Chapter Twelve
TILLIE
On my way to the baggage claim, I spot Ryan waiting for me with an abundance of bodyguards, security, and fans everywhere. I walk faster, and when he spots me, he rushes forward, picks me up, and spins me around in a circle, surprising me.
What the hell?
What happened to keeping things private?
I freeze, and he pulls back before he rests his forehead on mine.
“What’s wrong,” Ryan asks as he slides me down his body, setting me back on my feet.
I whisper, “We are in public. People are watch—”
He cuts me off with a strong, passionate kiss. One that makes my toes curl and my stomach churn with butterflies.
Then Ryan steps back, but only marginally. “I missed you. I don’t care who’s watching.” He winks and gives me a cheeky grin.
I don’t know what’s changed, but I am not going to question it.
Looking up at him, I frown at his bruised face and sigh before I reach up, caressing his cheek. The discoloration and slight swelling have me swallowing hard.
“It looks worse than it feels,” he says, then leans in to kiss me again. I press my lips to his softly this time, careful not to hurt his nose. When he pulls back, he smiles and adds, “And for the record, you don’t have to be gentle with me either.”
“Hmmm… I should kick your ass for getting in a fight. It’s a total PR nightmare.
But the upside is Debt Money put Recoil in front of people who’d never heard of you, which means more radio, more streams. Hell, Rolling Stone ran an old clip of yours today to show who the guys are that took on Debt Money.
If this were a publicity stunt, I’d say it’s paying off. ”
He tilts his head just slightly. “Really?”
“Yeah… really.”
“See… maybe I am better at this PR gig than you give me credit for, Tillie.”
He chuckles, and I laugh, giving his nose a gentle bop. He winces, letting out a soft groan. “Getting bruised for PR. Brilliant, Mr. Hunter. Now, can you take me home, please?” I ask, with a mock demand.
“Yes, ma’am.” He gives me a playful salute as I reach for my luggage, which Ryan quickly takes from my hands. We make our way to his car, flanked by a sea of security. Screams filter through the air, and fans call out his name, but he only has eyes for me.
“So it’s a done deal with Zaria then?”
“Sure is,” I reply as he loops his fingers with mine while his other hand drags my suitcase.
“Nate’s gonna flip. Hopefully, it will cheer him up, the grumpy old fart.”
“He does seem extra grouchy lately.”
Ryan lets me go just before I slide into the car, then he tosses my bag into the trunk and rounds the car to settle into the driver’s seat. I buckle my belt as he starts the engine, and immediately, a Recoil song fills the car. We look at each other and grin.
“I’ll never get tired of that,” he says, his voice warm with pride.
“It must feel incredible, hearing something you created, broadcast for everyone to hear.”
“Incredible doesn’t even come close,” he replies, shaking his head slightly. “There’s no word in the English language to do it justice, Tillie. It’s pure euphoria every single time.”
I link my fingers with his on the gearstick as he pulls out of the parking space.
“So I want to apologize for being an grade-A fucker to you.”
“You weren’t that bad.”
He looks at me briefly and smiles. “I tried to scare you with a rat. I ruined your computer. I farted on your live stream and treated you like shit. So for all of that, I’m sorry.”
Exhaling, I nod. “I get it. You were hurting. I took your job, and although your attempts to out me were childish and immature, I understand why you did it. You want to be needed. I get it because I’m the same.
I cared for my grandmother while she was terminal until she passed, and doing that left me with the feeling of having to be needed.
She gave me the computer you glitter bombed. ”
His head snaps around, his eyes wide. “Fuck! You’re kidding, right?”
I shake my head and wince.
His whole body slumps as he looks back to the road and exhales loudly, tightening his grip on my hand. “Fucking hell, Tillie, I’m so sorry. If I’d known, there’s no way… Fuck! I’m such a goddamn dick.”
“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work anymore. I still have it. It would have died eventually, one day, and I would have only had the shell. So, at least now, I can retire it and have the advantage of a brand-new MacBook.”
He shakes his head. “Still, I’m very sorry. What an asshole thing to do. It just shows how beautiful you are that you can forgive me for something like that.”
“There’s no point being angry about something you didn’t know about. Sure, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place, but you were hurting and trying to get rid of me.”
He glances at me and smiles. “I’m glad it didn’t work.”
I chew on my bottom lip to hide my smile. “Me too.”
