Bad Boys for Hire: Ryker (Bad Boys for Hire #1) (4 page)

R
yker had done
his part by Terri. He’d warned her that he wasn’t a boy scout. Even though he wasn’t a freeloader, he wasn’t above passing up leftover lasagna, a warm, friendly female, and a roof over his head—not to mention a real bed.

It was really too easy, like taking candy from a baby. She was so ready and willing to let him, a perfect stranger, into her home. He’d already noted the lack of double locks and how easy it was to break into her sliding windows. But then again, she lived in a relatively well-off hillside community and he wouldn’t even hazard a guess at the prices of the mansions surrounding her townhouse.

After sharing a hearty meal and chocolate raspberry brownies for dessert, he’d made motions to leave, saying he had to go home so he could get up early and hit the streets to hunt for a job.

Of course, she’d demanded to know where home was, and he’d let it slip that it was an abandoned barn. She’d offered him the couch, which he had vehemently refused, saying he couldn’t impose on her—that he was a stranger.

The next thing he knew, they were locked in a passionate embrace and tumbling onto her king-size bed full of pillows and fluffy blankets. Everything smelled clean and feminine, and Ryker was glad he’d taken a shower at Axe’s place.

“I can’t get over how kindhearted you are,” he murmured as he feathered kisses down the column of her neck.

“Kindness has nothing to do with this.” Terri’s breath hitched while he rolled her breasts with his palms. “You’re military. I respect what you did for our country. How you sacrificed your life to keep us safe.”

He leaned back to look in her eyes, unable to help grinning. “Is this what it’s all about? Aid to veterans? Up close and personal?”

“Maybe.” She licked her full lower lip. “Look, we both know the score. I need a bed warmer, and you need a bed.”

“So, we just give in to our needs and let whatever happens happen? How do you know I’m not a serial killer?” If Terri were his sister, or a woman he cared about, he sure as hell wouldn’t want her to be so trusting. “What happened to accusing me of sponging off good and honest taxpayers?”

“That was before I saw you limp.” She slid her finger across the seam of his mouth.

“Now, don’t go feeling sorry for me. I still have a twenty thousand dollar Harley.”

“Yeah, but somehow, I don’t think you’ve told me the entire story of why you’re supposedly homeless and jobless.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?” He kissed the tip of her finger and looped his tongue around it, sucking gently.

“You could have taken my twenty and ran.” Her eyes dilated into a deep blue like the still waters of the reservoir.

“How do you know I didn’t come back for more?”

“More of this?” She leaned forward and captured his lips.

His breath hissed in his throat as he grazed her tongue with the edge of his teeth. Kissing Terri was like nothing he’d experienced. Sure, he’d had women before, and he’d long ago had one he’d thought would eventually become his.

But that was before, in another life, when he’d lived for the brotherhood of the motorcycle club—back before he’d lost his innocence on what “the life” was really all about.

Ryker pushed the thoughts of that life from him and dived into enjoying the sweet piece of flesh in his arms. Her skin was smooth and soft, and he loved the way she felt, inviting and comforting. He could totally get lost in her, and it wasn’t just how gorgeous she was or how well she responded to him.

It was her toughness. She might look like a pushover, but deep inside, Terri had guts of iron, and Ryker was sure he was in her bed only because she deemed him to be worthy.

Enough philosophizing. He had a ready and willing woman to please, and like any good soldier, he would pull his weight.

He deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth while caressing the side of her head, heartened by the tiny moans of pleasure she made.

And want him, she did. Her breathing quickened and she jiggled excitedly beside him. Her fingers furrowed through his thick mane of hair, and she tugged hard at him.

She arched into his hard erection and moved herself so he was directly on top of her, silently urging him between her legs.

He thrust hard, his pants against the fabric of hers, and a spear of heat and pleasure shot between them, almost stopping his heart.

A flush overcame her face, and the depth of her emotions blossomed like wildflowers as her eyes widened.

Had she felt it too? The connection, the pull, the eerie feeling that he knew her, had met her before, like a rerun of a movie or the glimmer of another life.

Then, the dam broke. He yanked his shirt off, while she pulled her sweater over her head, exposing her large, melon-sized breasts.

