Chapter 41 Like a date
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Like a date
Ruby
“Okay,” Bri snapped, dropping her plate in the sink. “Spill.”
“Huh?”
I glanced up from my food. A cup of noodles, a piece of toast, and a handful of Doritos. Ryker would freak at this girl dinner.
“We’re about to do an overnight on a Friday, yet you’re humming to yourself like Mary fucking Poppins.”
“I wasn’t humming.”
“You were humming,” Jaz agreed.
Daisy chuckled. “Seriously though, what’s up? You were down AF after Miami, then you go to Ryker’s for a weekend and come back perkier than Ted Lasso.”
Bri’s jaw gaped. “That’s it, isn’t it?”
I nervously swallowed. “What’s what?”
“You hooked up with someone when you were in Philly.”
She wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t exactly right either. I was erasing mine and Evan’s kiss off my tally, since it’d been for experimental purposes only. But if she meant I’d received an earth shattering orgasm from my best friend and then given him a hand job, she was on the money.
“Who?” Jaz pressed.
“Please say Evan,” Daisy gushed. “He’s so hot.”
“I didn’t sleep with Evan.”
Bri studied me, tilting her head curiously. “So nothing happened with him?”
“I did sort of kiss him,” I grudgingly admitted. “But that was it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Nope. I’m not buying it. There’s more.”
“Not with Evan there isn’t,” I mumbled.
Jaz excitedly hopped on the spot. “Then who?”
I was too nervous to say, knowing my friends were about to lose their minds. Though now they knew there was tea to spill, they wouldn’t let it go. I might as well pour out the whole freaking teapot.
“I hooked up with Ryker.”
Bri’s eyebrows shot up. “Come again?”
I slipped off my glasses, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “I kissed Ryker. Then I had a sex dream about him, which led to some morning foreplay and a deal that we’re going to hook up again.”
I braced myself for the inevitable onslaught of questions, but they didn’t come. I had stunned my friends into silence. That was a first.
“What the fuck, Ruby!” Jaz eventually shouted. “Why the hell are you only just telling us now? That was two weeks ago.”
“I technically kissed him a few weekends before that too,” I ruefully admitted.
Bri threw a dishcloth at me. “Way to break fucking girl code, Ruby. That’s rule 101. When you hook up with your hot guy best friend, you’re bound to disclose all the juicy details to your girls within twenty-four hours.”
Laughing, I went back to the beginning and told them everything, starting with Ryker seeing the photo Bri had mistakenly sent, to our kiss, then his radio silence, and ending with the agreement we’d struck at breakfast... after I’d washed his cum off my stomach.
Just thinking about hooking up with him again had me feeling giddy, and the thought of having sex with him – having him inside me – caused my skin to break out with goose bumps.
Forgetting my reservations about the damage this could do to our friendship was much easier when I wanted him this badly. Desire was clouding my judgement, and I was going with it.
“When are you seeing him next?” Daisy asked. “I need more.”
“I don’t know. He asked me to come this weekend, but I’m working tonight, so the earliest I could get there is midday tomorrow.”
“Then do that,” Bri said, as if it was a no-brainer. “I am officially living vicariously through you. I’ve been shipping you as a couple ever since I saw the picture of him on your nightstand in freshman year.”
“We’re not dating,” I reminded her. “We’re experimenting.”
She scoffed. “Okay, Ruby. I’ll be sure to quote that at your wedding.”
*
Bri had hassled me every opportunity she got overnight. Each time we passed in the corridors or in the break room, she’d check whether I’d booked my ticket yet.
Just after six a.m., I caved.
And that’s how I ended up in the back of Brady’s car, my eyes heavy from over twenty-four hours without sleep. But it would all be worth it... at least I hoped. When Ryker had called last night during my tea break, he’d said he missed me. So here’s hoping he’d be excited.
Our Friday nights couldn’t have been further apart.
