by Lexie Davis
“I’m getting off work in a few minutes.”
“You want me to come pick you up?”
“Yeah.” She glanced up at the hustle and bustle of the emergency room. “Meet me under the pavilion.”
After they disconnected, Ella went to the on-call room to get her stuff. The fatigue that overwhelmed her had her nearly dragging all the way back to ER. Her boss kept his eyes on her as she stood at triage waiting for her shift to end.
“Go home, Hawkins.”
She nodded. “I’m going.”
“You okay?” He signed some papers and handed them to the nurse before giving her his attention. “You’ve been going nonstop.”
Ella nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay.”
“You got a ride? I don’t think you should drive.”
“Yeah. My boyfriend is coming to pick me up.”
He seemed satisfied with that. When Ella’s shift ended, she went outside to find Ryker standing there. He looked about as shitty as she felt. Ella pulled out her keys.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m tired. I didn’t sleep much last night and I’ve worked twelve hours.”
Ryker reached for her bag and keys. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
She led him to her car and got in the passenger’s side. She was out by the time he started the engine. The next time she woke, Ryker was undoing her seatbelt. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and opened the door. She got out and went to the apartment. Ryker unlocked the door and she stepped in, happy to be back in her own space again.
“Did you fuck her?” Ella asked.
“No.”
“I don’t think I understand why it is okay for you to do what you want but you claim I can’t for my protection. Please explain that to me. I’m supposed to be protected and locked inside my own home while you get to go out and do whatever you want with whomever you want. I told you how I felt about her and you left me to go out with them anyway. And then she kissed you. You didn’t push her away. She ground her pussy against you and you got hard. How am I supposed to take that, Ryker?”
Ella went to the couch and pulled the blanket around her.
Ryker sat in the recliner. “I admitted I could have handled that better. I also said I’m sorry and I am.”
“And you think that makes it okay? You do something stupid and sorry makes it okay?”
“What do you want me to do?”
She shook her head. “Keep your dick in your pants? Is that so difficult?”
It wasn’t so much that Beth liked him that she was upset about. Women stared at him all the time. For the most part, he ignored them. He did like the attention though. Past or no past, he shouldn’t have brought Beth into their home. He didn’t get that either.
“I didn’t fuck her.”
“You did at some point.” She met his gaze. “She clearly thought that you would again. And you didn’t even have enough respect for me to keep that bullshit out of my house. Do you honestly think I want you to parade that crap around?”
Ryker rubbed his hand over his face. “No. And this very reason is one of the problems I have with your request to be part of the club. There are women there that I’ve fucked. I told you I’d give you my sexual history if you wanted it, but I was far from a virgin when we got together. I haven’t slept with anyone but you since. You just see things differently than I do. Women are petty. They try to start shit with one another and they usually cause the biggest fuss when a guy is involved. The higher the status, the more problems they cause. Women do things, Ella. I don’t think anything of it. I get how it looks, but I really thought, I don’t know, that you knew me better than that.”
“Has this happened before?” The thought of him entertaining those women made her want to puke.
He swallowed hard. “Not exactly, no.”
“What exactly has happened then?”
Dropping his head back, he sat there a moment before he answered. “Women flirt. They offer sexual favors. Most of the time it’s just fun. There’s no intentions to carry out anything behind it. Beth took things too far because we do have a history. She and Rizzo only came to our house because I really did consider them my friends. I should have expected something from her, but I didn’t. I just fucking messed up, Ella. I took care of it though.”
“I don’t know what you expect of me, Ryker.” Tears filled her eyes. “I thought things between us were one way, but now they’re obviously not. I don’t really think you’d cheat on me, but at the same time I’m still hurt by what you do allow.”
She laid back on the sofa and covered her eyes with her arm. Ryker got up and walked over to her. Leaning down, he tried to kiss her, but she stopped him. Ella didn’t know what his plans were but she didn’t want to deal with it tonight.
“I love you.” Ryker propped himself over her with one hand on the arm of the couch and the other on the back. “I’m in love with you. I thought you were just bitching at me for that morning so I didn’t think anything about going out to eat with people I considered my friends. If I knew it was this big if an issue, I would have stayed at home.”
Ella sniffled and covered her eyes with her hand. Ryker’s demeanor immediately changed. Instead of saying anything, he scooped her into his arms and sat with her on his lap. She hated crying. Didn’t even know why tears flowed down her cheeks. All the stuff that happened played over and over in her mind. It hurt even more to think that he didn’t seem to care about her feelings like she thought he should.
“I’m sorry.” He swiped his fingers beneath her eyes. “I don’t want you to hurt. Ever.”
She didn’t say anything. Part of her missed his comfort. The other part was confused about everything.
“Are we okay?” He pressed his lips to her cheek.
“I don’t know.” She snuggled against him. “Ask me again in the morning.”
He kissed her cheek before standing with her in his arms. He carried her down the hall to their bedroom and laid her on their bed.
“Sit up and take your scrubs off.”
Ella sat up and worked on taking her clothes off while Ryker grabbed a t-shirt of his from the closet. She didn’t want to admit how comfortable it was being in her own environment. After pulling the t-shirt on, she moved back to the bed and climbed in, rolling to her side. The comfort was an instant relief. She pulled the blankets up to her neck and fell asleep before Ryker joined her.