Not bothering to unclasp her bra, he pushed it up and dived in, his mouth hungry to suckle her long, pink nipples. He laved and he drew on one then the other, elongating them into hard points while relishing the soft flesh of her breasts.

She wiggled beneath him, getting rid of her bra, and then went for his groin. Her clever fingers made short work of his belt and zipper, and when she touched him, he almost came apart.

He willed himself to slow his response, but he hadn’t touched a woman for too long, and the way she was easing his pants down and stroking him, it wouldn’t be long before he embarrassed himself.

“Wait,” he rasped. “Let me take care of you first.”

“I can’t wait any longer,” she panted. “Maybe next time.”

“Then I won’t be gentle.” He fingered a wrapped condom from the pants he’d already kicked off. Using his teeth, he ripped the wrapper, but she grabbed the rubber and rolled it over his proud erection.

She smirked and licked her lips. “Looks like you’re packing the eight I need.”

“You’re damn right I am. And it’s all for you.” He couldn’t help grinning as he lowered her panties and tickled her clit. It was wet, soaked with her juices, slippery and plump. He didn’t need to go further to know she was more than ready for him.

Her hands grabbed his hips and positioned him between her legs. Her belly cushioned him, and he loved the tightness between her fleshy thighs.

He thrust once, sliding into her tight, slippery channel and held still to savor the moment. She had him so aroused, so wild and desperate to pound and probe her, to take everything she offered, and to put himself out for her, to drown in her heat, but not yet.

“Is this what you want?” he always asked out of habit. But more than that, he wanted to ask if
he
was what she wanted.

She blinked and nodded, then squeezed him from the inside. “You. I want you, and I don’t even know why.”

“Then I’ll show you.”

He moved almost out, and propped her knees up with his arms, and then thrust hard, moving her up the bed with a long moan.

“Yes, oh, yes,” she keened, her fingers digging tight and urging him on.

And he was off to the races, pounding her hard, bouncing off her belly and rocking her entire bed, wild and savage, not holding anything back.

He needed the release—needed her response—needed to push the darkness back, to taste a glimpse of what he could have had.

“Ryker, oh, Ryker. Don’t stop. Don’t. Stop.”

The guttural quality of her voice, full of raw lust and need, drove him wild. He dropped down and grabbed her hair with one hand and sank his teeth into her shoulder while his cock punished her, banging her with savage fury.

She howled and screamed when he pinched her nipple hard, twisting and turning it, and then she was climaxing, her insides clenching against his hot rod, milking him ruthlessly.

His breathing escalated into a loud groan, and his orgasm skyrocketed with the last of his punishing slams against her thighs.

The rush went over his head and showered heat and comfort all over him, from the tips of his tingling fingers to the soles of his feet.

As he came down from the high, Terri wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down on her cushioned body, her soft belly and her rounded curves.

He relaxed and rested on her, his breathing slowly returning to normal, but his heart twisted and turned with a feeling he’d never had before.

He wanted to weep and to pump his fist. Cry and cheer aloud. Bang his head and jump with joy.

What was going on? How could he feel this way with her, a complete stranger?

Because as strange and unknown as she was to him, she gave him something he’d searched for ever since his world blew apart.

The feeling of—coming home.

Except it was too soon, and his job wasn’t done. He couldn’t drag an innocent woman into the kind of life he had—not until all the scores were settled and it was safe to be a Slade again.

T
erri held
Ryker and caressed him as he breathed deeply. He hadn’t raised his head to face her after the explosive sex they’d shared. What was going on in his mind?

He’d been rougher than she’d expected, hard and furious, as if all the anger in the universe had to be dispelled by his cock plunging into her flesh.

The pain had shocked her, even frightened her, but her body had exploded like dynamite, and she’d let herself go in a way she’d always dreamed of. The sheer pleasure and passion had overwhelmed her usual caution, and she was as surprised as she was grateful at the way he’d stimulated every nerve in her body and slammed her with the mother of all orgasms.

Usually, she had to concentrate hard while worrying about the man in her bed, whether he could keep up with her or that he’d be done too soon. Most of the time, she had to push herself, clench her muscles and force herself to finish or be left high and dry.

But with this wild man? Wow!

