His friends rushed to help, but Janet’s “muscle” made quick work of removing them from the bar. “You good, Ryder?” she asked.
“All good, Janet, thanks.” I pulled the first guy’s arm up a little higher. “You done?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Yeah man, sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” I snapped as I dragged him to his feet. “Apologize to her.”
“Sorry, Sadie.”
She nodded, but I could tell she was still in shock. I handed the man off to one of the bouncers and held a hand out to Sadie. She took it and slid out of the booth. “You okay?”
She nodded again, but I couldn’t get a read on her emotion.
I squeezed her hand. “Did I scare you?”
“Are you kidding me?” she whispered, and slid her arms around my waist. “That was awesome.”
I chuckled, pulling her close. “Yeah?”
She nodded into my chest. “He would not leave me alone. I was almost ready to pull out my pepper spray.”
“You have pepper spray?”
She pulled away from me and frowned. “Of course I have pepper spray.”
I grinned. “That’s my girl.”
“Do you have pepper spray?”
I shook my head. “Don’t need pepper spray.”
“Oh, right, because you’ve got mad skills.”
I gave her a gentle squeeze and whispered, “Because I have a gun.”
She gasped. “On you?”
“Always.” I set her away, taking her hand. “Ready, ladies?”
A collective “yes,” came, and I led them through the bar and out the back door.
“Do you really have a gun?” she asked in a whisper as I pulled open the truck door and helped her inside.
“Yeah, babe, I really have a gun.” I squeezed her thigh. “Buckle.”
She nodded and pulled her seat belt across her lap. I headed to the driver’s side and climbed in. Sadie didn’t say much as I drove over the bridge to her place. She still gripped the door handle like it was a lifeline and I hated that for her. Bethany and Laura chatted away in the backseat, but Sadie stayed silent unless one of us asked her a direct question, and then she’d answer quickly and with as few words as possible.
“Sade?”
“Hmm?” She turned toward me.
“You okay?”
“Oh, yes. I’m fine.” She smiled. “Just tired.”
I tugged her arm away from the door handle and linked my fingers with hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. Sadie settled her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. I liked that once she took my hand, she didn’t try to grip the “oh, shit” handle again, but I didn’t like that she seemed withdrawn.
By the time I pulled into Sadie’s parking lot, she was out. I made sure Laura and Bethany got off okay (and that Laura was in fact sober), then I collected Sadie, who was still snoozing in the front seat. Opening the passenger door, I reached over her and unbuckled her belt. She started a little and opened her eyes. “Hi.”
“Hey, baby, you’re home.”
“Oh.” She slid her foot to the running board, teetering precariously, but I grabbed her before she slipped off it.
“Careful.” I smiled, searching her face for some kind of emotion, particularly if she was angry with me.
“I’m okay. I’m just super sleepy.”
“Those margaritas kicked in, huh? I got you.” I lifted her down and set her on her feet, making sure I had an arm around her tightly. “Grab your keys, Sadie, while we have light.”
“Good idea,” she said, and rummaged in her purse. “Got ’em.” She waved them in the air.
I chuckled, taking them from her and guiding her upstairs to her door. I unlocked the apartment and followed her inside, closing the door behind us.
“What do you mean, I’m your woman?” she asked, facing me, her face still somewhat void of emotion.
Here we go.
“What do you think it means?” I asked, keeping my voice as neutral as possible.
She crossed her arms. “I think it means you’ve made some arbitrary decision without talking to me about it.”
Damn it, she sounds irked.
“You datin’ anyone else?”
“Ah. Well, no,” she conceded.
“Do you wanna date anyone else?” I challenged.
“I don’t know. No one else has asked.”
Wrong answer. I frowned. “Yeah?”
Sadie shrugged, but I didn’t miss her blush as she headed into her kitchen.
“Sadie?”
“Do you want something to drink?”
“You got beer?”
“No.” She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with tap water.
I set my keys (and hers) on the counter and leaned against it with a smile. “Am I freakin’ you out?”
“Yes. A little.” She sipped her water and then studied me. “We’ve been out one time, Ryder. I hardly think that’s dating.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m countin’ tonight as well.”
“Tonight is not a date.”
“You don’t think so?”
“No,” she stressed. “Tonight was girls’ night out, with you asserting your weird protection fetish upon us.”
I laughed. “It’s a fetish?”
“You tell me.”
“What’s the disconnect here, Sadie?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you really pissy because I’m concerned about your safety, or is it something else?”
She turned toward the sink. “I didn’t realize I was being ‘pissy.’”
“Babe.” Sadie busied herself putting her glass in the dishwasher and I watched her. Damn, she was cute. “Sadie, look at me.”
She closed the dishwasher and faced me but didn’t quite meet my eyes.
“Babe, what’s going on?”
