Chapter 42
Guinevere
T he past few days have been rough between going to class and Ryker being injured. I haven’t been able to see him yet because I’ve been so busy, and that’s killing me. I wanted to visit him in the hospital, but I decided it might be better if I let his family spend time with him.
Not to say I didn’t try. I showed up at the hospital, but I ran into Ryker’s brother Logan before I got to his room. Logan told me it was probably best if I wasn’t there while his father was visiting. I didn’t ask questions. I don’t know anything about his family or their dynamic, and I wasn’t about to make Logan explain.
I’ll talk to Ryker about it when he’s ready. Family can be a touchy subject, and if his reaction a few weeks ago to what I said about his life growing up was any indication as to how him and his family get along, there’s probably a long story there.
Ryker missed our literary criticism class for the past two days, so I took the liberty of gathering all the notes and work he’s missed so I can help him with it later.
I told Professor Whitely everything so she didn’t think Ryker was just skipping class, and she of course already knew. His father must have called the dean to let him know. Or maybe Dean Ashby heard about the game the other night. Either way, everyone is aware of what’s going on.
I haven’t heard from Ashton since the game, thank God. When I saw Ryker get hit, the food in my hands fell to the ground, and I didn’t even look back at Ashton as I took off running toward the field.
I’m pretty sure there were people yelling at me to get off, but I couldn’t hear them. My ears were ringing, and my heart was pounding, the adrenaline in my body was higher than it had ever been.
All I saw out of my periphery was some guy, probably around the same size as Ryker, running straight for him and tackling him to the ground.
My head whipped around to see what had happened, and then I noticed Ryker on the ground, curled into a fetal position, his arm squeezing his torso. He wouldn’t get up, and that made me panic.
I’ve never felt that kind of fear in my life. Watching Ryker get hurt made me feel things I didn’t even know were possible.
In books, authors often write about how it feels like time stops when something traumatic happens, and that’s exactly how it felt. It felt like time had frozen and everything else wasn’t there. It was just me and Ryker.
I watched as some guys from the other team pulled the mammoth of a man away from Ryker and take him off the field. Ellington won the game by default, and Coach Shaw was pissed. He yelled at Weston U’s coach for what seemed like forever.
When they brought the stretcher over to pick Ryker up and wheel him into the nearby ambulance, I just stood there, completely frozen. I vaguely remember Pat and Holland telling me it would be okay and to go back to my house and wait for news.
Obviously, I ignored them because I am not good at being told what to do.
As I work on an assignment for my elementary education class, my phone vibrates on the bed next to me. Ryker’s name appears on the screen, and I swear to God my heart almost leaps out of my chest. I have never gotten this excited to see a guy’s name on my phone.
Arrogant Asshole (Ryker Steele)
Arrogant Asshole (Ryker Steele)
Can I come over?
Me
Now?
Arrogant Asshole (Ryker Steele)
Yes.
I look at the time. It’s a little past midnight. I don’t even hesitate.
Me
Yes.
Shit. I haven’t even showered, my hair is up on the top of my head in a mess of curls, and I have no makeup on my face. Why didn’t I tell him to wait?
The butterflies in my stomach are going haywire as I think about seeing Ryker for the first time in three days. It’s been agonizing not being able to touch him and be near him.
I don’t know how I’m going to go all winter break without being with him when we’re both back at home.
It occurs to me now that I have no idea where Ryker lives. We’ve spent so much time together, but I still know very little about him. He knows more about me than I do about him, and that makes me a bit uneasy.
Tossing my laptop to the side, I jump into action, immediately running to my bathroom and turning on the shower. Ryker will literally be here any minute, so I need to be quick.
After my five-minute shower, I wrap myself in a towel and leave the bathroom, my hair still in a bun.
My heart stops and I scream when I see Ryker already lying on my bed, looking as sexy as ever with his army green joggers and the black t-shirt hugging his muscles.
His black hair looks messy as if he’s been lying down and hasn’t brushed it, but he makes it look so fucking good. His green eyes move up and down my body as I stand there clutching the towel around me.
How the hell did he get in? As if reading my mind, Ryker moves his gaze from the hand grasping my towel to my face.
“Haley let me in,” he explains, his voice low and hungry. “She was watching TV in the living room.”
I thought everyone was in bed, but apparently not. I should have known Haley would still be up. I swear I don’t know when that girl sleeps. She stays up for hours during the night, and I don’t know how she does it. I practically fall asleep as soon as my head hits a pillow.
“Oh,” I squeak, because apparently, I’ve lost the ability to say anything else.
“Come here,” he orders in a gravelly voice that makes my clit pulse.
Taking a step toward him, he holds a hand up to stop me. I halt in my tracks, narrowing my eyebrows in confusion.
“Towel off,” he demands. Oh my god. If I had panties on, they’d surely drop.
Letting go of my grasp on the towel, it falls to the ground, pooling around my feet. My arms instinctively wrap around my chest, feeling self-conscious about being on full display as I stare at the ground, my usual confidence gone out the window.
“No,” Ryker’s deep voice says. I look up to meet his scrutinizing gaze. His eyebrows are pulled together, and he looks disappointed. “Don’t hide from me, Rebel.”
