Sleight Mistake

Chapter One-2

Lacie admired the man too. Enraptured by those long, strong legs in his faded jeans and the crisp white tee shirt that strained across his broad chest and shoulders, she smiled at the sight of his biceps testing the stitching. Ryder was ripped to perfection and she knew that from up close, personal experience.

He’d said he needed to cut his hair, but Lacie liked it wild. She also liked his stubble-roughened chin that made him look so dangerous, especially with those new reflective aviators hiding his eyes. When one corner of his mouth tilted up, she knew exactly what was on his mind.

“Baby,” Ryder said to her when he stopped beside their table.

Sorcha was talking again, but Lacie couldn’t tear her eyes from Ryder’s still-shrouded ones. She didn’t need to see his eyes to feel them trail down over her body. He undressed her slowly, exposing her in his mind for his mental visual consumption. It sent a shiver through her body, snapping her n*****s to attention and moistening her core in preparation for his welcome intrusion.

“Uh, hello!” Sorcha shrieked. “I’m sitting here, and you’re in a public place, stop with the foreplay.”

Lacie blushed and dropped her eyes. “Hey, Sorcha,” Ryder said.

Removing his sunglasses, he hooked them into the neck of his tee shirt. It didn’t matter that Lacie hadn’t looked at him again. He scooped her up and sat on her seat, moving her to his lap in the process as though she was his napkin.

“We’re having lunch,” Sorcha said.

“You’ve been in here nearly two hours,” Ryder said. “You spent most of that on the coffee course while you decided what to order.”

Lacie looped her arms around his neck and rubbed her nose on the stubble on his cheek. The hiss from the women around them was audible, but it didn’t put Lacie off. His hand slid from the small of her back all the way around her body to her abdomen. He didn’t have to switch his focus to her, the reaction in his jeans against her thigh almost made her squeal. Her body pressed closer, her peaked n*****s crushing themselves into his chest.

“Are you stalking us?” Sorcha asked.

“Don’t have to,” Ryder said. “My girl and me got the comms down.”

“I didn’t know you were joining us,” Sorcha prickled.

Though she could tell by Sorcha’s tone that her friend was unhappy, Lacie couldn’t stop herself from rasping her teeth against Ryder’s jaw. His smile spread, and when he glanced down at her, she pulled herself closer, still conveying without words exactly what was on her mind.

“Remind me to sneak out on you more often,” he said, bumping her nose with his.

They’d had dinner in front of a movie last night and gone to bed early. Since her return from Wallace’s lair, she’d had several issues at night. Nightmares and restlessness, as well as an increase in her sleep talking.

Last night after a bout of lovemaking, she’d settled to sleep in Ryder’s arms. When she’d awoken in the dark, he was gone. But he was here now, sliding that hand on her lap up her skirt.

“You ate?” Ryder asked her with a squeeze.

“I ate,” Sorcha said. “Can we help you with something?”

“Actually, I have to go,” Lacie said, lifting Ryder’s hand to read his watch.

“You do?” Sorcha asked. “You better not be running off to get laid.”

“We’ve been here for two hours, Sorch, and I’ll be over at eight,” Lacie said.

“Make it seven and come to my place.”

“Will you give me a ride?” Lacie asked Ryder.

“I’ll leave you the truck before and drive you home after,” Ryder said. “We’re working security at the party.”

“What?” Sorcha screeched.

“We’ve done Reynolds’ events for years,” Ryder said. “They haven’t been impressed with the other contractors they’ve used while SW’s been on hiatus. Your father called me this morning. I didn’t want him to beg, and he was offering big bucks—five times what we usually charge.”

“You’re extorting my father?” Sorcha asked.

“I’m not taking the money,” Ryder said. “I told the story to demonstrate his desperation.”

“Sounds like my dad,” Sorcha said, tidying up her place setting. “Always wanting the best of the best.”

With an amused smile, Ryder waited a beat. “Why Sorcha, are you paying me a compliment?”

Sorcha didn’t look too sure about that. Her friend and her boyfriend clashed, but their conflict was suppressed for her benefit and Lacie was grateful for that. Though it did lead to frequent displays of passive aggression.

“Why are you smiling?” Sorcha asked Lacie. “How are you going to get to my house now?”

“I’ll drive us,” Lacie said.

“In that monster of a truck?” Sorcha stuttered.

