The Right Move (Windy City, #2)

by Liz Tomforde

“No. No, it has nothing to do with that, but I’ve been single for eight months. I haven’t been with anyone in eight months—” “So, you were going to let that piece of shit be the first man to touch you?” “It’s just sex! It doesn’t mean anything!” “Yes, it does!”

“Ryan,” I say softly. “All my life I’ve been told I’m too emotional, that I feel too much, so for once I’m trying to be the girl who is unattached. Look what happened to me the last time I loved someone.”

“You want the truth?” I swallow as he looks over his shoulder at me, bright eyes pleading for me to say something that’ll make the situation better. “The truth is I haven’t gotten off in eight months.” I throw my hands up in defeat. “You think I haven’t tried to take care of it myself? I have. Countless times. And every time I get close, an image of my ex-boyfriend pops into my head and suddenly, I’m back in our old apartment walking in on him fucking his coworker. He cheated on me and now I can’t even have an orgasm because of it.” A half-hearted laugh escapes me. “I’m pretty sure my body is broken, so yeah, I thought I’d test that theory by having someone else there to help distract me. I didn’t think about being seen in public, so I apologize for that, but I’m not going to apologize for having needs and being desperate to take care of—”

Ryan’s hand brackets my throat, pinning me to the wall with his hips, stealing the rest of my words when his mouth takes mine.

A whimper crawls up my throat when his tongue sweeps into my mouth. He groans, pressing his forehead to mine. “Fuck, Ind. Make those little noises again and I don’t know that I’ll be able to stop.” “Good, I don’t want you to.”

Ahhhhhhh

His body falls into mine with a low grunt and his hand releases my throat, instead finding the wall behind me with whatever restraint he has left.

I’ve never been kissed like this. Desperately. Longingly. As if he’s needed to do this since the day I walked into the apartment in the same way I have.

With his hands bracketed above me, he moves from my mouth to my jaw, peppering hot slides of his lips until he takes my neck, working his way down the column of my throat. “You’re not broken,” he rasps against my skin. “You just didn’t have the right distraction.”

Dead

Instead, his foot slides between mine, urging them apart. “Oh,” I cry out, followed by the most desperate of moans when he positions his thigh to hit against my clit. “Oh God.”

Pulling back, Ryan watches me, his eyes locked on where we’re connected.

I could give two shits that my arousal is all over his leg. I haven’t been this close in months. “Look how pretty that is, Blue.” “Please don’t stop.” The words are more desperate than they’ve ever been. “Never, baby.”

Oh im going to dieeeeee

That is until I’m distracted once again, my attention falling on a little white bookshelf sitting next to Ryan’s. An empty cardboard box and single screwdriver lay tossed aside on the floor. “Did you build me a bookshelf?” I squeak out, trying to swallow down the emotion sitting in my throat.

He grasps my chin, forcing my attention back on him. “Focus on me.” That’s met with another searing kiss, my body rolling against the muscles in his leg. “Focus on us. Fuck,” he exhales against my lips, sharing breaths before his eyes drop south. “Are you going to come on my leg, Ind?” Grinding, I moan into his mouth.

After almost eight months, all it took was Ryan’s fucking leg to make me come.

Grasping my chin once again, he kisses me more tenderly than before. Reverently. Passionately. “Next time you decide you need help with your…situation,” he murmurs against my lips with an aching rasp. “Ask me.”

I. Am. Dead.

Making sure she gets hers doesn’t have to change that for me. I can take care of her in that department without compromising on the rules I’ve set in place for myself. In fact, we could add her orgasms to our fake dating arrangement if she wants. I’ll make sure she comes so many times she won’t be able to see straight as long as I’m the only one with the privilege.

Ahhhhhhhhhh

Because trust me, after the night I pinned her to the wall and made her come, there’s no way in hell another man is going near her without me losing my goddamn mind. Or going to prison.

She thinks she’s broken. Broken. As if her ex-boyfriend wasn’t already the first name on my shit list, the fact that he made this woman think she’s anything less than perfection personified has me close to seeki...

“I haven’t heard from you either, Ind. I was giving you some space. Putting the ball in your court after I offered to help you come. After I did make you come.” “Ryan!” “What? Don’t tell me that finally having an orgasm has made you shy. It’s just sex, remember?”

“You’re right.” She sighs into the phone. “Make your own goddamn dinner, Shay.” A content laugh rumbles in my chest. “There’s my girl.” What the fuck did I say?

Her pink satin dress floods my memory. How soft the fabric felt under my touch. How fucking stunning she was in it. “Something similar to what you wore at the fall banquet would be perfect.”

“I think you should buy a new one. There’s a credit card stored in the top drawer of the entryway table. Take Stevie and make a day of it.” “Ryan—” “Don’t pull that ‘I can’t spend your money’ bullshit. We both know you want to go, and you told me you were an expensive girlfriend, so prove it.”

I love himmmmm

Slipping into my shoes, I grab my hotel key with my phone still pressed to my cheek. “Hey, Blue, I kind of missed talking to you for three days. Let’s not do that again.” “Deal.” “Add it to the fridge. With all the other deals we’ve made.”

Indy clears her throat. “See you at home.” And fuck do I love the way those words sound rolling off her tongue. “See you at home.”

