Mistake Me Not

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

“Cassettes,” Sorcha grumbled, slamming the glove box of Shep’s five-door, electric-blue Ford circa nineteen ninety something. “This thing is a relic.”

Sorcha kicked at the fast-food wrappers around her feet.

Maybe under other circumstances Ryder would agree with her, but right then, he had a completely different focus. The car was a mess. It was rusted, old, and had more than a few suspect stains on the upholstery. The woman nestled under his arm, her head on his chest, kept hot blood rushing through his veins, so he only absorbed pieces of what was being said up front. Just enough to monitor what was going on, and that the environment remained safe.

Lacie’s hair caught on his stubble. The inadvertent fortuity bred affection; he wasn’t used to such intimate fondness. In his line of work, he was usually getting between people and trouble. His urge to protect Lacie was more intrinsic. She sighed in her sleep, muttered something then turned her face against his throat. Her hand slid further up his thigh.

“Hello! Hello!”

Ryder snapped out of whatever he’d been languishing in and saw Sorcha hanging over the shoulder of her seat.

“She talks in her sleep you know,” Sorcha said.

“Doubt he hangs around long enough to find that out for himself,” Shep offered.

“You’re not looking at him looking at her.” Sorcha fluttered her eyelashes. “She’s so cute when she sleeps. She’s always like this when she’s preoccupied with something.”

Concern zapped through him. “Preoccupied with what?” he snapped. “Are the rich boys giving her trouble?”

“You’re cute. Oh, you’re so cute… I mean you’re rough and tough, not at all whom I would’ve thought Lace would end up with… Of course, she’s never had luck with men. I don’t know why… they don’t get her, don’t understand her. Not that many of them would be inclined to put in the effort to learn. Men are lazy when it comes to things like that… I don’t know what—that’s a girl talk thing, I guess. Sorry, but we’ve had no time for specifics, Lace and me. I’ll get the skinny on you, and on what’s going on—”

“You could just ask me,” Ryder said.

“Why would I do that?” Sorcha asked with knowing satisfaction. “I’m not interested in what you think of yourself.”

“You’ve been Lacie’s best friend since college. You mean a lot to each other. You and I will be a big part of each other’s lives from here on in.”

“Is that so,” she said, examining him and the slumbering woman in his arms. “Lacie’s a life girl you know. She experiences things in a way no one else does. She’s unique. There’s absolutely no one like her.”

“An artist,” Shep said from the driver’s seat. “Nothing they won’t do. Kinky as hell.”

“Uh, that’s my friend you’re talking about.”

“Yeah,” Shep said. “So?”

“You’re using a stereotype.”

“Always pans out,” he said. “Like you, Little Miss Aristocrat, never got you out the missionary.”

“Why are you begging for more then, Slob?”

Shep didn’t answer back. Ryder assumed he had no comeback and didn’t have to think long about why.

“Did you hear from your friend?” Sorcha asked.

“What friend?”

“Toby, you said he was—”

“Following the money,” Ryder said. “I’ve missed a couple of calls.”

“I didn’t hear it ring.”

“Vibrate,” he said.

“You don’t want to disturb Lacie?” Sorcha asked like he was a teddy bear.

“That and Shep’s in the car.”

“Still don’t trust me?” Shep asked.

“No,” Ryder said.

“Will doesn’t need your bunch to fight his battles.”

“Will is the last in a long line of grievances and you know it.”

“Just because I wouldn’t sell out to the corporate overlord.”

Ryder laughed, which made Lacie whimper again. “You can’t use that one forever.”

“What do you mean corporate overlord?” Sorcha asked.

“I’m the little guy,” Shep said.

“You’re corrupt,” Ryder said. “I don’t want you on my payroll. I told you that when you came begging for your job back.”

“I didn’t know you very well then,” Shep said. “I’m over it now.”

“I’m lost,” Sorcha said.

“StoneWall,” Shep said. “StoneWall Security and Investigations, that’s him.”

“Well, but I…” Sorcha said and trailed off as clarity struck. “Oh my God. I know you! Your company does all my father’s work. You do all the high-profile personal protection details within a thousand mile radius. You’re the only one anyone with money wants or will trust. Oh my God! Does Lacie know?”

