“I’m not sure.” Eyes narrowed, he slowly rounded the bench towards her.
Uh oh. He wasn’t just walking, he was almost…stalking. Treading softly, deliberately, his gaze moving over her face as he inexplicably continued towards her.
Her heart picked up a crazy notch, definitely not steady, and she cleared her throat a little nervously. “Ryder?”
He didn’t answer, his gaze running down her body, stopping on her hands before lifting back up to search her face. He didn’t stop moving even though he was drawing way too close, making her involuntarily step back against the table, the edge of it hitting the backs of her thighs.
“Have you been sucking on the shampoo in the bathroom? Or were you inhaling too much aftershave? Because I have to tell you, Ryder, you’re acting strange. And I mean more than normal.”
There was a delicious edge of danger in the glint of his eyes as he looked her right in the eyes. Coming to a stop before her, his body blocking her view of anything except, well, his utterly mouth-watering body with its mouth-watering scent and mouth-watering heat, Ryder just continued to look down at her.
So close now, he towered over her, forcing her to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
Cripes, what had happened? Why was he looking at her so suspiciously? So - her eyes widened. Oh shit, surely he didn’t remember-
“You,” he stated softly, dangerously, lowering his face until their noses nearly touched, “whacked my arse in the shower.”
Oh boy. “I what?”
“Whacked me. My arse. In the shower.”
“Good grief, are you still running a fever?”
“No, I remember perfectly. I was trying to get in the shower and you whacked me.”
“You were having some weird dreams-”
“This was no dream.”
“You had a raging temperature, you were saying all sorts of bizarre crap.”
“What I said and what I felt are two different things.”
“Huh.” She folded her arms, tried for nonchalance.
The glint in his eyes was turning to a wild little glitter. “Don’t even try to pull that shit with me, babe.”
“What shit?”
“Innocence.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Bloody oath you don’t. You wouldn’t know innocence if it bit you on your delectably curvy arse.”
“Wait.” Delectably? “What?” Nonplussed by his choice of words, she blinked. “My what?”
His teeth bared in a grin that wasn’t totally comforting. “Don’t even think of trying to deny it. I know I was rambling, but I distinctly remember you smacking my arse.”
She swallowed, cleared her throat. “You’re a little fixated on that. I think you have a problem.”
Unblinkingly, Ryder held her gaze captive, the seconds stretching.
Oh boy. Oh wow. Oh shit. This was pervertedly sexy, so erotically wrong. To think the threat in the air, the danger in his eyes, the intimidation of his posture, was making her damp in places that had no right to be damp. She should be peeing with fear, not creaming with, well, hell…desire.
“No, babe, that’s where you’re wrong,” he almost purred, low and deep and toe-curlingly menacing.
“Huh?” she managed to croak.
“You’re the one with the problem.”
“I am?”
“Oh yeah, babe, you are.” In a move so unexpected it caught her by surprise, Ryder’s arm shot around her, his hand landing on her bottom in a light but firm smack.
It wasn’t hard, didn’t even hurt, was almost playful, but holy crap, it made her tingle in all the other places. Her girlie bits were almost in overload.
It was either grab Ryder by the hair and jerk his head down to kiss him like a ravening beast, while climbing him like a sex-starved monkey and screaming ‘Smack me! Smack me hard, you handsome bastard!’ or run.
Dee was no fool. She ran.
One fast step to the side and she was away from him.
Ryder grabbed for her, missed and swung around in pursuit.
Heart pounding, blood singing in her veins, she couldn’t help laughing tauntingly when she glanced over her shoulder as she reached for the back door, only to curse when it wouldn’t open.
Bloody locked and the bloody key was hanging on the wall.
“Got you!” Ryder grabbed.
She feinted, bent, slid under his arm and shot forward.
Jezebel chose that moment to meander across the floor and Dee swerved, Ryder closed in from the side and before she knew it, she was manoeuvred quickly and expertly into the corner where the kitchen sink met the bench.
