Jaci’s eyes filled with tears.
Oh crap. It hadn’t been Yvonne. All this time, it hadn’t been Yvonne. No wonder it had been all too easy. “Shit, Jaci, really? You?”
“I’m sorry!” She burst into tears.
Disgusted, Yvonne rolled her eyes.
Surprised, Dee could only stare at Jaci.
“I’m so sorry!” Jaci wailed. “I didn’t mean for you to get hurt!”
Leaning against the veranda post, Del shook her head and sighed.
Dee frowned. “What the hell did I ever do to you, Jaci? Yvonne I can understand, but you? Why?”
“Because you took Ryder!”
“Oh, come on. Ryder goes where he wants, you know that.”
“He might have come back to me if you hadn’t come along and seduced him.” Jaci drew a shuddering breath.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Yvonne ground out. “Get a grip, Jaci. Dee couldn’t seduce a sack of potatoes.”
Dee couldn’t argue that, for once she was in agreement with her arch enemy. “So those half dead flowers and the prickles in the dramatic black envelope were your way of warning me off? I have to say, that was dumb arse.”
Jaci sobbed.
“I didn’t even know they were from you. I thought it was Yvonne.”
“I’d have done worse than that,” Yvonne said.
“Which is why at first I didn’t put them to you.”
“But you thought it was me when you came burning up my driveway.”
“I came to put a stop to it. Vandalising my stuff makes me see red. However, you’re not the culprit.”
“And yet you were going to take the flack for Jaci,” Del pointed out.
“Jaci’s a twit, but she’s still my friend.” Yvonne picked up the glass of iced drink and took a sip. “I knew she was doing dumb things, I told her to make it a bit more obvious so you’d know who was sending you the message, but no, she had to go around being the mystery romantic with the broken heart, sending mysterious romantic messages.”
“Thorns and prickles aren’t romantic.” Dee frowned at Jaci. “Stop snottering, for crying out loud. You dropped right down into vandalism, broke my pots deliberately and I ended up cutting my arm on them. That’s not harmless, that’s bloody ridiculous.”
“I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.” Jaci dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “When I heard you’d cut your arm and the cops were looking for the culprit, I panicked and came to Yvonne. She said not to worry, she’d sort the mess out.”
Surprised, Dee looked at Yvonne, who shrugged. “You took the flak. You didn’t dob Jaci in.”
“She’s a weak-arsed ninny, but still my friend.”
“Jesus, I’d never have thought you had a decent bone in your body.”
“Shows how much you know about me.”
“Shows how much I care.” Mainly because she wouldn’t trust Yvonne as far as she could kick her. Dee stabbed a finger in Jaci’s direction. “I’m willing to let this go and say nothing to the police, but only if you cut the shit.”
“Okay. I will.” Jaci nodded, blew her nose, took a shuddering breath. “I can see Ryder’s in love with you. He’s lost to me now.” She started crying again.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Yvonne said impatiently. “Stop your whining, Jaci, there’s plenty more fish in the sea.”
“Poor bastards,” Dee said. “Well, this has been a pleasant chat, girls, but I have to go.” She turned away.
“Was Del your muscle?” Yvonne asked snidely.
“I don’t need muscle,” Dee replied mildly. “I can take you down on my own.”
“I’m here to make sure she doesn’t end up on the cop’s most wanted list,” Del stated.
“As if.” Yvonne sneered, only to shrink back against the chair when Dee swung around on the spot and started back up the steps. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Geez, you take everything so personal!”
Stopping right above her, Dee shoved her finger perilously close to Yvonne’s nose and spoke through her teeth. “You and your moron friend stay away from Ryder. You stay away from my friends. You don’t even consider fishing the sea for Simon either, he’s off-limits to you slags. Got that?”
Clearly furious, but not stupid, Yvonne nodded, Jaci doing the same when Dee cut her eyes her way.
