I checked my phone right when I woke up. I still hadn’t heard from Ryder since he’d left the bar the night before.

Deep breaths.

He’s fine. 

It’s just club shit.

I was doing a miserable job of not worrying about him. I had barely slept, but I knew better than to blow up his phone. No bitch, not even the president’s daughter, was allowed to act like a stage five clinger; it wasn’t a thing, and it would show everyone that I wasn’t as okay with Ryder being an outlaw as I had let on. I was even surprised myself. I never worried about my dad. He always came home. He never broke that promise and I trusted that he wouldn’t, but I was so scared Ryder would not be able to guarantee his own safety. It was my cross to bear and Ryder was fucking worth it.

I shot off a quick “good morning” text to him and then forced myself to get out of bed. Still in my pajamas, I groggily made my way down to the kitchen where I heard my stepmother already banging around, cooking.

“Hey Crickett?” I walked into the kitchen and saw her putting a few racks of ribs into the oven.

“What is it sweetheart?” 

I pulled her in for a hug. “I never said thank you for helping me with the whole Dad-Ryder situation.”

She laughed a little. “Oh, honey. Sometimes you just have to remind those stubborn men of ours who is really the boss around here. Want some cocoa?”

I took a seat at the dining room table, like I used to do when I was a little girl, waiting not-so-patiently for the warm chocolaty goodness that was about to trip me down memory lane. She plopped a couple of marshmallows in each of our mugs after basting the ribs.

I took in a deep breath of the sweet aroma. “This is exactly what I needed.”

She smiled at me. “Good. How’s everything been with Ryder?”

After wiping off my hot chocolate mustache, I beamed. “He’s amazing. Even through all the stress of work and the club shit he can’t really tell me about, he still is sweet and caring.”

Crickett smirked, rolling her fingertips around the edge of her mug. “Sounds familiar.”

“What does?” 

“The way you’re feeling now is how I still feel about your father. He’s my soul mate.”

I swooned at her words; they gave me so much hope. “Being in love with someone that loves you back is the greatest euphoria on this planet.”

Crickett grabbed my hand and intently looked into my eyes. “Love is the ecstasy that makes sense of this crazy, fucked up world we live in.”

I nodded. “I couldn't agree more.”

Right then Collin game trudging into the kitchen, sniffing around the stove. “Ribs for dinner?”

Crickett got up to start fixing a cup of cocoa for her son. “I had to figure out some way to get you to come straight home after practice at least one night this week.

Collin hooked an arm around Crickett’s. “Oh Ma, you don't have to bribe me.”

I started laughing. “Um, yes we do. What was the last meal you ate at this table with us?”

My little brother grabbed his chin, pretending to be thinking really hard, then shrugged. “All right, maybe y’all have a point. I promise tonight I will leave practice without even showering in the locker room and will be home in time to devour a full rack of those suckers.”

“Perfect. Now get your ass in gear. I don’t want to have to explain another tardy to your homeroom teacher.”

“Yes ma’am. Bye.”

Collin hugged both of us and marched out the front door with his book bag and football crap in hand.

“We really have an incredible family, don't we?” I looked up at Crickett as my words washed a sweet smile onto her face.

“We have the best fucking family in the entire world.”

“I couldn't agree more.”

My dad’s loud footsteps started making their way down the stairs.

“Mornin’.” He kissed Crickett, grabbing a coffee cup out of the cupboard. 

“Morning, babe. I didn’t even hear you get in last night.”

He breathed through his clenched teeth after his first sip of caffeinated mud. “Had to take care of some shit.”

I got up and kissed my dad’s cheek. “I gotta get ready to open the bar. Is Holt going in for the morning shit?”

Abel shook his head. “Honey, I need you to cover Holt’s workload today at the bar.” 

Crickett glanced over at him. “As long as the four of us have fucking family dinner together like you promised.”

“I can make that happen.” 

