Three Way, the Novel (2 page)

“Is that the name of the big guy carrying me?” I laughed.

“Yeah, it is. Haven’t you seen him in here yet?” Jake asked as we got close to the bar. He looked Ryker up and down with an appreciative gaze. Jake liked rough and tumble men where I generally went for academic types. We always joked about our perfect guy, and now that I thought about it, I was being carried by his.

“I’m standing right here,” Ryker grumbled and helped me settle onto a stool. “You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not in the room.”

“Isn’t he divine?” Jake said to me from behind the back of his hand. I laughed at the dark look that crossed Ryker’s face. He was a man used to commanding people, and we weren’t having any of it.

“I don’t think divine is the word I would use to describe him,” I replied and leaned back against the bar. Ryker sat in the stool near mine, took my foot in his hand and pulled it up onto his knee. He loosened the strap on my high heel and slipped it off.

I winced as he examined it and looked up at me. “Well?” he asked.

“Well what?” I replied and relaxed as his hands massaged me gently.

“What word would you use to describe me?”

Jake’s head snapped up and he raised an eyebrow as he glanced my way with a little grin. I was surprised that somebody like Ryker would care so I smiled and said, “I don’t know. Devilish. Commanding. Powerful. Irritating” I paused and looked down at him, his strong hands circling my slightly swollen ankle and I couldn’t help myself, I blurted, “And hot.”

He looked up and gave me a crooked grin. “Hot, hey?”

I gulped and looked wildly around for Jake, but he had moved to the other side of the bar and was sending customers away as we hit closing time. The two club bouncers were busy with a couple obnoxious drunks. The club emptied quickly except for a table of biker types in the corner near the stage.

“Don’t forget irritating. But yes. Hot. Maybe a little,” I replied. “What’s the verdict? Will I ever walk again?”

He chuckled. “I believe you will,” he said. “You might need a little bed rest though and I know a way you could make that go by quickly.”

His hand moved up my leg as he spoke and I couldn’t look away from his mesmerizing gaze. “How?” I asked with a dry throat. I felt like I was being preyed upon and I liked it.

“I would keep you occupied,” he told me with a voice that sounded more like a growl in the back of his throat than anything. “I would start like this,” he continued, massaging my ankle and leg in slow, sensual circular motions. “And I would wind up higher up, my hands would find your sweet spot and make you forget all about your pain.”

My mouth was completely dry and I said, “Okay, that might work.” Mentally I cursed myself for sounding so bloody senseless.

“And then I would spread your thighs and—”

“Jake just told me what happened! Are you okay?” Tawny yelled as she came rushing over on her impossibly long legs and impossibly high heels. I knew Ryker would ignore me then, that’s what always happened when Tawny was around, but I’d enjoyed basking in his attention while I had it.

“I’m fine, it’s just a sore ankle,” I replied, trying to pull my leg away from Ryker.

He didn’t release it though. He kept looking at me and completely ignoring Tawny. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and get us a bag of ice?” he asked her, only briefly looking in her direction.

“I will,” she replied and held out her hand. She had that smug smile on her face that meant she knew she was about to claim all his attention. “My name’s Tawny, by the way.”

“Hello Tawny, where’s that ice?” Ryker snapped without breaking his gaze from mine. “I never did get your name, kitten.”

“Margot,” I replied softly as Tawny stomped behind the bar to search for the needed ice.

“Margot,” he said, still cupping my ankle in his warm hands. “It’s a beautiful name, like you.”

“Here’s the ice!” Tawny announced brightly as she shoved it in front of Ryker. He seemed more annoyed than anything else. He took the soaked plastic bag full of ice from her hand and looked at it with disgust.

“Did you bring a towel? I can’t apply this directly to such delicate skin.”

“Delicate?” Tawny snorted. “There’s not much delicate on a girl like Margot.”

“Towel,” he barked and she jumped. I watched it all with an amused look on my face.

“Do most women act like that around you?” I asked.

“Generally,” he replied and gave me a hooded gaze that melted my insides. “They’re not all hot heads like you, kitten.”

