Knight Moves Vol. 1-5 - The Complete Series: A Navy SEAL Romance Page 6

  “Mr. Newman selected these two options for you to try, and whichever you like best, is yours to keep,” Shannon explained, still smiling brightly at me.

  “Thank you,” I said, reaching for the boxes.

  “Would you like me to wait while you try them on? If not, you can drop the extra outfit off at the boutique, or send for a courier to collect it.”

  I took the boxes from her, surprised by the weight. “I can try them on now. If you have time. I don’t want to inconvenience you…”

  “Of course not. I’ll be out here, take as much time as you need.”

  Shannon took a seat as I went to the bathroom. I got inside and opened the top box to find a long, black gown. The material was thin, but elegant, and before I even slipped it on, I knew it would drape beautifully on my figure. Before trying on the black dress, I opened the second box. The dress inside was short, and a metallic gold with sparkling appliques. They were both beautiful, but it was hard to imagine that they were both appropriate for the same occasion. Ryker had never told me where we were going, and I’d assumed we would be going to dinner, or a bar. However, the two dresses had me wondering if he had something altogether different up his sleeve.

  It was an easy decision, and Shannon smiled as I handed her the box containing the short, gold dress. “Excellent choice. This is also for you,” she added, producing a small, black velvet box from the pocket of her jacket.

  I arched a brow as I took the small box, and she smiled even wider. I opened the lid and gasped at the pair of drop, diamond earrings nestled on a piece of black velvet. “Oh my God!”

  “I know! They’re stunning.” Shannon nodded at me as I put them on. “They look amazing. Have a wonderful evening!”

  She left and I looked up at the clock, suddenly frantic that Ryker would be arriving within ten minutes. I ran to the bathroom, hurried to apply my makeup. I took my hair out of its tight bun, fluffed out the gentle waves, and then slipped back into the black dress. I spun in the mirror, looking at the way the dress hugged my curves, and smiled. I felt like I was about to go to the Academy Awards.

  I was still admiring myself, preening and fussing with my hair, when I heard a strong, masculine voice call out from the studio, “Everlie?”

  My hands froze in place, framing my face, and my stomach dropped out the bottom as though I’d just plummeted from the top of a theme park ride.

  I took a deep breath and left the bathroom, rounding the corner to find Ryker standing in the middle of the studio, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, a crisp white shirt and a smile that sucked the breath right out of my lungs.

  “Oh my God, Everlie, you’re beautiful!” He said, his eyes taking a slow, appreciative tour of my body.

  My cheeks warmed and I ducked my chin. “Thank you, Ryker. This dress is amazing…”

  Ryker nodded and stepped closer. His dark eyes were fixed on mine, a dangerous smile formed on his enticing lips. “You ready?” He asked, reaching out his hand.

  My heart faltered at his question. Was I?

  A moment stretched out, suspending us for a beat, before I took his hand and replied, “Yes.”

  Chapter Nine

  Everlie

  My heart was still thundering as Ryker led me out to his waiting car. He held open my door, making sure not to crush the edges of the dress, as he tucked me inside, and went around to the driver’s side. As soon as he turned over the engine, I couldn’t help but ask, “Where are we going?”

  He smiled at me. “It’s a surprise. But you’ll like it, trust me.”

  He pulled out of the lot and we set off back in the direction of the city. A few minutes of silence passed, before I said, “Thank you for all of the gifts today. You didn’t have to do all that, you know.”

  Ryker glanced at me. “I wanted to. I’m glad you enjoyed.”

  “I did,” I replied, looking out of the corner of my eye at the handsome man beside me. The entire day had been like a storybook romance. Gifts and flowers, a special dress and exquisite jewelry. It was all surreal and looking at the man who had orchestrated it all felt even more pinch-me-I’m-dreaming perfect.

  “How were your classes today?” Ryker asked.

  We chatted about that as we drove into the city. He asked questions about different ballet words, laughed at the stories of the wild two-year-olds, and smiled when I told him about my reaction to all the gifts as they arrived throughout the day. The conversation wound down just as we pulled into a parking garage. I still had no idea what he was up to, and with the central location, we could be going anywhere.

