Chapter Ten
RYDER
I loved slow wake-up mornings. The kind where I drifted in and out of sleep, snuggled beneath the covers while the sun warmed my face, and my sexy man warmed my back. Those days when we had nowhere to be and could ease into the day, lingering as long as we damn well pleased.
Today was not one of those days. Today I startled awake, flat on my stomach with the button of my jeans digging into my skin. I groaned as the night came back to me in a rush of booze, teasing, and failed promises.
Dammit, I owed Alex fifty dollars. I’d had every intention of doing a laundry list of dirty things to do to him.
Fucking him for hours, in particular. It wasn’t often I slid my dick into the tight clasp of his perfect ass, even though it was heaven.
I just craved a good dicking myself most of the time, but last night, I wanted nothing more than to take him apart minute by minute before fucking him senseless.
But I’d been too wasted to stay awake, as he’d predicted.
Luckily for him, I was still in the mood to take him and was more than ready to pay what I owed him in all manner of filthy ways.
Maybe passing out before he returned home was for the best. This morning, my brain was marginally functioning again, whereas I’d been too drunk for life last night and would hate to forget one second spent in my favorite ass.
The last thing I remember from the night was pointing out the guest room to an equally wasted Corvin before heading to my room and flopping down on my bed, fully clothed and face-first. Come to think of it—I ran my tongue over my teeth with a wince—yeah, I hadn’t even brushed my damn teeth. My mouth tasted like sewage.
Speaking of Corvin, I should probably send him on his way before I do unspeakable things to Alex, though hearing us fuck like jungle cats might finally help him get the message. My dick only got hard for one man.
Speaking of, I rolled toward Alex, letting my eyes finally flutter open.
It took a second for the form beside me to come into focus, but when it did, it was not Alex’s gorgeous face that greeted me but Corvin’s wide-open eyes.
He was lying on his side, facing me with a soft smile gracing his lips.
The intimate kind lovers gave each other first thing in the morning when they were thrilled to lay eyes on their favorite person.
Corvin was not that man to me, and he never would be.
“What the fuck?” I shouted as I shot out of bed as though I’d been catapulted by the world’s strongest spring.
I ran my hands over my body. Fully clothed in last night’s outfit. Of course I was. I’d never, even in my drunkest, most out-of-my-mind state, cheat on Alex.
Slowly, Corvin sat up, letting the sheet fall down his body. For fuck’s sake, he’d been sleeping next to me in nothing but a damn jock. I felt like I’d fallen asleep in my happy world only to wake in a living hell.
“What the fuck?” I croaked again. My throat felt dry and sore. I needed a gallon of water, but my thirst could wait until I got some answers. Everything could wait until I got some answers. “Where the hell is Alex?”
Corvin shrugged one shoulder. He didn’t give off a single ounce of shame or regret.
“Oh, Christ.” I pressed a hand to my stomach as the alcohol still lingering sloshed like a wave pool. “I’m going to be sick.”
He frowned. “Alex—”
“Why are you in here?” I yelled, waving an arm at my bed. “I showed you to the guest room. You went in there and shut the goddamn door. I know we didn’t do anything, so why the hell are you in my bed, fucking damn near naked?”
He huffed. “Well, of course, you can see we didn’t do anything. You’re still dressed. Plus, you were super drunk. I wouldn’t take advantage of you that way, Ryder.”
Did that mean he hadn’t been as drunk as he’d appeared? Oh fuck, did he plan this?
“That’s not how I know.” My voice was harsh, cutting through the air like a machete.
“I know because no matter how many times you crawl into my bed, I’ll never cheat on Alex.
He is the only man I want. I love him, Corvin.
” I ran a hand through my hair as my frustration mounted.
“I don’t know what you thought you’d accomplish here, but it won’t work. It didn’t work.”
He started to move toward the edge of the bed, and I held up a hand. “We’re not talking until you put some fucking clothes on.”
“Why? All the damn servers at the club last night were dressed in far less, and you had no problem with it. Hell, you hugged half of them multiple times.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose where a raging headache bloomed. “The fact that you can’t see the difference has me concerned, Corvin. Get dressed now.”
I spun on my heel and stomped out of my room. “Alex?” I called as I stormed off in search of my boyfriend or my phone.
“He’s not here.” Corvin’s words had me faltering halfway down the hallway. I turned slowly to see him with his gray shorts in place while he pulled last night’s yellow polo over his head.
