Bossing the Billionaire: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ryder's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series)

by Judy Angelo

  He didn’t even wait for her to reply. As soon as Blake bid her goodbye Ted led the way to the front door, leaving Peggy sitting there at the kitchen table.

  “Well,” she whispered as the door closed behind them. And then she got up, filled the percolator with water and plugged it in.

  ***

  “Thanks, Ted, but you know you don’t have to do this, right? It’s not like it’s dark. I can walk home by myself.”

  “Nothing doing, Blake. I said I’d see you home and that’s what I aim to do.” Ted’s tone was resolute which told her she wasn’t going to get rid of him that easily.

  It wasn’t that Blake minded the company. She just didn’t want to put him out of his way, but since he insisted who was she to tell him no?

  In the end, though, she was glad he was walking her home. Ted could be funny when he was in the mood and it looked like this was one of those times because he started telling her about an episode on the telephone company’s worksite that had her laughing.

  “I told the kid not to climb up there without a harness,” he was saying as he strode along beside her. “But did he listen to me? Nah. I know what I’m doing, he says. Been doin’ this for nigh on a year.” Ted shook his head. “Next thing you know, it’s him I see tumbling off the ladder. I had to grab him on the way down before he broke his neck. I just had time to snag him by the seat of his pants and swing him over onto a pile of hay. He got a face full of grass but at least it broke his fall.” He shook his head again. “Dang fool.”

  “I’m glad you were there to rescue him.” She reached over and gave Ted a congratulatory pat on the back. “I’m sure his mom is grateful.”

  “Uh-huh. His supervisor, too. His boss chewed him out good. He didn’t even know the guy had gone up there without his harness.” He gave a hiss of annoyance. “The things you do when you’re young and stupid.” He’d just sucked in his breath to say something more when he frowned. “Expecting someone?”

  Blake followed his gaze and found herself staring at a big, black and expensive-looking Mercedes Benz SUV parked in front of her building. Immediately, her heart tightened. Had Jerome decided to pay her another visit?

  She didn’t have time to answer Ted’s question. He’d seen her face and the look there told him all he needed to know. He set off toward the vehicle, leaving her in his wake, and he was cracking his knuckles as he went. Ted must have totally forgotten Peggy’s warning because he looked like he was rearing for a fight.

  There was no way Blake was going to let things get that far. She hurried to catch up. “Hold on. Let me handle this.”

  “Not on your life. No man is going to come here and think he can bully you. Not in this town, he’s not.” Ted did not slow down. Within seconds he’d reached the SUV with Blake right by his side. It was when she skidded to a halt at the driver’s side that she got a good look at the person who sat there, and it was no Jerome Slater. Not by a long shot. The person who turned his head at her arrival, his eyes hidden behind the tinted lenses of sunglasses, was none other than Ryder Kent. Ryder was home.

  “Ryder.”

  At her gasp, his lips curled into that crooked smile she knew so well and then he raised his hand to lift his sunshades off his face and up onto the top of his head. “Blake.” There was a slight, almost imperceptible crack in his voice, but she heard it.

  When she stepped back he opened the door and got out and then he stood there gazing down at her like she was a rare treasure he’d just discovered.

  And, unable to help herself, she gazed back into the deep, dark pools of his eyes, wanting to run to him but not daring to move.

  There was a sudden harsh grunt, making them both start. They turned to look at Ted who had just cleared his throat and now seemed slightly uncomfortable. “Well, I guess I’ll be moseying along. I’ll catch up with you another time, Blake.” He gave Ryder a slight nod, tipped his head toward Blake then he turned and sauntered off the way he’d come.

  Blake smiled at his departing figure, glad that he'd quickly decided to give her and Ryder some space, and then she turned her attention back to the man who was making her heart dance to the beat of a very fast drum. “What are you doing here?” Her voice came out soft and breathless.

  Ryder gazed at her a moment longer and when he spoke it was with a hint of amusement. “Checking in for work, boss. Do I still have the job?” But then as she watched him, before she gave him an answer, his face turned serious. “I missed you,” he said. That was all. But for Blake it was enough.

  “I missed you, too,” she whispered back.

  When he reached down and took her hands she curled her fingers around his and when he drew her into him she did not resist.

  As he stared down at her his eyes were dark and enigmatic. “I’m going to kiss you. You know that, don’t you?”

  Blake’s heart fluttered. She knew it. With all her heart she knew it and she wanted nothing more. When she answered it was with one word, an urgent, breathless, “Yes.”

  At her response he released her but it was so that he could slide his hands up her arms and around her shoulders and then he was pulling her into his arms and against the rock-solid wall of his chest. The pounding of his heart told her he wanted her. It felt like he wanted her as bad as she wanted him.

  When Ryder lowered his head to claim her lips she lifted her face to meet him. Their lips touched and the thrill that rippled through her made her moan. Wanting more, wanting him so desperately, she slid her hands up to grasp his arms and so she clung to him, drawing from his strength, fortifying herself with his latent power.

  This time Ryder’s kiss was urgent and masterful. There was little in the way of gentleness. This time it was all about the desperation of desire, the wanton expression of want.