  Ryker cut the engine, got out, and raced around to open my door just as I was letting myself out. “This way,” he led me down the sidewalk and as we got nearer to our destination, he smiled even more. “Here we are.”

  I looked up at the huge marquee sign for a touring ballet company from New York and gasped. “We’re seeing this?”

  He nodded and reached an arm around me, resting his hand on my hip. His touch thrilled me even more than knowing we were about to go watch a ballet performance and I was beaming as he swept me through the elegant front doors of the auditorium. “You were enchanting last night, and I wanted to see more of this world. Your world.”

  I stared up at him, completely stunned. A rough and tumble soldier, in a perfect black suit, voluntarily going to the ballet. My initial assessment of him erased the rest of the way with a pang of guilt for judging him so harshly in the first place. “This is perfect.”

  He smiled and led me to our seats—which were amazing, better than any I’d had before.

  “You surprise me,” I whispered to him, sitting in the dim lights before the show began.

  He looked at me, his eyes dancing, and replied, “Good.”

  The show began and we sat silent, both mesmerized by the performance. Ryker’s hand rested casually on my thigh, and occasionally his thumb would brush back and forth, sending a shower of sparks through my entire body. I was spellbound by the beautiful dancers and the story they told with their bodies, but couldn’t help but be tugged away from it all when Ryker touched me.

  Not that I minded.

  After the show, we went across the street to an upscale restaurant. As we waited for our meals, I took advantage of a lull in conversation. “So, on the first night we met, you told me to tell you about myself, and it seems that’s all we’ve done since. I don’t really know anything about you, except that you’re home from overseas and with the Navy…or used to be? See? I don’t even know that much!”

  Ryker smiled and took a drink of the wine he’d ordered for us. “I suppose that’s because the Navy is my whole life. I enlisted when I was seventeen, went to boot camp when I turned eighteen, two weeks after graduation, and that’s where I’ve been ever since.”

  “What made you choose the Navy? Or the military in general, I guess,” I asked. I’d known lots of people who were in the military, and each had their own reason for joining. I found that it usually said a lot about that person to know their motivation for making such a life altering choice like that.

  “It’s in my blood. My grandfathers, on both sides, and my old man, all Navy men.”

  The server came with our food before I could pepper him with more questions, and when she left, Ryker shifted the conversation to the meal, and a couple of places in Vegas he’d gone to over the last few days. I discovered that he was actually quite a foodie, and had seemingly eaten his way through half the city since arriving.

  “So, that’s how you found out about my café!” I marveled, thinking back to the lunch he’d had delivered.

  He nodded. “Yeah, I had lunch there yesterday, and had that same thing. I remembered you talking about it the other night.”

  I smiled, not even remembering bringing it up, but I was a bit of a food snob myself, and it was easy enough to imagine mentioning it. “What about the chocolates? I couldn’t find a logo on the box.”

  “Oh, those are from a shop in Oklahoma, actually.
I thought you needed a little taste of where I come from.”

  My mouth dropped open, thinking that the box alone must have ranged in the hundred dollar range, but overnight shipping on top of that…

  “You’re crazy!” I burst out. “I mean, in a really, really good way. But that must have cost a fortune!”

  Ryker waved it off. “Don’t worry about that. All that matters is they brought you pleasure…” His voice dipped and his eyes went darker as the words purred off his tongue.

  I felt my cheeks flush and turned my attention back to my food, not sure what to say.

  “I’ve been thinking about the things that pleasure you, Everlie,” Ryker added.

  “Ryker, I—” I fumbled over my words, torn in two very different directions. My head knew it was too fast—I had no business being tangled up with a man I’d just met—even one like Ryker. But my body was on fire, his words, his voice—they were enough to light me up and make me squirm with desire.

  He dropped it, expertly changing the topic again, as though the insinuating comments had never been made, and lulled me back to my comfort zone—talk of food, the ballet, the city, and he even told me a little more about his job with the Navy—running logistics on special op missions. I got wrapped up in what he was telling me, and was sad when I looked down and found that we had polished off the final bites of the decadent dessert we’d agreed to share.

