Ryder’s scowl matched that of the boy. “Told you it wasn’t necessary. You’re wasting everyone’s time. Including your own.”
I stiffened. God, he couldn’t make it any clearer how unwanted I was. But screw him, I was here to do my job. And I wouldn’t leave until I’d done what I came to do.
“You didn’t mention you had kids?” My eyes widened as I watched him rub the baby girl’s back. She cooed in his arms. I couldn’t miss the huge tattoo on his muscled triceps of a black scorpion, ready to strike. I wasn’t a huge fan of tattoos, but it really suited Ryder. It accentuated his thick arms and bulging muscles. Kind of sexy in a caveman way, if you were into that kind of thing.
Of course I wasn’t.
Irritation built up inside me. Was it disappointment at the thought that he was married with kids? He didn’t look the daddy type, but what the hell did I know?
A voice called from the bedroom. “Who is it, honey?” She sounded sleepy, her voice thick but sweet.
“Mama’s awake, go to her room,” Ryder told the boy, gently pushing him toward the bedroom.
The boy nodded and scampered off quickly, as if he was afraid I would see him. Odd.
“Go back to sleep, babe. It’s just the rental woman. I’ve got it.”
“Thanks, honey,” she called back. God, all this lovey-dovey stuff was churning my stomach. Who would have thought a big scary looking guy like Ryder was a doting father and husband? He certainly had me fooled.
“Let’s do this, shall we?” I said in my most professional, take no nonsense tone of voice. I peered at my clipboard and went straight for the kitchen.
“I was just feeding the kids when you got here,” he said as he followed me into the kitchen. “You do what you need to, I’ll be here with Isabella.”
Hearing her name, Isabella giggled and looked up at him. She reached out a puffy little hand and stroked his cheek. He grinned at her and moved his head to kiss her palm. I swallowed hard at the lump in my throat. He clearly loved this little girl with all his heart, and she him too.
He placed her into a highchair and planted a kiss on her forehead. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. It was so loving and intimate. And in that fleeting moment I longed for a family of my own. Something I’d never given much thought to before, now had my heart twisting strangely.
Our eyes locked for a moment over Isabella’s head. His eyes softened and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, as if he could read my thoughts. Damn. I turned away, my heels clacking down the hallway as I got away from Mr. Dark and Dangerous as quickly as I could.
After inspecting all of the rooms and finding no evidence of orgies or outlandish behavior, I hovered by the door of the main bedroom. His woman was in there with the little boy. I knew by what I’d seen of the rest of the house that it was unnecessary to see the master bedroom as well, yet curiosity had taken hold of me. I needed to know what kind of woman had stolen the heart of the most badass man I’d ever met.
What did it take to tame a man like Ryder Knox?
Images of him naked, making love to me, flashed through my mind as if he were another of my fictional book boyfriends. Heat rose to my cheeks and dampness settled between my legs. I imagined his strong arms—tattooed—on either side of my head, leaning over me and devouring me with his eyes.
What the hell was happening to me? I was turned on by images of Ryder, when I knew I’d never go for his type in a million years.
A friendly voice called from within the bedroom. “Come in, honey. Don’t be shy.”
Hesitantly, I pushed the half closed door ajar and drew in a breath. Lying against the pillows was a woman straight out of a romance novel. She was gorgeous. Voluptuous. Sexy. Her black hair fanned over the pillows, her olive skin smooth and perfect beneath a tight fitting camisole top that accentuated her large breasts. The little boy cuddled into her side, hiding his face, when I entered the room.
Big brown eyes stared at me curiously as she beckoned me in. It was obvious which parent both kids got their doe-like eyes from.
“So you’re the one?” She laughed as she looked me up and down. Even her voice sounded sexy as sin, with a slight foreign accent I couldn’t quite place. I could just imagine men falling over themselves to worship her. No wonder Ryder was secretive about his family. They were gorgeous and clearly he didn’t want to share them with anyone. “Not at all what I expected. You’re just a slip of a girl.”
Confused, I frowned. “What do you mean? I’m from Clarke and Sons Realty. Were you expecting someone else?”
