Page 81 of No Rhyme or Roughing
I knew the moment Ryder followed me because the hair on my arms stood on end. Cold goosebumps rippled across my skin.
He sat on the bench to remove his skates, his gaze steady on me. “Are you afraid of me?”
I hesitated. “No,” I lied.
His lips pressed together, and the next words surprised me. “Tell me a secret.”
Relief flooded me at the familiar game. It remindedme this was Ryder—someone I’d known my whole life. Someone I’d idolized growing up.
I chose the one secret that would make him stop pursuing me. “I’m not sure I believe in love. I definitely don’t believe in marriage.”
Silence stretched between us.
“Your turn,” I said, turning away so I wouldn’t have to see his reaction.
“I’m scared too, Syd. Of what happens next. In my life, in my career. I don’t have much more to give hockey. It’s almost over, and I don’t know what comes after.” The bench creaked as he stood. “But also here, right now. If I act on what every part of me wants, what then?”
“And what is it you want?”
His fingers closed around my wrist, pulling me toward him. “You. Fuck, Syd. All I want in this moment is you.”
When our lips collided, hesitation melted away. Most of my life had been spent around people who wanted me to hide, to disappear. But Ryder? He looked at me like I held all the answers in the universe.
There was no stopping now.
His hands slipped under my damp shirt, and I tried to pull away. “I’m so gross right now.”
“I don’t care.” He kissed me again.
“I do.”
“Fine.” He rested his lips against my forehead for a moment before lacing his fingers with mine and pulling me farther into the locker room. “There’s only one way to fix that.”
I was silent as I followed him, my hand never leavinghis. We entered the shower room, where the tiled stalls had seen their fair share of naked male perfection.
Ryder reached to flip the light on, but I put my hand over his. “No,” I whispered. The dark held all our secrets, and I wanted him to have them all, to be surrounded by them.
A growl ripped from his throat as his lips found mine, and he backed me into the nearest shower stall. The tile was cold against my skin, and I reached for the handle to turn the water on.
It blasted down at us, and Ryder cursed at how cold it was.
I laughed, shivering under the onslaught as I fisted my hand in his shirt, yanking him against me.
The water warmed until it was almost scorching, but we both ignored it. Ryder brushed the sopping hair from my forehead and placed a kiss in the center. “Are you sure?” he asked, eyeing me.
I nodded as I drew my bottom lip between my teeth. That was all he needed. He pulled my shirt up, discarding it in a soaking mess on the floor. My bra landed on top of it, but I wasn’t bare for long. His mouth followed his hands, teasing me, biting me. I arched into him while my fingers worked to get his shirt up and over his head.
In the dark, I could only see the outline of him, the way the shadows melted into the ridges of his chest. My fingers chased those shadows to the waistband of his joggers. It was elastic and easy to push down both the pants and his briefs past his ass. He had my pants off almost as quickly, but then he was gone and only hot water hit my chest.
His hands returned lower than I expected. He’d dropped to his knees silently, and my breath stuttered coming out. “Ryder,” I breathed.
“I know, baby.” He gripped one calf, bringing it up and over his shoulder. “Hold on to me.” He tapped my other leg, but I didn’t move.
“No, I’ll fall.”
His eyes glinted as they cut through the dark, meeting mine. “Trust me, Syd.”
I did, I realized then. Trust him. His hands came to my ass as I lifted my other leg over him. He used the cool wall to support me.