Cornered.
Swinging around, her back hit the corner and her hands flew up, shoving against Ryder’s chest as he stopped in front of her, one big hand braced on the sink, the other on the bench, effectively hemming her in with no escape route.
Looking up at him, she couldn’t help but see the gleam of victory in his eyes, the amusement creasing the laughter lines at the corners of his eyes, the deep rumble of his laugh as it erupted from his chest.
She sagged in combined relief, nerves, and dare she even think it, disappointment. Jesus, she was a sick pervert. At the same time, she couldn’t help but laugh right along with him, sagging forward as he caught her in his arms and held her close against him, his big body shaking with laughter.
“You arse!” she gasped out.
“Oh man, Dee, your expression will haunt me every night for the next year.” He chuckled. “You didn’t know whether to challenge me or run.”
“I ran.”
“I noticed. Not smart, babe.”
“Why?”
“Makes the predator in me give chase.”
“Is that how the girls get you to chase them?”
“Babe, you’re the only one I’ve ever chased.”
Oh boy, that sounded so nice. Relaxing against him, she murmured, “But I bet I’m not the only one to see you naked in the shower.” Her eyes popped open right at the exact same instance Ryder stiffened.
Oh shit. She shoved back out of his arms, her back hitting the counter. “I mean…I didn’t…” Her words trailed away.
Ryder stared down at her. “You saw me in the shower? That wasn’t a dream?”
Wait, there might be a way out of this. “Sure it was.”
“Oh no, it wasn’t.”
“Yeah, it was.” She reached for the tea towel, started folding it, watching her hands move as she continued airily, “So, guess I’d better go home and-”
The tea towel was snatched out of her hands and tossed back onto the sink.
With a gulp, she looked directly at the broad chest in front of her eyes. The top of her head only came up to his shoulder, so it wasn’t hard to keep her gaze level.
The silence this time was laden with something she couldn’t even begin to consider. She started to slide to the side, but a muscular arm shot out, a big hand clamped onto the bench.
Oookkaaay.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders. Time to pull up her plus-size undies and face this head-on. It was ridiculous being nervous, he’d been sick, she’d been caring for him, it was no big deal.
No big deal.
She tilted her chin up, saw his gaze boring into her and swallowed. Okay, it was a big deal.
“You put me in the shower.” His words were dead quiet.
“Uh…kind of,” she hedged.
“Naked.”
“I wasn’t naked.”
“I was.”
“In my defence, you took your boxers off, I didn’t.” Big lie.
“You washed me.” His gaze was burning holes right through her pupils.
She couldn’t hide the blush that slid into her cheeks at the memory of his big, muscular body under her hands, the sensation of their skin making contact, the face washer tracing over all those hard swells and…“Um…yeah.”
“Everywhere.”
No
way on this earth could Dee continue to hold his gaze. Her own dropped to stare at his hard jaw.
Silence fell, the only sound that of their combined breathing, his deep and even, hers a whole lot jerkier.
Jesus, she thought her heart was going to pound right out of her chest, it was hammering so hard. Probably trying to hammer free and leave her to this humiliating scene while it made its escape. She couldn’t blame it. If she could have gone free, she’d have run like rabbit. Albeit a chunky one, but still…
All the delicious anticipation and adrenaline of mere moments ago was draining away leaving her feeling so small, so stupid, so horrible. For the first time in her life she didn’t have any fast comebacks, any put-downs, any cutting remark. All she could do was stay so very still and stare at that granite jaw.
His hand lifted, she flinched, but then suddenly that big palm was against her cheek, the thumb slipping beneath her chin to angle her head back, forcing her to face him. She kept her lashes lowered over her eyes, her cheeks so blazingly hot, misery filling her.
God, he was disgusted, so angry. Cripes, why had she even come here in the first place? She should have left, should have made Del come, or his Aunt, or made Moira do it. Hell, even Simon could have looked after Ryder.
“Dee, look at me.”
Not in this lifetime.
