Crazy for You

Chapter 9

Whoa. Emma lay in bed, her body still humming with satisfaction. Had she really let Ryan put his hands up her skirt right there in the back hallway of The Music Factory? Yes, she had, and oh, had it been worth it. If this was what it felt like to be bad, she never wanted to be good again.

Who’s in for cinnamon buns in the morning?she texted to her friends. I have a major dare update to share

OMG, Gabby replied. This better be good! You guys were so obviously hot for each other on the dance floor tonight.

Oh, it’s good. She inserted a winking emoticon and several flames. I’ll spill all the deets tomorrow around 8?

This ignited a flurry of texts from Gabby, Carly, and Mandy, all of whom promised to be there tomorrow morning at eight to hear her news. Emma put her phone on Do Not Disturb and set it on the nightstand, turned out the light, and crashed almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, with Smokey snuggled in beside her.

She woke the next morning with memories of Ryan still dancing in her mind. Holy shit. That really happened. Nothing boring or predictable about anything she’d done last night, and she liked it. She loved it. No use trying to deny it any longer. It wasn’t just a wild and crazy fling she wanted.

She wanted Ryan.

And there was no way she was going to let him push her away again. It still sent a hot thrill through her when she remembered the way he’d touched her, the harsh possessiveness of his words when he’d told her to forget about other guys.

Oh, they were forgotten all right.

And her body ached for him to touch her again. She wanted more. She wanted everything. And she was going to have it, dammit.

She showered, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved tee for work, and headed to A Piece of Cake to meet the girls. Carly had fresh cinnamon buns and coffees waiting.

“Please tell me you hooked up with Ryan last night,” Gabby said with a huge smile as she slid onto the seat next to Emma’s.

She grinned. “Define ‘hooked up’.”

Mandy came up behind them, her eyes wide. “Holy shit, Emma. Tell us everything.”

“We were at The Music Factory last night to hear his brother DJ—which is a whole other story because I’m so proud of Trent—but after everyone else left, we were still dancing, and somehow dancing turned to kissing, and?—”

Gabby gasped.

“He took me down this hall in back, and holy crap, you guys…”

“What?” Mandy asked. They all leaned in, hanging on her every word.

“Well, let’s just say, things happened.” Emma felt her cheeks getting hot.

“Things?” Mandy repeated with a laugh. “What kind of things?”

Emma glanced around the bakery, but no one else was nearby to overhear her naughty confession. “Well, his hands were up my skirt, and he’s very good with his hands. And…he’s a dirty talker, and?—”

“Oh my God!” Carly squealed.

Mandy sat back with a wide smile. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. Way to go, my friend.” She raised her hand and slapped a high five with Emma.

“And then what happened?” Gabby asked.

“Then he walked me to my car and said we’d talk about it today.”

“Like I said in the beginning,” Mandy said, “Ryan Blake is a sheep in wolf’s clothing. He’s the perfect guy for you to experiment with, Emma, because he’s a gentleman at heart.”

Emma knew Mandy was right, which meant she had to watch out where Ryan was concerned. She’d spent most of her life wanting him, and once she had him, she’d have a hell of a time not falling head over heels in love with him.

A few hours later, she was back out at Off-the-Grid, overseeing several seasonal contractors as they reseeded the grass in the field behind the house while she finished up the flowers she was planting along the walkway.

Ryan came sauntering out of the building, looking all badass and sexy, and she practically swooned into the begonias. “Got a minute?” he asked, his expression masked by his sunglasses.

“Sure.” She stood, wiping the dirt from her hands.

“Let’s walk.” He led the way down one of the many paths into the woods on the property, looking for all the world like he was just out for a casual stroll, like he was the same Ryan he’d been her whole life until last night, when he’d kissed the daylights out of her and given her an orgasm in the back hallway of The Music Factory.

“Beautiful weather,” he commented as they walked.

“Yeah.” She chewed her bottom lip. He’d better not be planning to act like last night never happened because?—

“So here’s the thing,” he said once they’d rounded a corner, firmly out of sight from anyone else on the property.

“Yes?” she asked hopefully.

“The thing is…” He blew out a breath, shaking his head. “I have no idea what to do about this thing between us.”

Nervous laughter bubbled out of her, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Me either. So maybe we should quit overthinking it and just see what happens.”

