Page 33 of His to Defend

“It’s fine.” And it was. After all, she was totally fine with sex getting a little rough if that was the extent of it. And the result was so completely world-shattering. “Just don’t let it happen again,” she teased, but still he wouldn’t smile.

“I won’t.” He looked so serious that she stuck out her tongue and laughed.

“I have to check my phone.” She rolled over and turned her attention to her cell, but a moment later, the now familiar heat of Ryker’s body pressed against her back distracted her.

“Is it work?” He started to kiss the small of her back and Nina almost gave in to his attentions. “I’ve never even asked you what you do.”

Nina left her phone for the moment and rolled back to face him. “I’m a writer.” It was the first time she’d told someone what she did for a living without adding the name of the magazine she worked for. It felt good, if not a little strange.

Ryker traced a finger along the curves of her hip, dipping down into her waist and up to the swell of her breast. “And what kind of things do you write?”

“It used to be mostly travel pieces.” She squeezed her eyes and let a moan of pleasure slip from her lips as he pinched her nipple before moving on with his explorations.

“And now?”

Nina opened her eyes again. “Now, I’m working on a book.” It felt good to say it out loud. “I’m taking a break from travel writing for a bit. It’s time to do some writing for me. Does that sound stupid?”

Ryker lifted his head from her stomach, where he’d just pressed a kiss. “Not at all. I take pictures for a living.”

“Really?” How had she never asked him what he did before? You’ve only known him a few days. The little voice of reason in the back of her head piped up but she quickly shut it down lest it start protesting over the feelings she was developing that she had no business having given that it was only a few days.

“Adventure photography mostly,” he continued. “Anything to do with rock climbing and back country skiing are my specialties. It’s actually a pretty kick-ass job. And I’m sure it’s not quite the same thing, but sometimes I can feel like I just want to take a simple picture. Something for me.”

“That’s just it.” She sat up on the bed. “I always meant to work on my book when I was done with my work stuff, but I found it so hard to switch gears and write about something fictional. And there just never seemed to be time.”

“But now you’re doing it.”

Nina nodded. “I am. I have a little money put aside and I can afford to take a bit of time off to focus on it.”

“I think that’s fantastic. Not enough people chase after their dreams.”

She blushed a little, but Ryker was right. Not enough people chased their dreams. It was as if somewhere along the lines of growing up, their dreams were pushed aside, put on a shelf, in favor of real life. Adult life. It was really unfortunate. But it didn’t have to be. At least not for her.

“You’re right.” She pulled her hair back and let it fall down around her shoulders.

“I know I’m right.” He grinned. “Just like I know you’re going to be successful. When you have something you believe in, something you can’t live without, something that confuses you…well, that’s the type of thing that just gets inside you and becomes a part of you. It’s something you’ll never be able to let go of. Ever.”

She had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t just talking about writing anymore. Nina waited a moment and asked, “What about you? What was your dream when you were young?”

“Honestly?”

“Of course.” Nina grinned a little, enjoying this playful side of Ryker. Up until now, she’d only seen a strong, tough side of him. Not that she didn’t like it, a lot. She did.

But this lighter version of Ryker was fun, too.

“Adventure photography was my dream,” he said. “Let me clarify, it is my dream. I mean, I get to play outside in the mountains I love while taking pictures. I don’t think it can get too much better than that.”

Nina thought about it for a minute. “Okay,” she said. “I agree. You’re living your dream but is there any other kind of photography you’ve ever wanted to try? Something that’s just for you?”

The smile that slipped over Ryker’s face was downright sinful. “There is one thing.” He hopped off the bed and went to his bag, where he pulled out a camera.

“Are you going to show me?” She reached for the camera, ready to flick through some of his photos, but Ryker pulled the camera back.

“No, I’m going to make you the subject.”

“What?” In reflex, Nina crossed her arms over her bare chest. “Like, take pictures of me?”

“Don’t cover them up.” Ryker pretend to pout. “Your breasts are way too beautiful to be hidden.”