Ryder pulled up to the beach house raised in the air by concrete blocks. The light blue building almost blended into the clear sky line. The beach looked dead compared to the beaches of New York with its long boardwalks and various attractions. The only person on the street was an old man walking a black Lab. He parked under the house, stepped out of the car and took a long whiff of the salty air. At this moment he could go for some salt water taffy. Maybe Alecia and he could find some later. But he needed to win her back first.
Two days ago he had gotten out of rehab, and after he’d let his father get a good look at him, he slipped away, flying straight to Raleigh. The Alpha protector's cold eyes and the snarl of his lips as he elaborated on why Ryder looked like a washed-up street urchin were still burned in his mind. And he had laughed at how Alecia had just tossed him to the side. But how could he keep her, if he couldn’t make her believe in the truth he wante
The secretary said hello to Ryder as he swept past her and made his way to his father’s office, but he just ignored her. He should have at least asked if his father was occupied, but if he lingered he probably wouldn’t go through with this. Let George Hendrix see that his son was scared of no one. He had proven her worth. She had not said one word about Sheila and he had showed that he could control her. All he had to do was play humble and she bent. His shoulders slumped and he stopped, hanging his head. He hadn’t done that. He had formed a lie in his head about working overtime in Moscow, but once he saw her light blue eyes full of compassion, the story just spilt out. How he wanted her to shower him with love and nurture. And she had.Ryder gripped the doorknob of his father’s office, feeling the sweat on his palm. Who was he kidding? The man would have him thrown out of his office and worse. A heat spread through him. He couldn’
Alecia looked up from her laptop when Ryder opened the door. Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was nine. Another late night and stressful one according to his furrowed brows. What did he do all day? Whenever she asked he would change the subject or say he didn’t want to talk about it. It probably wasn’t much. He had told her that usually lawyers spent their first year being overpaid paralegals. She closed her laptop. She would finish the short story tomorrow.He didn’t go to the kitchen to grab the dinner she had prepared, but just sat down next to her on the couch, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Every part of him looked tense.“Tough day?”He didn’t answer, but opened his eyes and looked out into the distance. She needed to distract him. He wouldn’t be interested in her little love story but maybe school. “I got the schedule I wanted.”“Anything interesting?”“Yeah, I&r
The next day Alecia changed her classes. She took two more literature, and three writing classes, hoping to find some inspiration to write while Ryder was busy with his job, but there was no inspiration. After she finished her school work, she would sit at her desk and stare at the laptop trying to find a story, but every story she could think of seemed silly and inadequate; especially when she’d look at her bookcase full of books, telling stories of characters who overcame great hardships. So she started writing his biography. If he really was going to be a senator someday, then she would need to chronicle her life with him. She wrote about the moment she first met him, how scared she was, especially when he insisted on walking her home. She wrote of their courtship, the first kiss that made her forget all and the day it snowed. She added commentary of what she thought of him at each moment and how he made her feel so special; she wrote about the look in her father’s eyes a
Taylor opened the door as Ryder brushed past her into the apartment. “Is anyone here?” he asked. “No.” Taylor crossed her arms over her chest. Ryder took off his coat and laid it on the top of the couch. Why was he here? A deep line creased between his brows - tension radiated from him.He walked up to her and took her hand, giving her that charming seductive smile she had seen him use on many girls. That smile never worked on her. “Hey, Taylor,” he said.“What are you doing here?”Ryder placed his hands on her hips. “Let’s be like old times.”Taylor raised her eyebrows. “Already forgotten your wedding vows?”He chuckled and kissed her neck, making her feel over-powered. She laughed as something in her churned. Something was different – not right about him. “I’m not going to be your whore. Why don’t you go back to your Luna?” He raised his head. He smirked at her, and glared deep into her eyes. Taylor turned her gaze to the side. That look. He
Alecia lay in bed, staring at the wall opposite of her. Ryder had left hours ago for work, after using her that morning. No, loving her. It was love like he did many mornings. She closed her eyes and images of last night filled her mind like they did every time she tried to rest. He seemed so different. Not the Ryder she knew. She wiped a tear from her eye. Perhaps she had been wrong. She shouldn’t have angered him, but used her love to soothe him into her wish. Her phone rang, but the need to answer it didn’t register until she realized it might be Ryder.She rolled over and answered. “Hey,” she said, not even looking at who it was.“How are you, Ally?” Alecia sat up and placed a hand on her forehead. It was Taylor. What did she want? “I’m fine.”“Well, can you let me in? I know you’re home.”“Oh, did you knock? I didn’t hear you.” Alecia got out of be
Ryder leaned over her, kissing her, with his hands immersed into her hair. She wished he would just finish up, but he took his time caressing the curve of her neck with his lips over and over again. For the last couple weeks she had been walking around on her tiptoes, trying not to set off the anger she had seen him display. Their conversations were forced and every part of her cringed when he held out his arms for her, despite how good they felt. She would go to him, trying to soothe him, gently loving him; hoping her love would reach him. At night, she would read him chapters from her romance novels, showing how couples could work through problems, and she mentioned a marriage conflict seminar she saw an advertisement for in the newspaper. He had not shown interest in either. Was any of it working? He stopped kissing her. Must be time for her shirt to come off. She raised her arms in the air, to make it easier for him. When she didn’t feel him touch her, she put do
The next morning, Chloe showed up at their apartment with her dark tresses pulled back into a tight pony tail, which contrasted with the form-fitting blue jeans and light pink cashmere sweater she wore. Alecia showed her to the kitchen, where she gathered the plates filled with the remnants of the pancakes she had made earlier. Trina sat at the table, fumbling with a napkin, her blue eyes wavering, probably remembering last night. The breakfast had been strained with Ryder not saying a word, but chewing his food slowly and scrolling through the news on his iPad while she and her sister chit-chatted about random topics, which at the moment she couldn’t recall. After he left for work, Alecia reached for a cup, thinking to pour Chloe some of the hazelnut brew in the coffeepot. Chloe laid a hand on her arm. “Ally, how are you?” Alecia stilled and turned to look at her sister-in-law, noticing the lightness in her eyes. “I’m fine,” she said.
Alecia walked into the hotel room, dropping the few bags of books on the counter. She glanced at the clock. She had a few hours to curl up and read before Ryder came back to the hotel – if he came back. Seattle wasn’t that exciting when there was no one around. She flipped on the TV and watched the news, hoping for more information about the case her husband was so immersed in. The Hendrix' firm was fighting for a pharmaceutical company wanting the town council to give it land for a large plant that would bring many jobs to the area. It was a simple matter, except for the fact the land belonged to 20 families who had been living there their whole lives. Alecia finally began to understand the reality of what Ryder meant when he talked about his father's plans, his father and council was slowly, gradually uprooting all the humans from their lands and forcing them into the suburbs The case was making headlines because a top law firm from Cal