Chapter Three
Ryder rolled up to the front of the shop and was glad to see that Irene had listened to him. She was so good at avoiding him that sometimes he wasn’t certain if she even cared what he had to say. The sign was turned to closed, and the front was empty, so he took that as a good sign.
He climbed off the bike and walked past the old beat-up car she shared with her cousin. The fact she drove around that old car ate at him, but there wasn’t much he could do. If she wouldn’t let him near her, she certainly wasn’t going to let him take a look at her car. One of these days, he was certain it was going to break down in the middle of the night, and either she or her cousin would be stuck on the side of the road, the last place he ever wanted to picture either of them.
Taylor popped in front of the window when he stepped up to the door. He frowned at her sly smile.
When she opened the door, he could hear music playing loudly from the back.
“What the hell is going on?” he shouted over the stream of dance beats as he stepped into the dining area.
Taylor just grinned and locked up the front. She nodded to the back. He followed. The music grew louder, and he ground his teeth.
For two fucking months, as part of efforts to keep an eye on the Russia mafia, he had been subjected to that crap music at Cortex, the club Jess used to manage for the leader of the Irish mafia, Finn.
After the death of Jess’s father, Ando, she inherited a huge amount of money that freed her from having to work at the club to help support herself and her sister. Sure, Ando’s money was probably dirty, but she was safer, and Ryder didn’t have to be subjected to shitty music anymore.
Ryder had more than his fill during that time, and he’d be damned if he had to listen to it any more.
He followed Taylor into the kitchen and stopped at the door. It was like a damn bomb went off in there. Flour coated just about every surface of the kitchen, and on top of that flour sat tray after tray of cookies.
His attention shifted to Irene, who stood in the center of the mess. Her hips swayed seductively from side to side to the beat, and for the first time ever, Ryder was glad to have the hot rhythm pumping in the air. It called to him. She called to him. Every part of him ached to press up behind her and grind his aching cock into her taunting ass.
She turned around, red pipette in hand and smiled broadly at him. “We’re going camping.” She grinned.
“Camping?” he said.
She nodded eagerly.
“Hiking, camp fires, s’mores, skinny dipping.” She bounced around as she spoke, and he couldn’t help but get excited as well.
“Skinny dipping?” He grinned.
Taylor snorted.
“You in on this?” he asked her.
Taylor grinned. “I’m the one that suggested it.”
He sighed. There was no two ways about it. Irene just wasn’t the kind of woman that did that sort of thing.
“Want a cookie?” Irene said and shoved a cookie into his hand.
“What the hell is this?” he asked and held up the cookie. There were x’s on the eyes and mouth. The chest had several red spots, and he was seriously starting to wonder if his gingerbread man hadn’t been taken out.
Irene shrugged.
“Ex-boyfriend cookies,” she said slowly. A torrent of giggles followed.
He narrowed his eyes. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she’d been drinking, but that would be very out of place for her.
His mind caught up to his eyes. “Ex-what?”
Irene sighed and picked up one of the strange gingerbread men. “Asshole,” she read and sat it down. The next she picked up, so he could clearly see the writing, DICKLESS.
He choked on the laugh that came out and took a bite. Still, the same fantastic cookie he was used to. “Are you going to sell these?”
Irene shrugged. “Why not? Don’t all women have a bad ex they would like to rip in half?”
Ryder looked between the two other women in the room for some help.
“Todd came by,” Taylor said after a bit.
Ryder frowned. She never talked to him, so this Todd was new to him.
“And did he get her drunk?” he asked quietly.
When Irene poked him in the chest, he looked down. He was surprised to find her glaring at him.
“No.” She leaned in. “She did that after he left.”
He stared at her for a moment. The alcohol left her cheeks pink and rosy. The hair that was normally tucked up fell in loose blond tendrils around her face and made her only seem more kissable than she already did.
Ryder looked over to Taylor. “Did you drink?”
Taylor shook her head, and he wondered if she felt the intensity that always seemed to spark between himself and Irene.
