1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Scarlett

Sitting in the darkness, I revel in the peace and quiet, knowing it will only last a few seconds.

"Scarlett," I hear my name being called, and I internally cringe.

Don't get me wrong, I love my job and absolutely adore my boss, Jenna, but right now, I could really use a break.

I had been working three straight days at All Our Children, a home here in Los Angeles for children with no parents. Ranging various ages, these kids were either given up by their parents and guardians, taken away due to negligence or abuse, or were deemed orphaned. Either way, the kids I care for have no one but my co-workers and me. When these children are brought to the state, their guardianship is turned over to Future Leaders, the company I work for.

"I'm coming," I announce, as I gaze at myself in the mirror.

After Connor and Cooper had gotten into their third fight today, resulting in me almost taking an elbow to the eye as I struggled to break up the brawl, I had decided I was done.

Escaping, I had rushed up to the room I used when I worked twenty-four-hour shifts. It was small but provided all the necessary items I would need, bed, dresser and mirror, and a private bathroom.

My light brown hair was piled high on top of my head in a messy bun. My UCLA t-shirt was stained with spaghetti sauce from where I attempted to feed a two-year-old spaghetti. My jeans were worn and ragged, but they were comfortable, and let's just be honest, I needed comfort.

Blowing a loose strand of hair out of my face, I opened the bedroom door and made my way to the top of the stairs.

Standing at the bottom was Jenna and her strikingly beautiful husband, Travis Danvers The pair were a sight to behold. She was beautiful and poised, and he complimented her well with his handsome good looks and the fact that he was a race car driver. Every time they came to the house, the boys went nuts. Jenna used to work here, too.

I bound down the stairs, and Jenna gave me a strange glance. They were in town for a special race, and I knew they would stop by, but I never dressed up, so I wasn't sure why she was looking at me with wide eyes.

"Hey," I greeted, as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

The television in the common room was blasting with the sounds of a video game being played, and I could hear a few of the boys in the kitchen doing their nightly chores of dishes.

At least they helped out around here. We were trying to teach them schedules and routines, but they mostly thought it was corporal punishment.

"Um, do you have anything without stains?" Jenna asked me.

"No, you know how it is around here," I laughed. "Why?"

But my question was never answered.

Stepping through the doorway of All Our Children was the most ruggedly handsome man I had ever seen in my entire life. Standing six-feet tall, his muscular arms were covered with tattoos, and his jet-black hair was slicked back, a nice contrast to his golden skin.

Ryder Raven.

Anyone with a pulse knew exactly who Ryder Raven was. As Hollywood's most sought after man, he was the new ‘it' playboy. From what I had seen on the tabloids and TMZ, Ryder Raven was new to Los Angeles as he was making his rounds in the racing circuit and finding starring roles in movies and commercials.

Leaning in, Jenna whispered, "You are drooling."

I quickly closed my mouth as she smirked at me.

Damn, this is why Jenna asked if I had anything else to wear. I thought to myself.

It would have been nice to know I was about to be greeted by a Greek God. I would have at least showered.

"Scarlett, I want to introduce you and the boys to Ryder Raven. He is one of our newest members of our MA Enterprises racing team. I wanted to bring him by All Our Children to meet the boys," Travis said.

I flashed him a smile and extended my hand, praying I did not have any leftover food on me.

"It's nice to meet you, Ryder," I stated, a slight blush tinting my cheeks.

Ryder offered a slight smirk as he raised his dark glasses and pushed them to the top of his head. Even that simple act had me weak in the knees.

Stop it, Scarlett. I chastised myself.

I knew better than to fall victim to a nice smile and charm. I had burned once before, and I was not about to get played again.

"Hey boys, come here and meet someone," Travis shouted into All Our Children.

A thundering of feet came rushing toward the entry, where we were all crammed into the foyer. I heard shouts of excitement as they noticed the man standing around them.

And, I wasn't talking about Travis. They had once been starstruck by his popularity, but now, he was old news to them. However, Ryder Raven was quickly becoming a legend. Hell, even I knew who he was.

His face was all over the gossip magazines, and he had been linked to pretty much every starlet in Hollywood since he moved to California a few months ago. Not that I was keeping track or anything. The boys just talked about him a lot.

I stepped back, allowing the boys to meet their newest idol. Ryder was eating up the attention, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Grabbing Jenna by the elbow, I pulled her over to me.

"Why didn't you tell me that Ryder Raven was coming over?" I asked her.

Smiling, Jenna just shook her head. "If I had told you, I know you wouldn't have been able to keep the secret. I wanted to surprise the boys, but it seems like you were surprised, too," she mused.

"Well, a little heads up would have been nice," I sighed.

Before either one of us could say anything else, another man walked through the front door. This guy had Raven black hair, dreamy eyes, and was head to toe dressed in leather.

Was this some type of biker model day that I wasn't aware of? I mean, damn.

