Chapter 20
twenty
Chalk dust tickles my nose as I line up my shot. After sinking a solid in the corner pocket, I look up at Ryder. The twitch at the corner of his mouth is the same one he gets right before he’s about to give me shit.
He raises his glass, hiding a smirk behind the rim. “Friends-with-benefits, huh?”
Yup, there it is.
Straightening, I twirl my cue with a frown. “Please. Like your relationship with Noia started off normal.”
Ryder tilts his head, pretending to think. “Define normal.”
Fucks, sake.
“The only thing normal about how you two met is the classic: met on the side of the road, let me help you change your tire in the rain sitch.”
I lean my hip against the table, pointing at him with the cue. “What wasn’t normal? Was how you moved in with her while your apartment was being renovated when you could’ve just stayed with me.”
He shrugs, downright unapologetic. “I did stay with you.”
“Yeah,” I shoot back, “for one night. And only because you put yourself in a situation that got a little out of hand and you freaked out.”
Ryder lifts his brows and tips his glass again. “Truer words have not been spoken.”
The corner of my mouth lifts. “Damn straight.”
A gust of cool night air rolls across the room when some tourists walk in. I stand back from the table, rest my cue against the edge, and take a slow swallow of my drink. The burn in my throat is nothing compared to the heat that flares up every damn time I think about her.
“Look,” I say finally. “I like Sasha, and I’m going to make her mine. I’m just not sure how mine I’m going to make her yet.”
She took a small piece of me the moment I saw her walking toward me at The Brew. And she took another when I watched her come apart for me through her window. I grin to myself. Whatever it takes, I’m gonna make her mine.
Ryder just looks at me, and I wait patiently for the part where he tells me I’m full of shit.
But I beat him to it. “I don’t know what it is about her, Rye. I just feel this... pressure in my chest, you know? Anytime I see her, it takes everything in me not to throw her over my shoulder and take off into the woods like some goddamn caveman.”
The laugh he huffs out is softer than his usual snarky one.
Dragging a hand down my face, my words tumble out before I can stop them.
“It’s like she’s Lucy with the football, and I’m Charlie Brown—knowing no matter how many times he tries, she’s going to pull that fucking football right out from under him, leaving him lying flat on his back in a daze.
“Ever since the first time I laid eyes on her, part of me feels like there’s more than just unfinished business between us.” I give my best friend a pointed look. “Charlie never gave up, and neither will I.”
Ryder leans one shoulder against the brick wall, rolling his cue back and forth between his palms. “So what’s gonna happen when you get to J & R?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “Are you going to tell her how close your connection really is?”
My stomach tightens. Forcing myself to keep my voice casual, I re-rack the balls. “I’m not sure. Gonna see how things go first, I guess.”
All he does is nod. But that’s Ryder—he’ll bulldoze anyone who crosses the people he loves, but he’ll let you face-plant into your own bullshit all day long if that’s what he thinks you’ll need to learn your lesson.
“Just be careful,” he says finally, pushing off the wall to line up his shot. “Don’t lead her on if all you want to do is fuck her out of your system.”
I shake my head. “That’s not what this is about. Not for me anyway. It’s just what I’m letting her think this is.”
“Good.” He sinks a stripe in the side pocket. “Because I like Sasha. And I’d hate to have to kick your ass if you hurt my woman’s best friend.”
I snort.
I’m definitely not trying to get Sasha out of my system. If anything, I want her more every time I see her. The way she looked the other night after she came, all soft curves and flushed skin? The sounds she made? It’s been playing on repeat in my head for the past few days.
And now she’s coming with me to J & R. To the place that means more to me than anywhere else on earth.
“Don’t overthink it,” Ryder says, breaking through my thoughts. “Just see where it goes. Maybe she’ll surprise you.”
“Maybe,” I agree, chalking my cue again before lining up my next shot. But deep down? I know I’m going to have to be the one to surprise her.
Ryder shakes his head with a smirk and mutters, “You’re fucked, brother.”
He’s not wrong.
The rest of the week flies by. By the time Friday rolls around, I’m practically vibrating in my skin.
I haven’t seen much of Sasha since what happened between us at the lake.
I texted her the details, but she’s been busy getting the studio ready for its soft opening next week.
