The Hurricane (16 page)

“Momma told me you were riding your motorcycle over here. She said you had a surprise for me, but wouldn’t tell me what it was! What is it Ryker? What is it?” she yelled as I cut the engine, and hopped off the bike, hitting the kickstand with my boot.

“Well, how was your first day?” I asked.

“Good!” she yelled as she looked over her shoulder, just as Natalie met us in the driveway, with a dish towel slung over her shoulder. She was wearing a pair of cut off jean shorts and a Johnny Cash t-shirt, with bare feet. Her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head with little strands falling around her face. Fuck me, she was beautiful.

“Hey you,” she said as she looked me up and down.

“Hey beautiful,” I said as I gave her a quick peck on the cheek, squeezing her waist gently. I tried not to be too affectionate with Brooklyn around, but I had this uncontrollable need to touch her. The smile she gave me almost brought me to my fucking knees. I ran my index finger along those little freckles on her nose before turning my attention back to Brooklyn, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet, waiting patiently.

“I’m sorry, Brooklyn, did you mention something about a surprise?” I teased.

“Momma said you had a surprise for me!” she said, clapping her hands.

“I actually have two surprises for you,” I said as I reached into my saddlebag, and pulled the gift bag out.

“Thank you!” she said as she grabbed it from me.

“Awesome!” she said when she pulled the box out. “It’s a mustang! My papa got me a truck set one time, but momma got too frustrated because she didn’t understand how to put it together, remember that momma?” She said, looking in Natalie’s direction and laughing.

“Oh, I remember,” Natalie giggled.

“Well, I can help you put this one together,” I said as I watched her inspect the model car box.

“I love it, thank you!” she said with her eyes beaming, staring at me and then back at the box.

“Ryker does have one more surprise,” Natalie said, eyeing me with a nervous grin before looking down at Brooklyn.

“I don’t know what could be better than a Mustang!” she said as she hugged the box against her chest.

I reached into the second saddlebag and pulled out a helmet, handing it to her.

“No way! No way!” she said, and stared at the helmet in awe.

“Just around the block and he’s going to go really slow. So don’t try and make him go fast,” Natalie said in her very serious mom voice.

“I promise, momma,” she said as she handed Natalie the model car box, and took the helmet from my hands.

“You have to be safe,” Natalie said, to both of us. She was so nervous about this, I was shocked that she even agreed.

“I can’t ride a motorcycle in shorts, I need to go change,” she said and ran into the house.”

“You sure about this?” I asked Natalie as I wrapped her in my arms.

“Just be careful,” she said as she stared into my eyes.

“I promise,” I said, and brushed my lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around my neck, scratching her nails gently along my hair line.

“I might have to sneak in your window tonight,” I whispered in her ear, and bit her lobe gently. We hadn’t had sex in a few days and my dick was begging to be inside her.

“I think we can arrange that,” she said with a smile as she grabbed my ass.

The honking of a car horn startled her and she jumped back.

“How’s this Ryker?” Brooklyn asked as she ran outside wearing a pair of jeans and cowboy boots.

“Works just fine,” I said as she put the helmet on her head. I reached down, buckling it and giving it a tug to make sure it was in place.

“I forgot one thing,” I said as I reached in the bag and pulled out the other helmet. I wasn’t too happy about this one, but I figured I needed to be a good example and shit.

I took my baseball cap off and replaced it with this fucking helmet, but didn’t let my face give away my feelings.

“You’re wearing a helmet?” Brooklyn said with a huge grin on her face.

“I’m a little shocked, too,” Natalie said as she stared at me, with her hand over her chest.

“Safety first, right Brookie?” I said as I held out my fist to her to bump.

I hopped on the bike and started it, then held out my arms for Brooklyn. She leaned right into me and I lifted her, placing her in front of my lap. Technically, she was supposed to ride behind me, but I didn’t feel that she would be safe enough behind me. I wanted her in front of me so I could make sure she hung on.

“Ok, hang on right here,” I said, and patted the front of the motorcycle. I knew I wouldn’t be going very fast at all, so she would be safe. I tightened my legs against her until I felt like she was secure before pulling out slowly.

“Please be careful!” Natalie yelled over the rumble of the engine.

“I promise,” I mouthed to her, and she gave me a tiny grin as she gripped her arms across her stomach.

We putted down the side streets and I could hear Brooklyn’s giggles over the engine. I couldn’t help but smile the whole time around the block.

“This is awesome!” she yelled through her laughter as we pulled back into the driveway. I noticed Natalie snap a picture with her phone as we pulled to a stop.

“Momma, that was so fun! Can I do it again?”

“Maybe some other time, I don’t think my stomach can handle another ride today,” Natalie said as she held her hand over her stomach. I could see in her eyes how nervous that made her.

“We’ll go again soon, ok?” I said as I jerked that damn helmet off my head.

“Besides, dinner is almost ready.”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” I told Brooklyn.

“Me, too. Momma is making tacos and they are gooooood,” she said as she stood next to me.

“Come on y’all,” Natalie said.

“They are yummy to my tummy! Yummy to my tummy!” Brooklyn sang as she skipped into the house, still wearing her helmet.

FaceTime Fail

Christy had warned me that with school starting came school germs. It hadn’t taken long for that to ring true. School had only started two weeks ago, and I got the call today that Brookie was running a fever. So I took the last few hours off work to take care of my baby. This was the hard part about being a single mom. Well, one of them, anyway. Some days I had a list. But thankfully, the Tylenol had worked and she had finally fallen asleep.

