Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
HARLEY
Waking up with the solid weight of Ryker’s body pressed against mine was officially my new favorite thing. I ran my fingers through his rumpled disaster of dark hair, earning a sleepy mumble of protest.
Last night had been better than any fantasy I’d jerked off to over the years.
The way he’d trembled under my touch, how his gasps had filled the room as he learned how good it could be between us, was a memory I’d cherish forever.
But the best part had been afterward, when he’d curled up against me with complete trust, letting me hold him close as we drifted off to sleep.
Ryker stirred against me, making little grumpy-kitten sounds as he fought consciousness. When his eyes fluttered open, I gave him a soft kiss on his lips. “Good morning, gorgeous.”
“Mm-hmm.” It was cute how he couldn’t form complete sentences yet.
I trailed my fingers down his back, ready to suggest a repeat performance of last night’s activities, when his stomach let out an impressive growl that could rival a lion’s roar.
“Sounds like someone worked up quite an appetite,” I teased, delighting in his flushed cheeks. “Can’t imagine why.”
He muttered fragments of a sleepy complaint, but he moved away to get dressed with a yawn and stretch.
I followed his lead, taking my sweet time pulling on my jeans and making sure to give him a generous eyeful of my ass. When I caught him admiring the view in the reflection of the window, I added a cheeky wink for good measure.
By the time we sauntered downstairs, everyone had already gathered at the kitchen table.
“Sorry we’re late,” I announced with a grin that said I wasn’t sorry in the slightest.
Sawyer’s eyes lit up with the kind of holy terror usually reserved for gossipy angels about to spill celestial tea. “Did you boys sleep well?” She made exaggerated air quotes around the word “sleep.”
“Extremely well,” I purred, wrapping an arm around Ryker’s waist. “Best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages.” I kissed his cheek just to be a little shit.
“Oh, really?” Gia hummed with interest. “Because I could have sworn I heard some rather interesting noises coming from your room late last night.” She and Sawyer exchanged looks before reenacting what they’d supposedly heard.
“Oh, Harley!” Sawyer moaned theatrically.
“Right there, snookums!” Gia added with an exaggerated gasp.
Ryker looked like he wanted to do his best impersonation of a cockroach and crawl under the table to die.
I pulled him closer, jumping in to redirect their attention.
“Ladies, please. Some things are meant to stay private, like how Sawyer has named each of her houseplants after her failed relationships, just to have the pleasure of killing them.”
“I did not!” Sawyer protested, though her indignant huff was undermined by the wide grin she couldn’t hide.
Gia erupted into giggles. “If you don’t, you should. Blair deserves to be six feet under, both in plant and people form.”
Danson watched us over the rim of his coffee cup, clearly relishing the morning’s entertainment.
Jacinta had loaded the breakfast table with fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fresh fruit, and an assortment of pastries that made my mouth water.
“This looks amazing, Jacinta,” I said, helping myself to a generous portion. “You’ve outdone yourself.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” She beamed at me with more pride than my mother ever had in my entire life. “I wanted to make sure you boys had a proper breakfast after such an active evening.”
Ryker grimaced as he joined me at the table. “Come on, please stop. I can’t handle this much embarrassment before coffee.”
“Well, you’re sitting down without wincing, so I guess we know who was on top,” Sawyer joked, sending everyone into fits of laughter as Ryker buried his face in his hands with a pained groan.
She’d know since she had seen me naked on more than one occasion by the pool.
“Smart decision when your boyfriend’s dick is the size of a—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” Danson interjected with a chuckle. “Let the poor boy eat before he spontaneously combusts.”
Sawyer feigned a pout. “Aww, you never let me have any fun.”
He shot her a look that said he wasn’t falling for her act. “I think our collective amnesia regarding your naked fun time with Gia in the hot tub last night would suggest otherwise.”
Everyone laughed except Ryker, who was deep in a shame spiral. I gave his thigh a gentle squeeze in solidarity to remind him everything was okay.
“Well, I’m just so relieved the charade is finally over,” Jacinta said with a knowing smile as she passed the plate of pastries around the table.
Ryker froze mid-bite, his fork suspended halfway to his mouth. His eyes widened in confusion as he stared at his mother.
I kept my expression neutral despite my curiosity prickling at her words. After years of friendship with his family, I’d learned to read between Jacinta’s lines. The way she emphasized “charade” made me suspect she’d known about our fake dating arrangement all along.
