Free Bossing the Billionaire: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ryder's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) by Judy Angelo Page B

he was.” Then, before she’d recovered from the shock, he was up and
out of his chair and walking toward her. His hands shot out and he gripped her
upper arms. “I still want you, Blake.” His eyes intensely blue, his words came
out in an urgent whisper. “This was the only way I could find you. I had to
make you come back.”
    “What the hell?” Recovering from her initial shock, Blake wrenched
her arm from his grip. “Are you crazy? Do you really expect me to even consider
coming back to you? Why in the name of all that’s holy would I ever do
something like that?”
    “Because I want you,” he said softly. “Because I still love you.”
And then he gave her his classic Jerome Slater puppy dog look, the one that was
supposed to melt her heart and make her collapse into his arms. Well, it wasn’t
going to happen. Not today. Not ever.
    She was just parting her lips to tell him that when he pounced.
Before she could react he’d reached out and grabbed her again and dragged her
into his arms. Although he was slightly shorter than she was, he was strong,
and when he clamped her arms to her sides she could not move. Then he dipped
his head and captured her lips in a kiss full of possession and control.
    And it left her cold.
    When Jerome lifted his head she was panting but passion had nothing
to do with it. She was panting with rage.
    “Let me go, you jerk.” She was clenching her teeth again, straining
against him, trying to tear herself out of his arms.
    He was laughing now, obviously amused by her struggles. “I’ll let
you go,” he said with a chuckle, “just as long as you know that you’re mine and
always will be. I’ll never let you escape me again.” With those words he
loosened his arms, letting her stumble back and away from him.
    “I’ll never come back to you.” She spat the words at him. “Not if
you were the last man on earth.”
    Looking confident, he shook his head. “Oh, you will,” he said, his
lips twisting in an acidic smile. “By the time I’m done with your reputation,
no man on earth will want you but me.” 
    ***
     
     
    Ryder was no great chef but he could find his way around the kitchen
and he was determined that when his guests arrived he would have something
reasonable to offer them. After all, this was Pequoia. You had to have a meal
to offer when company came by.
    Moonwalker had sent word that he and his wife would be stopping by
that evening to check on him. More like checking on the place, Ryder was sure.
He knew that Blake must have asked her friend to make sure he didn’t trash the
place while she was gone, or at least hadn’t pocketed whatever was of value and
disappeared. He wasn’t the least bit offended that she felt she had to do that.
She was being sensible, that was all. He wouldn’t have expected otherwise.
    And so, aiming to impress, he made sure the restaurant was spotless
and every glass was gleaming. As it approached the hour for his visitors to
arrive he set the table and even went as far as to take the vase of fabric
flowers off the counter and place it in the middle of the table he'd prepared.
When he looked at his handiwork he grinned. Mother Kent would be more than
shocked to see her son so domesticated.
    When the bell over the front door tinkled to signal the arrival of
his guests Ryder was dressed and ready to meet and greet. He loped over and
opened the door and found himself staring down at a diminutive woman with brown
hair and soft brown eyes to match. She was smiling up at him and in her hands
was a dish of some sort, covered with a red and white checkered cloth.
    “Hello, Ryder,” she said in an easy tone as if she had known him all
her life. “I thought you might like some apple pie.” She held the package out
to him and when he took it her smile widened. “Walker told me you had a sweet
tooth.”
    Ryder raised his eyebrows. “He did?” Then he glanced over at
Moonwalker who was standing just behind his wife, a protective hand