6. Mila #4
“Sometimes I wonder if you do.” His voice was gentle. “Just because you’re feeling jealous doesn’t mean you get all depressed and lonely.”
“I’m not depressed and lonely,” I said and sighed. “I mean, I’m not lonely because I’m jealous,” I lied. “Okay, maybe a bit, but I can’t help it. I had so many plans for this weekend.”
“Life doesn’t go according to plan.”
“I thought we were fated for each other. Now, I wonder if I should give Milo a second chance.”
“He’s a good boy.”
“He’s not the boy, though.”
“Mia cara,” he said with a sigh. “You haven’t even given him a chance.”
“Do you think Nonna is watching over us?” I asked. “Do you think she’ll give me a sign if I should just give up on Ryker?”
“She’s always with you. Just as I will always be.”
“Don’t say that, Nonno. You’re not going anywhere.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Better,” I said, and then froze as I heard footsteps. “Hold on, Nonno,” I whispered. “I think someone is coming.”
“Mila, where are you? You’re not in your room?” Nonno’s voice sounded alarmed, and I bit my lip to stop from screaming when I heard a branch snap. My heart was racing, and I froze in fear, waiting to see who was coming. “Mila?” Nonno shouted.
“I’m here,” I whispered into the phone, covering the mouthpiece with my hand as I looked all around me. It was so dark that I couldn’t really see anything, and that made it even worse.
“Why are you whispering? What is going on?” he questioned.
“Nonno, I—Arrrgghhh. Arrggh!” I screamed when I felt something at my back and jumped out of my seat, dropping my phone on the ground as I started to run.
“Mila, stop.” Ryker’s smooth voice called out to me with amusement, and I stopped running. My heart beat out of my chest in fear, and my face heated with embarrassment.
“Ryker?” I turned around. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“I didn’t mean to.” He still sounded amused, though I couldn’t make his face out clearly in the moonlight to see the expression in his eyes.
“Uh-huh,” I said and searched on the ground for my phone. “Nonno,” I said when I found it and held it to my ear, “are you still there?”
“Mila!” he said sternly. “You scared me. What is going on? Should I come up and?—”
“No, Nonno, it was Ryker. He snuck up behind me.”
“Your Ryker.” He sounded happy.
“Nonno, you know that isn’t true,” I said, making sure I didn’t say anything that would make Ryker suspicious. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
“See? You are not alone, Mila. Not now. Not ever. You’ll always have Ryker.”
“I wish.” I sighed, ended the phone call, then jumped when I saw Ryker in front of me. “How are you so stealthy?” I groaned. “I didn’t even see you walking toward me.”
“You were too busy on the phone,” he said, peering down at me. His skin seemed to radiate warmth in the moonlight, and I longed to reach up, grab his hair, and pull him down to kiss me.
“Yeah, I was.”
“Who were you talking to?” he asked, not very kindly. “Troy?”
“No, I was talking to Nonno,” I said and tried not to roll my eyes at his bringing up Troy. I wish I’d never mentioned him now. It seemed to me that he wasn’t going to let it go. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say about “the breakup” that wouldn’t make me look like a loser or a liar.
“Good,” he mumbled, and then was quiet. We stood next to each other and stared out at the lake. It was eerily quiet now, and I tried to concentrate on the reflection of the moon in the water instead of the feel of Ryker’s arm as it rubbed against me gently.
“What are you thinking?” he asked after a few minutes. His eyes were bright and curious, and I wondered what he was thinking.
“How strong you look,” I said stupidly as I stared at his muscles.
“Thanks for the compliment.” He grinned. “That’s a first.”
“And a last.” I laughed.
“Do you know why I’m strong, Mila?”
“No?” I shook my head, not sure where he was going.
“I’m strong, so I can carry my lady from my car to the bed.
I’m strong so that I can protect her when she’s scared, keep her warm when she’s cold, love her when she’s sad, and fuck her when she’s horny.
” He grinned at my gasp and then flexed his muscles at me.
“These guns are about more than looks, Mila. These muscles are to keep my woman happy. These muscles are so I can hold her up when her legs are wrapped around me, and her back’s against the wall.
These muscles are to keep her up when I’m sliding into her with such force that she doesn’t think she can stay upright by herself anymore. ”
“You’re gross,” I said, my face flushing at his words. All I could think about was what it would feel like to have him pushing me back against the wall and touching me, sliding into me. Ugh, I didn’t want to have these feelings.
“You don’t really think that,” he said with a self-assured grin.
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t,” he said, and he lightly touched the side of my face. My skin tingled under his fingertips, and all I could think was, Oh shit, what does he know?
