by Adele Niles
“You, too.” I didn’t have to look to know that he was smiling at me.
No man had ever gotten under my skin like this. Not even Fantasy Kyle. I felt like I’d come if he touched me again, even just a hand on my arm.
God, I needed to get laid.
It was starting to get to the point where I didn’t care who it was with.
I took a deep breath and went back to the table where my coworkers sat. I grabbed another shot from the tray and knocked it back.
When I turned my head to look for Ryker again, he was gone.
Chapter Three
Ryker
It wasn’t too bad to watch the new girl walk away, back to her table full of suits. She was cute—a little on the thick side, with black hair and bright green eyes. Her tiny pencil skirt hugged her curves, leaving little to the imagination. Just looking at her made my dick twitch.
She was gorgeous.
I wanted to take her for a spin. See if we could have a good time.
“So, who’s that?” I asked Kenzie. “I know her name’s Sydney, but—”
“No.” Kenzie shook her head. “Not this one, Ryker.”
“What? C’mon. I’m just asking you to put in a good word for me. Nothing serious.”
Kenzie’s hand shot out and she grabbed my arm. I forgot how strong she was sometimes. She didn’t work out, but Bakeology had given her muscles.
Bradley had to be proud of his kid sister.
But right now, it felt like she was trying to break my arm off. She pulled, and I had no choice but to follow.
“I need that arm, y’know. Gotta have my hands to work.”
“Oh, don’t be a baby.” Kenzie dragged me around the corner of the bar, off to the side. She turned, forcing me up against the wall.
“Didn’t think you were into me.” I grinned at her.
“Can it. I’m not here for jokes.” Kenzie looked serious.
It reminded me of all the times I’d seen her chew her brother out over women. Shit. I didn’t need her on my case for thinking her friend was hot.
“You listen to me, Ryker Hart,” she said sharply. “Sydney—”
“Is gorgeous and has an incredible ass.”
“Ryker!” Kenzie cut me off, her tone sharper.
I went silent.
She really wasn’t in the mood for jokes. Fine.
“Listen. It sounds like Sydney just got dumped. By her fiancé. She was supposed to be getting married this summer. The last thing she needs is somebody like you messing with her.”
“What? What do you mean, somebody like me?!”
She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Her blond ponytail bounced. “You know exactly what I mean. The way you treat women—”
I had to cut her off. “Kenzie, please. I’m a romantic at heart. You know that. Me and Bay, right? It was perfect.”
She frowned up at me. “Yeah. And since Bay left, you’ve been hooking up with every girl who’ll hop into bed with you.”
She didn’t have to put it like that.
I mean, nobody would ever measure up to Bay. That was just something I had to live with. I was sure I’d never love another girl the way I’d loved her. But there had to be a girl out there who would come kinda close.
And in the meantime, I’d just keep playing around. Having some fun. It kept me from dwelling on how much I missed Bay. And I was always honest with the girls I hooked up with; I was just theirs for a night, or maybe a weekend, and that was the end of it.
So, I scoffed. I wasn’t going to let Kenzie win this one. “C’mon. A girl gets out of a bad relationship, she needs something to make her feel good. I can make her feel so good.” I grinned again. I’d pull out all my best tricks for a girl like that.
“Dammit, Ryker.” Kenzie stared up at me for a moment. “Look. Sydney is—she’s out of your league. Okay? She’s working on her career, and she’s trying to get over getting dumped by her fiancé. All right? So, don’t mess with her.”
Ouch.
Out of my league.
That was a low blow, even for Kenzie.
I sighed and turned my head, looking out the front window of the bar. “I’m not trying to get her to fall in love with me, geez. I just wanna take her to bed.”
“No.” Her voice sounded firmer. “Quit thinking with your dick! She’s heartbroken, and she… was saving herself for marriage, okay? And then her fiancé dumped her. So, the last thing she needs is you trying to get in her pants!”
Saving herself for marriage. That sounded old-fashioned.
I looked back at Kenzie, frowning. “For real?”
“Yes. For real. She and Mark were high school sweethearts, and he wanted to wait for marriage, so she did the same. So, she’s not going to just hop into bed with you.”
Well, she could. I’d show her a good time. But that wasn’t the answer Kenzie wanted from me.
I sighed. I started to say something but paused. The bar door opened.
Thank God. Benny and Garrett walked in, immediately catching me talking to Kenzie. She turned to look at them, and I pulled my hand out of her grip. She looked down at her empty hand, then up at me, scowling.
“Don’t worry, Kenzie, I know. Conversation isn’t over.” I grinned at her, then turned, waving to the guys.
Kenzie huffed behind me, following me back out toward the main part of the bar. She sank back down on her stool, and I moved to join the guys for drinks. The shop was finally closed, and now that they were here, we could cut loose and relax.
But I didn’t stop sneaking glances at Sydney.
She seemed pretty wrapped up in whatever work conversations were going on, and she wasn’t looking at me. It was fine; it gave me a chance to admire her. She looked cute when she smiled.
I bet she’d look better in my bed.
But when I turned my head to look at Sydney, I could feel Kenzie’s eyes boring into the back of my head. She was serious.
