Faith’s Temptation (Dueling Dragons MC Book 1) (9 page)

“Oh, baby cakes. You’re so beautiful, Faith.” She has tears in her eyes, but she doesn’t let them fall. “I really hope he sees what’s standing in front of him. I’ve been against this in hopes that I could protect you from being hurt, but you’re stubborn and so is Ryder.” She blots her eyes with a tissue. “So, I’ll step back and let fate take its course.”

I walk over to her and give her a big hug. For someone that doesn’t want Ryder and me together, she sure is putting it on thick.

“Thank you so much, Layla. For everything you’ve done, the place to live, everything in it, the job, helping me get ready for this dinner. The clothes and helping me with my hair and makeup.” I give her a small smile.

“You’re more than welcome. Now, let’s make sure you have everything just right for tonight,” she says with a smile and wink.

***

I waited ‘til 4:15 p.m., and so far he’s a no-show. That’s why I’m here, walking down the stairs. I am halfway down when I look up and see Ryder standing there.

“You’re late,” I say to him and look down at my watch. “I thought you always kept your promises and are
never
late.”

“Well, you seem to be late, also.” He is being a snide-ass this evening. “But I will say that you look…great.”

That’s when I catch his eyes. They’re fixated on mine, and a little grin crosses his face. And there are those dimples again.

Keep it together, Faith. You’re not falling for him in any kind of way. Bad people, remember. Bad people,
I scream to myself on the inside.

“You know something, Ryder?” I cock my eyebrow up, tilt my head, and place my hand on my hip with a sassiness that I just discovered in the past five seconds. “You truly are an asshole, and you know how to spoil a good thing even before it starts. I’m going to the bar. Bye.” I finish climbing down the rest of the stairs when my heel gets stuck and I am flying forward.

I land right in Ryder’s arms. He has one arm around my back and the other on my backside. “Umm, excuse me?” I wiggle out of his arms. And I notice his lingering look.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He almost looks like he’s blushing.

“Well, whatever. I am outta here.” I push past him and head for the diner.

All of a sudden, I’m being picked up around my waist and hoisted over Ryder’s shoulder. “What the fuck! Ryder! Put me down. God damn it, you’re an asshole. I am in a fucking dress, dickwad!” I scream at him while I beat his back with my fists, but it doesn’t faze him at all and he keeps sauntering toward the car.

“Oh, baby. Faith, you have a dirty mouth for such a beautiful girl. Why are you so angry?” His voice is soothing, almost like a caress against my skin.

I start to fight again, but I give up when I realize—
Faith, you dumbass. You’re in a dress. Cover your ass!
I reach back and smooth out my dress as best I can so that no grubby trucker has a view of something he shouldn’t, and then takes a picture to put in their spank bank
. Eww. Bad mental picture.
I shiver with the thought and block it out.

“Say please and I’ll think about putting you down.” A tone of desire edges his voice.

I let out a huge sigh and realize that his shoulder is digging into my bladder and I have to pee now. “Ryder, will you please put me down?” I err on the side of a sweet tone, hoping that he will buy that I’ve calmed down some. “Please....” I sigh again. “Pretty please,” I add for good measure.

Even with my desperate need to pee, my core is aching for him to just touch me or kiss me.
God, anything would be amazing right now
. I haven’t had this ache in so long.
It's lust, that's all it is, just lust.

Yeah, right, you keep telling yourself that, Faith! Oh, boy, I’m in big trouble
. I can't trust any man after what Beau did, no matter how much I want to. I have to stay strong.

When I feel my feet reach the ground, I notice his face is right in front of mine. I can smell his breath--it’s mint with a hint of something else. I can’t figure it out off the top of my head. He moves his hands to my shoulders, holds my face and neck at the same time, and stares into my eyes.

“Faith, you’re so damn beautiful. Has anyone told you that before?” He runs his thumb along my jawline, causing my insides to quiver with anticipation. “I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about you. I’m so drawn to you. You feel it?” He’s looking not just into my eyes, it's like he’s trying to see into my soul.

Abort! Abort!
I must get out of this situation.

