by Soraya Lane
“Maybe only a couple of weeks tops if I end up playing him sooner than later.”
Ryder nodded. So there went his months of having her in his bed.
“We’ll swing past your place on our way home, grab some of your things.”
“Thanks. I’ve been crashing on Shelly’s sofa so she’ll be happy to know I’ll be gone for longer.”
“And I can officially thank her for giving me your number the other day.”
Chloe’s mouth tilted up into a smile. “I still haven’t officially kicked her butt for that. Although after I pretended I was just going to stay with you a couple days, she’ll kill me when I tell her where we’ve been.”
“Don’t be too hard on her. I’ll be eternally grateful.”
“She would have told me not to go to Vegas. She knows about my dad.”
“What will she say when she knows you’ve been with me?”
Chloe didn’t answer for a moment. “She’ll be happy that I’ve finally let someone get close to me.”
She looked up under hooded lashes, not saying anything, but her gaze told it all. The fire between them had only just been ignited, and it was going to take more than a few short weeks in bed together to put out the blaze.
“Are we?” he asked, needing to know how she felt. “Close?”
Chloe met his gaze. “Yeah. I think we are.”
* * *
Ryder looked around the apartment and she watched him cringe. “How long have you been crashing here?”
Chloe shrugged. “A while.”
She finished packing her bag and nudged it in his direction.
“She said she’d be back before…” A thump signaled Shelly was back and Chloe grinned. “Speak of the devil.”
“You’re calling me the devil?” Shelly burst into the room, larger than life as usual, throwing her arms around Chloe in a big hug. “You’re the one running off with a boy and not answering your phone.”
Chloe grinned. “We were kind of in Vegas.”
“Oh my god, don’t tell me you guys got hitched?”
“I’ll wait outside for you,” Ryder said, holding up his palms and edging toward the door.
Chloe smiled at him but kept her attention on her friend. “We’re not married. Ryder whisked me away on his plane, and we had a few fun days.” She wasn’t keeping things from Shelly, she just didn’t have time to explain everything right now. “Long story, but I was helping him with his poker game.”
Shelly scoffed. “I bet you were helping him with a whole lot more than his poker.”
“You could say that.”
They both burst out laughing.
“I’d say I’ve missed you but it’s kinda nice having my sofa back.”
“And your wardrobe,” Chloe told her. “I’ve taken most of my stuff. He wants me to stay for a few weeks, at least until I save enough to head back to law school.”
“You really like him, don’t you?” Shelly’s voice was softer now, all joking aside.
“Maybe.” Chloe was lying. She liked Ryder a lot, only she didn’t want to admit it.
“Just be careful,” her friend cautioned. “Have fun with him, but don’t let him break your heart.”
“I won’t.” She hugged Shelly and kissed her cheek. “But it’s you I’ll come crying to if he does. You should never have given him my number.”
“Hey, I haven’t seen you like this with a guy … ever. So just enjoy him. And save all the details for me.”
“I will.” Chloe waved as she walked out the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work.”
* * *
“All done,” Chloe said as she got in beside Rider. “Kind of feels like I’m running away from home.”
Ryder started the engine and they drove back to his house in silence, the radio blaring country music as darkness fell around them. He reached for her hand and held it, squeezing her fingers lightly as they pulled into his driveway. They passed Chase’s place, then the main home, stopping when they reached the guesthouse, and he knew he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the idea of keeping Chloe to himself for a bit longer. After being with her 24/7 in Vegas, he wasn’t ready to give her up yet.
“Welcome back,” he said, raising her hand to kiss the back of it before letting go. “It’s open so let yourself in. I’ll bring your stuff inside.”
Ryder opened the rear passenger door and grabbed her bags. Chloe had gone on ahead of him and he followed, smiling as the lights went on down the hall and in his bedroom. He’d only ever lived in this place with Nate, and his brother had never been one for turning lamps on and making the place feel welcoming.
“I gotta say it’s kind of nice to have a woman in the house.”
She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. “It’s nice to actually be staying in a house instead of cramped in an apartment.”
He grimaced, not wanting to offend her but wondering how the hell she’d bunked on her friend’s sofa for so long. “It must have been kind of tight.”
“Let’s just say it’s lucky Shelly and I are such good friends,” Chloe said with a laugh. “Otherwise we probably would have killed each other.”
“You want me to go get takeout?” Ryder asked, dropping her bags in his room then following her out and wrapping his arms around her from behind. She pressed back into him, her head falling to rest against his chest.
“How about I cook?”
He groaned. “A home-cooked meal sounds incredible. You’ve got no idea how long it’s been.”
She twisted in his embrace, her hands linked behind his back. “What do you have in the fridge?”
He frowned. “Beer?”
“The pantry?”
Ryder grazed his lips across hers and chuckled. “I think we need to go back to the takeout option.”
She walked her fingers up his back, tugging him forward by his hair and making him kiss her again. Their lips met, tongues fused together as she stood on tiptoe and he leaned down. He could have kissed her all night if he wasn’t so damn hungry.
Ryder walked her backward, pushing her down onto the sofa and bending over so he was hovering above her. “How about you relax here and I’ll go get us something to eat?”
