My eyes filled with tears, but I willed myself not to cry. Lon hated it when I cried. It made him feel helpless and awkward, and I didn’t want to do that to him. “I know, Dad,” I replied softly. “I know why you sent me away. I was so angry at you back then, but I think even when I was most angry, I knew you were doing it for me. And I know that I got an education and opportunities that I might not have gotten if I’d stayed here. But at the same time, I was miserable. And I was alone.” I looked at him. “Would you rather have me be successful, or happy?”
He laughed sadly under his breath. “Ideally, both,” he replied.
I grinned. “Well, how about you let me work on that?”
He smiled back, and nodded at me. “All right, Hadley girl. You know best what’s right for you, I guess.”
“I don’t know about that,” I admitted. I thought about Ryker, about how much I wanted him, and about how what I wanted in that situation was probably about the worst possible thing for me. “But I do know that I have to make my own decisions.”
And hopefully I wouldn’t screw everything up.
After my conversation with Lon, I was feeling a lot better about accepting the job at the clinic. I drove through downtown Cheyenne that morning after breakfast, a travel mug of coffee in my cup holder and one of my favorite songs on the radio. On impulse, I decided to stop in to Curl Up And Dye, where Randi worked, and share the good news with her. Predictably, she was thrilled.
“Oh, Hadley, that is just so fantastic!” she gushed. “Now we’ll have you here for a little while! Have you told Lon yet?”
“I just did,” I smiled as she hugged me. She smelled like beauty products and floral perfume.
“Well, you know you can stay with us just as long as you want,” she bubbled. “We just love having you with us!”
I thanked her, but I was already making plans in my head to move out into my own place as soon as I could afford it. Living in the same house as Ryker was just too close for comfort.
“Let me give you a beauty service to celebrate!” Randi was saying. “What’ll it be? Haircut? Tint? Foil? Manicure?”
“Thanks, but I’ve got some errands to run this morning,” I replied. I wasn’t sure I was up for the look that Randi would give me. “Rain check?”
“Sure thing, hon!” Randi said brightly. “See you back at home! And congratulations again!”
I decided to head over to Crouse’s to share my good news with Lucy. I knew she’d be thrilled that I’d gotten the job. As I walked the two short blocks to the restaurant, I thought about how good it felt to actually have people to share my news with. I’d been on my own for so long, without friends or real family. Being connected to people in Cheyenne filled me with a sense of warmth that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I know they say you can’t go home again. But I was beginning to wonder if “they” were wrong, after all.
The now-familiar electric beep of the front door sounded as I entered Crouse’s. I looked up, expecting to see Lucy, as I knew this was her shift, but instead a short, petite blonde named Caitlynn was waiting tables. I waited for her to be done taking an order and approached her.
“Hi, is Lucy around? I thought she was working this morning,” I said.
Caitlynn’s brow creased. “No, I guess you haven’t heard. Lucy’s cousin Tina just died of an overdose. They found her last night.”
Chapter 16
Ryker
I had just finished a routine oil change and was outside of the garage having a smoke when Hadley’s car came flying into the parking lot. Shc careened into a spot, slammed on the brakes, and was out of the car and running toward the clubhouse entrance in an instant. The look on her face was a mixture of fury and fear. I had never seen her like this before.
“Shit,” I muttered, and followed her into the clubhouse.
“Where’s Lon?” she was calling out in a high, shaking voice when I walked through the door. She was striding toward a couple of the club whores, the only people in sight at the bar.
“I dunno,” replied Amber, a tall, leggy brunette with sleepy eyes. “Maybe in there?” she added, pointing a lazy arm toward the back office.
“Lon’s not here,” I said, covering the space between Hadley and me in a couple of strides. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Lucy’s cousin, Tina!” she said, and now that I was close to her, I saw that tears were streaming down her cheeks. “She died of an overdose last night. A meth overdose,” she added bitterly.
