Rough Ryder (6 page)

    
              As she was walking her way back down, his voice sounded from the entry way.  She stopped.  He was talking to someone.

    
              “When did she make her reservations here?”  Ryder was asking someone about her.

    
              “About a week ago.  Actually another woman made them for her.  The woman said she needed a place to relax and let out some steam.  Apparently, she works all the time and doesn’t go out much.”

    
              “Oh, she goes out alright.”  She could hear him just as plain as day.  It was almost as if he didn’t want her there. 

    
              “What’s that supposed to mean?  Do you know her?”

    
              “I’ve seen her around.  I don’t trust her.  Something about her rubs me the wrong way.”

    
              “What could she possibly be doing here?”  It was Mel that he was talking to.  Mel didn’t seem too suspicious but Trinket was hoping he didn’t tell her where he had seen her.

    
              “I don’t know.”

    
              “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you have the hots for her.”

    
              “Ha!  The only thing I have for her is a pain.  She’s a thorn in my side.  Don’t go getting any ideas.  That one is fucked up.  I don’t want you getting to close to her.”  Trinket could hear the warning in his voice.  He thought she was fucked up.

    
              Slowly, she turned going back to her room.  She was stunned.  Hurt even.  Confused as to why it would even bother her. It didn’t matter what he thought.  It was just his opinion of her. 

    
              She felt tears burning her eyes.  Closing the door to her room, she went over to her bed; pulling back the duvet, she buried herself there.  And once again, she was in a bed, crying.  Jerk.  She hadn’t come here to cry herself to sleep, but that is what happened.

xxx

    
              “Trinket what are you doing?” 

    
              “I’m lying in bed crying, Sam.  What does it look like?”

    
              “It looks like your letting nothing get to you.”

    
              “He said, I was fucked up.  That’s more than nothing.  I am fucked up.”

    
              “You. Are. Not. Fucked. Up.  Why would you think that?”

    
              “If I’m not, why does he think I am?”

     
              “That’s not a question for me.  Sounds like you need to be talking to him.”

xxx

     
              Trinket woke with a start.  It felt like she had just fallen asleep.  The knock on the door this time was followed by the turning of the knob.  Mel poked her head in, “Supper is ready.  You didn’t come down.  I thought maybe you needed something.”

    
              Trinket put her head back down on the pillow, pulling the blanket up over her eyes.  She could tell they were swollen and she didn’t want Mel to think anything about it. 

    
              “I’m not feeling good.  I think I’ll just pass.”  It wasn’t a blatant lie.  It wasn’t exactly the truth either.

    
              “Do you want me to send something up for you?  We have some chicken noodle soup or just some broth if you want.”

    
              “No, I don’t feel like much of anything.  But thank you.”  She had no appetite.  She wanted to curl back up, go back to sleep and wake up when the week was over.

    
              “Okay, well if you need anything just ask.”

    
              “Thank You.”  Trinket rolled away from the door.  The only thing she needed was a case of chronic amnesia going back several years.  Something to make her forget how fucked up she was.

xxx

                   Another knock on the door.  Trinket rolled over in the bed, waiting for Mel to just come in like she had been.  When the door didn’t open, she called out to it.  “Yeah.”

    
              Her eyes grew when she saw who it was.  “What do you want?”  She barked out.

    
              “Well, hello to you to.  You haven’t been out in two days.  Mel said you are sick.  Is that true?”  He stared her out waiting for the answer. 

    
              “Yep.”  She rolled back over, covering her head with the pillow.

    
              “Are you sure?”  His voice had changed.  She hated that about him.  With just the change of his voice, she wanted to do whatever he wanted.  That wasn’t who she was.  She didn’t do anything unless she wanted to do it.

    
              “Yep.”  She could hear herself trying to steady her breathing.  In her mind, she was telling him, ‘no I’m not sick, just fucked up’.  Tears began making their appearance known, about the same time as her heart pulled and tightened.

    
              “I don’t believe you.”  He was calling her a liar.  A liar that she was. 

    
              “What do you care?  Just go away.”  She sniffled against the pillow.

    
              “Are you crying?”  His voice still in the same tone, but it had softened.

   
              “No, just go away.  Please.”  She was fighting to hide it.  But it took all of about two seconds for her sobbing to break free.  She was hurt.  Embarrassed that he was standing in her room listening to her cry.  She didn’t cry in front of people.

    
              The next thing she knew, she heard the thug of boots, weight moving on the bed next to her, and then he was rolling her to her side, sliding in behind her.  He pulled her against his chest, not giving her a choice.

     
              “What are you doing?”  This wasn’t what she had expected.

    
              “Helping you.”  She felt his warm breath against her ear, as he nestled his head next to hers.

     
              “I don’t need your help.  You’ve done enough.”  She bit out.  He had done enough.  Look at her.  There for two days and she had spent all but an hour of it in her room.

     
              “I didn’t do anything.”  His lips brushed against the naked skin of her neck.