*****
Morning came early, and Ella wasn’t ready to get out of bed. Ryker lay next to her, and she took a moment to watch him sleep. She missed him. She was pissed but missed pulling him close and letting him wrap his arms around her. She blew out a breath and moved closer to him, laying her head on his chest and her leg over his leg.
Ryker stirred, kissing her forehead before shifting so he could wrap his arms around her. Cuddling up to him felt so much better than lying alone in an empty on-call room.
“I forgive you.” She rested her chin on his chest. “But don’t do it again.”
He rolled her to her back, leaning down to kiss her. “I love you, Ella.”
“I love you too.”
When she decided to get up, she went to the bathroom first. She’d slept in her makeup the night before and had raccoon eyes from her smeared eyeliner and mascara. She took the time to wash her face and get her skin in order again before leaving to find something to eat.
Ryker sat on the end of the bed with his phone to his ear. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll be there in a minute.” He hung up and glanced over his shoulder at her. “What time are you working today?”
“I have to be there for the night shift. Seven to seven.”
He tossed his phone to the bed beside him. “I need to go get my bike.”
She pulled open a drawer and found a pair of shorts. “I’ll take you.”
After pulling them on, she bent to search through her scrubs for her phone and her ID badge.
Ryker stood and held his hand out to her. “I can have someone else take me. You look tired
.”
“I’m always tired.” She shook her head. “Let me find my keys and wallet.”
He looped his arms around her waist. “You can crawl back in that bed and sleep.”
She couldn’t. Not without him there. “I’m fine. Really. I need to do laundry. I also need to stop by the store and pick up some things we’re out of.”
He propped his hands on his hips. Ella took in his toned body, the way his muscles defined him. Nudity was never an issue with him. He wasn’t embarrassed or modest in any way. He’d live nude if he could. His dark hair was five weeks past the need for a hair cut and a little too long for her liking. Dark scruff had grown on his cheeks, making him deliciously sexy and completely badass at the same time.
“I’ve got to handle some things at the club and then I’m coming back to spend the rest of the day with you.” His gaze pierced hers. “In bed.”
She scoffed, and he took a step toward her. His fingers lingered along her cheek as he touched her face.
He leaned in to kiss her. “We will.”
“I think sex is the last thing either one of us should focus on right now.”
“I didn’t say anything about sex.” He nibbled along her lower lip. “But if that’s what the lady wants…”
“The lady wants a week off in the Bahamas sipping fruity drinks on the beach.”
He kissed her, cupping her head so that he had perfect access to her mouth. She loved the way he tasted. It’d been too long since he’d kissed her properly.
“Maybe next summer.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
He kissed her cheek, resting his hands on her hips. “Let’s get some food and then we can go to the hospital. The quicker I get my shit done, the quicker I can come back and surround myself with you.”
She leaned back to look at him. “Is she going to be there?”
“They’re staying at the club.”
“Did you stay at the club?”
“Yes.”
She pulled away. “Do you at least see why that is a problem for me?”
He didn’t say anything immediately and she moved past him, heading down the hall to the kitchen. She decided to fix herself some oatmeal and heated it up in the microwave.
Ryker followed her and leaned against the kitchen counter. “I understand you don’t want me around her. But you also have to understand that she is part of the club as Rizzo’s girl.”
“I’m your fucking girl, right?” She turned toward him. “You’re the president of the Atlanta chapter. They are on your turf. Don’t I outrank her? You definitely outrank him.”
He chewed on his lower lip. When he didn’t say anything, she continued. “What are the rules here, Ryker? Do they only apply to people that are part of the club? Am I always going to be considered an outsider?”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Send her packing.”
“No.”
The microwave beeped, and she yanked the door open. “What’s it going to take to get you to treat me like I matter to you?”
“I do treat you like you matter.”
“Oh, yeah?” She threw her bowl onto the countertop. “If the tables were turned, Beth was your bitch, and I was wanting your affection, how the fuck would that end?”
“Not well. Beth marks her territory.”
She shook her head. “I’m not real. I’m just something to entertain you for a while.”
He pressed his fingers into his eyes. “I can’t deal with this right now.”
“Of course not.”
“Are you going to keep doing this? Picking fights? We made up last night.” He went to the fridge and bent to look in it.
Ella pushed the door closed and stared at him. “Don’t.”
He sighed. “There has to be some compromise.”
“Do whatever you what. You will anyway so why bother saying anything about it?” Ella moved around him. She had too much crap to do instead of messing with him. She went to get her purse and keys. “I’ve got to go. Find someone else to take you to the hospital.”
She needed to find a way to prove she was top dog. After visiting the store and doing laundry, she would work on that problem and hopefully come up with the perfect solution.
****
When Ryker entered the club, he found Beth sitting on one of the sofas while the party was in full swing. Her sour expression drifted away when she looked up at him. From what he gathered, she was all too happy to please him. To make up for coming on to him.
“Ryker?” Beth stood and approached him. “I think we need to talk.”
“I don’t.”
