“The street is nearly deserted on a Saturday,” he murmured.
A group of people laughed farther down the sidewalk. “Not enough,” she hissed, fighting her body as much as him. “Let me up.”
He slowly rotated his hand, and she saw stars. “Submit, Zara.”
Oh, she fucking hated that word. But as the group of people came closer, panic won. “Fine. Let me up.”
“No.”
“I went to see Julie. Borrowed Brock’s car, but she wasn’t there. He says she’s on drugs.” The words rushed out of her so quickly she started to cough.
Ryker stiffened, and his gaze darkened. He slowly removed his hand and helped her to sit up.
Quivers consumed her abdomen. She pressed her thighs together to try to dispel the ache. Man, she needed an orgasm.
Without another word, Ryker shut her door and moved around the front of the truck to slide into the driver’s seat. Rain had soaked his T-shirt and black hair. He started the engine and pulled out into the street.
Zara swallowed. Her body rioted, brought to the brink and not fulfilled. She dared a look at Ryker.
A muscle clenched in his jaw, his face impenetrable.
He had no right. “What the hell, Ryker? I mean, my car wasn’t messed with, as you know. What’s your problem?” she asked.
He paused at a streetlight and turned to look at her, his gaze thoughtful. “Not sure. A gut feeling that something is up, and it may have nothing to do with you. But you’ve been hit in the face, and then your car had problems.”
“Jay hit me when he was trying to hit his wife, and he has no clue where she’s staying, so he couldn’t have messed with my car. Nobody had any reason to mess with my car, and your friends said it was probably just wear and tear.” She tried to rub her hands down her jeans, but her entire body felt oversensitized. “I don’t like your caveman act.” Well, her body did, but she wasn’t admitting that. Ever.
The light changed to green, and he pressed on the accelerator. “Don’t you?”
“No.” Forget the fact that her body was on fire.
“Hmmm.”
If he pulled the truck over and told her to get naked, she was very much afraid she’d do just that. It should frighten her how well he played her body, but there was something intriguing about it, although she did feel vulnerable. A woman would have to be able to trust completely to be with Ryker Jones forever. They drove the rest of the way to his place in silence. “I should go home,” she said.
“I need to check in with Denver, and then I’ll take you home.”
Good. She could take a cold shower, make out with the shower nozzle, and get some good sleep. “Fine.”
His chuckle slid right under her skin in a lazy caress.
They drove into the underground parking, and he parked the truck before dragging her across the seat. Her butt hit his hard thighs, and she nearly groaned out loud. “Want me to finish what we started?” he asked, his voice beyond rough.
“What did we start?” she whispered, her body already swaying toward him. She grinned.
He put his face an inch from hers. Raw sexuality and masculine power glowed in his odd-colored eyes. “You know what.”
“I guess.” Her mind wanted to be mad and her heart wanted to be protected, but her body wanted relief. So her tone was teasing.
“Good.” He stepped out of the vehicle, tugging her with him, and tossed her over his shoulder.
Vulnerability attacked her along with humor. She hung over his shoulder, easily controlled by a strength so much more primitive than her own. Yet something about him—a sense that he was searching so hard for something, for a connection—called to her. She slid both hands down his back to grab his very fine ass. If she could trust him even when he was being over the top, what would he give back? Her gut told her he’d give everything and then some. “I’m still mad at you.”
He all but jogged up the stairs, and before she knew it, they were back in his apartment. The world tilted, and she ended up on her feet for the briefest of seconds before he spun her around to face the wall. “Hey—”
Firm hands molded to her breasts, and he pressed his erection against her butt. “Take off your pants,” he rasped in her ear.
She shivered. “Are you playing?” Her voice trembled.
He paused. “I’d never hurt you.”
She knew that, but still, the words mattered. Her heart thumped hard, and feminine power flushed through her. “All right, badass. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
He chuckled against her ear and plucked her nipples. Erotic pain shot through her, and her knees weakened. “Pants. Off. Now.”
She unzipped her jeans just as he tugged her shirt over her head, his hands rough.
“Nice.” He caressed from her breasts down to her thighs and back, missing the important parts.
She pushed back against his fully clothed body.
He chuckled and tapped down to her core, easily parting her with his fingers.