“I’ve got other vehicles,” Ryder said. “You’re welcome to any of them. Lace has full security access.”

“Really?” Sorcha glowed and her eyes began to dance. “You’ve got a Spyder convertible.”

“Yeah, it was a gift from a client,” Ryder said.

“No,” Lacie said, digging her nails into Ryder’s neck.

“Dusty has a thing for the truck,” Ryder explained.

“You know how I feel about loyalty. We’ve made some memories in that truck,” Lacie murmured, flicking his earlobe with her tongue.

“We have,” he said. After he squeezed her thigh, his fingers extended, tracing his knuckle over her panties—the man was a covert pro.

“Stop making gooey eyes,” Sorcha tsked.

“You’re engaged,” Ryder said. “Gooey eyes come with the territory, don’t they?”

Lacie raced in before her hormonal friend either cried or stabbed someone, though she was sure Ryder could deflect her if it came to it. “I should get going,” Lacie said.

“You’ll do that thing?” Sorcha pleaded when Lacie bent to pick her bag from the floor, squeezing Ryder’s hand between her thighs.

“I said—”

“Today,” Sorcha said.

Lacie looked at Ryder’s watch again. “I’ll try, but it’s already after three, and—”

“Please,” Sorcha said, placing a hand on her swollen abdomen.

“Okay,” Lacie said. Sorcha beamed. “Do you need us to drop you somewhere?”

“No. I’ve got a nail appointment next door in ten minutes.”

Lacie nodded, locking her fingers between Ryder’s while they stood together. “I’ll see you—”

“I do need a chocolate muffin,” Sorcha said.

Ryder sighed but he released Lacie’s hand and went to the counter to purchase the muffin without further complaint.

“Shep might say no,” Lacie said, keeping her eyes on Ryder to ensure he didn’t come back while they were talking. “You broke his heart the first time you dumped him.”

“I did not! Hearts were nothing to do with it. That was only s*x. We both knew that.”

“Maybe. But we all went through a lot together, and you dumped him again—”

“We thought Bruce was dead,” Sorcha said, but lowered her chin when Ryder approached.

Ever vigilant, Lacie knew that Ryder spotted the abrupt end to their words, but he didn’t mention it. Both of them said goodbye to Sorcha, though Sorcha was more interested in beseeching Lacie with her desperate, innocent glances.

She would do Sorcha’s bidding, because she always did. Lacie didn’t mind dealing with Sorcha’s messes because it allowed her a distraction from any mess in her own life. At the moment, she had it sort of together, but Jamie Wallace had taught her how quickly things could change.

She and Ryder left the coffeeshop, and he led her to the truck which was further down the block. After helping her into the cab, he rounded the truck to enter on his own side. But he didn’t start the engine to get them moving. He leaned over to kiss her thoroughly and got his hand up her skirt again.

“People can see through these windows you know,” Lacie said when he pushed her skirt all the way up and shoved his arm behind her hips, forcing her to the front edge of the seat.

“I thought we could make a memory.”

“On a public street?” she asked, leaning in to kiss him again. His finger slid under the cotton of her panties and it was inside her before she could breathe out.

“Ryd,” she gasped, grabbing at his shoulders for stability.

Slowly he slid his finger out only to join it with a second digit. “Mm,” he hummed.

Resting his head on her shoulder, he buried his mouth on her neck and sucked as his fingers increased pace.

“What… are you… oh God, Ryder…”

Lacie grabbed for the door, and her other hand landed on his thigh, grasping for some kind of anchor. When he sucked her neck, she recognized that the sting would leave his mark on her. His fingers almost left her completely but his thumb grazed her c**t.

“Do you like that?” he murmured against her.

“Uh, uh… I…” Her heart wanted out of her chest, so she tried to measure her panting, to slow it and breathe through the pleasure. But Ryder’s digits delved back into her and his thumb curled around her nub, squeezing her hard.

“Talk to me, baby,” he said, lowering his head further.

But she’d lost all perception of the situation, his teeth grabbed her n****e through her blouse and she shouted his name, then whispered it on an exhale. The fireworks in her gut bubbled to her aching breasts. The permanent clench of her inner muscles locked his fingers in place, but that didn’t prevent his thumb from massaging her off the cliff again.

“Yes, baby,” he whispered. “Good, more?”