Hesitantly, I unfold my arms, giving Ryker a full view of my breasts. My nipples pebble from the cold and from the starved look in Rykers eyes. Oh, I’ve missed him.
“Crawl to me,” the seductive tone of his voice sends a tingle down my spine. I can’t help the way my eyes widen at his command.
“What?” my voice is barely a whisper as I struggle to even come up with words. A small smirk plays on his lips as he watches my confused expression.
“Crawl to me, Guinevere. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl to me.”
I blink. This is not how I was expecting this to go. I’ve never crawled to any man, ever. And if it were anyone else, I’d probably tell them to fuck right off. But my God, the way Ryker is looking at me right now, I’d do anything for him.
Slowly, I bend down and get to my hands and knees. I begin to move toward him, fully aware of my nakedness. This is so completely demeaning, but I can’t even bring myself to care right now.
When I make it to the side of my bed, Ryker sits up, careful to not strain his injury, and throws his legs over the side, spreading them so I can fit between them.
I sit on my legs, kneeling in front of a fully clothed Ryker, waiting for his next demand. His hand reaches out and cups my chin gently, the features of his face softening.
“So fucking perfect,” he mutters in a low, sexy tone. I’m so wet. I can already feel the slickness coating my inner thighs, and he hasn’t even touched me yet
Putting some pressure under my chin, he forces me to stand, pulling me into him by my waist.
Ryker eyes my breasts before taking one into his mouth, nibbling and sucking on my already hard nipple. My head falls back and I let out a soft moan. I’ve missed him. I’ve missed this.
He releases it with a pop before lightly kissing the other one. Looking back up at my face, Ryker grins, and it makes my whole body tingle. He’s gorgeous, and he knows it.
Pulling me onto his lap to straddle him, I can feel his hard erection through his joggers as it rubs against my naked flesh.
The friction alone makes me want to combust before we’ve even started.
“I missed you,” he says, trailing light kisses across my collarbone and up my neck. My hands tangle in his hair as I lean my head to the side to give him better access.
Ryker pulls my face to his and within a moment, our lips are together, and my nerve endings are on fire. His warm tongue dips into my mouth and I didn’t realize how much I was craving him. His taste, his smell, his touch.
He maneuvers us so that I am flat on my back, and he is on top of me.
“Ryker, your ribs. You shouldn’t be lifting me,” I tell him, worry laced in my otherwise soft tone. He really shouldn’t be doing any strenuous activities while he’s healing. It’ll just make it worse.
Ryker chuckles lowly. “I’m fine, Rebel.”
“Why do you call me that?” I ask, hoping he’ll finally give me an answer this time instead of blowing off the question like he’s done every time before.
He sighs, shaking his head, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Because…you’re the only woman who’s ever challenged me. You weren’t afraid of me; you didn’t run away. You never gave in to my demands, and you defied me at every turn,” he explains, caressing my cheek with his thumb. “You, are my little Rebel,” he leans in and leaves a soft kiss on my lips.
My heart pounds in my chest, and my lips purse as I try not to grin like a freaking idiot. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.
He’s right. I’m not like other girls.
“I thought you hated that about me,” I say softly, my eyes searching his face.
He chuckles to himself. “I did, at first,” he tucks a hair behind my ear. “But then I realized something.”
“What?” I ask.
“It was sexy as fuck,” he grins, before leaning down and capturing my mouth with his.
When he pulls back, he has a mischievous look on his face.
“Do you have any ice cream?” he asks, and I swear I didn’t hear him right. Ice cream? Right now? I’m freaking naked. I thought he was about to fuck me and he’s asking about ice cream? He can’t be serious.
I blink a few times before replying.
“Um, I think so?”
Ryker doesn’t say anything before he hops off the bed and heads for the door, leaving me fully naked on the bed.
“Ryker, what are you doing?” I ask, sitting up on my elbows and staring at him in bewilderment.
“Getting the ice cream,” he says simply, as if this conversation isn’t completely out of nowhere.
I begin to sit up, but he holds a hand up to stop me.
“Stay. I’ll be right back.”
He leaves the room, quietly shutting the door behind him, and I flop back onto the bed, extremely confused but a bit intrigued. I stare at the ceiling, my arms covering my bare chest as I wait, impatiently, for Ryker to return.
About two minutes later, Ryker strolls into the room with two bowls of ice cream and a shit eating grin on his face. God, for such a tough guy, he’s adorable.
His eyes sparkle with mischief as he looks at me, setting the bowls on my nightstand.
“Mint chocolate chip, my favorite,” he says, his voice deep and smooth like bourbon.
My stomach flutters. “Mine too,” I tell him. “But can I get dressed before we eat it?”
Ryker’s eyes go dark, and I can see the desire building in them.
“Well,” he began, his voice husky, “I was thinking maybe we could find a use for the ice cream besides eating it.”
Before I can ask what he means, he takes a spoonful of the cold treat and blows on it suggestively, taking a long lick off the spoon. I’m still not exactly sure what he intends to do with the ice cream, but I’m ready to find out.