“We haven’t spent time on it,” he said.

“His elite team works at the house,” Shep said. “The whole lot of them think they’re superheroes.”

“Careful, Shep, you sound bitter,” Ryder said.

“Who’s the Wall?” Sorcha asked.

“Jamie Wallace,” Shep said. “His high school buddy.”

“What is your problem?” Ryder asked. “You’ve got a chip on your shoulder. You made your own decisions, I didn’t make them for you.”

“You and your smarmy friends think you know it all, think you’re better than—”

“I’m sick of this fight,” Ryder said.

“We’re supposed to be a team,” Sorcha said. “You need to find out what this Toby guy is trying to tell you. I’m hungry, and we need a strategy.”

“You didn’t think about that before we left?” Ryder asked.

“I like to act now and ask questions later,” Sorcha said. “Which explains Shep.”

Ryder snickered. Lacie muttered, her stretch suggested she was wakening.

“Let’s find somewhere to eat,” Sorcha said.

“There’s a steakhouse a few miles up,” Ryder said. “We’ll stop there to regroup.”

“Is it business this time?” Lacie murmured. “Or personal?”

“I’m off the clock, baby,” he said kissing the top of her head.

“Glad to hear it, or what we did earlier was highly inappropriate.”

Even half-asleep, she could make him smile. Ryder didn’t need Sorcha to point out how unique Lacie was. His instinct had figured that out while his obsession was still lost in a fog of desire. He desired the body, but he craved the woman. He just had to make sure she would never get over her urge to be this close to him.

“Please, please, please,” Sorcha begged, reaching over the steakhouse table to steal her friend’s hands.

“I haven’t drunk enough for those antics,” Lacie said.

Ryder had enjoyed the meal. Surprising given Seth Sheppard had been at the table. Relaxing his arm along the back of the booth, he liked that Lacie stayed close. They didn’t have to be touching for people to know they were together. The sight of them would be enough to tell people that they were attuned to each other.

Petite Lacie nestled close, intimately close. For most of the meal, she and Sorcha had monopolized the conversation. The men had been ignored, which was just fine by him. He liked the sound of Lacie’s voice, the change in intonation with her varied meaning and emotion. Most of the people they discussed were strangers to him. He’d listened to Sorcha’s minute-by-minute account of her short-lived vacation, though not as intently as Lacie. Sorcha sure knew how to drag out a story.

By comparison, Lacie was far more concise in her explanations and narrative. She knew her mind and was honest without once being negative or malicious. Lacie spoke more softly than the vibrant, animated, Sorcha who gestured wildly at every opportunity.

“I thought we were here to come up with a plan,” Shep grumbled. “I’ve got places I could have been tonight.”

“Your money will be as good to the poor girl tomorrow as it would be tonight,” Sorcha said without looking at Shep, then switched to continue pleading with her friend. “Lace, when was the last time we had a night on the town?”

The question had been rhetorical, but Lacie answered it anyway. “Your birthday two months ago,” she said. “You puked all over my bedroom floor.”

“I did,” Sorcha said, proud of the badge of honor. “But I haven’t been drinking tonight, have I? And there’s a motel right next door. We don’t have to go to anyone’s place.”

“What about Bruce?” Lacie asked.

“He’ll keep.”

“Sorch, I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

“You have nothing to worry about. Your date is a bodyguard.”

“He is?” Lacie asked, turning to him though Sorcha still held her hands.

“In addition to being a PI,” he said, scratching the top of her head with his splayed fingertips. “If you want to dance, go on. I can see the floor from here. I’ll keep an eye on you.”

The large double doors at the back of the restaurant had been closed when they were there alone. Tonight, they were open, revealing a wide bar and dark dancefloor with scattered colored lights whooshing around. A DJ booth stood at the back of the room, though the tunes were more mobile disco than hard-core nightclub.

“I thought we were going to get this over with today,” Lacie said.

“We can get moving,” he said. “But Sorcha’s right, it will keep.”

Lacie sighed. “Okay.”

“My rate’s double after midnight,” Shep said, moving out of the booth so Sorcha could get past.

As she did, he took the chance to squeeze Sorcha’s behind, which earned him a glare.