  Right then it was what Blake wanted, needed desperately. She gave Ryder as good as he was giving, kissing him back with such fervor that when he pulled back she moaned again and reached up to cup the back of his head with both hands. When their lips touched again it was she who was doing the kissing, taking from Ryder all that she’d been craving all those lonely weeks.

  When they finally parted both of them were panting and as Ryder stared down at her his eyes searched her face. “What’s wrong, Blake?” he asked, his brows knitted. “What’s happened to you?”

  Blake’s heart lurched. Had she come on too strong? “What do you mean?” Her tone was cautious.

  For a moment Ryder said nothing but then he tilted his head as he regarded her. “Something’s changed. There’s a tension in you that wasn’t there before.”

  Taken aback, Blake dropped her gaze. Could he read her that easily? He was perceptive and that meant she would have to explain. She bit her lip and she nodded.

  When she looked up at him she was struggling to contain her emotions. “A lot has happened since you left,” she said softly. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Your lover? He’s here in town? What the devil is he doing here?” Ryder couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Blake had spoken as if this guy was in her past but now he was here in Pequoia and what the heck did that mean?

  “My fiancé, Ryder.” She shook her head. “My ex-fiancé. There’s absolutely nothing between us.”

  “Then why is he here?” Confused, as he spoke Ryder drew back and away from Blake. He needed space, some air. He needed to think. “I thought you said he didn’t know where you were.” As he watched her face his eyes narrowed. “When you saw him in Dallas did you tell him?”

  Blake glared at him. “Of course I didn’t. I’m trying to stay out of his way, not invite him back into my life.”

  That made him pause. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt but he had to ask. “Are you sure?”

  Eyes wide, Blake stared back at him and then she shook her head. “I can’t believe you asked that. I told you about Jerome and what he did to me. I told you it’s over between us.”

  “Yes, you did
. I’m sorry.” Ryder felt like the worst jerk. By way of apology he took Blake’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “This just took me by surprise, that’s all.”

  She nodded. “Me, too. Can you imagine how I felt when he showed up at Beaumont’s?”

  “He actually came here?” Ryder couldn’t stop himself from frowning.

  “He did. And before he left he promised to make life unbearable for me. He said he wouldn’t stop until I left Pequoia with him. He’s going to keep harassing me-”

  “Not with me here, he’s not. Where is he?” Ryder was getting so riled up he couldn’t stay still. He decided he’d better release Blake’s hand before he crushed it in his agitation. He shoved both hands inside his pockets.

  “I’m not going to tell you. I can handle this on my own.” Blake’s mouth was set in a stubborn line that told Ryder she wasn’t planning on budging any time soon.

  “Why are you protecting him? I thought you wanted to get rid of this jerk.” He pulled his hands out of his pockets and folded his arms across his chest. He felt as jittery as a bug and this was the best way he knew to keep his anger under control.

  “I’m not protecting him.” By this time Blake’s glare was more like a scowl.

  “You could’ve fooled me. I can get rid of your problem once and for all. Why won’t you let me?” There was more to this than Blake was letting on. He could tell. He could read it in her eyes. There was a cloud of conflicting emotions there, a storm that seemed to confirm his worst fears. Blake was protecting her ex-lover because she still felt something for him. She’d denied it but why else was she shielding him?

  “Ryder, I don’t want you to get involved,” she began but he’d heard enough.

  “I’m already involved, dammit. Why are you protecting him?”

  “It’s you I’m protecting, you idiot. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Ryder shrugged. “You don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself.”

  “Not against a handgun, you can’t.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I want you to stay the hell away from Jerome Slater. Ever since I’ve known him I know he carries a gun. He says it’s for protection and that may well be but I don’t want him using it in a fit of rage. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”

  Ryder was silent for a while and then he let out a puff of air, a subtle sign of his frustration. “I guess I should thank you for the warning but it actually makes me even more determined to get this guy out of town.”

  Blake gave a grunt. “That makes two of us. But how do we get rid of him?”

  "That is the question…” Ryder’s voice trailed off as his mind raced around the problem that this unwanted visitor posed. In the end he could come up with only one conclusion. The best way to divest the man of his exaggerated sense of confidence was for Blake to do what she should have done from the get-go. She would have to put the matter in the hands of the authorities. That would have him flying out of Pequoia so fast she’d only see the trail of dust that he would leave behind.

  But when Ryder said as much to Blake, thinking she would jump at the chance to have the man gone, she hesitated.

  “Um…let me think about how I’m going to do this.” Her face still, she stared off toward the garden he’d made her out back.

  “What’s there to think about? It’s as simple as making a police report. They’ll take it from there.” When she didn’t immediately agree he paused then shook his head. Blake was a mystery he could see he wasn’t going to figure out any time soon.

  He was just about to say so when she lifted her hand to touch him on the arm. “Let’s go inside. You must be hungry after your long drive.” She smiled. “I’ll fix your favorite, roast beef and mashed potatoes. I’ll have it done in no time.”

