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"Oh I wouldn't say that. You actually just jumped up in standing with me," Khloe teased, adding, "Your aunt islovely."
"Figures," he groused, unable to beangry.
He tried to pull Khloe back towards the door, but Ginny kept pressing for details. "So, how long have you two been seeing eachother?"
"Oh it's not like that, is it, Ryder?" The beauty in his arms turned to deliver her under-cut. "We went out once, months ago, and then he ditched me, not even bothering to get mynumber."
"Woman, you don't have a clue what the hell you're talking about," hedefended.
He couldn't believe she was picking a personal fight with him in the middle of the thankfully quiet lobby. Could they possibly be moreconspicuous?
He moved his grip to her bicep and had started dragging her back towards the door when his aunt unexpectedly tried to defend him, calling after them as he tried to get to theexit.
"You can't hold leaving againsthim."
Khloe pulled free of him to turn back towards Ginny, her hands on her hips. "Oh, and why not?" He heard the vulnerability in her voice. It was then that it hit him that Khloe probably didn't have many men walk out onher.
Ginny leaned close to speak softly. "Trust me, sometimes he has to leave, even when he may not want to." His aunt's gaze found his and he saw her understanding of his secretive job that had torn him away from his family most of his life. The corner of her lips curved up as she added, "You're welcome here any time. Any friend of Ryder's is a friend of thefamily."
Christ, notthat.
"Khloe, we really need to go. We have a lot to talk about." He finally got her feet moving, but the women still both shouted out their 'good-byes' to each other across thelobby.
Only when they were out next to the bike did he complain. "I told you to stay outhere."
"And I told you it's spooky outhere."
"Nice try, Princess. Aren't you a little too old to be afraid of thedark?"
He had reached to put her helmet back on her, but she yanked out of his arms, her eyes sparking with anger. "I'm not afraid of the dark, jackass. I'm afraid of the lunatic who is after me, promising to take me away and fuck me every day for the rest of my life. Call me crazy, but yeah, that has me a bitspooked."
Raw anxiety mingled with exhaustion, clouding her beautiful face. He'd seen that expression on her briefly on the TV, but tonight she reeked of fear, and it guttedhim.
When he'd made the decision to protect her, he'd also pledged he would keep her at arms length. In his line of work, no good could come from him getting involved with a woman, let alone a celebrity. Yet, they had a combustive history, and in that moment his normally unfailing self-controlfled.
The urge to hold her was undeniable. He didn't fight it, pulling her into his arms. For a brief moment, she let her guard down, relaxing into his body, molding them together so tightly he was unprepared for her to shove him away, losing his balance and almost knocking over the bike at hisback.
"How do I know you aren't the stalker? This is a pretty remote location. How do I know this isn't where you'd planned to take me?" Her voice quavered withemotion.
He didn't know if he should laugh or yell. "You must think I'm the stupidest criminal alive. Driving up to take you with thousands of witnesses, most with cameras snapping. Then stopping for supplies at a well-lit stop with security cameras everywhere. And then dropping in to say hi to the family on the way to my hideout." He took a step closer and her eyes widened as he added, "You think I need to kidnap you to take you to my own cabin to do things to your body I've already done and could have again at the snap of myfingers?"
At least fear had vanished from her expression, leaving misplaced anger. Khloe scoffed. "You have a pretty high opinion of yourself if you think you'll snap your fingers and I'll fall to my knees, under your spell again. Look around. There is no roulette wheel here tonight, and we sure as hell aren't at BlackLight."
His patience was at an end. Ryder yanked her against his body, twining his fingers through her long, messy mane and snapping her head back. He towered above her, so close he could feel her gasping for breath against hischeek.
"This is not the time for this. Or the place. Like it or not, you're stuck with me,Princess."
"And why is that?" she askedbreathlessly.
"Because I'm the best person to protect you right now. Trust me when I say that as long as you listen to me, I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you.Period."
"Why the sudden interest in my welfare? You walked out, making it clear you didn't give a shit. You said it had all been a game." Her vulnerability wasback.
"Well, game time isover."
Her breaths were sporadic. She had the exact same hurt look on her face that haunted him when he closed his eyes at night. The one she'd had just before she'd left Black Light. She wiggled, trying to free herself from his grasp while shouting, "Why now,Ryder?"
Crushing her to him was easy. She was tiny, but he admired her spunk as she struggled against him. Like the bastard he was, the harder she fought, the harder his cock grew in his leathers, until lust demanded he subdue her like the dominant hewas.