She’d lost all sense of herself, submerged to the sensations drowning her, arcing and piercing her entire body full of ecstasy, and leaving her with a dull sense of completion, a drugged state of pure bliss.

Her eyes drooped as her breathing slowed, but she kept stroking him. She ran her fingers lightly through his thick hair, then traced around his ear. A sheen of sweat dampened his skin, and the heat and scent of musk, of sex, of love made her room balmy like a tropical lanai at sunset.

“Are you okay?” she finally asked.

He groaned and moved off her, lifting his eyes to meet her gaze. “Did I hurt you? I kind of let myself go.”

“No, not at all.”

He touched the bite on her shoulder and his eyebrows furrowed. “I did hurt you. I’m sure I left bruises between your thighs. You sure you’re okay?”

“Hey, I’m a big girl. Plenty of padding.” She patted her belly.

“You’re beautiful.” He smoothed a strand of damp hair from her face. “Every bit of you.”

“Now, you’re being nice.” She made a funny face. “You don’t have to lie, especially after you got your rocks off.”

“You’re right.” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t have to lie, and I’m not lying. You think I’d have taken you to bed if I wasn’t attracted to you? That I didn’t desire your body? That I don’t appreciate you? Just because I’m homeless doesn’t mean I have no standards.”

“I thought the hot meal and the warm body would do.”

“You sell yourself short.” He tapped her nose. “You’ve got a lot more to offer than a bed and breakfast.”

“I was just joking,” she mumbled. Of course, now that he’d called her on it, she felt ridiculous. “I enjoyed the evening.”

“So did I.” He pecked her with a kiss across her lips. “Let me get cleaned up.”

She silently watched as he rose from the bed, mesmerized by the planes and angles of his muscles as well as the tattoos crisscrossing his chest—images of wolves encased in armor with Gothic letters, a large ‘M’ and a large ‘W’.

He bent over and picked his clothes from the floor, then made his way to the connecting bathroom, giving her a mouthwatering view of his muscled back and tight sexy ass.

Even though she was salivating, she knew what came next—the awkward moment when it was time for him to let himself out. She’d known it was coming, since he’d so vehemently argued against spending the night, even when she’d offered him the couch.

But that was before we enjoyed each other so much.

Her heart tried to reason with her brain, but when he emerged from the bathroom fully clothed, her brain taunted her heart.

See? I told you. Better pick your pride off the floor and wish him a good night. At least he doesn’t have a cell phone so you won’t have to worry about whether he’d text or call.

Terri hurriedly yanked the sweater over herself, neglecting to put on her bra. She pulled her pants up and got off the bed.

Forcing a smile on her face, she touched his arm. “Would you like to take some of the brownies with you?”

He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “You’ve given me enough already. Thanks, but I should go now.”

Even though she expected it, her heart sank just a little further. She nodded quickly and said, “Sure. It was fun,” leaving “let’s do it again” unsaid.

Wasn’t this the story of her life? Not only did she get second pickings, but even if she managed to get a man into her bed, he always made an excuse to leave. Not even the prospect of a comfortable bed was enough to keep a homeless man—although admittedly, he could be pulling an entire line of bullshit over her head about his sob story.

“If you have any work for me, could you leave a message with my buddy, Axe?” He scribbled a phone number on a piece of paper. “You understand why I can’t stay, right?”

“Sure, I didn’t expect you to. I was just being kind, thinking of you out in that drafty barn. I mean, I have to work tomorrow and I need my rest. Don’t need to have you around, but if you ever want to share a meal, just come by the shop.”

“Terri?” He tipped her chin up. “You have a heart of gold. I’ll be around.”

“Sure, well, you know where to find me.” She watched him make his way to the door, knowing she should be opening it to let him out, but unable to move her feet toward him.

The doorbell buzzed right when Ryker opened the door, bringing him face to face with—her mother.

“Who are you?” Mom exclaimed and blocked the doorway. A frown drew her eyebrows down as she craned her neck and took in Terri’s disheveled appearance. She turned her attention on Ryker, her nose pinched as if she smelled a skunk. “I hope that’s not your Harley parked in my spot.”

“Mom, it’s a visitor’s spot. Anyone can park there,” Terri said lamely. “Actually, he was on his way out.”

