Ryann turned back to the living room, and said, “That’s your dad, Tyler. Time to put the blocks away and get your things for your weekend with him.”
Tyler groaned. “Do I have to go? I’d rather stay here with Dirk.”
She shook her head. “Sorry, you do. It’s only for two nights, then you’re back home again. I’m sure Dirk will come to see you some other time.”
There was a loud knock that signaled Mack’s arrival. Knowing how he didn’t like her keeping him waiting out in the hall, she opened the door and let him in. He sailed into the apartment as if he owned the place.
“Is Tyler ready?” he asked without even saying hello.
“Just about,” she replied coolly.
Ryann left Mack at the door and went to the living room. Dirk was just finishing helping Tyler put away his blocks. Once that chore was done, he stood as Tyler rushed off to his bedroom to get his backpack.
“Who the hell are you?” Mack asked in a rude tone.
She turned back to face her ex. Dirk came to stand at her side. “Not that it’s any of your business, this is Dirk.”
Mack stared at Dirk, doing his usual act of trying to intimate someone he felt threatened by. “Do you really think it’s a good idea for you to have a strange man around my son, Ryann?”
“He may be a stranger to you, Mack, but he isn’t to me. So cut it out.”
“Then who exactly is he?”
Before she could answer, Dirk spoke up. “I’m Ryann’s new boss.” He then did something Ryann hadn’t expected at all. He put an arm around her shoulders and tucked her tightly up against his side. “I’m also the man who intends to take your place in her life.”
Her head snapped up to gaze at Dirk. Had she heard him correctly? He didn’t look at her, but continued to stare at Mack as if he were a bug he’d like to squash.
“Is that so?” Mack asked in a hard tone. “You’ll have some pretty big shoes to fill.”
“I’m sure I can manage, since I’m bigger than you are, according to Tyler.”
Just then, Tyler came back into the room, dragging his backpack behind him. He walked up to his dad and sighed dramatically. “I guess I’m ready to go.”
Mack took Tyler’s backpack and ignored him. His gaze stayed on Ryann and Dirk. “So what are you going to do for the rest of the day?” He directed his question at Ryann. “And the rest of the weekend?”
She bit back a retort along the lines that he hadn’t cared in the past, so why should he now? “As I said before, it’s really none of your business.”
“The hell it isn’t. I’ll have Tyler. I need to know where you’ll be if anything should happen. Aren’t you always telling me I should be a better parent? I would think me wanting to know what my son’s mother is up to in case there’s an emergency would be would classify as such.”
Ryann knew it had nothing to do with that at all. “Fine, since you’re obviously not going to back down, I’ll be—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Dirk cut in. “She’ll be with me all weekend. I’m going to take Ryann out for a nice dinner tonight and tomorrow. The rest of the time, well, I’m not going to say, since Tyler’s in the room.”
Images of what Dirk had just insinuated flitted through Ryann’s head—both of them naked, having hands down great sex. In the back of her mind, she told herself he was more than likely saying those things and acting possessive of her for Mack’s benefit. She knew none of what he said was real, but that didn’t stop her body from thinking so. It was practically jumping up and down in excitement. Not wanting to spoil any of the effect, she kept her features even as she stared at her ex, showing none of the roiling emotions deep inside her.
Mack glared at her, showing her exactly how much he didn’t like anything Dirk had said. That caused anger to quell some of the arousal she felt. How dare he be jealous now? And she knew that was exactly what had him so upset. It was okay for her ex to hop from one woman’s bed to another, not caring how she felt about it. But when it came to her, he had double standards. It was quite an eye-opener for her, though it really wasn’t that much of a shock. It proved Mack may not want her anymore, but he sure as hell didn’t like that someone else did.
Her ex took Tyler’s hand. “You’d better be here when I drop Tyler off on Sunday.” With those parting words, Mack led their son out of the apartment, shutting the door behind them harder than he needed to.
Ryann sighed, ready to apologize to Dirk, and to thank him for what he’d tried to do, basically saying he was her new boyfriend. His arm stayed around her, still holding her tight. She turned to look him in the face and felt all the air rush out of her lungs. He stared at her with what she could only describe as intense desire. And for one brief moment, she thought his eyes took on a muted glow. But he blinked, and it was gone.
She swallowed, doing her best not to show her body’s reaction. “I have to apologize for—”
Dirk cupped the side of her face with his hand and cut off her words with his lips. Her body erupted into flames as he kissed her as if he’d never get enough of her. All she could do was hang on to his waist and hope he didn’t stop.
Chapter Four
Dirk turned Ryann in his arms so she faced him, and deepened his kiss. He pushed his tongue between her lips and bit back the growl that hovered near the surface at the taste of her. He was sure he was going too fast for her, but he couldn’t hold himself back.
He hadn’t meant for it to go so far. He’d only thought to show her ass of an ex-husband that Ryann wasn’t going to be alone for much longer. Dirk had hated the way Mack had waltzed into the apartment, barely being civil to Ryann. He’d seen plenty of men like Mack, who thought they were god’s gift to women, and that the opposite sex was only good for one thing.
Pulling his soon-to-be mate closer to his body, Dirk pressed his erection against her stomach. God, he wanted her. Right here, right now. Having smelled the scent of Ryann’s arousal off and on since he’d arrived at her place, it had played havoc with his control. He was well into the throes of his mating urge, and each day he didn’t claim her as his, it would only increase. He’d also had erotic dream after erotic dream of her during the night. He’d awakened this morning with his cock achingly hard. Even though it hadn’t done anything to relieve him, which he’d known it wouldn’t, he’d brought himself to release in the shower.
Now with his would-be mate in his arms, her kissing him back, he only felt the pounding need to make her his. Dirk rocked his lower body into her, unable to hold back. She fit against him perfectly, as if they’d been made as a matching pair. The scent of her arousal increased with each second that went by. The urge to strip her out of her clothes and lick every inch of her was almost too strong to ignore.
Realistically, Dirk knew he should slow things down. He’d gone from just being Ryann’s boss to getting hot and heavy with her. He bet she thought he’d only put on an act for Mack. To her, this must’ve come totally from left field.
He was about to lift his head, but Ryann had other ideas. She shoved her hands up the back of his t-shirt and dragged her nails along his skin. She sucked on his tongue at the same time, just ramping him up even more. Okay, so she didn’t want to take things down a notch. He was all for giving her what she wanted.
Dirk lifted one of his hands to cover her breast. He rubbed his thumb across her nipple, feeling it grow taut beneath her shirt. Ryann nipped his bottom lip, causing a low growl he couldn’t hold back to rumble out of him. He couldn’t get himself too worked up, he had to keep his head. Fully making love to her now would only make a mess of things. But they could fool around, and bring each other to release another way.