Page 18 of What are the Risks
If the girls were really that curious, there was alonglist of women they could ask. While I didn’t truly believe the cruel things I’d said about Ryker’s sex life on Thanksgiving, he couldn’t deny that he was... experienced.
His history of hookups made mine look like a single chapter in a novel – no, not even that. More like the one-line dedication at the front.
Jaz smirked. “Oh, I have. God, the things I would let that boy do to me.”
My phone illuminated as both Ryker and Noah responded at the exact same moment.
Noah: WTF are you girls talking about? How drunk are you babe?
“Boring,” Jaz whined. “Now give us Ryker.”
With heated cheeks, I read his reply aloud.
Ryker: Stay wet, baby. I’m on my way.
That was the reaction she was looking for.
CHAPTER SIX
Screenshot that
Ruby
Light filtered through my partially open drapes as I stretched out my legs. It was early on a Saturday morning, so the house was dead silent. Jaz had spent the night at a hookup’s place. Bri was probably still asleep after working six straight night shifts – just like me. And as a bartender, Daisy was forever getting home at absurd times too, so she was likely out cold as well.
Picking up my phone, there wasn’t one notification. Not even from Noah. He’d headed out with his friends last night to celebrate a frat brother’s birthday. He’d mentioned the guy’s name, but I’d already forgotten it.
On the times I’d visited him in Miami, I’d gone to a few parties with his teammates and frat brothers. But if I was being honest, I hadn’t really enjoyed myself. One guy spent the entire weekend hitting on me, not fazed by the fact that I was there with his teammate.
When I brought it up to Noah, he brushed it off as just a dumb guy thing. Maybe it was, but it made me uncomfortable. Besides, while Evan and the rest of Ryker’s friends might joke around, they never actually hit on me or crossed any lines, and unlike Noah’s douchey frat bros and water polo teammates, they didn’t owe Noah any loyalty or respect.
With a few minutes to spare, I tried FaceTiming Noah. We hadn’t spoken properly in days. Some weeks it was like our schedules didn’t align at all.
As I’d been walking into the hospital yesterday afternoon, he’d tried calling. Knowing I didn’t have much time, I’d sent it to voicemail. My whole shift I’d been so run off my feet that I’d barely managed to scoff down food, let alone check my phone. By the time I was leaving the building and finally had a chance to call him back, he’d messaged to say he was on his way out.
I watched the screen impatiently, praying he’d pick up, but the call went unanswered. With a groan, I dropped my phone onto my bed before slipping my hands beneath the covers to save myself from trying to call him again. And again. And again.
I was so fucking over long distance.
With my eyes fluttering shut, my fingertips instinctively found my warm skin. I slowly trailed them along my torso before reaching my bare inner thigh.
I’d fallen asleep last night reading a spicy novel – Bri’s latest recommendation. While the sex in it was totally far-fetched, it had wound me up before I drifted off, and I’d dreamt of athletic cowboys fucking me on the back of a horse. Absurd, I know. But it’d been a while and I still had weeks to go.
Just as I was slipping my fingers beneath the elastic of my underwear, my alarm sounded.
Of. Fucking. Course.
Grumbling, I threw back the covers. I’d set it for the latest possible moment, which meant I had no time to waste. I needed to shower and pack stat.
*
By the time I emerged from my room with my suitcase, Bri and Daisy were awake. They were hanging in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. Bri had even made me a coffee.
“You’re the best,” I told her, rolling my suitcase to a stop so I could take it from her hands.
She winked. “Duh. What time are we leaving?”
I checked the time on the microwave. “Maybe in ten minutes. Are you sure you’re still good to take me?”