“I’m just trying to process what all this means. One second, you’re saying ignore our backgrounds and get to know each other, then you’re saying you’re not a good man. You say you’re going to call, and then you don’t—for good reason—but still. I’m not mad or upset; I’m just a little overwhelmed. I’m feeling things that are really confusing right now and I don’t have anyone to talk to. I tried to talk to Laura, but she says every man has some form of alternative motive, and they all lead to getting a woman into bed, and Bethany thinks I should sleep with a few guys ‘before I make my choice.’ I don’t really have any desire to do that, just so you know.”
I stamped down my rage at the thought. “Glad to hear it.”
She met my eyes. “I don’t know if you and I will ever work, and I can’t figure out if it’s worth it to even try.”
“Why don’t you think we’d work?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, babe, seriously.”
She took a deep breath. “Our backgrounds couldn’t be any more different. I also may not be a nun anymore, but it hasn’t changed my commitment to God or His ideals. How long are you going to be good with us not having sex? Because I don’t intend on doing that until I’m married.”
I shrugged. “As long as it works.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Baby, I can’t promise things are gonna be perfect or that we’re gonna last forever, but I can promise I won’t make you change who you are or what you believe. You want to abstain, we’ll abstain. It’ll be hard, because you’re fuc—freakin’ sexy as hell, but it won’t kill me.”
I could see her smile even though she was trying not to. “According to Bethany, it might.”
“Stop listening to Bethany. She’s pretty, Sadie, but she’s obviously batshit crazy. And she’s not you. She also doesn’t know me. So, get to know me and then decide for yourself.”
“I guess that’s fair.” She bit back a yawn.
“You should sleep. Drink a bunch of water before you go to bed and keep ibuprofen close, ’cause I have a feelin’ you’re gonna have a hell of a hangover in t
he morning.”
“I never got drunk, Ryder,” she challenged. “Plus I drank more water than alcohol.”
“What tequila did you have in those margaritas?”
Sadie shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Did you pay less than ten bucks for each drink?”
She nodded.
“Trust me, Sadie, you’re gonna have a hangover.”
“You’re saying if I’d paid more than ten bucks I wouldn’t have one?” Sadie asked.
He smiled. “No, you probably would, but trust me; a Patron hangover is easier than a Cuervo Gold one.”
She dropped her head back with a groan. “I have no idea what any of that means.”
Done being separated from her, I closed the distance and pulled her into my arms. I backed up against the counter again, so I could scoot down to her level. She was tiny, which was something I liked about her. “One day soon I’ll show you.”
“You’ll teach me how to drink better?”
I chuckled. “Sure, something like that.”
She wrapped her arms around me and settled her cheek to my chest. “I have to admit, I really like this.”
I stroked her hair. “Me too.”
“If you promise this will happen on a regular basis, we can negotiate the dating thing.”
“If it means you’ll agree to date me, I’ll promise this will happen on a regular basis.”
Sadie giggled. “You don’t miss a beat.”
“I’m hot for teacher; I can’t miss a beat when you’re smarter than me.”
She dropped her head back and rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“I’m gonna kiss you now,” I warned, and before she could object, I covered her mouth with mine. She sighed and sank into me and I slid my hand to her neck and deepened the kiss.
God, she was magnificent. Maybe not having her in my bed would kill me.
Reluctantly, I broke the kiss and dropped my forehead to hers. “Where the hell did you learn to kiss like that?”
“Nowhere.” Sadie took a few deep breaths. “You’re the first, Ryder. Was it okay?”
“Baby, it was amazing.”
She licked her lips and widened her eyes. “Can we do that again?”
I grinned. “We can do that whenever you want to.”
“Okay, then I’m good with dating you.”
I laughed. “Damn, babe, you’re a hard sell.”
“You agreed super quickly to my terms, so how hard of a sell could I be?”
“I think I might be a little afraid of you.”
She giggled. “Kiss me again and I’ll change that.”
“Minx.”
I kissed her until it was clear we could pass the point of no return with relative ease, and forced myself to break their connection.
“Wow,” she said on a breath, and stepped away. “You are lethal.”
“Back atya.”
“I like that way too much.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded with a grimace. “I should really go to confession.”
“You might get tired.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m gonna make it so you have to go to confession every day.”
Sadie dropped her head back with a groan. “Okay, I’ll make sure I pray every night a little longer, then.”
“Put in a good word for me.”
“Always.”
I grinned. “I’m gonna go before I can’t.”
“Probably a good idea.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll do something.”
“Not before eleven.”
I chuckled. “I can do that.”
I grabbed my keys and Sadie followed me to the door. “Text me when you get home.”
“I will,” I promised.
After one more extended kiss at her door, I forced myself away and headed home. I chose to call her instead of texting and we talked until she could no longer form coherent sentences. I let her go with the promise of something fun the next day and fell asleep dreaming of my beautiful girl.
The next morning I was awakened by the buzzing of my phone. Hoping it was Sadie, I answered without checking the screen. “Ryder.”
“Hi... um, Ryder?”
“Yeah? Who’s this?”
“It’s Taylor Watkins. I’m calling to see if there’s been any word on Scottie?”