“Ryder, I need to run upstairs really fast and use the bathroom. I’ll be back in two shakes of a monkey’s ass.” I break free of his physical and mental hold.
What is it about him?

After using the bathroom, I stand at the sink washing my hands and looking myself over in the mirror to make sure that I look normal after my little…fall.

“You ready now?” Ryder says as I descend the stairs.

I walk over to the passenger side of the car, which is opened for me.
Hmm
.

“Yep.” I pop the P and sit my ass down in the car.

Layla owns a brand-spanking-new Ford Mustang, electric blue with racing stripes down the middle and, of course, it is a drop top. The top is up this afternoon because it is starting to get cold at night here.

“Are you gonna be like this all night? I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to be mean and nasty like I was. But I won’t apologize for throwing you over my shoulder, because if it's necessary, I will do it again. And over my knee the next time, too.” He puts the car in gear and speeds off, which slams my head back on the seat, and I let a little giggle out. He focuses on the road and drives toward the next little town where there is an amazing dive bar.

“How do you know that I’ll even give you a chance after what you just pulled? That was some bullshit, Ryder. Some nasty fuck could have taken a picture to save in their spank bank for later. Ugh, I feel so nasty now. Like one of those girls that wander around the lot at night.” I shiver thinking about it.

Ryder starts laughing so hard that I think he is going to crash the car. I grab ahold of the ‘oh shit’ handle.

“You—you—Oh my God, babe! You’re nothing close to a ‘lot lizard.’ That’s some funny shit, though.” He shakes his head and continues to chuckle.

Crossing my arms in protest against his obnoxious laughing, I stare out the window at the passing trees.

“Spank bank, huh? Can I have some pictures of you for mine?” He gets the biggest and sexiest smile on his face that I have ever seen. He turns to look at me and all I can do is stare back at him.

I have no idea how to answer him, so I just focus on the song that’s playing on the radio—Weezer. I reach over and turn it up some more. The bass pumps through the car, and I instantly feel the fun for the night start to build.

Looking over, I can see Ryder smiling at me. “Do you know how to dance, Ryder?”

“You bet your sweet ass I know how to dance, baby,” he says as he reaches over and runs his finger down my arm. I instantly get goose-bumps.

***

Ryder

“So you look nice tonight.” I smile over at Faith. A strand of hair has fallen out of the up-do thing on top of her head. She tucks it behind her ear.

Goddamn! She looks amazing. The dress is wrapping around her body perfectly. And the way she sways when she walks instantly makes my dick hard.

“Thanks. Layla brought over some clothes.” Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink.

We continue driving down the back road toward this dive bar that I’ve started to really like in the next town.

My pants tighten under the strain of my raging hard-on. “She did good. I like it.”

She nods and turns her attention back to the stereo, and I continue watching the road.

Smiling to myself, I nod. “Well, I hope you’re ready to have a good time tonight.”

She laughs and dances in her seat. That’s the moment that I know things are going to be okay. I’ve got nothing to fear with Faith.

***

Faith

Ryder pulls the car into the parking lot of the dive bar. We walk in and I notice some of the girls eying Ryder. I’m feeling the sudden sting of jealousy. He isn’t really mine, but the feeling overwhelms me, turning into anger. I was like this when Beau and I first started dating.

I sigh, walk up behind him and grab his hand, squeezing it in mine. He turns and looks down at me. I look up at him and he smiles.

“You do know how handsome you look, right?” I ask, and he laughs.

“No, but tell me.” He pulls me against his side and tucks me under his arm.

I manage to peek over his arm a little and look at the three chicks that were checking him out. The expressions on their faces are priceless. They’re shocked as hell!

Yeah, that’s right. I came here with him and I’m leaving with him.
Man, Faith. Quit acting like this!
I want this man so much. My heart is saying yes, yet my head....Well, that’s a whole other story.

We stroll over to the bar and grab a couple of seats. Ryder waves down the bartender. Here she comes, a cute blonde about my age with a huge rack—and when I say huge, I mean like, I don’t know how she can stand up straight.
Maybe it’s her tray holder.

“What’ll you two have?” She looks at him with a flirtatious smile, but she plasters on a complete look of disdain when she turns to me.

