“Babe, I'm going to get you home now. You're tired, and you’re cold. But we’re gonna talk. Real soon. And I ain’t taking no for an answer.”

Jade nodded, trembling in my arms. I gripped her ass and pulled her to me, pushing my hardness against her stomach. One more kiss. I had to have just one more . . . I lifted her face to mine and kissed the shit out of her. She had to know how much I wanted her.

She sighed into my mouth, and melted her soft curves into my hardness. I took her mouth again, sucking at her lips. I figured a man was entitled to some happiness—however fleeting. But there was no way in hell I was getting attached to Jade. Oh no, I’d let my cock have its way with her; I’d fuck her as much as I needed. But that was all.

Being a realist, I knew it couldn’t last forever because nothing ever did, as if the fucking universe hated me. As soon as I loved somebody as my own, they left me. First Marianne, and then Max. I understood about Max, so I was OK with that. Didn’t hurt any less, though. His moving to New York, on the other side of the fucking country, was as good as if he’d moved to a different planet.

Reluctantly, I pulled away. Had to get back to the house. Shaking my head to clear the sex-fog in my brain, I got onto the bike.

“Get on,” I growled.

Fuck. Looking at her standing there, her arms wrapped around herself, biting her lip, I just wanted to take her to my bed. And then bury myself deep inside her. All night long.

She hitched her dress up her thighs, exposing the milky-white skin above her stockings where the lacy tops ended. My cock twitched. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Fuck, I wanted her again.

Her arms came around me as she scooted as close as she could get to me on the bike. Princess was asking for it. I was taking her home. Yeah. That’s what I was going to do.

“Hold on, babe.” My chest tightened. Jesus, she affected me in ways I didn’t know a woman could.

The bike roared to life, rumbling under my ass. I took a deep calming breath, then another, deep into my stomach. This feeling I understood—my bike and I had a great relationship. Bitches and I, not so much.

Slipping my arms around Ryder, I thrust my body against his, needing to be as close to him as humanly possible. I wanted to soak him in, to feel his warmth, and to smell him. Experience every inch of him and burn this into my memory so that later, I could unpack it all and savor tonight over and over for as long as I needed to.

I squeezed my eyes shut—I wasn’t getting through to Ryder. He wouldn’t listen to what I was trying so hard to make him understand: we were from two different worlds.

Mutually exclusive worlds.

My world wouldn’t accept him as much as his wouldn’t accept me.

Anything between us had to end tonight. There was no other way, especially if there was to be no bloodshed. What we had was a strong physical attraction—nothing else. My stomach churned, and bile rose in my throat. This could be one of the best or one of the worst nights of my life.

Harrison would go ballistic if he just saw Ryder. He’d shoot first, and ask questions later. Since that day almost ten years ago, his hatred of bikers and their kind had turned him into a coldhearted man. In fact, he’d get pleasure out of watching Ryder die a slow and tortured death. For Amy. And the others, too, but mostly for Amy.

I sighed deeply, drawing the smell of him into my nostrils on an inhale. I'd let him get me close to home and then I'd catch a taxi back to the house.

It was time I found my own place. Living with my parents had worked for me, up until tonight. Now I needed my own space. I didn’t want to answer to them anymore. It’d never bothered me before, but now I was an adult and it was time to take full responsibility for myself. My twenty-third birthday was only weeks away—it was time to move out.

Ryder made the trip back toward the city a lot faster than when we’d come up Mulholland Drive earlier. I had to hold on with all my might, our bodies moving as one as he rounded sharp bends, leaning together as the beast roared beneath us.

The cool wind whipped my hair all over my face. It was useless trying to tame it, so I just went with the flow and closed my eyes, feeling the ride rather than watching. Every bump, every acceleration was amplified with my eyes closed.

Eventually I heard other traffic noises, so I knew we were approaching built-up areas. Ryder slowed and stopped at what I assumed was a traffic light. I ventured my eyes open and gasped. We were in the driveway of the house in Beverly Hills already.

A smile crossed my lips. Ryder had listened to me after all. He was going to call a taxi to take me home.

“Off, babe,” he ordered, his voice a deep growl.

I jumped off the bike and tried to straighten my windswept hair. I was sure I looked a hot mess with my clingy dress still up around the top of my thighs—the dress I had chosen, because tonight was the night I was going to give in to Marcus and have sex with him.

Before that plan turned to shit.

A wry smile crossed my lips. The evening turned out nothing like I’d expected. I’d ended up fucking a man so completely different to Marcus in every imaginable way, yet it was exactly what I’d needed.

Ryder's long leg swung over the bike and he stood in front of me, a naughty grin on his face.

“Was that good for you too?” he drawled, his eyes hooded so that I couldn’t see if he was being sarcastic or just teasing me.

“It was fun. Thanks. But now I need to call a taxi to get me home. My parents will be worried about where I am.”

“No. No cab. You're staying here tonight. With me.”

Is he serious?

Stunned, I shook my head. “I can't, I need to go . . .”

He took a step closer and pressed a thumb against my lips. Hard. “Shut up, woman. You talk too much. Always fighting me.”

He lifted my chin and his mouth possessed mine, my resistance fading as I melted into him. My arms curled around his neck and twisted his hair as his lips possessed mine. Sense left my brain, and my core clenched. His large hand squeezed my ass, pressing me to him. I was wet already.

How was it possible that he had this effect on me? It was as if I were in a trance around him. Shaking my head, I pushed against his chest.

Get going now, Jade, before you can't walk away.

“Ryder, I’ve got to go—”

“Got to do plenty, Princess. But I know you don’t want to. There’s a difference.”

“I'm calling a taxi.” I reached into my purse for my phone and started dialing.

He yanked it right out of my hand. I gasped and lunged at him, trying to grab it, but he was too tall, holding it above his head. His eyes narrowed and he stared down at me, a satisfied sneer on his face.

“Ryder, please.” I huffed, arms folded across my chest, pouting. I wasn’t in the mood for games. I'd had enough shit for one night.

“You will be begging me tonight. But not to leave.”

My eyebrow quirked. “I'm going home, like it or not.”

He continued as if I hadn’t said a word. “You’ll be begging me to make you come. Yeah.” He smirked.

“No. It’s over, and I’m lea—”

Big strong arms lifted me off my feet as if I were a feather. Next thing, I was hanging ass-up over Ryder’s shoulder.

“Dammit, Ryder. Put me down.” I squealed.

“Hush, you’ll wake Mia and the kids.” He strode toward the house with long determined steps.

I was equally single-minded. My fists pounded his back. “Put me down!”

I jerked as a hard slap landed on my ass.

“Quiet,” he growled.

“No!” I shouted.

Another smack. Harder. My ass stung like hell.

“Jade,” he hissed. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew he was clenching his jaw in that Ryder way he did so well. He set me down at the front door, his arm an iron cage around my waist, his hand covering my mouth. My eyes widened when I looked up into his. They were dark and stormy.