Just knowing she’s coming with me to J&R has me feeling like a kid on Christmas morning.
After double-checking I’ve got everything, I throw my overnight bag into the bed of my truck just as my phone vibrates with a text.
HOLLIS
Cabin is ready. When should we expect you?
I smile and type back a quick response.
ETA about 3 hours.
Slipping my phone into my back pocket, I lock up and head next door. It’s just after 8 a.m., and I’m hoping Sasha’s ready to roll. The sooner we get on the road, the more time we’ll have to spend together at the ranch.
I take the porch steps two at a time and knock on her door. When it swings open, my heart stutters. She’s wearing faded jeans that hug her curves just right, a loose flannel shirt with a white tank underneath, and her hair is pulled up in a messy bun. She looks fucking adorable.
“Morning,” I say, unable to keep the fucking grin off my face. “Ready to go?”
“Almost.” She steps back, waving me in. “Just need to grab my bag. Coffee’s fresh if you want some.”
“I would, thanks.” I follow her inside. “I’m glad you’re cool with heading out early.”
The inside of her house looks different now—more lived in.
Framed photos line the walls, and colorful throw pillows adorn the couch.
Books line the once-empty shelves, and sit haphazardly on the coffee and end tables.
It feels homey. It’s cool seeing her space transformed from cluttered and unfinished into something that reflects parts of who she is.
“I’m a morning person,” she calls over her shoulder as she traipses into the kitchen. “Plus, I figured you’d probably want to beat traffic heading out of town.”
I lean against the kitchen island. As she reaches for a travel mug, her tank rides up and my fingers start to itch, craving to touch the tan skin of her stomach that’s peeking out.
“Cream or sugar?” she asks, glancing back at me.
“Black is fine.” I clear my throat.
“So.” She hands me the mug before grabbing one for herself, bending over to rest her elbows on the counter. Fucking hell. It’s like she asking for it. “It’s what? A three-hour drive?”
“Yeah, thereabouts. We should get there just in time for lunch.”
She nods and takes a sip of her coffee, a little smile playing at her lips. “Are you nervous?”
“Me?” My heart starts beating faster. “Why would I be nervous?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs, eyes sparkling. “Taking a girl to meet your ranch family? Kind of a big step for friends-with-benefits.”
I chuckle. “Hollis isn’t exactly the ‘meet the parents’ type of guy. More like the ‘scare you shitless then make you muck stalls’ type.”
“Nice,” she laughs, setting her mug down. “So what should I expect? Are we going to be sleeping in the barn with the horses?”
“Nope. We’ll be staying in one of the cabins. It’s rustic, but comfortable.” I take another sip, watching her over the rim. “Separate rooms, of course. Unless...”
“Unless what?” she challenges with a tilt of her head.
“Unless you get scared of the wolves and need me to protect you,” I say, flashing her a grin.
She rolls her eyes as a hint of a blush flushes her cheeks. “I think I’ll manage. Besides, the only wolf I need to watch out for is you.”
“We’ll see.”
Sasha pushes off the counter. “Let me grab my bag and we can hit the road.”
She disappears upstairs and returns a couple of minutes later with a small overnight bag. “All set.”
“Let me get that for you.”
“I can carry my own bag, Jax,” she says with a shake of her head.
But I’m not having it.
“I know you can. But my dad raised me better than that.”
Amused, she hands it over. “Didn’t take you for much of a gentleman.”
“Only when I want to be,” I wink, enjoying the flush that spreads across her cheeks.
After tossing her bag in the truck bed next to mine, I open the passenger door, staring at her ass like a perv as she climbs in.
She turns, catching me in the act. “What?”
“Just admiring the view.” Yup. Zero shame.
She just arches a brow as I close the door.
Once we’re both settled, I grab my sunglasses from the center console, shove them on my face and start the engine.
“Tell me more about J & R,” Sasha says, buckling her seatbelt. “What should I expect?”
I back out of the driveway and head east. “It’s about two hundred acres of land nestled against the mountains. Hollis and his wife Meg have helped run it for over thirty years. We’ve got cabins, horses, a few cattle, some chickens and goats.”
He shoots me a sideways glance, flashing me an excited grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get the full tour.”
“Sounds like fun.”