Page 93 of Kane's Awakening
So, why did I feel like I was going to puke?
When I got to Ryker’s, his car was in the driveway, and I pulled in beside it. I turned off my truck and turned to Molly.
She perked up her ears and stopped panting.
“I should grow a pair and just ask him, huh?” I said to her. She came toward me and started licking the side of my head. I wrapped an arm around her. “And I’m serious about him, so meeting my family was gonna happen eventually, right?”
A tap on the window made me yelp, and I jumped to see Ryker. He had a puzzled look on his face, but there was amusement, too.
“Everything okay out here?” he asked before pressing his lips together in the most fucking adorable way. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he fought a smile, and I zeroed in on the freckle beneath his eye, wanting to lean forward and nibble him there.
“Yeah. Everything’s great,” I answered, opening the door. Molly got out, and I grabbed my bag, throwing the strap over my shoulder. “Guess what? I was cleared and got my badge back. Things will go back to normal Monday.”
“That’s excellent! I was afraid you were going to snap with all that file sorting.” Ryker kept pace beside me as we walked up to the porch and into the house.
He looked fucking sexy that day, wearing a dark gray quarter-sleeved shirt that hugged his shoulders just right and jeans that hung low on his hips but were still tight enough to see his delicious ass.
Once inside the house, I tossed my bag on the carpet in the living room and plopped down on the couch.
“Yeah.” I flung an arm above me and spread my legs, getting comfy. “But then again, the only danger from that is a paper cut. I’m back to the life threatening shit now.”
I’d meant it to be funny, but my tone sounded off, even to me.
Ryker sat beside me, keeping his distance. “Are you ready to go back?”
When I looked at him and saw the concern etched on his face, it felt like a ton of rocks pressed down on my chest. I shrugged and moved my arm to cover my eyes.
I hated being the subject of someone’s worry. It made me feel pathetic.
“It’s almost been two months,” I said more confidently. “If I’m not ready now, I’ll never be. Plus, Harry is coming back to work, too, so if he can do it, so can I.”
The truth was: I was excited. Sure there were nerves, but I think a lot of that was the apprehension about moving forward—the fear of whether I could get back in the swing of things. I was still freaked out about some shit, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.
Seeming pleased with my answer, Ryker nodded and stood up. He stretched, causing his shirt to raise a little and reveal the bottom of his stomach. I wanted to fucking attack him, but before I could act on anything, he walked toward the kitchen.
“I’m going to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner,” he announced before opening the refrigerator and scrounging around inside.
I got up from the couch and went in there to him, leaning against the island in his kitchen and watching him—more specifically, watching his ass as he walked from the fridge to the stove.
“I can think of some meatballs I’d love to fucking devour,” I said, smirking as he flipped around and shot me an exasperated look. “What?” For emphasis, I licked my lips and waggled my brows. “So warm and soft. Practically melts in your mouth.”
Ryker shook his head, but he couldn’t hide the way his breathing had quickened. “No sex until after food, Kane. I’m starving.”
“Who said anything about sex?” I asked, feigning innocence. “I was talking about food.”
“Uh huh. Sure you were.” He bent to grab a pan from the bottom cabinet, and I got an amazing view of his tight ass through his jeans. “I know you too well to believe that.”
“You caught me. Guilty as charged.”
On the outside, I was my usual cocky self, but on the inside, I kind of melted.
Ryker had not only cracked the barriers around my heart, but he’d fucking broken through them, claiming every part of me and taking no prisoners. Although the realization scared the hell out of me, I clung onto it, knowing I’d never be able to put myself back together without him.
After filling the pan with water and placing it on the stovetop, he grabbed a skillet and put it on another burner before plopping the hamburger meat down inside it.
As he cooked, I asked him about his day, and he told me again about Felicia asking him to be her co-counsel. I had to reassure him again that it was fine, but I understood his concern over it. He then told me how he talked to that Max guy that morning while he’d been getting his coffee, and how Max had moved on with another guy.
The news made me want to punch Max a little less. He could go fuck whoever his new guy was and leave mine alone.
