Chapter 4
Chapter Four
HARLEY
I stretched my legs out as much as possible in the passenger seat, sneaking a glance at Ryker’s profile as he focused on the road ahead. We’d been driving for about forty minutes, and I’d been on my best behavior for approximately thirty-nine of them. Time to stir the pot.
It was too easy to get him worked up by grazing his thigh with my hand as I pretended to reach for my phone. His leg tensed immediately under my touch. “Damn it, Harley!”
“Sorry,” I murmured, not sounding apologetic at all as I let my fingers linger a beat too long before pulling away.
Ryker cleared his throat. “No problem.”
“You know, we should probably get our story straight before we arrive.”
“What story?” The steering wheel leather creaked under Ryker’s grip, clearly bracing for impact.
“Our love story, biscuit.” I smirked when he shot me a murderous look at my use of his mother’s nickname for him. “Your family’s going to want the details on how we got together. We need a good backstory.”
He sighed. “Can’t we simply say we fell for each other and leave it at that? Why does it need a screenplay?”
“Boring.” I drummed my fingers against my thigh. “What if we tell them I rescued you from a burning building? Very heroic. Very sexy. Much wow.”
“We live in the same apartment. They know there hasn’t been a fire,” Ryker pointed out.
“Fine. What if we were rock climbing, and you fell, but I caught you with one hand while dangling from the cliff face with the other?” I flexed my biceps for good measure, channeling my inner action hero.
Ryker shot me down. “We both hate the outdoors. My parents know that.”
“True.” I tapped my chin. “What about this? We were at a party, and some creep wouldn’t leave you alone, so I swooped in and pretended to be your boyfriend. Then we realized we didn’t want to pretend anymore.”
“That’s just our current situation with extra steps,” Ryker said dryly.
“Okay, I’ve got it. Aliens abducted us and performed experiments that revealed our deep, passionate love for each other.”
“Harley.” The exasperation in his voice was delicious.
“No? Too sci-fi? What about ancient spirits of star-crossed lovers possessed us to fulfill their unrequited passion?”
Ryker’s eye roll was practically audible. “Are you done?”
“Never.” A new idea struck me. “Oh, I know! We were partners in a dance competition—”
“You have two left feet.”
“—and during the tango, our eyes locked, and we just knew.”
“My parents have seen you dance at family barbecues. They know you move like a drunk giraffe on roller skates.”
I gasped in mock offense. “How dare you? I’m graceful as fuck.”
“You knocked over an entire table of food trying to do the White Boy Shuffle last Fourth of July.”
“That was an artistic choice,” I defended, relishing the way the corner of his mouth twitched upward despite his irritation. “You can’t fault me for being committed to the bit.”
“How about this?” Ryker’s voice softened. “We live together, spend all our time together, and naturally fell for each other.”
I laughed, though it didn’t quite sound casual. "So basically, just us, but with benefits?"
“The best lies have elements of truth,” Ryker said, a smirk creeping into his tone.
I seized on the sudden opportunity. “Speaking of the truth, as your boyfriend, would you say I’m the best kisser you’ve ever had?”
The car swerved as Ryker jerked the steering wheel. “Fuck, Harley!”
I laughed, reveling in his startled reaction. “That good, huh? I knew it.”
“We haven’t kissed,” he pointed out, his cheeks flushing that delicious shade of pink I adored.
“Yet,” I corrected, letting my gaze linger on his lips. “But we probably should before we get there. You know, for authenticity’s sake.”
“We are not kissing for real.” Ryker’s throat worked as he swallowed. “I think we’ll manage without that.”
“Will we, though? What if your mom asks for details about our first kiss? What if she wants to see us kiss? We should practice.” I leaned closer, dropping my voice to a sultry whisper. “I promise I’ll make it unforgettable.”
“My mom won’t ask to see us kiss,” Ryker said firmly.
“Maybe not, but your sister definitely will. You know how Sawyer loves to put you on the spot.”
His grimace told me I’d hit the mark. Sawyer absolutely would demand proof of our relationship, if only to watch her brother squirm. He kept his eyes glued to the road, but the flush on his cheeks deepened. “Let’s focus on getting there first.”
“Whatever you say, snookums.”
Ryker groaned. “You can’t call me that.”
“Would you prefer ‘baby doll’ instead? Because that can be arranged.”
He huffed peevishly. “No.”