“Oh, no. That’s not what I meant. Ryder described you . . . differently. I was expecting someone much older and meaner looking. Not someone who looks as if she just finished high school, dressed in a business suit.”
Was she making fun of me? I pulled my shoulders back and pushed up my chin. “What did Ryder say about me?”
The gravelly voice behind me dripped with sarcasm. “I told her what a hard time you gave me. How I had to pay down a lot higher deposit than I intended to, just to get this place.”
I swung around to see him leaning against the doorjamb, Isabella sitting on his forearm, a smirk on his face as he glared at me.
His eyes shifted to the woman and softened. “But Mia wanted this house because of the lovely garden for the kids. So I had to do what I had to do, to get it. Let’s just say, you didn’t make it easy.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “You’re the one who made it difficult. Not filling in the forms. I still don’t know much about you. All I have is your name and phone number. No history, no background check. I’d say it was your lucky day Uncle Eric was there.”
“You’d deny these kids the garden that was clearly designed for kids to play in?” He nodded toward the boy and kissed Isabella’s cheek. “That would make you a super bitch.”
“The kids need the garden after what they’ve been through—” Mia clapped her hand over her mouth, as if she’d already said too much. On hearing her mother’s voice, little Isabella squirmed in Ryder’s arms, reaching out for her mother. He laughed down at her and moved toward the bed, depositing her on her mother’s lap. He stroked softly over Mia’s thigh, her lithe tanned limbs spread invitingly over the sheets. Something passed between them at that loving gesture, as if he was soothing her.
Ryder leaned over the girls and roughed the boy’s hair lovingly. “Time for a bath, big man,” he said as he picked the boy up as if he were a feather. He threw him in the air a few times, while Mia watched with big eyes. The boy squealed with delight, his shyness forgotten.
“Ryder. Not so rough.” She chided. “His asthma.”
“Sorry. Forgot. But Jamie’s a big boy. He can handle a bit of rough and tumble. Can’t you James, my man?”
Jamie nodded enthusiastically. Clearly Ryder brought him out of his shell.
Ryder high fived him and carried him upside down out of the room, toward the bathroom.
“Lock the door behind you when you leave.” Ryder called over his shoulder. I got the hint. I was no longer wanted around. He was probably hoping to get the kids to bed early so he could have alone time with the sexy woman in his bed.
The thought of them making love irked me beyond belief. She was everything I wasn’t. She looked like a sex goddess and I was the inexperienced virginal girl. After being with a woman like her, no man would give me a second glance.
Even though I didn’t want him, the realization was like a knife twisting in my gut.
Mia’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. “Don’t go. Please stay a while and chat? I haven’t had anyone to talk to in weeks, besides Ryder and the kids. I need woman talk.” Her doe-like eyes were pleading.
She patted a space on the bed, inviting me over. I hesitated. Did I really want to get into this?
“Ryder clearly doesn’t want me here.” I hadn’t realised that I’d spoken my thoughts out loud, until she laughed.
“You don’t strike me as the type of girl who would care ab
out what a man wants. Anyway, Ryder’s bark is far worse than his bite. Underneath all that tough guy shit, is a caring heart. I know, because I’ve seen it many times. Although he’d kill me if he knew I was telling you.”
“Really? Could have fooled me,” I chuckled. I settled on the bed next to her.
“Yes, really. In fact, the meaner he is to you, the more he actually likes you.”
Isabella crawled toward me and climbed into my lap. I stroked her baby soft skin.
I scowled. “Then he must really like me. He’s been nothing but mean and rude to me.”
Mia nodded toward Isabella. “Have you noticed how good he is with the kids? He can’t help himself. All that love he’s been hiding—since he was a kid and was abandoned by his mother—comes to the surface every now and then.” She winked at me.
My heart twisted for Ryder. So that’s why he’s so unforgiving. Being abandoned as a child would have broken any kid’s heart. I was glad Mia was giving me some insight into Ryder. Besides Harrison, I’d never seen a man that carried so much anger in him. It couldn’t be good for him.