He pushed his glasses up on his head and took her hands in his. “Promise me, Em. Promise me that whatever happens, we won’t let it ruin our friendship, okay?”

She nodded, as her heart flopped in her chest. “I promise. We can just be friends with benefits, or whatever, in the meantime.”

His expression grew more intense, and he tugged her in close. “I’m not sure there’s anything friendly about the way I’m feeling about you right now.”

Her heart started pounding, and heat pooled in her belly. “That makes two of us.” Although standing here in broad daylight at Off-the-Grid, it did indeed sound kind of surreal to be talking about hooking up with Ryan.

“And no guys from Tinder,” he said, his expression fierce.

“No one but you.” She hoped he couldn’t hear the absolute truth in her words. Then she narrowed her eyes. “Same goes for you.”

“I never mess around, Emma,” he said, looking so protective and loyal it made her chest hurt. “If I’m with you, I’m only with you.”

“Okay then.” She tried to hide the big mushy mess that was her heart behind a casual smile. “What will we tell everyone else?”

“Let’s play it by ear,” he said. “Right now, I think we’re doing way too much talking.”

“Agreed.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

Next thing she knew, she was plastered against his chest. His hands had found their way into her back pockets while his mouth devoured hers. “Wow,” she said when they’d finally come up for air.

“Yeah.” He looked just as dazed as she felt. “You are blowing my mind right now.”

She grinned. “Thanks, I think.”

“So what now?” he asked, for once looking at a loss.

Yeah, this was slightly awkward. Last night, beneath the strobing lights of the dance floor and fueled by alcohol, they’d been possessed by their need for each other. But here, in the bright sunshine, while both of them were technically at work? It wasn’t as if they could just fall into bed together.

“Well, I was thinking…I’ve decided on my tattoo. Will you take me to get it done?”

He was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded. “If you’re sure it’s what you want. I used to manage a place in Charlotte. The guys there are top notch. They did most of mine.”

She traced her fingers over an intricate design that wrapped around his wrist. The reality of getting a tattoo—namely, the pain from the needle, but also the idea of it being on her body forever—was still slightly terrifying, but this was something she’d always wanted to do. And having Ryan take her felt beyond perfect. “I like yours. So Charlotte, huh?”

He nodded. “We could go this weekend.”

Charlotte was at least a two-hour drive from Haven. Maybe they could spend the night, too, but right now that still felt a bit too forward to mention. “It’s a date.”

“So what are you getting?”

“A poppy.” She smiled when his brow furrowed. “It’s a flower. You knew I had to get a flower, right?”

He looked down at her dirt-stained hands. “Yeah. A flower definitely suits you.”

“The red poppy symbolizes remembrance, especially for fallen service members. And I want to have an anchor woven into the stem to symbolize hope.”

He stared straight into her eyes, and his expression made her sizzle from head to toe. “That’s perfect. Really perfect.”

Ryan scrapeda hand over his chin as he followed Emma back toward the main building. Holy shit, this thing between them had taken on a life of its own. Bringing her to Charlotte to get a tattoo would be a turning point, that much was for damn sure.

Trent pulled into the parking lot in his little Kia sedan, and Ryan headed his way. Emma beat him to it.

“You were so fantastic last night,” she gushed as soon as Trent had stepped out of his car.

“Thanks.” He tugged at his cap with a shy smile.

“You really have something there. I could feel it,” she said. “And it seemed like everyone else was really enjoying your music, too. I think this could be the start of big things for you.”

Ryan wasn’t so sure about that. Sure, the kid had a passion and talent for DJ’ing, but was that really a viable career? Seemed more like something someone might do for a few years until a real job came along. And that was fine, as long as he got his education so that he’d have it to fall back on.

Emma gave Trent a big hug before she headed back to the flowers she’d been planting when Ryan had come out and interrupted her.

“You did great last night,” Ryan said. “Made me real proud.”

“Thanks.” Trent ducked his head.

“I thought maybe you and I could work together on the ropes course today.”

“Keeping an eye on me?”

“Nah.” Not entirely anyway. “Just thought we could spend some time together.”

“Okay. Cool.”

“I need to test out all the connections before we open the course for spring and summer activities,” Ryan said as he led the way down the path.