I settled back in my seat, unable to keep the grin off my face. “So, about our first date. I’m thinking we should say it was that time we went to that Italian place on Fourth Street.”
“We’ve been there dozens of times.”
“Exactly! But this time was special because I confessed my undying love for you over tiramisu.”
Ryker knew me too well. “You hate tiramisu.”
“I’d suffer through it for you.”
“That’s how they’d know you were lying,” Ryker shot back, though a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
I reached for the radio, letting my fingers brush his thigh again. This time, he didn’t tense up as much. Progress.
“What about when we went to the movies last month?” Ryker suggested after a moment. “We could say that’s when things changed.”
“The horror flick where you crawled into my lap during the jump scares? Perfect. Very romantic.”
His protest was adorable. “I did not crawl into your lap.”
“You gripped my arm so hard I had bruises the next day.”
“It was unexpected!”
“The movie was called Slaughter House Party 2: Greek Week Nightmare. What were you expecting, a musical number?”
He laughed despite himself, the sound warming me from the inside out. “Fine. But we’re not telling my family I was scared.”
“Of course not. We’ll say you were making a bold move on me.”
“Who would believe I’d make the first move in this scenario?”
I grinned. “True, it’s far more believable that you finally succumbed to my irresistible charms.”
Surprise or maybe recognition flickered across his face before he disguised it with an eye roll. “Fine. The movie works.”
“And afterward, we went for ice cream, and you couldn’t keep your eyes off me as I licked my cone.” I demonstrated with a theatrical flourish of my tongue.
Ryker’s gaze darted to me, then back to the road. “You’re awful.”
“That’s not what you moaned last night when I made you come,” I purred, relishing the way his ears turned crimson.
“We are not telling my family about our fictional sex life.”
“Spoilsport.” I pouted, then perked up. “Actually, let’s circle back to pet names.”
He groaned. “Do we have to?”
“Yes, because we’re one of those obnoxiously schmoopy couples. What do you call me when we’re alone?”
“I call you ‘pain in my ass,’” Ryker muttered.
“Thanks for the compliment on my huge dick, but could we keep that under wraps in front of your parents?” I replied with a cheeky wink.
Ryker shot me a withering glare. “Can we please stick to our actual names?”
“Boring,” I sang. “How about ‘babe,’ ‘honey,’ or even better, ‘sex god,’ since I’m the one giving you earth-shattering orgasms?”
“I refuse to call you ‘sex god’ in front of my mother.”
“Fine, I’ll let you save it for the bedroom.”
Ryker’s lips twitched. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“Of course, I am.” I let my hand rest on his thigh again. “Aren’t you?”
His eyes locked onto mine, and for a fleeting second, the exasperation faded, replaced by a spark of heat that kicked my pulse into overdrive. “It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever had.”
I squeezed his thigh. “High praise indeed.”
“Don’t push it,” he warned, but my hand remained right where it was.
“How much longer until we arrive?”
“A few hours,” Ryker replied. “Think you can behave yourself that long?”
“Not a chance in hell.”
The steering wheel creaked under Ryker’s grip as we passed the “Welcome to Sierra Vista” sign. His jaw clenched tight as he kept glancing at his phone in the cup holder, as if waiting for a text from his mom to drop like a bomb.
“You know, if you squeeze that steering wheel any harder, you might break it,” I said, keeping my tone light. “And I’m pretty sure your insurance doesn’t cover ‘death grip due to family drama.’”
He didn’t laugh. Not even crack a smile. He kept staring straight ahead at the road, his shoulders creeping up near his ears.
I dropped the teasing tone, studying his profile with genuine concern. “Hey, are you okay? You look like you’re about to face a firing squad instead of your family.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted, but the slight tremor in his voice said otherwise.
I turned in my seat to get a better look. “No, you’re not. Are you having second thoughts about this whole fake boyfriend charade?”
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Maybe.”
“We can still call this off,” I offered, even though fake dating was the closest I’d ever get to having what I truly desired with him.
But watching him stress was like watching a cat scrambling to escape a full bathtub.
“Seriously, we can turn around right now. We can tell your mom I got food poisoning or something.”
Ryker took a deep breath and shook his head.
“No, I need to do this. Maylin is supposedly perfect.” He sighed in defeat.
“Mom won’t stop singing her praises. According to her, Maylin is beautiful, smart, kind, ambitious, and comes from a good family.
