23. June
TWENTY-THREE
June
I’m not entirely sure what’s happening but there’s a palpable shift in the mood. Ryan’s arm curls around me, his fingers digging into my upper arm, and I’m pressed so tightly to his side, I can feel every muscle as it tenses.
Silas smirks at me, his index finger trailing across his lips as he studies me. “She looks good in my number.”
“An oversight on my part.” Ryan’s voice is tight, every word clipped and dripping with venom. Are they ... are they fighting over me? “I won’t let it happen again.” He jerks his head further down the hallway. “I think your groupies are down there. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take my family home.”
Holy shit. Holy shit . This possessive side of Ryan, the way he claims Oliver and me as his, has my core clenching and my panties drenched. I shouldn’t like this, especially when I’ve been trying to put distance between us, but that was one of the hottest things ever.
I haven’t used the vibe or massaging wand Poppy dropped off, but I’m going to have to tonight. There’s no way I’ll last till morning. I’ll either jump his dick while he’s sleeping or spontaneously combust.
“I’ll see you ladies later.” Silas waves his fingers in our direction, and I could’ve sworn Ryan growled in response.
It’s too much, yet not enough. I want him close, I want him to hold me tighter.
Ryan is usually even-keeled, but there’s something about him losing control that makes me want to push his limits and see how much I can make his resolve crumble.
Only I shouldn’t do any of that. I should push him away, I should demand an explanation, but as lust tunnels through my veins and my nipples harden into points, I can’t. My brain is chanting his name, and the desperate part of me is screaming at him to claim me in front of everyone.
Clearly it’s been so long, too long, since I’ve been touched by someone else. It’s turning me into a horny mess with minimal effort. The fact that it’s Ryan is a mere coincidence. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.
As soon as Silas is gone, Ryan’s arm slips from my shoulders, and I instantly miss his touch. “Sorry about him.”
“That was entertaining. We might all be pregnant after that display.” June’s friend, a petite blonde, fans herself with both hands. “I’m Kinsley, the best friend.”
“Ryan. And this is Gunner and Theo.” His voice is still tight, but despite the barbaric display, he’s careful not to touch me. He won’t even look at me. What the heck is happening?
I don’t have time to pull it apart and examine it because Poppy and Kinsley squeal, rushing forward to meet the two football players. Of course they can’t shake their hands like normal people—they pull them into hugs and proceed to turn around, showing off their newly acquired attire. The guys are all smiles, taking their new yet adoring fans in strides.
Although, I guess these guys are used to women hitting on them all the time. A thought that sends a spike of jealousy right through me, and I shake it off. Ryan isn’t mine. He can talk to whomever he wants.
“We should get going,” Ryan mumbles, adjusting his hold on Oli, who’s now lying on his shoulder, clutching his T-shirt along with the popcorn.
I nod, glancing to the girls, who are now in deep conversation with Ryan’s friends. “You can go if you want. Poppy hung around to take Oliver and me home.”
Ryan’s eyes collide with mine. His normal bright-blue eyes are dark, turbulent with a storm brewing in their depths. The look he gives me is nothing short of intense, and it feels like with each second his gaze burns into mine, he’s stripping me bare. I’m powerless to look away. He’s scorching me, burning me from the inside out. “You’re coming home with me.”
My brows crash, and I try to hold it together, despite the trembling in my legs. “He can’t go in the Shelby. It’s not a big deal. I’ll be right behind you.”
“I’m not driving the Shelby.”
“What?” My jaw crashes to the floor. I know it’s not the most ladylike, but I can’t help it.
“I got a new car. A Volkswagen ID.4. Their safety rating is impeccable.” He swipes a hand down Oliver’s back, and I just continue staring at him like a slack-jawed idiot. Safety rating? What? He’s not driving the muscle car he loves because he bought a Volkswagen with an impeccable safety rating? Why would he do that?
Come on, June, you know why .
Because he wants us to be safe. Oliver. He wants Oliver to be safe .
Fuck. Why is that so hot? I think my ovaries may have exploded.
No, June. Don’t get sucked in. You have a date tomorrow, and this entire evening will be put behind you .