“I’m sorry if I upset you. You just seem so unhappy with her. I want to see you smile. You deserve some happiness after all you’ve been through.”
“And you can give me that?” Ryker questioned. “Clearly you’ve forgotten how rank works around here. We’re not in New Orleans. I’m not some little prize for you to win. Ella is the one that makes me happy. And contrary to your opinion, she’s the one that keeps my dick hard. Not you.”
Beth pursed her lips with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Ella walked into the club, and Ryker sighed. There was no doubt in his mind that the two women would have more than words. Ella wasn’t violent, but he didn’t really put anything past either one of the women.
“Am I a little late to the party?”
Trying to reason with her was not a good idea. Ella had an agenda: Ryker simply needed to figure out what it was.
“Do you want a lap dance?” she asked him.
Dressed in a popular band t-shirt of his and a black skater-style skirt with combat boots on her feet, Ella stood before him with so much makeup on he barely recognized her. He blinked, assuming that he was hallucinating.
“What?” He glanced behind him to see both Vampire and Superman staring at them.
She folded her arms over her chest. “I’ve never been the party girl, but I do know how to have fun.”
He bit his lip trying to figure out what was going on. Ella reached for his crotch and cupped his cock. Groaning, he reached out to brush a strand of hair from her cheek.
“I think sometimes you see me like they do. That I’m too fancy for you.”
Her hand dipped into his pants and squeezed his bare cock. Ryker groaned again, trying to force his mind to focus on the conversation instead of the stimulation.
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
“What got you hard?” She stopped stroking him and stared into his eyes.
“Your hand is on my dick.”
Ella nodded toward Beth. “She’s right over there if you want her. I’m not going to stand in your way.”
He shook his head. “I don’t need your permission to cheat on you. I don’t want her.”
“Yeah?” She stepped back, heading toward a narrowed-eyed Beth. “You want him, Beth? I watched you shove your tongue into his mouth outside our apartment. I also heard that you felt the need to grind your pussy against him while telling him that I didn’t need to know about the two of you fucking.”
She’d lost her mind. There had been cat fights between the women at the club before. Some were entertaining and some were petty. He didn’t want Ella to be in the middle of one. He glanced over at Beth and watched as the biker bitch contemplated her response.
“Go on.” Ella grabbed Beth’s arm and pulled her up from the seat before pushing her toward Ryker. “Suck his dick. He likes a lot of tongue, but then again you should already know that.”
Ryker felt a burst of anger flood through him. “What the fuck are you doing, Ella?”
“Have your fun.” Ella walked over to the bar and grabbed a beer before returning back to them. She sipped from the bottle and met Beth’s gaze. “Go on. Crawl all over him like the desperate, needy bitch you are.”
Ryker vaguely felt Beth’s fingers brush along his arm. He turned and Rizzo was eying him seco
nds before he focused his attention to Ella. Ryker had had enough. He went to Ella, grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the seating area. He clutched the back of her head and crashed his lips against hers. The world seemed to fade away as he held her against him. He didn’t fucking care if anyone watched. The room had turned into one big orgy anyway with sex and drugs being passed around. Ryker lifted Ella onto the bar top, parting her legs for his hips.
Ryker worked his fly open with one hand and shoved his pants down enough to free his cock. She clutched at his shoulders as he pushed deep inside her and leaned forward to kiss her mouth. She was his. That was never debatable. He didn’t want anyone else.
Her tight pussy wrapped around him, sucking him into her body where he fit perfectly. He didn’t care about all the bullshit that had gone on between them. He wanted Ella and he wanted only her. The music around them pulsed hard and dirty while he fucked her in the room. He withdrew and shoved his cock deeper, straining to keep his control in check. He needed her like he needed his next breath. Nothing else mattered.
Her breasts bounced with the forced of his hips, and he lifted one hand to squeeze them. Ella coming to the club was dangerous and they both knew it, but he was so fucking glad she had. He glanced to the side and saw Beth watching them. Ryker closed his eyes and scraped his teeth along Ella’s neck, licking and sucking her soft skin. He didn’t need anyone else to please him. Ella was everything he wanted.
When he came, the world spun. His legs quivered as he pushed his cock into her, hot cum erupting from it with each stroke. She arched against him, crying out as her orgasm hit. The music still blasted in his ears while the audience watching them clapped. He pulled her to the edge and looped his arms underneath her ass. He rested his forehead against her breasts, taking a moment to breathe her in. He didn’t know what the fuck had gotten into her. Why the hell would she come to the club to fuck him in front of all his brothers?
She combed her fingers through his hair, kissing the side of his head. He could live the rest of his life buried inside her.
“We need to talk about this.” His voice sounded raspy to his own ears, barely audible over the music.
“Talk’s cheap.”
He pulled her away from the bar top, making sure her ass stayed covered. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Superman staring at him. His dick was out and his hand was wrapped around it, stroking while a cigarette hung from his lips. He wanted to be furious that his Ella had gained that kind of reaction, but instead he felt an overwhelming sense of pride. She was his, and nobody was going to change that. Ryker carried her out of the room and down the hall. Once he found an empty bed, he dropped her on it and climbed in beside her.