She looked around and laughed. “Do you have anything other than Maxim magazines to read?”
He made a face. “Sorry. They’re Nate’s.”
Chloe punched his arm and yanked him down by his ears to force him into another kiss. “Yeah, sure they are.”
“Ouch!”
“Stop complaining and just kiss me,” she ordered.
Ryder did as he was told, only the growling of his stomach made both of them laugh. “I think I just ruined the moment.”
“Uh-huh,” she confirmed. “How about you go get food and I’ll unpack. I’m up for a night of comfort food and snuggling up in front of the TV if you are.”
Ryder stood up and grinned down at Chloe. “Anyone ever tell you you’re the perfect woman?”
“No, but feed me and pour me a glass of wine and I’ll tell you all night that you’re the perfect man.”
“Deal,” he said, grabbing her bottom when she jumped up, making her squeal. “I’ll be back soon. Any preferences?”
Her eyebrows shot up and she made a face. “Anything but tacos.”
They both laughed. He’d never be able to eat tacos again without thinking about Chloe knocking back shots and eating as much as he had. And riding that bull with a look on her face that screamed bloody murder.
“Make yourself at home, Chlo,” he said, grabbing his keys and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll be back soon with burgers and fries.”
He left to the sound of the television being turned on and Chloe humming a song he didn’t recognize. She might be staying with him in exchange for saving his ass, but right now it felt like something a whole lot more real than just a deal to get them both what they needed.
Chapter 14
“I’ve never asked how long you’ve be
en riding rodeo,” Chloe said to Ryder. “I’ll bet you started horseback riding when you were a kid.”
It had been a week since they’d gotten back from Vegas and he’d finally talked Chloe onto a horse. She’d ridden a few times as a kid so she wasn’t nervous, but she wasn’t exactly confident, either. He spent his days training, working with young horses that he’d reared himself, so being on horseback was second nature to him.
“I’ve been riding since before you were walking,” Ryder said, watching as Chloe sat straighter in the saddle. “I started riding in front of my granddad when I was still in diapers.”
“Bullshit,” she said with a laugh, stroking her horse’s neck just like he’d shown her to do without letting go of the reins.
“My brothers were older and off riding, and Granddad said it was either put me up front on the saddle or let them go off on their own.” Ryder grinned. “I think he had it easy raising a daughter here, then he was hit with three risk-taking grandsons to deal with. When I was about ten I started barrel racing on my pony, entering a few local rodeo days, and before anyone knew what I had planned I was all grown up and traveling around the state competing anywhere and everywhere I could.”
They rode side by side, Ryder holding his reins on the buckle with one hand, Chloe gripping hers a little tighter.
“Do you enjoy riding for pleasure like this?” Chloe asked. “I mean, it must seem pretty tame compared to bucking broncs.”
Ryder shook his head, patting his horse’s rump. “I just love being in the saddle. Rodeo’s a thrill, an addiction that I’ve never been able to walk away from, but riding like this?” He shrugged. “I’ll never tire of just riding out over the ranch. I train horses for ranch work and rodeo, so, to be honest, as long as I’m on horseback or working with them I’m happy.”
“I can see the appeal,” she replied. “Of this, not the rodeo stuff.”
He laughed. “Yeah, somehow I can’t see you jumping on a bull any day soon.”
“Hey, if I wasn’t so drunk I’d have been fine on that mechanical one.” Her smile lit her face. “In fact, if I recall correctly, you told me I was a great cowgirl the next morning.”
They both laughed. There were memories of Chloe being a cowgirl in Vegas that he’d never forget.
“You do realize that you kicked ass in Vegas, don’t you? I mean”—Ryder blew out a breath—“I love that you whipped all those guys. I’ve never seen a woman play like that.”
“I got used to guys I dated hating that I could always beat them. They liked it to start with, then they resented that I was the better player.”
Ryder reached out and placed his hand on her thigh. “Darlin’, I think it’s hot. Don’t ever let me beat you, because if I ever manage it, I want to know that I deserved it.”
“You’ll regret saying that. Guys always do.” She shrugged. “Besides, I ruined my winning streak that last day anyway.”
He winked, ignoring her reference to her dad. “Not me. I like a challenge, and the harder I have to work for it the better.”
She flushed, her cheeks burning a delicious shade of pink. “Talking about cards, have you thought any more about our plan?”
“I have full confidence in you,” he told her. And he did, only the fact that his ranch was on the line made him damn nervous. “But card games are unpredictable. I know that better than anyone.”
“Yeah, but you have a tell, just like everyone,” she told him.
“You’ve already made it clear what a crap card player I am,” he said, giving her a pretend shove. “You can stop insulting my masculinity anytime now.”
She made a face, her smile hovering into a frown. “Sorry. Brutal but true.”
“Seriously, though,” he said, reining back and watching her do the same. Or more like the well-trained old horse she was riding stopped when his did. “Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do it. You say the word and I’ll follow your lead.”
She winked and lifted her hat. “We’re gonna win back every penny,” she drawled. “But I’d be lying if I said that losing that last game in Vegas hadn’t knocked me a bit.”
