Save Me, page 9
He did now.
“And I’ll take a decaf coffee too,” he told the server. “Ry?” Because he noticed she’d had a couple of drinks and maybe that’s why she was suddenly okay with rubbing against him. After his comment earlier when she’d tried to kiss him, she’d been keeping a respectable distance without being obvious about it.
“Make it an even four,” she said, and once the server was gone, she quietly announced that she was heading to the ladies’ room.
“I’ll go with you!” Arianna said with just a little too much enthusiasm.
As soon as they were gone, both he and Will chuckled. “That was subtle, huh?”
Will nodded. “I’m surprised Ari waited this long before doing something like this. I figured after each course she’d be dragging Ryleigh off to gossip.”
He laughed again before finishing his drink. “I hope I’ve passed inspection.”
This time Will laughed. “I’ve said that many times in my life. And not always while in the service.” He finished his own drink before looking over at Ryker. “Seriously though, the Donovans are…well…they’re a bit overwhelming.”
All Ryker did was nod because he figured he was about to get a quick lesson on what to do to make things easier with Ryleigh’s family.
“They’re wildly overprotective of both Ari and Ryleigh. I mean…shit, you wouldn’t believe the crazy hoops I had to jump through because of it. They all knew me as Liam’s best friend and liked me and yet they all hated the mere thought of me going out with Arianna.”
“And yet they approved of you going out with Ryleigh,” he stated, and almost grinned at Will’s stunned reaction.
“She told you about that, huh?”
He nodded.
“Yeah, well…it was like being steamrolled,” he explained. “Their mother is…very opinionated and she’s overly passionate about her daughters finding appropriate men to date and marry.” He paused for a moment. “But the thing is, no one talks about why. It’s an outdated ideology and yet she won’t let it go. Besides the whole interfering aspect, it was all about Ryleigh being the older sister.” He shook his head. “You have no idea how much it frustrated Ari at the time.” Then he grinned. “Still does.”
“But they eventually warmed to the idea since the two of you are engaged now. What changed?”
“We owe a lot of that to Ryleigh and the dramatics she mentioned earlier. She was the one who fought for us—probably more than we openly fought for ourselves.”
Interesting. So she can stand up for other people—her siblings—and be taken seriously, but not for herself. WTF?
“Okay, I’ve got to ask because I have a feeling they’ll be back soon,” Ryker began. “Why is their mother so hard on Ryleigh specifically? Like…I get that she’s the last single daughter, but…it just seems like she goes out of her way to do things she knows upsets Ryleigh. Why?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. No one does. And when you try talking to Kate about it, she gets defensive and claims we’re being disrespectful. When Ryleigh didn’t come for dinner on Sunday, they all tried talking to her about it, but she wouldn’t be swayed.”
“Damn.”
Nodding, Will said, “I’m sure since we’ve hung out tonight, Arianna will get a call tomorrow from their mother. It’s exhausting.”
“That’s one way of describing it,” he murmured.
“Okay, now there’s something I’ve got to ask,” Will threw out there. “We were given strict instructions not to talk to you like this was an interrogation and you have no idea how hard that was for my girl.” He laughed. “But…I’m just curious what you do for a living.”
“I’m a tattoo artist,” he told him because it was nice that someone took an interest.
“Seriously? That’s awesome! Where do you work out of? Do you have your own place?”
“I’m in between places right now,” he said vaguely. “I ended up here in Laurel Bay six months ago, sort of by chance, and I’m still figuring things out.”
Will’s eyes went a little wide and Ryker knew exactly what he was thinking: How are you even living if you haven’t worked in six months?
A question he undoubtedly would have voiced if Ryleigh and Arianna hadn’t returned to the table.
“I was hoping dessert would be here waiting for us when we got back,” Ryleigh said with a pout as she slid into the booth beside him.
Closely beside him.
Her hand rested on his upper thigh as she smiled. “I guess we weren’t gone as long as I thought we were.”
“I told you we didn’t need to rush,” Arianna said in a loud whisper before she started to giggle. Then she looked at Ryker. “I had a lot of questions I wanted answers to but my sister is being frustratingly tight-lipped about the two of you.”
His lips twitched. “Is that right?”
“We’re private people,” Ryleigh said. “Right, babe?”
Babe? That was new.
“Absolutely, baby girl,” he teased before placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.
“Mmm…baby girl. I like that,” she murmured as she maneuvered herself until their lips were practically touching. “Say it again.”
“I will,” he promised huskily. “Later.”
She hummed again before twisting beside him and resting her head on his arm.
“Are the two of you going to come to dinner on Sunday?” Ari asked as she mimicked their pose with Will.
“Absolutely not,” Ryleigh firmly stated. “And boo on you for bringing up a sore subject when we’ve been having a good time.” Reaching over, she picked up her napkin and threw it at her.
“You’re right, you’re right, sorry.”
Dessert was served and most of the conversation centered on food after that.
“Hey, Ry, remember those Oreo brownies you made last month?”
She nodded. “Oh, yeah. They went fast.”