“What do you mean?” Ryker squeaked.
“Oh, biscuit. Did you honestly think I didn’t see through your little ruse when you first showed up?” Jacinta snorted in amusement. “You were so jumpy every time Harley touched you. That didn’t say three-week-old relationship as much as it screamed three-hour-old plan in the car on the drive over.”
“I told you Mom would know!” Sawyer crowed, practically doing a victory dance.
Ryker looked like he might regurgitate the little breakfast he’d managed to eat. I rubbed soothing circles on his back, my own mind reeling. Of course they knew. We probably had all the subtlety of a flickering neon sign. All that meticulous planning and rehearsed backstory had been for nothing.
“Your mother tells me everything, son,” Danson added, reaching for his coffee. “We’ve been married almost thirty years. There are no secrets between us.”
Gia radiated glee. “You really should’ve been sneakier if you wanted to keep it under wraps.”
I watched as Ryker’s face cycled through various shades of red, his shoulders hunching forward as if he could disappear into himself. Time to take control of this situation before he shut down.
“Maybe we weren’t subtle, but that’s okay.” I turned to Ryker, making sure he could see the sincerity in my eyes. “Because while it may have started as a charade for you, it was always real for me.”
A hush fell over the table as Ryker’s eyes met mine, understanding dawning in their gray depths that my confession wasn’t part of an act. It was me, as honest as I had ever been in my life.
Jacinta reached over to squeeze my hand, her eyes twinkling with motherly affection. “I’ve always known how you felt about my son, Harley. A mother’s intuition is a powerful thing.”
“Was I that obvious?” I asked with a sheepish grin.
“Only to everyone with eyes. I’m so glad Ryker finally came to his senses. Though I had faith he would.”
“He’s never been happier,” Danson added. “Anyone can see that.”
Ryker fumed. “Do I look happy right now?”
Jacinta’s expression shifted, and I recognized that look. It was the same one she wore when she was about to say something she knew wouldn’t go over well. “I want you both to know how thrilled I am that you’re together. I’ve always thought you’d be perfect for each other.”
“Oh, no,” Ryker groaned. “What now?”
She barreled through her words. “And I wholeheartedly support your relationship. Which is why I feel terrible about the timing, but you should know Maylin is still coming over for dinner tonight.”
“What?” Ryker’s fork hit the plate with a clatter that could be heard three counties over. “Why would you invite her when I have an actual boyfriend who you adore?”
“It’s not about matchmaking anymore!” Jacinta exclaimed, her hands fluttering nervously. “But she’s my hairdresser’s neighbor’s daughter, and it would be terribly rude to cancel after inviting her over. Think of this as a social obligation.”
“A social obligation,” Ryker echoed in monotone.
“I wouldn’t disrespect your relationship, so yes, this is purely for the sake of politeness.”
I diffused the tension with humor. “Hey, how bad could she be? I mean, she can’t be worse than Bethany, who faked her own kidnapping when you were twenty minutes late to dinner. Or Lete, who reported your car stolen because you skipped her sister’s wedding and almost got you arrested?”
Ryker’s eyes narrowed with enough concentrated rage to qualify as a lethal weapon in at least twelve states. I made a mental note to add “death glares make my knees weak” to my growing list of concerning turn-ons. “Not. Helping.”
Sawyer and Gia exchanged anxious glances while Danson became very interested in his coffee cup.
“I’m so sorry,” his mom apologized, wringing her hands like she was trying to squeeze the guilt out of them. “But I can’t cancel without being rude.” Being the queen of hospitality and good manners was a point of pride for Jacinta.
“We can’t disappoint her, can we?” Ryker’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
I tried to sprinkle some sunshine over the gathering storm clouds. “Look on the bright side. How many guys can brag about having both a girlfriend and a boyfriend? I don’t mind sharing for one evening.”
The scrape of Ryker’s chair against the floor sliced through the tension like my vibrator turning on while going through airport security.
His face had gone pale, and his jaw clenched tight enough to crack walnuts as he stood up.
“I’m not doing this,” he muttered, storming toward his bedroom with all the fury of a cartoon character having a tantrum.
The silence that followed was deafening. I pushed away from the table. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have teased him. Let me go talk to him.” I didn’t wait for a response before darting after Ryker.