  I leaned back in my seat. “At this rate, this is the first, and last time I’ll be able to wear this dress,” I joked, thinking about the sugar I’d gorged on all day long, thanks to Ryker.

  “I’m sure we could find a way to burn off those extra calories,” Ryker suggested, giving me another wicked smile. I buzzed with the thrill his words gave me, but couldn’t think of how to respond.

  Ryker took care of the check when it came and we walked back to the parking garage. When we reached his rental car, he stalled before opening my door. “Where am I taking you?” He asked. “I know where I’d like to take you, but I don’t want to spoil this evening with an inaccurate presumption.”

  He smiled at me and took another step closer. His cologne was intoxicating and I was left reeling from a buzz that had nothing to do with the two glasses of wine I’d had over dinner. He leaned down and I sucked in a silent breath right before his lips met mine. The gasp melted into a moan of sheer, unapologetic pleasure as his lips moved against mine, capturing me into a mind bending kiss. His hands skimmed down my sides and rested on my hips, his large fingers splayed out over my gentle curves. I ran my hands down the front of his chest, my fingers sliding over the muscles I could feel through his shirt. I stopped when I hit the buttons of his suit jacket, and wished he wasn’t wearing it.

  He broke the kiss first, backing up a few inches, and waited for my answer. My mind scraped together enough consciousness to remember what he’d asked, and after a panicked flash, answered, “I don’t want to go home yet.”

  That was all he needed to hear. He opened the car door, ushered me inside, and we took off towards his hotel. We were silent, lingering in the current between us that built with each step as we made our way through the hotel lobby, up the elevator, and finally inside his large suite.

  Alone in his hotel room, my pulse shot through the roof. I could almost hear the sound of my heart slamming against my chest as Ryker went to the mini bar and poured two glasses of wine from a bottle sitting opened in an ice bucket. I sat down on the suede couch and wiped my sweaty palms along the arm. He brought the two glasses back and handed me one.

  “This is a nice suite,” I commented, wincing at the dullness of my statement.

  Ryker smiled. “Yeah, Bennett and I were sharing it, but he had to leave unexpectedly, so now, the place is all mine. Or, rather, ours.” His smile darkened and I shivered as his words swept over me. He was impossible to resist, and I’d known that, and still gone up to the room with him.

  “Bennett’s gone?” I asked, momentarily distracted from Ryker. Tori hadn’t mentioned that they’d said their goodbyes. I knew their relationship was casual, but it still registered as something she would have told me.

  “Mmhmm. He went back to Oklahoma. Had some Navy stuff to deal with.” Ryker reached for my free hand, and pulled me off the couch. “Come on, let’s get comfortable.”

  I tried my best not to gulp audibly as he led me from the living room, and wrapped an arm around my waist as he led me to one of the bedrooms. The room was large and just as fancy as the rest of the room. Sleek furniture, rich linens and colors, and expansive space to move around. My eyes swept the room and came to rest on the bed.

  “Everlie.” Ryker cupped my face, directing my eyes back to his. There was a question in his eyes, but he didn’t vocalize it. Instead, he brought his lips down to mine. His lips were soft, but commanding, as the kiss deepened. My body tensed, startled by the power of his kiss, but as his lips parted mine and his tongue circled mine, I purred in the back of my throat and relaxed into his body. Every hungry kiss vibrated through my body, until it was humming with anticipation. My hands went under his jacket, needing more of him, to feel his warm skin. Wordlessly, he broke away from the kiss, only long enough to strip off the jacket, dropping it over the upholstered bench at the foot of the king size bed. We crashed back together, his fingers slid down my arms, and I shivered as he grazed the side of my breasts. Through the thin, silky soft fabric, his touch was even more intoxicating.

  “Turn around, Everlie,” Ryker said into my ear, before dragging his tongue over the sensitive skin there.

