Ryder's Surrender (Hell Yeah!) Page 24

  They stood as still as the statues in the fern grotto as the procession of the dead passed by. Ryder had never known anything like this. Instead of terror, she felt awe and wonder.

  Paradise was a magical place.

  Once they were gone, the three made their way to the Jeep, saying little. Only when they were on the road, did Ryder raise her arms over her head, and shouted one word. “Na’u!”

  Samson and Gideon both looked at her in confused amusement. “What are you doing?” Gideon asked.

  “I’m claiming the two of you in your own language. “Na’u! You are mine!”

  Neither Duke could argue with that.

  * * *

  Back at Lani, Ryder felt more trepidation than she had with the spirits of the Hawaiian warriors. Leilani still intimidated her. “I should have returned to help you prepare the meal.”

  “Nonsense, Kali did most of it.”

  Again, Samson and Gideon’s mother was regal in a peach sarong, her blue-black hair coiled up on her head in an intricate design. The Dads were much less fearsome, dressed in shorts and colorful shirts, they lounged with their sons and discussed the changes they were making on the ranch.

  The discussion continued as they seated themselves around a huge teak dining table, laden with all manners of tropical delights. Pork, fish, poi, pineapple, chicken and rice, and sweet potatoes. “This looks wonderful,” Ryder complimented Leilani.

  “Thank you. So, what did you think of our home?” she asked politely as she began to pass the food around the table, family style.

  “Magnificent. We went to the waterfall.” As soon as she said the word, an unbidden memory of what they’d done there made Ryder blush.

  Seeing her discomfiture, the brothers began to smile and chuckle – which led to the dads picking up on their train of thought. Soon, everyone was laughing except Ryder. She kept her gaze firmly planted on the white china plate in front of her. Hoping to quell their amusement, she finished her tale. “Afterwards…we visited the Fern Grotto and the nightmarchers came.”

  At that revelation, Leilani gasped. “I told you to be careful. Samson and Ryder are not protected like you, Gideon.”

  “We were careful, Mother. We turned our backs out of respect. No harm was done.”

  “What did you think of the nightmarchers, Ryder?” Kona asked as he began to eat his two-finger poi…with two fingers.

  Ryder shrugged. “I loved it. I’m originally from Louisiana. Spirits and ghosts haunt the countryside there, as much as your nightmarchers do here.”

  “I like this girl.” Solomon pointed his fork at her. “So, how did you get from Louisiana to Texas? I thought you were from a family of cowboys.”

  Ryder briefly explained about Hurricane Katrina and losing their mother. “Moving to Texas was a way we could be relatively close to home and continue our way of life. Belle Chase, the plantation where I grew up, was basically a cattle ranch – with the addition of crops such as rice, sugar cane, and crawfish.”

  “Very similar.” Kona nodded. “We raise cattle, along with pineapple, coconut, and sugar cane.”

  “So, what are these changes you’re proposing?” Samson asked his family, unable to ignore the topic any longer.

  Seeing their son was more than curious, Solomon laid his napkin in his lap. “Nothing earth-shattering. We want to maintain the status quo, but add some environmentally friendly additions – like a processing plant to convert saltwater to fresh water, solar panels, and some turbines to take advantage of the winds off the ocean.”

  “Oh, my brother Heath would love you,” Ryder stated unequivocally as she munched on a piece of succulent pineapple. “We call him Mr. Green Jeans.”

  Leilani laughed at Ryder’s little joke. “We’ve always tried to keep up, even when living in such an ancient and grounded place. My boys have always dreamed big. When they announced to me they wanted to travel to the stars, I never doubted them.”

  After the meal, Ryder insisted on helping Leilani in the kitchen – where an uncomfortable topic came up. Out of nowhere, the matriarch of the household announced – “I know about the news expose, Ryder.”

  “You do?”

  “I’m sorry that happened, but I think it’s for the best.”

  Ryder didn’t really disagree, but she wanted to know the reasoning behind Leilani’s comment. “Why do you think so?”

