Unchain My Heart

by Jani Kay

  She liked what she saw, all right. Her body subtly leaned toward me and she uncrossed her legs. The way she played with her hair while she licked her lips indicated that she found me sexually attractive, too. A suitable partner to mate with. Besides micro-expressions, I was an expert at reading body language.

  My gaze raked her body, taking in the long, lean limbs, the golden, sun-kissed skin, and the perkiest breasts I’d had the pleasure of laying my eyes on in ages. I was a tit-man through and through—I loved everything about them, including licking, and especially fucking them.

  An extraordinarily beautiful face, every feature in perfect proportion to the others, complimented her slim body. So this was what Leonardo Da Vinci meant when he measured and described the perfect face—I’d always wondered about that . . . Plus, her slightly pointed chin and doe-like eyes, together with high cheekbones and a generous mouth with full pouty lips, was what every high-paid runway model would kill for.

  But it was her long, rich, espresso-brown hair framing her face and falling down her back, just skimming her ass, that made a man want to pull her by her hair to his cave and fuck the shit out of her. Everything about her made me want to mate with her in the most primal way.

  I shook my head and closed my eyes for a few seconds. Surely I was dreaming? Women like her were a myth. She couldn’t be real.

  Her soft laugh carried over the other voices and sounded like small bells in my ears. Jesus Christ, I was hallucinating. Too much coffee and too little sleep did that to a person.

  Fully expecting the vision to be gone when I opened my eyes, I sucked in a breath when I looked again and she was still staring at me, her arms crossed over her impressive tits and her bright eyes boring into mine, unflinching. I shuffled a few paces closer, eager to get as close as possible to her, at least within talking distance . . .

  “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.” Her voice was melodious, and she sounded amused.

  “I’m sorry. For a moment there you reminded me of someone I knew.”

  “Yeah, I have a common face. People always seem to think they know me.” She shrugged, as if strangers always said this kind of thing to her.

  Fuck. She was anything but ordinary. I doubt I’d ever seen a more beautiful woman in my life.

  “So what’s a woman like you doing in a place like this?” I indicated around us, still surprised as fuck to see someone like her here. Okay, this wasn’t exactly the worst place in L.A. —I’d seen a lot shoddier—but it wasn’t a place I’d expect to see a woman with so much obvious class. This divine creature was slumming it tonight, and I thanked my lucky stars I was here to witness it.

  She laughed softly. “I could ask you the same question. You have the whole bad boy thing going on. Tattoo—check. Big brawny arms—check. Killer smile—check. Dressed in all black—check again. Yet, you don’t fit in here. There is something about you . . . that’s different.”

  Fuck. I’d spent years perfecting my undercover persona, blending in with the crowd, but she’d sussed me within minutes. Either I was losing my touch, or she was one hell of a smart woman.

  “My sister invited me for a few drinks. It’s her birthday. How could I refuse?” I grinned sheepishly.

  “Aww, that’s sweet.” She winked at me and by fuck, my chest tightened. It was as if we were the only two people in the crowded room.

  “What brings you to a place like this?” I had to know if she had a man who’d claimed her as his own. Suddenly it was the most important question in my life. Was she taken? It would be a fucking miracle if she weren’t. Why did I even care? Fuck.

  She looked at her watch before answering. “My brother wanted me to meet his new woman. Which is rather strange, since I hardly know my brother. Half-brother, actually. We just met for the first time recently. But I’m babbling. It’s because I'm nervous and I always babble when I'm nervous. Going to shut up now and just wait for them. They’re ten minutes late, by the way.”

  I glanced at my watch. “Strange. So is my sister. Ten minutes late, I mean. Can I get you a drink while we wait?”

  “I don’t accept drinks from strangers. My daddy taught me that a long time ago.” She seemed wistful when she mentioned her father. I wonder why.

  “Well, I'm not a stranger if you know my name.” I held out my hand. “I’m Harrison.”

  “As in Harrison Ford? Oh, sorry, you must get that a lot?” She placed her hand over her mouth as if she wished she could take back her words.