“Wait…Ryleigh made them?” Will asked in confusion before looking at Ari. “You said you made them?”
“Uh-oh…”
“Dude, seriously?” Ryleigh said with a laugh. “You still haven’t told him you can’t cook?”
“I’m learning,” Arianna argued. “Just…not that fast.”
“So…wait…you’ve cooked for me though,” Will went on. “The shepherd’s pie, the beef stew, the homemade rolls, lasagna…”
“Actually, I made all of that,” Ryleigh said around a mouthful of brownie and ice cream. “Ari’s a terrible cook.”
“I’m not that terrible,” she whined. “I can make some stuff, just not…you know…full meals.”
“What does that even mean?” Will asked, but Ryker tuned out. Taking the spoon from Ryleigh’s hand, he opted to feed her the next bite.
“So…you totally threw your sister under the bus.”
She nodded and licked the spoon. “That’s what she gets for bringing up our mother when I’m all relaxed.”
That made him laugh because she had zero guilt about the whole thing. “Fair enough. And all the cooking?”
“Oh, I’m a total badass at cooking. There are several specials at the pub that only I can make, and honestly, cooking is something I love to do. I find it very relaxing. And baking. But I don’t go as wild with that. Only the basics.”
“And what are the basics?”
“Cookies, brownies, the occasional cake or pie. Nothing fancy. I hate decorating. Too time-consuming.”
He fed her another spoonful of their sundae before taking a bite for himself.
“What about you?” she asked.
“What about me?”
“Do you cook?”
He nodded. “Absolutely.”
“What’s your specialty?”
“Anything Italian. I make a killer sauce, know how to make my own pasta, and my chicken parm has been known to make grown men weep because it’s so delicious.”
With a soft gasp, she took the spoon and helped herself to another bite. “Then that’s what I want you to make for me.”
“Name the time, baby girl, and it’s yours,” he said gruffly, taking the spoon back.
Ryleigh leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “Tomorrow night. Just the two of us. I’ll bring the wine. And dessert.” Then she giggled softly. “And maybe an overnight bag.”
He went hard in an instant. Did she realize what she was saying? What she was definitely implying?
Swallowing hard, he pulled back and scanned her face and saw that she didn’t look like she was joking or tipsy. If anything, she looked very serious and determined.
And he had no idea what to do with that.
Unaware of all the thoughts racing through his mind—most involving her being naked in every room in his house—Ryleigh settled beside him and took another bite of their dessert. “How’s the chocolate chip cookie?” she asked Arianna.
“Super gooey,” she replied. “And we’re not sharing!”
“That’s fine, because we’re not sharing either!” Both sisters broke into a fit of giggles while Ryker and Will exchanged glances that said it was clearly time to go.
It took another thirty minutes to finish their coffees and desserts, and out in the parking lot, Ryker shook Will’s hand and reluctantly accepted a very tight hug from Arianna before he and Ryleigh made their way to his car. She was quiet as they pulled out and headed to back to her place.
“I lied,” she said a few minutes later.
“About…?”
“Tomorrow,” she said, her eyes looking straight ahead at the road.
“Oh.” And yeah. He was wildly disappointed to hear that because it was all he’d been able to think about since she whispered it in his ear.
Shit.
They drove in silence for several miles before she spoke again. “I had a fantastic time tonight, Ryker. It meant a lot to me that you were willing to go out with Will and Ari like that and…”
“You don’t have to explain yourself, Ryleigh,” he said softly. His hand twitched with the need to reach out and reassure her, but…he fought the urge. If he touched her right now, it would be too hard to deal with her rejection.
“No, I really do,” she told him.
“I’m telling you,” he interrupted before she could say anything else, “we’re good. You’d had a little too much to drink and were being flirty to make things look the way you wanted in front of your sister. I get it. It’s fine.”
Beside him, she sighed loudly. “Can you please just shut up and let me say what I need to say?”
“Sure,” he said tightly, gripping the wheel hard enough to snap it in two.
With a small huff, she went on. “It wasn’t that I lied, not really. I just…I don’t want to wait for tomorrow night.”
For a moment, Ryker was a little confused. “We just ate, Ryleigh. And I don’t think I have all the ingredients to cook a full Italian dinner right now.”
There was a tiny little growl that he was certain she thought sounded fierce, but it came out sounding kind of cute. “Not the dinner, Ryker! The rest of it! Spending the night! Sheesh!”
This time, he didn’t even try hiding his grin. “You want to spend the night with me.”
She nodded, still not looking at him. “Yes.”
Slowly, he pulled over to the side of the road right in front of the “Welcome to Laurel Bay” sign. Throwing the car in park, he twisted in his seat to face her. “Then you’re going to have to look at me and tell me exactly what you want so I can be sure we’re on the same page.”
Mimicking his move, Ryleigh faced him and gave him a defiant glare. “Fine. I want to spend the night with you tonight. I thought that was obvious.”
“Like I said, I needed to be sure we were on the same page,” he told her before reaching out and cupping her face and kissing her. It was deep and wet and full of promise for the night to come. He wished they weren’t in his car on the side of the road because he wanted to keep kissing her until she was breathless and panting his name, wanted to kiss her until they were both naked and sweaty in a tangle of limbs. He wanted to kiss and touch every inch of her and then do it all over again.
