I could have. She deserves better than my silence, my mistakes, my inability to say the right damn thing at the right damn time. But I don’t know how to tell her that being with her feels like standing in the middle of a storm—thrilling, overwhelming, and dangerous as hell.
“I’m telling you now. I’m sorry if I made you feel like you don’t matter. You do.”
The room’s silent except for the faint drip of the faucet, until she whispers, “You drive me insane.”
“Good.” I grab her wrist, tugging her toward me.
She’s flushed, but this time it’s not anger.
“You’re not a booty call, Bianca. You’remine. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Her lips part, her warm, minty breath huffing against my mouth. She tilts her head, her fingers curling into my shirt, and the decision is made for me. I kiss her, letting the fear, the frustration, and the overwhelming need spill out.
A low groan escapes me, every knot in my chest unwinding. For the first time in hours, my head’s not spinning. I grab Bianca’s waist, my fingers brushing the hem of her night dress, the heat of her skin setting me alight.
Her hands tangle in my hair, and she presses closer, her body fitting perfectly against mine.
“Ryder...?”
“What?” I whisper, brushing my nose against hers.
“You’re exhausting.”
“Good,” I repeat. “Keeps you on your toes.”
Her laugh is muffled against my lips, and the sound sends a wave of relief crashing over me.
31
Bianca
The atmosphere in Ryder’s apartment feels different now... charged, humming under my skin like static electricity.
It’s been there since the moment he kissed me, but it’s not the same tension that had me fuming earlier. No, this feels hotter.
He’s in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, his hair still tousled from my fingers. There’s a rawness to the way he looks at me, a smoldering intensity that sends my heart racing.
I should be mad at him still. Maybe I am, but it’s hard to hold on to that anger when his sultry glare looks like he can barely hold off from bending me over the breakfast bar.
“Are you hungry?” he asks, breaking the silence.
“Not really.”
He nods, his eyes on me like he’s waiting for something.
That does it for me. It flips the switch, giving me courage to act on my desires. My bare feet brush the cool floor as I move toward him. Ryder straightens, his brows drawing together.
“You drive me crazy,” I say, stopping before him.
His lips twitch, the faintest hint of a smirk. “I’ve noticed.”
My heart thunders in my chest, my pulse a deafening roar in my ears. He knows what I want. Why I’m here, a breath away from him, my cheeks burning, body craving his touch... but he’s not making the first move. “You’re exhausting,” I repeat.
“So you said.”
Something inside me snaps.
Maybe it’s that infuriating smirk of his that does it. Maybe it’s the way his voice wraps around me like a physical thing. Or maybe it’s the fact that, for the first time in forever, I’ve allowed myself to be vulnerable without fearing I’ll break.
