God, those words and what they did to her. Her body warmed from the inside out, and she let off a sigh of relief as a strange weight she hadn’t realized she was carrying lifted off her shoulders. He felt the same as she did. This thing between them really was as big as she had thought.
Her eyes burning with emotion, she dared to lock on his gaze so he could see the honesty in her eyes when she said the words her heart had been feeling for a while. “I love you, too, Air Ryder.”
“Aww!” Alana said, clutching her hands in front of her chest.
“Are you crying?” Ryder asked in a judgmental tone.
“I can’t help it,” Alana murmured, her eyes glistening. “I’ve seen you be offensive and obnoxious, but rarely sweet, Ryder.”
“Our man-child is growing up,” Harper joked from where she was dousing the bowl of shrimp with spicy seasoning.
“I was gonna give y’all some of these fruity beers, but now I’m gonna drink ’em all,” he threatened.
Ryder made his way over to the grill and commandeered the tongs away from Aaron, his grin bright as he popped off to his friend. And then the banter started all over again. It was a constant and happy thing in the Bloodrunners. As Lexi watched them laughing and joking as they prepared the big family dinner, she was struck by what she’d found here.
Not only had she found the love of a great man, but he’d given her friends, too.
As if he could hear her mushy thoughts, Ryder gave her a bright grin over his shoulder, then jerked his chin, asking her to join them.
Lexi grabbed a couple fruity beers from the cooler and popped the tops for Alana and Harper. She joined them at the prep table near the grill and helped season the asparagus alongside them.
Ryder gripped her waist and kissed the back of her neck, and she leaned back against him just to feel his warmth. Just to feel that pulsating heat in her chest that always showed up when he was near.
As if he could feel her need to be close, he wrapped his arms around her chest and let his lips linger on her cheek, and she could feel it. The happy smile on his lips that she breathed for.
She’d done her research and knew what was happening between them, and it was huge for both of them.
They weren’t using the word yet, but she had no doubt that someday they would.
She was the mate of Air Ryder.
Chapter Eleven
Sprinkles growled as Sammy Scrotum passed by her princess bed in the corner. He didn’t seem to notice as he scampered across the floor with a miniature chocolate chip cookie in his mouth. He disappeared into the bathroom where Ryder talked low to him. “I wouldn’t fuck with Princess Sprinkles, Sammy. She’s tough.”
The tough pooch he was talking about was already asleep again and snoring slightly. She wasn’t the best watchdog, but that wasn’t why Lexi had fallen for her. Sprinkles had been hit by a car, and Lexi had volunteered to foster her through her rehab and physical therapy. And then she hadn’t been able to give her up when the time came.
Lexi was lying on her stomach on the bed in one of Ryder’s oversize T-shirts, her head propped on a pillow as she watched Ryder’s shadow dance across the floor near the bathroom door. “So if this isn’t your house, why are we staying the night here?”
“So when you’re screaming my name tonight, Weston doesn’t have to listen to it.” It was meant to be a joke, she knew, but Ryder’s tone was dark.
He strode out of the bathroom naked and crawled across the bed to her, pushed the hem of her sleep shirt up her back. She rolled her eyes closed and sighed as his lips touched her spine. The tickle of his facial scruff was so fucking sexy, a delicious shiver trembled up into her shoulders.
Ryder chuckled against her skin, then ran his tongue a few inches up her lower back. “I got you an anniversary present.”
Lexi looked over her shoulder to see if he was teasing, but nope, he was pulling a small, purple gift bag from the floor beside the bed.
Twisting on the bed, she asked, “What is it?”
“Something you’ve always wanted.”
“Awwww.” She turned to absolute mush as she tugged the tissue paper off the top to reveal a…thong. Lexi narrowed her eyes at his big dumb grin. “Something I always wanted or something you always wanted?”
“Try it on.”
“No!” She threw the tiny strip of fabric back in the bag. “They are super uncomfortable. It’s like walking around with a wedgie all day.”
“I paid ten bucks for that wedgie, miss ma’am, and I want to see your ass cheeks hanging out to greet me.”
“Well you paid ten bucks for a damn rubber band so me thinks you got ripped off. I’d rather go commando.”
“Deal, I like commando. You’re so fucking cute when you’re feisty. Makes me just want to bite you.”
“Bite me, and I’ll bite you back.”
“Promise?” Why were his eyes bright gold now? Ryder shoved her panties up her ass crack in a make-shift thong and said, “Good ‘nuff.”
With a groan, Lexi buried her face against the pillow and tried to hide her laughter.
He swatted her ass, and Lexi flinched. It was one of those quick, stinging ones that went straight from surprise-pain to making her hormones buzz around like a beehive.
“Ryder, if you’re gonna spank me like that, you better be prepared to take me hard.”
“God, you’re the perfect woman. I like you more than I like beer. Look at my handprint!”