Page 148 of Dirty Salvation

“Yep.” Across the floor, he tossed his jacket over the back of a kitchen chair and dropped a kiss to Zara’s forehead before grabbing a beer from the fridge, cracking it open he’d drank half in a long gulp, his throat working momentarily distracted Zara. Long-muscled neck and his guns on show, it was a wonder she remembered to take an inhaled breath.

“I have burgers ready to go with pasta if you’re hungry.”

“Sure,” he answered, leaving his beer bottle on the counter he washed his hands, Zara’s brows folded down. On any given day, Rider wasn’t much of a talker, didn’t discuss his feelings or thoughts, didn't bullshit a conversation just to fill in the gap of silence but this was different.

“Has something happened, Rider?” Hades came to mind immediately, her pulse sped up. Rider continued to run the soap through his fingers, globs of oily suds dropped into the sink. He didn’t reply. “Rider? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Zara, drop it.”

Her pale eyes narrowed. That told her it wassomething. She fidgeted with the dish towel she was holding ready to hand it to him. “Drop what? I don’t even know what’s up.”

“Leave it alone.”

“Rider...please tell me if something bad is happening.”

“Zara…” his warning clear. It dripped cold as ice. Her breathing increased because now she really did think something bad was happening with Hades and he just wasn’t sharing with her.

“Excuse the fuck out of me for wanting to know what’s wrong with you. You look like you’ve been chewing on wasps all day. Forget I asked. None of my business what has your panties in a twist.” and with that, she gave him her back, she needed food, he could be in his pissy mood the rest of the night for all she cared. Her hand pressed shakily to her belly giving away her true feelings.

She heard his sigh clear across the kitchen.

“I've had a lousy long day, I want a goddamn beer and a fuckin' burger, not an inquisition but I’d like a shower first so check the attitude, Icy, before I check it for you.” He threw the towel into the sink, those blue eyes of his she loved to stare into was devoid of any humor.

“You did not just threaten me!” Eyes round as flying saucers glared at Rider.

“Yeah, baby. I did.“ He was already tearing the shirt off over his head, tossing it onto the same chair with his jacket. His snapping shrewd blueness glancing her way before sliding away.

Who said that it was only women who were emotional? Because she recognized Rider’s easy-going temperament now she knew it was something he wasn’t letting her in on. She could only think the worse, her belly churning.

Do not ogle. Do not ogle.Zara ogled just a little bit, skimming her gaze down the long span of his tanned chest, his waist tapered in at the sides with deep V-grooves.

As good, as sexy, as he looked it didn’t excuse his shitty behavior.

“Look in the mirror,baby,” she stressed the endearment mockingly. “That’s the only attitude you’ll find here. Now if you’ll stop getting naked and get out of the kitchen I can make dinner finally. I’m hungry even if you’re not.”

“Zara.” she heard his exhalation again but ignored the desire to look over at him, instead she busied herself getting out too many pans she didn’t need. The poor salt shaker, it did nothing to deserve the death grip as she reached into the cabinet wrenching out spices.

Stupid bad biker man had her in an annoyed state now and she didn’t even know why!

“Zara …baby...” along with the hoarse sound of her name she felt his hands span her hips, pulling her back into him, she resisted sinking into his body, though that was difficult, she loved being cradled by Rider.

“Don’t you have a shower to get to.” she informed snappily.

Rider rested his chin on top of her head, reaching around he took the salt and pepper pots out of her hands, just as well, they were being strangled.

“I’ve had a shitty day, baby. And I’m an asshole. Tell me how many fuckin’ orgasms I gotta give you to get you sweet again? Gimme a number.”

Tingles crawled up Zara’s back, like a spider’s web of instant pounding lust. She was human. His voice alone affected her deep in that pulsing place in her vagina, that place he tormented with his fingers and cock as often as he could, but with an offer like that, it was a wonder she wasn’t panting and shouting out one hundred and ninety. Her thighs clenched, the hood of her clit tingling.

“Sex doesn’t fix everything.” her body disagreed heating up like a giant magnet that was only pulled in Rider’s direction. She tried to jostle him away with her butt, he only held her hips tighter, his face in her hair. “Just tell me it’s nothing to do with Hades? I can’t. I need to know if it is, Rider, please understand, don't keep me in the dark with this, you not saying what is it only makes my brain going crazy thinking the worst.”

“Nothing will happen to you.” deep growled assurance in his tone and while she believed him it didn’t stop the terror that lived in her twenty-four seven. No one could understand it and now Hades had shown his hand once more not giving any fucks by killing Tiny, it was only a matter of time before--- “You think I can’t protect what’s mine? You still don’t get it yet? You’re all mine, Zara. Your pussy, your beautiful fuckin’ mouth, that crazy mind that jumps half-cocked. All of it belongs to me and you should grasp by now I take care of what ismine.”

An itchy warm feeling crawled through her body. “You sound like a caveman who doesn’t want to share his carefully crafted shovel. Careful I don’t beat you over the head with it.” He allowed her to slip out from under his hands when she faced Rider his eyes were slits. “And that’s not a damn answer to what I asked. I don’t need protection, only not to be kept in the dark.”

Deadly quiet he asked. “Who you wantin’ me toshareyou with exactly, Zara? Far as I see it there’s only me takin’ care of your pussy. Am I wrong? You got your pale eyes on someone else?” His words were like a boulder to the chest, emptying her lungs of air.

Silence. Though she did open her mouth and closed it right back up. That wasn’t good enough for Rider she could see from the stubborn tilt of his chin as if he were saying she’d set this train on its track she better fucking take it all the way goddamn home now.Jesus.When he was wrong he was sooo wrong.

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