“There’s a fire door on the far wall and a janitor’s closet in the south corner. Any trouble go for the fire door and I’ll find you,” Ryder said to Lacie as he too left the booth for her to slide out.

“Trouble?” she said, stopping mid-slide. “Will there be trouble?”

“Not for you while I’m around, baby,” he said and kissed the top of her head.

“Kiss me here,” she said, pointing to her lips.

“Happy to oblige,” he said, doing as asked.

“She hates it when men talk to her,” Sorcha said in explanation. “Hates it. It makes her uncomfortable.”

“Okay,” he said, taking Lacie’s hand.

Sorcha stole the other in an attempt to drag Lacie to the dancefloor, but she didn’t get far. “What?” Sorcha snapped at him.

Guiding Lacie close, Ryder stepped in and cupped her skull to angle her mouth up against his as he crouched to consume her. Any man who saw their encounter would know to steer well clear. Maybe kissing her with such devotion, or so much tongue, wasn’t appropriate for the environment. But he’d forgo decency to ensure her comfort and safety.

“If you need me, just holler,” he said, kissing each corner of her mouth. “I’ll have my eyes on you.”

The way her body shifted told him she was thinking about their time in her bedroom that afternoon. The same memory hadn’t been far from his head all day.

Sliding her hands up his chest, they glided over his shoulders and all the way around as far as they could go until she was teetering on her tiptoes. But this wasn’t a move of seduction, she was holding him. When his arms locked around her, something in his heart clicked. His entire life had been about holding this woman, being a part of her. She was an extension of him.

“You don’t mind staying over?” she murmured, tracing her lips against the crook of his neck.

“Do you?” he asked.

Her body melted down his. “No,” she said, caressing his stubble.

No further words escaped her; the drowsiness in her air was nothing to do with exhaustion. Their visceral spark was tangible, yet all around them were oblivious.

Sorcha succeeded in dragging Lacie across the room and through the bar. Once they were safely ensconced in their pursuit, Ryder took his seat at the edge of the booth and continued to watch. Shep, in the center of the bench opposite, slurped his beer.

“If she’s so rich, why does she live in a box?”

“What?” Ryder asked, swiveling his glass of ice-water by its base.

“Lacie,” Shep said. “Some guy is supposed to be offering her tens of thousands for whatever it is she does, but she lives in a hole.”

“Why don’t you keep your opinions to yourself,” Ryder said.

“I’m a detective. It’s in my nature to speculate.”

“Did you read that in a book somewhere?”

“Didn’t get the details on how you got mixed up with this. How long have you been screwing her?”

“How many times have you or I called each other voluntarily to catch up?” Ryder asked.

Shep considered the question for a second. “Never.”

“Which should give you a hint about how much I want to be involved in your personal life.”

“We aren’t talking about mine, we’re talking about yours.”

“Don’t feel you have to fill the silence. I have no problem sitting here saying nothing,” Ryder stated.

“I can see you’re hooked,” Shep said. “I’m not sure I get it.”

“What?”

“She’s hot, but I’ve seen some beauties on your arm, ones that can sit still, unlike Lacie. Is that the charm? She like that in the sack too? I can get how that tasty little tail squirming around on your c**k could—”

“Enough! If you want to walk out of here with all your teeth, you’ll shut your mouth and keep it that way,” Ryder said, maintaining his focus on the dancing women.

Shep swilled his beer. Lacie laughed at Sorcha’s spinning move and caught her when she stumbled.

“What happened to Tammy?” Shep asked.

“What?” Ryder snapped, gritting his teeth, trying to draw joy from the woman in his view.

“That stacked leggy blonde you hung about with, you were f*****g her for months. Her I understood, she flamed in every room she walked into… she’s single now?”

“Could be,” Ryder said. “Wouldn’t like your chances.”

“Still got your finger in her pie too? Nice. Keep them all on a slow burn. No promises. No commitment. I like your style.”

“Chasing after my cast offs?” Ryder said. “Maybe you should get your own style.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m counting the minutes ‘til I get my greedy hands on the t**s of that little wriggler.”

Shep smacked his lips.

Ryder balled his fists. “Try it,” he growled through gritted teeth. “I’d take great pleasure in ripping your body to pieces.”