“I can see that.” Her mother sneered.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Ryker offered a tiny wave without looking her mother in the eye. “Terr, I’ll see you at the shop.”

Terri was too frozen to the spot to reply as Ryker and her mother exchanged places, sliding by each other as if the slightest brush would cause the exchange of unwanted ticks, fleas, or cooties.

“Well, well, well.” Her mother shut the door and plodded straight for Terri’s bedroom.

“Mom, seriously, can’t you leave it alone?” Terri’s feet sprang alive as she moved to block her mother from invading her room.

“No, I can’t. Not when you persist on sneaking off with that kind of scum.” Her mother parked herself in the tiny hallway and crossed her arms. “I came over here to tell you that Stuart Fiske, that’s Dr. Stuart Fiske, proctologist, has agreed to take you out this Friday to the symphony. Mind you, it took a lot of horse trading at the country club to get that done. I had to volunteer for Stella Fiske’s Memorial Day basket committee.”

“I don’t need you to arrange dates for me.” Terri faced her mother, mirroring the arm crossing and foot stomping. “I can find my own men just fine.”

“Sure looks like you’re skimming the bottom of the barrel. Thank God he was on his way out. Not that there’s any comparison, but Dr. Stuart Fiske would definitely not sleep with you on the first date, and even if he did, he would at least have the decency to spend the night and take you out to brunch the next morning.”

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

“Out. Out. Out.” Terri pointed to the door. “Just because you’re my mother doesn’t give you the right to insult me.”

Her mother turned her large frame and waddled to the kitchen. “I’m only telling you the truth because I care about you. Here I go, working my tail off to get you a decent, upstanding man, and you’re doing everything you can to sabotage my hard work.”

“I don’t need you to set me up with anyone.”

Her mother took a knife and cut herself a jumbo chunk of brownie. “You’re almost thirty. I hate to have to keep worrying about you. If you were married, my job would be done.”

“Your job is already finished. How’s Dad doing? I’ll be by to visit and catch a game with him. Here, have all the rest of the brownies.” Terri made quick work of wrapping the tray with plastic wrap. “I’m sure Dad would love some, too.”

“Can you at least agree to go out with Dr. Fiske?” Her mother eagerly took the jumbo pan. “I know you young ladies like bad boys, but you’re turning thirty and it’s time to grow up. Dr. Fiske can provide you with the lifestyle you’re accustomed to, and you won’t have to slave away at the flower shop once you start having kids.”

“I like the flower shop, and I’m happy with the lifestyle I’m providing myself.” Terri eased her mother toward the door. It was a delicate balancing act. She wanted to stand up for herself, but dreaded getting into a prolonged argument.

“I know you’re happy right now, but you have to think about the future. You’re not getting any younger, and desirable men like Dr. Fiske will be whisked away quicker than your bad boy waltzed out the door.”

“Mom, you’re insulting me again.” Terri felt her blood pressure explode.

“The truth hurts, darling. I saw it with my own eyes. I presume he slept with you and was retreating as fast as he could.”

What could Terri say? Her mother had witnessed yet another blow off. Part of her crumpled up like used wrapping paper. It was all she could do to usher her mother out the door without falling apart.

As tough an image as she portrayed to her friends, about how she didn’t care if she was the maid of honor without a prospect of ever being a bride, how she made fun of the blind dates everyone kept setting her up with, how satisfied she was with her life and her flower shop—no man needed, all that was blown away as soon as she tasted a ride on the back of Ryker’s bike.

“Promise me, you’ll try and behave,” her mother said. “I don’t want you embarrassing me with your loud manners. Let me pick your outfit. We want something classy that hides your fat at the same time. Don’t forget, I’ll get a report from Stella, and I really, really want to chair the Veteran’s Day Gift basket committee. I’ll even put in a huge order from your flower shop.”

Terri hadn’t recalled agreeing to a date with Dr. Fiske, but she needed her mother to leave, so she made all the right noises and told her mother she’d sit through the symphony on Friday evening. After all, maybe a fancy dinner and a classy date could make up for the way Ryker had rode all over her feelings.

The next time she saw him, if he ever deigned to come around and ask for a few hours of work, she wouldn’t be so vulnerable and stupid. Why, she just might be sporting a huge rock to shove in his teeth.