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“Thanks for being here,” Nita said, sounding hesitant. As if saying the words was hard.
“No problem. You paid a good Millionaire Bar for my services. To be honest, I’m glad I could earn it,” he said, and smiled when she smirked at him.
“You’re not done yet,” she said, and skated backward as she beckoned him with by waving her finger. “Want to referee our scrimmage?”
Ryder’s gaze lingered on her, the sparkle in her eye and the dimple in her chin mesmerizing him. In that moment, he realized that his feelings for her ran deeper than he had initially thought.
Shit, how the fuck had he let that happen?
Despite the incident with Luke being nothing more than swatting a fly, a spark of something ignited in him—a desire to keep her safe.
“Despite Casey’s excellent instruction, I don’t know much about derby other than there are jammers and blockers and fights after a bout,” he said, but followed the siren call of her swaying hips all the same.
“It’s easy. I’ll tell you exactly what to do,” she said, then hopped into a turn and yelled out, “Okay, ladies, I got a sucker for us!”
20
Two hours later, the elevator door opened. Nita let out the breath she’d been holding since they’d stepped into the elevator.
Ryder’s body somehow took up more space than when they’d left the apartment for the rink. His broad shoulders, his arms, his thighs… her brain ricocheted between visions of all his body parts despite trying to focus on the light over the door.
“After you,” he murmured as he held the door and waited for her to step out first.
The sight of their lavish surroundings almost distracted her from her thoughts.
Even though it was a cement bunker inserted into a mountain, it felt lavish. For the first time she could see a few twinkling lights of Seattle through the trees that surrounded most of the Cavendish estate. It made her forget how elevated the apartment was that they could look above the trees to the city skyline.
“Looks like a clear sky for the first time in I don’t know when,” she murmured.
Jesus, did I really just talk about the weather?
“Huh,” he grunted.
She chanced a look at where he leaned against the wall to pull off his boots.
Her heart pounded as she watched the way his large hands moved. She remembered how they’d encircled Luke’s neck like it was a twig. Best of all had been the way Luke’s eyes bulged. Not from Ryder’s hand. She could tell from where she stood on the track that Luke could still breath. No, those bulging eyes had been genuine fear.
There’d been a time when Luke’s eyes used to look at her with amazed adoration. It should have been a red flag that he loved everything about her and wasn’t afraid to admit it. She’d just thought the biker who didn’t own a motorcycle was a guy who had his emotional shit together. He was a successful business owner with amazing good looks who thought she was his moon and stars, just like on Game of Thrones.
She should have known it was too good to be true.
Looking at Ryder now, as he set his worn motorcycle boots against the wall and stood to stretch his back, she wondered what his red flags were. Other than the way he triggered this primal feeling in her. It made her want to take everything more slowly.
Take everything slowly?her brain demanded.Why are you taking things anywhere?
“Thanks for stepping in with Luke tonight,” she said, walking to the couch and dropping her bags beside it. He’d offered to carry them, but she’d refused out of pride.
There,she argued with her brain.Expressing gratitude is acceptable.
“I don’t want to brag about how easy it was to neutralize that piece of shit, because I could tell by one look he’s the kind of douchebag that likes to manipulate women,” he replied, then ran a hand through his hair and headed to the bar. “Wanna drink?”
“I… sure,” she said, pulled along with him by the sheer gravity of his massive body.
What could one drink hurt?
“I’m having tonic water. Want to share it?” he asked, opening the small fridge and pulling out one of the tall bottles.
She hated tonic water. It diluted the amazing flavor of alcohol.