“Relax,” Shep said, still drinking his beer. “Sorcha’s good for another couple of trips. You can help yourself to her when I’m done. What she lacks in ingenuity, she more than makes up for in volume.”

“Wouldn’t be too sure about your chances there either,” Ryder said.

“You planning to take them both on? Get enough liquor into Sorcha, doubt she’d say no. I might take a shot at that myself.”

“You’re full of hot air,” Ryder said. “Why don’t you sit here and think about that? It’s the closest you’ll ever get.”

Ryder wasn’t listening to anymore. He left Shep at the table and moved through to the bar, tipping his drink to Lacie to let her know his position. Lacie started to make her way toward him, but Sorcha got hold of her and the dancing continued. He’d like the chance to do a little dancing with Lacie himself. Of a different kind, an up close, all alone, slow sharing of each other kind of dance. For now, he’d enjoy the unfamiliar role of voyeur.

He wouldn’t have thought it of himself before, but he was content to sit there watching her. He liked witnessing her rapturous laughter, enjoying herself, and her friend. She was happy and safe. His male pride swelled; his contentment came from hers.

They might not have much of a history, but he was sure their future would be secure. Even if there were bumps, or she had doubts, it wouldn’t matter. He hadn’t got to where he was by giving up. As he sat there watching her, there hadn’t been a more crucial time in his life to be unforgivingly tenacious.

The sugar from their lemonades kept them on the dancefloor for hours. Sorcha had been flirting on and off with a guy and his friends. Now Sorcha was in the guy’s arms. Lacie herself had been approached half a dozen times too. Each time she would apologize and explain that she was with someone, pointing out exactly who that someone was if the pursuer pushed harder. Ryder didn’t shy from giving them a wave and backing up her story.

Having him there gave her freedom and security. Without fear of harassment from other patrons, Lacie could suit herself. Ryder gave her an out no man could argue with. Lacie whispered to the slow-dancing Sorcha to get the nod that finally granted her the green light to leave the dancefloor.

Ryder hadn’t moved from the stool at the bar since he’d sat on it. More than a couple of women had approached him, but his attention remained on her. Once or twice, Lacie tried to join him at the bar, but Sorcha pulled her back.

Now she’d put Sorcha on the clock with her new dance partner, Lacie was free to wind down her evening, and get to Ryder. The corner of his mouth curled upward as she got nearer. Quite a few females snarled at her, of that she was certain.

“You come here often?” she asked, taking herself into his arms.

“Recently?” he asked as she nuzzled closer. “Yeah.”

Despite how their original night there had ended up, the reminder warmed her. “I’m tired. Do you think we’ll get a room here? It’s busy.”

“We?” he asked.

Her body squeezed closer. When she put her mouth on his, his familiar bulge persisted in its attempt to probe her.

Purring, she wriggled against him and stole another kiss. “I told Sorcha we were leaving after this song.”

“She’s cozy with that guy,” Ryder said.

“She enjoys the attention,” Lacie said. “She’s the first one to admit it. They’ll have the dance then she’ll blow him off. She’s tired too. Is Shep still around?”

“He was messing around with some girl a while back. I’m not interested in what he’s doing.”

“Our things are in his car.”

“I’ll get them,” Ryder said.

If he could break into his own modern vehicle, she didn’t doubt he could get into Shep’s ancient one.

“Should we find him, make sure he’s okay?” Lacie asked. “Will he need a room?”

“I’ll get us set in the motel and get our things,” Ryder said. “We’ll worry about him in the morning.”

She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. “Okay.”

“Do you want to dance?” he asked.

“I didn’t think you did.”

“I enjoyed watching you. Now we’ve got the slow numbers…”

“Do you want to make out?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“You’re tired?”

“I slept in the car,” she said, taking her head from its pillow. “I don’t sleep well at night.”

“You don’t?”

“Stick around and you’ll find out.”

“You know there’s no rush for us,” he said.

“You don’t want to spend the night with me?” she asked.

His arms were like a vice around her, they wouldn’t let her withdraw. “There’s something you should…” Ryder trailed off and then tried again. “I need to be clear with you.”

“About what?” she asked. Acid began to chew at her guts. “What else haven’t you told me?”

“No more secrets or lies,” he said, kissing her into submission, which gave the acid a break; her body turned to Jell-O.