“I even hear that you’re sniffing around any of my friends or Ryder, or causing a hint of trouble for them or us, and I will hunt you down and finish this once and for all. Got it?”
“Then I’ll be her muscle,” Del drawled pleasantly.
“Got it?” Dee growled.
“Got it,” Yvonne said angrily, but definitely cautiously.
Jaci nodded.
“Then we’re done here.” Dee straightened and walked back down the steps, Del following.
They were just getting into the car when Yvonne yelled, “And stay the hell off my property, Miller!” Then she bolted indoors, the door almost slamming shut on Jaci who was following on her heels.
“Huh.” Feeling much better, Dee slid into the passenger seat and buckled on the seat belt. “I don’t think she likes me.”
“No idea why.” Del started the car.
“And I’m so sweet, too.”
“You’re the best, cuz.”
They looked at each other and grinned.
“This calls for iced chocolate,” Del declared.
“Ahhh…”
“What?”
“Well, I kind of have a date tonight.”
“And when were you going to tell me this?”
“I wasn’t.”
“You bitch.”
“Yep.”
“So, is it you and Ryder?”
“Yep.”
“I hope there aren’t any more heartbroken sheilas hanging around. Do you need a bodyguard?”
“I’ll keep you on speed dial.”
They were almost to the back of the shops when Del murmured, “Jaci. Never would have picked her.”
“It’s embarrassing,” Dee confessed. “We’re slipping. We have to stay on top of our game.”
“Honey,” Del grinned, “you just concentrate on Ryder staying on top of you.”
Dee felt her cheeks go warm.
“Oh my God, you’re blushing.” Del started laughing.
Dee looked sourly at her. “Sometimes you can be such a pain in my fat arse.”
Del just laughed harder.
~*~
Ryder parked the motorbike behind the shop, turning off the engine and kicking the stand on before swinging off and unbuckling the helmet. Looking up at the light in the flat window, he felt a tingle of anticipation. He’d been looking forward to seeing Dee again all day.
Especially after the cracks she’d had at him on the phone. The woman seriously needed some lessons on manners. Good thing he loved her just the way she was.
Grinning, he knocked on the back door.
When it swung open, Dee looked up at him. “Wow, so polite. I thought you’d just let yourself in with my key that you stole from Del.”
“You always underestimate me,” he said.
“Uh huh.”
“And that sassy mouth needs to be occupied.” In a fast move, he stepped right up to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Here, let me do it.”
She was still gaping up at him in surprise when he swooped down and kissed her.
Kiss, hell. He ravaged her mouth. He’d meant it to be a nice kiss, kind of sweet, but one taste of her, one sniff of her perfume, one touch of her plump, silky lips and he was lost.
He really wanted more, so he took more, forging inwards without any preamble, sweeping through her, taking in her taste, the honeyed sweetness of her mouth, pressing those soft, plump lips against his firmer ones.
Dee moved, pressing forward, leaning into him, and then holy crap, she was kissing him back, just as hot, just as decadent, and it made his temperature shoot up about ten degrees.
His shaft jumped, started to stiffen as he slid
his hand down to the generous curve of her bottom. Grabbing one well-rounded buttock, he jerked her into him, almost wallowing in the combined sensations - her smell, her taste, her touch, the warmth of her body pressed so eagerly to his, the way the softness of her gave to his harder frame, moulding them together like two perfect halves of one whole.
She was his perfect other half, they made the perfect whole. Always had done, always would do.
When he finally lifted his head so that they could both suck in a ragged breath, his blood was pooling hotly in his loins. God, he wanted to take her right then and there, push her to the floor on her hands and knees and just mount her.
Well, of course he would do that another time, but right now, as he looked into her passion-filled eyes, the pale blue backlit by a fire of desire, he had to forcibly drag his senses back to sanity.
“Ready to go?” he managed to ask, admittedly a little huskily.
“Sure.” Her reply wasn’t so steady, either, and she still clung to him.
