Born to Ride_A Clubhouse Collection

chapter 3 ~ Jade

The rumble of the Harley sounded completely out of place in the quiet neighborhood. I stood in front of the door, tapping my foot, my impatience at getting this over with, making me on edge.

Renting this house to a biker was a mistake. I knew Uncle Eric would admit to it later, and regret his decision, when the lovely garden was destroyed and the house trashed. Yet, I was only an employee, doing my job to the best of my ability.

Unease settled in my gut as I watched Ryder take the helmet off his head and hang it over the handlebars, running his fingers through his thick, dark hair. I took the moment to stare at him openly. Biceps bulged under his T-shirt and he appeared more relaxed than the day before.

I had to admit, reluctantly and against my better judgement, that he cut a fine figure sitting on his bike, as if he melded into it, completely in tune with the metal beast.

Man and machine were hot as hell.

But . . . definitely not my style. Still, I was mature enough to admit when something was beautiful, even if not to my tastes. Each to their own.

Yet I kept staring, my mind a whirl. I moved in all the right social circles, met plenty of new people—and men—all the time. It was just a matter of time till I met Mr. Right. The man who ticked all my boxes and would provide my happily ever after. I narrowed my eyes against the sharp afternoon sun, a faint unfamiliar flutter in my stomach. There was something about this man that challenged all my senses. But why? Why him? I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

His raw edginess was sensual on a level I wasn’t accustomed to. He definitely had the whole bad boy thing going on. He was gruff and stern, his stubbled jaw permanently clenched, his dark brows knitted ominously into a frown. Sexual power rolled off him in waves, causing my mouth to go dry as I sensed his primal animal magnetism.

No doubt women flocked to him, some even believing they’d be the one to finally tame the badass biker and make him their man. Luckily I had no intentions of ever going there. I’d leave him to the rest of the female population to tame. Good luck to them. This one wasn’t going to be easy.

He looked up, his unfathomable eyes locking on mine. A lazy smile spread across his face and he slowly and very deliberately raked his gaze up and down my body. I tugged at my skirt, then rested my arms across my chest in a protective fashion against those eyes that were practically undressing me.

He swung a long, muscled leg over the bike and made his way up the path, his eyes trained on mine, apparently oblivious to the roses lining the path and the freshly mowed lawn. I fidgeted with the clipboard that I clasped tightly to my chest, distressed that my heart was beating so furiously at the sight of him striding toward me, with a cocky grin plastered on his face.

Yes, Ryder Knox was sex on legs.

“Hello, Princess,” he drawled, his eyes piercing mine, “we meet again.”

“Ugh,” I replied. Very eloquent, considering I’d just written my final exams and was practically a qualified lawyer; I’d soon be making my living out of my gift to articulate at daddy’s firm. Go figure.

Pull yourself together Jade, don’t let him get to you.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Listen, Ryder. Since you won’t fill out any forms, I’m going through every room with you, one by one. We’ll agree on the condition of everything on my checklist, which I’ll require you to sign. That way we have an undisputable record in case anything goes wrong. That along with photographs I’ve already taken, so that there’s no arguing or any bullshit afterwards. Your deposit will be used to fix any damages to the property and the appliances and fixtures. Understood?” My voice was curt and what I hoped he would perceive as don’t-mess-with-me.

His nostrils flared and his brow knitted. Good. He understood my message. I flashed him my tight lipped professional smile.

His lips curled into a snarl. “Stop being so uptight. I’m not going to trash the goddamn place. Just so we are clear, I want every cent of my deposit back when I leave.”

“Hmmpf,” I snorted, quite unladylike. “That will be a miracle.”

His eyebrow raised in warning. “You don’t know me. Are you always so f*cking quick to judge other people?”

“I’m a pretty good judge of character. I haven’t been wrong before,” I smirked, my heels clacking on the polished hardwood floors as I made my way to the newly installed chef’s kitchen. I stood by the stainless steel oven and turned to him.

Angry eyes glared at me, creasing at the corners as he narrowed them. “You’re a kid. What do you know about life? Real life ain’t no f*cking picnic, Princess. Not everyone lives a goddamn fairy tale. It’s time you grew the f*ck up.” He gripped my shoulders and squeezed, his thumbs pressing hard into my skin—I was sure I’d have bruises the next day.

My gaze burned into him. “F.Y.I., I’m twenty-three next month. That makes me an adult.” I poked a finger into his chest. “Just because you’re acting as if you’re over the hill, doesn’t make me a damn kid.”

He threw his head back and let out a deep guttural laugh from within his belly. “I’m not even ten years older than you, sweetheart. I guess compared to your life experience I am an old man. But I still have a f*cking lot of living left in me.” His thumbs caressed my shoulders in large circular motions, relieving the pain he’d inflicted just moments ago. A shiver ran down my spine. Abruptly, I shrugged out of his grip and stepped backward so he was no longer touching me. I needed the distance between us to think clearly.

I turned to the state of the art kitchen units and mustered my most professional voice. “These units and appliances are newly installed. Pity you will be eating mostly take-away food.”

“F*ck, there’s that smart mouth of yours again. I’m going to have to find a way to f*cking shut it up. It’s really pissing me off.” His gaze lingered on my mouth as he rubbed over his own lips with his index finger, deep in contemplation.

Bristling, I pulled my shoulders back and straightened up so that I stood taller. Even in my heels, I was at least a foot shorter than him.

I stormed off into the rest of the house. Right now I wanted to be anywhere but here. We went through each room, one by one. Mostly we agreed on the condition of each room and I could just tick the boxes on my list. Thank God, it was nearly over and I could get out of here.

Why the hell had I insisted on doing these freaking inspections? And what’s more, why had I insisted on conducting them myself?

Smart, Jade, real smart.

Angry at myself and lost in my thoughts, I marched into the main bedroom.

“Ah, the best room in the house,” he chuckled behind me.

Annoyed by his comment, I spun around on my heels and came up against a hard chest. I drew in a sharp breath; his manly smell filled my nostrils. I hadn’t expected him to follow that closely. Amusement lightened his eyes as he grinned down at me.

He sauntered over to the king sized bed that dominated the room and tested the mattress. “Hmm, feels nice and firm. Not that I’ll be sleeping in it much,” he said cryptically.

He lay down on the bed, his head leaning up against the headboard, and patted the space beside him. “Want to join me so that we can see if we agree on the condition of the bed? The springs and responsiveness of the mattress?”

Turning on my heels, I smirked and marched out.

“Not in a million years,” I replied over my shoulder.

Cocky a*shole.