Stay (Love In Montana Book 5)

Ryder’s heart skipped a beat or two when her soft arm went around his torso. It seemed as if that was what his heart wanted. He handed her the packet as he started the ignition. “Ready?” He asked her, staring at her through the rear view mirror.

“Yes,” said Anastasia shyly, tightening her hold on him. She could feel his hot muscular back pressed against her side. It created a strange sensation in her body, an excitement that she had no control over. Ryder drove off towards Cassie’s house. 

“You could have accompanied her since you’re so eager to go to her house,” said Anastasia,  the jealousy getting the better of her. It seemed as if he knew the way to her house quite well. Maybe he came here often! The thought made her all the more jealous. 

“I’m not eager to go to her house. Are you out of your mind? I’m just helping you with your delivery,” said Ryder, taking offense.

“How do you know the way to her house? Like you’ve been here a million times,” grumbled Anastasia. Ryder was silent for a second. 

“You have no reason to be jealous of Cassie,” said Ryder, making her roll her eyes at his answer. She had been expecting him to decline that he had anything with Cassie but instead he just accused her of being jealous! Indignation rose inside her and she pulled her hand away from his torso, gripping the seat instead. 

“Why should I be jealous? Stop immediately. I can walk,” she told him. Ryder chuckled and reached behind him, he caught her hand and wrapped it around his torso. 

“Stop overreacting, Annie. I don’t want you falling off,” he said, holding onto her hand tightly. 

“I won’t fall off, leave me,” she said angrily. 

“I won’t, so stop struggling. We’re there anyway,” said Ryder. He rode around the bend and stopped right in front of a three-story house. “Why don’t you go and deliver it? I’m waiting for you here,” said Ryder. 

“Okay,” said Anastasia, feeling happy that he wasn’t accompanying her to Cassie’s house. She didn’t want to see them together again.  She dashed off to the house and delivered the goodies. After a minute, she returned back to see Ryder still waiting for her. She climbed onto the motorcycle, straddling it behind him. 

“Let’s go, Blue,” she said. Ryder smiled and started his motorcycle. 

“You can hold onto me. I’m not contagious, you know,” he said with a smirk. Anastasia caught his shoulder but Ryder wasn’t satisfied. He caught her hand and wound it around his torso. Anastasia rested her tired head against his back as they rode slowly down the road towards her house. She loved the warmth that exuded from his back, she loved the smell of him, she loved the ripple of his muscles through the material of his shirt as he maneuvered the motorcycle along the rugged country roads. 

“When will you come tomorrow?” asked Anastasia. There was a strange excitement in the pit of her stomach as he eagerly waited for his answer. She wanted to celebrate her birthday with him. No one apart from her grandparents had made such a big deal out of her birthday celebration. She just couldn’t wait for tomorrow to see what Ryder would be doing for her birthday. The motorcycle suddenly stopped and she raised her head to take a look. They had come to a small creek, a little off the meandering main road. 

“Why are we here, Blue?” asked Anastasia with confusion. He helped her down the motorcycle, climbing off and opening his helmet. 

“Are you in a hurry?” he asked in return. Anastasia shook her head. She wasn’t in any hurry. Her work was done for the day and all she needed was dinner and sleep. 

“I thought so. We can sit here for a while before going home,” he said with a nervous grin. He wanted her to agree and agree to sit with him for a while. 

“Sit here and do exactly what?” asked Anastasia, feeling a little uncomfortable. With Ryder’s reputation, did he bring her here to kiss her or maybe take advantage of her?

“Make plans for your birthday, I guess. I need to know what exactly you like,” he shrugged. It was such an innocent and selfless reason and Anastasia felt like a demon for even imagining something so bad about him. 

“Oh!” she said feeling foolish. 

“What did you think?” he asked, resting against a big boulder and watching her with hooded eyes. Anastasia looked flustered, she obviously could tell him what she had thought. 

“Nothing much. I was just asking. So, what are you planning for tomorrow?” she asked curiously. 

“It’s a surprise. Just  tell me favorite flavor of cake and ice-cream,” asked Ryder. 

“Butter-scotch, chocolate, black forest,” she said, her mouth watering already. “I love steak and all things barbecued but mostly I love pizza and Apple pie,” said Anastasia as her mouth watered even at the thought. Ryder smiled, his eyes not moving away from her upturned face, Her beautiful, dreamy green eyes twinkled with happiness at the thought of her favorite food. Her dewy plump, pink lips looked so kissable that he was controlling the urge since he arrived here at this secluded place. The moonlight played hide and seek with her glowing skin and unconsciously edged a little towards her. He was helpless, a strange attraction was pulling him towards her like a magnet. 

“I’ll get all of them for you tomorrow,” said Ryder softly. Anastasia looked into his shimmering blue eyes, they seemed to overflow with emotions that she couldn’t decipher. 

“Why are you so keen on celebrating my birthday, Blue? My parents, my brothers, my friends don’t care so much. Then why do you?” she whispered. It was something that she had been wanting to ask ever since he had offered to celebrate her birthday. 

“I don’t know. I just want to see you happy,” he shrugged, looking down at his feet, a faint color rising up his neck to his cheek. Anastasia seemed to like what he told her since she didn’t ask any more questions.  

“Will you come a little early?” she asked him. Ryder looked up at her. 

“I could arrive at your place early in the morning,” he smirked, making Anastasia blush. 

“No, I didn’t mean that. I just wanted you to arrive before the guests were here,” she explained herself. 

“I’ll deposit all the food items in the afternoon after college and then go home,” said Ryder. 

“Oh Won’t you come back?” asked Anastasia, looking lost. Ryder gazed at her face, his heart beating with hope. Would she miss him if he didn’t go? He raised his hand and tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his thumb brushing with her soft cheek. A tremor ran down Anastasia’s body at the tender touch. She had no idea why her body reacted this way to him, every time he touched her! 

“Will you miss me if I don’t?” he asked her, his eyes searching hers. Anastasia gazed into his expectant eyes which held hers in a hypnotic spell. She nodded truthfully. 

“Say it, then,” he prompted her.

“I’ll miss you, Blue,” she whispered, making his breath hitch. “You have to be there with me,” she ordered him. Ryder smiled, his heart doing a somersault.

“I’ll be there,” he said, dropping his hand reluctantly to his side. “Shall we go?” he asked with a sad smile not wanting to end this magical moment with her. 

“Yeah,” she nodded. Ryder walked towards his motorcycle, surprised at himself that he didn’t kiss her already. He had never felt such a strong need to kiss anyone in his entire nineteen  years of life.  He climbed onto it and Anastasia straddled on to it too, holding him like before. Her thighs brushed against his thick, muscular ones and she tried to move away and put some distance between them but Ryder suddenly started it. She was startled out of her wits and held onto him for dear life, her body pressed against his back. 

“What are you up to? I’ll fall,” she pointed out. Ryder was already hard just by feeling her body against his. He knew that she was too innocent to fathom the stunt he pulled upon her. He wanted her close, he wanted to feel her against him, he wanted her to again lay her head against his back. It made him feel alive, warm and excited. 

“Stay this way, you won’t fall,” he told her. She didn’t argue and just stayed that way, holding him tightly. It seemed as if she belonged there! When he finally stopped his motorcycle right in front of her house, Anastasia reluctantly climbed down. For some strange reason that she wasn’t aware of, she wanted to stay a little longer with Ryder. 

“Thank you, Ryder. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told him, before walking backwards but Ryder caught her hand.

“That won’t do, Annie. You have to give me a kiss,” he said, his hand holding hers firmly.