“Dee.”
She couldn’t stop the glimmer of a tear, blinked it back.
“Babe,” Ryder ordered gently, “look at me. Now.”
Opening her eyes, she looked up at him through a haze of tears. “I’m sorry, Ryder. I didn’t mean to…you were sick, I had to cool you off and-”
“Shhh.” Bending down, he pressed his lips to her brow. “It’s all right.”
“I’m sorry.” She swallowed the sob.
“Sshh. Don’t cry.” His mouth slid down, touched one closed eyelid in a feather-light caress. “Don’t cry, babe.” A feather light touch to her other eye.
So gentle, so sweet, his mouth trailing lower.
She held still, her heart beating fast, her skin tingling where his fingers brushed, waiting…waiting…
A hush, a feeling in the air, a motion, and she opened her eyes slowly to find her gaze ensnared by deep, dark blue eyes, Ryder’s face was so close to hers, his lips so close to hers, their breath mingling as she opened her mouth ever so slightly, inhaling just when it felt as though all the oxygen in the air had been taken.
It happened so fast, so slow, so dreamily. His head lowered, his mouth descended, and then his lips were pressed to hers in the lightest of touches.
Oh God, his mouth was so soft, so firm, so seeking, tentatively touching, pressing, lifting for a fraction of a second before descending once more, firmer, a little more demanding.
Heat engulfed her as Ryder kissed her. It strengthened, lengthened, deepened, his hands sliding behind her to pull her close against him, and she gloried in the sensation of his heat and strength surrounding her as he bent over her.
It was her every dream come true, every lonely night’s thoughts given fruitation. Held by the one man she loved, kissed as though he desired her, held as though he cared.
She melted into him, into his kiss, her hands fluttering out to land on his upper arms, holding on, feeling the bunch and flex of muscle.
God, he was so strong, so broad, smelled so good, every red-blooded woman’s dream man. Her heart’s desire.
Heat swirled through her, pooled deep, nipples pebbling to push enticingly against his chest as he gathered her closer, one big hand spreading over the middle of her back to keep her hard against him.
His tongue slid over the seam of her lips, tracing it before demanding entrance. She opened eagerly, welcoming him in, groaning as his taste filled her. Hungrily she rose into the kiss, coming up on tip toes, taking what he gave, relinquishing what he took.
And he took it all, licking deep, sweeping through, drinking from her like a thirsty man, almost ravaging the depths.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathing raggedly. Desire raced through her, a tentative joy at the knowledge that he had to feel as she did, that he couldn’t mistake the desire, the heat between them, the - oh God.
One look at his shocked, almost appalled expression had her desire crashing, the joy crushed, the humiliation rising to take its place.
While he still looked like he didn’t know what to do or say, Dee’s flight or fright instinct took hold. A fast shove past him, a grab of the car keys on the bench and she was out the kitchen, down the hallway and outside, the tears falling free as she ran across the veranda and down the steps, pressing the unlocking mechanism of the car so that by the time she got there it was a simple matter to open the door and jump in.
As she gunned the engine to life, she saw Ryder burst through the front door and bound down the steps, his mouth opening as he yelled something at her, arms waving, trying to get her to stop.
Not in this lifetime. Not ever, in fact.
His appalled expression, the shock. Oh God, the humiliation. No way could she ever face him again, ever look him in the eyes.
This changed everything.
She reversed so fast it was surprising she didn’t get whiplash when she slammed on the brakes as she swung out onto the road. Shoving the car into gear, she actually left a skid mark as she tore off down the road, leaving Ryder standing at the gate staring after her.
~*~
Jesus Christ.
Shaken, Ryder thrust a hand through his hair.
He’d kissed Dee. Really kissed her. Like tongue and everything, just kissing her and kissing her and-
Oh Jesus.
Staring after the car, he shoved his hand through his hair again, gave it a tug, swung around to stare sightlessly at the house.
Holy shit. He’d kissed Dee.
She’d kissed back.