“Good,” he said. “Take the car and head home. I’ll help clean and take her home.”
Irene frowned. “What if I don’t want to ride home with you?”
Ryder leaned down to her ear, his mouth just barely brushing the tender shell. “Be good, or I’ll get out the chocolate,” he growled.
He could feel her shiver and knew she remembered earlier.
Irene watched as Victoria and Taylor raced around the room, gathering their things. She tried to catch her cousin’s eye a time or two, but the rat was good at avoiding her.
What was she even doing? The cookies had been a nice release after the crap Todd pulled. Coming in here like that and acting like he could just push her around. She wasn’t the kid she used to be, and there was no way she was going back to being told what to do like that, especially not by somebody like him.
Irene frowned when her cousin and Victoria stood in the door whispering quietly.
“Well,” Taylor said loudly. “I think we’re going to go grab supplies for the camping trip tomorrow.”
Irene opened her mouth but closed it when Ryder’s large body came in front of her.
“I’m going to walk them out,” he said quietly and leaned down. “Be good.”
She nibbled her bottom lip. Something about the way he talked to her just made parts of her shiver that she didn’t know could even feel that way. His eyes fixed on her mouth, and for a moment, Irene wondered if he was going to kiss her right there. The clouded voice in her head said it wouldn’t be a good idea, but her body still swayed forward despite what her head had to say.
Ryder grunted in irritation and stepped back.
“Stay here,” he said.
Her heart dropped a little as she watched them walk out of the room. It was crazy. She shouldn’t be trying to kiss him anyway. There were other things to worry about. She frowned. Things like Todd.
Irene started to gather the pans from around the kitchen and filled up the sink with hot bubbly water. Washing dishes was always her go-to for thinking. Cleaning up in general was something she did to sort things out. It had always been the one thing in life that she had been able to actually sort out. Work was easy. There were rules and specifics to follow. Life, however, never seemed to follow any set of rules. It really was eat or be eaten. Well, she preferred chocolate cake and safety.
She licked her lips thinking of chocolate. He’d ruined it for her. Every time she thought of chocolate now, she was going to picture Ryder sucking on her fingers. Even now it made her heart race and face flush. That man was walking sin. No two ways about it.
“You look deep in thought,” Ryder rumbled from beside her.
Irene dropped the pan she’d been cleaning and gasped. A wave of soapy water splashed the front of her shirt, soaking it through.
“I didn’t even hear you come in,” she said and grabbed a towel from the table behind her.
She sighed as she tried to dry her drenched shirt. There was no fixing it now. Irene stopped when Ryder’s big hand landed on her own.
He pulled the towel from her hand and held it out of reach. She could hear her heart thunder in her ears as he stepped closer. Ryder’s presence the last several minutes seemed to have sobered her up quicker than she would have thought possible.
“I…” She took a deep breath. “Maybe I should put the cookies away.”
Ryder moved in closer still. The heat from his body did little to heat her own. His intense gaze ran from her face down to her wet shirt. She shivered as they landed on her hardened nipples. Her breath caught.
“I could just,” she whispered, “put them in boxes.”
Irene jumped when his hand came up, and he dabbed her wet shirt with the towel.
“I think the cookies will be fine,” he mumbled, never taking his eyes off her chest.
She gasped when he brushed a sensitive nipple with the cloth. His eyes came up to hers, and it was clear he had fully intended the contact.
“Ryder,” she whispered. Despite her intent for it to be a warning, it came out more a plea. When the cloth brushed the other hardened peak, Irene closed her eyes and gripped the edge of the table behind her. The feeling was almost too intense for her to handle.
“That’s it, baby,” Ryder groaned and moved forward. Her eyes shot open. Like she weighed nothing, he lifted her and sat her on the table. His body slipped snuggly between her legs, and she moaned at the contact.
Irene started to say something but stopped when she felt his finger trace along the tops of her breasts.
“Always something lacy,” he mumbled.
She could feel the heat on her cheeks and turned away from him, embarrassed that he noticed how very un-sexy she was.
