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“You can’t stop being who you are because someone else thinks it’s too much, Ind. He can go find less.”
“Do you think I’m a trainwreck, Ryan?” I huff a laugh. “You’re more like a cute little fender bender.”
“Do you think he loved you the right way, Blue?” “I don’t know. He loved me loudly. I think the romantic in me thought that was the right way. The grand gestures. The big love confessions. He wasn’t afraid to touch me in public but being away from him for the first time in my life, I’m realizing there are a lot of ways in which I thought he was showing me love, but really he was just showing me off.”
“Indy, it’s late.” “Ryan—” “I should go to bed.” Her voice is a low rasp, the whisper sending goosebumps over my skin. “Please don’t.” Oh, fuck me with that gentle plea, those begging eyes. Indy sweeps her tongue across her bottom lip and my attention is glued to it. Glistening pink, pouty and what I can only imagine as pillow soft. “Ry.” Clearing my throat, I stand from the couch and untangle our bodies in the process. “Good night, Blue.”
“Half of my income though…” I continue. “I donate to charity.” “Really? Where to?” “Well, currently I’m housing this flight attendant who is terrible at cleaning up after herself. Total charity case. Tragic story, really.” She lightly smacks my arm, laughing. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t tell you that to make you think I’m some great guy. I don’t really tell anyone about it for that reason alone. Just assume it’s for tax purposes so you don’t get all sentimental over it.” Biting her lower lip, she shakes her head, but my emotional roommate’s eyes can’t help from shining. “I don’t think you’re great. I have no opinion about this whatsoever. I. Feel. Nothing.” “You should work on your acting skills before we get to the campsite.” Indy heaves a broken breath. “Okay, I’ll try.”
“Maybe we should go home.” I switch the gear into reverse. “Are those cargo pants freaking you out as much as they’re scaring me?” “It’s like we drove an hour outside of Chicago and he became a different person. This is a bad idea. We should’ve waited for a normal dinner invite. We could lie for the course of a dinner, but a whole fucking sleepover?”
“This is…revealing,” she says. “Remind me not to go outside unless Ron and Caroline have their canvas pulled down. The last thing I need is to see my boss wearing his pajamas and spooning his wife.” “You think he wears pajamas? He seems more like a bare-ass-naked kind of guy.” “Jesus, Ind.”
While yes, the inside of the cabin is comfortable and warm, the coziness she’s referring to is the single bed that takes up seventy percent of the room.
“Here, let me help you with that,” she insists, situating my hood on the outside of my coat. I turn around to face her as she begins slipping the buttons on my jacket through the holes. “You can work on your bucket list tonight. It would be a good night to work on casually touching in public.” “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” “Watch it or I’ll work on my bucket list by kicking your ass out of bed and sleeping alone.”
What do you think? I can’t exactly think about how loud you might be in bed without all the blood rushing straight to my cock.” “Oh,” she breathes. I rub my palms over my face. “I’ll be out in a minute. Good god, woman.”
Daily update—I just want you to know, I saw the outline of your brother’s dick and I very much want to have sex with him. But I’m not going to. Aren’t I such a good friend? Stevie If I could have one wish, it’d be that your campsite didn’t have Wi-Fi so I never had to read those words.
Blame your brother for that one too. Only rich people have Wi-Fi while camping. Gonna go throw my phone against the wall now! Have fun!
Annie pours from her thermos to a mug before adding some lemon and a cinnamon stick. “I know you’re just pretending,” she whispers for no one else to hear. “But you two look good together.” I take a sip of my cocktail, warming me from the inside out. “Ryan would look good with just about anybody.” Annie raises her brows, unimpressed. “Mm-hmm. Whatever you say.”
Good God, Indy. Get it together. It’s a goddamn beanie and jeans.
“Ron, would you mind throwing a few of these on the grill too?” Ryan asks, putting his cooler on the picnic table and fishing out a box of frozen veggie patties. “Indy is a vegetarian.” He didn’t. “Oh, I had no idea.” Ron’s voice drips with apology, looking at me. “It was my fault,” Ryan cuts in. “I should’ve told you. I brought some veggie sausage for her breakfast too. Do you have somewhere to store them?”
“Hmm,” Annie hums. “What?” “Nothing. Don’t get me wrong. I love Ethan, but my real husband is nowhere near as thoughtful as your fake boyfriend.” “He’s just trying to convince them that we’re legitimate.”
Annie takes a long drink from her cocktail. “They’re not the only ones he’s convincing.”
“Can I sit with you?” I look to either side of me, but between me and all my winter layers there’s no room left for Ryan on my seat. He bends down, speaking quietly. “You can sit on my lap, Blue.”
“Good?” he whispers. “Good.” Good doesn’t do it justice. I’m great. I’m fan-fucking-tastic. This man is huge and warm and these goddamn thighs are pure muscle.
Acting. Fake. Pretend. But the blanket is covering us, and this little show of restraint is for no one else to see.
“Blue.” Ryan lightly shakes my leg, pulling me out of my trance. “Your marshmallow is black.” “Oh shit.” I pull it from the flame, blowing out the fire it brought with it. Ryan quietly laughs at me but pulls me in closer at the same time.
“Don’t make those little noises while you’re sitting on my lap.” He grabs my thigh, his lips dangerously close to mine while he speaks. “Otherwise, you’re not going to be able to get up for a while.” It’s all a show, but goddamn, this version of Ryan is not the same fake boyfriend I went to the fall banquet with. He’s sexy and confident and comfortable out here. I like it far too much. “You mean you won’t be able to get up for a while.” “Same thing.”
“Wow,” Indy exhales, her head thrown back. “That’s beautiful.” I honestly couldn’t care less what’s up north. If she saw how stunning she looked with a light layer of moisture coating her body or the slight flush to her cheeks from her warm shower, she would understand my disinterest in looking away. “The stars are so bright out here,” she continues. “I never see them in the city.” Brown eyes track me. “Ryan?” I nod. “Stunning.”
