Chapter 20 Ryker #2
“Oh, I remember that!” Rebecca says with a loud giggle. Her face is completely red, so she must be really feeling the drinks. “You cried for a week.”
Despite the way his cock is hardening under my touch, Liam’s expression is momentarily empty, devoid of emotion. He catches me looking at him and turns the charm back on, smiling at me. “They caught me,” he says cheerfully. “Never denied a single thing in my whole life.”
Hmm.
Maybe there is something lurking behind those eyes beyond a spoiled brat with a penchant for pain and murder.
I remove my hand from his cock and ruffle his hair. “I guess if you’d simply gotten out of my car, that would have been the end of our acquaintance. How lucky for both of us that you take what you want.”
Of course, if he’d gotten out of my car up in the mountains, he’d probably be dead by now. Or maybe somebody else would have been kind enough to pick him up, and they’d have been a perfectly nice, normal person who didn’t entice the little brat to become a serial murderer.
“He’s definitely lucky,” Rebecca says, smiling at me. “He deserves a nice guy to take care of him.”
I don’t think I’m the right person to take care of anyone, but Liam rests his head against my shoulder again and I only tug lightly at his hair.
Maggie pouts and downs more of her drink. “Fine, fine. I get it, I’m a judgmental bitch. You made your point, Rebecca.” She sets her glass down and stands on wobbly feet. “I need to piss. Rebecca, you should come with me.”
“I don’t need to go,” Rebecca answers, oblivious.
Maggie scowls and turns, but her steps are uneven. She stumbles into another table and takes a second to right herself before she keeps walking.
“Maybe you should help her, Liam,” Carl suggests.
Liam shakes his head. “I’m stuck in the booth. You go.”
“No way. She hates me!” Carl argues.
I roll my eyes and extricate myself from Liam. “I’ll make sure she makes it to the toilet without crashing into anything.”
Liam blinks at me. “You’re going to do what now?”
“She’s your friend, right? Unless you want her to fall and split her head open?” I point to Maggie, who’s sagging against the wall.
“Yeah, but it’s you,” he says, brows furrowing. He sighs. “I should probably do it.”
I push him back into the booth. “I got it.”
Mostly, I think it’ll take Liam even longer to get Maggie sorted. He doesn’t have the muscle mass to manhandle her where she needs to go.
As I walk away, I hear Rebecca saying, “Wow, he’s so nice, Liam!”
“Yeah, he’s super nice,” Liam starts to reply, but the rest of what he says is lost to the din of the restaurant.
I take Maggie’s arm and help her stand up. “You okay there, Maggie?”
Maggie glares at me. “Ugh. I don’t like you.”
“I know,” I answer as I lead her toward the restrooms. “Any reason for it, beyond me stealing Liam’s attention?”
“You left bruises on his neck, you fucker,” Maggie grumbles. “Don’t do that. It’s too dangerous.”
I remember how red Liam’s face had gotten. How, even through the lack of oxygen, he’d begged for more. How he wasn’t afraid of my hands or my knife. How obedient he’s been for me.
“He likes it,” I say mildly. “Is it any of your business?”
“Yes!” Maggie slaps my bicep uselessly. “He’s my best friend! I don’t want you to accidentally kill him because you’re too… too…” She struggles with the word, then settles on, “horny.”
“I won’t accidentally kill him,” I promise.
It’ll be on purpose.
“I know your name, Rider. And what you do for a living. And, um, where you live. And that you have a car!” Maggie almost stumbles when I stop in front of the door to the restroom.
“Are you trying to warn me off Liam?” I ask with amusement. “You heard how he refused to take no for an answer?”
“God, you can just fuck off to wherever! He’s not gonna follow you to fucking mosquito banquet Florando!” She scrunches her nose. “Florida. Orlando. Whichever.”
I wonder if anyone at home would look out for me like this. I haven’t kept up with anyone from my high school. Phil wouldn’t give a shit, I don’t think. At most, he might make a pass at any woman I brought home. Madison would probably try to scare her competition off.
Maggie’s determination to scare me off is almost sweet.
“I’m glad Liam has such good friends,” I say as I push the door open. “Now go take care of your business. Can you find your way back to the table on your own?”
“Yes. Tell Liam he sucks,” Maggie says as she stumbles in. “Don’t spy on me, you pervert.”
“You really don’t have anything I’d be interested in,” I answer truthfully.
Despite all this, I don’t have an urge to murder her.
Women really don’t do it for me at all.
I close the door and head back to the table. Liam is tapping his card to pay.
“I hope you’re tipping well,” I say as I sit down.
“I always tip well,” Liam replies. He looks the least inebriated out of the bunch, but his cheeks are still flushed pink. “But I’ll add an extra zero or whatever.”
The server seems pleased by this, and thanks us profusely before walking off.
“You two get out of here,” Rebecca says with a smile. “I’ll get Maggie home.”
I think the usual social understanding is to refuse, but Liam immediately jumps to his feet. “Thanks! You’re the best, Rebecca! And nice to meet you, Carl!”
“You too!” Carl answers.
I shake my head with amusement and let Liam lead us out.
“Are you parked near here?” Liam asks. “You can come back to my place. Or we can go to your hotel. Or—”
I shake my head. “I told you, I’ve got an early morning.”
He pouts at me. “You could at least tuck me in,” he says, wrapping his arms around me. “Fine. Kiss me, then.”
I tilt his head up and kiss him.
It isn’t rough, or hard.
It’s the kind of kiss I never thought I’d ever give anyone.
I should turn it into something else. I shouldn’t give him the wrong impression.
But despite everything, I’m realizing… I didn’t hate tonight.
It was almost nice, being openly gay in front of people and not worrying about the consequences of being seen.
What a load of crap.
Liam smiles brightly at me when I end the kiss.
“Your friend told me to fuck off to nowhere,” I say. “She doesn’t like that I choked you.”
Liam’s smile dims, and his eyes darken. “She can get the fuck over it,” he says. “I always get what I want, remember?”
I trail my gaze down to his crotch. “Almost always,” I say, smirking.
He huffs out an exaggerated sigh. “Yeah, well,” he replies. “You’re a hard-ass.”
The stupid thing is, I have the desire to drag him to my car and bend him over the hood and give him exactly what he wants.
The wait will be worth it, though. He’s going to be absolutely miserable when I see him next.
“Two weeks,” I promise. “And you’d better not touch yourself at all while I’m gone.”
“Even to bathe?” he jokes.
I slap him lightly over the head. “Don’t be a dumbass.”
He laughs. “Good night, Rider,” he says, leaning up to kiss me again. “See you in two weeks.”
I kiss him one more time before I head toward my car.
Who would have thought that I’d actually end up with a regular fuck buddy?