by M. J. Perry
Protecting his Love
His Love Series Book Three
M.J. Perry
Contents
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Ten days later
Author Note
Other Works
Copyright
© 2018 Stacey Perry. All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Chapter One
Lexi
“Lexi, are you ok?” My friend Jen asked pulling me from my thoughts.
I said yes and watched her eyes narrow. She didn’t call me on my lie just shook her head at me while she walked away. She knew I was lying, I knew I was lying, but I didn’t feel like talking about it. I’m grateful she didn’t push me. The truth is, I am on edge. Every weekend my ex-husband Julian has our daughter Katie. He collects her from school on a Friday and brings her home on a Sunday evening. Lately, though he’s been trying to change things, trying to upset me. Which because it’s him it happens easily, he’s also been spoiling for a fight. He was acting like a completely different person to the one I knew, the one I fell in love and then out of love with.
He was supposed to bring Katie home at five today, but I had a feeling he wouldn’t. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and grabbed the broom I’d been using to sweep the floor. I helped Jen out at her salon on weekends; it beat sitting at home worrying and it saved her money because I wouldn’t take a penny from her. I’m rich, ridiculously rich. After Julian and I divorced my Gran died. She left me everything and when I say everything, I mean everything, her house and everything in it, her savings accounts and her current account. None of us had realised just how rich she was, not even me and I figure she’d wanted it that way. Her only stipulation in the will was that I could only inherit if I wasn’t in a relationship with Julian. If I was with him still, then the estate and everything else would be looked after by the solicitor’s until the stipulation was met.
She died two months after my divorce was finalised, she’d been so poorly, and the doctor hadn’t thought she would last as long as she did. I think the only reason she held on so long was to make sure I left him. She’d always hated Julian.
“Wow,” Jen whispered loudly in my ear making me jump.
I looked up to see who she was talking about. “Yeah, wow.” I agreed.
Ryder Allen was walking past the salon window. Beautiful sprang to mind every time I saw him, as well as gorgeous, sexy, ripped and dangerous, definitely dangerous. His muscles had muscles and his arms were covered in tattoos. He was the complete opposite to Julian who was blonde, blue-eyed and clean shaven. Ryder has dark hair which he wore short, his eyes are the colour of a clear blue sky on a sunny day and they seem to see straight into my soul. Apart from Julian I have never been interested in anyone else, sure I’ve found guys attractive, but none had called to me. Ryder was different; from the first moment I’d seen him I’d wanted to be with him, to have his strong arms around me, also to rip his and my clothes off and rub my body against him.
“I wonder if he’s back for longer than a day this time.” Jen mused.
“I hope so, I’ve missed him.” And I had. Despite my secret attraction to him, Ryder and I are close. He is my next door neighbour and my friend.
“When you find out let me know so I can make an excuse to come over.” Jen grinned.
“I’ll do that.” I grinned back. She didn’t need an excuse; she practically lived at my house when she wasn’t working.
“Especially if you see him about to mow his lawn, I think the whole street found an excuse to be in their garden to see him without his shirt on the last time he did it.” She fanned herself with her hand. “That sight kept me going for a month.”
“That’s gross!” I exclaimed not needing that visual in my head.
“Hey, if I haven’t got a man to satisfy my urges I’m going to do it myself.”
And there you have it, my best friend telling me she masturbates. “Jen seriously, I love you but I could have done without knowing that.”
“You just need to get some, it will relax you. After nearly two years of lusting after Ryder don’t you think it time to make a move?”
“Nope, no way, absolutely not.” I wasn’t putting myself out there only to be rejected. Ryder was way out of my league.
“Lexi you deserve to be happy. Julian ripped your heart out, but that was three years ago. Don’t you think it’s time you moved on?”
“I have moved on, I don’t feel anything for him anymore other than being grateful for our daughter, but I’m just not ready to date and I’m definitely not ready to throw myself at a man who is in a different world to me.”
“Ryder is not in a different world and if you opened your eyes, you would see the way he looks at you. He’s interested in you sweetie.”
“Sure he is. Why hasn’t he made a move then? Why hasn’t he told me he likes me?”
“I don't know Lexi, but I’m telling you, his feelings are more than just friendship where you’re concerned.”
Could he really feel more than friendship? A sex god like him being interested in a thirty-two-year-old divorcee with a five-year-old daughter and an ex-husband who liked to stir up trouble just didn’t seem likely to be true, even if I wished it so.
I have brown curly hair, green eyes and a body which has a lot of curves. I’m nothing like the women I’ve seen him with before, completely different to the tall blonde model type beauties he seemed to prefer.
“I’m not ready,” I told her and not for the first time either.
“Yes, you are. You’ve been ready since you first met him. You’re letting your insecurities rule your life. Julian did a number on you, but you came out stronger. You can beat him; beat the way he made you feel about yourself, you’re just not trying hard enough. You’ve become comfortable hiding away.”
“I’m not hiding.” Even as I said the words, I realised she was right. I’d given in to the sadness and the shame of feeling I wasn’t good enough and I’d let that shape me into feeling less than I am. It was time to change that. “You’re right.”