“I like lace,” she whispered.
Ryder placed a gentle finger under her chin, and she turned to look at him.
“I do too,” he said.
Fire burned in his eyes. She leaned toward him and felt herself drifting under his spell.
“Why don’t you tell me who Todd is?” he said more than asked.
Irene shook her head. That was the last thing she expected him to say. Actually, she really wasn’t expecting him to say much of anything in this position.
“What?”
“Todd,” he said firmly. “Who is he?”
She stared at him for a few moments. There was just something about Ryder that made her want to open up, at least a little. Of course, maybe that was just the whiskey.
“Todd was my boyfriend.” She sighed. “He just wanted to let me know he’s asking someone we know to get married.”
Ryder narrowed his eyes slightly. “And this bothered you?”
“No.” She sighed. “Yes.”
Irene looked over at all the cookies. It certainly seemed like it bothered her with the way she’d carried on.
“Everyone is moving on,” she said quietly. “And here I am. Same as I’ve always been.” She looked back to Ryder, who was staring at her with interest. “All this time, and he’s been able to move on. But then, I didn’t come in and destroy his world.”
She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. Even after all these years, it still hurt.
“It’s not him,” she sniffed. “Todd was an ass, and I was lucky when he showed me how fake my life really was.” She took a deep breath and looked back to Ryder. “I guess it was more the idea that he stood for.”
“And what idea is that?” he asked.
She could feel the conversation moving where she didn’t want it to, but there was no stopping it at this point.
“The idea. The only one that matters to me at least.” Irene shifted slightly and glanced up at his serious face. It was obvious he was waiting for her to go on. “Marriage, house, kids. The whole thing.”
Ryder moved in closer. He ran his hands up her thigh, and she bit her lip at the contact.
“What about me?” he said. His hand stopped at her hip and when she didn’t answer, he pulled her forward, her aching center flush again him. “Let me be that man.”
Her heart leapt into her throat. God, he was so amazing! She stopped fighting the urge to wrap her legs around him and just gave in.
“You do such dangerous work,” she whispered.
Ryder brought his head down to hers and brushed his lips across her mouth.
“What if I didn’t?” he asked.
Irene pulled away and stared up at him. “Didn’t?”
She unwound her legs as he stood to his full height and stepped slightly away from the table.
“For you, I’d leave,” he said without hesitation, fear or even anger.
Irene stared at him in shock.
“Leave?”
Her mind couldn’t seem to process past his last word.
“I’ve been saving,” he said.
His words slid over her as she struggled to process the one thing she knew for certain. Ryder was dangerous, and she didn’t do danger.
“I think I need to go home,” she said, cutting off whatever else he had to say.
For a moment she thought he might argue with her, but he nodded and stepped away. Relieved, Irene set to cleaning the kitchen in record time while he waited for her in the other room.
Even more sober now, the Ex-Boyfriend cookies seemed a little silly, but she couldn’t help but laugh as she placed the men onto a tray. There was no way she could sell them, but they would make for a nice snack.
All in order, she walked into the front room. Oddly, seeing Ryder waiting for her was even harder, if anything because of how right it felt. She stepped outside, and the cool air over her still damp shirt chilled her to the bone. She shook as she locked the door and nearly dropped the key when the scent of Ryder enveloped her in the form of his jacket.
“It’s only going to get colder on the bike,” he said gruffly.
“But won’t you get cold?” she asked.
Ryder only shrugged and stepped over to the bike.
Irene was amazed with the size of the machine. She’d never even been that close to a motorcycle, let alone rode one. It looked like one that rolled right off the set of some 1950s’ movie.
He turned and held out a blue helmet in his hands.
“I’ve only got one spare, and it’s mine, so it might be a little big,” he said.
She slid the helmet over her head and smiled when it wobbled from side to side a bit.
“Good enough,” he said and gave a small grin.
Gently, he buckled the strap under the helmet and climbed onto the bike.
“Just slip in behind me and wrap your arms around,” he said.
