by Taylor Lee
Dante poured himself a hefty pour of the high-end scotch Ryker was drinking and topped off Ryker’s glass. “Ah, brother, what can I say? Even with a woman as street-smart as our little deputy is don’t minimize the effect of the ‘you can never be too thin’ orthodoxy that’s been piped into their brains since they began to follow the Kardashians. Particularly since Tanya’s gorgeous older sisters fit the orthodoxy to a tee and have gorgeous tits and asses to boot.” Dante shook his head in dismay. After a moment of silence, he mused, “Christ, ever since I heard the prick suggest that surgical abomination and she didn’t kick him in the nuts, I’ve been concerned that she might actually begin to think there was something wrong with that sin-sational bod of hers and go under the fucking knife.”
Dropping a hefty gratuity on the corner of the bar, Ryker shoved away from the bar top, acknowledging Dante’s thanks with a curt wave. He didn’t want to deal with the rioting emotions threatening to overtake him. He didn’t know what he was angrier about, the supercilious doctor who’d decided that the svelte deputy was too fat and needed to be pared down or the fact that the supposedly brazen deputy wore the asshole’s ring. A tacit acknowledgement that at least on one level, she accepted her fiancé’s misguided views of female pulchritude, no matter how destructive they were.
Climbing into his Ram Big Horn truck, Ryker saw the CCSO black and white pull out of the parking lot. Acknowledging he was likely making one of the bigger mistakes in a lifetime of mistakes, he ignored his better angels and decided to follow her. Seeing her tail lights ahead, he weighed his alternatives. If he had an ounce of sense, he would head for the Perkins spread and get some much-needed shut-eye. Or hell, he could do what he should do, connect with Barrett Meier. After all, he reminded himself, he was on a high-level mission, one that he’d barely focused on the last several days. But then, how could he be expected to concentrate on a massive international bribery and corruption scheme when the most bedeviling woman he’d ever known was mere yards ahead of him on a dusty, little-traveled road?
He concluded, with an unrepentant sigh as he hit the gas, that he was about to do what he’d been planning to do essentially from the moment he’d first seen her. Striding through the bar, her brazen nose in the air, the brash deputy had swung those lush hips from side to side, daring any man foolish enough to think he could take her on, to forget it. Her shameless message to the lusting men in her wake was clear as glass. Sorry, gents, whoever you are. Not an option. This particular package is not available for the likes of you.
With an arrogant snort, Ryker speeded up. He’d known from the moment she’d thrown that gauntlet at his feet, foolish or not, he would take her up on her dare. She might think she was unavailable to any man, even the man she’d agreed to marry. That might have been true . . . before she’d met him.
Chapter 13
Pressing his pedal to the floor, Ryker shot the Big Horn forward, churning up a foot of gravel in his wake. Even if the deputy caught sight of him in her rearview mirror, he was coming at a pace that made it impossible for her to outrun him. More likely, if she knew it was him on her tail, she’d think that she could outmaneuver him. He blew out a loud grunt. Just more evidence that the brazen woman didn’t know who he was. But goddammit, she was about to find out.
Steering his powerful truck perilously close to her squad car, he was gratified when she veered to avoid him. Continuing his aggressive moves, herding her closer and closer to the edge of the road, he spotted a gully and steered her toward it. With a quick twist of the wheel, he forced her off the road and down into the narrow ravine that was barely visible from the road. Pulling alongside her, he jerked his wheel, coming to a hard stop in front of the squad ensuring that she would have to go deeper into the gully to escape him—something he wasn’t planning to let her do. In seconds, it was clear he didn’t have to worry about her trying to escape. Instead, her door flew open and a clearly enraged woman emerged.
Her eyes blazing with fury, she charged toward him. Her attack was so vehement if he hadn’t been grounded, chances were that she could have knocked him over. Instead, relying on his greater strength, he caught her and reeled her into his tight embrace. Holding her writhing body against him, he tightened his grip.
Shrieking, she fought to free herself, a tirade of expletive-laced threats spewing from her mouth. “Goddamn you! What the fuck are you doing? Jesus God, Thompson, you could have killed us both. You crazy son of a bitch. So help me God, let me go or . . . ”
Holding her tighter, he pressed her up against the side of her car. “Or what, Deputy Trouble? What are you going to do? Arrest me? Or, hey, maybe you should frisk me. See if I have any weapons on me that you need to be afraid of.”
