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As I start toward Sarah’s place, I find myself thinking about the visitor I had at the garage today. I wasn’t really shocked to look up and find Ryder looming with his arms crossed across his chest. I was a little surprised it took him until the afternoon to show up considering how Micah stared me down last night at the tattoo shop.
I could have bristled at the protectiveness, but I found myself thankful for it. Sarah’s family kept her safe for me when I didn’t know she existed. What wasn’t there to be grateful for?
“If you’re here about Sarah’s car, you should know I’m taking care of it,” I told my longtime friend.
I wouldn’t let any of the guys working for me work on my woman’s car. I was doing it myself and it was going to take some time because it needed a new transmission. I was debating between fixing it and getting her a new car—one even safer and maybe a little bigger. If it were up to me, she’d need the room.
You know, for babies.
From the look Ryder was giving me, it wasn’t the time to bring up having babies with Sarah. Doesn’t mean I didn’t feel smug as hell on the inside with the thought. She’d look fucking beautiful pregnant with my child.
I had considered, before I went to Banks Ink. to see her and ask her out, that my attraction to her was a flash in the pan situation and it would be gone when I saw her again. It wasn’t. It was roaring wildly through me with even more force.
“I’m not here about the car,” Ryder’s voice held a warning. “I’m here to find out why you asked Sarah out on a date.”
I put down my tools slowly and faced him completely, needing to give him my full attention to make sure he saw my sincerity. I narrowed my eyes at him, my voice a challenge, “Why wouldn’t I ask her out?”
“She’s my sister,” he spit out like that should be enough. “She’s too young for you and she’s not some easy woman you can seduce, fuck, and throw away.”
A red haze fell over my vision, and I stepped up to Ryder, not even a little intimidated at our size difference. “You better watch your fucking mouth. You might be my friend and her brother, but I’ll be damned if I’ll ever let anyone talk about my little beauty like that. She’s mine,” I snarled the last words.
The way Ryder’s eyes widened would have been hilarious if I weren’t pissed beyond anything I’d felt before. “You’re serious,” he didn’t pose it as a question, but I still nodded my head.
“Dead fucking serious,” my tone left no room for argument. “I can’t explain it and it might not make any sense, but it’s true. The moment she looked up at me, I knew. I don’t care that she’s younger than me and I’m not going to run away because she’s scared or a little timid. I want to protect her.” I shook my head, conviction filling every word, “I’mgoingto protect her. And love her.”
Ryder stared at me for a few minutes as if he were taking my measure. I didn’t back down. I had a feeling it would be all over if I did.
“It does make sense,” he admitted mulishly as his shoulders slumped. “Welcome to the family, you’re one of us now.”
“Because she’s part of the family,” I surmised more to myself than to him.
He chuckled and reached out, giving my shoulder a squeeze, as he shook his head. “Not in this case even though that’s true too. You are part of the family because the men in this family know the moment that they meet their woman. We fall fast and hard.”
“Well, at least I’m in good company,” I joked while grinning at him.
His acceptance was like a weight lifting off my shoulders. It wouldn’t have mattered in the end, but I appreciated it all the same. I didn’t want to have to choose between Sarah and my friendship with Ryder, but I’d choose her every time.
Before Ryder left, he did pin me with a hard glare, his voice threatening, “You hurt her, though, and they’ll never find your body parts.”
“Wouldn’t want it any other way,” I told him with my hands raised.
With a nod, he was gone. I’ve been thinking about the conversation all day, but not because it made me want to run. I’ve been thinking about how he didn’t think my feelings were strange at all. It made me wonder if I should have spent more time around him and his family before.
Would I have met her sooner? Would I be better equipped to be the man worthy of being at her side?
I shake my head as I pull up in front of Sarah’s place and take a deep breath knowing it doesn’t really matter. Our paths crossed when they were supposed to cross.
I’m eager as fuck as I get of my truck and go to her door, knocking with more force than I mean to. The door swings open seconds later and my lips part as I look down at my little beauty. She takes my breath away and the shy way she looks at me tells me she likes what she sees.
Good.
I want her to desire me.
I have a feeling my Sarah is innocent in all ways. I wish I could say the same, but at least it’s been a while and I never gave a single piece of my heart away to anyone else. I couldn’t. Now, after meeting her, I know why.
“Hi,” her voice is cautious, and I can’t tear my eyes away from her as a blush starts to cover her cheeks.
I reach out for her, grinning when she doesn’t flinch away from my touch. My arm wraps around her waist and I pull her closer to me slowly, watching her for any discomfort. She looks up at me with honey-colored eyes so full of trust.
