Something to Someone (Someone, Somewhere #2)

Chapter 29

TWENTY-NINE

SUPER SLY

Caroline

Music carried into the ballroom from the smaller space just down the hall that was being utilized for the rehearsal dinner. It was a room that wasn’t as grand but was just as beautiful and looked out onto the courtyard as well.

White bulb lights were strung from tree to tree over the gray stone, highlighting the pristine, recently manicured garden. Wisteria that the owners were careful to take the best care of climbed the ivy-covered walls and delicately wrapped around the windows. I’d stood next to the fountain earlier in the night as the sun was setting and stared up at the beauty and grandeur of the home.

Now, I was staring longingly at the beautiful doors and wall of windows looking out onto the courtyard while standing in the reception hall, trying my damndest to make sure it was perfect for the next day.

“What do you think?” Addie asked, interrupting my yearning thoughts.

I turned to find her across the large, circular table we’d been working on. The centerpiece, minus the flowers which would be added the following morning, was in the center—the candles, the greenery, the table numbers—were all there and perfectly placed.

“It looks amazing,” I said, straightening the tablecloth and pushing in one of the cushioned chairs.

“Only twelve more to go,” she said. Addie smiled—I rarely ever saw her without a smile—but I could also see how tired she was beneath it. We were both exhausted.

We’d been decorating and coordinating all day. Greeting the wedding party and family when they arrived and ushering them to their rooms, then organizing the rehearsal dinner and ensuring more guests found their way to the party.

All the while, we prepared the reception hall and made sure the day of the wedding went as smoothly as possible. My checklist felt never-ending, but we were slowly ticking away at it.

I mustered the best smile I could and readjusted the bun I’d messily thrown my hair into.

“The rehearsal should be over soon, then Sarah and everyone else will be able to help us.”

“Did someone say help?”

I startled at the voice. I hadn’t heard any of the doors open, so when I spun, the last person I expected to see was Ryder striding toward us. He had his hands in the pockets of his slacks, and he was missing the tie I’d seen him wearing earlier. The top button of his shirt was undone, showing off the column of his throat and tan skin.

An easy smile spread across his face, and I felt it down my arms to the tips of my fingers and all the way to my toes.

“You’re the best man, you should be enjoying the rehearsal dinner,” I said. “Making sure the grooms are happy and stress-free.”

Ryder stopped in front of me, and I caught his eyes flitting down my body. I wasn’t much to see in a mostly shapeless black dress and sensible shoes. It was something that both looked nice for when I was helping with the rehearsal and was easy to move around in while setting up the reception. But from the way Ryder looked at me, you would think I was wearing that bikini again.

“I’ve done my part. It’s Theo’s turn. So, put me to work,” he said, stretching his arms out to his sides like he was an offering.

Like she could feel my hesitation, Addie chimed in, “We do kind of need the help, Caroline. I can feel myself fading, and I know you are, too.”

Since that afternoon in my office when we’d almost been caught by Natalie, I’d been extra careful. Ryder and I both had been. We didn’t spend any extensive time at my house. Instead, I went over to his new apartment and parked far enough away from his unit that even if Natalie did randomly show up, she wouldn’t see my car. He also didn’t show up at my office unannounced anymore or try to sneak a quick kiss when we were both at Natalie’s.

The two times we had been there at the same time, it had been hard to resist, but we managed.

And being together in the reception hall while his mom was down the hall as Theo’s date was not a good idea. I just hoped Addie would be enough of a buffer.

“Okay, you can help.”

On the other side of the table, Addie used her last bit of energy to clap and jump up and down. “Great! I have heavy stuff you can lift.”

Ryder dutifully removed his suit jacket and tossed it over one of the chairs before rolling his sleeves up. Addie walked back toward the front doors, motioning to the boxes I knew she wanted help with and giving Ryder instructions over her shoulder. He wasn’t listening, though, and frankly, neither was I.

My eyes were glued to his newly exposed forearms. The lights were lower in the ballroom than they were elsewhere on the property. I was getting a headache, so I’d turned them down earlier. But I could still see the dark hair dusting his skin and the muscles tensing beneath it .

It had been two days since I’d felt his arms around me. Two days, and I was going mad with the need to feel them again.

I swallowed and blinked away the sudden rush of arousal. When I looked back up, Ryder caught my eye and had noted where I was staring.

“Keep looking at me like that, pretty girl, and I don’t care who else is in the room. I’ll throw you down on that table right now.”

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. “Don’t touch that table. It took us at least twenty minutes to put together.”

He glanced around the room and pointed to one of the tables we hadn’t gotten to yet. “That one okay?”

“Yes, perfect.”

“Ryder?” Addie called. He turned toward her, but his eyes lingered on me as he walked away.

And they didn’t move from me for the next hour as we worked. We finished the tables and every other piece we still had left including the seating chart and the arches around the two main entrances to the room that would be strung with flowers the next day.

Ryder and Addie were finishing up the final touches as I sat on the floor and proceeded to lay down on the cool wood. Every part of me was exhausted, but it was mostly done. Only a few things were left and then the actual wedding itself. But I wasn’t worried about that—it would be perfect.

I stared up at the elegant, painted ceiling and tried to relieve some of the pressure in my back. I had taken to trying to awkwardly massage some of the tension as Ryder plopped down next to me. I looked to my left and saw his dress shoes.

Propping up onto my elbows behind me, I peered over at him. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and his hair was a mess. Addie had been right, too—his help was much needed.

The sounds of the rehearsal dinner had quieted the later it got. T he music was still echoing down the hallway, and every once in a while, we could hear laughter or raised voices.

Ryder nudged my arm with the tip of his shoe, and I glanced over at him. His little smirk was on the verge of becoming an all-out grin.