  “What you feared most has come to pass and you survived it with your life, your family, and your heart intact. Am I right?”

  “Yes, you are correct.” She began placing the crystal glasses back inside the hutch. “I was very fearful things would not work out so well. I was very fortunate. My father is very understanding.” She sighed. “I haven’t spoken to my brothers. I shall have to do that as soon as I return home.”

  As they finished up, Ryder considered what the future held for her. She was happy. Happier than she’d ever been. Samson and Gideon spoke often of the future. They never hesitated to assure her that she had a place in their plans.

  Yet, no words of love had been spoken.

  Many times, the words ‘I love you’ had been on the tip of her tongue. She’d had to bite them back. Saying them first was such a scary thing. Still, she did love them. And soon, she needed to tell them so.

  Did they love her as much as she loved them?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Where’s Gideon?” she asked. Ryder knew she shouldn’t be uneasy when one of them wasn’t around, but she couldn’t forget how it had felt when Gideon was estranged from them.

  “He’s just taking care of a little business. He’ll be back, I assure you, Princess.” Samson hooked an arm around her neck and kissed her cheek. “And while he’s gone, I’m taking you on a little sight-seeing trip.”

  “Where are we going?” The mention of another excursion caused her heart to bounce. She loved seeing the island.

  “We’re taking a helicopter up to the volcano.”

  The news he conveyed made her shiver. “Is it safe?”

  “Yes, it is. I’ll make certain of it,” Samson stated with authority. “We’ve done this same thing hundreds of times.” He had just one main objective today – to entertain Ryder while Gideon traveled into Honolulu to pick up Ryder’s engagement ring from a custom jeweler. If it had been possible, they would’ve asked for a delivery, but Haiku was old, he couldn’t make the trip. His craftsmanship and one-of-a-kind designs were well worth the effort to fly over and pick up the ring.

  Flying in a helicopter wasn’t something Ryder had done before becoming involved with the Dukes. Now she was becoming an old hand at it, not blinking an eye as she boarded and prepared for lift-off. Samson gave the pilot some directions and they took off. She enjoyed the birds eye view of the ranch, pointing out a couple of things and asking Samson what she was seeing. “What beach is this?”

  “Our private beach, we call it Ahina, for the white sands. In fact, that spot,” he indicated a rock-strewn area, “is where we’ll be meeting Gideon in a few hours. We’re going horseback riding together.”

  Everything sounded good to Ryder. She didn’t want to talk much while they were in the air, the things she wanted to say, weren’t really for the pilot’s ears.

  “Look, Ryder.” She followed Samson’s gaze and gasped at her first sight of the volcano. “Wow. I’ve known ranchers who owned their own mountain, but none with their own volcano.” She held her breath as she watched plumes of smoke rise high. The closer they drew, the more amazed she became at the sheer size of the crater. “This is sort of scary,” she admitted when she saw the bubbling cauldron. In a way, it didn’t look real to her. Even more intriguing were the rivulets of orange-red snaking their way toward the ocean. They stood out like neon signs against the backdrop of black volcanic rock. “How close can we get?”

  “I can take you to a magma stream, but you’ll have to do exactly as I tell you,” he cautioned.

  “Yes, sir,” she agreed wholeheartedly.

  Once they were on
the ground, Samson led her from the helicopter. “We have a short hike ahead of us, about a quarter of a mile. Feel up to it?”

  “Of course,” she told him, then waited while Samson spoke to the pilot, telling him how long they’d be gone.

  When they were on their way, hand in hand, Ryder broached a subject she needed to discuss. “Samson, is it normal for me to feel more comfortable talking to you about some things than Gideon?”

  Samson considered her question for a moment. “I suppose. Our relationship is a bit different, due to the circumstances when Gideon left us for a while. But I don’t like to think of you trusting one of us more than the other. I don’t think that’s right.”

  “Oh, I don’t,” Ryder assured him. “It’s just that Gideon did something to me yesterday, and I don’t really understand it.”

