Page 14 of Ryder

Ryder linked his fingers through mine and I was surprised when he willingly let me drag him to his waiting black SUV.

I liked that Divinity ate. Any other woman I’d ever taken out had barely eaten and when they had, it had been some kind of salad. Divinity though, ordered pasta, and not the entrée size.

“So,” she said before placing a spoonful in her mouth. “Why a cop?”

Shrugging I shoved a chunk of my steak into my mouth, chewed and swallowed. “Why not? I was never into the business side of my family ventures, and my parents always said I had a hero complex. I figured it was firefighter or police. I like the police uniform better. I got handcuffs.” I wink.

Her eyes lit up and the giggle that slipped past her lips had me adjusting in my seat as my cock hardened. Her giggle and laugh are my new favorite sounds.

“I haven’t seen you in uniform.”

“I don’t wear it much anymore now I’m a detective. If you want to see me in it, all you have to do is ask.”

She rolled her eyes, bit her lip and her eyes flashed with heat. “I’d like that. Although, I’ve never really had a uniform fetish.” She shrugged. “Maybe I just don’t like military style. I’ll have to see yours though, before I make my final decision.”

“Ask and I’ll wear it whenever you want.”

“Whenever I want, huh?”

I nodded, and the cheeky grin that settled over her face had my own lips curving up and my cock going rock solid. I resisted the urge to stop eating, pick her up, and leave the restaurant to show her what she did to me, but I knew she wanted this date and we needed to get to know each other. “So, why beauty and hairdressing?”

“Why not? I have always been, no matter how hard my father tried to make me the ultimate tomboy, way too girlie. I like make-up and having my hair done. I love how people feel after they’ve had both done. A woman can go from feeling down and out to a million dollars after having her hair and make-up done. I wanted to make people feel like that. I love seeing the joy and happiness on their face. I love my job.”

“It’s good that you enjoy your job. I did try firefighting, but didn’t like it—the heat wasn’t something I could work with. I have vast respect for the men and women who can do it. I enjoy my detective work, solving problems and working on puzzles. The daily beat, when I was just a cop, wasn’t as fun, but what I do now, I like.”

“That’s good. I hear customers all the time tell me how much they hate their jobs. I’ve noticed the people that love, or even like, what they do for a living have healthier skin and hair. I’m a big believer that life is short you should enjoy it.”

Dinner had been great. Better than I thought it would be. Ryder was easy to talk to and he didn’t talk all macho, or crazy, and neither did he bore me to tears. I hadn’t expected that. I’d spoken to men who looked like Ryder before and I’d almost fallen asleep. I’d had nothing in common with them. They talked about what workout regime they were on, or in the case of military men, they talked about the hard work they were put through by arseholes just like my father. They ordered for me and assumed things about me without even asking. I’d learned my lesson. It was why I never went out with men that looked like Ryder. But Ryder had surprised me. He hadn’t talked about himself nonstop, which was something I learned super sexy, buff men liked to do, and he had listened to me and asked questions. What I liked most was that he didn’t do his he-man act and he let me order my own meal, drink, and even dessert.

All in all, the date had gone great. So I was surprised that we were now going the opposite way to my house. We were almost at Ryder’s house, well, more like mansion. “You’re going the wrong way. The base is the opposite direction.”

He didn’t even take his eyes off the road when he answered me. “I know where the base is, but I’m taking you home. The base, your father’s house, isn’t your home anymore.”

Throwing my hands in the air in annoyance, I glared at Ryder. “What happened to being sane? So far tonight I thought you’d stopped your macho caveman crap. I don’t live with you. This is our first date for Christ’s sake.”

“I don’t like it when you’re at the base. I can’t get to you there. I want you in our house.”

What the hell was wrong with this guy? “Look, just because I slept with you and went on a date with you, doesn’t mean I’m moving in. I agreed to bodyguards and I think that was crazy enough. I am not moving in.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

He turned into his street and still didn’t flash me a look. “I don’t want to sleep without you. You’re mine. I want you close. I want you with me.”

At his words, my stupid stomach flipped and I really had to fight the urge to sigh. “I can’t, even if I wanted to,” I mumble. “I have to look after my brother. I’m his guardian while my dad’s away.”

He reached down into a glove box and pulled out a remote as we eased up towards his driveway. He pressed buttons, the gates opened, and we drove through. When we’re through, his car crawls and he finally glances at me. “I’ve spoken to your brother. You and he are moving in. I’ve shown him the room he has here and he seemed pretty happy.”

“Well, I can’t stay tonight because I don’t have clothes for work tomorrow.” I could hear the sulk of defeat in my voice as I tried to come up with a reason why I couldn’t stay with him. Ryder did something to me and if I stayed with him I’d give in to him way too much. My body craved him and I was starting to like him even though he was a loon.

“You do. Arron let in movers and they packed all your things tonight.”

“What?” I screeched just as he drove into a huge garage filled with cars.

He parked and turned off the car. Without answering me, the wanker got out of the car and walked around to my side, opened the door, leaned down, and hooked his arms around me as he lifted me out and placed me over his shoulder. He did all this without saying a word.

Shocked, and majorly pissed, it took me a while to react. I pounded on his back and kicked his chest. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Put me the fuck down you cocksucker.” When his hand swatted my arse, not once but three times, I stilled, before going nuts. “You did not just smack my butt you fucker! You are so going to regret what you just did. Not to mention your high handedness at packing my things. You had no right.”

He stopped and I noticed we were near the steps up to the rooms. “I have every right.” His deep gravel grumble had my pussy tingling and some of my anger leaving me. He stomped up the stairs and carefully placed me down. His large hands cupped my face and I stared up into his big, bright green eyes, mesmerized. “You’re mine.”

Damn. Oh crap. Oh double damn. My whole being heated at his words and the gravely timbre of his voice. I was ready to jump his bones. As my mind flashed images at me throwing myself at him and having my way with him, the anger I had disappeared. Fuck, this man had some major voodoo power over me that turned me into a nympho when I got near him. I needed to tell him I wasn’t his. That we were only dating and had been on all of one date. I should tell him that I wasn’t going to move in with him, but for some reason I moaned, “I love your eyes.” What! Why the hell did I say that and not any of the many things I should? Something was wrong with me.

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