Chapter Twenty-Two
Ryker
W hen Theo asked me to hang out tonight, I thought he meant just the two of us. I’d agreed because truthfully, I’ve missed him since baseball season was gearing up, and soon, I won’t see much of him anymore.
It also helped that Camille was out with her friends, which meant I needed something to do tonight other than hope that she wanted to come over. We haven’t seen each other since the day I taught her how to hit a ball because we’ve both been busy, but I’m going to fucking combust soon if I can’t see her.
The number of times I’ve replayed eating her sweet pussy while I’ve jacked off is concerning.
I try to keep my mind off of her and pay attention to what the boys are saying. On our way back from getting dinner, Theo made a pit stop, and by pit stop, I mean he dragged me up to Elio fucking Mazzo’s apartment. The guy’s a retired hockey legend and also happens to be dating Jasmine Park, a friend of Camille’s.
Cameron also happened to be here, who I guess will be my stepbrother too if he marries Aurora one day. Which reminds me that Aurora’s dad and my mom are getting married this summer. Great.
We’re now all sitting in the apartment’s open space living room with Theo, Elio, and Cameron, and I hate to admit it’s not that bad.
“I’m just saying, there’s strong, and then there’s country boy strong,” Theo argues.
“Dude, you’re not stronger than Elio. Drop it.” Cameron tries to reason with Theo, but he’s not having it.
“Listen, I know you’re a legend and an ex-professional athlete, but manual labor creates muscles in places you don’t even know about,” Theo counters, pointing a finger at Elio.
“You want to bet?” Elio raises a brow in challenge. “Let’s arm wrestle, right here, right now.”
“Are you two seriously going to arm wrestle like a bunch of teenagers?” I scoff.
“I think they are,” Cameron mutters as we watch Theo and Elio roll up their sleeves, drop to their knees on the floor, and rest their elbows on the table.
“Ry guy, give us the official countdown,” Theo calls out as he and Elio lock hands.
“No.”
“Ronnie boy?”
Cameron shakes his head, but gets up nonetheless. He’s too damn nice. “All right, on three. One, two, three!”
They’re instantly battling it out in the center, their arms not favoring in one direction or the other. Elio looks like he’s about to break a sweat, but when I look at Theo, I see nothing but pure amusement dancing in his eyes.
“That’s all you got, Eli Oldi?” Theo huffs out sarcastically.
Elio grunts and his arm gains some traction on Theo, taking the lead. Theo chuckles, and then suddenly, he’s smashing Elio’s hand down.
We’re all silent for a beat, then Theo erupts. He jumps up and down, screaming, “I did it! I beat a hockey legend at an arm wrestle. Oh my God.”
Cameron and I laugh at the spectacle, but I can’t deny I’m impressed. Theo’s always been bulky, after he gained some weight in high school, and now that he’s in a D1 sport, the guy looks insane.
Elio shakes his head as he takes a seat on the couch once again. “Settle down, kid.”
Theo smiles happily as he too sits back down beside Cameron. “This is going down as the best night of my life.”
“That’s the saddest thing ever if that’s true,” I comment.
“Be happy for him. He hasn’t been laid in a long time, so he needs to get his hits somewhere,” Elio remarks, reaching for one of the apple crumble mini pies Jasmine left out.
“Psssh.” Theo waves him off. “At least I don’t get my hits from fucking my friend’s daughter.”
My eyes widen, as do Cameron’s. Did he just say that? Then again, it’s Theo. The shit that comes out of his mouth is usually out of pocket.
“Point taken,” Elio agrees, but then his tone turns icy. “But talk about Jasmine in that way again and I will kick your ass.”
Theo throws his hands up in defense. “Sorry, Eli Oldi, didn’t mean it that way. I thought we could joke about it now since the two of you are public. You know Jasmine’s my girl. I’d never disrespect her.”
“She’s not your girl either. Maybe just stop talking,” Elio says, but there’s humor in his voice. “And that nickname fucking sucks.”
“What? It’s genius. It’s a mix of your name and you being the oldest in the friend group!”
“We’re not a friend group,” I retort .