Crickett started to follow me up the stairs to get ready to go in with me. “There better be a damn good reason why I have to work on my day off.”

I started to walk into my room. “Hopefully it’s not too serious.”

Sympathetic eyes landed on me. “If there was something wrong, your father would have told us.”

I nodded, gripping the doorframe. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Shutting the door to my room, a sigh of relief finally came when Ryder’s name flashed across my screen with a text.

Ryder: Good morning gorgeous.

Me: Hey babe. Long night?

Ryder: Not too bad, a late one but nothing too eventful.

Me: All right then. I’m getting ready for my morning shift. See you later?

Ryder: You’ll see me soon. I need a cold one to put a little pep in my step.

Me: Okay. See you shortly then.

I had no idea if seeing Raine while my thoughts were all jacked up from the night before was a good idea or not, I just needed to be close to her. An uncontrollable desire to just be in her presence was all consuming in that moment.

Crickett was stacking glasses behind the bar while Raine wiped off the liquor bottles and put them down into her speed well.

“Hey ladies.” I took my seat right in front of Raine.

Crickett took one look at me and shook her head. “You look like hell, Ryder.”

“Huh, gee, thanks.” I took the beer from Raine as she stared at my sunken eyes.

“Didn’t sleep well, did you?”

The concern on her face broke my heart. “Just tossed and turned a bit, ain’t no thing, babe.”

After a few long swigs of my beer, I started to relax a bit. Right at noon, Raine hit the open sign and took a seat next to me, waiting for her real first customer of the shift.

“So, can you tell me what really happened last night?” she asked in her honey-coated voice, right in my ear before kissing my cheek.

I sucked in my lips while shaking my head.

She huffed and shifted on her stool. “I figured. Can’t blame a girl for trying.”

I forced a smile. “You got me there.”

Crickett came from the back office with a look of satisfaction shining bright on her face. “All right you two, get the fuck out of here.”

Raine and I glanced at each other and then back to her stepmom. 

“Didn’t you hear me? I said to get gone.”

“What about my shift?” Raine started to make her way back behind the bar.

Crickett shoved Raine’s purse in her hands. “I just told Keira to come in and cover for you. She’s the new girl, let her pay her dues a bit.”

I hopped off my seat. “Fuck yeah. Thanks Crickett!”

“Don’t mention it. Now get out of this fucking bar before Abel catches wind and makes me change my damn mind. And I better see the both of you for dinner tonight at six sharp.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll have Raine back by then, don’t you worry.”

She giggled a little. “Oh, sweetheart, if I was worried, you wouldn't be going anywhere with my daughter.” With a wink, Crickett shooed us away.

* * *

Having Raine gripping on to me as we sped down the road was the most soul-cleansing thing in the entire world. Feeling her hold on tight while my bike grumbled under us made my dick twitch to the point of my zipper fucking killing me.

This needs to be fucking dealt with right now.

I drove down to where I knew there was a field with decent tree coverage so we wouldn't be able to be seen from the road. I pulled off and drove us down to a nice shaded spot.

“What are we doing?” Raine hollered to me.

I killed the engine, readjusting my pants. “I need you right the fuck now, babe.”

She hopped off the bike and ripped her helmet off, grabbing the sides of my face. “Thank fucking God.” She breathed before locking her lips with mine.

I dug my fingers into the soft flesh on her hips as a low growl came from deep inside me. “I fucking love you, Raine.”

She panted. “I love you too, Ryder. Now show me how much you fucking mean it.”

“Get your damn jeans off right now.”

She didn’t hesitate, throwing off her sneakers and shimmying out of her skintight jeans as fast as she could. I gripped her sides, spinning her around to bend over my bike. “Get that ass in the air, babe.”

She moaned as I smacked her bare butt harder than I ever had before, leaving a nice red hand print that started to rise a bit. “Like that, baby?” I whispered, leaning over her as I let my fingers start to play between her slick folds.