“So be clear…” she said.

“I want to spend the night with you.”

“But?”

“But once I do, that’s it,” he said.

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“Once we spend the night together, there’s no going back. You’re in, we’re in. You won’t spend the night alone again.”

“Ryder, this has all happened so fast, and—”

“You’re backing out?”

“No,” she said. “I don’t want you to make promises that you’ll feel guilty about breaking later.”

“I won’t break them.”

“Just… no promises,” she said. “I’m in, okay? We’re in now, neither of us know where this will end. But we’re in it now.”

He pushed her hair from her face to tilt her chin up. He took advantage of the position of her mouth for a while before he spoke again.

“My room or Sorcha’s?”

“Yours,” she said without hesitation. “Sorcha will want to talk all night. I’ll get no sleep.”

“Don’t expect any in my room either.”

“What did I say about promises?” she flirted.

“That’s not a promise. It’s an airtight guarantee,” he said and kissed her again.

Sorcha left the man she’d been dancing with begging for more and swept Lacie and Ryder into her wake. They got all the way outside, across the parking lot, and into the motel office with Sorcha talking the whole way. Ryder kept her hand and Sorcha stayed on her other side, arm-in-arm, chattering on.

Sorcha kept talking in the office and was quite happy to let Ryder go to the desk to get their rooms. She was busy telling Lacie about the guy who’d been hitting on her in the steakhouse. The pair followed Ryder to Sorcha’s room.

“Stay,” he said to her then gave her a kiss and left them alone.

Lacie didn’t know how long he would take to retrieve their things.

“He’s yummy,” Sorcha said, kicking off her shoes as she flopped down on the bed.

“Who?” Lacie asked. “Ryder or the guy at the bar?”

“Ryder,” Sorcha hummed. “He’s so… male.”

“That’s good,” Lacie said, smiling. “Otherwise my attraction to him would be kicking up all sorts of questions.”

“You’re different with him,” Sorcha said, unbuttoning her blouse then taking out her hairpins before discarding everything on the floor. “You feel it, don’t you?”

When Lacie smirked, Sorcha squealed and tossed her skirt across the room. “Yeah.”

“I told you, didn’t I?”

“I don’t want to get in too deep,” Lacie said. “Maybe it’s all a s*x thing—”

“It’s not for him,” Sorcha said. “The guy looks at you like you’re the most precious thing in the world. Yeah, he looks like he wants to gobble you up too, but he definitely wants to take you home to his momma. This could be it for you! Wouldn’t that be cool? Both of us settling down at the same time?”

Lacie laughed. “I’m not sure I was ever wild like you, and I’m not sure you’re the settling down type.” Lacie had seen some of the specimens trotted out like high-pedigree prize studs in front of Sorcha by her parents. But Sorcha had never been satisfied, she had a boldness and a confidence Lacie envied. There had been many times, like tonight, Lacie had been whirled along for the ride.

“How can I be here, Lace?” Sorcha grumbled and grabbed her friend down onto the bed beside her. “I have a thing in me… a human thing.”

Sorcha plastered Lacie’s hand onto her belly.

“Are you okay?” Lacie asked.

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t feel pregnant, and I don’t know if I want to settle down.”

“You know it will be okay. We’ll all help you.”

“I know,” Sorcha sighed, sounding anything but convinced.

“What about Bruce?” Lacie asked. “How do you feel about him?”

“I have no idea. My family will go crazy if I’m not marrying the father of my child. I’ll be disinherited… but they won’t be much happier about me bringing a felon into the fold.”

“You can’t make assumptions. We don’t know how involved he is yet.”

“Do you think we’re going to find out? Will we find out what he’s up to?”

“Yes.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Ryder won’t let it go until we know,” Lacie answered.

“You’re so lucky,” Sorcha said. “He’s great.”

“You’re just finished telling me you don’t want your fun to be over.”

“It’s not,” Sorcha exclaimed. “My fun is not over yet.”

“No,” Lacie agreed. Sorcha crawled to the top of the bed and yawned. “We’ll get back to the adventure tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Sorcha said, closing her eyes. “Adventure.”

Lacie pulled the blanket up over her friend and kissed her forehead. “Night, sleep tight.”