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She pulled him down the hallway after the kid, who was now standing at a nondescript side exit, holding the door. Ryder eyed him as they walked through, and the kid immediately cast his gaze at the floor.
“Good night, sir,” he stammered.
Ryder let out a little growl at the kid. He couldn’t help himself. He chuckled as he and Vicky passed into the darkened alley where a cab was already waiting.
“You’re a menace,” she said. She definitely didn’t approve, but she didn’t seem angry either. Just resigned to him being him.
“I just like to have fun.”
“I like to have fun too. Enough that I know amusing yourself by upsetting others isn’t the best way to do it.”
She opened the cab door, gesturing for him to get inside. In the front seat, the driver seemed to be deeply engrossed in a text conversation on his phone, paying them no attention.
He couldn’t resist. He stepped closer to her, closer than they’d been when they were dancing. Close enough to feel the heat rising off her. He leaned down, and said in a low, husky voice, “Well, if that’s not it, Vic, what is it? What’s the best way to have fun?”
She stared up at him, momentarily flustered. Which was what he’d intended. It was all he’d intended.
Except she was so close, searching his eyes. Not, he noted vaguely, coming back with a retort or pushing him away. And man, oh man, she really did need to loosen up.
So he did the natural thing. He leaned forward and kissed her senseless.
* * *
It took Vicky a second to recognize what was happening. Ryder was kissing her. Kissing her.
And, it seemed, she was kissing him.
Her lips parted, and she altered the angle of her mouth against his, reaching up to run her hands through his tousled mix of dark waves—a move that felt even better than she’d imagined it. Not that she’d spent time imagining it.
Why was she kissing him again? He moved his hands to the small of her back and pulled her tighter against him. Well, for one thing because he was damn good at it.
Which only stood to reason really. Because obviously you didn’t get a reputation like his by not being good at things like kissing. In dark alleys.
Oh good God, she was kissing Ryder Prince in a dark alley! She couldn’t do that!
She placed her hand on his very, very well-defined chest and pushed him back. His eyes searched hers, like maybe he was just as confused by what just happened as she was. Was that possible?
Then came that cocky grin. Nope. Not possible.
“Well, well, princess. Maybe you do know how to have fun.”
Then he leaned in again as if he was coming back for more.
For a split second, her mixed-up body screamed yes. But fortunately, her mouth gave him a firm “No.”
“No?” he asked, looking vaguely disappointed.
“No, Ryder. I’m not going to make out with you in the shadows beside the hotel dumpsters.”
He opened his mouth.
“Or anywhere else!” she added.
He shrugged. “Yeah. Okay. You’re a good kid, you know that, princess?”
He reached out and chucked her under the chin, then climbed into the car. But he leaned out again before closing the door.
“It’s really too bad.”
