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My brother blinks and shakes his head. “I didn’t think about that, Wren.”
“Of course you didn’t! For whatever reason, you think it’s okay to jeopardize Ryker’s well-being all because you believe he’s a bad guy who doesn’t deserve a shred of privacy.”
I groan loudly and take a step backward. “If there’s anyone I thought would give Ryker a chance to be himself, it was you – clearly I was wrong to think that.”
“Come on, Wren, I’m just looking out for you.”
“Eli, I’m not a little kid anymore. I graduated high school years ago and know how to take care of myself.”
“You’re right,” he says softly. “I don’t like it, but you are.”
“I’m not an idiot, Eli. I understand what I’m doing, and I know the risks involved.”
“I’m sorry for showing up like this.”
“I get it, but tone it down just a little bit,” I say while pinching my pointer and thumb together, leaving a tiny sliver of space between them to indicate how much he should tone it down.
He chuckles and pulls me in for a big hug. “Yeah, yeah, I get it.”
I wait until he’s heading back down the driveway to head inside, the memories of today flooding right back into my mind as soon as I step through the front door. I’ve noticed a change in Ryker, and I want to believe it’s because I’m that good. But, is it something else?
He was talking to his parents today, maybe that’s got something to do with it.
When I walk through the entryway and into the living room, there’s no sign of him relaxing inside and I frown. I wanted to talk to him when I came back in, to understand what the hell is going on between us because I can’t seem to figure it out.
The picnic today was a pleasant surprise, one that I didn’t know Ryker could be capable of, and it only confirmed that he’s more than the media makes him out to be. He’s got a kind heart, but nobody lets him show it.
There’s also a fun side to him that was refreshing. I hadn’t expected him to take me bungee jumping, or to have so much fun doing it.
What else will he bring out of me?
We’ve been gone most of the day, having spent hours sitting on that soft blanket with the canyon as a backdrop, so I’m not surprised when the sun starts setting through the large window in the kitchen. I watch it for a moment while silently wishing that Ryker and I were still on that canyon to watch it roll under the horizon, then calmly make my way down the hall.
I don’t know what I had expected when we got back.
Maybe that Ryker would wait up for me before heading to his room or wish me a proper goodnight, but none of those things happened, and there's a smidge of sadness swirling through my body at the fact.
Instead of focusing on the negative, I make my way into the shower and turn the water on as hot as it will go. Maybe the steam will lift the emotions from today away and keep my head from being clouded.
After I quickly discard my clothes, I step under the steaming stream of water and lean back into it with a happy sigh. The heat from it feels glorious against my skin and I’m so lost in it that I don’t notice Ryker’s in here with me until his arms wrap around my waist. I gasp when he spins me around, my breasts brushing against his chest, and I look into his eyes for some sort of answer.
He rests his forehead against mine and inhales deeply with a shake of his head. “As much as I wanted to keep my distance, it’s nearly impossible knowing you’re in here.”
My heart stutters violently with his words and I close my eyes, enjoying the heat from not only the water but his body as well. I’m surprised when he presses a soft kiss to my temple before pulling away and turning me back around to put shampoo in my hair.
I’ve never had anyone care for me like this, especially with no underlying reason. I’m not sick or anything, could very well do it on my own, but it feels as though he needs to touch me, and that has me easily leaning my head back to give him better access.
He massages my scalp, making sure to get between each strand of hair – definitely impossible, but that’s what it feels like – and gently tilts my head back into the water to rinse the shampoo out of it.
When that’s all out, he grabs the loofa I’ve been using and lathers soap on it with a heated gaze locked onto me. It’s not supposed to be sexual, but that’s what it feels like as he runs the loofa against my bare skin and between my parted thighs. I don’t miss how he pays extra attention to the sensitive space between them, but the moment is gone before I’ve gotten the chance to bask in it.
“Now,” he rasps before lifting me from the shower floor and carrying me out. “For the best part of the night.”
I cling to him as he walks me through one hall, down another, until we finally come to a stop in his room. He sits me carefully on the bed, then hurries into the adjoining bathroom and comes out with a bottle of clear liquid.
“What’s that?”
He shakes it with a small smile. “Baby oil. Turn onto your stomach.”
