Chapter Twenty Catnip Bribes
ZANDER
When the meeting with Rylee’s boss ends, I can tell she’s on the verge of losing her shit. She held it together well in front of Juliet, but her cheeks are flushed and she’s looking around the room at everything and anything but me.
“You okay?” I ask, gazing at her across the table.
Clearing her throat, she pushes to her feet and struggles to keep her expression neutral and her tone even as she hurriedly answers, “Yes, of course. I’m great. I should get back to the others and get things wrapped up for the day. You’re good to head out. I’ll see you at the apartment.”
She’s holding onto her professional demeanor by the very tips of her fingers.
“Okay, if you’re sure… ”
Before I can offer to stick around to help, though, she hurries out the room, still not looking at me.
Fuck. Did I mess things up? Did the kiss freak her out?
I hope not. That was one of the hottest kisses I’ve ever had.
She was so receptive and willing, melting right into me and kissing me back with as much desire as I was feeling.
I didn’t want to stop, but I knew if I didn’t, we’d both lose ourselves to the kiss and probably end up with a public indecency charge or something.
The last thing I want is for her to feel awkward around me. What can I do to try and smooth things over?
An idea suddenly pops into my head. We’ve worked through lunch and I know Rylee hasn’t eaten, so she’s probably starving.
If there’s one thing I know about that woman is that she appreciates a good meal.
I get up and make my way out of the small meeting room and into the larger conference room.
Pausing, I gaze around, looking for her but she’s already working with her team, cleaning up.
Crystal is thankfully distracted packing her supplies away, so I slip past them and make my way out into the hall, down to the lobby, and out to the parking lot.
Getting into my truck, I drive to my favorite Chinese place and pick-up dinner for us, then stop at an ice cream shop near the apartment to pick up a container of brownie/cookie dough - Rylee’s favorite. Dinner, dessert, maybe a movie… just a chill night where we hang out and relax.
Date-like? Too much? Not enough? I’m second guessing everything as I arrive back home, but I quickly assure myself this is right up Rylee’s alley. I know her well enough now to know she appreciates a comfy night in with plenty of food and a movie.
Once inside the apartment, I quickly work to get things set up.
I put the ice cream in the freezer and set out the boxes of food on the kitchen island.
Making my way down to her room, I crack the door open to let Gizmo out.
He zooms past me, a blur of gray fur, his tail bushy with excitement at having free rein at long last. As he zips around the apartment, jumping on furniture and slipping along the hardwood floor, I change into gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt and strategically arrange the pillows and blankets on the couch so that Rylee and I will have to sit a little closer. A little snugger.
Standing back, I take in my work and then quickly change my mind about the food placement, bringing it all into the living room and arranging it on the coffee table.
Yeah, that’s good. Make it all seem very laid back and casual so she doesn’t feel pressure to join me, but keep it open and inviting so that she hopefully does.
Okay… I think everything’s perfect.
Now all that’s left to do is wait.
I feel antsy with nervous energy, though. It’s been a long time since I’ve been anxious to hang out with a girl. Just sitting here waiting for her might actually drive me crazy. Is she on her way home already?
An idea pops into my head and I grab my phone. I could message her as GlideControlZ… just see where she’s at.
Is that a little messed up? Naaaah… it’s just me being resourceful.
Opening Cloak, I bring up our messages and quickly tap out a text.
GlideControlZ: Hey! How’s your day been?
I stare at the screen, holding my breath, as I wait for her to reply. To my relief, I get a response within just a few minutes.
ClickTease: Hey there Ugh, it’s been a weird day. I’m just heading home now.
Weird day? That’s putting it lightly given how pissed off she was with me during the shoot, then how quickly she tried to get away from me after our kiss and the meeting with her boss. I wonder what she’s really thinking…
GlideControlZ: Weird how? And I hope you get to relax when you get home.
Relax with Chinese food, ice cream, and me.
ClickTease: Well… the guy I’m kind of into was getting hit on by some hussy right in front of me, and it pissed me off.
I raise my brows and grin. I know I shouldn’t feel a little thrill at her being jealous, but I do. I’m only human.
GlideControlZ: Ooph, that’s rough. Was he flirting back?