I planted a kiss on Isabella’s head. “Listen, if you ever need help with the kids, I’m usually free in the evenings. I’m happy to help out. Just give me a call.”
I nearly bit my tongue once I’d made the proposition. It was stupid. It would mean I had to see Ryder and Mia as well, not only the kids. Thankfully, I knew most people never took up these kinds of offers. I’d be safe.
“You’re very sweet, Jade. I may just take you up on your kindness. Ryder has your number?”
“Yes. No problem.”
Holy crap. I always got myself into situations like these. Why couldn’t I just mind my own business?
We chatted for a while, mostly about the kids. Mia was so sweet and loving, I had no idea how she could stand to be with a man like Ryder. But the way she spoke about him so lovingly, I knew they had a very special connection. There were so many questions I wanted to ask about Ryder, about his life, but it seemed totally inappropriate.
Mia’s eyes were heavy, I could see she was tired. I placed Isabella on the bed next to her mother and said my goodbyes—I definitely didn’t want to still be here when Ryder returned from the bathroom.
Chapter 13 ~ Jade
Friday night. I flopped down on my bed and closed my eyes for a moment, reliving the bizarre experience from that afternoon. I still had no more information on Ryder, other than he was a doting father and had a sexy wife¸ who he clearly couldn’t wait to spend alone-time with. Probably to make baby number three.
Somewhat reluctantly, I had to admit that they made a gorgeous couple and produced beautiful babies. Totally different to what his and my babies would look like. Mia carried the dominant genes: dark olive skin and raven hair and big brown eyes. Her DNA was powerful, because I saw very little of Ryder in the children, other than the dark hair they all had and the dimpled cheeks when they smiled.
If I had Ryder’s babies, I’d want them to have his piercing grey eyes. His dimple in their cheeks when they smiled. I wouldn’t mind if their hair was dark like his or blond like mine, I knew they’d be cute as hell.
Goddamn! What was I thinking? Having babies with Ryder would mean I’d have to have sex with Ryder. Yet strangely, the idea was not as awful as I’d initially thought. There was something about him that got my panties damp. I’d never believed the notion that women were drawn to badass men. I was sure I’d never be that dumb. Bad boys weren’t my style.
But my treacherous body was betraying me, showing me that I was like most other women. Since all six foot two of taut muscles and bad attitude had walked into my office that day, I hadn’t been able to think of anything else other than Ryder—his eyes, his lips, him on top of me . . .
An image of him with Mia played in my mind. Her big breasts luring him, his hands all over her velvety skin, kissing her, fucking her—making babies. Why that image riled me as much as it did, I couldn’t understand.
I tried to read a book on my e-reader, as I usually did to relax after work, but I just couldn’t concentrate.
Marcus was picking me up for a movie later. In spite of it being a blockbuster that I really wanted to see, I wasn’t that excited. Did my lack of enthusiasm have anything to do with my date being Marcus? Shouldn’t I be thrilled at the thought of going on a date with my new boyfriend?
Besides the movie, Marcus had lined up all sorts of outings for the weekend. He sure was taking this courting thing seriously.
If only Marcus could get my hormones raging the way Ryder did, everything would be perfect.
Chapter 14 ~ Ryder
“Hey, man,” I croaked. Hammer gripped my arm and his heavy body bounced against mine as he hugged me in a fierce bear like grip.
“Hey, brother,” he growled, a grin splitting his face. I’d known Joe, aka Hammer, since I first came to the Scorpio Stinger MC. In my book, he was as close to a real brother as a man could get.
I’d come to meet my boys from the club to catch up and make a few arrangements. We met at a park which was only two minutes from the house we were renting. It was just safer here and quicker for me to get back to Mia and the kids.
Ratbag patted me on the back and repeated the greeting. Fuck, I’d missed these guys. They were practically my shadow at the club, and not seeing them for a couple of weeks was something I wasn’t used to.
“So what’ve you fuckers been up to? Causing shit?”
They shook with laughter. “It’s no fun when you’re not part of it, man.” Hammer was still grinning—he hadn’t replaced the tooth he lost in the showdown. Guess he was keeping a low profile, like the rest of us.