“That Disney princess you’ve got at home is getting you all emotional.” I laugh. “Her name is Indy, you dick.” “Oh trust me. I haven’t forgotten your girl’s name. Pretty sure I moan it in my dreams sometimes.”

That family is going to be official real soon, and she has no idea. I’ve been a bit distant since having this secret on my shoulders, simply because I don’t want to ruin the surprise. But my sister and I can’t go a day without talking, so I remind her via text how much I miss her too.

I’m trying to get along with my teammates, and now I’m fighting the urge to get them all traded just from imagining you giving any of them the time of day. Jealous enough for you, Blue? Three gray dots dance along my screen then disappear. Reappear. Disappear.

For someone who always has something to say, I like making you speechless. Her response is almost instantaneous. I can think of another way you can make me speechless. Oh, fuck me.

All the ways I could make Indy speechless flood my mind, but I think I’d rather make her scream. My name, preferably. Goddamn, and now I’m remembering how fucking pretty she is when she comes.

Blue-green eyes follow a path up my legs, taking their time gliding up my body, lingering on my chest, not that I have much in that department, but this dress is doing a fantastic job of displaying what I’ve got. Ryan’s kissable lips part, wetting the bottom one in a slick slide of his tongue. I watch his Adam’s apple bob in a swallow when he finally meets my eye. “Wow.” “Hi.”

“I hate you,” I tell him, though my breath is slightly labored. “Mm-hmm. Seems like it.”

A firm chest is molded to me now as his thumb traces the thrumming pulse point in my neck. “Did I buy this dress?” I nod.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a little possessive, Shay?” His chest rumbles against my back in a silent laugh. “Never. But then again, no one else has ever made me feel quite as greedy as you do.”

“Zanders is proposing to Stevie. This is their engagement party.” “What?” Ryan eyes me with concern.

“Yes, Ind. You’re going to spend an entire night enjoying yourself without taking care of a single other human being. Shocking, I know, but I think you can do it.” “Fine,” I resign. “But if this party sucks, I’m giving Zee shit for not asking my opinion.”

“But,” I begin, and Ryan’s eyes dart to mine, a bit of hope flickering through them. “It could be good practice.” “Right, and the wedding is coming up.” “Right,” I quickly agree. “So, we should pretend tonight? For practice.” “Yeah, that seems like the right thing to do.” Without further hesitation, Ryan’s hand is in mine, fingers threaded together, leading us into the main room.

“See you soon?” I ask. “I’ll come find you.” We pull away, but not before fingers linger a little longer than they should for two people who are pretending.

“So, you are fucking my celebrity man crush,” Rio says as he wraps me in a hug.

Even from across the room, I can see the rock on her left hand and it’s fucking huge. The man who loves nothing more than to spoil her wraps her up from behind, endlessly proud that he pulled off this surprise and gets to show off his girl in the process.

Stevie’s eyes track the room, looking for one person in particular and when they land on her twin brother, she instantly takes off towards him. Ryan meets her halfway with quick strides, picking her up in a hug.

“You don’t think eight months is that long?” I ask. “I think eight hours was too long to grieve for that idiot, but I know you, Indy. You feel things more than most people, so no, I don’t think eight months is that long. You’re loyal to a fault and when you love someone, every fiber in your body feels it.”

Looking up, Zanders wears a knowing grin. “Now, I’m going to go dance with my fiancée. There’s another Shay over there who I know for a fact wouldn’t mind spending his evening with you.” I chuckle. “Okay, matchmaker.” “What can I say? I’m in love!”

Over my shoulder, he leans in close to my ear. “You’re stunning, Ind. In case I haven’t mentioned it in the last five minutes.” I cover his arm with my own and lean my cheek into his.

His thumb draws mindless circles on my lower back. “How are you still such a romantic, huh? After everything.” “I’ve got to believe that there’s more than what I had, if you can even call that love anymore. And that’s exciting, hopeful even, to believe there’s better out there. Call me a dreamer. Call me naive, I don’t care. I call myself optimistic.”

Through the dim lighting, loud music, and over Rio’s shoulder, I find Ryan watching me from the edge of the dance floor. Drink in one hand, the other in his pocket. The last time he caught me dancing with Rio was at the fall banquet. This time, even though I can see the heat flaming in his eyes, it’s matched by a self-assured stance.

He watches me with suffocating intensity, bringing the rim of his glass to his lips, and even as I move with Rio, I keep my attention locked on him. Are we still pretending? I’d love to know.

His gaze rakes my body, slow and sweeping, not missing an inch and all I want to do is tempt my jealous fake boyfriend enough to get him out here. So, I do it. Turning around, I put my back to Rio’s front, swaying my ...

“Just so you know,” Rio says into my ear, loud enough to hear over the music. “I’m well aware you’re using me to make him jealous and I’m perfectly okay with that.” I chuckle. “I was hoping you would be.” “Fuck it.” Rio grabs my waist, pulling me into him. “But ...

His hands overtake my hips, his mouth next to my ear, and not even ten seconds pass before a pair of expensive dress shoes stop in front of me. I track the legs they belong to, long and muscular, finding an unimpressed stare on Ryan’s handsome face. “...

“Do we need to add this to our deal? Put it on the fridge? Because as far as I’m concerned no one else gets to touch you.” “Does that mean you’ll touch me?” Jesus. No filter tonight apparently. Brows lift in surprise. “Do you want me to touch you?”

Ahhhhhhhh