I’m an adult. I’ll be okay.
But there are tears in my eyes as I march up the stairs, and when I walk into my bedroom, they fall. What is it about me, and this ranch, that makes people I care about want to ...leave? Mom dumped me here at every opportunity and left without a backward glance, even in the early days, when I’d beg her to stay.
And now, it’s Ryker turning his back on me.
I would have let him fuck me down there.
And how pathetic is that?
But now, here I am, back in the same old bedroom that was always my safe haven, and I crawl under the covers, keeping my tears silent so I can listen for Ryker’s footsteps outside my door. If he goes back to bed, I don’t hear him.
And I don’t fall asleep for the rest of the night.
Chapter Ten
Ryker
I didn’t fucking sleep. How could I, when I’ve finally had a taste of the sexiest woman on earth, had her pressed against me, her hot little pussy grinding against my cock, and then I turned her away?
The look on her face was ...devastation.
“I’m a grade A prick,” I mutter as I set my mug under the coffee maker. I’m not confused. I want her.
Christ, Ineedher.
And based on how she responded to me last night, she wants me right back, and that is the best fucking feeling in the world.
But Gideon’s right. I should stay away from her. If I ruin our friendship, the three of us will never be the same, and I can’t be responsible for that.
And yet the thought of never touching her again, never tasting that sweet mouth, makes me want to punch holes through the walls.
I hear footsteps behind me, and when I turn, I see Willow shuffling in, her eyes half closed, hair a mess from her pillow, and she’s scratching her head as she yawns widely.
I can’t help but smile. She’s fucking adorable.
But when she sees me, she stops short and scowls.
“I’ll come back later.” She turns to leave, and I panic.
“No! Don’t go.”
She stops walking but doesn’t turn around.
“I’ll make you some coffee, Trouble.”
After a moment, she spins on her heel and pins me in a glare.
“You’re pissing me off, Ryker James.”
To be honest, I’m pissing myself off too.
“You’re sending me so many mixed signals. One minute, you’re touching me, holding my hand, kissing my forehead. The next, you go back to being my buddy. Then, last night, you kiss the hell out of me on that island, make me feel things, and then, you reject me and send me off to bed.” She lets out a frustrated growl. “And now, youwant me here? Why, so you can torture me?”
“I don’t want to torture you.”
“Well, you are.” She crosses her arms over her chest, pushing her tits together and up, and that little tank top doesnothide anything. “My eyes are up here, Captain.”
I swallow hard. “Look, I’m sorry that I’m being an asshat, but Idowant you. Christ, woman, you make me lose my mind. I didn’t expect to move home and suddenly have these feelings for you.”