At her enraged shriek and fierce attempts to free herself, Ryker acknowledged how truly angry he was with her. He was furious that she was brazenly provoking Sledge Perkins’s dangerous men, intentionally inciting them, daring them to come after her, certain that she could hold them off. Christ, he knew she suspected Manny Davis, the craziest asshole in the certifiably deranged gang, of killing the Acedo girl and hell, she was right. It was only a matter of time before Ryker got enough evidence to arrest the son of a bitch. That is, if he could keep the impossible deputy from exploding the case and getting herself killed in the process. Feeling her lush body writhing against him, Ryker made what he knew was a bad decision, one he’d surely regret, but one that he had a snowball’s chance in hell of reining in.
Pressing her harder up against the side of her squad car, he drawled, “Yeah, Deputy Trouble, I think ‘turnabout’ is fair play. In fact, given that you came close to torpedoing a mission that has been in the works for over a year, the least I can do is return the favor. I might even have to arrest you, lock you up somewhere to keep you from getting killed by those dangerous assholes you’re determined to taunt. But first things first. I need to strip you . . . ” At her shocked gasp, he chuckled. “Well, at least for the moment, I’ll limit myself to stripping you of the weapons you’re carrying.”
Turning her toward the squad, he said, “You know the drill, baby. Hands on top of the squad. You remember what you did to me when you decided that you needed to frisk me.” When she started to resist, he drawled in her ear, “I gotta confess, Tanya. I can’t think of anything I’d like more than if you resist me. Refuse to do what I tell you to.” His voice dropped dangerously low. “Yeah, honey, there’s no telling what I might have to do then. For sure I would need to cuff you.” At her startled cry, he blew on her ear and moved in tight against her, pressing his strong thighs against the backs of hers. “Is that what you want, baby? You want me to cuff you? Force you to comply?”
At her enraged shriek and twisting attempt to shove him away, he captured both of her hands in one of his and yanked them up over her head. Pressing her hard against the cool metal of the cruiser, he landed a sharp smack on one firm ass cheek. Ignoring her outraged shriek, he nipped at the sensitive skin below her ear and drawled, “Oh yeah, and then there is that, isn’t there, Tanya? I think in addition to promising you that I intended to frisk you, a bare-assed spanking or three is definitely in your future. But first things first. I need to remove those weapons you’re carrying or they might mistakenly go off. Which would ensure that I have to resort to more aggressive moves.” Letting the threat speak for itself, he said, “Last time, Deputy Trouble, hands up. And, honey, I suggest you do as I tell you to.”
Horrified that she allowed him to drag her hands up over her head and hold them against the hood of the car, Tanya was even more shocked when he kicked at her feet. With the toe of his boot, he shoved one foot to the side, then the other, moving his muscular thigh between her legs. His voice was low, closer to a growl than a murmur. “That’s the way, baby. Like an outrageous woman said to me, ‘spread ’em,’ or else how can I get up where I need to be?”
Truly shocked at his aggressive move, Tanya was more stunned at her response. Jesus God, she could barely breathe. But then, how could she?
Her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid it might bolt out of her chest. But breathing and preventing a heart attack were the least of her concerns. Much more critical was stopping the heat waves of fiery sensations that raced up her legs and landed in her groin, which wasn’t surprising given that Ryker had lifted her up, ensuring that her crotch was pressed hard against his muscular thigh. He gave a low chuckle, confirming that he knew what his aggressive assault was doing to her libido and murmured, “Oh yeah, honey, you rest that sweet pussy of yours right there while I relieve you of a weapon or two.”
She was too stunned at his blatantly erotic threat to resist when he yanked her Glock 19 from her back holster and tossed it to the ground. But when he reached inside her pants and dragged her balisong from her thigh sheath, she was unable to hold back her shocked cry. His low growl confirmed that he’d found more than a weapon. Running his fingers across what she was sure was her damp panties, he murmured, “Ah yes, sweetheart, that’s what I was hoping I’d find.” When she cried out and tried to twist away from his searching digits, he held her tighter. His breath was hot on her cheek. “Don’t even try, baby. There’s no way you can hide from me. I’ve been studying you for days now. You think I don’t know what all that bluster of yours is about?”