“As if. Elio is dating Jasmine, who is best friends with Aurora, who is dating Cameron. I’m best friends with both Aurora and Jasmine, meaning I got the in. And since you’re my best friend, Ry guy, you are in the group too.”
“What a joy.” I smirk, but it’s half-assed. The last thing I need is more friends. The team is enough, and in a few months, I probably won’t see any of them ever again anyway once I go pro.
“I miss her.” Cameron sighs, staring at the background on his phone that has a picture of my soon-to-be stepsister.
“Same,” Elio agrees, staring at a picture frame on the coffee table with a photo of him and Jasmine in it.
“How does it feel to be in love? Seriously, I’ve never felt it before,” Theo asks, his voice devoid of his usual joking manner.
Cameron, being the quiet one, looks at Elio to take this on. “It makes everything feel more intense. You feel more alive than ever before. It makes you wonder how you went through life without them and terrifies you to imagine a day when you do,” Elio answers.
My brain conjures up an image of me saying goodbye to Camille, and it makes my entire body go rigid.
“It fills something inside of you too, like a permanent warmth in your chest that never seems to go away,” Cameron adds, his dimples popping out as he smiles.
Before anyone can say anything, we hear the keypad whirring. Elio jumps up in confusion, but stops halfway to the door when it swings open and four girls enter the apartment. Jasmine leads the pack, followed by Aurora and Marcela. Then Camille walks in, her eyes latching onto mine instantly.
I suck in a breath at the sight of her. She’s wearing a tight white T-shirt and light-colored ripped jeans that I would love to take off despite how good they look on her. Her hair is up in a sleek ponytail, and I have to curb the urge to close the space between us and yank on it as I devour her mouth with mine .
Cameron stands and scoops Aurora up into a hug, whispering into her ear as they sway.
“Babe!” Jasmine jumps up and into Elio’s arms. “We brought Marcela home with us. She needs some girl time.”
Are couples in love always this nauseating? Jesus Christ.
At the mention of Marcela, I swing my head to Theo, who has his eyes locked on her, his face filled with concern. It’s no secret he has a thing for her, despite her having a boyfriend.
Theo charges toward her. “Who hurt you?”
Marcela shakes her head. “I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to have fun.”
“Yes, more drinking, less talking!” Jasmine links her arm through Marcela’s as she drags her to the minibar.
I avert my eyes back to Camille, who’s making small talk with Cameron, Aurora, and Elio, while Theo just stares longingly at Marcela. Should I go over there and just talk to her?
I sound like a fucking teenage boy.
Camille makes the decision for me when she walks over to where I’m sitting and plops down beside me.
She smiles, disarming me. “Hi.”
I smile back at her, unable to control it when I’ve been missing her and she’s this goddamn stunning. “Hi.”
“A smile? Wow, what did I do to earn such a thing?” she teases, getting comfortable on the couch.
“Existing.”
Camille’s pink lips part at my confession, then close as her eyes flit all around my face until they finally land on my lips.
Fuck it.
I lean in and give her a sweet, yet chaste kiss. To my luck, no one says anything, all too absorbed in their partners or the conversation going on around them.
“Thank you,” she whispers .
“For what?”
“Kissing me.”
“You never have to thank me for that. I should be thanking you, baby. Anytime I get to touch you is a privilege.”
“Is that what friends with benefits say to each other?” Her words are like a bucket of cold water, dousing the intimate moment. It’s a reminder that my brain and heart are two different organs, and I need to stop speaking without fucking thinking first.
“They are when their friend is as beautiful as you are,” I say, doing my best to back myself up.
Camille either thinks I’m full of shit or doesn’t care, because she just smiles and turns to face our friends, who are now all lounging on the couch with various drinks in their hands. Save for Cameron and Aurora, who don’t drink.
We play some drinking games, and it’s surprisingly a lot of fun. Marcela is a bit quiet as she observes and sips on her drink, while Theo can’t seem to take his eyes off her. He doesn’t pry, though, merely keeping watch to make sure she’s okay.