“Fuck,” I responded. I shook my head. It was only a matter of time before this started happening in the community. “God, Hadley, I’m so sorry.”
“You’re sorry!” she snapped. “This would never have happened if it wasn’t for the club!” The last word ended in a sob as Hadley clapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes showed sheer misery as she stared at me in desperation.
This was no conversation to be having in front of the club whores. Not that they didn’t know or suspect what the club was into, but it wasn’t the time or the place. “Come with me,” I said to Hadley. I took her by the arm and led her into the small apartment at the back of the clubhouse. It was an all-purpose studio space that we kept free for brothers who needed a crash pad for a night or two. I opened the door, pulled her inside, and locked us in so we wouldn’t be disturbed. The apartment hadn’t been used in a while, and it was a little musty. I led Hadley over to a low, comfortable couch to one side of the room. “Come on, sit down,” I said, and joined her as she sank into the cushions.
“Oh, God, Ryker, it’s so awful,” Hadley moaned. “Lucy’s cousin was only nineteen.” She leaned forward, her head in her hands, and began to cry. I could only move closer and put my arm around her. I held her as she sobbed softly. I didn’t say anything. What could I say? ‘It’s okay’? Ha. It damn well wasn’t fuckin’ okay. Not at all. An innocent girl had died, and the club was indirectly responsible. I knew a lot of the other brothers wouldn’t see it that way. But I sure as hell did.
I let Hadley cry, rubbing her back, and after a while she quieted. When she had mostly stopped crying, she looked at me, her eyes red and puffy. “Ugh, God, I must look awful. I’m sorry.” She sniffled, and looked around distractedly. “Are there any Kleenex around?”
Wordlessly, I got up and went into the small bathroom. I came out with a wad of toilet paper. “Will this do?” I asked.
She took it and noisily blew her nose. “Thanks, Ryker,” she said softly.
I sat back down next to her. “How did you find out about Lucy’s cousin? She tell you?”
“No,” Hadley sniffled. “I went into the restaurant this morning to tell her my good news. I just got a job as a receptionist at the counseling clinic downtown. Lucy wasn’t there. One of the other waitresses told me.”
I froze at the words. Hadley had gotten a job. She was staying in Cheyenne, at least for a little while. My heart leaped with stupid hope at the thought, but I angrily tamped it all down. Hope for what? Having Hadley around was just going to be further torture. But even so, I was fucking glad she wasn’t going to be leaving anytime soon.
“Congrats on the job,” I murmured in what I hoped was a noncommittal tone.
Hadley laughed. The sound was short and bitter. “Thanks,” she said.
“So, you haven’t seen Lucy yet?” I asked.
“No, not yet. I texted her, but she hasn’t answered. I didn’t want to interfere in family stuff.” She suddenly looked stricken. “God, maybe I should have called her instead... I don’t know, I don’t know what to do!”
Hadley’s voice had gone up an octave, and she sounded like she might start crying again. I put my arm around her and shushed her. “Hey, hey, calm down, it’s okay. Give Lucy a chance to contact you. You can always call her in a couple more hours if she doesn’t respond. Relax, okay?”
Hadley took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. I just...” She swallowed. “I just don’t know what to do.”
“I know
,” I nodded. “I wouldn’t, either.”
Hadley took another ragged breath and let it out. Then, to my absolute amazement, she leaned against me, her head on my shoulder. I eased us back against the couch and held her, stroking her hair with my hand. I could feel the tension melting out of her body. Being there with her like that, it felt unbelievable. I had never had a moment like this with any woman. I tried to tell myself that it was me being brotherly toward her. That we were family, and I was just comforting my stepsister. But I knew better.
We stayed like that for God knows how long. After a while, our breathing was even in sync. I wondered if she noticed. I didn’t say anything, and she didn’t either. I didn’t want to do anything to break the spell of the moment. The only reason she was there in the first place was that she was upset and didn’t have anyone to turn to. I’d just happened to be in the right place at the right time. But once the moment was over, I knew, she’d be out of that apartment like a shot and back to avoiding me like the plague.
