Page 6 of Daddy's Heart

“Great. I drove Ryder here, so he can ride with you to his place.” George slapped Ryder on the back. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“Yeah,” Ryder answered, keeping his gaze set on Samantha.

George gave her another brief hug, then went on his way, leaving her standing a foot away from Ryder.

“Are you ready to go, or do you want to finish your coffee?” he asked.

“Yeah, let’s go. I’ll bring it.” She snatched up the cup and grabbed her purse, stuffing it beneath her arm. “I parked around the corner.”

“Okay. I’ll drive, if that’s okay, it’ll be easier.” He put his open palm out, and the mental image of his large form folding itself into her little Beetle made her grin.

“Uh, sure.” She worked the purse open and pulled out the keys as they walked out of the shop and back into the heat. At least the blast of hot air could explain away the blush on her face when his hand pressed against the small of her back, leading her toward the car.

She hoped.

Chapter 3

Ryder forced his eyes to stay above Samantha’s waist as she took the lead and walked in front of him. The leggings she wore hugged every bit of her curves, and the crop top tank didn’t help keep anything else hidden from his view. Normally, he’d dislike the sort of outfit, but on her petite and curvy form, it came across as subtle. Her shorter torso didn’t let the crop top expose her stomach, but he’d noticed her creamy skin when she reached up to pull her sunglasses down from her head.

“Here it is.” She pointed to a lime Beetle parked between a pick-up truck and a Challenger. The car definitely fit her.

But would it fit him?

He scratched his head.

“Cute car,” he said, taking a look in the windows. “Didn’t bring much?”

“I have two suitcases in the trunk.” She walked around the back of the car to the passenger side and pulled the door open. He jogged around to meet her and grabbed the door from her, gesturing with his chin for her to climb in.

Society may not have appreciated a man who opened doors for women, but he never gave too many fucks when it came to the ideals of the masses.

Once she was tucked neatly inside, he shut the door and went around to the driver’s side. Folding himself into the car, he reached beneath the seat and found the lever. He pulled on it and shoved the driver’s seat back as far as it could go. Relief washed through his legs once he was able to stretch them again.

Samantha laughed from the passenger side. A soothing, warm sound. Maybe she was starting to relax. She’d been wound so tight in the coffee shop, he wondered if she would shatter at any unexpected sound.

“I’m only a few blocks away,” he said, turning the ignition. Cold air blasted through the vents straight into his face. He turned the vent to blow away from him.

“Sorry about that,” she mumbled.

“No problem.” He draped his arm around the back of her headrest and began to maneuver out of the spot and into traffic.

She pulled out her phone and started swiping through screens and tapping away. He left her to herself and drove to his apartment building with an attached garage. His car was in his rented space, but his neighbor was out of town for the next week, so he’d gotten permission to use his spot.

“Is this your building?” she asked, leaning against the glass of her window to look up at the skyrise.

“Yeah. It’s not as big as it looks. The garage is at the bottom, and the apartments are built on top. There’re ten floors. I’m on the eighth.” He turned the car up the ramp toward the next level of the garage.

“Oh, still, bigger than mine.” She laughed, then snapped her mouth shut. “I mean, taller than where I lived.”

He side-eyed her with a grin. The woman definitely had the potential for a seriously dirty mind.

Ryder pulled the Beetle into the spot beside his truck and turned off the ignition. Crawling out of the car, he stretched his back. He would not be driving that thing again. She climbed out before he had the chance to open her door, but he went to the trunk and pulled out her bags.

Two large suitcases and a small rolling carry-on. “This is it?” She was moving her entire life up to Chicago and she had two and a half bags?

“Yep. Just the necessities.” She reached for one of the big suitcases, but he brushed her hand away from the handle.

“Take the small one,” he instructed in a lower tone than he’d intended. Something about her was pulling at the spot inside he tended to keep to himself—a side of him he let come out to play only when he was at the club.

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