Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
SAM
Ryker’s confession was completely unexpected. It wasn’t unwanted but unexpected, for sure.
It also got me thinking about what I really wanted from this relationship. The chemistry between Ryker and me was undeniable, and I really liked him as a person.
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him I felt the same, but a tiny lingering fear stopped me. Could I trust him?
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard sweet words like this. Promises that my exes never kept had me more jaded going into this relationship with Ryker.
While I didn’t think Ryker was like any of my exes, it was still terrifying to feel so much for a man so quickly. My gut had led me wrong before, so how could I trust him if I couldn’t even trust myself?
Thankfully, Ryker was true to his word and didn’t push for an answer right away. It shouldn’t have surprised me, since he always did as he said. That was something I really loved about him. He didn’t play games or go around in circles just for the hell of it. He was always straightforward in everything he did, including his intentions for me.
We spent the rest of the morning back in bed, just cuddling with each other and Gray, and chatting about random things.
Ryker told me how he’d been harness-training Gray. I was secretly pleased to hear he’d taken what I said about going on walks together and shot forward with a plan.
He mostly trained Gray when I was visiting my family, so I hadn’t been there to see Gray’s silly form in the very beginning, when he’d just flop over like he was frozen stiff whenever the harness was put on him.
When I heard Gray was finally able to walk in the harness without tipping over every few seconds, I gave the boy a rough pet.
“You’re just the smartest boy, aren’t ya?” I said in a baby voice to the cat. Gray didn’t look like he cared much for the compliment, but he soaked in the pets and immediately revved his purring engine.
Seeing the lazy feline melting into a round pile of goo, I poked his nose. Was it me, or had he gotten bigger since we’d moved in here?
“We should go on a walk. Right now!” I blurted, then added, “Or maybe right after I wash the smell of cum off me.”
Ryker had wiped me down well enough in my sleep, but that couldn’t compare to a real shower.
I crawled out of Ryker’s arms and hopped off the bed with grumbling protests from the man and cat I’d been cuddling.
Turning my head, I asked, “Join me?”
That had him scrambling off the bed after me. My laugh turned into a yelp when he easily scooped me into his arms.
“What are you doing?” I grumbled, hooking my arms around his neck as he rushed out of the door.
He looked down at me and smirked. “Aren’t we going to take a shower?”
“But why are you carrying me?” I asked.
“Because—”
“And don’t you dare say it’s ’cause I’m tiny and cute because I really will get mad this time,” I interrupted.
It wasn’t my fault my family lacked the tall gene, while Ryker seemed to be pumped full of it.
Ryker only smiled and plopped a kiss on my nose. “If you’d let me finish, it’s ’cause I’m greedy for your touch. If I was only able to keep you in bed for a morning, then I clearly hadn’t done my job well last night.”
“Don’t even start with that again,” I grumbled and plopped my head into the nook of his neck. Coming three times in one day had to be the limit.
Ryker’s laughing rumbled through me as he brought me the rest of the way to the bathroom, where he finally set me down to turn on the shower.
When steam billowed out from behind the shower curtain, Ryker led me inside the tub. It was a tight fit with both of us inside it, but we managed to squeeze together.
Ryker wasted no time in lathering me with shampoo and giving me the most divine head massage. My eyes practically rolled into the back of my head while I enjoyed it.
During the entire time he washed me, Ryker’s front was pressed against my back.
“You’re poking me,” I commented and flipped to face him, giving his erection a pointed look.
“Ignore it,” Ryker said softly, his actions still not rushed. “Close your eyes so I can rinse you off.”
I did as he said, my arms going around his middle. He wasn’t the only one craving some touch.
While he rinsed all the soap off my body, my hands roamed over his. Ryker’s body really was a thing of beauty. Every part of him was hard with muscle, from his lower back, where the ridges of his form were smooth under my hand, to his perfectly sculpted ass and bulky thighs.
“Your naughty hands are going to get you in trouble,” Ryker muttered, then stole a wet kiss from under the spray.
I smiled into the kiss, loving how he put all his passion into it. I might not want to come again so soon, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t help Ryker out.
I abruptly stopped the kiss. Protesting groans came from Ryker, but when he saw me drop to my knees, he asked, “What are you doing?”
“You’ve helped me get all clean, so don’t you think I should do the same?” I said with a smile as I stroked him. “But before getting you all clean, I’m much more interested in getting you dirty.”
Any words he’d been about to say died on his lips as I swallowed him down whole. Ryker gripped my hair, his grasp tight and real as he rode his pleasure. It wasn’t long before he was spilling down my throat, a deep grunt coming out of his month as he thrust his orgasm into me.
I was roughly pulled up when I released him as Ryker crashed our lips together. He kissed me like he was going to devour me, and I loved it.