  I threw back my head and laughed. Actually, I did get that question a lot. And usually it bothered me. I mean, I don't say “Marilyn as in Marilyn Monroe” when I get introduced to women named Marilyn. But somehow, it sounded sweet when she asked.

  She held out her hand—it fitted perfectly into mine. Her skin was so soft and warm that I never wanted to let go.

  She blinked up at me. “Eva,” she said, smiling sweetly. “Pleased to meet you, Harrison. I’ll have a Martini, no olives, thanks.”

  I ordered our drinks and turned back to her. Fuck, I wouldn’t mind if Jade didn't show up at all. For the first time in my adult life, I was totally in awe of a woman I’d just met. Everything about her fascinated me. The way she looked at me, from under her long, thick lashes, was probably the way Eve had looked at Adam before he committed the ultimate sin because of her. I had the crazy notion that if Eva asked me anything—anything at all—I’d gladly oblige her, just to have her look at me like that again.

  We chatted for a while; or at least, she talked and I listened to her melodious voice that had me under her spell, as if she had hypnotized me.

  She stared at the tattoo on my forearm. “The scales of justice . . . is your star sign Libra?”

  I laughed. “Yes, my birthday is in September.”

  She narrowed her eyes and read out loud: “Justice for all.” She looked up at me and into my eyes, leaving me nowhere to hide. “What does it mean to you, Harrison?”

  So she wanted to get deep. “Justice over mercy. I’m a cop and I take it seriously.”

  “You’re a cop, huh? You could have fooled me.”

  Eva had just ordered our second round of drinks when she peered over my shoulder and smiled. “Here he is. My brother has arrived. Wish me luck.” She rose to her feet and grabbed her purse. “Thanks for the drink, Harrison, but I must go.”

  Fuck. I hadn’t even asked for her number yet. I slammed back my scotch. It burned its way down my throat, giving me the courage I needed. I'd never done this before. After Amy died, I'd hook up with women if I had the urge to fuck. One night, one fuck. I never asked for their number and I never called. But Eva—I couldn’t just let her go.

  I had to see her again.

  Before I could go after Eva, I heard Jade call out my name. I swung around and groaned. Jade was standing there, smiling sweetly at me. But it wasn’t her I was looking at. Eva had her arms around a man’s neck, standing on her toes to hug him. I couldn’t see his face, but his hands were on Eva’s hips. Fuck. Is that her brother or not?

  Jade’s voice drifted to me through a cloud. I was struggling to focus on her words.

  “Harrison, you aren’t hearing a word I'm saying. I want you to meet my . . . friend.”

  The man let go of Eva, and placed his arm possessively around Jade’s waist. It was Ryder. Ryder Knox. Sworn enemy and definitely not the man I wanted to see here tonight.

  Eva was beaming at me too. What the fuck was going on?

  Chapter Six — Jade

  The look on Harrison’s face was one of stunned shock and disbelief. I’d taken a chance inviting both him and Ryder for drinks, hoping that because it was my birthday it would smooth things over. I knew there wouldn’t be any love lost between the two men, but I’d hoped that they could rein it in for just this one night.

  Who knows? They may even like one another.

  When Ryder had told me about meeting his sister, and that he’d had a few dinners with her and his father over the last few weeks, I’d suggeste
d he invite her along as well tonight. Against the odds, I hoped that by having a small group of supporters together, it would diffuse the awkwardness of Ryder and Harrison meeting one another in a social setting.

  Lexi was coming too, bringing Rebecca with her, but she was always late, so I prayed she’d be here soon to help me out. My cousin was unfazed by most things, so she’d handle the situation in her usual laidback way that seemed to relax everyone around her. I hoped that was going to work tonight.