Within an hour, Jasmine and Camille are drunk, so Elio calls it for the night. “All right, I need to get her to bed,” he says, standing with Jasmine, who’s locked around his body like a koala bear.
“Mmmm, yes, take me to bed.” She drunk giggles.
“I mean to sleep, dolcezza .”
She pouts at him, then cranes her neck at us. “He’s no fun, but I hope you all had fun. Marcela, are you staying the night? Aurora and Cameron are. You’re more than welcome.”
“No, I need to get home, but thank you,” she says, standing and grabbing her purse.
“I’ll give you a ride,” Theo offers. “You don’t mind, right, Ryker?”
“Actually, I’m going to walk Camille up to her apartment and make sure she’s good, then I’ll Uber home. ”
“I can just wait a few minutes. It’s no big deal,” he says matter-of-factly.
The guy can’t read the room, can he?
I tilt my head and glare at him, hoping he’ll get the hint this time.
Theo’s head tilts in response and then he straightens. “Oh. Oh, OH! Yeah, totally, you stay and make sure she’s good.”
“You don’t have to drive me home,” Marcela protests, but Theo’s already walking with her to the door.
“You’re right, I don’t have to. I need to make sure you get home safely,” he responds, and she doesn’t argue.
“Bye, AV baby! Bye, Jay bay bay! Bye, Millie Moo!” Theo shouts, waving at the girls. “Bye, Ry guy! Bye, Ronnie boy! Bye, Eli Oldi!”
Jesus Christ, Theo and his nicknames.
Marcela smiles for the first time tonight and then says goodbye to everyone as she and Theo leave.
“It was so nice to see you all,” Aurora says, pulling Camille into a hug. “I’ll try to come back soon, but with my volleyball schedule, it can be tough.”
“Keep making us proud out there, Rora. You’re crushing it,” Camille tells her once they’ve parted.
“Right? Aurora Vallacourt is a fucking badass!” Jasmine slurs.
Camille and I say goodbye, thanking Elio and Jasmine for having us over even though I didn’t want to be here in the slightest when I first showed up.
As soon as we get into the hallway, Camille jumps onto my back.
“What the hell are you doing, princess?” I ask, gripping her thighs to keep her secure.
“Going for a ride. It’s fun up here.” She giggles and begins doing a lasso with one hand. “Giddy up, cowboy! ”
“I can think of something else for you to ride.”
She slaps my shoulder. “Ryker the biker, how dare you talk to a lady like that?”
“I’ll talk to a lady like that when I know it gets her panties wet, or am I wrong?” I ask, hitting the button for the elevator.
“ Une femme ne révèle pas ses secrets ,” she sing-songs.
“For all I know that was French for my pussy is soaked ,” I tease her, right as the elevator doors open and I step inside.
“I said that a lady doesn’t reveal her secrets.” Camille giggles.
“Is that so?”
I spin her around my body so that her chest is to mine and press her gently against the elevator wall as my lips meet hers. I keep it sweet since she’s tipsy and I’m not trying to be that guy.
Camille’s fingers tangle in my long hair, tugging as I deepen the kiss. A little sigh escapes her, making me pull away.
“Nooooo,” she whines.
“Your sounds are going to drive me fucking wild, and I can’t go there with you right now. Not when you’re drunk,” I tell her, tucking a loose strand of her ponytail behind her ear.
Camille’s mouth twists, silvery eyes narrowed at me. “Boo you for being such a gentleman.”
I stifle a laugh and ask for her floor number, which I realize is just the next one up. Once we get into her place, I set her on her feet and take in the space around me. The layout looks similar to Elio’s, but this screams Camille with all the pops of bright colors everywhere.
“Do you want anything to drink? Maybe coffee or tea?” she asks, practically skipping into her kitchen.
“No, thank you,” I say, coming up behind her as she preps her French press.
“I need a coffee and a croissant before bed. They’ll help me sober up a bit,” she explains and begins making herself a coffee .
She does her thing, munching on a croissant she pulls from a bakery container, intriguing me when she starts making latte art that she’s oddly good at doing. She puts the finishing touch on the flower she’s made.