She nodded and climbed on, her thighs hugging his large body. Her arms were barely around his waist when he punched the gas and rolled out. Irene yelped and wrapped her arms around him tight. She could feel his muscles contract as he chuckled.
“Hold on tight,” he shouted to her as they took a corner.
She was surprised he could even talk given the grip she had and how hard she was squeezing, but she guessed she’d have to squeeze a lot harder before he even noticed.
After a bit, Irene started to relax to the rhythm of the road. She could feel the small shifts as he maneuvered along and started to move with him. It made the ride easier, and she was able to loosen her hands slightly, not that she wasn’t enjoying where they were. Feeling his muscles move under the thin material of his t-shirt was far more arousing than she ever wanted to admit, and if she was being totally honest, she wasn’t going to complain that her hands kept getting jostled lower and lower.
Her hands slipped a little lower and bumped the button of his pants.
“You aren’t falling asleep, are you?” Ryder shouted to her.
Irene jumped and moved her hands a little higher. Maybe having that whiskey hadn’t been such a good idea, and maybe she hadn’t sobered up as much as she thought. She had just got done telling herself what a bad idea Ryder was, and now she was trying to cop a feel. She sighed and rested her cheek against his back. It just wasn’t fair having two parts of her struggle.
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the wind in her face. It was crisp, clean and smelled of wood smoke, leaves and Ryder. She moved her nose closer to his back and felt the muscles there tense up.
When they came to an abrupt stop, her eyes popped open. She smiled at her cute little house. It wasn’t much, but it was hers. Well, hers and Taylor’s.
She climbed off, slightly unsteady. It was almost like getting off a boat in some ways. She took off the helmet and turned to give it to Ryder.
“Thanks for the ride.” She smiled. “It was amazing.”
Ryder climbed off the bike and put the helmet in the side saddle. When he turned back to her, she knew he was going to walk her to the door.
Irene turned and headed up the short pathway. She liked her street. It was quiet, and many of the people were older. The only real downside was the lack of lighting.
She struggled to find the right key.
“You need more lights,” he said.
Although she couldn’t see the frown, she could hear it.
“I’m sure there are a lot of things we need on this block. Ah ha!” She held up the key and pushed it into the lock with success.
When she turned to thank him, Irene was surprised to find him closer than she expected.
“Oh,” she said. Her face heated at his nearness. “Thanks again.”
He stepped closer, and she could just make out his eyes. “Who takes care of you, Irene?”
She frowned. “Taylor?”
She knew it was a lie before it even came out. No one. She took care of herself. There wasn’t a time when she couldn’t remember taking care of herself, even when she lived with her parents. Eat or be eaten.
Ryder shook his head. “I’m going to show you,” he said and stepped a little closer. The heat from his body seeped into her own, and her breathing quickened.
“Show me what?” she whispered.
Her heart raced.
“That I’m the man for you,” he mumbled.
God, how she wanted to believe that. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Irene moaned and swayed toward him, but just as quickly, he was gone.
“I’m not him,” he whispered. “I’m not any of them, and I’m going to be the man you need.”
She stared open mouthed at the declaration, not really sure what to say.
“Goodnight, Irene,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
She watched as he quickly walked back to his bike. When she stepped into the house, he started up the engine, and it wasn’t until the front door was closed that he drove away. Stunned, she leaned against the door in the quiet house. All her planning was spiraling out of control, and for some reason, she couldn’t work up the energy to care.
As she breathed in deeply, the masculine scent of his soap and leather hit her nose. She ran her hands against the soft leather coat, entirely too large for her, and sighed.
Wanting someone and needing someone were two different things. In the end, she didn’t know if any of it would really matter. She pulled off the coat and trudged to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, especially if they were going camping.
Irene groaned. No more whiskey. Making camping promises just wasn’t like her, not when there was work to be done.
“So stupid,” she groaned. Now the fate of their camping trip was in the hands of two college girls. Not her brightest moment. Well, at least there would s’mores.