Ryland
She was trying to figure out how to leave.
The tension in her body was wound so tightly that I could literally feel it in mine.
There was no running. That wasn’t happening.
I extended an arm and lifted the remote from my night stand that controlled the lighting in my room.
I hit the setting I used when I felt a migraine coming on or was in the throes of one.
As soon as my room illuminated green, Somee’s eyes were on me and she slowly arched a brow, making me grin. She thought I was on some freaky shit and truthfully with her I wouldn’t count it out.
“I have chronic migraines. The green lights help,” I signed. The green hue provided a subtle glow throughout the room and gave me the visual of Somee’s sexy ass body.
“Seriously?”
“My doctor put me on game. I didn’t fully believe it until I got them at my apartment in the city and it worked. When I built my house out here, I had the settings installed in just about every room.” I climbed out of bed, standing beside it.
“Come take a shower with me.”
Somee’s eyes dropped to my dick then slowly crawled back up before her hands were moving.
“No thank you,” she signed, easing out of the bed and moving to collect her clothes. When she lifted her sweatshirt, I removed it from her hands and tossed it on the bed.
“Why not?”
“Because my deal was sex. Not sex and other stuff.”
“I didn’t agree to that.”
“We had sex, so you definitely agreed.” She smirked.
“No, I didn’t. You’re fine as fuck and offered sex, so of course I was down, but that didn’t change anything about my end goal. I still want to get to know you. Come take a shower with me.”
“Nope. I’m going to bed. Good night, Ryland.” She collected her clothes and left my room. I let her and not because I was accepting defeat. Watching Somee leave my room, fine as hell with her body on full display, made me realize I had to handle this differently.
Somee naked in my shower would lead to her legs wrapped around my waist again. Sex couldn’t happen right now. Based on the way Somee did a mad dash out my room, she either thought all I wanted was sex or assumed all she could ask for was sex.
Neither applied. Somee was feeling me and not just the reminders of my deep stroke.
As a man, one thing we knew with certainty whether we chose to be honest with ourselves or not was when a woman wanted more.
When her feelings and emotions were connected, we knew.
Whether we chose to handle that knowledge responsibly was where the problems began.
This wasn’t just sex for Somee and it damn sure wasn’t for me.
For whatever reason, she wasn’t going to do anything about it but I damn sure was.
I showered, then threw on shorts and a T-shirt before heading down the hall. I could hear her in the bathroom with the shower running, so I stretched out on her bed and got comfortable waiting.
When she walked out the bathroom with a towel wrapped securely around her body, I smirked because a few days ago, I experienced this same visual and wondered what was underneath. Tonight I knew that damn body intimately and was obsessed with every inch.
It took her a minute to realize I was there, but the moment her eyes drifted toward the bed and crawled over my frame, she stopped abruptly and adjusted her towel to make sure it would remain in place before her hands were moving.
“What are you doing in here?”
“I want to get to know you, not just your body. That won’t happen unless we talk.”
“I don’t want to get to know you.”
Somee was lying, so I pushed. “Give me a valid reason why and I’ll let it go.”
She huffed. “You’re life’s here, mine is in Chicago. That’s a good enough reason.”
I smirked. “Not good enough because I want you to stay. Your life can be here with me and Rylee. Try again.”
Her eyes narrowed and her hands moved fast as hell. “You want me to leave my city, my life, everything I know for you?” Her expression and body language showed her sarcasm more than the movements of her hands.
I shook my head. “For me and Rylee, yes, but also for you. Tell me it doesn’t feel right being here. Tell me you’re not already missing us and you haven’t even left yet. If I could be the one making the move, I would, but it’s not that simple for me. My team is here.”
She smiled slowly as her hands started moving. “You might get traded to the Tigers, maybe we should wait and see how that plays out.”
I laughed really fucking hard because she just didn’t give a damn about my feelings. I didn’t want a trade and damn sure not to Chicago, but knowing Somee was there wouldn’t make it so bad.
“I see you got jokes.”
She shrugged and signed. “I mean, it is a possibility.”
I watched her drop the towel, walk into the closet, and return wearing sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt.
No doubt to try and deter my pursuit. Not fucking happening.
I grinned as she walked to the dresser and removed a black silk bonnet from the drawer.
She pulled it onto her head, making sure all of her hair was secured beneath before she walked to the bed, stopping beside it.
