I shiver at the catch in his voice.
“Shit. You’re soaking. We need to get you warm.”
I can’t help it. Tears well up at the wordwe.
I laugh through my misty eyes. “I’mwet? You should see yourself. You look like you’ve taken a swim in the pool fully clothed.”
He responds by ripping off his sopping shirt, revealing a broad expanse of bronzed, muscled skin and stark tattoos. He throws it onto the chair and pulls me back into his arms. I rest my head on his chest.
“I’m getting you warm.”
He carries me into the large shower and then sets me down on a low bench like I’m infinitely precious.
He turns on the water and adjusts the knob until heat and steam fill the space.
“You were right all along, Ryder. I am a menace. Apparently, chaos follows me wherever I go.” I swallow a laugh, feeling a little drunk on the nerves.
He jerks me toward him, his hands on my upper arms gentle yet firm.
He kneels until our gazes are in line, and I can see every golden swirl in his brown eyes.
“You need to hear me, Daisy, once and for all. I fucked up. I’m so damn sorry. I should never have said that to Emma. I was way out of line for talking about you. But you have to know that what I said wasn’t true, and it’s not how I feel. Or ever felt. I said those words because I thought if I repeated them enough tomyself, then I might believe them. I needed distance. I needed to pretend that all you are to me is Chase’s sister, because the opposite is true. Every time I see you, all I try to do is not followyouall damn day. I want to soak up every bit of your light. You shine so bright, Daisy. You’re dangerous for my peace of mind because when you’re around, I just want to see you smile. To hear you laugh. To watch your body in those tiny bikinis. I love it when you tease me and help me forget my bullshit. I think you’re brilliant and beautiful. I’ve tried to stay away, I really have. I didn’t want to fuck up my relationship with Chase, and, even more, I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Ryder—”
He puts a finger over my lips. “Shh. Just let me say this. And then you can have a turn. I’m a bad bet. I tour constantly. I’ve only ever done short-term with women. I’m grumpy, especially when my music isn’t going well. I have no clue how to be in a relationship and have never wanted to be in one. And I’ve always valued my independence over anything. It’s why I left my family. It’s why I left the band. Chase knows me too well, which is why he’s warned me off you for all these years. He’s not wrong. And all of that is still true.”
He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes like he’s in pain. My heart is about to jump out of my chest. It’s beating so loud, I’m sure he can hear it.
He opens his eyes again, and the intensity in them turns me inside out. “But when I saw that tree where I thought you were sleeping…” He shakes his head. “All I could think was I’d give anything to go back and do this over. To have time with you. You are a pain, Daisy, you’re a pain in my heart. Because all I want is to be around you, to know every part of you, even when it’s wrong.”
Perhaps some girls would be smarter with their hearts, wouldn’t forgive or forget so easily. Would stick to the plan of finally moving on.
But I’m not some girls. I’m me.
I lead with my heart.
I wield my woman’s prerogative to change my mind on a whim.
I’ve raised making questionable decisions to an art form.
And this doesn’t feel like a whim. It feels inevitable, like gravity. Or fate.
So I smile with his finger still against my lips. He groans.
There are so many things I could say. But right now, I don’t want to talk. Definitely don’t want to think. All I know is I’m not missing this chance to be with the man I’ve been in love with for a decade.
“You have me in the shower, Ryder. Now, what are you going to do with me?” I ask.
After all, he said he likes it when I tease him.
He takes a washcloth, wets it, and, with infinite gentleness, wipes at my cheek. Then he takes my arms, one at a time, and clears any trace of blood from my scrapes.
“You need to get warm.” His voice is a rough rumble.
“My shirt is very cold.” I undo the top button.
“Off,” he instructs and helps me with the next button.