While I’d been in the staff room, munching on carrot sticks and avoiding my rounds, he was at a frat party, surrounded by booze and glow sticks.
But unlike Noah, who never called while he was out, Ryker had walked down the street and away from the party, just so he could hear me.
I no longer felt a crushing sadness when thinking about Noah. There were parts of our relationship I missed, but moving on without him had been surprisingly easy. It’s not like he’d been a huge part of my Ohio life anyway.
I guess I had long distance to thank for something.
Having Ryker around didn’t hurt either. Everything I used to text Noah about, I sent to Ryker instead. We’d always talked a lot, but it had definitely amped up lately. I couldn’t even begin to count the number of messages, Snapchats, reels, and memes we exchanged throughout the day.
“So... are you going to tell us?” Tori asked, peering over the headrest at me.
My heavy eyes burnt as I widened them. “Tell you what?”
“What it was like hooking up with Evan.”
“Oh. I didn’t sleep with Evan.”
Tori’s gelled eyebrows lowered in disappointment. “You didn’t?”
“Nope. I crashed in his room because I thought Ryker had Gretchen in his. That’s all.”
With a dramatic sigh, she slumped in her seat. “Boring.”
Judging by her reaction, I was guessing Ryker hadn’t mentioned anything to his friends. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told mine either. I hadn’t stopped to consider if he wanted to keep this between us.
Just as Brady turned onto their street, my phone lit up with an incoming FaceTime.
“It’s Ryker.”
Brady snickered. “And he calls me a stage-five.”
I adjusted my position to disguise the background before answering. I didn’t want to spoil the surprise now.
“Hey, Wheels. What’s up?”
Ryker yawned, rubbing at his eyes. “Not much. I just woke up.”
“Really? It’s midday.”
“I stayed out late with Evan, Kyler and Pat.”
Anxiety gnawed at me, but I pushed it down. I’d always assumed Noah’s boys’ nights were harmless, but now that I knew they were really an excuse for him to play the field and pick up, I hated thinking about them.
But Ryker wasn’t Noah I reminded myself. It wasn’t fair to doubt him when he’d never given me a reason to.
Though if his past was anything to go by, he had to be dealing with serious withdrawals.
He might have been the one to suggest we didn’t hook up with other people, but I seriously doubted he’d ever gone this long without some action.
Ryker Richardson didn’t know the definition of a sex drought when he had girls sliding into his DMs every day.
“What are you doing today?” I asked, shaking off my doubts.
“About to get a feed with the guys. I’m starving.”
Brady cut the ignition as he pulled into the drive, parking behind Ryker’s car.
“I’m starving too,” I said. “What should we get?”
Ryker slowly sat up, his brow furrowed. “We?”
I panned the camera to the front of his house. “Yeah. Remind me what’s good around here.”
He paused for a moment, studying his phone, before a grin stretched across his face. “Are you kidding?” He flung the blankets aside, exposing his bare chest. “Ruby?” He was on his feet now, throwing open his bedroom door as he thundered down the stairs. “Am I dreaming? I’m still asleep, right?”
I barely registered getting out of the car, too distracted by Ryker storming through the house like a madman... or maybe just a very desperate one. It was fair to say he was excited. Thank goodness for that.
Swinging open the front door, Ryker sprinted down the porch steps as if his coach had just told him it was go-time. He was only dressed in a pair of sweats, his hair still messy and unruly. I pulled my bottom lip between my lip, appreciating his delicious torso.
He crossed the grass in just a few strides, bypassing his signature rib-crushing hug and kissing me instead – the kind that told me he’d missed me as much as I’d missed him.
“Um,” Brady murmured from somewhere close by. “What the fuck is happening?”
“I knew it!” Tori squealed, clapping manically. “I fucking knew it!”
I smiled against Ryker’s lips, but he wasn’t letting me go just yet. His hand snaked around the back of my neck, keeping me steady, while his mouth hungrily moved over mine, greedy and demanding.