  He remained quiet as they turned toward the house but she must have guessed the direction of his thoughts because she gave a soft sigh and then she spoke.

  “When we get inside we’ll have a long talk,” she said, “and then we’ll put this behind us once and for all.”

  ***

  Next morning Blake was up even earlier than usual, which was surprising seeing that she’d gone to bed so late. After she’d made dinner for Ryder they’d sat there and talked, way into the night, and for a man who was the reserved type and a woman who didn’t have much use for gab that was quite a feat. It was like they didn't want the evening to end.

  Ryder was just as surprised as she was. She could tell by the way he paused from time to time and just gazed at her, a thoughtful look on his face. It was hard to explain but there was just something between them, something that clicked. It was more than just a physical attraction. It was a synergy that made their thoughts flow like two streams that would meet and make one river. It was a connection that soon had them finishing each other’s sentences.

  The first time it happened Ryder laughed but then it happened again. And again. And then it came so naturally that they no longer questioned it.

  Before they’d reluctantly said their goodnights and headed off to bed she’d heard so many stories about Ryder’s brothers, Ridge and Rafe and Ransom, that she almost felt like she knew them. And, of course, she’d told him about her mom and Becky. They each got an earful that night.

  And before that they’d talked about how to deal with the Jerome Slater situation. As much as she’d wanted to leave things alone for a bit longer Ryder had convinced her it was time to make Jerome pay for his crime. And that was what it was, plain and simple. She couldn’t keep skipping around the fact that he’d committed a crime.

  She’d made excuses, hiding behind the fact that on discovery he’d put the money back. More than that, she’d hesitated to make any move simply because of what they’d had. After they’d gone so far together, after she’d fallen in love with him, after she’d trusted him he’d rewarded her with dishonesty and deception and she couldn’t even think. All she could feel was shock and hurt and pain…and if she should admit it to herself, shame.

  How could she have been such a fool to put all her confidence in him? How would she hold her head up if the world found out that she, a competent and respected business owner, had fallen for that trick? It was bad enough that her family knew but did her business colleagues have to find out, too?

  But she’d hidden away long enough. It was time to take the bitter medicine and make full disclosure. Time to go to the police.

  Her mind finally made up, Blake felt infinitely better and there was a spring in her step as she descended and made her way toward the kitchen. She was stopped in her tracks when there was a knock at the front door. Immediately, she changed direction and went to open it. When she saw Chris standing there she smiled. “You’re out early today.” She stepped aside so he could enter. “What gives?”

  He shrugged. “I’m only like fifteen minutes early. I was up, chillin' with some music, and then couldn’t get back to sleep so I just decided to head on over.”

  "And I don’t mind at all,” Blake said as she led the way to the kitchen. “With all the mouths we have to feed we can do with an early start.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Chris was already shrugging off his denim jacket as he followed her.

  Within another twenty minutes Todd had arrived and soon they’d fallen into their daily rhythm, moving quickly and efficiently as they got things ready before the restaurant opened. Then, just before opening time, the kitchen door opened and Ryder walked in, looking newly shaved and smelling fresh as morning.

  “Hey, what are you doing up? I thought you’d sleep in this morning.” Her hands full of pancake batter, Blake greeted him with a broad smile.

  “And let these kids show me up? Not on your life. I’m up and reporting for duty.” He straightened his back and clicked his heels together, making them all laugh at his attempt at a military posture. “So what do you need done? The eggs, the grits, what?”

  “We’re good,” Blake told him, “but we could do with s
ome help getting the food out there. How about being our server today?”

  He gave a curt nod and a crooked smile. “It would be my pleasure, ma’am. Ryder Kent, at your service.”

  Blake laughed again. “Will you stop? You’re cracking us up. Now go get your hands washed and come right back.”

  And so began one of the busiest mornings Blake had ever seen at Beaumont’s. It was a good thing Ryder showed up when he did because, in addition to the telephone crew, a government team of eleven turned up unexpectedly. They’d been sent from the communications commission to ensure that this new project underway in Pequoia was executed according to state guidelines.

  That morning they had little time to do anything but shout orders to the kitchen crew, pile up the plates with breakfast food and deliver them to the hungry hordes waiting to be served. At one point Blake felt sorry for Ryder but all she could do was throw him an apologetic grin. They had him running back and forth between kitchen and restaurant till she saw a faint film of perspiration begin to bead his upper lip.

  And then, as soon as the breakfast rush was over, they had to hurry to get ready for the lunch hour. That ended up being another couple of hours of non-stop rush and by the time three o’clock came around and it was all over they were so exhausted that they each grabbed the nearest chair and collapsed onto it.

  Todd was the first to speak. “I hope those communications department guys were only here for the day. If they show up again tomorrow we’ll be in big trouble. I don’t think I can make eggs that fast again.”

  Blake grimaced. “Sorry to disappoint you but one of them told me they’ll be here at least three days. One down, two to go.

  Chris groaned. “My feet hurt.”

  Blake turned to him. “Your sister’s off for the summer, right? What about asking her if she can help us out for the next couple of days?”