Nice, very nice. He squeezed her bum cheek. Very bloody nice. Maybe he should forget sanity, it sucked anyway, got in the way of immediate gratification, and he was so into gratification with the pretty blonde in his arms.
Unfortunately, his motion of bum squeezing had obviously rallied her own senses. Dee stepped back, smoothed her hand over the bodice of her dress, and looked him up and down.
The heat was still in her eyes, but her voice had turned decidedly cooler. “Ryder, you’re in jeans and leather jacket.”
“Ah, you noticed.”
“I’m in a dress.”
She looked damned good in it, too. It hugged her in all the right places, outlining that magnificent bosom, following the dip of her waist and brushing those generous hips before falling around her knees. It also had a row of tiny buttons running right down the bodice to the waist that had his fingers itching to flick open to reveal the lush treasures beneath.
“You look good enough to eat.” He couldn’t keep the heat from his voice, and damned if he tried. He wanted her to know how much he desired her, damned sure wasn’t ashamed of it.
“I heard your motorbike.”
“Esmeralda is parked outside, yes.”
“So we’re either going in my car, or you intend for me to ride your bike in a dress, revealing everything to everyone.”
“Oh, babe, that’s not happening.” He backed her right up to the staircase, trapping her against the rail as he looked down at her. “You’re only revealing everything you have to me.”
There was an answering flash of heat in her eyes, but also a flash of annoyance. Yep, his Dee was all primed.
Placing one finger against his chest, she prodded. “You better have a damned good reason for not telling me to change into bike clothes. In fact.” She prodded him again. “Is this a bloody date or not? ‘Cause I’m telling you, dumb arse, there’s nothing even vaguely romantic about going to a restaurant, as you put it, for a romantic dinner, as you hinted, when I have helmet hair and my dress flying up all over the place. So, what is your damned good reason?”
Hmmm. He angled his head as he studied her. Damn, she was hot when she got all up in his face like this. “Well, personally, I’d like to just shove you down on the floor and have doggy-style sex. Hot doggy-style sex. However, that isn’t in the equation right now.” He leered a little, just couldn’t help himself. His sister was right, he really was a little sick. Maybe a whole lot. “It will be another time.”
“Is that right?” She remained unperturbed.
“Hell yes. However, right now my only defence is that after you rang me up and served me some mind-twisting jibes, I changed my mind about the date.”
There was a sudden, unexpected flash of hurt in her eyes, a dimming of the brightness, but her voice remained steady. “Is that right?”
Shit, that hurt cut right into him.
With a silent curse, he bent to lay his forehead against hers, looking deeply into her eyes. “It’s still a date, babe. But you’re not just any woman I’m dating, you’re Dee, and I’m going to do something with you that I haven’t done with anyone else. This date is special.”
“Is that so?” The hurt faded, but the wariness remained. “And what would that be?”
“Change into some jeans and get your jacket. I’m going to show you.” When she eyeballed him, he added, “Trust me, babe.”
“Okay.”
He stepped back, allowing her to pass him. He watched as she went up the stairs, his gaze following the sway of her hips, his temperature raising another notch.
Her hips stopped swaying. “Ryder?”
His gaze lifted to find her watching him with narrowed eyes. “Yeah, babe?”
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but just know that I can hurt you. A lot.”
“Hey, I’m game if you are.”
“You are sick.”
He leered. “Not above a little experimentation.”
“I meant hurt in another way.”
He spread his arms out, his helmet clenched in one hand. “Trust me. You’ll love it. I know.”
“Uh huh.”
Grinning, he leaned against the stair rail and waited.
Never one to muck around, Dee came down the stairs within minutes in a pair of stretch jeans and a t-shirt, her jacket in one hand, her helmet in the other hand.
“Nice.” Ryder stopped her at the bottom, cupping her chin as he raised her face so he could drop a kiss on her lips.
Okay, and another kiss, and a third, both a little longer. Shit, the woman was addictive.
