Not wanting to scare him away, I give him a quick rundown of my life. I leave out the gory details of my relationship with Devlin and leave it at us breaking up and me needing a new start. We don’t stop there. We spend the next several hours at the bar, talking and laughing, our friends long forgotten.
The more we talk, the closer I scoot to him until I’m practically in his lap. His arm is on the back of my chair, his fingers gently gliding up and down my arm.
The crowd is thinning, the night winding down, and we’re still wrapped up in each other.
“Can I drive you home?”
I had been silently contemplating the question all night, wondering what I would say if he asked. My decision—yes. Hell, yes. Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to let him drive me home and have his way with me.
Only now that he actually asked, I can feel the fear winding up in me.
“Um…”
Damnit, Ember, don’t chicken out. The man has been amazing all night. He’s sweet and kind, and if you weren’t terrified about your instincts, thanks to Devlin, you would be following him down a dark tunnel. I remind myself he’s safe. He’s military and works for a security company.
“Sure.”
“That didn’t sound like a very convincing sure.”
Shit.
“No.” There’s conviction in my voice this time.
“Okay, well, can I at least get you a cab?”
I shake my head. “That’s not what I mean. I… let’s go to your place.”
His eyes widen. “Are you sure?”
Just so there’s no confusion. “Yes.”
Walking into the cool night air, his arm wrapped around me, he pulls me close. The warmth of his body makes me feel safe and secure. We stand near the curb, both of us quiet despite our inability to stop talking for the past couple of hours. A few moments later, a cab pulls up. He seems plenty sober to me, but I appreciate the gesture.
When the cab comes to a stop in front of a large brick home, I’m surprised. I had pictured an apartment, maybe a condo. Something that screamed bachelor pad, certainly, not this. This is a family home, and Ryder Sharpe doesn’t strike me as a ‘settling-down family man.’
“The army must pay well,” I tease.
“Hardly. Let’s just say I got a good deal on it.” Ryder opens the front door but puts his arm out to stop me before I walk in.
“Just so we're on the same page.” Right on cue, Ryder dives into the whole ‘I’m not looking for a relationship’ speech.
I smile up at him. “Me, either. I just got out of a bad relationship, and I mean bad. The last thing I want to do is jump into another one.”
“You’re sure?”
“Believe me, love and relationships are the furthest things from my mind right now.”
He moves his arm and gestures for me to enter the home. My nerves kick into high gear, and the sound of the door closing behind me makes me jump.
Sensing my tension, Ryder comes up behind me and rests his hands on my waist. His head drops near my ear, and I can feel the scruff from his facial hair against my cheek.
“We don’t have to do this. I can take you home.”
Turning in his arms until I’m facing him, I look into his gentle eyes, and the sight of the green pools swirling with desire erases any nerves I have. It makes me hungry. Needy. For once, I want to feel good. I deserve to feel good. Ryder Sharpe sure as hell looks like he could make me feel good.
“I want this.” My hands glide up his torso until my arms are wrapped around his neck. “I want… you.”
With my permission, the gloves come off.