He scowled. “If that was supposed to sound like me…”
Chloe’s smile made it impossible for him not to return it. Since he’d been around her it was like she’d scrambled his hard wiring, made him soft when before he’d been tough as nails. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, but he damn well found it amusing that the same woman who was blackmailing him was managing to turn him to putty in her hands.
“Come on, I need to get back for my shift.”
Ryder groaned. “Do you have to keep working there?”
This time the withering look she threw him wasn’t humorous. “No, how stupid of me. I could just write a check from my trust fund to pay my tuition and rent. Duh!” She slapped herself in the face. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“I was implying that we were having too much fun for you to have to go work a long shift.”
She kicked her horse in the sides and surprised him by bouncing off into a trot. The look on her face was anything but comfortable, but he knew how damn determined she was and he doubted she’d rein back to a walk. That’s why her losing one game hadn’t rattled him—she was still going to win, of that he had no doubt.
“Some of us have to work for a living. Fact of life,” she called over her shoulder.
“Some of us could hustle and play cards every other night and make a fortune,” he shot back, nudging his horse into a canter to catch up with her. “Now wouldn’t that be fun.”
“Don’t bait me, Ryder.” She slowed when he did, her breath coming out in short pants. “And how the hell do you make that look so damn easy?”
Ryder tried not to laugh at the pissed-off look on her face. “Sorry.”
“I don’t tell anyone about my past, Ryder. What I told you stays between us, okay? I don’t want to go back there. I want to leave assholes like Jim and my father in my past forever.”
Her tone was somber and it wiped the smile clean off his face. “I was just playing with you, Chlo. And for the record, I don’t go around telling people about my dad. So what was said in Vegas stays in Vegas, okay?” He wished he could make it clearer to her that he cared about her way too much to ruin anything between them. “I would never hurt you,” he finally said.
She glanced at him, squeezing his hand back when he reached over and clasped her palm. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to jump down your throat.”
“So you’re off to work now?” he asked.
“Yeah. I’ll see you later. Maybe in the morning if you’re already asleep when I get in.”
Ryder let his reins slip through his fingers until he was just holding the buckle again. He tipped his head back to look up at the blue sky, the sun shining just enough, the heat bearable. When he’d been away he’d missed everything about Texas—no matter how hard he’d tried to make a life elsewhere, the pull back to the King ranch had been impossible to resist. And now that he was here, the thought of having to leave again was like contemplating a limb being ripped off. Just like the idea of Chloe leaving him was causing him some serious goddamn pain.
“I can’t keep it a secret any longer,” he muttered, the shock on Chloe’s face telling him he’d actually said the words out loud instead of keeping them inside of his own head.
“You’re going to tell your brothers?” she asked. “When there’s only a couple of nights tops until the next game?”
He shook his head. “Hell no, I’ve thought that one through and I can’t do it. But I have to tell Granddad. I can’t lie to him.”
Chloe’s gaze was sad. “You do what you have to do. But I’ll win it back, that’s a promise.”
“I know you will,” he told her, dismounting when they reached the barn. “But I owe him the truth. I spent years away from here wanting to find my own way in the world and prove myself, and I’ve never had much of a conscience, but when it comes to my granddad…” He took off his hat and ran hi
s fingers through his hair. “He gifted me a third of his estate, and I want him to know that I fucked up. All I ever wanted was to show him I was as capable as Chase and Nate, and now look at me.”
“You want to tell him regardless of the consequences?” she asked, letting him guide her down, hands on her hips. Chloe spun in his arms, palm to his cheek as she stared up at him. “Sometimes what we don’t know won’t kill us.”
He pushed his hands into her jean pockets, shoving her forward so her body hit his. “When did you get so wise?”
She tipped back and he kept hold of her, not letting her get away. Ryder kept his hips slammed into hers, not letting her say another word, mouth covering hers.
“I’m going to be late,” she whispered, clutching his shirt and yanking him close so his lips couldn’t escape.
“You sure you need to be on time for your shift?” His confession could wait if it meant more sinning with Chloe.
She groaned, grinding her body against his, tugging at his shirt so it came loose and rubbing her hands over his abs, her nails gliding across his skin. “Goodbye, Ryder.” Chloe nipped at his chin and he slapped her on the ass as she turned.
“Goodbye Chloe,” he murmured.
He adjusted his jeans, hard as a rock after the little stunt she’d pulled, rubbing her body up against him like that. He could play with his fake girlfriend all day and never tire, but it was time to man up to what he’d done.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he quickly tied the horses up before answering it, knowing it was Chase.
“Hey.”
“Hey. You busy?” Chase asked.
“Not now. Whadda ya want?” Ryder flicked his phone to speaker and put it down on a railing, taking the saddles off.
“I need a hand. Can you spare the rest of the afternoon? I’m down a couple of guys and I need to round up some cattle from the other side of the ranch. It’ll take a few hours at least.”
Ryder patted his horse and threw the saddle back up. “Count me in. I’m at the barn saddling up now.”
He rubbed down the horse Chloe had been riding and walked him out to the field, disappearing into the feed shed and returning with some carrots. “Sorry, big guy, just when you thought your work for the day was over, huh?”