Hadley sighed and snuggled closer against my shoulder. I tried not to react, but I could feel my cock begin to stiffen in my pants. I shifted slightly and hoped she wouldn’t notice, but my movement caused her to sit up. “Sorry,” she mumbled, her face reddening. “I was just so comfortable. I guess I was falling asleep.”
“No problem,” I replied, keeping my voice casual. “You’ve been under some stress. Glad I could help.”
“You really did,” she admitted. She cleared her throat and looked down at her hands. “Thank you, Ryker. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here.”
I remembered that she had come here looking for Lon. I wondered what would have happened if she’d found him.
“Any time, Hadley,” I said. “Really, I mean it.”
Hadley reached up and softly kissed me on the cheek. Fuck. Her lips were so soft, her touch so gentle, it threw me into a tailspin. I felt my whole body stiffen in response to her touch. Now was definitely not the time to be having the thoughts I was having.
And then, she said my name -- more of a sigh, really – and kissed me again, this time just a little closer to my mouth. Her finger brushed against my jawline. I reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling her away from me slightly.
“You know this is killing me,” I growled at her. “Don’t start something you don’t want to finish, Hadley.”
Her eyes met mine. They were wide and shining, the pupils so dark they were almost black. “Is the door locked?” she whispered.
All pretense of this being just a stepbrother comforting his stepsister has fallen away. Suddenly, I’m on top of her, my mouth crushing down on hers as she moans underneath me. I’ve only felt her like this once before, but I remember – my body remembers – every square inch of her. My hands travel roughly up and down her flesh, greedily cupping her ass and pushing her hips against mine. Hadley throws her head back and rocks her hips against me. I am rock fucking hard and every move she makes is agony.
“Fuck, Hadley,” I swear against her neck as I push up her T-shirt and pull it off. Her creamy skin makes me draw my breath in a little. Her gorgeous fucking tits are straining against her baby blue bra as she arches toward me, begging me wordlessly with her eyes. A groan erupts from deep in my throat, and in a split second the bra is off and my mouth is on her nipple, my tongue teasing it to hardness. Hadley cries out softly and presses against me, grinding her hips convulsively.
All I can think of is plunging my cock deep inside her, filling her with me until I explode my release. But I force myself to pull back, to wait. I want Hadley’s release more than I want my own right now. My hand slips between her legs, pressing against her core. She gasps and her eyes open wide, locking on mine as she rocks against me.
It is the hottest fucking thing I have ever seen.
I unbutton her jeans with my other hand and pull, watching as she lifts her hips up to help me slip them off. Her matching baby-blue panties are already soaking wet, and I kneel beside the sofa and spread her legs wide to tease her swollen lips with my tongue through the fabric. Hadley moans and wriggles, and thrusts her hips to get closer to my mouth. I can tell that my hot breath against her thighs is driving her wild. I slide a finger in between the fabric and her skin and move the panties aside. My tongue makes contact with her delicious clit and she arches and cries out again. Her hands fist in my hair. Her skin is slick with desire, swollen with need. I know she’s close already. My tongue swirls gently around her aching nub. I growl with pleasure as she thrusts against my tongue and whimpers. I plunge deep inside her, tasting her juices, then out again, My tongue twirls and twists, teasing her. When I can feel that she’s right on the edge, I take her clit in my mouth and gently suck, flicking my tongue against her. She explodes, bucking and writhing as I continue to lick and lave at her. She is screaming, but has somehow had the sense to put her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. I continue licking until finally, she begins to quiet and softly pushes my head away with her other hand.
Dizzy with desire and still rock hard, I stand up and peel my shirt off, then my jeans. I pull Hadley’s panties off, then kneel between her legs and pick her up. I carry as she straddles me to the bed on the other side of the room. She is kissing me deeply, and I know she can taste herself on me. “Fuck me, Ryker,” she whispers, begging me with her eyes.