She’s your sister’s best friend. She’s going through a nasty breakup. She’s your roommate, for fuck’s sake.
Calloused fingers curl into the soft, warm flesh on her back, and my teeth clench together. “I need you to very carefully pick your towel up off the ground. Right now.” If I thought I had strong self-control before, nothing compares to the restraint I’m experiencing at this moment because as she slowly bends to the ground, she brushes against my cock. I hiss an inhale, as if all my blood wasn’t already headed in that direction before she grazed it. Her laugh holds an awkward edge. “Oops. Sorry.”
Best fucking shower of my life. The teasing tone of her voice tells me I could bet good money that she heard me and already knows the answer. “Yeah, it was very—” “Wet.” Fuck me. Just hearing the word wet pop out of her mouth has me gearing up for another round with my hand. “Yes, Blue. The shower was wet.”
“No pillows?” I round the bed to find my side empty. “Not tonight. I guess you’ll do.” She eyes my chest, those brown eyes appearing more hooded than usual. “You’re not wearing a shirt.” “Lucky you.”
A beat passes between us before hesitantly, Indy slips her hand back in mine. It’s soft and small, and I close my fingers around hers before she can leave me again.
“Hey, Ind?” “Mm-hmm.” “About last night. I didn’t say it, but I do care about you. You know that, right?” She lightly squeezes my hand. “I know you do. But it’s nice to hear it. Words of affirmation and all that.” “Right. Now, this is the part where you tell me how much you care about me.” She yawns—forcibly. “Oh, man. It’s getting late. So tired.” “You suck.”
“You’re chaotic as fuck, Blue, but you bring me more peace than anyone else.”
“To be honest, my stack of pillows is much more comfortable than your chest, but I guess you’ll do.” She readjusts. “Seriously, Ryan, it’s like sleeping on a goddamn boulder.”
“You’re awfully whiney for a girl who’s practically burrowing her way into my skin right now.” “Shut up.”
She inhales deeply. “Ryan?” “Hmm?” “Why do you smell like coconut?”
“Blue.” My attention is torn away from Ryan’s backside to find blue-green eyes amused and watching me. He’s still bent over but looking back. “Are you checking out my ass right now?”
His chest rumbles, his voice lowering. “Trying to distract me tonight? With those heels and those lips? Because you look fucking stunning.”
“I’m so sorry,” he says as he stands from my lap. He holds on to my shoulders, bending down and making himself eye level. “Are you okay? Let me get you another drink.” He slides a thumb over my cheekbone. “You’re far too pretty to be covered in—” “Get your fucking hands off her.” Ryan shoves Connor. “Fuck you! You could've hurt her.” I’m front row to watch Connor laugh as the ref blows the whistle and awards Ryan with a technical. “Oh, bullshit!” Ryan protests. “He’s diving into the crowd for no goddamn reason! The ball was already out of bounds.” “Technical foul. Chicago. Number five.”
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Leaning over to Stevie, I speak quietly. “Daily update—I hope your brother wears his jersey when he fucks me.” I pop my shoulders. “Or I could wear it.”
Before I can think any further, his palms cup my face, long fingers threading into my ponytail, and his lips are on mine. Soft lips, warm to the touch. Commanding yet measured, as I’d expect any kiss from Ryan Shay to be. My mouth yields to his, parting to take him deeper and his tongue ever so slightly sweeps across mine in an electrifying slide. One of his hands drops, curving around my throat to bracket the back of my neck as the other pulls my hips to his.
Daily update—that kiss you saw last week was fake, but I still had to change my underwear when I got home. So, kind of real? Stevie If I help you move out, will the daily updates from hell stop? I’m too far in, sis. Reminder—I warned you.
“Indigo Ivers, are you doing…dishes?” I roll my eyes. “Is this what your wet dreams look like, Shay?” “Essentially.”
Clearing my throat, I ask, “Adding this image into your spank bank for your next lonely night on the road?” His chest rumbles. “Yes.” His palm glides against my lower back as he backs away, giving me space. “Good morning, by the way.”
“Ryan.” I cock my head. “Really. What are you doing?” “Just playing the game you started.” He pushes off the counter, taking two steps towards me. His index finger hooks under the hem of my shorts, igniting my skin with goosebumps. “Wearing these itty-bitty shorts and bending over in my kitchen. Don’t act all innocent, Blue.”
“You don’t want to play this game with me, Blue.” Pulling away, he bops my nose with a spoon. “I will always win.” He grabs his yogurt once again and heads towards his bedroom.
Looking down, I find the silverware drawer pulled out between my open legs. That motherfucker distracted me and opened the goddamn silverware drawer between my spread thighs.
You can’t see me, but I’m rolling my eyes. The difference is that Ethan let the team into his life. Maybe you should too. Jesus, did he tell you to say that? No, I’m simply that brilliant on my own.
Yes, but I’ll be home late or maybe tomorrow. I have plans tonight. What the hell? What plans? And with whom? And excuse me, but “maybe tomorrow”?
But goddammit, I’ve been looking forward to her coming home all week. I even had the guy who owns her favorite flower stand down the street drop off a bouquet for her today, simply because I knew she’d be excited for a fresh one. That and because I killed the last arrangement she left me with.
The instructions call for two people to build this, but it’s only me, so I take a swig of my beer, throw the directions away, and get to work.
Okay, so I may have had to disassemble and reassemble it a few times. I also may have had to watch a YouTube video or two to figure it out, but Indy’s bookshelf is finished and somewhat stable. My beer is still full and warm, essentially untouched by the time I’m done, but I think she’s going to be happy.