  I did a double take when I turned my attention back to Eva. Even though my memory of Amy had somewhat faded over the years, Eva reminded me so much of her—her posture, her long, dark hair, and small mannerisms . . . it was as if a ghost stood in front of me. My gaze flew to Harrison and I sucked in a breath when I saw his face. Harrison couldn’t take his eyes off Eva. He hardly ever dated, as far as I was aware, and to see him so obviously taken by a woman wasn’t something I’d experienced for nearly a decade. This was going to be an interesting night indeed.

  Ryder tucked me under his arm when he saw Harrison. The smile faded from his face and his lips pressed together as his eyes narrowed suspiciously. A small vein ticking in his jaw was a warning signal that he was on high alert, ready for fight or flight, depending on how the meeting with his nemesis played out. I didn’t want him to do either. All I wanted was for two of the most important men in my life to like one another and get along.

  Is that asking too much?

  Squeezing his arm in reassurance, I took a deep breath and shot up a silent prayer. It was now or never. “Harrison, I’d like you to meet Ryder.”

  For what felt like an eternity, the two men just glared at one another. I held my breath, waiting to see how this would play out. Ryder had known we were meeting with Harrison; he’d promised me that because it was my birthday, he’d do anything I wanted. When he’d said that, he’d had no idea I was going to ask him to meet my brother. I knew it was the only day I’d get away with bringing them together, because both men wanted my birthday to be special.

  “Knox,” Harrison growled, his fists balled by his side.

  I guess a handshake is totally out of the question?

  Ryder lifted his chin at my brother. “Summers.” Every muscle in his tight body was coiled, ready for action. The atmosphere could be sliced with a knife.

  “Happy birthday, Sis,” Harrison said, directing his gaze at me, a small smile twisting his lips. I lunged forward and into my brother’s arms, my knees shaking so badly they were ready to give in.

  He hugged me tightly to him. I could feel the tension in his body. My throat tightened; it was hard to breathe. “What the hell are you doing, Jade?” he hissed in my ear.

  Harrison was handling the element of surprise better than I’d thought. At least he was keeping his disdain directed at me and not making a huge scene. I’d do anything to keep him from getting angry and going ape-shit crazy. I looked up into stormy eyes. “Please. Just tonight. Just for me,” I whispered. I wasn’t beyond begging.

  His eyes searched mine for a moment as he squeezed my upper arms. He looked as if he wanted to shake me, his mouth drawn into a thin line, his jaw clenched tightly.

  Was this a mistake? Was Harrison going to lose it? My heart was beating hard against my ribcage. I held my breath, waiting to see what Harrison would do next. If he flew into a rage, all hell would break loose. I trembled, fearing for the worst.

  With a low growl, Ryder took a step closer and pulled me backward against his chest. Harrison’s mouth gaped for a few seconds before he released my arms. I don’t think he ever expected a man would claim me so blatantly. I shuddered and then let out a long slow breath as Ryder planted the softest kiss at the back of my neck.

  A sweet voice cut through my consciousness. “Happy birthday, Jade! Ryder has told me so much about you.” Eva had taken a step closer, standing beside me with a smile so wide I had to suck in a deep breath to stop from breaking into hysterical laughter.

  Does she know our brothers want to kill one another?

  She placed a slender hand on Harrison’s arm. I watched his face as he gaped at her, blinking a few times before a surreal calmness washed over him. How the hell was it even possible that she could have this effect on my angry-to-the-bone brother?

  “Thanks, Eva. I’m so happy to finally meet you. Ryder has told me about you too, so we’re even.”

  Eva blinked up at Harrison, smiling. “So this is your brother? We met before you came. What a small world it is.”

  “Yes. He’s a great guy . . . most of the time. He can be a pain.”

  “Jade can be stubborn. She needs someone to watch over her,” Harrison said, glaring at Ryder.

  I laughed, trying to ease the tension. “Hey, it’s my twenty-third birthday. I’m really quite capable of looking after myself. I don’t need a man for that.”

  I felt Ryder stiffen behind me. Had I hurt his feelings? As much as I loved a man taking care of me, I also needed to be able to stand on my own two feet. I wasn’t going to be a doormat for any man or play the damsel-in-distress role to boost his ego. But Ryder already knew that about me, and he still wanted to be around.