  Samson thought he knew where this might be heading. He hid a smile. “Well, I’ll be glad to speak with you about it, on the condition that you talk with him also.”

  Ryder frowned. “Okay, I just don’t want to disappoint Gideon.”

  “You can’t. He only wants what’s best for you. Now, what’s your question?” All the time they were talking, Samson kept them going in the right direction.

  “When we were making love I was on top of you.”

  Samson felt himself begin to grow hard. “I remember.”

  “Gideon was kissing and touching me.”

  Samson groaned. “All right, let me stop you right there and let you know that we will be having an erotic session where you’ll talk dirty to us.”

  Ryder giggled. “I’m not talking dirty.”

  “No, you aren’t. I’m teasing. Go on.”

  “He…put his finger in my…bottom.”

  Samson glanced over at her, loving that her cheeks were pink and her eyes were shining like jewels. “Did you hate it?”

  “No, I didn’t hate it.” She felt her cheeks grow even warmer. “I liked it, it didn’t feel like I imagined it was going to feel.”

  “How so?” Who needed to see a volcano when he was walking next to Miss Hot-stuff herself? Samson pulled on the leg of his jeans to give his burgeoning package more room.

  “I thought it would hurt and I didn’t expect there to be…pleasure centers there.”

  “I’m glad you liked it, in a relationship like ours, sometimes we will want to take you at the same time.”

  Ryder sighed. “I want to do that, but I’m worried.” Before Samson could say more, she just came out and said it. “I think both of you are way too big to fit back there. When he had one finger in me.” She held up her forefinger. “One finger! I felt so full. How will I manage anything more? You men are hung!”

  Gideon, you’re missing out, man.

  What’s going on?

  She’s worrying that we’re too hung for anal sex.

  Hahahahahahaha! You can tell her I picked up an extra surprise today.

  “I think being hung is a good thing. Right?”

  “Yes, but my other parts seem to stretch better, Samson.”

  “Oh, both your parts will stretch just fine. Gideon is bringing you a little surprise today. Something you can wear down there that will make taking us a lot easier.”

  “A butt plug?”

  Samson tripped over a rock and almost went sprawling. Ryder giggled at the sight. When he was back on a firm footing, he frowned at his lady love. “You know about a butt plug? How do you know about a butt plug?”

  “I read.”

  Her simple answer sent him into gales of laughter again. “Ah, those erotic romances. I think we need to monitor your library.”

  “Oh, no. I love my books. I’ve learned a lot from reading. You can thank some of my favorite authors for your blow jobs.”

  Again, he laughed, then turned and took Ryder by the shoulders, kissing her hard and long. “I bless the day I found you. You are worth everything to me. I’d give the last dollar and everything else I own for you in a heartbeat.”

  Ryder hugged him back. “I feel the same way, but I’m not looking forward to wearing a butt plug.”

  He squeezed her tight. “Well, try it. For Gideon. From what I’ve heard, wearing it stimulates your…erogenous zones.”

  “Hmmmm, okay.” Then, she looked up. “Oh, my goodness!”

  He followed her gaze and realized she was seeing the volcano for the first time. “Did it sneak up on you?”

  “Yea, I had forgotten about the lava and the volcano, I was just thinking about riding your cock and Gideon touching my nether regions.” Ryder hid a smile. She was perfectly aware of what she was doing. By the look of the bulge in his pants, if she kept going in this vein of conversation, there would soon be an eruption of another kind.

  Moaning, Samson protested. “Stop it, Princess. I can barely walk now.”

  She grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. The closer they went, the warmer the air became. Soon, they were standing at the base of a great mountain. Off to one side, ribbons of magma were trickling down the sides. “Talk to me, tell me what I’m looking at.”

  He brought her hand up and pressed it next to his chest, holding it tight. “This particular volcano spews magma constantly. Right now, it’s concentrated on the east slope.”

  “How fast does it go?” She was totally entranced, easing along, just in case the small river of lava decided to change course and come after her.

  Samson could tell what she was thinking. “If the level of output doesn’t increase, it stays inside the existing lava flows, moving between two and twenty yards per hour.”

