19. Chapter Nineteen
Chapter nineteen
R yder
I’d spent my whole Saturday doing projects around the house and yard.
Later that evening, I debated going out, maybe to Owen’s, or maybe to one of the other bars in town.
It had been weeks since I’d gotten laid, and all this talk about Brennan had me antsy.
Maybe what I needed was to go out and find myself a boy for the night.
I laughed at myself for even thinking that.
I didn’t want to go find some nameless boy.
Until I figured out what to do about my pretty blue-eyed angel, I wasn’t going out hunting for anyone else.
I ordered myself a pizza and scrolled through the channels looking for a movie to watch.
Preferably something full of violence and maybe explosions; that sounded good.
I was halfway through a meat lover’s pizza and the movie Spectre when my phone rang.
I picked it up and looked at the screen to see Brennan’s name.
There was no reason for him to be calling me this late on a Saturday, so my brain immediately went to worst-case scenarios.
“Brennan, What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Well, I mean something, but nothing for you to sound so worried about.”
“It’s late on a Saturday night, Brennan, so naturally, I assumed something was wrong. Why don’t you tell me what this nothing is?”
He hesitated, and I realized I’d sounded like I didn’t want him to call, and sure enough, before I could say anything else, he said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called you. I’ll just figure it out.”
“Brennan. Brennan?” I said. But nothing. He was gone. Shit. I dialed his phone back hoping he would pick up. It rang long enough that I thought it was going to go to voice mail, but then he answered.
“Really, Ryder, I can figure this out. I didn’t even think you could be on a date or…well, I could be interrupting something. Honest, I’m okay.”
“Brennan, the only thing you’re interrupting is my favorite James Bond movie which I’ve seen about a dozen times, and I have no doubt you can figure out whatever’s wrong, but instead, you’re going to tell me what it is and let me help, okay?”
“Okay. I’m at a club, and I have a flat tire. I was going to change it, but the lighting isn’t great here, so I’d be doing it in the dark. I kind of creeped myself out, is all. I’ll probably just call an Uber or something and deal with the car in the morning.”
“Where’s Keegan? Can he help you?”
“No, he’s on a camping trip with some of his high school buddies.”
“Brennan, are you out at a club by yourself?” I asked and held my breath, waiting for the answer.
“Yeah, but I’m fine, really.”
“Where are you exactly?” He rattled off the name of a club I was familiar with. I knew it was a nice club, so there was that anyway.
“Okay, why don’t you go back inside and wait for me? I’ll come get you.” I didn’t like the idea of him out in that parking lot all alone. The area he was in was pretty safe, but no place was completely safe anymore.
“I’d rather not,” he said so quietly I barely heard him.
“Brennan, did something happen inside the club?”
“Not really. There was just this guy who was a little too friendly. I’d rather not run into him again if I can help it.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. A little too friendly. “But you’re okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine. When he got more handsy than I liked, I decided to leave. Of course this stupid tire foiled my escape plan,” he said, trying to make light of his situation, but I could hear the tension in his voice.
“Is the car out of the way so other cars can get by okay?”
“It is. I pulled back into a parking spot.”
“That was smart. The last thing you need is someone hitting the car while you’re sitting in it. You lock the doors and wait for me. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes tops. Now you just talk to me while I’m on my way over there.” I grabbed up my wallet and keys and headed to my car.
“What about?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Anything.” I wanted to keep his mind off the fact that he was sitting in a dark parking lot. “So Keegan went camping, huh?”
“Yeah, I probably should have gone. He asked me to.”
“Well, why didn’t you?”
“Because it was camping. Hiking through the woods and sleeping on the ground does not sound like a good time to me. And fishing is like the most boring thing on the planet.”
“Okay, no arguments here. So why did you say you should have gone?”
“Because he was being nice asking me to go, and I don’t really know anyone here. If I don’t go out and do things, how will I meet people?”
“That does sound like a problem, but it seems to me, you should be making friends who like the same things you like.”
“I know, but you know when I had the flat, it just really hit me that I didn’t have anyone here to call.”
“But you did. You called me, and I’m glad you did. I’m pulling in now.”
“I’m on the first row far enough up to see the entrance.”
“Okay, I see you.” I hung up the phone and pulled into a spot just a few cars down from his.
I got out and started his direction when he came around the back of the car and stopped me in my tracks.
Holy shit, he looked amazing, not as amazing as he had naked and underneath me, but damn close.
I took a deep breath and made myself start walking towards him, and without thinking, I did what felt natural. I opened up my arms.
He didn’t hesitate, just walked right into them, letting me wrap him up. I inhaled, taking in his scent and rubbing my cheek in his curls. Lord, I’d missed the feel of him. Having him close in the house every day kept me sane but hadn’t been what I wanted. This, this was what I wanted.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine. I told you I was okay.”
“I know you did, but you sounded a little shook up.”
“I was, but once I knew you were coming, I was fine.”
This sweet boy honestly had no idea what knowing he felt that way did to me. I pulled back a little but didn’t let him go. “So a flat tire, huh?”
“Yeah, I have a spare and everything. I could have changed it, but I got spooked,” he said, hanging his head.
I reached up and put one finger under his chin, and lifted it. “Brennan, you never have to be embarrassed for trusting your instincts. I had much prefer you call me anytime you need me.”
He looked up at me, his eyes big in the moonlight, and I was so tempted to kiss him. I slid one hand up his back into his hair. His breath caught, and I slowly started to lean down to kiss him.
I lightly brushed my lips across his and then looked him in the eyes. “What were you doing here at the club, Angel?”
He sighed and lowered his eyes. “What do you think I was doing here?”
I growled at the thought of him out here trolling for some random hook-up. “Is this what you were looking for?” I asked, gripping his ass and pulling him tight against me, letting him feel how hard I was for him.
“No.” he whimpered. “I mean, yes, it was. But then, when I got in there, I didn’t want anyone else touching me.”
I leaned down and ran my nose up his neck to his ear. “Oh, Angel, what am I going to do with you?”
He pulled back and gave me a smile that was sweet as sin. “Anything you want, Ryder. Anything you want.”
My name sounded wrong coming from his lips. Instead, I longed to hear him call me Daddy, but that was a conversation for another day, if ever. For tonight, Ryder would do.
“I’ll come back for your car tomorrow. Right now, let’s just get home.”