When she just shook her head and fought against his probing fingers, his sexy threat sent a firestorm of sensations rippling through her vagina. His voice was a low, sexy rumble against her ear. “You see, Tanya, you’ve been taunting the wrong men. You’re so accustomed to sending those freaks at the ranch into a fury of unrequited lust that you don’t know how to handle a real man, one who is more than capable of corralling an outrageous tease like you.”
To her surprise, his voice hardened and he lifted her off his thigh and stood her against the side of the squad car. “Speaking of taunting the wrong man, let’s talk about this, sweetheart.”
He turned her to face him, then pressed her left hand against the car and spread her fingers open. Before she could stop him, he yanked her engagement ring off her finger. Holding it up to her, his voice was harsh. “You want to tell me what this is all about, sweetheart?”
Not able to avoid his stern frown, she shook her head. “I . . . I don’t know what you mean.” Then getting control of herself, she glared at him. “In case you don’t know what it is, it’s an engagement ring.”
“And given that, why the fuck are you wearing it?”
Seeing his angry glower, she couldn’t keep from stammering, “I don’t understand. I don’t know . . . know what you mean.”
“Oh yeah, you do. You know better than anyone the purpose of this fucking ring, and sweetheart, it sure as hell isn’t because you’re committed to that Courtland asshole. So let’s cut the crap, shall we?” Glaring at her, he put the ring in his shirt pocket and murmured, “There, that’s better isn’t it? C’mon, Tanya, admit it. Even you aren’t such a fraud that you’re going to wear another guy’s ring when I fuck you.”
At first stunned by his blatant threat and the clear anger in his flashing cobalt eyes, Tanya tried to respond, but to her surprise, all she could do was stammer. “I . . . I’m not a fraud.”
He snorted. “Oh, sweetheart, if ever there was a fraud, it’s you. But it’s not really your fault. You’ve been twisting men around your finger since you were a sassy little girl. No wonder you’re as accomplished as you are at keeping men at bay. No one has ever challenged you, have they?” When she struggled to free herself from his fierce grip, he shoved her back against the car and demanded, “Answer me.” When she just shook her head fiercely from side to side, he shrugged and grinned at her. “Or don’t. I’m not interested in the words that come out of your mouth. Hell no, if anything, I’m going to cut off those words—with my lips, my tongue, and my teeth. And then, sweetheart, I’m gonna listen to the rest of your body. Because your hot body has told me in more ways than one that you’re as hungry for me as I am for you. Admit it, sweetheart, you’re aching for me to take you.”
Tanya couldn’t believe what he was saying. He was crazy if he actually thought she was going to let him kiss her, much less “take” her. Fighting against him, she said, “You’re insane. Let me go. Now, damn you. Or I will—”
Pressing his finger against her lips, he murmured, “You’ll do what, Tanya, refuse to kiss me? Not let me know how much you want to do exactly that?” At her enraged cry, he clasped her wrists in one of his big hands and once again held them above her head against the car door. With his other hand, he grasped her chin and lifted her face to his. Stunned at the fire burning in his narrowed eyes, Tanya struggled to free herself. She was shocked when he shook his head and said grimly, “Uh-uh baby, for once in your life, be honest with yourself—and with me. Do what you’ve been telling me you want to do since I met you.”
She shoved at him, trying to break his fierce hold. “You’re wrong. I don’t want . . . ”
The frantic words died in her throat when Ryker lifted her face up to his and leaned down to kiss her. He was surprisingly gentle at first. Running his tongue across the seam of her mouth, he nipped at her swollen lips, then bit down on the corner. At her shuttered cry, he pressed his lips against hers, forcing them open. At first, she fought against his probing thrusts, twisting her head from side to side, trying to fight him off. His harsh demand shot a firestorm of electric sparks to her core.
“Uh-uh, baby. Don’t resist. You want me as much as I want you. Give in to it, sweetheart. Let yourself feel all that passion rioting inside of you.”
At his crooning instructions, she stopped fighting, acknowledging that she wanted him in a way she hadn’t known she was capable of. Even so, she was horrified when she wound her arms around his neck, wanting, needing to kiss him as fiercely as he was kissing her.
