“Really fucking good,” Gar agrees.
“I think we could be onto a winner here,” Ryder agrees, draining half his beer in one go. “And it’s all thanks to you,” he whispers in my ear before crushing his lips to mine. He devours my mouth as his hand slips under my skirt, sliding up my thigh. His tongue plunders my mouth, and he’s kissing me like he wants to gobble me up, holding one cheek firmly in his hand as he attacks my lips with a feverish passion that both excites and frightens me.
When his fingers brush over the crotch of my panties, I swat his hand away. “Behave.” I murmur, tugging on his earlobe.
“I’m so fucking hot for you,” he growls, yanking me onto his lap and grinding his hard-on into my ass. “I could just slide your panties aside and push up inside you, and no one would know,” he says, toying with the tulle layers of my skirt. It’s true it would act as an effective shield, but there’s no way I’m fucking him for the first time in a booth in a public bar surrounded by the guys from his band.
“Or we could go fuck in the bathroom,” I suggest, in compromise.
He repositions me so I’m straddling him, rocking his hips up into mine. “I’m trying to remember why I wanted to wait, and I can’t think of any good reason right now,” he purrs, sliding his hands under my skirt and squeezing my ass. The band has finished their set, and they’re saying their goodbyes to the crowd. “I need inside you, baby,” Ryder pants in my ear. “I’m so fucking horny.”
Removing Ryder’s hands from my ass, I pin him with a cautionary look. “I am not fucking you here in front of everyone, so get that idea out of your head.”
He slides his hand around to my ass again, slipping his finger under my panties and pushing it inside me. “You’re fucking soaking, baby.”
I grab his wrist, pulling his hand out from under my skirt, as Gage and the guys approach the table. “Ryder,” I hiss. “Cut that shit out.” He’s starting to piss me off now. I try to wriggle out of his lap, but he clamps his hands on my waist, holding me in place.
“I know you want me, baby, so stop playing games.”
He buries his head in my chest, and I’m horrified as realization dawns.
He’s treating me like one of his groupies.
Like one of those girls who clearly don’t give a shit if he manhandles them in public.
A red haze glazes over my eyes, as anger and humiliation wage war inside me. “Ryder, stop.” I push at his head, but he continues to nuzzle into my chest, biting and snapping at my flesh through the lacy gaps in my top.
“You okay, Zeta?” a familiar voice asks, concern underscoring Gus’s tone.
“She’s fine,” Ryder snaps, lifting his head from my chest and twisting around to see who asked.
“Hey, Ryder,” Gage says, looking a little uncertain, his gaze bouncing between my boyfriend and me. “Good to see you again, man.”
“You guys killed it,” Ryder says, and air whooshes out of my mouth in grateful relief. I use the opportunity to try and slide off his lap, but he keeps a firm hold of my hips, keeping me in place.
“Ryder,” I whisper. “Let me sit down.”
“Relax, sweetheart.” Ryder squeezes my ass over my skirt, grinning at the guys standing in front of our booth. “It’s nothing these guys haven’t seen before.”
“Ryder, you’re making Zeta uncomfortable,” Scott intervenes. “Let the girl sit back down.”
“Fuck off and mind your own business, White,” Ryder barks, and I’ve reached my tipping point.
“Fucking let me go,” I hiss, attempting again to slide off his lap, but the table is at my back, and there isn’t much wriggle room, especially with how closely Ryder is holding onto my waist.
“Dude, you need to let her go,” Gus says, pushing past his brother and facing Ryder with a thunderous look.
“Gus, don’t,” I warn, because I don’t know how Ryder will react to some strange guy coming to my rescue. He’s unpredictable right now and a million miles away from the Ryder I know and love. If this is how he’s been living his life, then I’m glad I haven’t been around to witness this, because it’s breaking my heart.
“You!” Ryder points his finger at Gus, his eyes darkening. Finally sliding me off his lap, he jumps out of the booth, launching himself at Gus and shoving him in the chest. I watch in horror as Ryder brings his arm up, fist clenched, swinging around and aiming straight for Gus’s face.
33
Zeta
Gus is a big guy, but Ryder has caught him off guard, so he doesn’t react fast enough, and Ryder’s left hook glances the side of his jawline, sending him staggering back. Camera flashes go off, and I clamp a hand over my mouth, horrified as Ryder takes another swing at Gus. “You fucking stay the hell away from my girl. I will knock you the fuck out if you touch her!” He swings for Gus again, but Gus has straightened up, and he swings back, punching Ryder square in the nose. Ryder staggers back, falling into Mike, with blood spurting from his nose.
I scamper out of the booth and plant myself in between Ryder and Gus. “Stop! This is getting out of hand.”
