Page 13 of Ryder’s Storm

Scarlet nodded. For some inexplicable reason, her mind instantly went back to Ryder. If she’d met him under different circumstances, and not during one of her episodes, when the only thing on her mind was sex, perhaps they could have gotten to know each other and perhaps had a real relationship.

“I should get dressed. Can’t laze about all day. I have to go over some of my work so I’m ready for when I have to see my professor this week.”

“I hope that won’t take too long, will it?”

“No, just an hour or two. Why?”

“Well, my nephew is visiting this week.”

“Your nephew?” Scarlet furrowed her forehead. This was the first time she’d heard about a nephew. “I didn’t realize you had a nephew.”

“Well,” she said sighing. “He’s my older sister’s kid.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yes. But we’ve been estranged for a long time. It’s a long story. It was my fault as much as hers. But her son and I remained in contact all these years, and I’ve asked him to visit. Derek’s a charming young man”—she leaned in—“and unattached. So, I hope you’ll make time to show him the sights.”

Scarlet walked to the closet, turning her back to Claudia to hide the dread on her face. “Yes, sure, but I don’t know how much time I’ll have this week.”

She hated being set up. Normally, she found it easy to rebuff any unwanted male attention, but knowing that Derek was related to Claudia, and she didn’t want to hurt the woman who’d been so good to her, she knew she had to go easy on the guy.

“I think you’ll enjoy his company,” Claudia said softly. “No pressure.”

Scarlet took a pair of tight jeans out of the closet, then looked at the sweaters. “Is it cold outside today?”

“The fog already burned off,” Claudia said. “It’s actually quite nice weather for San Francisco.”

“Well, a T-shirt it is,” Scarlet said with forced cheerfulness and snatched one from the stack. Then she turned back to her stepmother and smiled. “I’d better take a shower.”

Despite the fact that she’d taken one the moment she’d returned home.

“Don’t take too long,” Claudia said as she walked to the door. “Your new bodyguard is supposed to show up pretty soon.”

Scarlet pivoted, her heart pounding. “My new bodyguard?”

“Yes, Scanguards assigned somebody else to you.”

“They called you?”

She shook her head. “No, they called your dad just before he left for the airport. He asked me to meet him since he didn’t have time.”

Had Grayson made good on his threat to tell her father that she’d slipped out and not come back until the early hours of the morning?

“Did he say why I’m getting a new bodyguard?” Scarlet asked casually as if she didn’t really care.

“Apparently there was some scheduling conflict. Some other client that Grayson has been working for needs him on short notice, so they assigned somebody else to you. Don’t look so worried. They assured your father that the new guy is just as qualified and capable as your previous bodyguards.”

And just as annoying.

But she didn’t say that. “Oh, good.”

Three more months, and she would finally be able to make decisions about how to live her life. And one thing was certain: she would no longer have a bodyguard following her like a puppy.

8

Ryder had gotten very little sleep after returning home from the nightclub, his entire body still humming from the amazing sex he’d had with Sara. He’d thought that she’d enjoyed it as much as he had, but it appeared that he’d misjudged her and taken her apparent compliance for approval when she’d probably been unable to stop him. No wonder she’d disappeared the moment she had the chance. He’d gone too far. What was he thinking engaging in anal sex with a woman who didn’t know him from Adam? Fuck! How had he screwed this up so quickly so badly?

He’d gone back to the bar and the dance floor to look for her and even stopped at the ladies’ room where he’d asked a girl to check if Sara was inside. She wasn’t. She’d vanished into thin air. Disappointed and angry at himself, he’d walked all the way from SOMA to his home on Nob Hill. He was glad that nobody was home when he returned.