So, I’d wait.
It wouldn’t take that long, I was sure of it. Sydney seemed like she was wound up pretty tight. A girl like that would snap if somebody didn’t take care of her.
And I knew I could handle it. I’d handled plenty of girls and never had a complaint. And it helped keep me from wallowing.
I glanced at Kenzie for just a second. She hadn’t had to bring up Bay like that. Or tell me somebody was out of my league.
Maybe I’d have a talk with her sometime. Let her know that she was a little harsh sometimes, and there was no need for it.
But not tonight. I just wanted to have a good time for now. I flagged down the bartender and ordered a whiskey on the rocks to get my night started.
Chapter Four
Sydney
My head ached, but it was dull.
I’d definitely had worse hangovers.
My alarm chimed on my nightstand, but I groaned, burrowing back under the covers. I didn’t want to go to work. I’d had fun, sure, but that didn’t mean I wanted to go back.
Why couldn’t it be the weekend?
I’d come home tipsy and woken up BOB for some fun, but it wasn’t the same.
Not that I really knew, but I couldn’t imagine it being as good as getting some dick.
That was all I thought about these days. Fucking somebody. Getting fucked. Pinned down to the bed, or held up against a wall, or bent over a table with my clothes still mostly on.
I couldn’t let that line of thought continue, or I’d never make it to the office.
I rolled over and picked up my phone. After shutting off the alarm, I saw an unread text.
Kenzie.
It was so good to see you last night! I know everything sucks, but I’m glad you’re back in town. Let me know when you’re free, okay?
I’d missed her a lot.
I’d wanted to talk to her since I got back, but embarrassment had kept me from reaching out. Nobody wants to admit their engagement failed.
But now that she knew I was back in Richland, it didn’t matter
.
I texted back. I’m glad we bumped into each other. I’ll text you later and we’ll make plans. I definitely want to get together ASAP. I’ve missed you and I need to talk some of this crap out.
She’d reply later, when she had a chance. I wasn’t worried. Besides, I had to get ready for work.
* * * * *
When I walked into the office, everyone greeted me a lot more warmly than they had the day before. We weren’t a huge office—two lawyers, four paralegals, two secretaries—but everybody was friendly.
More than friendly, as I’d found out last night. A lot of the people who worked at Hills & Bridges didn’t seem to have friends outside of work. A lot of the previous night’s stories had been about get-togethers within the office. Happy hours, holiday parties, birthdays, all of them were spent together.
It was kind of cute.
But also kind of horrifying.
That was definitely not what I thought I wanted. Still, I wasn’t mad that I’d gone. It was nice to feel a little more like part of the team.
The day went quickly, with a lot more chatting. I left my office door open, and when lunchtime rolled around, I ate with the rest of the team instead of sitting alone in my car. We laughed at lunchtime, rehashing some of the stories from the night before.
I hadn’t meant to spill some of the details from my college days, but apparently I had. While I hadn’t been adventurous when it came to sex, I’d gone to plenty of parties and proven myself as an expert drinker. My tolerance was a lot lower than it had been in college, but I could still hold my liquor with the best of them.
And apparently, that wasn’t all I’d put out to my coworkers.
Maddie came into my office after lunch, walking around the desk to hand me some papers. “So, you said you’re single, right?”
I hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I just got out of a relationship, but I’m definitely unattached.”
“Right, well, Jay was asking about you. Whether we thought it was a good idea for him to ask you out.”
Jay?
No. There was nothing wrong with him, but he wasn’t what I had in mind. He was professional, and nice, and… boring.
Really, really boring.
And dating somebody I worked with? What would we even talk about? We’d literally see each other all the time, seven days a week.
Never. No. I couldn’t go out with a guy like that.
“I don’t think I’m ready for a relationship,” I replied. “I mean, I’d go on a date or two, maybe, but I don’t want to settle down yet.”
Maggie looked surprised by that. “Really?”
“Well, yeah. I was with the same guy since high school.”
She blinked in surprise. “Wow. He must’ve been a good boyfriend.”
He had been.
And then… not so much.
I forced myself to smile. “Well, he’s out of the picture now. And, um, if you could kinda discourage Jay, that would be great.”
I couldn’t picture myself with a guy like that. I mean, I had a hard time picturing myself with anybody specific but definitely not somebody so normal and boring.
Well, maybe I could picture myself with one specific guy. But that was a thought for later, when I was home and by myself.
Ryker, from the bar. He’d been hot. Like Fantasy Kyle but better.
Way better.
And real. That was definitely a plus.
Maggie nodded. “Well, I’ll kinda… discourage it, then. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”
That was nice to hear. I smiled, much more genuinely this time. “Thanks, Maggie.”
“No problem.” Maggie smiled and turned to go back to her desk.
I absorbed myself with work, uninterrupted for a little while. The next interruption wasn’t social, though; Mr. Bridges came into my office, bringing a manila envelope of papers with him.
He tossed the envelope on my desk. “I need you to run these to the address on the envelope tonight. It’s important they arrive today.”
“Yes, sir.” I smiled, picking up the envelope and reading it. It was an address on the same road as The Republic. I knew where I was going, at least. “I’ll drop them off on my way home. Let me check where I’m going. If they close before us, could I leave a little early?”
