I had it all.
I was captain of the cheerleading squad and star of the debate team.
I was smart and popular and living the dream.
Until that night.
That one fateful night changed everything.
Now everyone hates me—everyone.
They stay far away.
It’s safer.
Drugs numb the pain, and sex pays for the drugs.
Being alive is my punishment.
Then I meet him.
Ryker Rosse.
Tattoos, sinful body…and his eyes. His eyes are irresistible.
He is captivating. He treats me with respect.
He sees me.
Ryker brings happiness into my life of regret, but I don’t know if I deserve happiness.
Some mistakes can never be forgiven.
Or can they?
Ryker’s thumb reached up and stroked the space between my eyes, a concerned look replacing his calm features. “What’s the matter?”
I took his hand and interlocked our fingers, placing both our hands over my chest. “Just happy.”
“Mmmm,” Ryker groaned, bringing his body closer to mine. “I think you’re going to need to sit like this.” He squeezed my left thigh and signaled me to swing it around the unicorn so that both of my legs dangled from the same side. His arms went behind my back, pulling himself against me. The unicorn I’d chosen to ride wasn’t that tall, so my opened thighs fit perfectly around Ryker’s lean waist. I could feel Ryker grow hard, the sudden stiffness pressing into me from beneath his jeans.
“That’s better,” he growled lowly in my ear, nipping the lobe. I hissed in pain, clenching my teeth as tingles crawled to the center of my body. Ryker sucked my earlobe into his mouth, easing the sting of his bite with his wet tongue. My body relaxed, easing loosely into Ryker’s arms as a pleasurable moan left my lips in a sigh.
I fought to keep my eyes open as I glanced around us to see who we were sharing the ride with. It was dark and late, so we didn’t have to worry too much about any underage kids catching a glimpse of us. We were the only ones on the ride except for a middle-aged couple seated on the other side of the merry-go-round in a large red sleigh instead of on the horses.
One light touch of Ryker’s lips to the sensitive spot below my left ear and I just about came undone. It was a kiss that would have made my knees buckle if I hadn’t already been sitting down. My mind still hadn’t wrapped around the fact that this man was mine to kiss. Every touch of his lips against my body made me dizzy. Pair that with being on a merry-go-round, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I fainted.
That one simple kiss already had me slick with desire and wanting more. I placed my hands flat against his chest and looked up at him through my lashes, nibbling on my lower lip. Something about Ryker made me feel inexperienced and young. Maybe it was because he oozed masculinity from his very pores, or perhaps it was his eyes. His eyes showed a man who had seen too much in his lifetime, and not all of it good. It made me appreciate the light that shone in his eyes when he looked at me. It made me feel beautiful…cherished even. No man had ever looked at me the way Ryker did. I felt special when I was with him, in a way that I never had.
I never wanted the feeling to end.