ClickTease: No… not really. He was just being way too nice to her, though!
That makes me chuckle, and I consider my next message very carefully.
GlideControlZ: What a villain! JK, but if I were you, I’d grab the guy by the shirt collar and tell him to get his shit together. You’re a fucking catch.
ClickTease: Lol, I don’t know. I don’t want to freak him out.
GlideControlZ: Trust me, it wouldn’t freak him out. I’m certain he’d be into it.
ClickTease: Hmmm, well maybe I’ll think about it. I’m home now, so I guess I’ll see what happens. Talk later!
At that moment, I hear the apartment door knob rattle as she unlocks it.
Shit! I toss my phone aside and hop onto the couch and pose myself so that I look relaxed and casual. Not like I’ve been waiting for her to get home. Just chilling with dinner, ready to have a friendly, platonic evening that maybe ends with both of us naked…
The door swings open and Rylee comes strolling inside. She pauses when she sees me, her cheeks turning red again. Fucking adorable.
“Hey,” she murmurs, her eyes dropping to the food. “What’s this?”
“I got us dinner,” I explain, cool, calm, and collected. “I figured it’s been a long day and we could just… chill.”
The corners of her mouth quirk up into a small smile and she drops her gaze, looking almost shy. Holy shit… why does that make my dick twitch?
“Okay,” she nods. “Let me, um, just go change into something more comfortable.”
“Sure.”
She disappears down the hall and Gizmo suddenly pops up onto the back of the couch, startling me.
“Fuck! Don’t do that.” I whisper as I point a finger at him, but he nips at it and I jerk it back. “I need you to be cool tonight, okay? Don’t be your usual demon-like self. Please? Do this for me, and I’ll get you so much catnip, you’ll be higher than Snoop Dog.”
He tilts his head and studies me, as if he can understand me. Can he? Sometimes I’m not sure.
Without responding - because duh, he’s a freaking cat - Gizmo hops off the couch and trots to a pillow on the floor, curling up on top of it.
Well, damn… maybe he can understand me.
I hear Rylee returning and force myself to relax again.
“Okay, so what did you get?” she asks, coming into view.
For a moment, the world comes to a stop. She’s wearing a plain white t-shirt and silky pink pj shorts. It’s obvious she’s not wearing a bra as her perky nipples are outlined in her shirt, and the shorts are sooooooo short, I get a peek of the bottom of her ass cheeks as she sits down next to me.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Does she have any idea what she’s doing to me right now?
I subtly move a blanket over my lap as I clear my throat and answer her question.
“Um… I got some sweet and sour chicken and… uh… mongolian beef… rice… I got rice.”
She gives me an arched brow look and chuckles. “Okay, weirdo. That sounds good.”
“Help yourself,” I choke out. Scrambling for the remote, I say, “Do you want to watch a movie?”
She smiles. “Sure! What did you have in mind?”
“You pick.” I hand her the remote and she looks a little stunned.
“You want me to pick?”
I nod. “Why not? Just don’t choose anything lame.”
She rolls her eyes. “You just sit back and let me drive.”
I watch as she starts flicking through the different streaming apps, finally settling on one and scrolling through the action movie options.
She finds a Mission Impossible movie and looks at me. “How about this one?”
“Eh, they’re fine, but they’re just vanity projects for Tom Cruise at this point.”
Her jaw drops. “Vanity projects? Are you kidding me? The guy nearly kills himself every time he makes one, pulling off his crazy stunts!”
“Yeah, but that’s all the movies are known for anymore - Tom Cruise doing crazy stunts. Good for him, but I need a bit more depth to my movies.”
“Depth?” She snorts. “You want depth in an action movie?”
I grin and tap a finger against my temple. “I’ve got brains and brawn, Wildcard.”
She releases a long, annoyed breath. “Ugh, fine! I’ll look for something else.”
Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. Her focus is entirely on the TV, but I can’t keep my eyes off her. She nibbles her bottom lip as she concentrates on finding a movie, taking the task very seriously. I curl my hands into fists so I don’t reach out and run my thumb along that lip.
“Anything looking good?” she asks, startling me out of my thoughts. It takes me a moment to understand that she’s asking about the movie options and not all the things I imagine she can do with that mouth.