Despite how intense the kiss was, we didn’t go any further than that. Ryker respected my wishes of wanting a break, and after washing him off, we dried, changed, and got ready for our walk.
Gray was not happy about it.
The following Friday, when Ryker returned from work, I was faster than Gray to greet him. The cat usually met his daddy by the door before I even heard the key jingle on the doorknob, but I was quicker today.
I was pushing myself into his arms before he could get the door closed. He laughed and held me as I soaked in his scent.
Ryker smelled like dirt, sweat, sunshine, and a distinctly woody scent that was all him. I didn’t know I could become addicted to a smell, but here we were.
Ryker curved his entire body as he hugged me close, like he was recharging from the day apart. I couldn’t blame him, since I was feeling the same way.
“Gramps wants you to come over for dinner,” I said when we finally pulled apart.
“He said not to bring anything this time since it’s so last minute,” I added as I watched Ryker pick up his fur baby and cradle him in his arms. Gray had been desperately rubbing against our legs this entire time, acting cute to get attention. His cute ploy always worked, too.
Ryker gave Gray a few pets, and then his brown eyes landed on me. “Of course I’d love to go, but will it be okay? Now that we’re…”
He used the hand not holding Gray to gesture between us.
“I’m not going to hide us,” I said, taking the hand that was still stretched out.
The smile that lit up Ryker’s face told me it was the right thing to say.
I took a step forward until Gray was pushed between us. “I’m going to introduce you as my boyfriend,” I said.
“I feel like it’s a downgrade from pretend fiancé,” Ryker joked.
I smiled. “Partner, then.”
“I like the sound of that,” he said, sealing the new title with a kiss.
After Ryker showered, we headed over to my gramps’ early. Lana was already home from work and was playing with Junior on the carpet in the tiny living room.
Gramps was sitting on the couch behind her, laughing as he watched them.
“Hey, Gramps. How’s your back?” I asked, plopping into the spot beside him. Ryker sat next to me on the other side.
“It’s fine. Just a little sprain. It’ll be healed in a day or two with some aloe and a hot compress,” he said with a wave of his hand.
Lana called me on our way here, saying that Gramps had tripped and fallen, but quickly reassured me he was all in one piece, and it was just a little sprain in his back.
I grumbled, knowing that asking him to go see a doctor would be useless.
“He’s more concerned about not being able to pick up Junior than his own injuries,” Lana said with a huff.
“Who wouldn’t be depressed to know they were too weak to pick up their sweet little boy?” Gramps grumbled.
“I thought I was your sweet little boy,” I said.
“You’ve been replaced,” he replied instantly and with a straight face.
I made a dramatic gasp and put a hand to my heart. “Do you hear that? Now I’m just an unwanted sweet little boy? Is there not a single person who wants me anymore?”
Lana snickered as Gramps rolled his eyes. I turned to Ryker and prompted, “Is there really no one ? Not a single soul who wants me?”
He looked adorably confused, but I think he got the hint since he said, playing along, “ I want you.”
“My family might have replaced me, but at least my handsome partner still cares about me.”
Lana narrowed her eyes at me. “Are you two putting on an act or…”
“Ow!” I cried out from the sudden attack as Lana slapped my leg. “What was that for?”
“You two got together for real and you didn’t tell me?” she accused.
I shrank back into my seat because she wasn’t wrong. She knew my guilty expression and pointed a finger my way.
“When did this happen?” she demanded.
I knew she wasn’t going to let this go until I answered, but way to put us on the spot, dear sister. I glanced at Ryker to make sure he was okay with this, and seeing him nod, I truthfully told her it’d been a week.
Gramps had been silent this entire time, and I peeked at him to gauge his reaction. Gramps had never been a man who wore his emotions on his face, so I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
I knew he didn’t dislike Ryker since he’d invited him back to dinner, but what if he was only being hospitable to my roommate but didn’t want me dating the guy?
“You haven’t forgotten our talk?” Gramps asked Ryker a moment later.
“No, sir—I haven’t forgotten what you said, and I stand by my answer…Gramps,” Ryker replied earnestly.
Gramps hummed. There was an approving tone in that sound, and I caught the small smile behind his mustache that he tried to hide.
I was happy it seemed like he approved of the relationship, but I was also so damn curious about what they’d discussed in private.
“What did you and Gramps talk about?” I asked, leaning into Ryker’s arm. Now that my family knew we were dating, I wasn’t going to force myself to hold back from touching him when there was no reason to.
Ryker gave me a mysterious smile, and there was a twinkle in his eyes as he replied, “It’s a secret.”
I bristled, almost wanting to pout to make him tell me, but the gentleness in his gaze as he looked at me put a stop to that.
Whatever it was they talked about, it was clearly about me. I just knew it. And whatever it was, the memory of it made him look at me like that.
Like I was precious— cherished —and that made all complaints die in my throat.