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“Come home with me, Blue.”
Apparently, half a second is too long to hesitate because Ryan continues. “And let me make this perfectly clear, even if you say no, I will throw you over my shoulder and take you with me. But I’m working with a knee injury here and would rather you come on your own free will.”
His mouth twitches, trying to keep in a straight line to re-enforce his threat.
I don’t think this man has any idea how funny he can be. He likes to think he’s serious and stoic, but he makes me smile more than anyone else I’ve ever met.
“Take me home, Shay.”
Ryan’s lungs fill with a deep breath before he grabs my duffle bag, links his hand with mine, and leads me towards the door.
“Indy, to make this clear, I don’t want a single daily update tomorrow!” Stevie announces from the couch.
“I’ll text you in the morning with details!”
“I’m getting a new number.”
“Aren’t we the cutest family foursome you’ve ever seen?” Zanders pitches in.
“Love you all,” Ryan finishes from the doorway, pulling me behind him. “Rosie most of all, of course.” Which is ironic seeing as Ryan has to take an allergy pill every time he’s with her, but happily does so anyway just to spend time at their place.
Across the street, he pushes through the doorway of our apartment, swiftly picks me up, and takes me to his bed, tossing me on the mattress. But not before I notice the scraps of papers that make up our relationship pinned back on the fridge.
His chest moves in relief as if seeing me in his house and on his bed has brought him peace. “Right where you belong.” His gaze scans the length of me. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For everything. For tonight. I think I’ve always wanted to have the team over, to have people over, but it scared me. To let people into my life has scared me.” Leisurely, he begins to unbutton his shirt, standing over me. “But you, having you here, I want everyone to see how lucky I am to have you in my home.”
While on my back, I watch Ryan hang his shirt in the closet. I thought about this countless times, knowing he wouldn’t be able to undress without putting every little thing where it belongs, but understanding why he’s like this gives me a whole new appreciation to his cleanliness.
The view isn’t half bad either. All this does is give me more time to admire his rippling chest and lean, muscular arms.
He’s so beautiful and protective and hardworking. How someone didn’t appreciate him is beyond me.
Ryan returns, crawling onto the mattress like a starved man. His hands push my hair away from my face, palms to my temples. “So, thank you, Indigo.”
My legs open around him without hesitation as I sling my arms over his shoulders. “You’re welcome.”
“Now, please, for the love of God, kiss me.”
“Are you sure? Because the other night when we…well, we didn’t kiss.”
His eyes bounce away from mine as he hovers over me. “That’s because I didn’t know what you wanted. I didn’t know if you just wanted to get off or if you wanted me.”
My brows pinch together. How did I not catch this before? How did I not realize he needs to be told how wanted he is? When someone else pretends to love you, pretends to want you, of course you need reassurance.
Tugging his chin, I force eye contact. “I want you, Ryan. I’ve always wanted you, but I didn’t know I could be so lucky to have you.”
That stunning smile is back. “Then kiss me, Blue.”
So, I do, soft and leisurely, nails raking over his neck. He cups my face, fingers threaded into my hair as we take our time more than we ever have before. For the first time, there’s not a question whether this is real. I know it is.
But I ask anyway.
“Are you just pretending?”
He pulls away, laughing deep and full. “I stopped pretending a long time ago, Ind.”