“I’m not a hot head, I just don’t like being told what to do,” I replied with a haughty tone.

“Exactly,” he chuckled.

I saw Mel crossing the club floor with irritation painted on her features. She was looking right at us with her mouth twisted in a frown.

“What the hell have you done now, Ryker?” she asked as she approached.

“Nothing, I swear,” he replied with a grin. “I’m helping this one.”

“You can’t leave my girls alone, can you?” she snapped. “I told you if you bother any of them at work, you couldn’t have your meetings here anymore.”

“He didn’t bother me,” I told Mel and wondered just how many girls he’d bothered in the past and why it angered me so much to think of it. “He saved me from a guy in the alley. And he was just leaving.”

I stared pointedly at him with that last sentence. I was irrationally pissed off at the thought of him fucking around with the dancers and I didn’t care that my ankle was still sore and his hands felt so god damned good on it.

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere, kitten,” he chuckled and slid his chair slightly closer until my foot was resting on his thick upper thigh. I gasped when I felt the huge ridge of his erection under the fabric of his jeans and could barely look him in the eye as my cheeks flared red. “I don’t think you really want me goin’ anywhere anyhow, do you?”

Chapter Four

“I told Jake to handle the garbage on his own,” Mel said. “We’ve had nothing but trouble in this neighborhood and the local police aren’t exactly keen to help a strip club keep safe.”

“It’s a bad area,” Ryker agreed. “You know, we could help you out with security if you need it.”

Mel looked him up and down, her age wizened face wrinkling into a scowl. “You know I can’t afford your particular brand of
security
. I’m just barely staying above water as it is.”

Ryker stared at her for a moment, then turned back to me. “I have an idea,” he said. “My club will offer protection if you let us meet here a night or two a week. After hours of course, but with Margot here serving us.”

Mel’s face lit up and she glanced nervously in my direction. “I can’t guarantee that. Margot is her own person and I can’t order her to stay past her regular shift to handle your rowdy lot.”

Her eyes were pleading though; I knew she needed this. The club was located in a terrible area and it was getting more and more dangerous for girls to even leave after the night was over. The nearest bus stop was four blocks away and taxis wouldn’t come down here anymore. Hiring private car services for the girls was getting expensive for Mel.

“What gang did you say you were?” I asked Ryker out of curiosity.

“Motorcycle club, not gang. And it’s Hell’s Warrior,” he replied. I suppressed a shudder, I’d heard of them. Of course I’d heard of them, they were infamous for being one of the more dangerous criminal organizations in our city.

“I would have to serve the whole club?” I asked with my throat going dry again at the thought of what that entailed. I looked at the table full of bikers near the stage and once again tried to suppress a shudder.

“Just me, kitten,” he replied with a lazy smile.

“And no stripping?” I asked tentatively.

“Only when you want to, and in private,” he replied in an even tone without looking away.

Mel’s expectancy hung heavy in the air and I had to admit I was intrigued. I blew a limp curl of hair out of my face and said, “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Excellent,” Mel said with a laugh. She clapped her hands and said, “I’ll go tell the girls. I had a couple of them threatening to quit and go work for Mason’s after they heard about Margot here.”

Tawny had been hanging around the background and piped up, “I was one of them. I was so scared when I heard about my roomie here. But if you’re going to be protecting us, I’ll
have
to stick around.”

She slid her hand onto Ryker’s arm and hooked it there as she leaned towards him, pressing her breasts against him.

I was waiting for it once more, the moment he realized that a stunning horny woman was hanging off his equally stunning arm. The moment he forgot about me, pretty in my own right but not Tawny’s level of beauty by any stretch of the imagination.

But it didn’t happen. He looked annoyed and shook her hand off. “Where do you live then?” he asked me.

“We’ve got a place out in Angola,” I replied, hating that we lived in a tiny apartment in a part of town that wasn’t much better than this neighborhood.

“Either of you drive?” he asked.

“No,” Tawny giggled. “I got a DUI last year and Margot here doesn’t have her license. Her parents are, like, this weird religious cult from Kansas or something.”

