22. Ryan
“ S he lives!” Connor exclaims as I emerge from my room around eight on Saturday night, my stomach growling with hunger. He and Ronan are lazing on the couch, watching a basketball game. “What have you been doing all day?”
“The same thing I do every Saturday. My assignments. Studying.” I stroll toward the fridge, stealing a lightning-fast glance at Ronan. A wave of excitement courses through me.
“How many more years do you have, anyway?” Connor caps off the question with a belch.
“Just one.” If I can concentrate enough to pass my exams. It’s been a struggle, staring at my books and notes all day while my ears remain open, listening for any sound that might indicate Ronan’s going to pay me another visit.
They were out late last night, and Ronan came home alone again.
He went straight to bed, while I lay in mine for a good hour, listening, thinking that maybe he was waiting for me, that I should go over there. Finally, I drifted off.
“Hey, would you be a sweet, kind sister and bring over another round for us?”
“It’s not fair.” I pull two beers off the top shelf. If I ate and drank like they did, I’d balloon. Keeping my expression smooth, I wander over to the couch, handing Connor’s can to him first, then one to Ronan.
Ronan’s fingers graze mine in the exchange.
Connor frowns up at me. “You look different.”
“That’s because you’re drunk.”
Ronan snorts.
“No … are you wearing makeup?”
“So what?” I turn my back to him, wanting to hide the flush in my cheeks.
I went to Ulta this morning to pick up my face moisturizer, and I was waylaid by a saleswoman who asked if she could try out a new mascara on my lashes.
Normally I pass, but she was beautiful and claimed she was wearing that very brand.
I wanted to see what it could do for me.
I bought the mascara, along with the gold eye shadow she swiped across my lids.
“So, you never wear makeup,” Connor says slowly.
“Not never .” Just hardly ever.
“Not when you’re sitting in your room all day, studying.”
“Whatever. It’s no big deal. Drop it.”
But he’s not relenting. “I think she’s trying to look good for you.” He elbows Ronan in the ribs.
“ What ? Why would I want to do that?” I force scorn into my voice while my face burns. This is humiliating.
“Leave her alone,” Ronan warns. “You’re going to make her angry, and she’ll take it out on me.”
“Fine.” Connor belches again, earning my grimace. “By the way, we’re having a goodbye party here next Friday.”
I groan loudly. I knew it was coming, but I can’t stop it. This is Connor’s condo, and I pay very little in rent.
“It’ll be tame,” he promises.
“The cops showed up last time,” I remind him.
“We’ll keep it under control.”
“I had to buy new sheets!”
“Ed’s not invited back. I promise. ”
Ronan’s stony expression softens with his chuckle.
My pulse skips a beat, even as I try to argue against this. “And who’s going to clean up if you two are gone the next morning?”
“Maria from the first floor. We’ll get rid of all the trash and empties and leave cash for her.”
“Don’t you just have all the answers.” I sigh heavily. “I want a lock on my door.”
“For what?” Ronan blurts, and then his jaw tenses. “I mean, no one’s going in your room. We’ll make sure people know the rules.”
“People break rules when they’re horny.” I stare at him pointedly. Like the one where he wasn’t going to fuck his friend’s sister.
The corners of Ronan’s mouth curve through a sip. “Fair enough.”
Connor’s phone chirps with a text. He dismisses my request with a “Fine” as he reads his message, then elbows Ronan. “Sherrie and Georgia are going to Sin tonight. You in?”
His words feel like a gut punch. Sherrie. She’s the one who doesn’t know her left from her right.
“No thanks,” Ronan says without missing a beat.
“Are you kidding? Dude! They were smoking hot.”
“Been there, done that.” His eyes glimmer across mine before he takes a long sip of his beer.
Connor is not accepting his answer. “What’s wrong with you, man? You turned those girls down last night. Now you’re saying no to these two. Is your dick not working or are you getting something somewhere that I don’t know about?”
Please be too dense to figure it out, dear idiot brother.
I stick my head in the fridge, afraid Connor will see the answer in my face. Or that he’ll see my stupid grin of satisfaction, hearing that Ronan isn’t picking up other women.
Thankfully, Connor’s phone rings, distracting him before he forces an answer from Ronan. “Shit, I gotta take this. Hey, Mom … Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been busy … You know, same old. Next Saturday … Yeah, it should be a blast.”
I take the opportunity to glance over and catch Ronan’s focus on my ass. He lifts his gaze to meet mine, to see my quirked brow, the one that says I’ve caught him.