“Can I have an Irish Car Bomb to start off with, and then I’ll have a Red-Headed Slut chaser.” I give her my order with a smile, a flip of my hair, my hand set possessively on Ryder’s shoulder. I can see that he is trying not to laugh.

“I'll have a Coors Light and a Jaeger Bomb. Thanks.” He turns back to me and grabs my hand again.

I stare at our hands. It feels so good to hold hands with someone again. It’s one of the intimacies I miss the most about being in a relationship. It’s a small gesture that goes a long way—for me anyway.

The bartender brings us our drinks. We both pick up our shots and hold them over the bigger glasses. I stop Ryder before he drops his shot glass into the Red Bull. “Let’s toast to friendship, heartache, and lust.” I clink my glass to his.

“Well, on that note, I toast to friendships that turn into everything you hoped they would.” He clinks his glass to mine.

For a split second, I forget my promise that we are just for dinner and nothing else.

I shake my head and focus on the shot. “To us!”

With that, we both drop the shot glasses and start to chug our mixed drinks. Of course, Ryder is done with his before I finish downing my pounder full of Guinness. I slam the glass on the counter and let out a huge sigh and a tiny burp which I cover with my hand. Don’t want it to be too horribly loud and unladylike.

“Damn. I think I am in love. You’re truly incredible in every way, Faith. I can’t believe you can drink like that. But can you hold it down? That is the big question. And no puking in Layla’s car.” Ryder laughs and gives me a cock-eyed look.

“I never get sick. I’ll be fine. I know how to drink. I grew up with two older brothers. I can handle myself,” I say. I’m confident in my ability to pace the booze.

A FEW HOURS PASS
and I can’t believe how comfortable I feel around Ryder. There are no awkward silences, just a lot of fun. We stuff ourselves with greasy, yummy bar food. The kind that you’re thankful for when you start to get a little tipsy, the kind that is the perfect thing to level out the drunkenness.

I start to giggle when I hear the next song come over the loudspeaker. The bass pumps as the song picks up, and I hear one of my favorite bands.
My Darkest Days
starts thumping in the bar. I see tons of people getting down on the dance floor, and I’m just drunk enough to ask Ryder to dance with me.

“Ryder, come. Dance floor.
Now
!” I reach my hand out and pull him out of whatever daze he’s in.

“I thought you’d never ask, but I should warn you this song requires dirty dancing.” He grabs my hips and pulls me backward until my ass presses into his crotch. He lowers his head, tucks his chin in the crook of my neck, and breathes into my ear.

We reach the dance floor wrapped together as one. He turns me around so that I face him, then he grabs my wrists, twines my arms around his neck, and puts his hands on my hips.

I sway to the music, stepping a little closer to him, giving him the hint that I want to become one with him. He pulls me so close that I can feel his body heat. It fills my senses for a few moments, causing the whole world to drop away around us.

I was right when I sized him up the first time—his chest is rock-solid and his arms feel perfect around me. I don’t want him to stop. The song continues to thump bass from the speakers. I see couples all around us doing risqué dance moves. I am all for PDA, but not something
that
sexual.

Yet.

Ryder's hands wander up my torso, steadily creeping higher. When his hands are on either side of my breasts, I feel his thumb rub against the bottoms, making them ache. My core is on fire and I need to stop whatever is happening, but my body is saying Just. Let. Go.

My brain and body are having an argument of their own. Do I stop him, or do I enjoy this for a little longer? My breath catches in my throat as he moves his thumbs farther up my chest.

He looks down and stops caressing my sides. Instead, he reaches up and puts a hand on either side of my face and leans in to kiss me. I don’t expect it, so I don’t back away in time to stop him. At least I keep trying to tell myself that’s why I don’t move.

I push him away and my instant reaction is to slap him or run. Lifting my hand, I lean in to slap him but he catches my wrist in the air. Looking at me like I’ve done lost my mind, Ryder spins around and pulls me toward the bar to grab our coats.

“Ouch, Ryder. You’re hurting me,” I say as he pulls me to the door. But despite my protests he stops, turns around, and grips my other arm. Bending down, he throws me over his shoulder. He tosses his jacket over my ass so that nothing is showing this time.