“I know I am, I’m glad you see that.”
“One day I’ll do something about it, but right now I’m going home to make cakes for Katie.”
“And Ryder?”
I blushed. “Yes and Ryder.”
She gave me a knowing look and shook her head with a smile. “I don’t know how he can stay so fit with all the cakes and biscuits he eats.”
“He jogs.” The sight of him in a wife beater and cut off trackie bottoms was captivating.
“Judging by that dreamy look on your face he’s a nice sight when he does.”
“Oh yeah, he sure is.”
She tapped my arm. “Go home and get baking, Katie will be home in three hours.”
I smiled. I’d missed my daughter. I put the broom against the wall and walked to the back room to get my bag and coat. “You’ll be ok?” I asked.
“It’s quiet; I’ve done all my appointments so I’m going to close soon, anyway.”
“Ok, I’ll call you tomorrow then.”
“Bye babe, give Katie a great big smackeroo for me.”
“Will do,” I pro
mised as I closed the door behind me. I didn’t bother putting my coat on, the sun was warm on my face and I only had a little way to walk until I got home.
I decided on baking blueberry muffins, they were Ryder and Katie’s favourites. The muffins gave me an excuse to knock on Ryder’s door.
My heart sank when I walked past his house and saw his car wasn’t there. I hope he hasn’t gone away again. I’m not quite sure what he does for a living but I did know it caused him to be away more times than he was home. I tried using that knowledge to get over him, telling myself that his mysterious ways could be hiding the fact he is a criminal or something, but it didn’t work. Especially when I found out he’d anonymously helped out Mr Drew to get him back on his feet when he was about to claim bankruptcy. The only reason he’d been found out was that the bank sent the wrong paperwork to Mr Drew and it had Ryder’s name on it. Ryder’s money had saved the Drew’s garage and ensured they wouldn’t lose the house too. He was such a good guy, and this knowledge had me falling even harder for him when I’d already gone down like a ton of bricks. When I thought of him, I thought of safety, of passion and yes, love. I needed someone who was patient and understanding, who would give me things I thought I needed and things I didn’t even know I needed and I didn’t mean material things either. Ryder would give me all that and more. He’s what I need especially after Julian left me feeling so inadequate. My insecurities weren’t as bad as they were, I see now that Julian treated me badly, but at the time all I could feel was a failure. Failure at marriage, at being a woman even at being a mother all because one day my husband came home to tell me he was leaving me to be with his personal assistant. He blamed me as he felt I was letting myself go. Now I know it wasn’t my fault, maybe it wasn’t Julian’s either. Some marriages just don’t work no matter how much you want them too.
I let myself into my home and headed straight to the kitchen. First things first, I needed coffee. I stuck the kettle on and busied myself getting all the ingredients I needed to start baking.
Two hours later I sat at my kitchen table with my second cup of coffee surrounded by blueberry muffins, cookies and a carrot cake. I’d gotten carried away. I love baking, cooking not so much. Being married to Julian meant he wanted his tea ready for when he came home in the evening. It became a chore that I did even though I hated the routine of it all. One day I would have loved for him to come home and say surprise, I’m taking you out for tea. Of course, I could have told him to cook his own, but Julian was the type to sulk and he would have been unbearable to deal with. Katie and I sit in front of the television most night’s now, relaxed and happy eating tea instead of feeling like we’re at a silent movie dinner party. Julian hated talk at the table; it was another thing I wasn’t sure why I put up with.
My phone rang from inside my bag making me jump. I pulled it out with shaky fingers and a wave of sickness washed over me when I saw Julian’s name on the screen.
“Hello.”
“Lexi, I’ve decided to keep Katie overnight. She doesn’t have school tomorrow, so it’s not a problem is it?”
Tears pricked my eyes. Didn’t I know he would do this? “I have plans for us tomorrow.”
“Plans change Lex. You have Katie all week and I only see her for a couple of days.”
My teeth snapped together before I could swear at him. “I hardly see her all week because she’s at school and then on weekends she is with you.” I reminded him.
“You agreed to it, don’t you go trying to change your mind now.”
“I’m not trying to change my mind; I’m just stating a fact.”
“Well, here’s a fact for you, tomorrow is half term, Katie is off school; therefore, I’m keeping her tonight. Have a nice night.”
I opened my mouth to tell him he couldn’t, but he hung up on me. Shock warred with anger inside me and I burst into tears. When would this end? When would he stop punishing me for things I wasn’t even aware I had done? He uses Katie against me and there is nothing I can do except stop his contact and I could never do that to Katie, she loved her daddy. He loves her, I see it, I know it, but he still uses her to get at me, to hurt me. All I’d ever done was love him, how could he hate me so much when he was the one that had cheated on me, that had left me, who forced me to deal with a stepmother for our daughter a month after our divorce was finalised. I didn’t understand his behaviour, and that made it worse.