Mr. Bridges nodded. “As long as the paperwork makes it there tonight.” He turned and left the office, brusque as ever.
I typed the address into Google. No Regrets.
It was the tattoo shop where Kenzie’s brother worked.
I looked at the folder again. Benard Briggs. I wondered if it was somebody she was related to? Not her brother—that was Bradley, and she only had the one brother.
I supposed I’d find out later in the evening. They were open later than we were, so I tucked the envelope in my purse.
* * * * *
I’d never been in a tattoo shop before.
Tattoos were hot, sure, but I’d never really considered getting one. Maybe in an alternate universe, where I was a sexy biker chick, but not in this world. It wasn’t the most professional, and I liked wearing short sleeves when it was hot out. The idea of having to cover up all the time to be taken seriously at work was unappealing.
I walked in, taking a second to look around. Framed artwork hung on the walls. A few steps led up from the lobby to a row of booths, separated by waist-high walls. Five of the booths were occupied by guys working, with one booth empty in the back.
“Hey, welcome to No Regrets.” I turned to see a girl at the front counter. Her hair was dyed bright orange and shaved on the sides. She looked like she could kick my ass, but she was smiling as she looked me over.
I smiled at her and pulled the envelope of papers from my purse. “Hi, I’m here from Hills & Bridges. Looking for Benard Briggs?”
The girl behind the counter raised her eyebrows, letting out a laugh. She turned toward the back of the shop, cupping her hands around her mouth.
“Oh, Beeen-aaaard!” she sang, the sound of her voice echoing through the shop.
For a moment, there was silence.
Heat flared up in my cheeks—embarrassment.
Everyone in the shop started to laugh. Loudly.
Why had I agreed to come here? Right, because I was getting paid for it. But I definitely hated feeling like I was getting made fun of.
A guy in one of the front two booths put down his tattoo gun and rose. He was tall, with long brown hair and blue eyes. He was handsome but not entirely my type. His face was red, too.
God, I’d embarrassed him in front of his coworkers.
He came down the stairs toward me.
“Just so you know,” the girl behind the counter said, “he goes by Benny. Just in case this is a recurring thing, you know?” She smiled playfully and winked at me.
My mouth felt dry.
Benard—Benny—reached me and held his hand out. “Hey.”
I took his hand, letting him shake.
“I’m Benny,” he said. “What can I do for you?”
He was being really gracious, considering I’d just humiliated him.
“I’m dropping these papers off for Mr. Bridges.” I held out the envelope with my left hand. “It should be pretty straightforward.”
Although, really, I had no idea what they were about.
“Oh, okay. Thanks.” Benny nodded. “I didn’t catch your name?”
“Sydney Lawson.” I smiled up at him.
“Right, Kenzie’s friend. Cool. She’s my cousin.” Benny nodded. “Well, good to meet you, Sydney. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
I nodded, although I wasn’t too sure about that. I couldn’t imagine having a reason to come back into a tattoo parlor. I’d only see him if he came to Hills & Bridges for something.
I tugged my purse up my shoulder, ready to head home.
But then the other guy came down the stairs.
Shaggy blond hair, green eyes, covered in ink, and dressed in dark colors.
>
My stomach dropped.
The hot guy from the bar.
And he was even better than I remembered.
He smiled at me, watching from over Benny’s shoulder. I looked at him for a moment, then away. He came closer and held his right hand out.
It would have been rude not to shake. I put my hand in his.
His hand was warm, and a little rough. Definitely good.
“Ryker Hart. Nice to meet you again.” He smiled. It was charming—just a little hint of a smirk to it.
It made him look sexy. Not that he needed any help looking sexy.
“Um, hi. Sydney Lawson.”
We shook hands.
He didn’t let go.
God, this guy was everything I wanted. Tall and tattooed and absolutely ripped.
No. I couldn’t fall into that. I was just out of a relationship, and the last thing I needed was some bad boy making me feel weak and breaking my heart.
I pulled my hand away and stepped back, turning my attention to Benny. “If you have any questions about the paperwork, feel free to call us. There’s a business card on the envelope. It should be fairly straightforward, though.” I smiled. “Drop it back off when you’re done.”
Benny nodded. “Sure. Yeah. Thanks.”
“Thank you. Have a good night.”
I turned and left the shop before I could look at Ryker again.
But I could definitely feel him watching me as I left.
I walked quickly to my car and turned it on. And just sat.
I was a mess—soaking wet, almost shaking with need. I let out a soft sigh, one hand drifting down to stroke over the inside of my thigh.
No. No, I wasn’t going to do that in my car outside the tattoo shop. I needed to get home. Fast.
BOB would be working overtime tonight, and Ryker was going to be the star of my fantasies.
Chapter Five
Ryker
I stood next to Benny, watching Sydney as she walked quickly out of the shop. The skirt was different today but fit her just as nicely, and her top had showed just a hint of cleavage.
And her hand had been really soft.
I shook my head, smiling. I didn’t really care what Kenzie said; as soon as this girl gave me the go-ahead, I planned to go for it.