Save Me, page 3
“So…no dates at the pub?”
Shaking his head, he gave her a sly grin. “I go in there a couple of times a week and everyone knows I’m interested in you. I’ll still go in, but I’ll casually mention to Ronan that I’m taking you out. If I had to guess, he’s kind of the family gossip.”
That made her laugh. “Oh my God! Yes! He totally is!”
“That’s what I figured. So, I stick to my routine and drop that bit of information and we take it from there.”
“Okay, but…if that’s all it takes, why do we have to go out at all? Why can’t we just pretend that we went out?”
Bending slightly, Ryker leaned in until they were practically nose to nose. “We need to be seen to be believable, Ryleigh. I thought that was obvious.”
Right. It was.
Nodding, she tried to think of a reason why she should say no.
Unfortunately, Ryker completely had a point.
He had several points, actually.
Still, it didn’t feel right to be doing this knowing he still had feelings for her. Even if he said he was okay with it, it made her cringe.
“The only one at risk of getting hurt here is me,” he said, as if reading her mind. “And I’m okay with it.”
Shoulders sagging, she looked up at him. “Yeah, but…I’m not okay with being the one to hurt you. It’s just…it’s mean and selfish and…”
Straightening, Ryker ran both hands through his wild mane and let out a small snarl of frustration. “Did you enjoy going out with that guy tonight?”
“No, but…”
“Or how about the insurance salesman or the accountant?”
“How did you know…?”
“Do you want to have to spend the next few weeks avoiding the pub? Avoiding your family?”
“Well, no, but…”
“Then I don’t see what the problem is here,” he said with obvious frustration. “You say you’re fed up and how you hate dealing with this crap, and I’m offering to help you!”
“I get it and believe it or not, I appreciate it! But…it’s complicated, Ryker! I already told you I’m not comfortable putting you in a position where your feelings are going to get hurt!”
He stared down at her and she waited for him to argue with her.
But he didn’t.
She waited for him to plead his case again.
But he didn’t.
“I should go,” she forced herself to say, taking a step back. “Thanks again for the help with the keys and…and I promise to get a new lock for my apartment.” When he still said nothing, she started to get a little annoyed. “So, um…yeah. Goodnight.”
As soon as she turned away, he spoke.
“I think you enjoy the drama,” he called after her.
Turning, she stood in wide-eyed confusion. “Excuse me?”
Nodding, he repeated. “The drama. I think you like it and that’s why you’re not really looking for a solution. It’s like you’re in a dysfunctional relationship with your family, but you’re not really serious about being taken seriously.” Then he shrugged. “My mistake for trying to help. Have a good night, Ryleigh. I’ll see you around.”
For a moment, she just stood there sputtering in disbelief. Ryker closed the passenger side door of the truck before he casually strolled around to the driver’s side.
That’s when she found her voice.
“I do not enjoy the drama,” she argued, storming over to him.
With little more than a glance at her, he countered with, “You say that, and yet no matter what anyone suggests or even when you’re presented with the perfect solution, you won’t do it. That means you’re either not as bothered by everything you’ve been bitching about or you just enjoy the drama. Personally, I didn’t take you for a drama queen, but I guess I was wrong.”
Drama queen? She seethed.
“I am not a drama queen, and I resent you even putting that out there. You don’t know anything about me, Ryker, and I don’t appreciate you acting like you do!”
“Prove me wrong, Princess,” he challenged.
“I know what you’re doing,” Ryleigh replied with just a hint of snark. “You’re baiting me into accepting your help. Well, newsflash, your idea isn’t perfect. I’ll admit that there are some perks to it, but I’m trying to be a good person here. I kind of pride myself on not being a liar or leading guys on. It’s just not who I am. So if you think for one minute…”
“Ryleigh? What are you still doing here?” Kate Donovan called out as she stepped outside.
Crap.
Right then and there, all logical thought went flying out the window and she did something she never thought she’d do.
She launched herself at Ryker and kissed him.
Ryker wasn’t a fool. He knew exactly what Ryleigh was doing and why, and he was more than okay with it.
Then again, maybe he was a fool.
Wrapping his arms around her, he hauled her in close and immediately took control of the kiss. She felt tiny and almost fragile against him, and he had to remind himself not to get too carried away and scare her off.
For months he’d done everything except stand on his damn head to get her to give him a chance, and if playing her fake boyfriend for a little while opened the door for him, then who was he to complain?
The moment he’d first seen her when he arrived in Laurel Bay, it was like being struck by Cupid’s arrow.
As corny as that sounded, it was the truth.
She was feisty and beautiful and even though she turned him down every single time he even attempted to ask her out, he started to enjoy the challenge.
Every time he came to the pub, he did so hoping to run into her. She didn’t keep a regular schedule there so it was pretty much a crapshoot whether or not he’d see her. But when he did? He always found a reason to talk to her and flirt a bit. If she didn’t completely ignore him, sometimes he’d even get to where he asked her out.
It never ended well.