“You can’t sleep in here,” she signed with a frown.
“I know. I’m just chilling for a minute. Give me what I want and I’ll leave,” I signed back with a smirk.
“What do you want?”
“You. Now come up here and talk to me.” I motioned to the bed and her eyes rolled.
“You’re on my side, move.”
I grinned, reached for her, and dragged her onto the bed with me. I made sure to pull her body on top of mine. She shifted, sat up, and adjusted until she was straddling my waist. That provided me the ability to see her face, freeing up her hands and mine so we could talk.
“See, I’m learning already. You sleep on the left side. That means you’re gonna have to be all up on me because I do too. I’m willing to share.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “You can’t make plans for where I sleep.”
Too late for that. The plan was to have her sleeping in my bed, not in my guest room, and I was actively working toward that goal. There was no point in me presenting the argument because she wasn’t ready for it. Instead, I focused on the task at hand, getting to know her.
“Why a teacher?”
She smiled. “I’m not going to tell you because you’ll think it’s dumb.”
“Nah, I won’t. Tell me.”
“Everybody always has that one teacher who changed their lives.” Her brows pinched for a minute before her hands were moving. “I wanted to be to other kids what I hoped for in a teacher.”
“You didn’t have good teachers?”
“They were okay. Some good, some great, some not so great, but none I truly remember. If I ever do something profound, I don’t have that story to tell about the one teacher who changed my life.”
I smiled, because that shit was cute as fuck and she was so serious, but when I didn’t respond right away, she narrowed her eyes and her hands were moving. “See, that’s why I don’t tell people. They think it’s dumb.”
I grinned wider. “It’s not dumb. I fuck with it and agree. We all have those stories. It’s foul that you don’t. Not that it really matters though because you’re doing your thing.”
“Thank you,” she signed, then brushed her shoulder in a flex. “Who’s yours?”
“PE teacher.”
“Right, typical athlete.”
I nodded. “My situation isn’t typical though.”
“I gave you mine, you have to give me yours.”
“I already gave you mine.” I lifted my hips and she narrowed her eyes, making me chuckle before my mood shifted. Here I was again, willing to hand over all my deepest thoughts and insecurities to this woman.
“Sixth grade. We played football in the fall out on the practice fields and my teacher would watch, scouting players because he was also the middle school coach. I was competitive as hell and always wanted to win. I also wanted to be QB but couldn’t throw for shit.
Getting that damn spiral right on the ball is a whole fucking skill that should be respected.
” I smirked and she grinned. “I couldn’t throw, but I could protect the QB and make sure nobody got to him.
I didn’t really know shit about football.
Not officially, like positions and stuff.
He asked me to try out for the team but all anyone knows is the QB and wide receiver.
I wasn’t trying to be either, so I turned him down.
That’s when he schooled me on left tackle.
He said I had natural instincts with gauging defense and with training I could be good at it.
I joined the team and that’s how I ended up here. ”
“Well, I’m certainly glad you did because this mattress is.” She made the sign for chef’s kiss and I laughed. “Let me know your coach’s name and I’ll send them a personal thank you.”
“Orlando Tyler.”
She stared blankly at me for a minute before her hands were moving. “Your dad?”
I nodded. “He realized I was good. Wanted to help me get better by sending me to camps and stuff and F-E-L-I-C-I-A wanted me out of her house. She told him to keep me. It was pretty fucked up that she dumped her kid on someone else but it was always the only thing I will ever respect her for because it provided me a life she never would have. She didn’t give a fuck about me in any other way. ”
Somee stared at me for a minute before she leaned down, placed her small hands on my face, and pressed her lips to mine. When she was sitting up again, I arched a brow.
“What was that for?”
“I don’t want to say I’m sorry because I’m not. Your life could have been something completely different if O-R-L-A-N-D-O and M-I-R-A-N-D-A hadn’t adopted you. I’m glad you have them and I’m glad Rylee has you.”
I didn’t want to make this about me or fuck up the vibe, so I nodded and signed, “You’re glad you have this mattress.”
“And is…” Her shoulders bounced, making me laugh.
“See, you’re trying to be all difficult, not wanting to get to know me, and we’re kicking it. You’re gonna be mine sooner or later.”
Something flashed over her face. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“Your whole mood changed, why?”
“This is cool, but this is all it’s going to be.”