“What?” My head throbbed so loud in my ears that I must have misheard.
Corvin sighed. “He got in around three.”
I stepped toward him as anger and fear surged to a frightening level in my bloodstream. “What do you mean he got in around three? If he got in around three, he should be here now. What the fuck did you do?”
Corvin’s eyes flared, and he reared back at my menacing approach.
That’s right, fucker, be afraid because you have no idea how far I’ll go for Alex.”
“What. Did. You. Do?”
“Nothing!” His eyes widened, and he stepped back. “I didn’t do anything to him. I swear it.”
My stare must have conveyed my rage. Thank you, Alex, for teaching me that one.
Rolling his eyes, Corvin said, “I walked out of your room and met him as he came in. All right? That’s all. I didn’t do anything.”
“That’s all? That’s all?” I grabbed two fistfuls of my hair, turned, and stomped ten feet away before releasing the locks and whirling back toward Corvin.
“So you’re saying my boyfriend came home at three in the morning after working his ass off all night to find you strolling out of my bedroom in your goddamn underwear like you had any right to be there after he was the one kind enough to offer you a room to crash? ”
“You offered me a room. It was sweet.”
“I wasn’t going to. I was gonna toss your ass in an Uber, but Alex suggested we give you the guest room.
” I ran a hand through the mess I’d made of my hair.
Where had he gone? His house? Trevor’s? Was I about to get a visit from a murderous twink prepared to rip my balls off for hurting his best friend?
“What did he say?” My chest hurt, ached at the thought of what Alex walked into last night—this morning, hell, just a few hours ago.
“He didn’t really say anything.” Corvin chewed his lower lip.
That sounded like the Alex I knew. “Did you?”
Guilt flashed across Corvin’s face, but it didn’t linger. “I told him you and I made more sense. Because we do, Ryder.” He rushed forward and grabbed my hand. “Can’t you see that? We’re from the same world.”
I jerked my hand out of his grasp and staggered back. “Don’t you dare touch me, Corvin. I am not a violent guy, but I swear to God, I want to hit you right now. Fuck.” I spun away. “Where’s my phone?” I muttered aloud as I began searching.
“I set it on the kitchen counter.”
If he were expecting a thank you, he’d be waiting until he turned gray.
“You need to go. Now.”
“Ryder, we—”
“Go!” I screamed the word into the quiet penthouse. It might make me a total asshole, but the way Corvin flinched and scurried back into my room to retrieve his stuff made me feel a fraction of a percent better. How dare he fuck with my life in this way?
And he thought what? I’d be grateful. I’d wake up, take one glance at his admittedly classic good looks, and start ripping my clothing off?
“P-please, Ryder, can’t we talk about this?” His chin wobbled, and the crack in his voice told me how close he was to tears. But if he thought it would sway me, he was mistaken. Did Alex cry when he walked in on a naked man leaving my bed? Those were the only tears I cared about.
I rubbed over the ache in my chest as I sighed.
“No, Corvin. Not today. Maybe in the future, but if we talk, it’s only so I can stress what a fucked-up thing you did.
Where I went wrong was not being firm enough with you.
I considered you a good friend, and because of that, I didn’t want to hurt you by being too blunt.
That was my mistake. So let me make myself very clear right now.
We are not now, nor will we ever be more than friends. ”
It’d be a miracle if we got back to our previous level of friendship. He’d shown himself to be untrustworthy, and I’d never keep him in my life after this stunt. If Corvin felt an ounce of discomfort, I tried to keep my voice even, but I couldn’t help the way it rose to a near shout once again.
“I am with Alex. I love Alex. Truly, I’m sorry if that causes you pain, but I’ve always been honest with you. I haven’t led you on. What you did today, you did because you’re selfish and entitled. Now, please, get the hell out of my home.”
His shoulders sagged, and he seemed to curl in on himself. The picture-perfect dancer’s posture crumpled to one of a dejected, defeated man. Guilt tried to worm past my anger, but I shoved it away, hard.
“I don’t want to lose you as a friend, Ryder.”
This guy. “Then you should have thought about that before you misled my boyfriend into thinking we slept together. This is the last time I’ll ask you to leave. My next step is to call security.”
He gasped. “Seriously? Security? Fuck you, Ryder.” Gone was the heartbroken former friend, and in his place was a hateful, spoiled man who couldn’t deal with not getting his way.
Corvin thundered toward my door, but I reached it first, yanking it open so he wouldn’t even have to stay an extra second to do it himself.