Semua Bab DON’T STOP: Bab 11 - Bab 20

RyderI couldn’t sleep.The sheets felt too heavy, the room too hot, and my body too restless. I tossed onto my left side, then my right, then onto my back again. Every position made it worse. The ache between my legs hadn’t eased since dinner. Since the accidental brush of Lila’s leg under the table. Since her quiet “yes” upstairs. Since the way she walked out and left me standing there hard and wanting and confused as hell.Delaney breathed slowly and evenly on her side of the bed. Asleep. Peaceful. Oblivious.I sat up carefully, trying not to wake her. The mattress dipped under my weight. Moonlight slipped through the half-open curtains, painting pale stripes across the floor. I stared at the cupboard built into the headboard for a long moment. Then I reached over, opened the small door, and pulled out the bottle of lube we kept there for nights that never came.I pushed my shorts down to my thighs, still sitting up, back against the headboard. My cock sprang free, thick and painfu

LilaI heard it again—that deep, guttural groan echoing from below, vibrating through the floorboards like a secret summons, pulling me from the haze of my own restless thoughts. My room felt quiet and still, with curiosity clawing at me, insistent as a lover's hand.Ever since I unpacked in this room, I’d been aware of the small hole in the floorboards. It hid beneath the chair in the corner, a subtle defect in the aged wood that had been half-heartedly patched over, as if silence could erase its existence.But tonight, with that sound slithering up like smoke, I couldn't resist. With my heart pounding, I slid the chair aside quietly, the wood scraping softly against the planks, and knelt down, peering through the narrow gap.My breath caught in my throat as I took in the sight below: Ryder, his powerful body moving with fierce intent, thrusting into Delaney, I realized with a sharp twist in my chest—as the bed creaked under their weight.His muscles flexed with every deep, rhythmic

LilaRyder backed me into the room until the backs of my knees hit the edge of the bed. I sat down automatically, legs parting slightly as he stepped between them. He hovered over me, hands braced on the mattress on either side of my hips, caging me in without touching yet. Our faces were inches apart.I swallowed hard, eyes locked on his. His lips were swollen and dark red from our long, hot kiss in the doorway. They looked fuller, wet, and almost bruised in the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. My own mouth tingled, still tasting him—mint and heat and something darker that made my stomach flutter.He watched me just as intently, gray eyes dark and steady. Slowly, deliberately, he lifted one hand and trailed two fingers down the outside of my thigh. The touch was feather-light, barely there, but it sent a full-body shiver racing through me. My skin prickled. Goosebumps rose in the wake of his fingers. I gripped the sheets on either side of me, knuckles whitening, try

RyderI took her hand and laid her down on the bed. When the backs of her knees hit the mattress, she sat. I knelt between her legs and looked up at her. Her brown eyes were wide and nervous, but there was something else there too. Want. Curiosity. The same hunger I’d seen in the hallway.I rested my hands on her thighs. My thumbs traced slow circles over the soft skin just above her knees. “You’re safe here,” I said quietly. “This is your home now. No one’s going to hurt you. Not me. Not ever.”She swallowed and gave a tiny nod.I leaned in and kissed her forehead. Then her temple. Then the corner of her mouth. Soft. Reassuring. She sighed against my lips, and her hands came up to rest on my shoulders. I felt her fingers tremble.I guided her back gently until she was lying flat on the bed. Her hair fanned out across the pillow. I stayed above her, braced on my arms so she could see my face clearly. I wanted her to know I was watching her. Really watching her.I reached for the hem o

LilaHe grinned even bigger. “You got it.”The man brushing the horse nodded politely. “Ken,” he said simply. He didn’t smile, but his eyes were kind.The third one, who was the one fixing the gate, tipped his hat. “Davis. Welcome.”I smiled shyly. “Thank you. I’m… I’m his niece. Just visiting for a bit.”Jerry’s smile softened. “We know. Ryder told us. You’re family.”I turned to Ryder and smiled, but he had already looked away, acting like he didn’t hear Jerry say that.I turned to Jerry, who glanced down at my heels again while we walked. “Those shoes are something else. You always wear them?”I grinned. “Don’t mind them. My friends call me Miss Heels for a reason. I’m way more comfortable strutting around in these than anything flat.”Jerry grinned wider. “Miss Heels. I like it. Suits you.”Ken and Davis chuckled quietly.Ryder cleared his throat. “I’ve got to check the north fence line—some posts loosened after last week’s rain. You three keep an eye on her. Show her around if sh