Ryder
RYDER PULLED HIS phone out of his pocket as it buzzed. Sadie was ready to go. One a.m. He shook his head, chuckling as he wondered how she was holding up with the nightlife schedule. He didn’t imagine she had a lot of experience (if any) when it came to partying.
Heading to the back of the bar, he cut across the parking lot to Janet’s place, walking around the front and stalling when he saw three guys shoved into Sadie’s booth. She looked uncomfortable, Laura looked bored, but Bethany was lapping it up.
Ryder schooled his expression as best he could in an effort to hide his irritation that some asshat was all over Sadie and not picking up on the fact she clearly wasn’t interested. She caught his eyes and relief covered her features, which pissed him off more.
“I’d suggest you get your hands off my woman,” Ryder demanded.
He ignored Sadie’s quiet gasp as asshat number one turned slowly to look at him. “And who’s gonna make me?”
“You did not just say that,” Bethany said incredulously. “You were born kinda special, weren’t ya?”
“Bethany,” Laura said with a groan.
“Well? Come on. ‘Who’s gonna make me?’ What are we, like twelve? Dude, we’ve been trying to tell you she’s not interested for the last twenty minutes, but you just keep comin’ at her. Now her man’s here and he’s not one you want to challenge, so just walk away.”
Sadie dropped her face in her hands and shook her head. Ryder couldn’t stop a grin, considering Bethany had pretty much fought his battle for him and it was funny as hell. His grin faded when he saw Sadie shrink back. The guy had his hand in her hair and Ryder saw red. He reached out, grabbed him by the neck, and dragged him out of the booth. He was on the floor before Ryder broke a sweat. “I warned you not to touch her.”
His friends rushed to help, but Janet’s “muscle” made quick work of removing them from the bar. “You good, Ryder?” she asked.
“All good, Janet, thanks.” Ryder pulled the first guy’s arm up a little higher. “You done?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Yeah man, sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” he snapped as he dragged him to his feet. “Apologize to her.”
“Sorry, Sadie.”
She nodded, but Ryder could tell she was still in shock. He handed the man off to one of the bouncers and held a hand out to Sadie. She took it and slid out of the booth. “You okay?”
She nodded again, but he couldn’t get a read on her emotion.
He squeezed her hand. “Did I scare you?”
“Are you kidding me?” she whispered, and slid her arms around his waist. “That was awesome.”
Ryder chuckled, pulling her close. “Yeah?”
She nodded into his chest. “He would not leave me alone. I was almost ready to pull out my pepper spray.”
“You have pepper spray?”
She pulled away from him and frowned. “Of course I have pepper spray.”
He grinned. “That’s my girl.”
“Do you have pepper spray?”
Ryder shook his head. “Don’t need pepper spray.”
“Oh, right, because you’ve got mad skills.”
He gave her a gentle squeeze and whispered, “Because I have a gun.”
She gasped. “On you?”
“Always.” He set her away, taking her hand. “Ready, ladies?”
A collective “yes,” came, and Ryder led them through the bar and out the back door.
“Do you really have a gun?” she asked in a whisper as he pulled open the truck door and helped her inside.
“Yeah, babe, I really have a gun.” He squeezed her thigh. “Buckle.”
She nodded and pulled her seat belt across her lap. Ryder headed to the driver’s side and climbed in. Sadie didn’t say much as he drove over the bridge to her place. She still gripped the door handle like it was a lifeline and he hated that for her. Bethany and Laura chatted away in the backseat, but Sadie stayed silent unless they asked her a direct question, and then she’d answer quickly and with as few words as possible.
“Sade?”
“Hmm?” She turned toward him.
“You okay?”
“Oh, yes. I’m fine.” She smiled. “Just tired.”
He tugged her arm away from the door handle and linked his fingers with hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. Sadie settled her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. He liked that once she took his hand, she didn’t try to grip the “oh, shit” handle again, but he didn’t like that she seemed withdrawn.
By the time Ryder pulled into Sadie’s parking lot, she was out. He made sure Laura and Bethany got off okay (and that Laura was in fact sober), then he collected Sadie, who was still snoozing in the front seat. Opening the passenger door, he reached over her and unbuckled her belt. She started a little and opened her eyes. “Hi.”