I picked my coffee up and still clutching my phone I headed out to my front porch. I needed some air and to get out of my empty house. I didn’t bother with the lights; the light of the full moon gave me enough. I sat down on my porch step staring down my driveway, helplessness washed over me. What could I do? Call the police? Technically he is breaking our agreement, but Katie isn’t in danger she’s with her father and I’d feel like I was wasting their time. I could go over there and get her myself, but it would cause a huge scene. Julian wouldn’t let me take her home and Katie would see us argue and I didn’t want her to get upset. If his wife Tammy was there, it would be even worse, she hates me, and again I didn’t know why because she was the one that stole my husband, not the other way around. Katie didn’t need to see us row, she was a sensitive girl.
My shoulders slumped in defeat, he pretty much had me over a barrel because there was no way I was going to upset my little girl. I knew she was happy there. I used to worry that Tammy would be horrible to her, but Katie had never said anything to concern me, In fact, she liked her and it seemed the feeling was mutual.
Headlights lit up my drive for a moment and my heart sped up. Just for a second, I thought Julian had changed his mind, but I realise quickly how stupid that thought is. He never gave in or backed down even when he was in the wrong.
“Lexi,”
“Shit.” I jumped so high I nearly spilt my now cold coffee.
Ryder walked out of the darkness by the side of my house and I watched as he climbed the steps and sat down next to me. He was so close I could feel his body heat causing my whole body to fill with longing.
“You scared me,” I told him breathless from the fright and his closeness.
“Why are you crying?”
I sniffed. “I’m not.”
“I call bullshit Lex; I can see the tears on your face.”
“Oh.” I wiped my hand over my cheeks. “I’m just hormonal.” I lied. I wasn’t sure why I didn’t want to tell him, I guess I felt like a failure and I didn’t want him to think I was too.
“Don’t lie to me. You’re not very good at it. Tell me what’s upset you.” He demanded.
I sighed. “Julian just called to tell me he’s keeping Katie again instead of bringing her back tonight.”
“Keeping her? He acts like she’s a pet or a possession. Did you tell him he couldn’t?”
I bristled. Did I seem like a doormat to him? “Of course I did, but he just hung up on me.”
“Do you want me to go with you to get her?” He asked in a gentler voice.
Did I? Hell yes, but it would just make the situation worse. “It’s too late now; she’ll be getting ready for bed soon. I don’t want to disrupt her and I don’t think I’m feeling strong enough to take on Julian and Tammy right now.”
“I would go with you Lex and I wouldn’t let either of them hurt you.” I heard the truth in his words and it sent my insides soft. It was tempting, so tempting to let him fight my battles, but it wasn’t a good idea. Julian would find a way to cause me more trouble and god forbid that he thought Ryder, and I were more than friends, he would do anything to break us up. Julian didn’t like to think of me with other men even if he was the one who’d discarded me.
“Thank you. It means a lot that you'd do that, but it’s fine. He’ll bring her home tomorrow like he said.” I hoped.
Ryder didn’t look any more convinced than I felt.
“Are you sure?”
“I am, honestly.”
He stared at me and my face grew hot, I wondered if he could see my red cheeks.
“If you change your mind, you only have to knock on my door.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks.”
He nodded. “What time is she supposed to be coming home tomorrow?”
“Five I’d guess.”
“If she isn’t here by half-past come get me and we’ll go get her ourselves.”
Wow. “Ok, I will. Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me, babe. Katie’s a good kid.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“That’s because she has a great mother.”
His compliment had me beaming, and he smiled at me before bumping my shoulder with his. “Sweetheart, anytime I’m home and you need anything you just have to knock, you know that right?”
I smiled again touched by his kindness.
“Even when you’ve been crying you are still fucking beautiful.” He brushed his thumb over my cheek catching a stray tear and grinned at me. My mouth dropped open in shock and he used his thumb to nudge it closed, his eyes shined with amusement. He got up and walked back the way he came and I couldn’t tear my eyes from him. My sexy neighbour had just called me beautiful, whether he meant it or he’d said it to cheer me up, I didn’t care, and the big smile on my face proved it.
Chapter Two
Lexi
My entire day had consisted of cleaning my already clean house and dreading a phone call from Julian telling me he’d decided to keep Katie again. Now, here I’m sat at my dining room table watching the leaves sway on the trees through the window and sipping maybe my fifth cup of coffee. I’m exhausted. Last night I couldn’t have slept more than a couple of hours. If I wasn’t dreaming about Katie, being kept from me, it was Ryder running his hands all over my body. I alternated between waking up scared and waking up so incredibly aroused; I was drenched in sweat. It has been a long time since I’ve had sex and it never bothered me before, but Ryder made me think of beds and naked bodies, of kissing and touching each other and it was exciting, the butterflies in my tummy proved it. When the sun finally began to rise I’d given up on sleep and got up. My house was now shiny and lemon fresh, I’d finally cleaned out the cupboard under the stairs and my kitchen smelt of baking. I’d got carried away yet again, and I was surrounded by muffins and cookies. There was no way Katie and I could eat all of them without turning into lumps. I’d have to give some to the salon for the customers and more to Ryder than I’d planned to. Ryder ate so many of my sweet treats but his body always stayed fit, it could be the jogging like I told Jen but I was sure it wasn’t the only exercise he did.
