Deadly Silence (Blood Brothers #1)(40)

“I’d hate for us to have a problem, you know?” Ryker made his intention clear in his gaze.

Brock full-on grinned, his good nature and a new determination shining through. “So would I, buddy. But fate is fate, you know?”

“Fair enough.” Ryker turned back to Zara, who was watching the interchange with curious eyes. “Bye, Brock.”

“I’ll see you on Monday, Zara,” Brock said, turning to hustle through the rain and down the street.

Zara eyed him. “That was interesting.”

Not really, but Ryker couldn’t blame the guy. Zara was the entire package, and Brock was smart enough to see it. Too bad Ryker had made a move first. He leaned in and indulged himself with a kiss, drawing her sweet lips against his. “I don’t share, baby.”

She rolled her eyes. “For goodness’ sake. I guess I’m lucky you didn’t both try to pee on my leg.”

Humor bubbled through him. The woman had a point. “How was work?”

“Okay,” she murmured.

That wouldn’t do. He tugged her sideways and pulled her core against his, the tension from his face-off with Brock making him rougher than he liked. The rain dropping on his head wasn’t doing a thing to calm him, either. Her legs spread on either side of his hips. “What’s going on, Zara?”

“Nothing. Just lots of work to do for the trial.” Her fingers fluttered over his jacket, and her gaze dropped to track the progress. “We should probably get going.”

What was she hiding? “Is there something going on I need to know about?”

Her gaze lifted to his. “No. Not at all.”

Hmmm. The woman didn’t get him at all. No more secrets. He leaned over her, enjoying her quick intake of breath. “Let me rephrase that. Is there something going on that you don’t want me to know about?”

A faint pink tinged her cheeks.

That’s what he’d thought. “Did something happen with Brock?” The guy hadn’t exactly hidden his interest in her.

Her eyes widened. “Of course not.”

“Did he figure out you’ve been helping the other side in the divorce?” Ryker slipped his hands into her back jeans pockets and clenched. Her full curves filled his palms, and his groin awakened.

She blinked, and her eyes darkened. Her heated core warmed his dick through his jeans. “No. Besides, I haven’t really helped Julie. Everything I’ve told her should’ve been in all the discovery responses, anyway. And lending her money? That isn’t an ethical breach, I don’t think.”

The sweet paralegal was keeping secrets from him. He wanted to coax her into a more stable relationship, finally willing to give it a try, but every instinct he owned bellowed that she was courting danger. Even if the problems with her car were just from age, the way she was breaking legal rules for her friend promised a bucket of hurt if she got caught. “Why do I get the feelin’ you’re not leveling with me, baby?” he rumbled.

A slight tremor shook her torso. Oh, she might like her independence, but the woman liked it even more when he called her baby. She glanced toward the rain-covered windshield. The splatters were turning to a light snow. “I don’t have a clue about your feelings, but you really should get out of the rain.”

He hated secrets. Yeah, he recognized the irony there, considering he was one long line of secrets, but even so. The woman should trust him, and perhaps it was time he set some boundaries with her. “I’m gonna give you three seconds to tell me what’s on your mind.”

She stilled and then focused. Her breath came in a couple of cute pants. “What happens after three seconds?”

Ah, there she was. The curious smart-ass who loved to challenge him in bed until he pushed her right into orgasmic submission. Taking their relationship into the light of day would spur her curiosity, now, wouldn’t it? He smiled slowly and pressed hard against the apex of her legs, holding her right where he wanted her. A woman like Zara only submitted with true trust, and suddenly, he wanted that trust more than his next breath. “Stop pushing me, Zara. Right now you have three seconds.”

Her mouth opened and then closed. Her head tilted just enough to show intrigue.

“One.”

She licked her lips.

“Two.”

She lifted an eyebrow, and her gaze clearly challenged him.

“Three,” he whispered.

She waited a beat.

He pulled her even closer to him, capturing her lips.





Chapter





14




Zara exhaled into his mouth. With his hands on her ass and his big body pressing her back into the seat, she couldn’t move.

He kissed her hard, his tongue taking control, his lips firm. One of his hands tangled in her hair, tilting her head and forcing her core harder against his.

Hunger careened through her with the warm, wet, strong lash of his tongue. He plunged in, Ryker in full dominant bedroom mode, taking possession of her from head to toe and everywhere in between. A tide of white-hot desire flowed through her as his scent and heat consumed her.

His hold tightened, and he slid his hand beneath the back of her shirt to sear her waist. He stepped even closer, forcing her thighs farther apart and rubbing her center to the hard line of the erection trying to punch through his jeans.