“I took that shot because I meant it. I’ve been in love,” He whispered, kissing just below my right ear.
I shivered, and I should have pushed him away. He was manipulating me, and it was definitely cheating. I couldn’t seem to move though. Every single one of my senses were overwhelmed by him. The familiar scent of aftershave, the touch of his lips, the low rumble of his voice. Instead of stepping back, I pressed my hips forward, and slid one hand against his back, locking him in place.
“Yeah?” I mumbled, barely following our conversation.
“Yeah. It’s kind of a new thing for me. Quite recent, so I wasn’t even aware that it had happened. Then again, maybe it happened ten years ago. I’m not an expert at these things, so it’s hard to say,” he answered, his voice muffled against my neck. The brush of his mouth on my sensitive skin was sending tremors down my spine and tightening things lower in my body.
There were things I needed to remember. Important things. About his inability to commit to a real relationship. Then again, saying the ‘L’ word was a pretty big commitment. And he had told Jeremy, which was huge, and risky. And he had stayed and put up with that game, for me.
I wanted so badly to trust him, and trust what I felt between us. Why was it so much easier to give him my body than my heart?
I leaned back far enough to look him square in the face. His dark eyes were huge, and he looked sincere. “Are you absolutely sure? Because, if this is just about hormones and alcohol…or, even securing your place in my family…”
I left the last part unspoken. If he started this, and then changed his mind, it would break me. And I think he knew that. He’d seen it once, but I was just a kid then, and hadn’t had any part of him at that point.
“Your family would disown me if I ever did anything to hurt you. You have to know that. I wouldn’t dare risk them if I wasn’t serious about you. About us,” he replied, gently cupping my jaw. “But we can take this slow if you still aren’t sure. I’ll give you all the time you need to be as convinced as I am. We could try, uhm, dating, or whatever normal people do.”
I took in Ryan’s adorably unsure expression as I tried to imagine us on a regular date. It was a strange thought. Would he buy me dinner and then kiss me chastely on my doorstep before leaving, just like that?
No thanks. We werewaypast that.
It was all or nothing now.
“Oh, screw that. I’ve been waiting a decade,” I said, lurching up onto my tiptoes to meet his lips.
He met me without hesitation. As our tongues crashed together, I was vaguely aware of the faint chanting countdown coming from inside, but ten seconds into the kiss when a massive roar erupted from inside, we startled apart. We were breathing hard, still wrapped in each other, as Auld Lang Syne started playing.
I giggled nervously. “Ok, that was a bit cheesy.”
“Agreed, but totally worth it. Can we get out of here now, though? All night, I’ve been wondering what you could possibly have on under that dress,” he said, and a familiar heat flooded my body.
I grinned. “Lead the way and you’ll find out.”
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Ryan
After four or five more erotic and slightly inappropriate public kisses, we were able to pull apart for real. Mostly. I plastered her to my side as we fought our way back inside to find the others, only barely keeping my hands at a decent position.
It helped that the bar was a disaster. The floor was sticky with spilt champagne, confetti was still floating down from the ceiling, and there were balloons everywhere. People were drunkenly singing, and it was pure chaos. Eventually I spotted Erin in the far corner of the bar, standing with the bartender and Jeremy. They both smirked when they saw us coming, hand in hand.
I held up my free hand the second Jeremy opened his mouth. He done enough talking. “Shut up. We’re leaving. Jeremy, go somewhere else tonight,” I said, ignoring their bemused looks and already turning to leave.
But April tugged her hand free, so I had to wait. She stepped forward to hug Erin, and then her brother while I impatiently watched.
“Happy New Year guys!” she yelled, raising her arms for another group hug. She looked cute and happy, but this could go on all night, and I had other plans for us.
“Ok, they get it,” I told her, nearly picking her up caveman style. “Jere, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Erin, nice to see you.”
They both said something to me, but I didn’t catch it. I could talk to them both later, but right now I had exactly one thought, and that was getting April back to my place so we could be alone. She waved at them both once again as I dragged her back outside.
Having successfully escaped, I ordered a car, shocked to find one just two blocks away so close to midnight. As we waited, I turned to look at April. She had been uncharacteristically quiet since we stepped outside, and it made me nervous. Her unpredictability could be sexy as hell, or terrifying.
“You’re fine with coming back to my place, right?” I asked, searching her eyes.
She tipped her head to the side. “Yep. Why?”
“I guess I never know where I stand with you,” I said. “Never in a million years would I have expected the little towel seduction act from April Dodd. Or about a thousand other things that we did last week. You have the astounding ability to surprise me. I just want to make sure what you said before, about not wanting to wait anymore, was real.”