“No. I mean here. In La Playa. What are you doing here?”
“I’m just…living here.”
“You shouldn’t be here. You’re too…good for this place.” He nodded toward the big red doors. “This is not a safe place for a woman like you. I saw you yesterday at the bar. Talking to Padre. You’re playing with fire, Paige. Go back to where you came from.”
I couldn’t believe he was saying these things to me! “Look, Ryder. I know I look soft but I’m not. I went to school in one of the roughest parts of LA. I worked at a free clinic in Terrance. I’m not some innocent thing that needs to be protected, okay? I came to La Playa so I could make a difference, and I’m not leaving until I do.” I yanked free from his grasp and opened the car door. “Thanks for the ride and the advice, but I can take care of myself.”
“Fine. Suit yourself.” Ryder put the car in gear. “Just don’t say you weren’t warned.” As soon as the door shut, he sped off into the night.
Nine
Ryder
Even though I drove away, I pulled over to make sure Paige got inside okay. Banner Manor was not the kind of place a woman like her should be living in alone. It was filled with druggies and criminals. And not the kind that were a member of an MC, either. At least we had loyalty and some moral values—even if most folks didn’t agree with them. We lived by a code of honor.
But the kind of people that lived at Banner Manor? Those were the ones who didn’t have any code they lived by and they had no problem doing whatever they needed to do to benefit themselves.
As soon as I saw the light to her apartment window turn on and I could see her shadow moving across the window, I pulled out from the curb and made my way home.
I passed by the Blue Dog and thought about stopping in. But I had groceries in the car and I didn’t want to have coffee. I was mad at myself for getting so close to kissing Paige earlier. For the first time in a long time, I wished I had the mind-numbing effect that alcohol would provide. Except I didn’t drink, and alcohol would probably only make it worse. That woman was getting under my skin.
I’d love to get under her skin, too…
Passing by the shop, I noticed a light on. Padre was probably working late, doing the books or something. There were only two bikes in the lot—his and one I didn’t recognize. He’d been acting kind of weird lately, and if I didn’t know the guy so well I’d think he could be fucking around on his wife or something.
What he did in the bedroom was none of my business, though, and so I turned the corner to head home. Lily’s Chunky Monkey ice cream was probably melted already and I needed to get it in the freezer before it was completely ruined.
* * *
Lily wasn’t homewhen I got there, so I turned on Cops while I put away the groceries. I sure the hell hoped she wasn’t with Scorpion again, but I bet she was. I couldn’t stand the guy or anything he represented. But it was partly my fault that she was attracted to a guy prospecting with an MC. After all, I’d been the one who brought this world into her life.
Nonetheless, she was in danger and I was torn as to how to handle it. On the one hand, I wasn’t our Dad, and I couldn’t exactly lay down the law like he would have. He’d have locked her in her room or something. I honestly didn’t know, but it would have been some parental way of handling it that wasn’t my style.
I was her brother, and even though I was the one in charge and had basically raised her, we didn’t have that kind of relationship.
On the other hand, the Las Balas were scary. I wasn’t scared of them, of course. But Lily should be scared, and she wasn’t. That was what scared me. If I pushed her away by being too controlling, it would only draw her in closer to the Las Balas.
The story about Annie being kidnapped and killed had zero effect. Lily was still playing with fire, and it was just a matter of time before we all got burned. I had to find another way to get through to her—I just didn’t know what it was yet.
Cracking the top off of a non-alcoholic beer, I went to sit down and watch the show. Part of me wished I could just command her to stop seeing Scorpion. But if there’s one thing true about a teenage girl, they don’t like being told what to do.
Maybe it was time to take matters into my own hands.
* * *
“Here.Put it in your hand. Like this.” She was facing away from me, and the cascade of blonde hair fell to the middle of her back like one of those smooth water fountains. She was standing so close to me that her ass was pressing up against my thighs, and I was sure she could feel my raging hard on. She had to know the effect she had on me.
I took her hair in my hands as she suggested and looped the silky strands around my palm. Gently but firmly, I pulled her head back so it was pressing into my chest. Her entire body was pressed against me as I leaned down to smell her.
“You’re not going to be able to make a ponytail if you have me pulled so close.” She was smiling and looking up at me, still facing forward.
I wasn’t thinking about putting her hair in a ponytail. All I could think about was getting my cock inside of her. I knew it would be as soft and smooth as her hair.
I growled in response, and I swear to god the woman pressed her ass into me even more. Dropping her hair, I snaked both hands around her front and grabbed her breasts. Her nipples were thick and pressed through the thin material of the t-shirt she was wearing. She obviously wasn’t wearing a bra, and so I slid both hands under her shirt and made my way up to those perfect breasts.
She leaned her head back into my chest and moaned in pleasure. Her legs spread open a bit and I took the cue. I slid my right hand down her belly, and inside the waistband of her jeans. If she was wearing panties, the fabric was so thin I couldn’t feel it.
My cock was straining to get out of its confinement as my fingers explored her soft wetness. My index finger found its way to her sensitive clit and I began playing her body like an instrument. She was moaning and pressing into me, and it was just a matter of time before she asked me to do what I’d been waiting all night to do.
