Page 89 of No Rhyme or Roughing
Whatever this was, it wasn’t forever. It was now. It was lust.
I pushed him back onto the bed, crawling on top of him. He was drunk, so I refused to let him remove my shirt. When he tugged at my pants, I gripped his hands and pinned them above his head. His lips on mine were all I needed right now, all I was willing to give.
“No!” The single word burst from the doorway in a familiar voice. “No, no, no. My eyes!”
Panic surged through me as I scrambled off Ryder.
He stayed on his back, eyes closed, a satisfied smile still on his lips.
I turned toward the door to find my brother standing there, his hands clamped over his eyes. “Seriously, Syd? Ryder?”
I wanted to defend Ryder, but the sound of his name jolted him upright. He took in Teddy standing there, and his face fell.
“Oh, shit,” Ryder muttered, suddenly sober.
“This is too weird.” Teddy turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Ryder and I stared at each other. The urge to laugh bubbled up in me, but it was clear Ryder didn’t share it. His expression darkened, as if he might combust at any second.
Before I could say anything, he practically leaped from the bed and bolted out the door, leaving me alone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
RYDER
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I ran through the living room, shoving teammates aside as I chased after Teddy. He was going to murder me—and I deserved it. Sisters were supposed to be off-limits to friends.
How could I explain that I couldn’t stay away? That the woman Sydney had become drove me absolutely mad. Her curves on curves. The way her bottom lip quivered when she was being stubborn. How she could be so free and confident, yet always worrying, quiet, and nervous. It was a heady mixture that left me completely unmoored.
I found Teddy on the back deck we rarely used. Nearthe edge sat a fancy black propane grill that only Rowan ever touched. It was a small space, not even big enough for the hot tub Teddy always talked about wanting.
We’d been through so much together, he and I. Parent betrayals and deaths. Heartbreaks and dreams. He was my ride-or-die, the one person I trusted most in the world.
And right now, he was looking at me like he didn’t know me at all.
“I can explain.” Not the best start, but for once, I didn’t know what to say. The porch lights cast him in a ring of brightness as he crossed his arms, waiting.
“Try.” One word, spoken like a challenge.
I cleared my throat. “I’m not really sure how it started. Sydney… she…” No, this wasn’t on her. I’d wanted her. I’d pursued her. The blame was on me. “Saving the team with these videos was her idea.” I drew in a deep breath. “But I wasn’t exactly ready for it. So, she loosened me up.”
He nodded, calm but unreadable. “You definitely needed that.”
“We went skinny…” No, he didn’t want to hear that. I adjusted course. “Her methods worked. They shook something loose in me. For so long, I’ve held on to resentment for Sam and Sullivan. It took Sydney to make me realize I didn’t love Sam anymore. I just couldn’t let go.”
He nodded again, still too calm.
“Your sister…” I sighed. “Sydney is special. She made me step out of my shell?—”
“Something I’ve been working on your entire life,” he interrupted. “And she does it in a month?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really know what to say here,Ted. I know you probably hate me for this. I love you; you’re my brother. But she’s… something else to me. Something I’m not sure I want to give up, even for you.”
He stared at me for a long moment—too long. Then, slowly, he burst into laughter, bending over as he tried to catch his breath. “Oh, you poor fool.” He shook his head, laughing again. “You’re in love with her.”
I didn’t deny it. “You’re not mad?”
