Beaten, Bruised, and Kissed

Chapter 36

"Dwelling on the past and worrying about the future will only rob you of the present's joy." Stacy A. Padula

Tiana P.O.V

My arms grasped his torso tightly, my body so weak; all of my energy is placed onto his lips. His lips, so soft and strong caresses mine like a newly unpackaged puzzle, and the pieces are stuck, firmly connected to its matching pair. Ryder doesn't let go and neither do I as all heat and tension are finally slashed open, bursting with feverish desire. I can't get enough of this feeling like I'm meant to be kissing him; it feels so good, so right. I hear a deep growl and feel him tense before he reluctantly pulls away from my lips while still holding my hands in his.

"I should stop," he explains, and I nod in understanding with the little energy I had left. Ryder notices my weakened state after our intense kiss, and I can see him hiding a smirk. "Did you get all of the photos you wanted? It's getting kind of dark so we should head back if you're ready." Unable to respond, I gradually move to gather my camera and carrier so we can begin to head out.

The moment after I sling my bag over my shoulder, the roof door swings open and an angry-looking woman in a nightgown and curlers in her hair begins yelling and swatting the broom she's holding in our direction. Before I could think of our next move, Ryder lifts me by my legs and throws me over his shoulder before he slides down the fire escape ladder and runs at an impressive speed to our safety, also known as our hotel room.

Once we were far enough away from the scene of the crime, he carefully placed me on the street where my knees immediately buckled under my weight. Ryder couldn't hold in his chuckle. Noticing this reaction, I hit my hand to his chest as hard as I could, with my remaining strength, I teasingly gesture for him to stop. "Did I take your breath away?" Ryder continues.

"Oh please, with that kiss? I had to carry it the entire time," I joke and roll my eyes. After I say this, he tries to continue laughing but I can tell this hurt him more than I intended it to. "Joking," I whisper in his ear before reaching his lips on the tips of my toes and kissing him quickly. "That was an amazing kiss," I breathlessly confess, nervously looking into his eyes for confirmation. His smirk transforms into a smile, and we share a moment looking into each other's eyes.

This period of peace is interrupted by a taxi honking at us to get out of the middle of the street. We both laugh at our stupid tourist behavior and begin to get out of the way. As I attempt to move, my legs feel even weaker than before and I nearly crumbled to the ground. I would have fallen if Ryder hadn't caught me and brought me to the sidewalk to safety.

"Woah, are you okay?" he wonders with concern in his voice.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "I feel extremely weak all of the sudden and I don't understand why." Ryder nods in understanding and lifts me up to carry me like a bride on her wedding day. I'm sure this was odd to see from anyone's point of view, but I didn't care. I kept my gaze on him as he protected me as we figured out what was happening to me.

Ryder gently seats me on a white, florally carved chair looking over our hotel balcony onto the beautiful city view. It was completely dark by the time we came back to the room. Lively lights draped each building keeping us and the city awake under a golden glow. Mesmerized by the sights, I didn't notice Ryder pull up an identical chair and push it up against mine so our legs were touching. I only become aware of this when he wraps his arms around my shoulder, holding me with tight concern. I enjoy his touch, but I'm consumed by all that is unsaid.

The silence sits comfortably in the air like a blanket shelter of safety. His finger makes lazy circles on my shoulder as he's lost in thought. I'm nervous about the words I know need to be said; I'm afraid if I let myself fall, my expectations of him will fall short and I'll end up disappointed and hurt again. Overwhelming fear consumed my thoughts, and like a bursting water balloon, I suddenly exploded, spewing out my concerns like word vomit.