Free From Lies to Promises by Faith S Lynn Page A

off the fading sun. This is my favorite part of any day even knowing that it is only a sliver of time. Beauty beyond comparison shines, just before darkness takes over.
      Ryder comes back and lays next to me just in time to see the last of light fade. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” He asks.
      “That’s exactl y what I was just thinking.” I turn my head to catch Ryder looking at me. I don’t think anyone should be allowed to be so drop dead gorgeous. His green eyes are lighting up the night, while his dark hair falls in messy locks all around his head. Both his arms are behind his head causing his shirt to raise just enough to tease my view with a hint of that famous ‘V’ that make women lose all hormonal control.
      “My eyes are up here, Katrina.” I slowly pull my eyes up his body, back to his. “That’s better, gran ted I was really enjoying you devouring me with your eyes. I like the way you look at me afterward much better.”
      “Do tell. How is it that I look at you?” My interest is piqued.
      “Like you aren’t scared to try this.” Ryder answers as he rolled to his side propping up on one elbow over me. The way he said it however sounded more like he was asking me if I was going to give this a try. Taking his words from earlier I hold on to them.
      “Hate to break it to you, but I am scared of this. Frightened. But, I am tired of feeling like that. So, I am letting go.” Before Ryder has a chance to react, I take his face in my hands and pull him down for a kiss. For a second he is still, then he kisses me back. This kiss isn’t like the first one, there is no holding back for either of us. I am giving myself over to be hurt, I know this. What’s the saying? Go big or go home. That’s what I intend to do. I ease my hands away from his face and around his neck. His elbow still supporting his weight, his other hand has made it to my hip. He grips it and pulls me closer to him, our bodies lined together perfectly. When his teeth graze my bottom lip in a soft nip, I can’t contain the moan that leaves me. Hearing it, Ryder deepens the kiss.
      We come back to reality when the movie starts. Ryder pulls back, my body begging for more, and he has that damn grin on his face. “That makes me very happy.” I smile on the inside, I want to make him happy. To be the reason that smile takes residence on his handsome face. He sits up, “Come here.” I sit up and he pulls me between his legs, him cradling my back and he wraps his arms around my waste. “Now, let’s watch the movie.”
      I find it odd that being with Ryder, whom I only met a week ago, I can feel normal. Something that I have tried so hard to reach but never have. It feels right, too. I’ve never believed in fate, or destiny and I’m not sure about whatever God is out there. I can’t. Not with everything that I have been forced to endure, but with Ryder I want to believe in fate. Like, somehow he was meant to come into my life. I place my hands on his arms that are around me, and a calm washes over me.
      Throughout the movie, he randomly kisses the top of my head. Somewhere towards the end he remembers he had brought me a hot chocolate, which is no longer hot. It nor the popcorn was touched. When the credits start rolling on the screen, my heart sinks. I’m really not ready for the date to end, or for this happiness to go with it. Ryder untangles himself from me and stands. He offers me his hand and I take it. I bend over to pick up the stuff off the blanket when red hot pain shoots across my rear. I yelp and drop the popcorn.
      “Sorry, you put it right there, and it was too damn tempting not to give it a smack.”
      I know my mouth is hanging open but I don’t know what to say to that. Frankly, I am still baffled about the fact that it had turned me on as much as it did. He picks up the popcorn from where I dropped it and hands it back to me, shakes off what fell on the quilt and folds it. I take a handful