Page 236 of Better When Shared
“This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. These were for Skylar.”
“Relax,” Ryker said through a mouthful of pastry. “Skylar’s not even here.”
My head snapped up. “What do you mean she’s not here? Where is she?”
“Took some clients out on her sailboat today. When I woke, no one was here. She left a note on the counter.” He leaned against the sink, at ease despite being nearly naked in a bathroom with an equally undressed man. “Pretty sure she’s avoiding us both.”
The information landed like a punch to the gut. She’d abandoned me to deal with Mr. Perfect and his perfect fucking body and his perfect understanding of her schedule.
He reached for the coffee I was still clutching. His fingers brushed mine, sending an unwanted jolt of electricity up my arm. “So, what was your plan here? Surprise Skylar in the shower? That’s a bold move for someone who only met her face-to-face two days ago.”
I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated beyond belief. “We’ve known each other for eight years.”
“Online,” Ryker pointed out, taking a sip of the coffee. “In person, she’d probably have punched you in the throat.”
The worst part was that he was right. My grand romantic gesture would have backfired spectacularly if Skylar had been the one in the shower. She’d made it clear yesterday that she needed time and space. Breaking into her bathroom half-naked wasn’t giving her either.
“Fuck,” I muttered, leaning against the wall and sliding down until I was sitting on the cool tile floor. “What the hell was I thinking?”
Ryker joined me on the floor, his towel riding dangerously high on his thighs as he stretched his long legs out. The bathroom was so small that his foot almost touched my hip. I tried not to stare at the water droplets still clinging to his chest hair, the way his muscles shifted as he breathed.
“Pretty sure you were thinking with your dick. If it helps, I don’t think any clearer around her either,” Ryker admitted. “Yesterday I built shelves for eight hours straight just to have something to do with my hands so I couldn’t panic about what you two were doing.”
“She didn’t even like the helicopter.”
Ryker took a long sip of his coffee. “You sure about that? She seemed into it when she told me about it.”
“Either way, it’d be much easier if you just gave up.”
He laughed. “Not likely. I’m just as in love with her as you are. I don’t fucking know what I’m going to do if she picks you.”
I’d been so caught up in seeing him as competition that I’d forgotten he was probably just as nervous, just as desperate to impress her as I was.
“So we’re stuck here until Skylar gets home?” I asked, gesturing to the broken doorknob.
Ryker shook his head, still smiling. “Guess so. The hinges are on the outside. We could kick the door open if we wanted to. But then we’d have to explain to Skylar why we destroyed her bathroom door.”
“Great,” I muttered, settling in against the wall. “So what do we do to kill the time?”
“I don’t know, man. You’re my best friend. What do we usually do to kill time?”
I blinked at him, my heart stopping. Best friend. He wasn’t wrong. He and Skylar were my favorite people, and now I was treating him as a rival.
“Did you know about me and her?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I’m guessing her duplicity on that front is part of the reason she’s flipping out.”
I nodded, staring down at my hands as silence stretched between us like taffy. It was increasingly uncomfortable as we sat half-naked on Skylar’s bathroom floor. I reached for another pastry, focusing on the flaky texture rather than Ryker’s abs gleaming in the humid air.
Ryker shifted, his knee brushing mine. I didn’t move away. “You two always had this intense connection in chat. Even before the sexting.”
Heat rushed to my face. “You knew about that?”
“I suspected she was flirting with you, too. You weren’t subtle.” He grinned, dimples appearing.
I groaned, covering my face. “God, I’m an idiot.”
“Nah, just transparent.” His expression softened. “For what it’s worth, I kinda got off on it.”