I melted, my knees buckling, just like in the movies. It was impossible fathoming how I’d gone two weeks without kissing him – let alone the twenty-one years before that.
With one last brush of his lips, he pulled back, but not without draping his arm over my shoulder and tucking me against his side. The support was welcome, since my legs were like jelly.
Tori shoved Brady, a playful glint in her eyes. “Why the hell don’t you kiss me like that, babe?”
Brady was too speechless to answer. His confused gaze danced between Ryker and me, trying to make sense of this. He was the person who’d known us the longest, and because of that, he was the only one who’d never hassled us about getting together.
Oops. I guess we’d just ruined that.
“Don’t read into it,” Ryker told him. “And don’t even think about telling your mum. She’ll blab to mine, who’ll run straight to Cherie, and then all hell will break loose.”
Ryker was spot on about that. I guess the less people who knew, the better – especially our relentless mothers. I was already worried about the fallout for Ryker and me. Adding our parents and their feelings into the mix wouldn’t end well.
“When?” Tori pressed. “What? How far? Spill! I need all the details.”
Shaking his head, Ryker placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me towards the house. “You’re not getting them.”
Judging by his pace, he was eager to get us inside... and alone. As much as I wanted that too, I was barely holding it together. Excitement had carried me through my flight, but I knew the second I saw Ryker’s bed, I’d hit a wall.
Pat and Kyler glanced up when the front door slammed closed. They were sprawled on the couch, a football game playing on the large TV.
Pat sat up. “Why the fuck did you just – oh. Hi, Ruby. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I–”
Before I could even mutter another syllable, Ryker had me halfway up the stairs. He wasn’t wasting any time. I had to take them two at a time just to keep up.
His bedroom door had barely clicked shut before his mouth was on mine again. I granted his demanding tongue access, my moan travelling down his throat when he dragged his fingers through my hair and tugged gently.
It was dangerous how effortless this felt.
“I can’t believe we went our entire lives without doing that,” he exhaled, resting his forehead against mine.
“Lucky we get to now.”
With a content smile, Ryker tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, carefully avoiding my glasses. “I’ll shower and then we can grab breakfast. Well, I guess it’s more like lunch now.”
I collapsed onto his unmade bed, which was still warm from where he’d been lying. “Sorry, Wheels. I’m going to have to take a rain check on lunch. I didn’t get a chance to sleep on the plane.”
“That’s fine. I can stay–”
“No. You go ahead. I just need a solid four hours to recharge. Wake me up when you get back?”
“Are you sure?”
I kicked off my shoes and slid under the covers, too tired to care that I was still in my airport clothes. “Yeah, it’s taking all my energy just to keep my eyes open.”
When Ryker climbed onto the bed and hovered above me, I couldn’t help my eyes naturally drifting to his bare chest. The guy was built like temptation itself – everything was toned and hard, which came as no surprise given how much time he spent in the gym.
“Can I at least bring you something back?” he offered.
“I had a chicken wrap at the airport. That will tide me over until dinner.”
He kissed me once more, taking his time like he had nowhere else to be. With his lips on mine, I temporarily forgot how exhausted I was. His kisses were addictive... almost worth sacrificing sleep for. But just as things began to heat up, a door slammed downstairs, yanking us back to reality.
Ryker sighed, his gaze casting to the ceiling in frustration. “I’ll quickly shower then get out of your hair. But can I take you out tonight?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Like on a date?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, Rubz. Like a date.”
“If you want to.”
“Hell fucking yeah I do. Do you want to go on a date with me?”
I pretended to think. “Hmm... I don’t know. Will you put out?”
Ryker’s dimple appeared as he threw his head back and laughed. “On a first date? That’s bold of you.”
I shrugged. “What can I say? I like to try before I buy.”
“I seem to recall you enjoying my services a lot, especially the part when you were coming on my tongue.”
A blush crept up my neck, so I tossed a pillow at Ryker to hide it.
“Get out of here. You’re messing with my beauty sleep.”