Ryker (Roosters Book 2)

by Harley Wylde

  He stomped out of the room, and I heard the front door slam a moment later. I winced, hating that I’d chased him out of his own home. Ryker reached over and took my hand, giving it a squeeze, and I smiled at him. My brother was always an ass, so I didn’t know why it should be any different now, but my hospital stay was still a bit of a blur. If anything had happened between them to make things worse, I didn’t remember it. Had Ryker and Flicker gotten into it?

  I’d lost my appetite and stood up, gathering my plate and Flicker’s before heading over to the sink. I heard Ryker’s chair scrape as he stood. I’d expected him to leave his plate, then take off, much like my brother did most nights. But he didn’t. He hip-checked me to scoot me over, and he took my place washing dishes. I’d never seen a man wash a dish before, and if anyone had ever asked, I’d have said it was a myth that such a thing ever happened. But there was Ryker, scraping and scrubbing the dirty dishes, then handing them to me to place in the drying rack.

  “You don’t have to do this,” I said.

  “You cooked dinner, then you served everyone. You shouldn’t have to do the cleanup too,” Ryker said.

  I was a little surprised. Danny had never thought to wash the dishes for me, and I didn’t think it was something he’d ever think to do. It made me wonder if Venom or Torch ever did the dishes for Ridley and Isabella. Did men do housework too? Maybe I should have trained Flicker better. I felt sorry for whatever woman ended up with him. He was a complete slob. My brother had a heart of gold, at least when it counted, but he definitely had a lot of rough edges.

  We finished the dishes, and then Ryker took me by the hand and led me into the living room. Now that Flicker was gone, I felt a little more at ease around Ryker. As I sat down, he claimed the spot next to me, but he didn’t release my hand. It felt right, sitting here like this with him. But Ryker wasn’t the same as before. He’d always been a little arrogant, and dare I say smug, but I didn’t see that when I looked at him now.

  “You seem different,” I said.

  “I missed you. I never meant for things to end up the way they did, and I’m sorry I left without saying bye.”

  “Why did you?” I asked.

  “I thought I was doing the right thing. I never wanted to hurt you, and I was worried that if I stayed, something bad would happen. Flicker told me to leave the hospital and not come back. I guess I just figured it would be better if I left town altogether.”

  “I didn’t want you to leave.”

  He squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry, Laken. And I’m really damn sorry for the way I reacted before your accident.”

  “The accident wasn’t your fault,” I told him. “It was no one’s fault. It’s why they call it an accident.”

  “If you’d died… if you’d lost the baby…”

  “But I didn’t. I’m fine, Ryker. I have headaches sometimes, but even those will go away.”

  He slowly reached over and placed his hand on my belly. “You’re sure the baby is okay?”

  “They used a special monitor at the hospital to check on the baby. Everything is fine.”

  “Can I go to your next appointment with you?” he asked.

  “I’d really like that.”

  “I should go, and let you get some rest.” Ryker stood, but I clung to his hand.

  “Take me with you,” I said. “Flicker will be gone for hours, maybe even all night. I don’t want to be alone, Ryker. And… I just got you back.”

  He pulled me to my feet and placed his hands on my waist. “I’m not going anywhere, Laken. Not as long you want me here. But I don’t want to take things too fast either. We did that already, and I made a mess of things.”

  “Ryker, please. Take me home with you. I’m a big girl, and I know what I need and what I want.”

  He smiled a little. “All right, but I brought the bike. I’m not sure you should be riding on one while you’re pregnant, especially after a head injury.”

  “You’ll be careful, and you can go really slow,” I said. “It’s not like I’ve never been on a motorcycle before.”

  His eyes narrowed a little. “You better have only ridden with Flicker.”

  I bit my lip. Maybe the caveman side of him wasn’t completely gone after all. Was it wrong that I got a little thrill that he was a bit possessive of me? Maybe he really did care about me. I could hope anyway. He seemed sincere and like he’d changed. The Ryker I’d met at the bar had been a total playboy, but the man standing with me now? He was different, and in a good way.