“I do,” I squeaked out, and he laughed, a long, lazy laugh, his eyes boring into mine with amusement.
“You know how I know you don’t think that?” He leaned forward; his breath whispered across my lips.
“How?” I croaked. If I leaned forward, even an inch, we would be kissing. OMG, I could be kissing Ryker Walker if I wanted to. My heart was about to jump out of my chest as my brain screamed at me.
“Mila?” Lara’s voice called out into the midnight air. Why did she have to choose now to come looking for me?
“I’m here,” I shouted back, though my mind was racing in confusion.
Was Ryker flirting with me? And if he was, why?
What about Barbie? Why weren’t they back in his bedroom, fucking each other’s brains out?
Not that I was complaining, of course. The last thing I wanted was for them to be all over each other.
“What are you doing?” She walked toward Ryker and me, and her eyes widened in shock as she took us both in. “I was worried about you when I woke up and saw that your bed was empty.”
“I just came out to speak to Nonno on the phone, and Ryker happened upon me,” I explained before she jumped to conclusions and said something stupid like, “I’m glad your seduction plan worked already, Mila.”
“He happened upon you?” Lara asked through her yawn. “What’s that? Old English or something?”
“Lara, are you sleepwalking?” I asked her, feeling panic in my bones. Oh, God, what was Lara going to let slip?
“No.” She moved closer to me. “I woke up, and I noticed you weren’t there, so I came out to make sure you were okay and not moping.”
“I’m fine.” I gulped.
“Why would Mila be moping?” Ryker decided to join the conversation.
“I’m not moping.” I glared at Lara, who now realized what she’d said.
“I gather that,” Ryker said. “But why would she think you were moping? Moping about what?”
“I think Lara is just sleep-deprived. We should go back to bed.”
“No, no.” Lara shook her head and faked a big yawn. “You stay here and enjoy the lake. I know you like to be here under the stars and moonlight.”
“Lara,” I growled at her, and she laughed.
“Night, guys,” she said, turned away, and sang “Moon River” as she walked back to the cabin.
“Is everything okay, Mila?” Ryker asked after the off-key singing faded into the night.
“Yes, of course.”
“Are you upset that your Troy couldn’t make it up here after all? I know how badly you wanted to drive in his Lamborghini.”
“I never said he had a Lamborghini.” I rolled my eyes.
“Well, his sports car, then.”
“I’m not sad that Troy couldn’t make it,” I said and felt proud of myself for not extending the Troy lie any further. “Why are you up so late and outside?”
“I couldn’t sleep.” He grinned wryly.
“Even after Barbie wore you out?” I asked, through my gritted teeth as I subtly tried to find out if they had had sex.
“Barbie wore me out with her mouth, and that was it.” He winked. “No need to worry.”
“I’m not worrying about anything,” I said, trying to figure out how to ask him exactly what he meant.
Did he mean she wore him out by talking too much, or something else, like a blow job?
Ugh, I didn’t want to know, but I really did.
I felt like I was going to throw up thinking about Ryker and Barbie being physical.
“Okay, that’s good, then,” he said and motioned to the bench swing a few yards away. “Shall we have a seat?”
“Sure.” I nodded, and we walked over to the swing in silence.
“It’s a beautiful night,” he said as we sat down. He was staring out at the lake, lost in his thoughts. My eyes ran over his jaw, so strong and stubborn, and then to his lips and chin.
“Yes, it is,” I answered as I averted my eyes from him and back out at the lake. I could see the flickering lights of someone’s yacht in the distance, and I sat back and looked up at the sky. The stars sparkled their radiance to us in the darkness of the night, and I let out a small sigh.
“You sound like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.” I could tell from the sound of his voice that he was looking at me.
“No,” I said, continuing to be mesmerized by the stars. “I was just thinking of Nonna and wondering if she was looking down at me from Heaven.”
“Of course she is.” He shifted closer to me. “Give me your hand,” he said, and grabbed my arm. He closed his hand around my fist, only letting my index finger free, and pointed it up in the air. “Do you see those rings?”
“What rings?” I asked, trying to focus on the sky rather than his touch.
“Look here.” He moved even closer, and I looked over to see his eyes gazing at me. “Follow the direction that I put your finger in,” he said, and I concentrated on staring up at the exact spot he was pointing me toward. “Do you see that bright mass of light?”
“Uh-huh.”
“That’s Saturn,” he said. “And the rings around it are the rings of Saturn.”
“Oh,” I said and squinted. “I don’t see any rings.”
“Yeah, me neither. But if I had my telescope, we’d be able to see.”
“Wow, I never thought we’d be able to see the rings of Saturn from Earth,” I said, awestruck. “I wish you had your telescope now.”