Page 33 of Ryder’s Storm

Upstairs, Ryder pulled the curtains in Scarlet’s bedroom shut, then turned back to her. The room was flooded in light, and for a moment Ryder wished that only the bedside lamps were lit. They would be less harsh.

Never before in his life had he ever felt more nervous than under Scarlet’s scrutiny.

“Okay, we don’t have an audience,” Scarlet said, arms crossed over her chest. She tilted her chin in his direction. “Go ahead.”

“Before I get undressed, I wanted you to know that what you’ll see is…” He couldn’t find the right words.

“You’re stalling.”

“This isn’t easy for me. Please promise to keep an open mind.”

“Strip,” she demanded. “Or you might as well leave now, and never come back.”

The challenge was clear. He was out of time. Ryder pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on a chair, while Scarlet watched his every move.

“Looks like you don’t have a third nipple,” she said. “I guess then it can’t be too bad after all.”

“Trust me if it was just a third nipple, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Ryder kicked his shoes off, then put his hand on the button of his pants, hesitating. His heart was pounding now, and his hands were trembling. He opened the button, then lowered the zipper. Quickly, before his courage could desert him, he pushed down his pants and rid himself of them. He now wore only his boxer briefs. Swallowing hard, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband and dragged them down. As he straightened to give Scarlet a full view of his twin appendages, he cast his gaze downward, avoiding meeting her eyes.

A gasp tore from Scarlet’s throat, and he steeled himself for the coming rejection. But Scarlet remained silent. Why didn’t she say anything? Or react by throwing something at him? Anything would be better than this silence. He’d scared her speechless. And that was never a good sign. Insults he could handle. But knowing that she was horrified by the sight of his two cocks felt like a hot knife was slicing his heart in two.

This had been a colossal failure.

“I’m sorry,” he said, barely getting the words out. “Now you know why I couldn’t let you see me naked.” At least she knew now that he hadn’t been playing sadistic games with her like she’d accused him of the night before.

Without looking at Scarlet, Ryder snatched his boxer briefs, pants, and shirt from the chair, and held them in front of his groin, then reached for his shoes, before turning toward the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To the guest room.”

“No, you’re not!”

Fuck! She wouldn’t even let him stay in the house to protect her? That’s how disgusted she was with him?

“At least give me a half hour so Benjamin can take over for me,” Ryder begged.

“I don’t want Benjamin here.”

Ryder growled. “You can’t be alone in the house, not with Derek out there planning God-knows-what.”

“I’m not alone in the house, you’re here.”

“You just told me to leave, and I understand it, I do. I look like a monster, and what woman in her right mind would want to have to deal with that?” He still couldn’t look directly at her, not wanting to see the disgust in her eyes. It would have been better if she were hurling insults or heavy items at him, or having an emotional outbreak.

“I know you’re angry with me for hiding this from you,” Ryder said. “My only excuse is that when I met you in the club, I realized you were everything I ever wanted, and I couldn’t resist the draw you had on me. I never wanted to hurt you or betray you.”

He walked toward the door, his heart breaking more with each step. He’d taken a risk, and it hadn’t turned out the way he’d hoped. “I just hope you do me the curtesy to keep my secret.”

“I’ll keep your secret, under one condition.”

He froze.

“Don’t leave.”

At the unexpected words, Ryder turned slowly, hesitantly. Had he heard right, or was his mind playing tricks on him? Was he hearing what he wanted to hear?