  “Come on,” he said, tugging on my hand. “I’ll take you to my place, but don’t expect much. I haven’t even checked the kitchen to see if it’s stocked with food and drinks.”

  “We could take one of the trucks and pick up a few things,” I said. “Anyone can use them. You’d just have to take me to the clubhouse on your bike. They keep the keys behind the bar.”

  “Any place around here that sells furniture, towels, and food?” Ryker asked.

  “There’s a twenty-four hour store not too far from here. They have everything. Well, except live animals, but they have a gardening section, furniture, kitchenware, food, movies, clothes.”

  “Sounds like the perfect place.” Ryker smiled. “All right. But if you get tired or start getting a headache, you let me know, and we’ll come back.”

  He led me out to his bike, and I swear there were snails passing us he was driving so damn slow. It touched me, though, that he was trying to be careful with me. When we reached the clubhouse, he left me in the parking lot with a promise to wait for him. I wasn’t sure if I should be amused or upset. It wasn’t like I didn’t have a clue what went on inside the clubhouse, but honestly, part of me was glad I didn’t have to deal with the club sluts. It was sickening, watching them hang all over the bikers I considered family.

  Ryker returned a few minutes later, keys in hand, a smudge of lipstick on his neck. My eyes narrowed as I stared at those lip prints. The color was rather distinct too, so I knew just who had left it there. I brushed past Ryker and stormed up the steps and into the clubhouse. After scanning the room, I found just who I was looking for. Bambi. I still didn’t think that was her real name, but it’s what everyone called her.

  I shoved my way through the crowd and walked up to her. She looked me over, then dismissed me, but that was a huge mistake on her part.

  “Hey, bitch!” I snapped at her. “Keep your nasty ass lips off my man.”

  She smirked at me. “Your man?”

  I felt a hand at my waist and a hard abdomen pressed against my back.

  “She means me,” Ryker said over my head. “And I’d have to second what she said. Stay the fuck away from me.”

  “Oh please, honey. Like that mousy little girl can give you what you need,” Bambi said. “When you’re ready for a real woman, you know where to find me. And I promise, I will do anything you want.”

  I lashed out at her, my hand cracking across her cheek, and making the room go dead silent. The footsteps of half a dozen bikers drew closer.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Zipper asked.

  “This slut insulted my woman, so Laken decided to teach her a lesson,” Ryker said.

  “Your woman, huh?” Zipper asked, smiling a little. “That means I’ll be doing some ink soon?”

  “Ink?” Ryker asked.

  “Dixie Reapers ink their women,” Zipper said. “Hades Abyss doesn’t do that?”

  I felt Ryker shrug behind me. “Never had a woman before, and my dad never really claimed my mom. I have no fucking clue what Hades Abyss does for their old ladies. I was gone more than I was there. There are some brothers with old ladies, but I was never around when those women were claimed.”

  “Come see me when you’re ready to make it official,” Zipper said. “I’m the resident ink slinger.”

  “I want her gone,” I said.

  “You can’t throw me out, you whore,” Bambi said, practically spitting at me.

  “I’m the whore?” I
asked. “You’re the one who fucks anyone who crooks a finger at you. I’ve been with one man. And he still wants me. I wasn’t a fuck and dump like you are.”

  Bambi screeched and lunged at me, but Ryker spun me out of the way. Before he could retaliate, I heard Bambi slinging curses at everyone as the Dixie Reapers dragged her out of the clubhouse. Zipper patted me on the shoulder.

  “You okay, darlin’?” he asked.

  “I’m fine. Thank you for taking out the trash, though.”

  He chuckled. “No problem.”

  “Come on, sugar. Let’s run to the store, then I’ll show you my new home. You can figure out how you want to decorate it.” Ryker kissed my cheek. “That was pretty fucking hot, seeing you go all savage on her.”

  I smiled and let him take me back out to the parking lot, then we got into the truck and went shopping. And shopping with Ryker was way more fun than I’d ever had before.

