Page 12 of Ryder’s Storm

7

Scarlet stirred. It took her a few seconds to focus her eyes so she could see the clock on her bedside table.

Twelve fifteen.

She shot up to sit. It was past noon? She never slept longer than seven o’clock, maybe eight o’clock on the weekend. She was fully aware of the reason why her body had needed the extra rest. Not only had she had cabin fever last night, she’d also had mind-blowing sex with a handsome stranger who’d made her come three times in the span of less than an hour.

Every moment of the previous night replayed in her mind. In fact, she’d dreamed about it. About him. About Ryder. But the ending had always been different. In one version, Ryder had taken her again, this time facing her, and they’d both been naked. In another, he’d lain on the floor, and she was riding him until he begged her to let him come. In none of these versions had she felt any shame about allowing him to do things that were considered taboo. Nor had he looked at her as if he thought her a slut. On the contrary, in her dreams, Ryder had looked into her eyes and professed that he was looking for somebody like her, a woman who had no inhibitions, no matter what he wanted to do.

But those were only dreams, not reality. However, this morning, in the light of day, she didn’t feel as embarrassed as she had the night before. After all, Ryder had been a willing participant, eager to explore her. And he’d been a rather considerate lover. Most guys she had one-night stands with didn’t care much whether she orgasmed or not. Ryder had made sure she found her pleasure before he took his own. What stranger did that?

Had it been a mistake to leave? Perhaps he had come back to the storage room after all. She would never know now. Crap, she was a hot mess! One minute she was satisfied, the next ashamed, and the next after that full of doubt about everything. And she’d thought her adolescence had been difficult. Her problems had only magnified ever since she’d become an adult. At least in her teenage years she’d found solace with her girlfriends, who’d all gone through the same issues, always doubting themselves, always worried about what others thought of them. Now she was an adult, and very soon, truly independent, yet she wasn’t confident that independence would change anything for her. Inside, she was still an insecure little girl who wasn’t sure where she belonged.

“Scarlet, are you home?”

Scarlet jumped up. “Claudia?”

The door opened, and her stepmother entered. As always, she was dressed to the nines. She was almost twenty years younger than her father, and at age thirty-seven she looked stunning. Her blond hair reached to her shoulders, and her gray eyes were framed by long lashes. She always wore a warm smile and spoke with a soft voice. Whenever Scarlet saw Claudia with her father, she saw how happy her father was. She herself had accepted Claudia wholeheartedly and welcomed her into their family. After having lost her own mother at a young age, it was good to have another woman to confide in, even though Claudia was hardly a conventional stepmother. In fact, they weren’t that far apart in age at all. Only thirteen years separated them.

“You’re still in bed? Are you all right? Did you come down with that cold that’s been going around?” Claudia walked closer, a concerned look on her face now.

“No, no, I’m fine, honestly.” She gave her a disarming smile. “I got to bed really late. I was working on my thesis last night, and when I looked up, it was four o’clock.”

Liar.

“Scarlet, you’re working too hard. There’s no need to rush your thesis. You don’t have to do everything in record time. You should enjoy your studies, breathe a little.”

“I do,” she insisted. “It’s fun working on my thesis.” Then she changed the subject. “You look nice. I like that outfit on you. Well, anything looks great on you.” It was true. Claudia had the body of a model.

Claudia beamed. “Thank you. I bought it when your father and I went to Santa Barbara last month.”

“He said last night that you’d be coming to the city today to run some errands.”

Claudia winked conspiratorially. “Don’t tell your dad, but I’m shopping for a birthday present for him. He thinks I’m meeting with my old law firm. Though I went to see the trust lawyers and brought a document for you to sign.”

“For me?”

“Yes, it’s time to get ready for the trust to be transferred so you can access it when you turn twenty-five.”

“I thought that was automatic.”

“Nothing is automatic,” Claudia said with a chuckle. “Or the lawyers wouldn’t be able to charge their exorbitant fees for anything. There are always more documents to draw up so they can justify their fees.”

“Well, I guess more paperwork it is. Not that I’m looking forward to reading another stack of legal mumbo-jumbo.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve already started reviewing it for you to make sure it’s all in order, so there won’t be any delay. Consider it a birthday present from me.”

“You’re the best, Claudia.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Do you miss working as a lawyer?”

She shrugged. “Yes and no.”

“It can’t be easy to change your life completely for a man.”

“It’s easy when you love that person. I’m sure, one day you’ll figure that out for yourself.”