“Pretty interesting talent you got there,” I murmur, resting my chin on her shoulder as I admire her artwork.
Camille leans into me, resting her head against mine. “My nanny taught it to me. It’s pretty useless honestly, but it’s my MJ.”
“What’s an MJ?”
She turns to face me, jumping onto her countertop and taking her baseball mug into her hand. “A mini joy, little things that bring me a spark. So for me, that’s latte art, gardening, boxing…”
“What about a BJ?”
“I would consider blow jobs a mini joy…”
I bark out a laugh at that, which causes her to smile so damn brightly that I want to laugh more just for her to smile at me like that again.
“I like where your mind went, but that’s not what I meant. What’s a big joy for you?”
Camille ponders my question, taking a few sips of her coffee before answering.
“Connecting with people. It’s something I didn’t get much of growing up. Of course, we had public relations events like balls and fundraisers where I got to meet people. But none of it was real. It was all for show or for some other purpose than just for getting to know someone for who they were. I think that’s why I enjoy doing content for the team so much because it combines my love of baseball and connecting with people. It’s fun and refreshing, two things I missed out on a lot at the palace,” she tells me.
“That’s beautiful,” I reply honestly.
“Thanks, now tell me what’s your MJ and BJ?” She waggles her brows at me with a seductive smile on her lips .
I can’t help it. I lean in and kiss her, but pull away just as quickly. Camille leaves her arms wrapped around my neck, and I step in closer so that I’m now between her legs.
“My big joy is baseball. It’s the one place where I feel centered and at peace. My mini joys would be tattooing, riding my bike, and movie nights with my mom.”
“I love those.” Her fingers trail down my chest, making me shiver. “Speaking of tattoos, can I look at yours?”
I should say no, but I can’t do that when it comes to this girl. I lift the bottom of my sweater and tug it over my head since most of my tattoos are on my upper body.
“Wow,” she breathes as her fingers trace the designs going up my arm.
Silence falls over us as her fingers skate up to my shoulder and down to my chest where there’s a large piece across it. It’s filled with intricate line designs, with small things I love woven in between. There’s a pair of Mickey Mouse ears for my mom, a paw print of the dog I had when I was a kid, and right over my heart is a baseball.
Camille’s fingers run across each one, her gaze focused and undeterred. “This is beautiful,” she whispers as her thumb strokes over my heart, and then she peers up at me. “ You’re beautiful.”
Her words make my stomach flutter, raising my concerns that I must be getting sick because what the hell is that shit?
I tug my lips up to the right, then toss my sweater back over my head. “Thank you.”
“I want more tattoos. Can we go to the studio now?” Her eyes sparkle as her fingers run up and down my stomach. If I had keys to the shop, I might’ve actually said yes.
“Not today, princess,” I tell her, stopping her fingers when they get to the waistband of my jeans. “Finish your coffee and let’s get you to bed. ”
She oddly does as I say, finishing up her cup and placing the mug in the sink. Grabbing my hand, she leads me to her room where she heads to the en suite bathroom to change and wash her face.
After a few minutes, Camille steps out in a long T-shirt, with God knows what or what not underneath.
“Bed,” I say, pointing to her king-sized bed.
She jumps into bed and tucks herself under the covers. I placed a fresh glass of water on her nightstand while she changed, in case she might need it in the middle of the night. I don’t think she’ll be hungover by any means, but just in case.
“So I’ll head out. Text me if you need anything.”
“Would you…would you mind staying over?” she asks shyly.
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. Stay, please.”
“Okay.”
I kick off my boots and hang my sweater on her doorknob, then climb into bed with her. It’s uncomfortable as fuck in my jeans, but I ignore it because I get to stay the night with her.
She turns over to face me, a yawn escaping her. “Cuddle time?”
I smirk. I’m not one fond of cuddling, but I’m learning I love it too when it’s with her.
“Come here.”
I reach for her under the covers and slide my hand under her shoulders as she wraps her arm around my neck to pull her body flush to mine as our legs intertwine.
“Sweet dreams, princess,” I whisper, pressing my lips to her forehead.
“Sleep well, Ryker the biker.”