     
              “Yeah.  You’re, Mr. Innocent.”  She tried to pull away from him.  Her crying was getting worse.  She was beginning to hiccup and right now, she didn’t want to be like this in front of him.  In front of anyone.

     
              “You’re not going anywhere until you let out whatever is on your mind and tell me what in the hell you think I did.”

     
              “You’d be fucked up to if you watched your husband and little girl die right in front of you!  Now. Let. Me. Go.”  She fought against his strength that was easily overpowering hers.  Finally she gave in and let it go.  It was the first time she had cried in front of anyone.

     
              He held her there.  It was his fault.  He let her piece by piece chip away the heartache that was inside her.  He smoothed her hair away from her face, kissing her cheek as if telling her he was there for her. 

     
              When the last hiccup had past, he finally spoke again to her.  “Do you feel better now?”

     
              “No.  Nothing can take it away.”  She closed her eyes, just wishing to wake up from the hurt.

     
              “Getting out of this bed is the first step.” 

     
              “How would you know?”  Nobody knew what would help.  The anger that she kept inside her was constantly clawing at her skin, trying to break free. 

    
              “Because staying shut up in here isn’t going to help anything.  Come on, let me show you around again.”  Quickly he stood, glaring down at her.  Waiting for her to move.  He wasn’t going to give her an option.

     
              “I don’t want to be around people.” 

     
              “You don’t have to be.”

    
              “But, I would have to be around you.”

    
              “Yes.  That’s nonnegotiable.  You have ten minutes.”  He turned leaned over, giving Trinket a glimpse of his ass.  An ass that she wouldn’t mind seeing more of.  It didn’t last as he grabbed his boots, heading out the door.

    
              Trinket lay there for a few more minutes before finally nudging herself up and out of bed.  She rummaged through her clothing and almost put them on, but the fact was she hadn’t showered in two days, stopped her.  That was something that had to be rectified right now.

     
              Trinket hurried to finish her shower.  She knew that it would take her longer than ten minutes to get ready.  She didn’t care.  If he wanted her out of this room, he would have to wait.  What she didn’t expect to find was when she came out of her bathroom back into her room, he would be sitting on the bed waiting for her.

     
              She stood there with her mouth gaping open.  She watched as his eyes roamed up and down her body that was dressed in nothing but a towel wrapped around her. 

     
              When his eyes returned to hers, she could see what her appearance had done to him.  The fire that was lit there, spoke louder than any words he could have said. 

    
              “I said ten minutes.”  His eyes roamed her body again.  “But this… this was worth the wait.  Meet me at the barn.”

xxx

                   Ryder had to get out of there quick, which was exactly what he did.  He had been around women before with less on than a towel and hadn’t responded like that.  His cock had went instantly hard when she stepped out.  Her dark long hair was combed back straight, dripping water.  The water beads that ran down her chest was his undoing.  He immediately started picturing himself licking the beads away.  Over the indention of her collarbone. 

     
              He didn’t trust himself with her.  He had seen her at the club.  The way she had reacted to whatever she had witnessed.  Which was no doubt his way of life.  Something that he had done or would do given the chance with her.

     
              After he saddled the two horses he planned on taking out, he stood there waiting on her.  Wondering if she would show. 

     
              He pulled out his cell.  He had to know how she had ended up here to begin with.  His thoughts told him that J had set it up.  But then Trinket hadn’t mentioned it. 

     
              “Hello.”  J answered.

     
              “J, sorry to bother you but you wanna tell me how Amber’s friend Trinket showed up on my Ranch?”  Ryder listened to the silence on the other end for just a moment before his friend answered.

    
              “I don’t know anything about it.  I can find out if you want.  Amber is at work right now, but she should be home in a few hours.”

     
              “Yeah.  Find out what you can about her.”

     
              “I’m sorry.  Did I hear you right?  Have you met your match?  The incredible Master Ryder can’t read a sub.”

     
              “You heard me.  I didn’t say I couldn’t read her.  She’s just keeping something hidden deep.  I don’t know the details.  She mentioned something about watching her husband and kid die.  Find out what you can.”

    
              “Wow.  Deep scars you think?”

    
              “That’s what I’m thinking.”

    
              “I’m on it.  I’ll give you a call when I find out.”

    
              “Confident you can get it out of Amber huh?”

    
              “I learned from the best.  I can get anything out of that woman.”  J laughed.  

Ryder knew why he was laughing.  The fact was
, J had joined the club right after his last tour in Iraq.  He was lost, didn’t know where he belonged and had some issues of his own.  Ryder had taken him in.  Showed him what life could be like.  J mastered at it.  Ryder had no doubts when it came to J. 

    
              “Good.  I gotta go.”

    
              “Okay.”

    
              He went to great lengths to keep his life at the club private.  People here knew nothing about it, if they even knew a club like that existed.

    
              Ryder stood there staring at the door to the main house.  If she didn’t come out soon, he would go in there and bring her out.