“Ryker?” she said breathlessly against his lips.
“Hmm?”
“Why aren’t we moving?” She gently bit his bottom lip before raking her hands into his hair and giving a slight tug. “Take us home.”
Damn, that was a sexy command.
“Your place or mine?”
“Yours.”
As much as he hated moving away from her, he now had great incentive for doing it.
Reaching for one of her hands, he held it tightly against his thigh as he put the car in gear and sped off into the night.
Chapter Seven
Never in her entire life had Ryleigh said anything so bold or felt so empowered and yet a little reckless.
Basically, she was a nervous wreck and oddly excited about it.
His hand felt big and warm, his thigh hard and hot.
And if they didn’t get to his house soon, she was pretty sure she was going to combust.
Closing her eyes, she thought of all the things she wanted to do with him and then immediately stopped that train of thought because suddenly felt very overwhelmed. Ryker was so completely different from every man she’d ever slept with, and she was beginning to fear he was out of her league. Maybe she should have just jumped him while they were on the side of the road because all this drive was accomplishing was making her second-guess herself.
Dammit.
If Ryker suspected that she was starting to freak out, he chose to say nothing. And just when she was about to vocalize how much she was freaking out, they pulled up to his house. She let out a long breath as the car came to a stop and then waited as he got out and walked around to the passenger side to help her out.
And was instantly pressed up against the vehicle as Ryker kissed her.
And man could Ryker kiss.
It wasn’t slow and seductive; it was all wild and untamed and blatantly sexual. She instinctively moved closer and slid her hands slowly up over his chest and shoulders before combing through his glorious hair. It was crazy how much she wanted to touch him, but…the logical part of her needed to drop one last truth bomb.
“Ryker,” she murmured against his lips and almost whined when he pulled back. His breathing was ragged and there was just raw need written all over his face.
Do I really need to say anything?
Unfortunately, she did.
“I just…there’s one more thing,” she began nervously.
One strong hand reached up and caressed her jaw, making her knees go a little weak.
“Um…it’s obvious that I want you and…you want me…”
“But…?” he prompted lowly.
“But…I don’t want this to change anything,” she blurted out. “You and I…what we’re doing…”
“Got it,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to the house.
“No, Ryker, wait!” she said, tugging him to a stop. When he faced her in the moonlight, Ryleigh almost forgot everything she was going to say.
Almost.
“It’s important to me that you not get the wrong idea.” As soon as the words were out, she realized how ridiculous they sounded.
Ryker stepped in close. “No wrong ideas here, Ryleigh. I want you and you want me and we’re going to go inside and do whatever you want, baby girl. All. Night. Long.”
The moan was out before she could stop it. “Yes, please.”
In the blink of an eye, the door was open and he was leading her inside and didn’t stop except to lock the door and toss his keys on the entryway table. Only a handful of lights were on throughout the house, but it didn’t matter. She knew where they were going and what they were going to do, and she couldn’t wait.
There was a tiny part of her that felt like a total ass for making that statement out in the driveway. If any guy had said something like that to her, she would have told them to go fuck themselves and wished them a good life.
Ugh…I’ve become a douchebag…
And in typical Ryker fashion, he just rolled with it.
They turned down a long hallway and she knew the door at the end would be to his bedroom. Sure enough, they stepped inside and she could only stop and stare. It was massive and incredibly masculine. The bed dominated the space and Ryker released her hand and slowly walked backwards toward it, his eyes never leaving hers. The sweater was up and over his head in a flash before getting tossed on the floor and there were even more tattoos on his chest.
And they were sexier than she thought they’d be.
Wow…am I suddenly into tatted men?
Well, obviously she was into this tatted man.
Without a word, Ryker held out his hand to her and Ryleigh simply dropped her purse on the floor and walked over to him, wondering if she should whip her sweater off too.
As if reading her mind, he said, “Let me.”
Then those gloriously large, warm hands rested on her waist for just a moment before sliding up under her top. The moment his hands touched her skin, she felt a jolt of awareness go through her, causing her to sway slightly. He didn’t rush and she really wished he would because the anticipation was making her twitchy. When the sweater was gone and on the floor with his, Ryker just looked at her until she started to squirm. His name came out as a soft plea, but he just continued to look.
“So pretty,” he said, his voice deep and all rumbly. “You have no idea how many times I’ve thought of you being right here like this.”
This was usually the time she’d say something snarky to lighten the mood, but…she kind of liked where this was going.
Both hands came up and cupped her breasts and she was glad she’d gone with something lacy rather than something practical. This wasn’t even remotely how she envisioned the night ending and normally hated when things didn’t go as planned, but she was suddenly seeing the appeal.
“Tell me what you want, baby girl,” he murmured as his hands gently kneaded her breasts. “Anything and it’s yours.”
Humming softly, she looked him in the eye. “Everything you’ve been thinking of,” she said boldly. “I want to do everything you’ve thought about.”
