Page 24 of Ryder: Shadows and Desires
Andrew’s unsettled gaze remains unblinking, tempering his gloat and anger. The head coach awkwardly clears his throat and nods at me. “Anyway, tomorrow, my office at nine. Pictures. And a chat.” Andrew looks at Ryder, pretending as if that comment didn’t happen. “Hey, why don’t you have her drop you off to pick up your truck? I just thought of that, since you both are like anti-social teenagers.”
“What?” Ryder asks.
“I’m tied up here, and I know you need to grab your truck so you can bail later tonight.”
I frown, my heart still racing. I don’t object to this idea, but also... where’s Ryder going later? Where does someone like him go for fun?
No, stop it. Who cares what he does? He’s a blockhead, anyway. A sexy, handsome blockhead that got Andrew to stop talking... and crap, I can’t think about where he goes! Then I am basically following him around, like he says I am.
Andrew sighs through his nose, rolling his dark eyes at me. “Can you take him to the Ram dealership?”
“Yeah, sure,” I answer with a slightly high-pitched voice, glancing at Ryder. “You okay with that?”
“If you’re fine with it,” he replies, sighing. “I do need it. I’m sure you got that blocked out in your planner already, though,” he retorts, looking at me with a gaze that’s impossible to read.
My lips part because I can’t tell if he’s actually making a joke or just continuing to jab the shit out of me.
Andrew clasps his hands together and brings them to his mouth, exhaling through his laced fingers. Shaking his head, he turns to leave the room. “Try to play nice with each other, alright?”
As soon as the backdoor shuts, I say, “First, I don’t even know what a Dampfnudel is. And second, you can go fuck yourself about the planner.”
Ryder snorts. “I also don’t fucking know what a Dampfnudel is, so that makes two of us.”
“You said your Nanna...”
“Nanna enjoyed using her wooden spoon on us more than making food with it. I just made that shit up to shut him up.”
I blink rapidly, failing to come up with a witty response. “Well, thanks... I think.”
Those mysterious blue eyes peer deeply into me, capturing my attention, my back straightening.
Ryder finally seems to settle on what to say, looking back at the TV. “He’s sort of a douche. Nothing like Lowers in personality, but Andrew’s really sharp and passionate about the sport. I need to stay in this area while training, so I’m short on options. He can be as much of an asshat as he wants if he gets me to Warlord, especially since the closest professional gym is all the way in Pittsburgh. But he didn’t need to get on you like that.”
Gratitude swells inside of me. “Well, thanks for shutting him up. Anyway, I can totally drop you off.”
“Yeah, sure,” he replies.
He turns off the TV, and we enter the bright sun as we head to my Subaru. I’m extra aware of this fighter following me in such a mundane moment, my head swimming as I try to grasp that he actually joked with me.
Remember that he’s an ass, Julie. Don’t fall so easily back into his gravity.
Despite my constant inner musings, it’s also humbling to realize that a personified symbol of elite power is about to get into my car.
He’s my gym champion just as much as he’s Andrew’s.
I turn on the ignition, placing my purse in the backseat. Ryder gets in, and I almost want roll down the windows because, of course, he smells good—
My heart drops when my audiobook automatically syncs, picking up right where I left off.
“Oliver’s lips are warm on mine, but not as hot as the tongue that...”
“Oh my god,” I blurt out, scrambling to my purse, internally melting while I rip through my belongings for my phone.
I had been listening to an erotic novel for the past few days, and it hadfinallygotten to the good part. Why didn’t I think this through? I should have known better. My car always auto-syncs.
Ryder raises a brow and straightens his back. Through my haze of shame, it registers that he’s having to cover upmanythoughts as he clears his throat. “Well, that’s different.”
“His perfect, manly hands grab my ass and hoist me onto his cock...”