She’s a history major who volunteers at animal shelters and probably rescues orphans in her spare time. ”
“And I’m not?” I feigned disappointment, clucking my tongue with mock severity. “I’ll have you know I’m an excellent catch. I’ve never once abandoned an orphan.”
That got a smile out of him. “How noble of you.”
“But seriously, if this is stressing you out, we can bail.”
He shook his head again. “No, it’s not only about Maylin. It’s about the endless parade of women Mom trots out for me to date. She means well, but she won’t stop trying to set me up with every single woman she meets. I need to put an end to it.”
“And I’m your nuclear option?”
“Something like that.” He sighed. “Besides, my family loves you. This should be easy.”
I leaned back in my seat, adopting a mock regal pose. “True, I am universally adored.”
“By everyone except me,” he retorted, but there was no malice in his tone.
“You adore me the most,” I countered. “You just hide it better.”
He rolled his eyes but didn’t deny it, which I counted as a small victory.
“We should make sure we have our stories straight for when we tell your family we’re dating now. What’s my favorite color?”
Ryker snorted. “Gray, for some inexplicable reason.”
“Because it’s the same color as your eyes,” I teased. He scoffed, even though it was the truth. “Yours is blue for the same reason. Favorite food?”
“Anything with peanut butter,” he replied. “And yours is that spicy ramen from the place down the street from our apartment.”
“What am I allergic to?”
“Kale, which you’re eternally grateful for because you hate it.”
True enough. “First concert?”
“Some obscure indie band no one’s ever heard of that you pretend changed your life. For me, it was CJ Parker with Sawyer when I was fourteen.”
“Favorite position?”
“Harley,” he warned, though his cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink.
“What? I’m just covering all our bases.” I smirked. “For the record, I prefer being on top, but I’m versatile.”
“I did not need that mental image,” he muttered, though his eyes kept flicking nervously between me and the road.
“Sure you did. What if Sawyer asks?”
“My sister won’t pry into our sex life,” he insisted.
I laughed. “Have you met her? She’ll want the full scoop, complete with diagrams.”
He grimaced, knowing I was right. “Fine. If she asks, we’ll tell her it’s classified information.”
“Like she’d ever accept that answer,” I scoffed. “But fine, we’ll play it your way for now.”
We lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few minutes as Ryker maneuvered through the familiar streets of his hometown. The closer we got to his parents’ house, the more tension crept into his shoulders.
“After three years of friendship and two years of sharing a roof, we don’t need to fabricate anything.”
“Except the part where we’re dating,” Ryker reminded me.
“Details.” I waved his protest away. “The point is, we already know each other’s quirks, habits, and pet peeves. We’ve witnessed each other’s glorious highs and dismal lows. That’s more than most couples can say.”
We turned onto his parents’ street, the familiar two-story Mediterranean-style house coming into view at the end of the block.
It was a warm, inviting home with arched doorways, a terra-cotta tile roof, and a patio bursting with the vibrant flowers Jacinta cherished.
I’d spent countless holidays and weekends there, but my visit felt different.
Now, I wasn’t just the best friend anymore; I was stepping in as his boyfriend, even if it was purely for show.
As we approached, I spotted a figure in the front window. It was unmistakably Jacinta, practically bouncing with excitement. She vanished from view, presumably to rally the rest of the family for our grand entrance.
“Your mom’s already on high alert,” I warned Ryker. “She just saw us.”
He groaned. “Fantastic. She’s probably already drafting our wedding invitations.”
“I look absolutely dapper in a tux, in case you were wondering.”
“You look good in everything,” he mumbled, his gaze lingering on me for a heartbeat too long before snapping back to the road.
We pulled into the driveway, and Ryker turned off the engine but made no move to exit the car. He sat there, fixated on the house, his hands still clutching the steering wheel like a lifeline.
“Hey.” I reached over to take one of his hands in mine. His skin was warm against my palm. To my surprise, he didn’t pull away. “Showtime, snookums.”
Ryker gulped audibly, his gaze dropping to our intertwined fingers before meeting my gaze. “Yeah. Showtime.”
The warmth of his hand in mine felt more right than I was ready to admit, even to myself. It’s all a charade, I reminded myself firmly. Only pretend. But as his fingers tentatively curled around mine, I wished it were real.
The front door swung open, and Jacinta bounded on the porch, waving enthusiastically. “Boys! You made it!”
Ryker gave my hand one last squeeze before letting go to unbuckle his seat belt. “Ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be. Let the games begin.”