“Aaah, yes. God yes, sweetheart.” His voice was ragged, strained with lust. Dragging her up higher on his hard thigh, his sexy command broke down what little resistance she had left. “That’s the way, baby. Ride me, ride me hard. Christ, yes. Press that sweet pussy of yours against my hard dick. Give in to all those feelings that are driving us both crazy.”
Not knowing how she could possibly be any more aroused than she already was, Tanya was further shocked when she felt his probing fingers tugging at her panties. Knowing that she had to be wet, she tried to pull back, but he was fierce.
“Uh-uh, sweetheart, not only do I want to feel all that luscious dew your cunt is creating for me, I want to taste it.”
Horrified at the thought, she tried to pull back, but before she could stop him, he slipped his rough fingers inside her panties. She felt him jerk back, then heard his surprised murmur. “Christ almighty, you . . . you’re bare.”
Horrified, Tanya shoved at his hands. Embarrassment flooded over her. Oh God, what had she done? Before she could stop them, the words were out of her mouth. “I know you hate it. Think it’s stupid. It’s just that . . . ”
Ryker stared at her in shock. He couldn’t hold back the words that sprang from his lips. “What the hell . . . Hate it?” Staring at her flushed face and tear-filled eyes, he had a sudden insight. “Oh, Christ, don’t tell me. The good doctor doesn’t like it.”
“He . . . he thinks that it’s too provocative. Unflattering, disgusting, even.”
Seeing the pained expression on her flushed face, Ryker pulled her up against him. Pressing his lips against her ear, his voice was thick with anger. “Goddammit, Tanya. I swear to God, I’m going to emasculate that fucking prick with my bare hands.”
Stripping aside her soaked panties, he ran his fingers over her bare mound, then gently tugged at her swollen intimate lips. “Ah, darling, he’s right about one thing. It is provocative, in addition to being outrageously and profoundly sexy. I will only tell you that if you weren’t bare, I would insist that you not have so much as a landing strip on that gorgeous pussy of yours, the better for me to feast on.”
Tanya wasn’t sure if it was his anger at Bram, his admiration of her bare pussy,
or his blatantly explicit words that ratcheted her passion to explosive heights. She only knew that when Ryker spread her nether lips and found her clitoris with his skillful fingers, she gave in to the tumultuous sensations that were threatening to tear her apart. At his fierce command that she come and come now, she did the only thing she could. She gave in to a climax so powerful she thought she might explode in the process, uncertain how she could, if ever, recover.
Ryker held her in his arms until her body-shaking tremors lightened somewhat. Holding her close to him, he murmured, “Ah yes. You gorgeous, sexy woman.” Still holding her, he said, “But, sweetheart, as impressed as I am with your passionate response, I’m not going to take you now.” At her wide-eyed gasp, he murmured, “Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I don’t want you. Christ, I’m dying to take you.” Seeing her surprise, he took her ring out of his pocket. “You see, Tanya, you need to be honest with me and with him. But mostly with yourself. You need to admit that elitist prick hasn’t come close to making you feel the way I do.” He put her hand on his dick. “Trust me, sweetheart, we both know he doesn’t have anything close to this. And, damn you, I’ve never been this hard. This is what you do to me.” Holding her hand against his throbbing erection, he rubbed his lips against the tender spot beneath her ear and chuckled at her gasp. “Mm-hmm. Just think, sweetheart, how good it’s going to feel when I put all of this inside of you and fuck the hell out of you.”
Tipping up her chin, his expression hardened, became more serious. Handing her the engagement ring, he pinned her with a narrowed gaze. “As soon as you get rid of this.”
Chapter 14
Tanya didn’t have a clue how she got home. Chalk it up to the fact that she’d been driving everything from police cruisers to double-barreled trucks since she was eleven years old, when she’d hijacked her father’s cruiser for an extended joyride deep into the desert. Sheriff Trouble, knowing he was up against an irresistible force, had then taught his precocious pre-teen daughter to drive a range of vehicles with a stack of pillows to allow her to see over the steering wheel. Which she did from twelve years of age on. But even with a decade-plus of practice, Tanya was surprised when she pulled into her driveway. She’d never appreciated the concept of ‘“auto-pilot” as much as she did tonight.