Straightening, he recovered himself by sucking in a deep breath, holding the door open and slapping her heartily on the backside. “Out, woman, and wait by Esmeralda while I lock up.”
“Keep smacking my arse and I’ll knee you in the nuts.”
“God, you are so romantic.”
With a toss of her head, the long blonde plait dancing down her back, Dee walked out to stand by the motorbike while he locked the door with the spare key he’d basically stolen from Del and dropped it into his pocket.
Crossing to the bike, he looked down at Dee while they both slid their helmets on. “Put your jacket on, babe. I don’t want to risk skinning you if the bike and us part ways.”
“Yes, Dad.”
He grimaced. “Don’t. That’s just wrong with the way I feel about you.”
She laughed.
The light sound of it, so carefree, so Dee, just filled him with warmth. He managed to simply grin in return and take the jacket from her, moving behind her to slide it up her arms. It was either rein himself in or bend her over the motorbike.
Cripes, Dee and sex just converged together in his mind like bread and butter, cream and strawberries, fish and chips. He bet she’d taste just as good, too. He sure as hell was going to find out one day soon.
Okay, shoot him, but he couldn’t help getting a handful of boob as he pulled the lapels of the jacket together in front of her. He was a man, he could only take so many tantalising thoughts before he copped a feel. Another recent discovery he had when around Dee.
She smacked his hand away. “Pervert.”
“God, yeah. I never denied it.” He winked. “But I’ve got a whole lot more perverted since I ploughed your field.”
Her eyes twinkled though her features remained serious. “That’s disgusting.”
“You love it.”
“I expect it. Big difference.”
“Then I won’t disappoint you.” Still grinning, he swung onto the bike and kicked the stand off, settling into the seat and starting the engine. “Climb on, babe.” When she obeyed, he added, “Wriggle close and hang on.”
“I know what to do, I’ve done it a thousand times.”
“Wriggle real close and hang on real tight.” When her thighs rested on the outside of his, her warmth nestled against his body, he gave a mock groan. “Oh yeah, babe, just like that.”
Her answering snort was music to his ears.
Dee was the perfect passenger, following his lead, leaning with him as they turned corners, relaxed yet alert.
Ryder’s thoughts flowed as the road passed beneath the tyres. How many times had she ridden on the back of his motorbike? How many times had she pressed against him? How many times and he’d never realised that the perfect woman was right behind him? Was right there?
Too many times in his lifetime.
He wasn’t letting her go now.
The full moon shone high, stars sparkling in the night, the darkness lit by nature as the headlights of the motorbike lit the road. He loved it, loved riding the big bike, the roar of the powerful engine, the freedom. Having Dee share it with him made it even better.
The side road appeared and he slowed, indicated, turned onto it and continued onwards. Once it had been dirt, but the council had finally come out one day and bituminised it. Not a good job but it held down the dust and made it more drivable.
Through the tress he saw the creek, the water sparkling where the moonlight touched it. Slowing down, he followed the winding road, drove up near one of the three long tables and bench seats flanking them, and stopped the bike.
Without needing to be told, Dee dismounted and stood aside.
Ryder turned off the engine, kicked the stand on and swung off. Even as he removed his helmet, he watched Dee pull hers off and place it on the nearby table, her jacket peeling off and being tossed beside it as she let the warm night and cool breeze flow around her bared arms.
Propping his helmet on the motorbike seat, Ryder shrugged off his leather jacket and dropped it beside the helmet, then he stretched leisurely, moved up beside Dee and slid his arm around her before walking her to the edge of the creek and stopping, moving behind her to link his arms loosely around her waist as he bent to rest his chin on top of her head.
The fragrance of peach drifted up from the silky strands, making him inhale deeply.
Dee was silent, but she leaned back against him, her hands resting lightly atop his larger ones at her waist.
The night wasn’t silent. The whisper of the creek, the rustle of bushes as native animals and mammals moved in the shelter, life all around them unseen, some barely heard but nevertheless evident.
Lie to Me Page 32