  “That isn’t very fast, I could dodge that, if I needed to,” Ryder observed as she cautiously approached with a stick in hand that she’d picked up along the way. “Let’s get closer so I can poke it.”

  Samson smiled again. “Okay. Yes, a person can get out of the way of the flow, it’s other things that pose a problem.” He pointed toward the ocean. “Of course, that’s not the case with our volcano, but some have been known to eat up houses and entire towns in the path of the lava flow.”

  “I’m sure it can be a hazard.” She spread her arms wide. “But I think it’s magnificent.” Ryder looked all around. “Your home is magnificent.” Coming to him, she threw her arms around him. “Thank you for bringing me. I’ll never forget how good you and Gideon have been to me.”

  Samson enfolded her close. He didn’t particularly like the sound of that comment, there was a hint of temporariness in her words. As far as he was concerned, Gideon couldn’t get home fast enough with that ring.

  * * *

  Gideon’s heart was beating faster than the horse’s hoof beats on the sand. He was riding to their rendezvous spot, leading a mount for Samson and one for Ryder. They were supposed to meet him here after their trip to the volcano. The ring he’d purchased earlier was burning a hole in his pocket. Would she love it? Would she say yes?

  The wind was a little high, but the tide was low. Their ride along the beach should be romantic. He’d left instructions with Kali for her to hire caterers to set up a tent and a table with a candlelight meal on the sandy beach.

  Getting close, brother? he asked Samson.

  Look up.

  Gideon did and he saw the helicopter in the distance, the beating of the blades barely discernible at this point.

  I see you. How’s our girl?

  Perfect, but I’ll be glad when we get a ring on her finger. Something she said today bothered me.

  What did she say?

  She thanked me for being so good to her. Said she would never forget it.

  I don’t like the sound of that.

  Neither did I.

  Well, come on. Let’s take her for a ride, then set the stage for romance.

  By the time the helicopter was on the ground, Gideon was waiting for them, standing under a palm tree, holding the reins of their horses. His eyes were hungry for the sight of Ryder. He could tell the moment she spotted him, she turned loose of Samson’s hand and began to run toward him.
When she reached him, he caught her sweet body close and drank from her lips like he was dying of thirst and she was his only hope of survival.

  “I missed you!” she told him once her mouth was free to speak.

  “I missed you too. Did you have a good time?”

  “We did.”

  She began to describe what she saw – fast and in great detail. When she paused to take a breath, he kissed her again. “Sounds like you enjoyed yourself.”

  “Yes, I’m enjoying every minute of everything.” She met his eyes, then gave him a mischievous smile. “Where’s my surprise?”

  Gideon jerked his head up, meeting Samson’s eyes.

  She’s not talking about the ring, Gideon.

  Oh!

  Gideon looked at her in all innocence. “What surprise?”

  She held out her hand. “My butt plug.”

  “Ah!” He laid his palm across her outstretched one. “You’ll just have to wait until the right time.”

  “Dratz. I was going to see if I thought I could handle it.”

  Samson shook his head. “Don’t deprive us of the pleasure, love. We want to be the ones to initiate you into this particular joy.”

  “Yea, we’ll lube it up, then lube you up, doing all manners of sexy, kinky things to your sweet, little body before we slip it in.”

  She squirmed in her tracks, her eyes closing. “Don’t. You’re turning me on!”

  “Turn-about is fair play,” Samson reminded her. “That’s exactly what you were doing to me on our walk to the volcano.”

  “Oh, my goodness, what’s a girl to do for an orgasm around here?” She teased them unmercifully.

  Gideon had all he could stand. Handing Samson the reins to Ryder’s horse, he mounted his, then pulled her up to sit in front of him in the saddle – all before she could voice a question or a word of protest. “Never let it be said that a Duke doesn’t deliver.”

  Go for it, brother. “You two ride on ahead. I’ll be bringing up the rear,” Samson assured them with an amused smile and a casual wave.

  “What are we doing?” Ryder asked, breathlessly.