She moaned from my touch. “I love anything you do to me, babe. Fucking claim me.”

Her words shot into me, lighting a fire I had never felt before. She was fucking mine and I was going to ruin her for any other guy. After that very moment, Raine Hellock would never be able to think of having another dick inside her.

I dropped to my knees, forcing her legs to spread so I could get my tongue flat against her sweet bud. Right as I started to explore her wet opening, her knees started to shake as her hips bucked against me.

“God, I love it when you ride my face, babe.” I sucked a little harder, teasing her opening with my tongue, barely letting it plunge inside. Her soft moans and trembling body cheered me on while I felt her get wetter.

“I’m going to fucking come.” She screamed while her entire body exploded into tremors of euphoria. 

“Fuck, babe. You’re so damn sexy.” I gripped her ass as I got back to my feet. 

I slid my thumb slowly into Raine’s dampened pussy as I freed myself, finally getting relief from that zipper.

Bending down to get closer to Raine, I knotted my fingers into her hair, bringing her head up to me. “Tell me how much you want me.”

She exhaled slowly as I rubbed the head of my dick over her pulsing clit. “Ryder, I fucking need to feel you inside me.”

“Beg for it.”

She cried out a bit as I pressed ever-so-gently against her opening. “Oh, fuck, Ryder. Please fuck the shit out of me.”

One hand gripped onto her hipbone, the other still knotted in her messy hair. I thrust into her, forcing my dick in as far as her cunt would let me.

Finding my rhythm, I growled. “Damn it, Raine, your pussy is incredible.”

Her body continued to respond with shaking and uncontrollable groans as I quickened my pace. “I’m getting close babe.” I hissed, trying to wait as long as I could.

“Fucking come for me, Ryder. I want to feel your cock pulse inside me.”

That was it, game fucking over. I completely lost control to the most intoxicating climax of my life and the way Raine’s body responded to it sent me over the edge completely. She cried out as her pussy clenched around my shaft, trembling under me, pressed against my Harley. 

Best. Fucking. Sex. Ever. 

I gently kissed Raine’s cheek, sliding my cock slowly out of her. “You’re stunning, you know that?”

She looked over her shoulder to glance back at me. “And you’re addicting.”

Ryder and I rushed through my front door without a minute to spare.

“That better be Raine busting in here at six-oh-one.” I heard Crickett call from the kitchen.

“Hey, my watch says six on the nose,” I yelled back, throwing my jacket up on its hook.

Dad came in from the back room and shook Ryder’s hand. “Staying for dinner?”

It was so weird to see them getting along like this, but I couldn't have been happier about it.

“Yes, sir. If you’ll have me.” Ryder followed me into the kitchen and grabbed all four of us beers from the fridge. 

“Why don’t you call up your old man and see if he wants to head over too?”

Ryder agreed and walked out the back door to make the call.

“So how was your afternoon?” Crickett raised an eyebrow at me while my cheeks got hot.

I tried to play it off with a shrug to the best of my abilities. “We went on an awesome ride through the country. It was pretty incredible.”

My dad chuckled a little. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s not all the riding y’all did.”

Crickett smacked my dad on the side of the head while I died a thousand deaths. “What the ever loving fuck, Abel?”

Ryder walked back into the kitchen to see me doubled over laughing nervously, my dad stunned like a deer in Mac truck lights, and Crickett shaking her head.

“I feel like I missed something.” Ryder’s deep green eyes darted around the room.

I grabbed his hand. “Please don't ask. Is Holt coming?”

He nodded. “Should be here in about ten. He was just finishing up with the brakes on Red’s bike when I called.”

Dad grabbed his pack of smokes out of his flannel shirt pocket. “Perfect. Need a smoke, Ryder? I sure as hell do after that little moment I just had with my girls.”

Ryder still looked confused as shit as I waved him off. “Go on. I am telling you, you do not want to know what just happened.”