Taylor was Scottie’s best friend, and I found it strange that she hadn’t reached out to me until now. I’d called several times and even dropped in at her home unannounced, but her parents always played referee and I was never able to see her. Even Cameron (who’d used his FBI credentials to gain access) had gotten nowhere.
“No. No word yet,” I said.
“I’m so sorry this happened.”
“I’m gonna find her, Taylor,” I said. “Has she reached out to you?”
“I wouldn’t know,” she admitted. “I’m borrowing a friend’s phone right now. My parents wouldn’t let me call...they actually took my phone away. I’m only allowed to make monitored phone calls.”
“Did they tell you I called a few times?”
“Yeah, but I really don’t know anything.”
I sighed. “Well, keep your head down, sweetheart. Stay safe. I’ll find Scottie.”
“Promise?” she whispered.
“Promise.”
“Okay. Thanks, Ryder. I gotta go.”
“Okay, babe.” I hung up and ran my hands through my hair. God, I hoped I found my sister soon.
Sadie
ONE WEEK LATER, I opened the door and grinned. Ryder held a bouquet of lavender roses in front of his face and he lowered them with a wink. He’d had an emergency at work the Saturday before, so we weren’t able to see each other, and we’d only managed a few stolen hours over the past few days, but today was a promise of quality time which I’d been looking forward to.
“Hey.” He leaned down to kiss me as he stepped inside.
“Hi. What are those for?” I asked.
“You’re getting your first driving lesson.”
I frowned. “What?”
“Today’s the day, baby. You’re going to learn to drive.”
“Oh, really?” I challenged. “So, you think you can butter me up with roses?”
“Somethin’ like that. Is it working?”
“Not in the slightest,” I lied, and pulled a vase down from the kitchen cabinet.
“You’re gonna do great.”
I shook my head as I filled the vase with water and set the roses inside. “We can’t start lessons. I don’t have my learner’s permit.”
“We’re gonna stick to the parking lot of the school.”
“Your truck’s really big.”
“Didn’t bring my truck.”
“You didn’t? How are we going to drive?”
He chuckled. “I’ve got a car.”
“You do?” I asked, surprised.
“Got a bike too, but we’ll start with driving lessons first. My Harley might be a bit much for you right now.”
“Oh, you’re hilarious.” I faced him and bit my lip. “We don’t need to do this. I’m happy to take the bus.”
Ryder crossed his arms. “Sadie, you really should know how to drive.”
“Why?” I challenged. “Is it one of those laws where now that I’m no longer a nun I have to actually function in real society?”
He laughed. “Sure, we’ll go with that.”
“I don’t want to ruin your...” I frowned. “What did you bring?”
“A very tame sedan.”
“I don’t want to ruin your very tame sedan.”
“Babe, you can’t. We’ll stick to a big empty parking lot and it’ll all be good.”
“Is it red?” I asked as I arranged the roses. “I’ve heard a statistic where more red cars get pulled over than any other.”
“It’s silver, and we’re unlikely to get pulled over in a parking lot.”
I bit my lip again. “Okay, but if I�
��m really bad, can we give up?”
He grinned. “No way.”
“I’m a really slow learner.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
I wrinkled my nose with a sigh. “I’m blind?”
“Nope.”
“I might have contacts, you don’t know... and I might be out of them. One Eight Hundred Contacts might have been closed.”
He crossed his arms and cocked his head. “Do you have contacts, Sadie?”
“No,” I grumbled.
Ryder stepped toward me, placing his hands on the counter, pinning me in. “Damn, you’re cute.”
“Bargaining is cute to you?”
“You’re not getting out of this driving lesson. You know it, I know it, and yet, you’re coming up with all these ludicrous excuses, that you know are ludicrous, and doin’ it while standing in the middle of your kitchen staring at me with a goofy grin on your gorgeous face. So, yeah, you’re cute.”
My word, he was sexy.
He grinned and leaned closer. “I’m gonna kiss you now.”
I licked my lips. “You are?”
Ryder nodded. “Yeah, baby, I am.”
“Okay,” I whispered, and his mouth covered mine. I gripped his shirt as he stroked my cheek, laying a thumb against my chin and pressing gently. I opened my mouth and his tongue swept inside, making my knees weak.
Wowzer. This was even better than the first time.
Ryder broke the kiss and rested his forehead against mine. “Damn,” he breathed out.
I smiled. “I still really like that.”
He chuckled. “Me too.”
“Can we do it again?”
His answer was to pull me closer and kiss me again. This time I broke the kiss with a groan. “I see why women fall under the spell of men.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Ryder cupped my cheeks and grinned. “I see why men are fascinated with ex-nuns.”
“Oh, really? That’s a thing?”
“It’s a thing now.” He released me and stepped back. “Time to drive.”
“Darn,” I breathed out.
“We can make out a little more if you want,” he offered.
“Yes, please.”
“But then we’re going to drive.”
I wrinkled my nose even as I began to lean toward him. We made out for far less time than I would have liked and then he led me downstairs and to his “tame sedan.” A beautiful silver BMW that probably cost as much as my annual paycheck.
Ryder (Sinners and Saints, #1) Page 6