Ryan pulls my hand up to his mouth and gently kisses it. Goose bumps litter my skin, and now I can’t hide my smile as we drive the rest of the way to my house in semi-silence.
***
It’s getting late, and after such a long day, I can’t help but let out a slow, drawn-out yawn. After dinner, we cuddled up on the couch, watching something mindlessly on the television, and now, I’m too comfortable—and too exhausted—to think about moving.
Ryan glances at me, then gently slips his arm from around my shoulders and starts to get up.
I open my eyes, watching as he picks up his phone and keys from the coffee table and slips them into his pocket.
“You’ve had a long day, and you’re clearly wiped out.
I’ll head out and let you get some rest.”
My stomach flips, and my heart races faster. My relaxed state is now tense. Being in his arms has been the calmest my body has felt for ages. I don’t want him to leave, so I offer, “You don’t have to go.”
He raises an eyebrow and gives me a closed-mouth smile. “Are we ready for sleepovers?”
I swallow hard and talk without thinking. “Well, you can stay over, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we have to, you know. Unless you want to… you know. But we don’t have to because we may not even be at that stage yet. Do you know what I mean? It’s just that sometimes I think that—”
“Tillie, I’ll stay over,” he interrupts my crazy rambling, which shocks me into silence.
“Y-you w-will?” I stutter.
He nods, putting his hand out to me. I smile and click the off button on the television remote, sending the room into darkness that’s only lightened by the blue hues of the moon shining in through the window.
“Let’s go to bed,” he suggests.
My abdomen clenches as my nipples grow into taut buds.
When my hand slips into his, it sends warmth and sparks through me at our touch as he pulls me off the couch.
He smiles but says nothing as he walks us out of the living room, through the archway, and into the hall.
The sparks flying through the air are electric as his fingers interlace with mine.
My blood pumps so fast that the whooshing sound in my ears almost drowns out the rapid fire of my panting breaths.
We’re simply walking down the damn hallway, and already my skin is prickling with goose bumps.
We reach my bedroom door and step inside, my heart rapid-firing in anticipation. He turns to face me, his gaze heavy-lidded and slightly glazed, a mix of exhaustion and something else simmering beneath the surface.
“How tonight goes is up to you. There are no expectations, and I won’t be disappointed if we sleep cuddled up to each other.”
While I love that he isn’t putting pressure on me, every inch of my body is screaming for him to touch me. From the moment he called me a pompous asshole, the need has been building.
“Shut up and kiss me, Ryan,” I say, running my hands through his hair and pulling his face to meet me, our tongues dancing frantically.
His hands move to the bottom of my shirt, the movement too slow.
He is almost hesitant, as if he’s still not sure where I want this to go.
I smile against his lips, moving my hands from his hair down to my shirt and helping him to pull it up over my head, causing our lips to part.
He looks into my eyes, searching for permission, and then he smiles wide, seeing my desire, knowing there’s no way I want him to stop.
Ryan’s eyes drift down to the white lace bra holding my breasts in place, and he licks his lips as his hands slide around my back.
With the closeness this brings, he leans in, gently sucking and tracing light kisses at my neck, sending a wave of goose bumps to prickle down my side as he unclips my bra.
It slides off my arms, exposing me, and his breath hitches.
He abandons my neck, and I arch into him as he trails open-mouth kisses down the swell of my breasts, then takes a nipple into his mouth, sucking on my taut bud. I gasp at the wet warmth as he nips firmly with his teeth, sending a shudder through my core while my hands run through his blond hair.
He pulls my nub between his teeth, then releases it with a pop, kissing back up my neck toward my mouth.
I’m panting by the time our lips connect again, but I need more, so I slide my hands to the hem of his shirt, lifting it up and over his head.
The kiss breaks just long enough for him to discard his shirt, and then our lips ravage each other, our bodies slamming together, and our hands a flurry of movements.
He edges his hips against mine, pressing his hard cock against my belly, making my stomach flutter with giddy excitement.
I gasp into his mouth as he grinds into me, and I can’t help but thread my fingers into his hair again, gripping harder.
He moans into my mouth while his hands find their way to my skirt, his fingers eager.
He fumbles with the zipper but manages to undo it.
Without further help, the fabric slides down my legs, and as soon as it piles at my ankles, I step out, kicking it to the side, leaving me in my white lace panties.