  Chapter Nine

  Ryker

  Laken had put a dent in my checking account, but it was well worth it. She’d helped me pick out some more furniture for the living room, had picked out kitchen stuff that I’d likely seldom use, and then she’d selected everything I could possibly need or want in my bathroom. When I’d showered earlier, I’d found two towels with the tags still on them, but I’d needed more than that.

  I hauled everything into the house, and while I was putting the furniture together and setting up the electronics, Laken busied herself in the kitchen and bathroom. It took us about two hours to get everything set up, but the house looked a lot better when we were finished. It almost felt like a home. Although, I didn’t know how much of that was because of things we’d bought, and how much of it was due to Laken being with me. Maybe she was the one who made it feel like home.

  I pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and carried it to the bedroom. She was curled up on the bed, half asleep, and looking far too tempting. I set the bottle on the nightstand and smoothed her hair back from her face.

  “I should take you home,” I said.

  “I am home.” She smiled. “Let me stay here with you tonight.”

  “You didn’t bring anything with you, or buy anything at the store.”

  “I can sleep in one of your shirts,” she said. “Then I can go back to Flicker’s tomorrow to change.”

  “All right, sugar. I’m not going to fight you, not when I really want you here.”

  She gave me a sleepy smile, and I went over to the dresser to pull out a T-shirt. I helped her off the bed, and slowly removed her clothes. It felt like it had been forever since I’d seen her this way. And one of those times had been rushed. One of these days, I was going to love her all night long, like I’d done at the motel, and I was going to take my time doing it.

  Even though I knew my son or daughter was growing inside her, her belly was still just as flat as before. Once I had her stripped bare, I knelt in front of her and pressed a kiss there, right where our baby was. Something wet hit my cheek, and I looked up to find Laken crying. My heart squeezed at the sight, and I stood up, pulling her into my arms.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Nothing, I just…”

  “Talk to me, Laken.”

  “When we first met, I never imagined this side of you existed. The guy I met that night was…”

  “An asshole,” I finished for her.

  “Not quite how I would have put it.” She smiled. “I like this side of you, Ryker. It just surprised me is all.”

  “This is the man I want to be, for you and for our baby. The two of you deserve the best of everything, and while I don’t think that’s me, I don’t want to walk away. I’ll do it if that’s what you ask me to do, but I won’t like it.”

  “I’d never send you away,” she said. She ran her fingers through my hair. “Make love to me, Ryker. It’s been so long, and I’ve missed you so damn much.”

  “I’ve missed you too, sugar, but I don’t think we should…”

  She placed her fingers over my lips. “Hush. I’m perfectly fine, Ryker. Remind me that I’m yours. Show me how much you’ve missed me.”

  I kissed her. Slow and deep, holding her tight against me. Laken melted against me, one hand curling behind my neck, and the other on my shoulder. I loved the way she felt in my arms, so damn sweet and perfect. I pulled away long enough to remove my clothes, then wrapped my arms around her once more. Feeling her, skin to skin, was like heaven on earth.

  “Promise me this is the beginning,” Laken said. “Promise me that you won’t send me away in the morning.”

  “Sugar, your brother isn’t going to be happy if you move in here the second I come back to town.”

  “I don’t care what Flicker wants. I know that I owe him a lot, but this is my life, and I belong here with you, Ryker. Or do you not want me?”

  I pressed my cock against her, the damn thing so fucking hard I could probably drive nails with it. “What do you think?”

  She smiled softly. “I think it’s been too long since I felt you inside me.”

  “Then I guess we’d better fix that,” I murmured, then took her down to the bed.

  Her nipples were hard and looked so damn pretty and pink. I took my time, exploring her with my lips and hands, wanting to memorize every inch of her. She was so soft, so curvy, and so mine. Now that I had her in my bed, in my home, I didn’t want her to leave. I might not deserve her, but I wanted her. Needed her. Fuck, I think I even loved her.

  I parted her thighs and teased her pussy with my fingers, feeling how hot and wet she was. All for me. She whimpered as I teased her clit, circling the little bud until her body flushed with pleasure. Her body tensed, and I knew she was getting close. My cock ached to be inside her, but this wasn’t about me. I wanted her screaming my name, but only because it meant she’d found her release. I lightly pinched her clit, then rubbed it slowly again.