“I still like watching you work,” he said. I was too tired to control my facial expression, so my surprise was written all over my face. He shook his head. “You’re just so good at your job. You’re creative and authoritative but not too controlling. And you had a vision from the start—taking what Stephen and Miles wanted and making it even better. It turned out…perfect, Caroline.”

The unrestrained sincerity in his voice made my chest tighten. I sat up so I was eye level with him. “Thanks,” was all I could manage to say around the lump in my throat.

“I think—” Ryder began, dropping his eyes to my hands that were fidgeting in my lap. But we were interrupted by both Theo and Natalie.

“This place looks phenomenal,” Natalie complimented. I smiled up at my friend who looked gorgeous in a blue and white floral dress. She tapped Ryder’s leg with her foot. “I was wondering where you went.”

“Found a few wedding planners who needed help,” Ryder said.

Natalie looked back at me and grimaced. “You okay?”

“I will be after I take a shower and lay down in that comfy bed upstairs.”

Ryder stood and then offered me his hand. If I didn’t take it, I would look rude, instead of like I was trying to prevent myself from reacting to his touch like I actually was. I slipped my hand against his and ground my teeth against the shock that ricocheted up my arm at the slightest, most innocent touch.

I groaned like I was twice my age as I stood, and even as I straightened our hands lingered together. Ryder’s thumb brushed the back of my hand once then twice before he reluct antly dropped it. Both of us watched our hands fall apart and quickly looked away.

I rubbed my palm against my leg and took a step farther away. Theo was glancing between us, from me to Ryder and between us where our hands were linked a moment before.

“Is there anything you need from us?” Natalie asked, leaning into Theo’s side. He wrapped an arm around her but didn’t drop his quietly incredulous look.

“Nope, we’re done. And the clean-up crew will start on the rehearsal dinner in the next few minutes.”

Natalie smiled and tapped Theo’s chest. He finally looked away from us and down to her. His expression immediately softened, and an uncharacteristically sweet smile slipped over his lips.

“Okay, then, I vote we go to bed. My feet are killing me.” Theo nodded as Natalie squirmed and bounced from foot to foot.

Theo nodded. “Go ahead. I have to talk to Ryder really quick.”

Natalie said good night, but Theo didn’t begin speaking until she was out of earshot. He watched her walk away then turned back to us.

“You two are not as sly as you think you are. If you don’t want Natalie to know you’re fucking, then you’re doing a shitty job.”

I straightened and dropped my arms to my sides. Immediately, I whipped my head toward Ryder who was shaking his head and scrubbing a hand over his jaw.

“Seriously, Theo, why?—”

I smacked Ryder’s side and angrily whispered, “You told him?”

“No, he didn’t,” Theo answered. All my frustration dissipated in one swift rush. “After I caught you leaving the bathroom together, I asked him, but he didn’t give much up. Then the photos at graduation. I’ve also just watched the two of you togeth er ever since, and it’s hard to miss whatever”—he motioned between us—“this is.”

Nervous energy swam through me and churned my gut. Theo turned to walk away, and I had to know for sure. I reached out and grasped his forearm.

He stopped and slowly looked back at me. “She doesn’t know?” I asked quickly.

He shook his head and tucked his hands into his pants pockets. Seeing Theo dressed in a suit was a strange sight, although he hadn’t altered his usual all-black attire.

“No, but I also don’t like lying to her. You should think about telling her. I think we all learned that secrets only make things worse.” He glanced at Ryder, and I let go of his arm. Without any other context, we knew what he meant. Maybe the situation would have gone smoother if he and Natalie had told Ryder earlier about their relationship instead of waiting for it to blow up.

Theo followed the same path Natalie took out of the room and to the right where the curved staircase would take him to the second floor and the guest bedrooms.

Ryder and I were left in the middle of the room, silently standing side-by-side.

“He won’t say anything,” Ryder said.

I scoffed and tugged the hair tie out of my hair, running my fingers through the tangled strands and massaging my tender scalp. Exhaustion was creeping in, and I couldn’t think straight when I was worried about keeping my eyes open.

“He might not say anything, but if he’s noticed, it’s only a matter of time before Natalie does, too.”

“We could tell her,” Ryder said like it was asking her to grab something at the grocery store or reminding her of an appointment. Like it wasn’t something that could possibly irreparably change my friendship with her forever.

“And how do you think that conversation would go?” I asked. “Something like, ‘ Hey, Nat. Ryder and I have been sneaking around behind your back for a few months. We’re just fucking, so don’t worry about me becoming your daughter-in-law or anything. Hope you don’t hate me now.’ ”

When I looked back up at him, Ryder’s blue eyes were filled with a vulnerability I yearned to erase.

“Let’s…I don’t think this is the time for this conversation,” I said and began to walk past him. But I didn’t make it far. Ryder’s arm shot out and caught me around the waist, effectively stopping me mid-step.

He bent his head, and I could feel his breath against my cheek. He was so close, his nose brushed my hair. Suddenly, everything else disappeared, and all I could think about was how much I liked when he touched me or when I felt the heat of his body. My focus was solely on his fingers gripping my hip and his forearm pressing into my lower stomach.

“Don’t walk away like this, Caroline,” he whispered. “We should talk about it.”

I tilted my head in his direction, and his lips brushed my forehead. “Not now,” I said, remembering myself. I straightened and scanned the room. We were alone, but for how long, I wasn’t sure.

“I’ll come find you tonight.”

He let me step away as I choked out a disbelieving laugh. “Your mom and Theo are in the room between us. Sneaking into my room is tempting fate.”

Ryder shrugged and retrieved his jacket from the chair he’d tossed it on an hour earlier. “I’ll get creative, but tempting fate is worth it when it comes to you, pretty girl.”