  “Princess, you are going to pay for that,” Ryder whispered in my ear. It sent tingles down my spine. Punishment by Ryder was nothing less than erotic as hell. The way he spanked my ass turned me on so much I was often willing to be a little naughty just to get the full treatment from him. I giggled softly, liquid pooling between my legs as I pushed my ass backward into his groin. “You don’t play fair,” he grumbled as I felt him harden against me.

  “It's my birthday, remember?”

  “How can I forget? You’ve got me in a sticky situation, all right.”

  I swallowed hard and nodded. Ryder was holding it together for my sake, and it made me love him even more. He could have gone all wild when faced with Harrison’s hostility, yet he was purposely focusing on me and not my brother.

  Harrison was another matter all together. If it weren’t for Eva’s presence, Harrison would not have backed down. I didn’t understand how she did it—after all; they’d only met tonight for the first time.

  “Shall we get some drinks while we wait for the others?” I asked, my voice a little too bright.

  “Sure babe.” With his hand possessively at the small of my back, Ryder steered me toward an empty table in the corner. Taking charge, he raised his hand and called a waitress over.

  Harrison growled, a deep frown between his brows. He was the one usually in charge of being the host whenever we went out. He didn’t like the way Ryder was pissing on his territory one bit. I laughed nervously, pretending not to notice their standoff. Maybe if I ignored it, it would go away? Wishful thinking.

  These goddamn alpha males.

  The only reason they weren’t at one another’s throats right now was because it was my birthday, and because women were around. If not for that, I was pretty sure things would have been a lot uglier.

  Was there a solution to this situation? Would we ever just be able to be one big happy family? Not if my brother had any say in it. I rubbed the dull pain in my heart with my fist.

  Chapter Seven — Eva

  In spite of the festive occasion and upbeat music pumping from the oversized speakers, the atmosphere hung thick between the four of us. Harrison was like a loaded gun, coiled and ready to explode at any minute. I didn’t know my brother very well; we’d had a few meals together in the last few weeks, but I was an excellent judge of character. Usually. I grimaced as I remembered my latest mistake with my ex—but at least I’d caught on and that’s why he was my ex now and not my fiancé.

  In spite of him looking mean and dangerous, Ryder had a heart of gold. It was a cover for all the hurt he’d been through as a child. Over the weeks he’d told me snippets from his life, and most of the time my mouth had hung open. Life truly was stranger than fiction sometimes—if I'd read about it in a novel or seen his life portrayed in a movie, I would’ve thought it was all made up a
nd farfetched. But Ryder’s pain rolled off him as he unpacked his story, reluctant and hesitant at first.

  Learning how he basically grew up without a father and then later without a mother made me feel really bad for being so hard on my own dad. Bill Ryder had given me everything my little heart desired, while his son was going through hell. While my parents had protected me from bullies at school, Ryder had suffered in the worst possible way. Actually, I was surprised that he wasn’t more fucked up than he was.

  The years at university in the psych department had schooled me in the art of listening. So besides a few strategic questions every now and then, I mostly let him talk, slowly drawing the story out of him. In a way I think it was therapeutic for him to be able to finally share all of it with someone.

  That’s why I couldn’t understand Harrison’s behavior. For a cop, he was somewhat unstable in my opinion, a freaking time-bomb, if I had to assess him. If this was indeed his first real meeting with Ryder, what the hell was his freaking problem?

  Jade seemed sweet. It was clear that she respected and adored her brother. It was also clear that she was smitten with Ryder, and he with her. They could hardly keep their hands off one another, and their gazes rested longingly on the other as if they’d much rather have been alone.

  “Hey, sorry I’m late.” The girl who was kissing Jade on the cheek looked similar to her in facial features, but that’s where it ended. She was toned as if she worked out a lot, displaying muscled Michele Obama arms that I so envied and worked hard for in the gym. She wore a short leather skirt with heavy Doc Martens boots, the complete opposite of Jade, who was soft and feminine.