I rose an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you cunts missed me? Fuck, you’ll make me cry.”
Ratbag looked at me as if I was crazy. “What makes you think that, bro?” He drawled in his heavy Australian accent.
Yeah, I’d never admit I missed the fuckers. Or the way Ratbag called the brothers “bro”, as they did in the Land Down Under. He never failed to amuse me with his stories about his homeland and their strange way of speaking.
Since I’d found Ratbag on the streets one night five years ago, pissed out of his fucking skull, he’d pretty much latched on to me as his mentor. Yeah, like I could ever be someone’s hero.
He’d been robbed of his passport and all his cash by one of our rival gang members and had nowhere to go. Since he was in the country illegally at the time, there wasn’t much he could do, other than live on the streets. Yet somehow, because of his crazy accent, somebody always gave him money or food.
The food he’d guzzle down, because usually he’d have skipped a few meals by then. Ratbag was always hungry—he could eat and drink any man under the table. He had an appetite that never quit, yet he was as skinny as he was tall. Even though I was six foot two, I still had to look up to him. And he was fast—he could outrun anyone. Hammer joked that he’d seen Ratbag dodge a bullet once, Matrix style.
The cash he’d collected over the days, he strapped to his body and when he had enough saved up, he’d go on a binge. He’d buy a ‘slab of piss’, as they called a carton of beer in Australia, and treat everybody to a beer or two. For a night, he’d be OK, accepted into the fold of the homeless, and have a few friends.
It was his generosity that impressed me. Even though he had virtually nothing but the clothes on his back, he’d share whatever he had the good fortune of coming his way. I wasn’t an easy man to impress, and I’d never actually tell the fucker that, ‘cause I couldn’t afford him getting a big head about it. But I trusted him with my life. He had a good heart underneath all that fucked up boozing shit. It was a good day when I found Bruce Williams, our Ratbag, the boy from Australia.
“Hey, I need you guys to come to the house to look after Mia and the kids. I need to go to the hospital to see Cobra. Brother isn’t doing too well and I need to discuss business with him. You cool for nine pm?”
“Yep. We’ll be there.”
> “You can’t come into the house. Young Jamie is having nightmares about everything that’s happened. I’ll tell Mia you’re outside while I am gone, so she’ll feel safe. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone for, we have a lot of shit to talk about.”
“Take your time, we won’t be in a rush to leave.” Ratbag patted my back. He knew it was going to be hard for me to see Cobra in a hospital bed, shot to fucking pieces, tied to machines to keep him alive.
“You can’t come with the bikes. Wrong for the neighborhood. Leave your bikes at the shopping center and catch a cab to the house. And make sure nobody is following you.”
“Sure, boss.”
“Don’t call me that. Cobra is still fucking breathing. As long as he’s alive, he’s the boss. Got it?”
Ratbag nodded.
“Anything else I should know?”
“Yeah. Razor said there was a fucking cop looking for you. Asked for you by name. Special anti-terrorist team.” I heard the concern in Ratbag’s voice.
“They got wind of the arms deal that went bad. They’re sniffing around the compound. Razor said to stay away from there. Meet at shopping centers or parks whenever necessary.”
Fuck. I knew that shit would come back to haunt me. Cobra and I needed a plan. I couldn’t stay away from the fucking compound forever. I’d go crazy. Suburbia was too quiet for me, the silence at night freaked the fuck out of me. Ever since I was a kid, I couldn’t sleep unless there was noise around me.
“Who’s the cop? Do we know him?” I grunted. I didn’t need more shit in my life. Dealing with our rival MC club, The LA Demon Skulls, was enough.
Ratbag pulled a face. “Mean looking fucker with a vendetta against bikers. Big as a house. If he wasn’t on the copper’s team, he’d be a good brother. He has so much anger, it fucking pours out of him.”
Just what I needed—an angry cop with revenge issues. Fuck. “Do you have a name?”
Hammer worried his lip for a moment. “Ahh, it has something to do with the weather. Winter, Summer—”
“Get me all the info on him. Should I be kicking your fucking ass that you haven’t done that already?” I growled.
Born to Ride Page 99