“So who uses it?” Trent asked.

“Companies can do team-building exercises or groups can rent it for a party or event, but one of us has to be there leading the exercises and supervising. It’s not open for free play, ’cept for us, of course.” He winked, and Trent grinned.

“It’s fun being here, working outside. Never did much of that in St. Louis.”

“You live in the city?”

“Suburbs.”

“Play any sports?” Ryan asked.

“Does the Wii count?”

Ryan laughed as he shook his head. He and his brother had almost nothing in common. Didn’t matter, though. “I thought we could start on the tires and work our way around the course.”

“Okay. What am I looking for?”

Ryan showed him how to spot structural wear on the tires and on the ropes supporting them. He and Trent sat side by side on tires, swinging slightly as they felt along the ropes for any signs of decay or wear.

“Did you know your dad? Or mine?” Trent asked suddenly as he examined the rope overhead.

“No. Mom went out with a lot of guys. I’m not sure if she even knew.”

“Oh.” Trent shrugged. “I kind of wonder sometimes, you know, about my heritage. My adoptive parents are white, so…”

Ryan had wondered, too. “I’ve tried to remember seeing Mom with an Asian man, but I don’t. She was… Well, you’re probably lucky you don’t remember her.”

Trent kept his eyes on the rope. “What was she like?”

Ryan took a deep breath. “She loved us. I mean, she was never abusive or anything like that. But the drugs, the alcohol…it took a toll. She was always looking for her next fix. She just couldn’t break free of the cycle.”

“Did she try? You know, for us?” Hurt gleamed in his younger brother’s eyes.

“She got clean when she was pregnant with you. I think she did try, yeah.”

Trent said nothing, staring at the ground, his jaw set.

“I was only eleven when she died,” Ryan said. “At the time, I thought she must not have cared about us at all to do the things she did. But now, you know, I guess she did the best she could.”

“But not enough.”

“No, not enough.” Ryan couldn’t sugarcoat the truth. “Losing her, and then losing you…it was pretty bad for me. I did a lot of stupid shit, but I’ve never touched drugs. Not once. Not after seeing what they did to her.”

“I’m sorry,” Trent said, his voice gone quiet. “It’s not fair that you had to grow up in foster care. I had, like, a pretty average childhood. I mean, I thought it sucked plenty, but getting grounded for breaking curfew doesn’t compare to what you went through.”

“Life’s not fair, Trent. I did okay, and things have turned out good for me. Not to be all mushy and shit, but I just want you to know how much it means to me having you here. Soon as I could after I turned eighteen and aged out of the system, I left Haven and moved around, looking for you. Hoped maybe you were somewhere nearby so that I could track you down.”

“Really?” Trent turned to look at him.

“Yeah, man. Family’s everything, right? Whatever happens, when you go back home or back to school or whatever, we’re family now. You’re never getting rid of me.” He gave his brother a slap on the back.

A smile creased his brother’s cheeks. “That’s totally cool with me.”

“Good. Maybe I’m hard on you sometimes because I don’t want you to make the mistakes I did. Just punch me if I start to sound too annoying, okay?”

Trent laughed a little at that, shaking his head.

“You know they have those ancestry kits now. You send them a cheek swab or whatever, they test your DNA and tell you about your ancestry. If you really want to know.”

“I never thought of that.” Trent sounded thoughtful. “People tell me I look Korean, but I’ve always wondered.”

“Mark’s biracial, too, if you wanted someone else to talk to. His mom was white, and his dad was Black. He and I went through a lot of white foster homes, so I reckon he might relate to how you’re feeling disconnected from your culture.”

“Not that he’s much of a talker,” Trent said with a grin. “But yeah, I might do that. Thanks.”

By the time they had finished checking over the ropes course and noted all the repairs that needed to be made, Ryan felt really bonded with Trent for the first time.

Emma finishedup at Off-the-Grid a little past four thirty. The guys were all out on the property doing who-knew-what, and her seasonal employees had already gone home so she went inside to wash up. She scrubbed up in the bathroom then went into the kitchen for a glass of water. Yeah, she was dawdling, hoping she might get to see Ryan again before she left.

Because…well, now that they’d started kissing, she couldn’t seem to get enough. But she had no idea where he was, and she couldn’t think of another reason to hang around so she headed for her car, trying not to feel disappointed.