He tried casual conversation, joking, flirting, and once, he’d even started singing, but to no avail. Honestly, he was giving up hope until this whole situation unfolded tonight. And now that he’d had a taste of her, he was more than willing to do whatever it took to prove to her he deserved to be more than a make-believe lover just to piss her family off and get them off her back.
But…he had to start somewhere.
“Ryleigh? What’s going on? Who is…is that Ryker?” Kate asked in disbelief as she stepped closer and Ryker warred with whether or not they should keep kissing or maybe make her wait it out.
Ryleigh’s hand raked through his hair, her nails gently scraping his scalp, and he had his answer.
More kissing.
He was willing to let her set the tone and let this little scene play out however she wanted. After all, it was her idea. So, rather than wasting more time thinking about it, he shut his mind off and let himself feel.
Warm skin, soft curves…they packed a powerful punch. He knew they were going to need to break apart eventually—although breathing was highly overrated at this point—and yet he was reluctant to let her go. If Kate Donovan hadn’t been approaching, Ryker would have Ryleigh backed up against his truck so he could feel even more of her.
Then again, if Kate Donovan hadn’t been approaching, Ryleigh wouldn’t be kissing him, so…
“Ryleigh?” Kate said firmly, with more than a hint of annoyance.
Slowly, Ryleigh broke the kiss. Her eyes were still closed and she licked her lips in a way that made him want to groan. Did she even realize how sexy she was? How desirable?
When she opened her eyes and looked up at him, he could see she was a little dazed and possibly a little confused.
But definitely turned on.
She leaned into him for a brief moment before turning and facing her mother.
And Kate did not look amused.
“Mom? What are you doing out here?”
“I was getting ready to go home and saw you standing here with someone and wanted to make sure you were alright.” She gave Ryker the stink eye. “You show up here for dinner with one man and then come out here and kiss another? Is it any wonder I worry?”
Ryker had to stifle a laugh because he was beginning to see why Ryleigh was so frustrated with her mother.
“I didn’t show up here for dinner with anyone. You lied and lured me here under false pretenses. I ran into Ryker out here and we were talking and then…” She shrugged. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we were going to grab some dessert.”
Kate’s eyes narrowed. “We have dessert in the pub. There’s apple crisp and cobbler and…”
“Thanks, Mrs. Donovan,” Ryker interjected sweetly. “But Ryleigh and I already have plans.” Boldly, he took Ryleigh’s hand in his. “Have a good night.”
With no other choice but to follow through, they walked around to the passenger side of the truck and he lifted her up into it.
And yeah, his hands lingered just a bit on her butt.
Once he had her settled, he casually strolled around to the driver’s side and gave Kate a jaunty little wave before climbing in.
“Holy. Crap,” Ryleigh said breathlessly, and he wasn’t sure if she was referring to the kiss, her mother, the situation, or…all of it.
“So? Ice cream? The place down by the pier is usually pretty decent, right?”
The look she shot him spoke volumes.
“You’re thinking about ice cream right now?” she demanded. “What the hell?”
“We obviously have to go somewhere,” he reasoned. “If we sit here in the parking lot until she leaves, she’ll get suspicious.”
“Okay. Fine. Whatever. Ice cream,” she murmured.
They pulled out of the parking lot and Ryker knew he needed to say something to put her mind at ease because she was clearly freaking out.
“So, uh…do you prefer waffle cones or the wafer ones?”
This time when she looked at him, she burst out laughing.
Like a full-on belly laugh.
And it was the greatest sound he’d ever heard.
“What is wrong with you?” she asked around another fit of laughter.
At least she wasn’t yelling at him for grabbing her ass.
“I’m just trying to make the best of a weird situation,” he admitted. “So? What’s your cone preference?”
“Honestly? I’m more of a milkshake kind of girl.”
Glancing over at her, Ryker realized it was probably the first time she had willingly offered any information about herself.
Baby steps.
“I’m sure you can get that down on the pier, right?”
“Definitely. I’ve been going there my entire life and if either Mrs. Hawkins or her daughter Erin are working, they don’t even ask what I want. They just see me and make it.”
“Interesting. What’s your favorite flavor?”
“Strawberry.” Then she grinned. “Bet you were expecting me to say chocolate.”
“Nah. That’s too predictable, and you, sweet Ryleigh, are anything but.”
He couldn’t be certain, but he was pretty sure she was blushing, and he cursed the dim interior.
The drive was short and when he pulled into the parking lot by the pier, he suddenly felt a lot of pressure.
This was technically their first date.
Shit.
Within minutes, he had her out of the truck and they were walking along the sidewalk toward the ice cream parlor.
“Oh no!”
Ryker looked ahead and saw exactly what she was referring to. It was closed.
“I forgot that they’re closed on weeknights in the off-season,” she said sadly.
There was no way he was turning around and taking her back to her car just yet, so he had to think fast. “The Sand Bar down in Magnolia does some amazing desserts. We can try there?”