“Hey, baby, you’re home.”
“Oh.” She slid her foot to the running board, teetering precariously, but Ryder grabbed her before she slipped off it.
“Careful.” He smiled, searching her face for some kind of emotion, particularly if she was angry with him.
“I’m okay. I’m just super sleepy.”
“Those margaritas kicked in, huh? I got you, baby.” He lifted her down and set her on her feet, making sure he had an arm around her tightly. “Grab your keys, Sadie, while we have light.”
“Good idea,” she said, and rummaged in her purse. “Got ’em.” She waved them in the air.
Ryder chuckled, taking them from her and guiding her upstairs to her door. He unlocked the apartment and followed her inside, closing the door behind him.
“What do you mean, I’m your woman?” she asked, facing him, her face still somewhat void of emotion.
Here we go.
“What do you think it means?” he asked, keeping his voice as neutral as possible.
She crossed her arms. “I think it means you’ve made some arbitrary decision without talking to me about it.”
Damn it, she sounds irked.
“You datin’ anyone else?”
“Ah. Well, no,” she conceded.
“Do you wanna date anyone else?” he challenged.
“I don’t know. No one else has asked.”
Wrong answer. He frowned. “Yeah?”
Sadie shrugged, but he didn’t miss her blush as she headed into her kitchen.
“Sadie?”
“Do you want something to drink?”
“You got beer?”
“No.” She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with tap water.
Ryder set his keys (and hers) on the counter and leaned against it with a smile. “Am I freakin’ you out?”
“Yes. A little.” She sipped her water and then studied him. “We’ve been out one time, Ryder. I hardly think that’s dating.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m countin’ tonight as well.”
“Tonight is not a date.”
“You don’t think so?”
“No,” she stressed. “Tonight was girls’ night out, with you asserting your weird protection fetish upon us.”
Ryder laughed. “It’s a fetish?”
“You tell me.”
“What’s the disconnect here, Sadie?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you really pissy because I’m concerned about your safety, or is it something else?”
She turned toward the sink. “I didn’t realize I was being ‘pissy.’”
“Babe.” Sadie busied herself putting her glass in the dishwasher and Ryder watched her. Damn, she was cute. “Sadie, look at me.”
She closed the dishwasher and faced him but didn’t quite meet his eyes.
“Babe, what’s going on?”
“I’m just trying to process what all this means. One second you’re saying ignore our backgrounds and get to know each other, then you’re saying you’re not a good man. You say you’re going to call, and then you don’t—for good reason—but still. I’m not mad or upset; I’m just a little overwhelmed. I’m feeling things that are really confusing right now and I don’t have anyone to talk to. I tried to talk to Laura, but she says every man has some form of alternative motive, and they all lead to getting a woman into bed, and Bethany thinks I should sleep with a few guys ‘before I make my choice.’ I don’t really have any desire to do that, just so you know.”
Ryder stamped down his rage at the thought. “Glad to hear it.”
She met his eyes. “I don’t know if you and I will ever work, and I can’t figure out if it’s worth it to even try.”
“Why don’t you think we’d work?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, babe, seriously.”
She took a deep breath. “Our backgrounds couldn’t be any more different. I also may not be a nun anymore, but it hasn’t changed my commitment to God or His ideals. How long are you going to be good with us not having sex? Because I don’t intend on doing that until I’m married.”
He shrugged. “As long as it works.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Baby, I can’t promise things are gonna be perfect or that we’re gonna last forever, but I can promise I won’t make you change who you are or what you believe. You want to abstain, we’ll abstain. It’ll be hard, because you’re fuc—freakin’ sexy as hell, but it won’t kill me.”
He could see her smile even though she was trying not to. “According to Bethany it might.”
“Stop listening to Bethany. She’s pretty, Sadie, but she’s obviously batshit crazy. And she’s not you. She also doesn’t know me. So, get to know me and then decide for yourself.”
“I guess that’s fair.” She bit back a yawn.
“You should sleep. Drink a bunch of water before you go to bed and keep ibuprofen close, ’cause I have a feelin’ you’re gonna have a hell of a hangover in the morning.”
“I never got drunk, Ryder,” she challenged. “Plus I drank more water than alcohol.”
“What tequila did you have in those margaritas?”
