Chapter 18
Growing on Me
Ivy
“Do you have more than one gun?” Ryan asked.
I nodded.
He tipped his head toward my bedroom. “Get them both and make sure they’re loaded.”
I failed to hide my eyeroll. “An empty gun is just a paperweight.”
He kept a stoic expression. “If you say so, but I want you to spend the night with Chad or your other friend – even better if your coworkers don’t know about them.”
I twisted my hands up in concession. “Kristen fits that bill, but she has nowhere for me to sleep because she has a one bedroom studio and her brother is currently staying on her couch.”
He closed his eyes for a beat. “Then stay with Chad. If I can, I’ll pick you up when I’m done.”
“Why can’t I stay here?”
“No gate. You own this place, right?”
I laughed. “No, I’m renting, sadly. And hypocritically, given my profession.”
His lips pressed together as he contemplated my words. “That makes it harder for someone to find you in the property databases, but I’d rather not leave you alone.”
A sleepover at Chad or Kristen’s place would be fun, but not half as fun as staying with Ryan.
He mistook my hesitant expression. “I’ll be picking you up after my shift – probably around eleven-thirty or midnight.”
“You could check in with me and—”
“No.” He bit out the word.
The overprotective tone was new. I hated the idea of Chad being disturbed around midnight, and his chihuahua, Ginger, would raise holy hell when Ryan came around to get me.
“What if I stayed at your place?” I asked.
Disbelief swept over his face. “You are not gonna be able to stay in my room.”
I shot him some side eye. “Considering the book haul you gave me last night, I most certainly could. I just need snacks and lime juice.”
He huffed out a breath mingled with a chuckle. “You aren’t day drinking without me. What are you gonna do about dinner?”
I shrugged. “We’re headed to Kickback’s. I can order something huge and have leftover lunch for dinner.”
“Are you always this…” he trailed off, searching for the right word.
“Obstinate? Headstrong?” I suggested.
“That one. Headstrong.”
I grinned and nodded. “Yep. Chad got me a t-shirt to prove it.”
“Fuck. Guess you only need one gun then.”
I smiled. “Excellent. That leaves room for my skimpy sleep shirt.”
He uncrossed his arms, stepped closer, and wrapped those bulky limbs around me. “You’re in my bed, you sleep in one of my shirts.”
“I thought you liked my shirt.”
“I like you in my clothes even more.”
Little did he know, I loved sleeping in his t-shirt, which made it a win-win all around.
Ryan kissed my forehead, then waited for me to look him in the eye. “You don’t leave my room though. I didn’t like the way Tic watched you Monday night.”
My eyebrows furrowed. “Was he the one with the really close haircut—”
“Who looks like a bald, heavyweight boxer? Yeah.”
I frowned. “I wouldn’t have described him that way, but I’ll be sure to avoid him.”
He gave me a squeeze. “If you stay in my room, you don’t have to avoid him.”
“You’re right, but—”
“No ‘buts’ Ivy. If you can’t hole up in my room reading your haul, then you’re hitting Chad’s this afternoon. That’s the deal.”
I sighed and my chest pressed against his. “Fine. Do you have plans this morning? There’s two hours before lunch. I wasn’t sure if you work out or something in the mornings.”
“Nope, but your couch is calling my name.”
Heat surged through me at the memory of last night. That had been hands-down some of the best sex I’d ever had. A repeat of that? Yes, please.
I stopped dead on the sidewalk.
Kristen stood with her head tipped backward, her mouth in a huge gorgeous smile as she laughed straight from her belly. As beautiful as that might have been, my eyes were locked on her hand holding onto Ryan’s bicep like he was her anchor in a sea of humor.
“What’s the problem?” Ryan asked, draping his arm over my shoulders.
Shit.
It took a moment for the high tide of my jealousy to recede.
My best friend was flirting with Killian, not Ryan.
I should have known this would happen because I couldn’t distinguish between the two of them at all. If I were lucky, with enough time, I’d figure out a way to tell them apart.
“Babe?” Ryan asked, shifting so he stood in front of me.
“It’s fine. I’m fine. I just got a little confused for a moment.”
He stared at me, looked over his shoulder, then turned back with a nod. “You knew I was at your side, right?”
I put both of my hands on his chest and leaned into him.
“I did when we got off your bike, but that obviously fell by the wayside when I caught sight of my friend and your brother. It threw me, and the worst part was that deep down I knew something like this would happen, I just haven’t had a chance to spend time with both of you which would help me figure out a tell-tale sign to distinguish you from your brother. ”
I listened to his low chuckle while he traced the bottom of my jaw with his index finger.