“Or we can just do the drive-thru at Dairy Queen.”
“Hell no,” he told her, taking her hand in his. “We need to be seen.”
“No one’s going to notice us down in Magnolia,” she argued lightly. “We need to stay local.”
That’s when inspiration hit.
“You really want us to be seen?”
“Um…”
“Then how about we hit the grocery store, grab all the makings of some spectacular milkshakes while walking up and down every aisle, and then go back to my place and make them?”
They were standing right under a streetlight and Ryker saw her pale.
Not a great sign.
“Y…your place?”
He nodded. “We’ll have dessert, spend an hour talking, and then I’ll bring you back to get your car. This way, just in case your mother is still casing the place and waiting for you to come back, we’ve actually been somewhere.” Then, because he knew she needed a tiny push, he added. “And you wouldn’t be lying.”
“Dammit.”
Smiling, he knew he had her.
“Come on. We’ll hit the store, grab some milk, ice cream, syrup, and lots of whipped cream,” he told her with a wink.
“Ryker…”
“The more outrageous, the more people will talk about it.”
“I hate that you’re right. I guess I didn’t really put that much thought into how this would all play out.”
They were back at the truck and he helped her in again before climbing in beside her.
“Back when my sister Arianna and her fiancé, Will, were secretly dating, we had to pretend I was the one dating him.”
“What?” He was backing out of the parking spot and that statement made him pause. “Why?”
“Will’s like ten years older than her and my mother was actually trying to fix him up with me,” she explained. “So we would make all these elaborate date plans in front of everyone, and then Will would take Arianna out with him. It was awesome.”
“It sounds ridiculous. Did your mother ever find out?”
She shrugged. “Eventually. I think that’s why she’s so emphatic about fixing me up with guys at the pub. This way she can witness for herself that I’m actually out on a date with them—whether I want to be or not.”
“Does that mean we’re going to have to make at least one date at the pub? You know, for show?”
“I really want to say no, but…I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. For all we know, her seeing us in the parking lot tonight will be enough for me to build on and we won’t have to actually go out again.”
Ugh…this girl…
Pulling the car over, he slammed it into park and twisted in his seat, facing her. “Can I ask you something?”
Wordlessly, she nodded, but he saw the wariness in her eyes.
“Have I done anything offensive tonight? Anything that was so off-putting that being in my company has you worried for your safety?”
“No…?”
“Okay then. I would appreciate it if every other sentence out of your mouth isn’t about how much you don’t want to go out with me. It’s pissing me off.” Raking a hand through his hair in frustration, he glared at her. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m the one helping you. The only one saving your ass. So maybe you could say thank you instead of trying to get rid of me every chance you get.”
He didn’t wait for a response and he didn’t utter another word until they were out of the truck at the grocery store.
Once Ryleigh’s feet were on the ground, he regarded her. “Are we doing this?”
For a moment, she didn’t respond and he had to wonder if, by staying silent on the ride over, he’d given her time to reconsider everything.
“I have one request,” she said, her gaze meeting his head-on.
“O-kay…”
“No over the top theatrics, no obvious scenes to draw attention, and lastly…no more ass grabbing.” Then, crossing her arms, she awaited his response.
“Caught that, huh?” he said, giving her a boyish grin.
“Kind of hard not to,” she replied. “You’ve got big hands and they linger.”
His smile grew. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.” And, with a shrug, he took her hand and led them toward the store. “Those strawberry milkshakes aren’t going to make themselves.
Chapter Three
It was well after midnight and Ryleigh couldn’t sleep.
She came right home after Ryker dropped her off at the pub two hours ago,and her mind hadn’t stopped racing since.
Part of her wanted to be mad at him for the butt grabbing, but she couldn’t. Not after the way she had essentially thrown herself at him and kissed him like her life depended on it
And in that moment, it felt like it had.
She just wished she hadn’t enjoyed it so much.
Leave it to Ryker to be a spectacular kisser.
Dammit.
Ugh…I need a new word.
It was too late to call her sister, but there was a good chance that Ivy was working the night shift.
Ryleigh: Hey! You up?
She wasn’t holding out much hope, but even if there was the slightest chance that her best friend was awake and could talk, she had to take it.
Ivy: Yeah. At the station. Everything okay?
Ivy: Do I need to come get you?
Ivy: Was Ryker a jerk?
It took her a minute to remember that she texted both Ivy and Arianna earlier to let them know what was going on.
And how she never sent them an update.
“Crap.”
Ryleigh: Everything’s fine. Sort of. I’m home and can’t sleep.
Ivy: What’s going on?
Ryleigh: Ugh…where do I even begin?
Ivy: Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.
Ivy: Do we need to actually talk?
Ryleigh: Is that allowed? I don’t want to get you into trouble
Her best friend was a paramedic with the Laurel Bay Fire Department, and the last thing Ryleigh wanted to do was cause any problems for her. Ivy took her job seriously and shared how she sometimes even yelled at her fiancé Connor for calling when she was working a shift.