“Nebraska,” I blurted as if that was any better than Kansas. “And I do have it, I just never drive anywhere. My parents would have let drive more me if I’d wanted.”

“It’s settled then,” Ryker replied, giving me that look that reminded me of a hawk about to devour a mouse.

“What is?” I asked.

“I’m going to make sure you get home,” he said. He looked over his shoulder at the table of bikers, motioned with his hand and one young guy with a huge black beard jumped to his feet and sauntered over. “Call the car,” Ryker told him. He nodded, pulled out his phone and stood to the side.

“Oh wow, that’s awesome,” Tawny squealed. “I hate taking the bus this time of night. It’s so scary without a big badass like you with us.”

“I won’t be joining you,” he said, shifting on the stool and I was once more reminded that my foot was casually touching his erection. Or that he had an erection. From touching me. “I have business here tonight unfortunately, but I do look forward to spending time with you the next night we’re here.” He was looking at me but Tawny wasn’t having any of it. She was so used to getting all the attention that this was driving her crazy.

“Oh good, I can’t wait either,” she said to the side of his head. He didn’t even turn to acknowledge her.

“Car’s here, boss,” the black bearded biker told him after a couple minutes.

“I can walk,” I said and tried to pull away from him and stand on my own two feet.

“You cannot,” Ryker insisted and swooped me up in his arms again. I clung to his neck and allowed myself the momentary satisfaction that this damn fine man was carrying me and ignoring Tawny.

I had a feeling I’d be hearing about it back home though.

“What about at the apartment?” Tawny whined. “I can’t help her up, she weighs so much and I’m so thin.”

“I’ll have Gus here take care of it,” Ryker said, motioning to black beard.

We got to the car, he helped me in and I heard him growl to Gus, “Help her up but keep your fucking hands to yourself. I hear that you disrespect one hair on her head and I’ll slit your fucking throat, you got it?”

“Got it, boss,” Gus grumbled.

Ryker leaned in, flashed me a dazzling smile and said, “Until next time, kitten.”

“I’ll see you soon,” I managed to croak. “Thank you by the way.”

“Think nothing of it. Anything for a beautiful woman,” he smiled.

Gus and Tawny joined me in the back of the luxurious town car and Ryker slammed the door.

I twisted in my seat and saw him watching the car drive away, that same hooded predatory expression on his face from earlier.

And again my insides melted.

Chapter Five

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Tawny shrieked from the living room.

“What is it?” I called from my bedroom. It had been four days since the
incident
, as I liked to call it, and my ankle was just now starting to feel better.

“Your
boyfriend
…again!” she bellowed.

She sounded angry, so it must be another gift from Ryker.

I padded out still favoring my ankle and limping slightly. I rubbed my eyes and poured myself a cup of coffee. “What is it this time?” I asked, looking around the kitchen at the flowers and box of pastries that had been sent yesterday.

“Car service for a freaking year!” she said as she walked to the table and tossed an envelope in front of me.

“You opened it?” I asked, glaring at her.

“I thought it was for me,” she said trying her best to appear innocent.

“Sure. And I was born yesterday,” I said sipping my coffee.

“I’m being serious, I get stuff from guys at the club all the time. You know that,” she added.

I decided to let it go and picked up the envelope with “Margot” clearly scrawled across the front and opened it. On the thickest, most expensive paper I’d ever seen was written instructions on accessing the car service that had taken me home that night.

I ran my fingers across the paper and ink, looked at how he’d signed his name at the bottom and smiled to myself.

Even his writing seemed to exude power and danger. I hoped he’d be at the club later; it was my first shift back after meeting him.

“Can I get a ride to work?” Tawny asked after pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Of course,” I replied and marveled at the idea of not having to lace up my knee-high army boots and hoof it to the bus stop with Tawny every day. She always managed to do it balancing on her ridiculously tall stilettos, but I couldn’t do much more in heels than serve drinks.

And even that took effort obviously. If I had been wearing my army boots that night I might have kicked that homeless guy in the balls and run away on my own. I was a fighter when I had to be.

But then I never would have been saved by Ryker and I might have looked the other way had I seen him in the club.