Glaring at Jenna, now I was pissed. Here I was, standing near male perfection, and I looked like I had just crawled out of a dumpster.

Noticing my disdain, Jenna now looked at me with real sympathy. Mouthing, sorry, she turned to the new man in the house.

"Axel, we are happy to have you here at The House," she stated, introducing the man.

"Thank you for having me. The guys at the club are excited to help out," he stated.

As I listened, I couldn't help but feel like someone was watching me. As my eyes roamed the room, they landed on Ryder's. He was watching me with amusement in his eyes. I was sure he thought I must look more like the cleaning lady than the person running this establishment.

Travis cleared his throat and then looked at me. I wanted to die. To crawl into a corner and just hide away.

"Please forgive me, Scarlett," Travis said, finally noticing my presence. "Guys, this is Scarlett. She helps run All Our Children and occasionally works at Future Leaders. She's been a huge saving grace since Jenna stepped down," Travis said, looking lovingly at his wife. "Scarlett, this is Ryder Raven and his brother from Hollow Cove, Kentucky, Axel Raven."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," I say, my cheeks blushing.

Jenna has made me sound way more important than I am. Honestly, when I came to Future Leaders looking for a position, I was looking for something in their marketing department. However, the day I went in for my interview, a few boys from All Our Children had been on a tour of the company, and I had fallen in love with them and the story behind All Our Children. While I do have a degree in counseling and English, I never dreamed I would be working here today. In all honesty, I never imagined my life would have turned out the way it was. I had made plans once. I had dreamed of a life with a man who I thought adored me as much as I had cared for him, but like everything else in my life, it had all come crashing down on me.

I noticed Jenna giving me a strange look, and I realized I was so lost in my thoughts, I hadn't seen the guys trying to greet me.

Both guys extended their hands to me, but it was when I touched Ryder that I felt such a powerful electric shock. It was like a magnetic pull that lured me into him. His eyes widened as I looked up at him.

Feeling beyond mortified, I quickly retracted my hand and placed it at my side. Looking away, I struggled for anything else to keep my attention without seeming rude.

"We are thankful for you letting us into your organization," Ryder begins, and I can feel him staring at me. "Axel is part of a motorcycle club, and the members love to help out with great charities and causes. When I told them that Travis had worked closely with All Our Children, they wanted to find a way to help out, too. So, Axel is out here to see what the boys need. He's going to be here for a few days with me. I'm just excited to get to know you and this group better," Ryder finished.

Something about the way he spoke, how his tone became darker and more breathy, had my pulse racing.

"That's incredibly generous of you," I said breathlessly. I couldn't believe how flustered I was becoming just by being in his presence. I mean, I lived in Los Angeles. Hot guys were a dime a dozen around here. I had never been this hot and bothered by a man before.

Seeking the opportunity to speak up, Axel took the lead. "The Raven's Boys Clubhouse loves to help wherever we can. I will talk with Jenna and Future Leaders to find out what we can do to help," Axel stated, with a charming smile.

How was it possible that two guys could be related and look this incredibly delicious? It should be illegal.

Thankfully, the boys took that opportunity to begin hounding Ryder and Axel with a million questions ranging from if they could drive one of Ryder's motorcycles too if Axel were in a gang.

"Wow, so you race the fast motorcycles?" I heard one of the boys ask.

"I sure do," Ryder exclaimed. Also, I am testing out some pretty cool new protective gear for other racers to use," he says, lifting his helmet up for them to see. "Inside of my helmet, there are new sensors that will alert my team when I become overheated. They can tell me to stop or send medics out if needed," he states. "Remember, Travis's company creates cutting-edge technology that will help increase the safety of drivers like me. I am sort of like his test dummy, but I make a lot of money doing it," Ryder mused.

The boys watch Ryder show off his helmet like they are seeing priceless gold. Their eyes glimmer in wonderment at the sight of such a huge celebrity in their home. I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes. He's arrogant and sexy, such a deadly combination.

Since everyone seemed to be occupied now, I took that moment to slip away. The last thing I needed in my life right now was a man like Ryder Raven, drawing my attention.

Moving into the kitchen, I grabbed onto the counter and looked out the window. Taking a deep breath, I took a moment to collect myself.

I wasn't sure what was happening, but Ryder had turned me inside out.

I busied myself cleaning up the kitchens and keeping out of the way of our guests. The last thing I wanted to do was to embarrass myself anymore.

Two hours later, I heard the front door close and the roar of engines coming to life.

Moving back to the window, I sighed a breath of relief as I spotted Axel and Ryder getting on two massive Harley Davidson motorcycles and Travis and Jenna getting into one of Travis's flashy racing cars.

Relieved they were leaving; I let a smile cross my lips. I was out of the woods--or so I thought.

Ryder turned and caught me staring at him through the window. A knowing smirk appeared over his chiseled features, and I swear I forgot how to breathe. Winking at me, he slipped a helmet over his head and then took off, leaving me dazed and confused.