“It will only take me a few hours, and I can take the bus back and forth…”
“I said, no.” His raised voice has the air in my lungs stilling. “I told you, you are not leaving.”
Dread seeps into me at his words. He is not letting me go, I fought so hard to get free from Tommy, and now I realize all I did was trade one prison for another.
“Not until you’ve paid off your debt,” Ryder clarifies. “Then you can go wherever the fuck you want to.”
I let his words sink in. He is letting me go after he is done with me. At least that’s what he is saying now, but he admitted to lying to me before, so I don’t know if I can believe him.
“What do you want at the library anyway?”
“I wanted to use the computer there to fill out some applications.”
“You can do that when I’m done with you. For now, you are staying here. You got it?”
“Got it.”
“You know what? I changed my mind.” Ryder grins. I look at him, confused. “You can’t borrow my shirt. Take it off.”
“All my clothes are in the washer,” I say, knowing damn well that he is aware of that. All he does is give me a smug look as he shrugs his shoulders.
I stand and grab the hem of the shirt, pulling it up and off my body, leaving me standing completely naked in the middle of the living room. I’m already so used to Ryder seeing me naked that I don’t feel uncomfortable with him. However, my eyes flicker to the back door, hoping that it’s locked and that nobody will come in again, especially someone like Tucker.
“The doors are locked. It’s just us,” Ryder says, as if he was reading my mind.
I fold his shirt neatly and take it back to his dresser. I can feel his eyes on me the entire time. Watching every single move I make. Even across the room, I can hear his breathing getting more labored. Goosebumps pebble cross my arms and not because I’m cold. Quite the opposite, I feel like my skin is on fire. Knowing that Ryder wants me and that he is going to have me whenever he wants has my blood heating and my heart racing in my chest.
He doesn’t say anything, and I won’t initiate anything even though part of me wants to. I won’t be admitting it out loud in a million years, but part of me craves Ryder’s touch. He’s awakened something in me I didn’t even know existed.
I walk into the kitchen to dry and put away the dishes I washed earlier before wiping the counters off again, even though I’ve already done it twice.
“Hey, little owl, come here when you’re done cleaning,” Ryder calls for me. The low, seductive tone of his voice sends another wave of goosebumps across my skin.
I gulp, drop the wet rag in the sink, and dry my hands on a towel before walking into the living room area. With each step, the moisture between my thighs grows, and the heat inside my core rises. When I stop in front of where Ryder is sitting, my gaze immediately falls to the sizable tent in his shorts.
“See anything you like?” Ryder teases, and my face turns a shade darker.
Yes. I see something I like.