Page 75 of A Lot Like Love
Chapter 19
Ryder’s arm was going numb but he didn’t move it. Chloe had fallen asleep, her shallow breathing only just audible, and he was still lying awake in the half light with her cradled in one arm, head tucked to his chest. They’d left the curtains open, letting moonlight drizzle inside, and because of it he could make out the features of Chloe’s face, see her full lips slightly parted, her long dark lashes just touching the top of her cheekbones.
He’d fallen. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself he wanted Chloe because she was great in bed, or because she was fun to hang out with, it was way more than that and he knew it. Reality had come crashing in when she’d made it clear she was leaving, that their stupid agreement was real, and he didn’t want her to go.
Ryder slowly inched his arm out from beneath her, pausing when she stirred. He dropped his legs over the edge of the bed, reached for his boxers and pulled them on, then walked barefoot from the room. On second thought he went back and got his jeans, headed for the kitchen to pour a nip of whiskey and grab his phone, then went and sat on the step outside the house.
He took a sip, then dialed Chase. He doubted either of his brothers would be asleep yet; they’d be drinking and talking shit still.
“Hey,” Chase answered.
“Hey.”
“Everything okay over there?”
Ryder put down his drink and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Where are you?”
“Just walked out the door, heading for my place.”
“Want to swing past this way first instead?”
“Sure thing. See you soon.”
Ryder finished his drink and hauled his body up to go get another. He paused in the bedroom doorway first, checked to see that Chloe was still sleeping, before grabbing another glass and the bottle of Wild Turkey. Then he headed back out to wait for his brother. The air outside was cool against his bare torso but he didn’t bother going back in for a sweater, just leaned against the wooden railing on the porch and stared into the dark looking for Chase.
“My phone usually only rings after midnight if it’s a booty call.”
Chase laughed as he appeared out of the darkness, making his way up the steps and reaching for the glass Ryder was holding out.
“So what are we drinking for? Don’t you have a gorgeous blonde in there keeping your bed warm?”
Ryder grunted. “Yeah.” He poured them a nip each and joined Chase on the front step. “She’s asleep.”
“I don’t mean to state the obvious, but what the hell are you doing shooting the breeze with me out here when you could be asleep next to Chloe?”
“She’s leaving in the morning.” Ryder ground out the words, furious that she was getting to him so bad. “Tomorrow she walks away and it’s over.”
“You know you’ve been with her a few weeks now.”
Ryder locked eyes with his brother, watched as he sipped his drink. “And?”
“And it means that you’ve been with her longer than you’ve been with any other woman before,” Chase said. “You like her.”
Ryder scowled. “Of course I like her.”
“Then again, why are you sitting out here with me?”
He poured himself another nip and downed it, cringing as the straight liquor burned a fiery path down his throat and all the way to his gut. “Because I love her,” Ryder muttered.
Chase didn’t say anything, just stared straight ahead out into the dark. He swirled his drink around in his glass before turning to face him. “You’re serious.”
Ryder nodded.
“Then do something about it.”
He ground his teeth together, hated that he was even having this conversation with his brother. They didn’t talk about feelings or any of that crap. They worked hard and played harder, enjoyed beautiful women but didn’t stay with any one woman for long. And now here he was talking about…dammit.He didn’t even want to admit it to himself. He’d traveled all around the country, met beautiful women in so many different states, but he’d never fallen before. Never.
“She wants to go.”
