The heat of his stare burns my cheeks, and I glance at him once more. Another hot flush slams into me, so potent it feels like I’m running a fever. I can’t sit still. I need a break, a few moments to splash my chest with cold water.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” I say, standing abruptly.
I don’t wait for permission. I navigate my way into the hallway, the clicking of my heels swallowed by the surrounding noise. The air’s cooler here, but it fails to calm the heat rushing through my veins.
A firm hand wraps around my wrist. I barely have time to gasp before I’m yanked into a dark storage room, the door slamming closed behind me.
I’m spun around, my back pressing against a shelf. “You’re killing me,” Ryder growls, leaning in.
The raw need in his voice sends a fresh wave of heat through me, and for a moment, I’m on the verge of giving in. But this game is too good to end prematurely. I’ve never been this turned on in my life. As uncomfortable as that is, seeing how much keeping a distance costs Ryder is glorious.
“Couldn’t wait?” I ask, my pulse racing as I press gently on his chest so he’ll step back. “No touching, remember?”
His jaw ticks, frustration palpable as he leans closer, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “You want me to beg, baby? Because I will. On my knees. With my face between your legs.”
The image his words paint shatters the last of my resolve. I grab him by his shirt and yank him lower, our mouths crashing in a kiss so intense it feels like a free fall.
He grabs my thighs, hauling me up, his whole body pressing into me as I wrap my legs around him. The shelf digs into my back, but I ignore the sting, consumed by how Ryder’s lips move against mine, claiming and devouring like he can’t get enough.
I tangle my fingers in his hair, arching into him. His grip tightens as he latches onto my neck, kissing, sucking, and nipping.
“Ryder,” I gasp.
“Fuck. I love it when you struggle to say my name.” His hand dips under my dress, one finger testing how wet I am while his teeth nip at my collarbone. “So ready. So desperate.”
I grab his hard cock through his pants. “So are you.”
He inhales sharply, then sinks into my mouth again, the kiss even more urgent, more desperate while I keep rubbing his length, and his fingers skim along my entrance.
He breaks away, his forehead against mine, breathing as ragged as my own. “We need to get back.”
“Do we?” I squeeze him a touch harder than before, earning a shaky exhale.
“If I don’t stop now, I won’t stop at all and I’m not fucking my girl in a storage room.”
I grin, catch his lower lip between my teeth, and pull before releasing it. “You lost. What did I win?”
“Whatever you want, Summer.” He sets me down gently but doesn’t let go. His hands stay on my hips, his thumbs brushing small circles as he presses a lingering kiss to my forehead. “I’ll give you anything.”
“I want to sit on your face.”
He freezes, his jaw tight, hands on my hips grasping harder as if he’s anchoring himself. “Grab. Your. Bag. We’re leaving.”
I run my fingers down his torso. “We just got here. It’d be rude to leave now. Patience, baby.”
“I don’t have any left.”
“Find some.” I peck his nose and duck under his arm, exiting the storage room before he can haul me over his shoulder and carry me straight to his car.
My legs are still trembling when I re-enter the VIP section. I run my fingers through my hair and adjust my dress before joining the girls, ever so casual.
Violet’s knowing grin tells me I’m not fooling anyone. “Bathroom, huh?” She bounces her eyebrows.
“Oh, shut up.” I grab my drink to busy my hands.
“You’re glowing,” Hailey chimes in.
The two of them are as exhausting as Ryder.
