Page 53 of A Lot Like Love
She nodded.
“Sweetheart, he’s your dad. He’s always going to be able to rattle you.” Ryder stroked his fingers down her cheek, leaning in for a kiss, his lips soft against hers. “You might be an incredible poker player, but you’re only human.”
She put her arms around him, inhaled the now-familiar scent of him, sighed as his arms closed around her. Chloe turned so her cheek was pressed to his chest so she could talk to him.
“You do realize that’s twice you’ve saved me since we got here.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Hey, you’re saving me big-time, so I figure I still owe you.”
“Sorry I cried.”
He squeezed her tighter against him. “Chlo, you’re staunch in there with the guys at the tables, but I’m not going to think you’re weak because your asshole father can hurt you. Hell, my dad would probably makemecry, so you don’t have anything to apologize for.”
“Nothing would make you cry,” she mumbled, finally letting him go and stepping back.
“You’d be surprised.”
She looked up at him, into eyes that seemed to show her all the way to his soul. It was like he was opening himself to her, not shutting any part of him away, and she reached for him again, holding both his hands.
“You wanna call it a day?” she asked.
“I think we need ice cream,” he said, holding up her hand and kissing the back of it.
She laughed. “Chocolateice cream?”
Ryder tugged her under his arm and she slipped her arm around his waist, walking alongside him.
“I can’t believe I hit my father.”
“He had it coming.”
“Still.”
She sighed as he kissed the top of her head again, something he’d taken to doing that made her feel…loved.Being with Ryder wasn’t just about the sex or the fun, it was about the way he looked at her, the brightness in his gaze when he spoke to her, his laugh when it was just the two of them. Only she had no way of knowing if he felt anything more than lust for her, and she sure as hell wasn’t about to ask him.