  “So good,” she said in a near whisper. “Please don’t stop. So much better when you do it.”

  That damn near froze me. “Better when I do it? Who’s been touching you, sugar?”

  “Me,” she said. “But it didn’t feel as good.”

  Oh, God. That was so fucking hot. “And did you think of me while you played with this sweet pussy?”

  “Yesssss,” she said, dragging the word out.

  “Did you imagine my cock filling you? Fucking you?”

  “God, yes.”

  “And when you came, was it my name you said?” I asked.

  “Yes. Ryker, please. I need to come.”

  I eased two fingers inside her, feeling how tight she was, as my thumb pressed down on her clit. I couldn’t fucking wait to feel her wrapped around my cock. I fucked her with my fingers while I teased her clit, not stopping until she was arching off the bed and screaming out her release. My fingers were coated with her cream as I eased them out of her.

  Laken lay panting on the bed, her legs still spread, and it was the prettiest sight I’d ever seen. I gripped her thighs and spread them a little more as I settled between them. My cock pressed against her, and I slowly entered her. It felt like fucking heaven to be inside her again. So damn tight and wet. So fucking hot. I ground my teeth together to keep from fucking her hard and deep.

  “Ryker,” she cried out as I slid in a little more, not stopping until I was balls-deep.

  “Mine. Say it, Laken.”

  “Yours. Only yours,” she said. “I’ve always been yours.”

  Just hearing those words nearly made me snap. I growled low as I thrust slowly, wanting to drag the moment out longer. I tried to hold back, to make it good for her, but she felt too fucking incredible. When she wrapped her legs around my waist, taking me even deeper, I couldn’t hold on anymore. I fucked her like I was possessed, driving into her as if I were trying to brand her. And maybe I was. She cried out again, her pussy clamping down on my cock. My balls drew up, and then I was coming, so damn hard. I didn’t stop, our hips slapping together, until every drop h
ad been drained from me.

  If I hadn’t worried about crushing her, I’d have stayed inside her a while longer. But I pulled out and sat back, watching as my cum spilled out of her. Her pussy was all pink and pretty. I reached between her legs and used my fingers to shove my cum back inside her, thrusting them in and out a few times.

  “Keep that in there,” I said.

  She giggled at me and closed her thighs around my hand, trapping me. Not that I was complaining.

  “Maybe you can think of some other places to put it,” she said.

  My cock went hard as a steel post just thinking about fucking that ass of hers. But I wasn’t about to do that tonight. She was carrying our child inside her, and while part of me wanted to fuck her in every way imaginable, I wasn’t sure how I felt about getting all wild and crazy with a pregnant woman. My pregnant woman.

  “Let’s get cleaned up and get some rest. This isn’t a one-time thing.”

  Her gaze went all soft and dreamy. “You really want me, don’t you? Not just for tonight but for longer?”

  “I want you for forever,” I told her.

  And I meant every damn word.

  “Come on, sugar. Shower, then bed,” I said.

  I helped her up and got the water running in the bathroom. When it was warm, but not too hot, I helped her over the edge of the tub and pulled the curtain closed behind us. I couldn’t help but explore her body as I washed her from head to toe. It almost felt like a miracle that she was here with me, that I’d been given a second chance. And I wasn’t going to fuck it up this time.

  Once we were both clean, I helped her dry off. She wandered back into the bedroom while I finished up, and I found her curled on her side, already asleep when I joined her a few minutes later. Guess I took more out of her than I’d realized. I shut off the light and curled around her, holding her close and just breathing her in. I almost felt at peace, getting to hold her like this. After so many sleepless nights, wishing she was with me, I finally had what I wanted. I just hoped I could hold onto her this time.

  I didn’t sleep, even though I was exhausted. I spent the night watching over her, and as the sun began to rise, there was a knock at the front door. I had a feeling I was about to be put to work, so I pulled on some boxer briefs and went to see who the hell was bothering me so damn early. And I hoped like hell they didn’t wake up Laken.