“I hate to tell you this, but there really isn’t one.
” He tilted his head then righted it. “Well, I suppose you could tell the difference when we’re shirtless because our chest tattoos are different.
Otherwise, you’re gonna be shit out of luck until you get to know us. ”
I nodded. “I’m sorry. Really. I shouldn’t have freaked—”
“Ivy, I’m used to it. Hell, I had the money for a kickass forearm tattoo.
Killian talked me out of it because he gets off on women being confused about which one of us is which.
It’s one of the few things that makes me grateful Mickayla’s female.
If there really were three of us…there’s no telling how awful we’d be on the ladies. ”
“What’s the hold up, Nickel?” a man yelled, and I peeked around Ryan to see it was his brother.
Ryan turned around and took my hand. “Nothing, Ricochet.”
Kristen saw me and dashed over to give me a hug. “Oh my God. Chad told me this morning what happened to you! Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked pulling out of the hug.
I gave her hands a squeeze before letting them go. “I’m fine. Seems you met Killian, but I’d like you to meet Ryan.”
Kristen and Ryan shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. He nodded at both of us and wandered over to his brother.
“Chad wasn’t kidding. They are both smokin’ hot,” Kristen muttered under her breath.
“Right. Where is Chad by the way?”
“He got held up by a train. He’ll be here soon,” she said.
“I’m right here,” Chad said, strolling up from behind us. His gaze shot past us to Killian and Ryan before he focused on me. “I didn’t believe you when you said those two hotties were going to join us.”
“Like you mind,” I said.
“Well, this should be fun,” Chad muttered.
“Come on, now that we’re all here, they should give us our table,” Kristen said.
“Where’s Mickayla?” I asked.
Kristen slanted her head toward the doorway. “She went to talk to the hostess, and now she’s waving us over.”
As worlds colliding went, this could be deemed a success. Killian kept shooting looks at Kristen, but she was acting cooler than a cucumber. Considering her earlier laughter, I wondered if she was playing games and if so, why?
I was able to share with Chad and Kristen what happened with me and Lark.
“That is not how I expected that to go,” Chad groused.
If Killian or Mickayla were eavesdropping, they hid it well.
“What did you expect, Chad?” Kristen asked.
“You aren’t going to make me feel bad for wanting Ivy to get another family out of this,” Chad said louder than normal.
Killian glanced our way.
Mickayla’s gaze swung to me and something about the look in her eyes told me she knew.
“Mick, is there a problem?” Ryan asked, picking up on the silent interaction between us.
Before she could look to him, I guessed, “He told you.”
She shook her head. “He told one of the brothers. I barged into the office for change not knowing they were having that kind of conversation.”
Ryan’s hand on my thigh tightened.
I leaned my shoulder into his. “It’s not a big deal.”
He stared at his sister.
“Don’t give me that look,” Mickayla said.
“Who did he tell?” Ryan asked.
“Tundra, but that hardly matters. One of your brothers isn’t going to put her in danger anymore than you are,” Mickayla said.
Ryan shook his head. “Why was he there last night?”
Killian tipped his soda glass at Ryan. “To fill in for your ass. If you’re worried he’s comin’ for your job – you should be. He’s got more experience and he’s better than you.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes at his triplet. “He’s not better than me, jackass.”
“No, he’s better than both of you combined,” Mickayla said.
“Bullshit,” Ryan and Killian said at the same time.
We all laughed at that.
A few minutes later, Kristen and I went to the bathroom before our food came out.
We were washing our hands and I noticed Kristen’s gaze on my reflection in the mirror. “This is going to sound crazy, but would it be weird if I gave Ricochet my number?”
“Yes,” Mickayla’s voice came from a closed stall. “It’s weird already just hearing this conversation.”
“I thought you stayed at the table! When did you come in here?” I asked on a laugh.
“Not thirty seconds after y’all left, all the coffee I had this morning caught up with me, so I came in right after you two.”
I dried my hands and faced Kristen. “I thought you weren’t looking for a man.”
“Neither were you, as I recall,” she said. “But Ricochet is not like his brother. He’s a one-and-done kind of guy. that seems clear.”
“Good Lord! Can you two cut a girl a break,” Mickayla cried from her stall just before the toilet flushed.
I twisted my hands out at Kristen. “You’re a free woman.”
Mickayla wandered to the sink and aimed a look at Kristen. “Woman to woman, he’s an insatiable flirt – always has been. Don’t take it to heart if he never calls. He’d hate to do something to make her or Ryan feel weird long term.”
“I’m surprised you’d tell me that,” Kristen said.