Sadie shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Did you pay less than ten bucks for each drink?”
She nodded.
“Trust me, honey, you’re gonna have a hangover.”
“You’re saying if I’d paid more than ten bucks I wouldn’t have one?” Sadie asked.
He smiled. “No, you probably would, but trust me; a Patron hangover is easier than a Cuervo Gold one.”
She dropped her head back with a groan. “I have no idea what any of that means.”
Done being separated from her, he closed the distance and pulled her into his arms. He backed up against the counter again, so he could scoot down to her level. She was tiny, which was something he liked about her. “One day soon I’ll show you.”
“You’ll teach me how to drink better?”
He chuckled. “Sure, something like that.”
She wrapped her arms around him and settled her cheek to his chest. “I have to admit, I really like this.”
He stroked her hair. “Me too.”
“If you promise this will happen on a regular basis, we can negotiate the dating thing.”
“If it means you’ll agree to date me, I’ll promise this will happen on a regular basis.”
Sadie giggled. “You don’t miss a beat.”
“I’m hot for teacher; I can’t miss a beat when you’re smarter than me.”
She dropped her head back and rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“I’m gonna kiss you now,” he warned, and before she could object, he covered her mouth with his. She sighed and sank into him and he slid his hand to her neck and deepened the kiss.
God, she was magnificent. Maybe not having her in his bed would kill him.
Reluctantly, he broke the kiss and dropped his forehead to hers. “Where the hell did you learn to kiss like that?”
“Nowhere.” Sadie took a few deep breaths. “You’re the first, Ryder. Was it okay?”
“Baby, it was amazing.”
She licked her lips and widened her eyes. “Can we do that again?”
Ryder grinned. “We can do that whenever you want to.”
“Okay, then I’m good with dating you.”
He laughed. “Damn, babe, you’re a hard sell.”
“You agreed super quickly to my terms, so how hard of a sell could I be?”
“I think I might be a little afraid of you.”
She giggled. “Kiss me again and I’ll change that.”
“Minx.”
He kissed her until it was clear they could pass the point of no return with relative ease, and forced himself to break their connection.
“Wow,” she said on a breath, and stepped away. “You are lethal.”
“Back atya, baby.”
“I like that way too much.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded with a grimace. “I should really go to confession.”
“You might get tired.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m gonna make it so you have to go to confession every day.”
Sadie dropped her head back with a groan. “Okay, I’ll make sure I pray every night a little longer, then.”
“Put in a good word for me.”
“Always.”
Ryder grinned. “I’m gonna go before I can’t.”
“Probably a good idea.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll do something.”
“Not before eleven.”
He chuckled. “I can do that.”
He grabbed his keys and Sadie followed him to the door. “Text me when you get home.”
“I will,” he promised.
After one more extended kiss at her door, he forced himself away and headed home. He chose to call her instead of texting and they talked until she could no longer form coherent sentences. He let her go with the promise of something fun the next day and fell asleep dreaming of his beautiful girl.
The next morning Ryder was awakened by the buzzing of his phone. Hoping it was Sadie, he answered without checking the screen. “Ryder.”
“Hi... um, Ryder?”
“Yeah? Who’s this?”
“It’s Taylor Watkins. I’m calling to see if there’s been any word on Scottie?”
Taylor was Scottie’s best friend, and he found it strange that she hadn’t reached out to him until now. He’d called several times and even dropped in at her home unannounced, but her parents always played referee and he was never able to see her. Even Cameron (who’d used his FBI credentials to gain access) had gotten nowhere.
“No. No word yet,” Ryder said.
“I’m so sorry this happened.”
“I’m gonna find her, Taylor,” he said. “Has she reached out to you?”
“I wouldn’t know,” she admitted. “I’m borrowing a friend’s phone right now. My parents wouldn’t let me call...they actually took my phone away. I’m only allowed to make monitored phone calls.”
“Did they tell you I called a few times?”
“Yeah, but I really don’t know anything.”
He sighed. “Well, keep your head down, sweetheart. Stay safe. I’ll find Scottie.”
“Promise?” she whispered.
“Promise.”
“Okay. Thanks, Ryder. I gotta go.”
“Okay, babe.” He hung up and ran his hands through his hair. God, he hoped he found his sister soon.