Today was the first day I hadn’t seen Ryker in quite a while. He came over every night for dinner and would sneak back in most nights once Brooklyn was in bed. I had gotten used to having him around, and I didn’t like the feeling it gave me when he wasn’t here. I had fallen for him hard and I didn’t know how to stop it. But I was a mom first, and my baby came first. So I knew that taking care of my sick little girl was my top priority.

When I finally crawled in my big lonely bed, my phone started to ring.

Ryker. That involuntary smile that occurred every time I saw him appeared when his face lit up my screen.

“Hello,” I said quietly as I snuggled under my down comforter.

“Mmm . . . your phone voice is sexy, have I ever told you that?” he rumbled in his deep sleepy voice. Now that voice was sexy. I had to cross my legs at the sound of his voice.

“I think you’ve mentioned it,” I said with a little giggle.

“What are you doing?”

“Just got Brookie to sleep, now I’m in this big lonely bed,” I whined.

“I miss you,” he said quietly, and my heart started to pound harder.

“I miss you, too,” I replied quietly but without hesitation.

“You’re in bed all alone?” he asked.

“All alone.”

A few seconds later my phone started to ring. He wanted to FaceTime. Damn it. I wish he would have warned me. I pulled the hair tie from the messy bun sitting on top of my head and quickly wiped the under eye cream off that I had just put on. I ran my fingers through my hair quickly, and covered my bra-less chest that was sporting an old Dallas Cowboys T-shirt with a rip in the sleeve. Sexy, Natalie. Ugh.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said when the call connected.

“You should warn a girl next time,” I said, running my fingers through my hair again as I held the phone in front of my face.

“I needed to see your face,” he said with a smile. Shit he was sexy. He was lounged back on his sofa; I could see the black leather behind his head. He was shirtless, and his tattoos were sprawling in all directions. He wasn’t wearing a hat and his hair was standing on end in a perfect mess, which added to the pure sexiness that he exuded.

“Whatcha got on under that blanket?” he asked, giving me that heart stopping grin that I couldn’t resist.

I didn’t want him to see the torn shirt I was wearing. I was pretty convinced it even had an old coffee stain on it, and it was too late to check now. There was only one way to avoid it so I figured what the hell.

“Hold on,” I said putting the phone beside me, then pulling the t-shirt over my head, exposing my breasts.

“Nothing actually,” I said as I held the screen in front of me once again ,trying to sound sexy but unsure if I pulled it off or not.

“Fuck baby,” he replied, biting his lower lip, so I figured I did ok.

“Yeah?” I said with a smile, and decided to take my bravery a bit further. I rubbed my hand over my breasts and pinched my nipple, watching his face intently. He crinkled his brows together and his eyes narrowed just a little.

“God, I wish I could touch you,” he whispered.

“Right here,” I said, as I ran my hand over my nipples, then down my stomach, putting my hand down the front of my panties, not even realizing that I was already wet for him.

“Yeah baby, right there, tell me how it feels,” he growled, and I noticed the phone shaking just a little as he adjusted his body.

“It’s feels warm and wet,” I whispered, and a little moan escaped my throat as I started to touch myself. For him, for me.

“Rub your clit, baby,” he said with heavy breaths, as I squeezed my thighs together, doing exactly as he said.

“Momma,” I heard in the distance. I immediately threw the phone on the floor and jerked the blanket over my breasts.

The orgasm I was close to finding disappearing immediately.

“What’s wrong, honey?” I said, fumbling under the blanket trying to find my shirt. She had her hands over her eyes, shielding them from my lamp, so I threw the old shirt over my head quickly and stood to my feet.

“My tummy hurts,” Brooklyn mumbled, and then held her hand over her mouth. “Momma, I think . . .” she said quietly as I scooped her in my arms and sprinted to the bathroom, just in time for her to empty the soup she had for dinner into my toilet.

She started to cry after she finished. I wrapped my baby in my arms and carried her to my bed, where I noticed my phone, face down on the carpet. Shit. Ryker.

“I’m going to get you a washcloth ok, stay right here,” I said as I grabbed the phone off the floor and walked into my bathroom.

I looked at the screen and saw Ryker’s face, staring at the screen, watching, and waiting.

“I’m sorry,” I said as I held the screen near my face, grabbing a washcloth out of the cabinet.

“Is she ok?” he asked, genuinely concerned.

“She just threw up.”

“I heard, poor kid,” he said with a sad smile.

“I’m gonna keep her in my bed tonight. I’m scared she might throw up in her sleep. I’m sorry,” I said again.

“Nat, don’t,” he said with a smile. “Take care of our girl,” he said, and I wanted to kiss his face on the screen.

“Ok, I’ll call you tomorrow, ok?”

“Tell her I hope she feels better soon,” he said.

“I will, goodnight Ryker.”

“’Night,” he said, giving me a wink before ending the call.

I walked back into my room with the wet cloth and it looked like Brooklyn had fallen back to sleep. I crawled in bed beside her and rubbed the cloth over her forehead.

“Was that Ryker you were talking to?” she asked, with her eyes still closed.

“Yeah, he said he hopes you feel better soon.”

“I will,” she whispered, already half asleep. “I gotta ride his motorcycle again.” Her light snores began right after that.