Her eyes remained closed. Breathing became harder, and clenching again, she pulsed around the fingers he used to torment her with. Pushing them deeper, he curled around to push the cushion of her G-spot, while spiking her c**t.

“Baby?”

Wriggling further down in her seat, Lacie rode his hand, rocking her hips against his digits. “You like that,” he exhaled.

Dragging his teeth on her shoulder, Ryder made her blouse flutter down her arm. Her fingers twisted into his hair to direct his mouth upward as hers descended. Leading the kiss with her tongue, Ryder gratefully received her initiation, accepting her battling intrusion with his own.

He slipped a digit into her again. Her arousal forced her to push back, while rubbing herself on the pleasurable pressure he offered. “Good,” he said on her mouth. He nipped her lip, then pushed her head aside to suck her earlobe.

Sliding her hand up his thigh, Lacie pressed her palm to his solid length, and at the discovery of his equivalent arousal, her moisture seeped over his digits. Ryder hummed against her again and took her hand from his lap. She tried to resist, but he held her hand away from his groin by pressing her hand over her own knee.

Just as she was sure he’d brought her to the brink again, his fingers slid out, causing her to yelp. Blinking stars from her eyes, Lacie looked at the stores and the greenery of the plaza where a smattering of people went about their business.

The truck started up, and Ryder pulled into the flow of traffic. Shaking off the mist, he carried on like nothing had happened.

“What was that for?” she said, when she was ready to attempt speech.

“What?” he asked.

“That.”

His lips curled at one corner, and he rested his hand on her still-exposed thigh. “I love you.”

“Ryder,” she sighed with a smile. Taking his hand in both of hers, she lifted it to her mouth and covered his knuckles with kisses. “I love you too.”

“You like orgasms,” he said. “And I wasn’t around to serve any up this morning.”

“Our bed feels odd without you in it,” she said, receiving a smile. Kissing his hand again, she laid it on her thigh and covered it with her own hand while the other reached to his tee shirt and snaggled his sunglasses. “What time do you have to be at work?”

“The boys are over there just now,” Ryder said. “I’ll join them in an hour.”

“Really?” she asked. “You have a free hour?”

“You’re not interested in how I knew you were still at lunch or why I crashed it? We haven’t talked all day.”

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“If there was anything wrong you would’ve told me as soon as we were alone.”

“Yeah.”

“So I knew there was nothing wrong. And I was happy to see you. I like it when you surprise me. I have nothing to hide, Ryder. You’re not going to catch me in the act of anything untoward.”

He laughed and squeezed her leg. “Not when I’m the one acting with you. If you want to have a tempestuous affair, you just let me know.”

“What did we just do?” she asked when he pulled up outside her new place.

Ryder jumped out and came around to lift her out of the truck before he answered her. “What we’re about to do again,” he said. Locking the truck, he took her up the building stairs to unlock the communal door with his own key.

“You know I have a date tonight,” Lacie said, struggling to keep up as he increased his speed on the stairs.

“Yeah, I met her at lunch, she’s cute. The kid yours?”

She came up short at his back when he halted to unlock the front door. Once it was open, he swept her feet from under her to take her inside, past the door to her workroom and up the stairs to the loft with the mezzanine bed.

When he came down on top of her on the bed, she rubbed her hands from his chest to his shoulders. “Are you getting this out of the way so that you don’t have to come home with me later?” she asked, running her hands into his hair.

“I’m coming to bed with you tonight too.”

“I’ll probably crash at the Reynolds’ tonight with Sorcha,” Lacie said, kissing him and reaching for the hem of his tee shirt.

“Why?” he frowned.

“It’s what I usually do after a couple of glasses of wine. I don’t like to drink and drive.”

“Mm,” he grinned. “So you’re going to be lubed without a ride home. I have to stay sober.”

“So I get s*x now and later?”

“Anytime I get the chance, you get it.”

“I love you, Ryd,” she said. “Promise me that you’ll never let me screw this up.”

“What?” he asked, brushing her hair from her face. “What would make you say something like that?”

“Just… if I do anything wrong, or… insensitive, give me a chance to fix it.”

“Baby, I’ll fix it for you, guaranteed.”

Speech was forgotten when their mouths merged in prelude to what their bodies were about to mount. No matter how many times they were intimate, it got better every time.