But how can I even think about going on a date with another man when he bought a new car because of its safety rating?
He doesn’t wait for me to reply—I’m still not sure I can—before he turns and interjects himself between our friends. “I hate to pull June away, but it’s getting late, and we should be getting little man ready for bed.”
Poppy’s brows raise. “Are you sure? You don’t need a ride?”
“Doesn’t look like it.” I glance to Ryan, who is rigid beside me, his stony expression giving nothing away. “I’ll text you guys later.”
“You better.” She pulls out her phone, waving it to Gunner. “Can I get a picture of you guys? My dad is going to be so mad he had to leave early.”
“No problem.” Gunner smiles, giving me a wave. “Nice to meet you, June. Sorry this guy is a Neanderthal. We’ll have to get together soon.”
“Absolutely, I—bye.” I manage to get a few words out; then Ryan’s hand is at my lower back, guiding me out of the building and into the parking lot.
He doesn’t say anything, but his entire body is still radiating hostility. I’ve never seen him so worked up, and I’m not sure whether there’s anything I can say or do to get him to calm down. I could joke about the bulge watch or tell him about the reporter I saw taking pictures of the studio, but I can’t manage to break the silence.
He stops next to a silver SUV, and I stand there in awe as he pulls the keys from his pocket, turns on the remote start, pulls open the back door, and straps Oliver into a brand-new car seat. The popcorn goes into the seat next to him, and Ryan hands him a plush dinosaur before the door shuts, breaking whatever spell was hanging over me.
After taking a deep breath, I scramble past him to the passenger seat, but as my hand hits the handle, Ryan turns me around. His breaths are heavy, his eyes wild. His hands rest on either side of me, and he leans forward, his chest rumbling with another growl.
I’m caged in, my feet cemented to the asphalt beneath us. I can’t move. I’m not sure I want to.
Ryan inches closer, his voice rough, gravelly, and he grits out, “I don’t like it.”
“Don’t like what?” I whisper, struggling to keep my hands at my sides. The last thing I need to do is touch him right now. Especially when I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop.
“I don’t like seeing you with another man’s name across your back.”
For the second time tonight, my mouth falls open. “Is that why you were pissed at Silas?”
“Why did you pick his jersey and not mine?”
The air leaves my lungs in a whoosh, and as his head tilts closer to mine, his lips mere inches away, my heart leaps up into my throat, and I struggle to swallow it back down. “I ... well, I didn’t want your girlfriend to get the wrong idea.”
His jaw tics, working back and forth. “What girlfriend?”
“She was in the box. You’ve been photographed together a few times at different events and the first preseason game She’s blond, young.” When his eyes narrow, I add, “In one of the pictures she was wearing a gold dress. It was a children’s charity event. ”
You also smiled at her and had your hands all over her .
She was young, beautiful, and I guarantee doesn’t have stretch marks marring her perfectly tight body. She seems nice, and I absolutely don’t feel any sort of irrational jealousy when I think about her. Not at all.
His eyes light up with recognition and his lips twitch. “That’s Gunner’s sister. We’re friends.”
“Oh.” My stomach hollows out, and I feel relieved yet panicked at the same time. It’s like my safety net has been pulled out from beneath my feet and I’m left with no choice but to free-fall. To where? I’m not sure.
“Oh?”
“Guess you shouldn’t believe everything you read.” I huff a laugh, trying to break some of the tension settling around us, ignoring all the turmoil inside me.
Ryan doesn’t mellow. He doesn’t laugh with me. Instead, his expression hardens. “You’ll wear my jersey or nothing at all. If I see you with his name on your back again, I’ll rip it off your body myself. Clear?”
I swallow again, my pulse hammering in my veins. “Crystal.”
So why do I want to wear it again to see if he’ll follow through with his threat, his promise? And even worse, he doesn’t have a girlfriend. It meant he was off-limits. It meant I had to keep my distance. It freaking meant keeping him at the forefront of my thoughts, thinking inappropriate things was not okay. But it’s fine. She’s just a friend.
What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to protect myself?
How can I go on this date tomorrow knowing Ryan is the man I’ll go home and think about as I touch myself?
I’m in trouble.
Big trouble.