I chuckle. “I intend to, baby,” I whisper back. “Buckle up.”
I place her on her back on the bed and kneel beside her. Thank fuck I still have a condom in my wallet. I open the packet with my teeth, slide the thing on, and slowly rub the head of my cock against her slick opening. “Oh, God, Ryker,” she moans. Goddamn, how I love it when she says my name. I push inside of her in one swift movement, and we both gasp in unison. I freeze, just for a moment, to feel myself pulsating inside her. The heat of her pulsing around me is incredible. Our eyes lock again, and she gives me a small, dazzling smile before her lips part and her eyes close. I take that as my signal; I pull out slightly and thrust again. She gasps and arches to take all of me inside her. I can’t take it any more. I start to move my hips, rocking my cock inside her. She meets me thrust for thrust. Her face is pure ecstasy, and it’s a goddamn miracle to watch.
I continue to thrust, but I can’t hold out much longer. Hadley’s thrusts grow more urgent, too, and I sense another orgasm building for her. She reaches out, grasps my legs, and suddenly her body stiffens and she cries out. Feeling her pulsating around my cock is all it takes to send me over the edge, and I thrust one final time and unload myself deep inside her with a loud groan.
We stay locked like that for a few moments, frozen as though if we don’t move it will never end. When I can finally think again, I reach down and gather her up, pulling her into a sitting position. I’m still inside her as I hug her against me. She kisses me deeply and for a little while, there’s nothing else but us in the whole world.
Afterward, lying on the bed with Hadley nestled against my chest, there wasn’t a damn thing left to do but admit the truth.
“We can’t do this,” Hadley said sadly. “This isn’t possible.”
I kissed her forehead. I didn’t say anything. What the hell was there to say? She was right.
“I’m going to find an apartment and move out of Dad and Randi’s place just as soon as I save up the money,” she offered. “It’ll be easier that way.”
“No,” I protested. It needed to be me. “Look, Hadley, I’ve already found a place for myself. A house. I’ll be moving out of the downstairs apartment in a week or so. It’s time. I meant to move out a long time ago, but I’ve just been lazy.” That part was true, at least.
She lifted her head and looked at me. Her lip trembled a little, but she nodded. “Okay.”
“We should probably get out of here soon,” I said. “I don’t think anyone saw us come in here, but better safe than sorry.”
Hadley was already getting up off the bed. “I’ll go first,” she said. I watched her gorgeous little b
ody as she put on her bra and panties, then her T-shirt and jeans. She raked her hands through her hair and shook it out until it looked semi-presentable. When she was finished dressing, she turned to go, then looked back at me.
“Ryker...” she began, then stopped.
“What is it?”
She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. She shook her head and smiled sadly at me. “Nothing.”
Then she slipped out the door and was gone.
As I gathered together my clothes, I thought again about how fate seemed to be laughing its ass off at me.
Goddamn it, I was in love with Hadley Cooper.
And I had no idea how I was gonna get over it. The best thing I could do for her was to stay far away from her. I wasn’t any good for her. All I was was trouble waiting to happen. This could never happen again, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
But there was one thing I could do.
I could get The Throttle out of the meth business once and for all. For Hadley.
Chapter 17
Hadley
Tina’s funeral was a week later. It was a closed casket. I guessed there was probably a good reason for that.
I hadn’t seen Lucy at all until the actual funeral. She looked devastated at the loss of her cousin, like she had aged ten years in a week. Her red-rimmed eyes were lost and empty. I watched as she took her place in one of the front pews with the rest of the family. Tina’s parents were divorced, but both of them were there in the first row of the church. They filed in flanking Tina’s twelve year-old brother, Steven, who looked even more lost and shaken than Lucy did.
Getting the DOWN (A Bad Boy Sports Romance) Page 27