“You saved me from telling an embarrassing story for the rest of my life. Imagine explaining that Tequila was our song when I don’t even drink.”
“You don’t?” That surprised me.
“Nope. Never touch the stuff.”
I wanted to know why, but figured it was a topic of conversation for a different day, so I just took a sip of my Diet Coke.
“How’s the job?” he asked, staring at the word Tiny’s on my shirt.
My nipples must have sensed it because they instantly got hard. “It’s okay. They sent me home early today.” Why did I tell him that?
“Let me guess. Rocky went missing for an hour, you got stuck with her tables, and then when you messed up, Martha sent you home instead of her.”
The shock must have registered on my face. “How did you know?”
“Let’s just say it isn’t the first time it’s happened. Rocky has been there for years, and I don’t know what the loyalty thing is, but it’s real.”
“I had no idea.” The soda had gone to my bladder already, so I looked around. “Where are the restrooms?”
“Back there.” He nodded to the rear of the bar. “You go and I’ll pick out another song.”
“No Taylor Swift.”
“Are you always this controlling?” he said.
“Only if you know how to handle it,” I said as I walked down the hall. My boldness was shocking even to myself!
* * *
He was waitingfor me as soon as I came out of the bathroom. I could hear the strains of some bluesy song on the jukebox as I looked up at him. The hall was slightly dark, and a lock of his hair fell forward onto his forehead as he leaned one arm over my head against the wall.
I opened my mouth to say something witty, but his lips came down on mine before I got the chance. He tasted like black coffee and gum. He was surprisingly gentle at first. Soft kisses on my lips.
The passion that had been building between us since the first moment we met ignited and we soon became a tangle of arms and hands, bodies pressing against each other, tongues exploring.
My mind shut off and my body took over. I wanted more. I was hungry for him and wanted him to fill every inch of me, deeply and completely.
“Hey, can I get in here?” Some girl was standing next to us, trying to get into the bathroom.
“Oh, sorry.” I turned around to let her in the door and by the time I turned back, Ryder was gone.
My heart was pounding and my lips were bruised from his kisses. I thought about chasing after him, but realized that this was for the best. I needed to clear my head before this whole thing went too far.
Maybe it already had.
Fifteen
Ryder
I slipped out the back door as fast as possible. I was on the verge of making a huge mistake with Paige and needed to stop the damage before it went too far.
Who was I kidding? It had already gone too far. My bike roared to life and I headed down Berry Avenue. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I needed to get the hell out of there.
What was with that woman? Why couldn’t I stop thinking about her? Wanting to touch her? Even worse…wanting to talk to her?
This was not good. I was a single “parent” for all intents and purposes, and the crap with Lily and Scorpion was what needed to be my focus.
Unless she was at the age where she needed a woman in her life to talk to…
