Page 30 of His to Defend

A few hours later, Nina’s eyes fluttered open. Her headache was gone, but the general feeling of achiness and exhaustion that followed a night of drinking too much took over her body. She blinked and rubbed at her eyes.

She was alone in her room.

Had she dreamt Ryker?

No. It was too real. The warmth of his body heating hers and keeping her safe. That was real.

Safe.

The memory of the night before and Ryker punching the man she’d been dancing with flashed through her head.

What was it that he’d said?

She couldn’t quite remember what he’d said to Matt moments before punching him. But she could remember the way it had made her feel. Tingly. Good. Wanted.

The clock across the room told her it was almost noon. Nina fell back to her pillow and groaned. She’d slept almost half the day. She hadn’t meant to get so drunk and out of control the night before. What would Harper think? Hopefully she wouldn’t be too upset that Nina had lost control at her bachelorette party. And thank God there was still a few days before the wedding. She was in no shape to think about maid of honor duties.

“Knock-knock.” The door opened a crack before Ryker slipped through, a tray in his hands. “Oh, good. You’re awake.”

He walked across the room and set the tray on the bedside table. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like to eat. Or if you’d like to eat. But I thought I’d take a chance.” He started to pour her a cup of coffee, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Were you here all night?”

Ryker nodded. “I wasn’t going to leave you.”

Her stomach flipped, but not because of the hangover.

“Besides.” He winked. “Luke kicked me out to a tent, so your room seemed like a good option.”

She tried to laugh, but her head split with pain. After a moment, she said, “You carried me out of the bar.”

He nodded again. “I did. You’d had a few drinks.”

A blush heated her face and she covered it with her hands, mortified that not only had she let everyone else see her after too many drinks, but Ryker, too.

“Hey.” Ryker put the coffee aside and sat on the bed next to her. He took her hands in his and pulled them away from her face. “It’s okay.”

“No.” She shook her head. “It’s not. I can’t believe I did that. But when you came into the bar and then left, I just thought…well…” She swallowed hard. There was no point dancing around it. “I thought maybe you didn’t want me and since earlier you made it really clear that it was a one-time thing and—”

His lips silenced her. Ryker’s hands came around her head and held her in place as he kissed her thoroughly. “Does that feel like I don’t want you?”

She shook her head slightly, unable to speak.

“Christ, Nina. All I’ve done from the moment I set eyes on you was want you. You drive me crazy, do you know that?”

She shook her head but then she smiled because she did know. He drove her just as crazy.

“Besides,” Ryker said. “I believe it was you who said it was a one-night-only thing. Not me.” He sat back and grinned.

It had been her. “That’s only because—”

This time to silence her, he pressed her backward to the pillow while kissing her. “Less talking.”

She murmured her agreement. It didn’t matter what happened last night or why she drank too much or what she may have thought or what he thought. The only thing that mattered was that he was on top of her, kissing her, and he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. There was just one more thing.

“Wait.” She squirmed out from under him, breaking their kiss.

“No waiting.” He reached for her head again to pull her back to the kiss, but Nina managed to evade him.