  I spun around, and lifted my long hair out of the way, so Ryker could unzip the back of the gown. His fingers traced down the line of the zipper, pausing at the top of my butt, before going back up and tugging the zipper free, exposing my back to the electric current in the space between us. As the dress loosened, he slid it down my body—his hands skimmed my skin as he pushed it down my thighs and let it fold into a pool of black on the floor. I trembled as he felt his way back up. I’d been forced to abandon my bra to wear the dress since the straps weren’t in line with what I’d been wearing, and my cheeks went hot as I felt his eyes taking in my nearly naked body, my shoes and panties were the only thing I had left on.

  He spun me around with a gentle tug on my hips, and I dropped my arms, letting him see my bare breasts. His fingers went to my nipples and I gasped at the sensations that danced over my skin. Ryker smiled as he watched me react, and I couldn’t take my eyes from him. Watching him take me in was intoxicating and empowering. His dark eyes searched my body as though he couldn’t get enough and when he kissed me again…it was with a renewed hunger that stole my breath away with the sheer ferocity of it.

  The sensation of my hard nipples brushing against his stiff white dress shirt had me wet and writhing into him, wishing for his skin to be against mine. He sensed my urgent need and started to back me towards the bed. He laid me down and stripped away the shirt, tossing it aside. My eyes raked over his form, each perfect, firm muscle, and I nearly came undone just watching the way his body moved as he lowered onto me. His lips found mine after a lengthy tour of my breasts, collarbone and neck, and I moaned into his mouth, aching and hungry for more.

  I bucked against his hard body and he smiled down at me. “You ready, baby? I can’t wait much longer to get a taste.”

  Without waiting for a response, he worked down my body, his tongue and lips hot on my skin, but when he reached for the waist of my panties, his breath hot between my legs, I seized up. I bolted into an upright position and backed up the bed, putting space between us. He looked up, startled by my jerked movements, and the question was dark in his eyes. “Everlie?”

  “Ryker, I can’t…I can’t do this tonight.” I looked down at the bedspread, unable to hold his intense stare.

  “Everlie, look at me,” he commanded. I tugged my eyes back to his. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry, Ryker. I’m just not ready for…all this.”

  He groaned, but shifted his wei
ght off the bed and stood. He turned his back to me while he put his shirt back on and retrieved my dress from the floor.

  “Here, get dressed and I’ll take you back to the studio to get your car.” He handed me the dress, his eyes averted away from me.

  “You don’t have to—” He left the room, shutting the door before I could finish my sentence. I scrambled back into the dress, struggling to zip the back. When I finally wrangled myself into the dress properly, I went out of the room and found him standing by the door of the suit, his jacket back in place as though nothing had happened. “Ryker, you don’t have to do that. I’ll take a cab.”

  He scoffed. “Everlie, stop, a cab all the way out there will cost a fortune. I’m driving you.”

  “Why would you do that? You don’t owe me anything.”

  “I know that. Come on, let’s go.” He opened the door and held it for me. I hesitated, wanting to continue to argue my point, but the stern look in his eyes told me there was not point. I left the suite and let him guide me back to the car. We drove wordlessly back to the dance studio.

  “I’m sorry, Ryker,” I said softly when he parked next to my car, the engine of his rental still running.

  “Don’t be. I had a great night.” He looked over at me and there wasn’t a trace of bitterness in his expression.

  I stared at him, my insides a twisted mess of emotions. “Ryker—”

  “It’s okay, Everlie, I swear. Please, just text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”

  My heart dropped even further at his sweet, protective request, and I felt the burn of tears stinging at my eyes. “Okay. Thanks for everything.”

  He nodded and I pushed out of the car, hurrying to get into my own car before the tears could break free. I resisted the urge to give him a final glance, knowing it would undo me completely, before I pulled out of the small lot and headed back home.

  * * * *

  “God, Everlie! You look like a fucking princess!” Tori pounced on me as soon as I walked through the front door. I’d waited for my tears to dry before going upstairs, and made sure there was no trace of my breakdown for her to find. “Wait! What the hell—did he give you these?” She tapped on one of the dangling diamond earrings.