Ryker (Hope City Book 5)

soap and two caps full of those good-smelling beads, he prayed the stench of the fire would come out on the first wash. He liked those jeans, and the t-shirt had been a gift.
The selector button slid to heavy wash with a flick of his thumb and he depressed the button, starting the machine. With a soft click, he shut the laundry room door behind him and padded straight into the bathroom. His little house had two bedrooms and one bathroom. It was functional and worked for him. Small enough to keep clean and big enough to have everything he needed. He showered quickly, scrubbing hard to get the smell of smoke off his body. Unfortunately, the stench seemed to be pasted inside his nose. He gave up after the third round of suds and shampoo.
Drying off first, he brushed his teeth and headed to bed. He slid in between the sheets and gathered the warm, soft body sleeping on his pillow closer.
Brianna King sighed and then purred as she cuddled next to him. “Back from work?”
Her soft question tugged up the corners of his mouth. “I am.”
“Are you okay?” Her hand skimmed upward and landed against his pec, over his heart.
“I’m okay. Go back to sleep.”
She hummed. “What time is it?”
“After four, I guess.”
“What time do you have to be at work?” She leaned away. Her beautiful blue eyes, heavy with sleep, stared up at him.
“When I get there.” He turned on his side so they were face to face.
Her fingertips trailed over his chest. “So, you could sleep in with me?”
“I could.” A smile formed on his lips as she leaned in and kissed his chest before she slipped further, trailing her lips across his abs and still down further. He rolled onto his back and moved his legs apart, giving her room. His hands found purchase in her long dark brown curls and held on gently as she circled the head of his cock with her tongue. Her hands cupped his balls, and she sucked him into her mouth. Fuck, the woman somehow knew what he needed. She hummed around his cock, wetting it before she took him farther into her throat.
“God, babe.” He strained against the need building inside him. She was fucking talented. Her tongue worked his shaft and the suction, oh, damn, the suction and fondling of his balls had him pegged in no time. She pushed down; the head of his cock slid into her throat. She gagged but repeated the move again and again. The tight grip of her throat and warmth of her mouth were too much. He tugged her hair, letting her know he was close. She moaned and once again impaled herself on his cock, taking him to the back of her throat.
He curled up as he came. His fist tightened in her hair, and his cock flooded her mouth with his release. Her tongue lapped and swirled as she drank down all he gave her. He flopped back onto the bed and shivered when her tongue danced over his spent cock. Hypersensitive, he hissed. She pulled off and crawled up his body before she laid on top of him. “Welcome home.”
“Damn, I’ll ensure I get called out every night.” He pushed her curls away from her face and brought her down for a kiss. “I’ll return the favor. Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”
“No need. You took excellent care of me earlier.” She dropped to his side and tugged up the blanket which had slipped to his knees. “Any of your people hurt?”
He shook his head. “No. Although, I spoke with Brody and Brock.”
“Mood gone.” She groaned and flopped onto her back. “How did I let myself fall for the JDET Captain?”
“Well, to start with, I didn’t tell you what organization I was with, just that I worked in Public Relations. I wasn’t the commander of JDET... because of the circumstances.”
She snapped her head back toward him. “Yeah, that’s right. It’s your fault. No, wait, it’s that asshole Fenton’s fault.”
He laughed and brought her closer. “That’s right, you can blame it all on him.”
“Damn straight.” She swirled her finger across the hair on his chest. “Mom is still angling to meet you. I keep putting her off. Thank God she has Gage to keep her occupied.”
“I have no problem meeting your parents.” He ran his hands through her hair. His eyes closed as he held her, and he yawned until his body shook. God, he wasn’t twenty-something any longer. He needed to get some sleep at night. Working through the night didn’t used to be a problem. Now? Well, he was keeping late nights waiting for Brie to close the restaurant and make it to his house. He’d happily drink more coffee to stay awake during the day so he could spend his nights making Brianna happy.
“See, you really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. My brothers are horrid. You don’t know them away from the job. My dad isn’t much better, especially when he gets with Colm.”
He had to think for a moment and then remembered. “The neighbor.”
“Closer than neighbors. The McBrides are family.”
“I can handle it.” He yawned again.
“See, that’s just it. I don’t want you to have to handle it. Why couldn’t I have a normal family?”
He chuckled and moved, situating her on his bicep and getting comfortable. “You have a normal family. A regular Norman Rockwell painting.”
“What about me meeting your family?” She snuggled closer and slid her leg across his. He loved the way she wrapped around him.
“Not the same as your family. No Christmas card moments there, but I’ll introduce you to them if you’d like.”
“Maybe we should just be happy with each other for a while longer first?” She placed a kiss on his chest, and he smiled with his eyes closed.
“Whenever you want, babe. Until then, my lips remain sealed.” He drew a deep breath and let it go slowly.
“Thank you,” Her whispered words against his