yeah, you love it.” He grabbed her and started nipping playfully at her lips.

Jae melted into him, and would have happily let him do what he would with her, but somehow Ryder shook himself into focus enough to sit back on the other bed.

He shrugged ruefully at her questioning look. “It’s safer.”

She blushed again as she tried to articulate what she wanted. “I wouldn’t mind... if we-”

“I would, sweetheart.” He cut her off with a soft look. “I want you. But as my mate.”

Jae nodded, completely shocked that somehow this three day car journey with Ryder had turned into a long ago fantasy she had had before Ethan had taken her. A sense of peace washed through her as she looked at him. With Ryder beside her, maybe she really would be OK.

She snuggled deep into her pillow as he talked to her. For hours they laughed and chatted about everything and nothing, until eventually she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

RAP, RAP, RAP

Ryder bolted up out of the bed, his eyes going straight to Jae to make sure she was alright. Sunlight streamed through holes in the motel room curtains, shooting shafts across her golden skin. A tingling ran through him as he remembered the night before. He smiled. She was one step closer to being his.

RAP, RAP, RAP

Jae was coming around at the banging on the door. Ryder cursed, throwing his covers off and creeping toward the door.

“Who-”

He held a finger up to his lips to cut off Jae’s question as she sat up, pushing her thick hair off her face.

Who was banging on their door? No one knew they were here.

“Jaeden, it’s me!” a strong male voice yelled through the wood.

Ryder tensed as Jae gasped, “Reuben?”

She flew out of the bed and knocked him out of the way so she could throw the door open. The next thing he knew his female was in the arms of some tall, built, dark haired vampyre. Ryder growled. He wasn’t an expert on the subject, but he was guessing the vamp would be considered good-looking to the female and gay population of the world.

Jaeden must have heard him growl because she pulled back from the vampyre and turned to him nervously. “Ryder, this is Reuben. I told you about him.”

Ah yes, the vamp who talked her into breaking Coven laws; the vamp who wanted ‘something more’ than just friendship. He had never considered himself the possessive type but all of a sudden he understood why Lucien got as crazy as he did whenever another male came on to Caia. His arm shot out of its own accord and he pulled Jaeden into his side. She groaned at his obvious display of jealousy, but right now he wasn’t giving a crap.

He glared at Reuben, whose dark eyes were narrowed on him. “What are you doing here?”

The vampyre straightened and spoke calmly, “I was worried about Jaeden. I came to check she was alright.”

“That’s some tracking skills you’ve got there.”

Reuben shrugged noncommittally.

Jae was right. This vampyre, despite looking about twenty-four, was old. And that meant he was dangerous.

“You’ve seen she’s alright. Now leave.”

“Ryder.” Jaeden smacked him lightly on the chest in admonishment. “Stop.” She turned to smile at Reuben. “I’m fine. But you’re here now, so why don’t we all grab some breakfast together?”

Reuben smiled at her. “Sounds wonderful.”

“Sounds crap.”

Jae snorted. “Reuben, this is Ryder. Please forgive him and his lack of manners. He’s a Neanderthal.”

“He’s just being protective.”