Then she’d run. Fast.
He just didn’t know what to think. What to feel. Well, he kind of knew what he felt, it was pretty obvious with the boner he was sporting, but that was just wrong. Really wrong. Christ, it was Dee.
Dee and his boner just didn’t go together. His boner wanted to get with her, but - no, that was so wrong.
He looked back at the empty road. Cripes, she’d torn out of the driveway so fast he was surprised she hadn’t taken the fence and letterbox with her. He’d never seen anyone reverse so fast and hard, and that included a couple of drunks and one highly-wired teenager high on amphetamines. That said a lot.
Shit, what if she had an accident? What if she got hurt? He cringed at the mental image of her car lying crumpled on the side of the road, her body lifeless - oh shit.
Running back into the house, he grabbed the phone and dialled.
“Hey,” Kirk answered.
“I need you to put a call out for Dee,” Ryder demanded.
“You what?”
“Dee. She left here like a bat out of hell. You need to-”
“What’d you do?”
“Me? I didn’t - look, just get someone out looking for her! The mad sheila will kill herself.”
“Not without killing you first.”
“Kirk, do it!”
There was silence for several seconds before Kirk asked calmly, “So what happened?”
“She’s upset!” That was putting it mildly.
“She’s often upset where you’re concerned.”
“This is different.”
“How?”
“I think she was crying, she-”
All humour left Kirk’s voice. “Jesus, Ryder, what did you do?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Only if his nuts were roasted over hot coals first. “Just have someone go and look for her.” He hung up.
Right, he couldn’t count on the cops knowing exactly where Dee would run to, so he’d go and look for her himself and - Ryder stilled. And what? Do what? Apologise? It wasn’t as though he could just say, “So, Dee, about my tongue down your throat, that was a bit of a misunderstanding.”
<
br /> Shit.
Whatever happened, he had to look for her, make sure she was all right. He’d deal with the conversation later.
Ten minutes later he was riding his motorbike along the highway, checking everywhere he could think of, but to no avail. Great, just great.
Maybe he should check her brother Vic’s place, see if she’d holed up there. Mind you, he’d probably leave with his nose bleeding and a black eye, Vic was pretty protective of his sisters, but he’d take it just to know that Dee was safe and not a road fatality.
As he headed towards Vic’s street a heavy motorbike drew up beside him, the rider gesturing him to pull over.
Recognising Kirk even with his visor down, Ryder did as bidden, keeping the engine running as he kicked the stand on and shoved up his helmet visor.
Kirk pulled in beside him, mirroring his movements. His steady gaze was calm, so that was a good sign. A calm Kirk meant that nothing bad had been reported yet.
“Where is she?” Ryder demanded. “Is she all right?”
“Mate, calm down,” Kirk replied. “Before you run your arse up a tree.”
Ryder took a deep breath. “I’m calm. Now where is she?”
“Phil spotted Dee pulling into her garage.”
So where the hell had she been? Not that it mattered, she was safe. Ryder sagged with relief.
“Then she took her pushbike and left.”
That wasn’t bloody good. Dee on a pushbike could go to a lot of places unnoticed.
“And if she’s as upset as you say, then you better back off and leave her alone.”
Ryder glared at Kirk.
Kirk just looked steadily at him.
“She’s upset, damn it!”
“If she’s upset with you, do you really think you’re the best person to be with her right now?”
Teeth gritted, Ryder turned to look at the road. “I’ve never seen her cry.” When Kirk didn’t say anything, he repeated, “Never. Not since we grew up.”
“You know Dee clears her head when she rides,” Kirk said. “Leave her to do it.”
“Yeah, but-”
“You of all people know her, Ryder.”
Yeah, he knew her, all right. Dee taking off on her pushbike meant she didn’t want to talk to anyone, didn’t want to see anyone. It was her way of walking without having to stop and chat to people. She could go off alone, find a solitary place and…bloody cry her eyes out. Alone.
Lie to Me Page 13