I force my attention away from her, knowing I need to give her an answer before she grows suspicious.
“Oh! There.” I point to the TV. “Rambo!”
“Who’s talking vanity projects now?” she exclaims.
“Only the new ones! The old ones are classics.”
She makes a sound like a buzzer for a wrong answer in a game show. “You got a veto, I get a veto. Moving on.”
Finally, she lands on one that we both agree to.
“John Wick,” she declares.
“The perfect movie,” I nod.
“Keeanu Reeves kicking ass with headshot after headshot.” She clicks play. “Nothing cooler than that.”
As the movie starts to play, we grab up the food and start eating.
Her eyes are locked on the screen, watching John Wick mow through Russian mobsters like their all red shirts, but I can’t stop watching her.
I notice the way she tucks her feet up under her and leans forward, as if to lock into the movie better.
How she licks at the corner of her mouth to get the dribble of sauce that escaped her chopsticks rather than go for a napkin.
She twirls the end of her hair when she’s really into a scene and bites her lower lip at the really intense action parts.
The way those tiny shorts ride up her thighs as she shifts in her seat.
Fuck, I need to get it together. She’s going to think I’m a creep if she catches me watching her with a raging boner.
“How about dessert?” I ask once we’re finished eating. “I got your favorite - brownie/cookie dough.”
She looks up at me with a furrowed brow. “How did you know that was my favorite?”
I freeze, realizing too late that she wasn’t the one who told me that… it was ClickTease.
I’m such a goddamn idiot.
Playing it as cool as I can, I shrug and answer, “Oh, um, I’m sure you mentioned it at one point. Or maybe one of the girls brought it up. Anyway, you want some?”
“Uhhhh, duh. Of course I do.”
“Great, I’ll get it.”
I hop up and hurry to the kitchen as she turns her focus back to the movie.
Pressing my hands against the fridge, I suck in a deep breath, fighting to get myself under control again.
When I feel like I’m not on the immediate verge of grabbing her and kissing the shit out of her, I get the ice cream and put it in two bowls.
“Thanks,” she says when I hand one to her.
I settle back in my seat and we’re silent as we eat and continue watching the movie. Soon, our empty bowls are sitting on the coffee table with the empty Chinese food containers.
John Wick is cutting his way through the nightclub when Rylee shifts closer to me. At first, I think I’ve imagined it, but then she does it again.
Stretching my arm across the back of the couch, I whisper, “Here, lean back.”
She does, snuggling into my side as I drag a blanket over both of us.
Holy shit… is this really happening? I feel like a teenager again having my first date with a girl.
My stomach is fluttering with excitement, and the feeling of having this woman relaxed and tucked against my side is incredible and shocking all at once.
She fits in my arms so perfectly, and her body is so soft and lush.
She smells so good… like vanilla and something floral. I’m not sure what, but I like it. I like it a lot.
Suddenly, Rylee adjusts herself and curls her legs up against mine.
She’s practically in my lap now. My heart is racing and I can’t resist slipping my hand under the blanket and resting it on my leg next to hers.
I let my fingers brush against her knee and wait to see if she moves away.
When she doesn’t, I grow a little bolder and run my fingers up the top of her thigh.
Her breath hitches, but she still doesn’t move away from me.
I move my fingers up further and she runs her tongue along her bottom lip.
Oh, fuck me.
I reach the bottom of her shorts and stop. This is the line. I can’t go any further without her saying so. She could very easily slap my hand away and tell me to fuck off.
Slowly, she turns to face me, but there’s no anger or disgust in her expression. Her eyes are hooded, her cheeks are pink, and her lips are parted.
“Zander… ”
Before she can get another word out, I take hold of her chin, tilt her face up, and kiss her. It starts slow and soft, but within moments, things get hotter. Harder. Rylee moves until she’s straddling my lap, her hands gripping my shoulders.
“Fuck, Wildcard,” I murmur, cupping her ass in both my hands. She grinds down against my cock and we both groan.
“More,” she whimpers. “I want more, Zander.”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I stand up, holding her tight, and she wraps her legs around my waist. As our lips move against each other and our tongues tangle, I carry her down the hallway toward the bedroom, leaving John Wick and his path of vengeance behind.