Page 5 of Just Forever

People laugh around us, and I’m faintly aware of them, but most of my attention is on Ryker and only Ryker. It’s ridiculous. Concerning, even. But I’ve mostly stopped worrying about how far in over my head I am with this. There’s no point. It’s not going to make me love him any less.

I think I’m ready to receive my husband of the year award now, because that was obviously hella romantic.

The people around us seem to divide into pairs, with different conversations going on all around us. Ryker leans closer until our sides are plastered together. I look down at my feet and try to bite back my smile so I won’t look so damn obvious.

“How’s the birthday boy?” I ask.

“Enjoying myself,” Ryker says.

His pinkie slides over the back of my hand. It’s dark and crowded enough here that I’m not too worried. Slightly paranoid, sure, but these days I always am. Far more than Ryker,but I keep reminding myself this is new for him. I’m the first boyfriend he’s ever had. First love. First husband.

There have been girlfriends before me, but once there’s more than one dick in the relationship things get more complicated, and I don’t think Ryker truly gets just how much more.

I want to keep it that way.

I like that Ryker sees the good in people and expects the best from life. One of us should.

I know it sounds like a stupid goal, but stupid or not, I want him to keep that optimism, and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure he doesn’t have to witness firsthand just how ugly people can be to each other.

I shake my head to clear it. This is not an evening for serious thoughts.

“I have a present for you,” I say.

His eyes light up. “Another one?”

Our heads are so close together now that I can feel his breaths moving over my skin.

“Well, you have been a very good boy,” I say.

“Unless you’ve decided you’re now Santa, that’s Christmas.”

“I’m practicing.”

He laughs, his smile luminous in the dim light of the bar, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “So? What did you get me? Hand it over.”

“Sure. If you want to scandalize all these people. Otherwise, I suggest we wait until we get back to our hotel.”

He sucks in a breath and a curse escapes his lips before he sends me a glare.

“Oh, good. A hard-oniswhat I wanted. How did you know?”

“An educated guess. I’ve gotten to know you a tiny bit over the past few years.”

His pinkie wraps around mine for a moment and squeezes. My heart jolts in my chest. It tends to do that when I’m near Ryker.

“Oh? And what have you learned so far?”

“Eh, just some basic stuff,” I say flippantly. “Favorite food and color. Things like that.”

“It took you over ten years to figure out my favorite food and color?”

I grin at him and lean closer. “And the fact that you really like it when I have your dick in my mouth.”

He sighs and aims his gaze toward his crotch pointedly. “It was just starting to go down.”

“It’s a good thing I fixed it, then.”

He sends me a heated look. “Can we get out of here already?”

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