“Hey,” Ryan called to her from across the yard, waving as he stepped out of the woods.

She felt herself grinning like a fool and didn’t even care. “Hey yourself.”

“You heading out?” he asked as he walked toward her.

“Landscaping’s all finished,” she said.

He glanced over at the daisies and begonias she’d spent the afternoon planting. “Looks great. You have time to go for a ride?”

“Yes.” She stepped in close, not quite touching him since they were in the parking lot where anyone could see, but close enough that her whole body sizzled with awareness. “What did you have in mind?”

A hot glint came into his brown eyes. “A whole lot more than I have time for. Unfortunately, I have to be back here in an hour or so for another appointment.”

Her heart thumped against her ribs. “We could have a lot of fun in an hour.”

With a wicked smile, he motioned for her to follow him to his bike. He unclipped both helmets and handed her the spare.

“You don’t usually carry both, do you?” she asked as she settled it on her head.

He gave her another heated look. “Never let it be said that I don’t plan ahead.”

He was thinking about me when he left for work this morning. Her insides turned into a mushy mess as she melted for him all over again. Oh, this man… She watched while he got the bike started then she slid into place behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and hung on as he pulled out onto the road.

Today the Harley seemed to rumble beneath them with increased urgency, or maybe that was just the hum of anticipation burning in her blood because she and Ryan had officially agreed to become “friends with benefits” this morning, and she was going crazy thinking about all the possibilities.

He turned down a road that led out of town, winding up into the mountains. A few minutes later, he pulled off at a spot labeled as a scenic overlook. This particular pull-off was hidden from view of the road, and if she wasn’t mistaken…

“Isn’t this the place all the local teenagers come to make out?” she asked once he’d turned off the engine.

He turned his head, and the look on his face sent sparks pinging around inside her. “You ever been here?”

She shook her head. “But I bet you have.”

“Actually, no.” He extended a hand to help her off the bike. “Always wanted to bring a girl here, though, back in high school.”

“So why didn’t you?”

“No car.”

Right. Of course he hadn’t had a car, being in foster care. “I didn’t have one either. Bought the world’s most ancient Toyota Celica after graduation, the kind with the headlights that flipped up and down when you turned them on and off.”

“Mine was a Ford Escort, also ancient. Bought it when I was twenty and drove it straight out of town.”

“I remember,” she said softly. It had been only a few weeks after Derek’s funeral. Ryan’s departure had nearly crushed her, right after losing her brother.

Ryan brushed his lips against hers. “Never kissed a girl I had so much history with.”

“Kind of weird, right?”

“Sometimes, yeah.” His eyes crinkled with a smile. “But mostly…not nearly as weird as I thought it would be.”

They walked to the barrier overlooking the mountains beyond, rolling hills that vanished into the misty clouds overhead. This place might be full of teenagers getting naughty in parked cars after dark, but right now, they had the place to themselves.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured, her hand in his.

“It is, but that’s not the view I came here to enjoy.” He turned to face her and tugged her in close.

“I like the way you think,” she whispered against his lips, and then she kissed him.

Their kiss was hungry and intense and raw. She clasped her hands behind his neck as his tongue thrust against hers, hot and thrilling. Her body was on fire, pulsing with need, completely consumed with this man who was gripping her ass, holding on to her like he couldn’t get her close enough, like even a millimeter of space between their bodies was too much.

“Ryan,” she moaned as he bent his head to nibble at a sensitive spot on her neck.

“You make me so hot,” he rasped. His hands slid up under her shirt, deliciously rough against her bare skin.

“More,” she whispered.

He let out a harsh laugh. “That’s why I bought you here. Knew I couldn’t control myself if I got you alone anywhere near a bedroom.”

“No fair,” she grumbled.

“When I get you naked for the first time, it won’t be when I have to be back at work in less than an hour.” Then he kissed her again, and she couldn’t think of anything but the way his lips felt on hers, the hot thrill of his hands as they palmed her breasts, and his hard length straining against her belly.

They kissed until she was dizzy for air, drunk with lust, totally blinded with need. When he finally lifted his head, his pupils were so wide his eyes looked black. His chest heaved against hers.

She blew out a breath and smiled. “Then I think we need to make plans when neither of us have to work.”