He subtly nods toward our rooms and then, easing off the couch, saunters down the hall, disappearing into the bathroom.
“Five months … Sorry, I don’t think I can make it.” Connor’s mom is no doubt asking him to visit her in Orlando. “Yeah, she’s here. Studying. Always studying. Finally broke up with the douchebag.”
I roll my eyes but throw a wave Connor’s way. Danielle has always been kind to me, even though I’m a byproduct of her ex-husband’s affair.
“She says hi.”
With nervous flutters in the pit of my stomach, I collect my container of veggies and hummus and my water and head toward my room. I get as far as the bathroom when Ronan reaches out and, grabbing hold of my wrist, pulls me in.
“What are you doing?” I hiss.
He takes my dishes and sets them on the vanity. “How long do you think he’ll be occupied?”
“At least twenty minutes.” Danielle loves to talk and now that she’s pinned down her son, she won’t let him go so easily.
“That should be enough time.”
“We can’t! Connor’s right there .” Even as I deny him, my hands smooth over Ronan’s chest, the soft cotton of his T-shirt hugging his curves. It’s the first chance I’ve had to touch him so freely like this and he is all hard muscle.
His fist curls around my ponytail and he pulls, tilting my head back until I meet molten eyes. “Then you shouldn’t have stuck your ass in the air like that, wearing these.” His gaze settles on my mouth as he pinches at my leggings, stretching them .
A giggle slips from my lips as my confidence soars, earning a crooked smile from him.
This is surprisingly fun.
And I so badly want him to kiss me.
Ronan leans forward, and I think he’s read my mind, he’s going to grant my wish.
But he veers at the last second, the heat of his breath skating over my cheek.
His lips settle on my neck. “I need to come, Ryan,” he whispers, his tongue dancing over my skin, sending shivers all the way down to my nipples. “I need you to make me come right now.”
“Okay” slips from my mouth, unbidden.
He leads me back three steps until the backs of my legs hit the toilet and I’m forced to sit. His calloused fingers are gentle, grazing the underside of my chin, smoothing over my bottom lip. “I’ve been waiting for this since last night.” His thumb slides into my mouth and I suck it involuntarily.
With his free hand, he tugs his track pants down, and his hard length springs free.
It’s another first for me, the chance to grip him in my hand, to revel in the feel of his smooth, soft skin against my palm.
I shake my head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just … we seem to be running around the bases in the wrong direction.”
He groans, his head tipping back as I run the pad of my thumb over his tip. “I don’t care which direction we’re running in, as long as it ends with me coming in your mouth.”
No one’s ever talked to me like this before. I never thought it would be a turn-on, but coming from Ronan, with that deep, raspy voice, it makes my pulse skitter every time.
My mind snags on his words. He’s been waiting since last night? I hesitate. “Why didn’t you bring a girl home from the bar?”
He frowns. “Did you want me to?”
“No.” Is that wrong to admit ?
“Well then …”
“Well then, what?”
“Suck my dick, Ryan.” His hand slips from my jaw around to the back of my head and he pulls me forward.
I resist, even though desire burns hot between my legs. “Say please.”
His brow arches. “Please take my dick in that vicious mouth of yours.”
I oblige, running my tongue along the underside of him. When I glance up, he’s staring down at me with a hard look.
I part my lips. An invitation.
He accepts it, sliding in. I close over him, molding around his shape.
Connor’s voice carries from somewhere in the living room and it must be bothering Ronan, because he flips the switch for the fan, drowning it out.
I’ve never really liked giving head, but it’s different with Ronan.
Maybe because our relationship is purely physical, and he turns me on like no other guy I’ve ever been with.
I want him to enjoy this as much as I enjoyed him going down on me yesterday.
So, I do my best, pushing myself to take him in as deep as I can, until I’m forced to relent or gag.
He seems to appreciate it, smoothing loose strands of hair off my forehead gently, sweetly whispering words of encouragement, his hand controlling the tempo.
When it starts to speed up, when his breathing starts growing ragged, I know he’s close.
“That’s it.” His hips start thrusting into my mouth and he suddenly swells even more. “Almost there …” His hand closes tight over my hair until it almost hurts.
A stream of warm salty liquid hits the back of my tongue as he orgasms, but aside from one low grunt, he manages to stay quiet.
Ronan spends a moment simply standing there, his breathing heavy, his hooded eyes settled on my face, his fingers stroking my hair. “Thank you.” He takes a step back, tucking himself into his pants. Hitting the fan switch, he pauses to listen.
All I hear is the buzz of the voices on the TV. It sounds like Connor’s off the phone.