She waves a hand. “He’s my biggest fan. It’s the least I can do.”

“So he’s my competition?” I raise my eyebrows. “What do I have to do to become your number one fan?”

She leans in, gives me a wink. “Take me home tonight. I’ll let you figure out the rest from there.”

I believe I’ve died and gone to heaven. She’s hot, funny, and unafraid to say what she wants—hell, this morning she added an amendment to our contract, stating that she wants to have sex. If I don’t propose to her now, some other bastard will, and he’ll be the lucky one.

“Why are you single?” I ask instead.

Lilia would have my ass if I proposed right now anyway. She wouldn’t want anyone encroaching on her wedding plans. Also, it’s too soon…right?

“Oh,” she says, a light going on in her eyes. “Don’t get me started. We could be here all night.”

“Bullshit.”

“Ryan…”

The way she says my name has me watching her eyes, waiting for her to find the words she needs to say. I reach out and cup her cheek in my hand. The skin is soft, so very soft, and I let my thumb brush over her lips. “Yes?”

“You didn’t have to do that back at the bar.” She raises a shoulder. “Really, I can roll with the punches, take a joke. You didn’t need to make a thing about what Lawrence said.”

“He didn’t need to be a dick.”

“He was just having a good time,” she says. “I’m around a lot of dicks, anyway. I’m used to it. Lots of comics are awesome, hilarious people, but there are a few…”

“In any profession,” I add. “There are some great hockey guys, and then there are…”

“Dicks,” she finishes, and we share a smile.

“Exactly.”

“Well,” she says. “I guess I owe you a thank you, but just know, I didn’t expect you to do that, or to say anything. I can stand up for myself.”

“It was nothing,” I say. “I don’t mind showing everyone how I feel about you.”

“But love…” She says the word quietly, with reverence, as if she’s in church. “It’s too soon for that. And when I—er, well, this morning when we talked—”

“When you asked for sex, you mean,” I say with a wink. “Yes, I remember that vividly.”

Her face colors, but she nods. She wasn’t lying—this girl can roll with the punches.

“I honestly meant it. I don’t expect anything from you, and you shouldn’t from me. We’re just having fun.” She flashes a quick smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I want to make that clear.”

“Of course,” I say. “Fun it is.”

“So…” She hesitates, kicking her toe against the ground. “Speaking of fun…where’s that Uber?”

CHAPTER 28

Andi

“Is this weird?” I ask as we sneak through the doors of the guest house like two teenagers. “We can go someplace else.”

“Like your house?” Ryan raises an eyebrow at me. I’ve already explained that I live with roommates—more specifically, my dad.

“Point taken,” I say.

Even if my dad has been strangely encouraging about my new relationship-sort-of-thing with Ryan, that doesn’t mean he’d welcome Ryan into our home with open arms at three thirty in the morning, especially smelling like whatever mechanical bulls mixed with tacos smells like.

“This is my home away from home.” Ryan steps through the door, exposing a quaint space fit with everything one might need to live.

It’s the guest house behind Lawrence and Lilia’s place, but it’s hardly tiny. In fact, it’s nicer than ninety percent of the full-sized houses in this city. A small kitchen is visible past the living room, a coffee maker and beans sit on the counter, and a bowl of fresh fruit is centered on the table. “Sometimes I sleep in the extra bedroom at the main house if we’re hanging out there and I don’t want to walk back, and because Lilia’s a great cook.”

I laugh. “Makes sense. It seems like such a shame that this sits empty all the time.”

He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the back, to a clean, plush, modern bedroom that’s just the right combination of minimalist and luxurious. “It was part of the agreement when Lawrence moved out here.”

“Agreement?”

“With my parents.” He cringes a bit. “My parents are great, and they love us a lot—maybe too much. They wouldn’t let Lawrence move out here until he could afford a place with a back house for them to come stay whenever—and for however long—they’d like.”

“No such thing as a parent loving their child too much,” I say softly. “I think it’s sweet.”

“Yeah,” he says, slowing his pace as we enter the bedroom. “I suppose it is. Anyway, my parents never use it much; they prefer to stay in the main house. But who knows? My mom’s hoping Lawrence and Lilia will be converting the guest bedroom into a child’s room soon, so…I suppose she wants a place to stay when she comes to visit her grandkids.”

“No pressure.”

He laughs. “Lilia is vocal about wanting kids, so she’s not annoyed by it. My mother gave them her blessing to get married on their third date when Lilia mentioned she was one of three girls and wanted at least that many kids herself. My mom loves babies.”

I shake my head, smiling, and I let Ryan guide me to the bed. We perch on it. “They’re a great fit for each other,” I say. “I love watching them together. It’s adorable, but, I don’t know, it doesn’t make me gag like some couples. Know what I mean?”

He nods. “She’s great for him. He’s really lucky to have her.”

“It takes two to make a great couple,” I say. “She’s lucky too.”

“In some odd way, I guess you’re right,” he says grudgingly. “But I’m still pissed at Lawrence, so I’m not feeling as generous as you.”

“You need to let it go!” I lick my lips playfully, resting a hand on his chest. It’s firm and solid; the beat of his heart is strong underneath his shirt. “Maybe I can help distract you?”

He falls back at my feather-light touch, as if I have the strength of the Hulk, and collapses on the bed. “Ravish me.”

I swing one leg over his waist, so I’m straddling him. He’s got on jeans and a button-down shirt that’s open at the neck may be the sexiest thing I’ve seen him in yet. My fingers reach for the buttons and flick them open.

When his t-shirt is revealed, I pause for a moment and admire.

“Like what you see?” he asks, teasing.

“Shut up! I’m ogling you.”

His eyes crinkle with a smile, those chocolate eyes lined with devilish thoughts, his hair playfully mussed, hanging just a little too far over his eyes. “Ogle away, but first, let me do this.”

This turns out to be a pretty great surprise.

His fingernails dig into my skin and pull me toward him. I’m situated on his lap, and I can feel every inch of him beneath me. It’s erotic, even though our jeans are a barrier between us. I grip his arms hard enough to leave a mark, a gasp hissing from my lips as I adjust so that we’re fitted perfectly through the fabric, but it’s not enough.

“I need you,” he says. “I can’t wait any longer, Andi.”

“Okay, I’m done ogling,” I say. “Take your pants off.”

“Your wish is my command.”

I rest a hand against his chest, pushing him back. “On second thought, you can wait for me this time.”

He closes his eyes as my hands go to the button on his jeans. I pop it open, my hands itching to touch him. He’s wearing black boxer briefs, and I rest my hand against the impressive bulge.

It’s his turn to sizzle a breath between his lips, his head rolling back against the pillow. “Shit.”

“Shit bad or shit good?”

“Shit don’t you dare stop, sweetheart,” he says. “Take off your shirt.”

“I’m not done—”

“I didn’t ask if you were done.” He moves into a sitting position faster than I can blink, corralling me as he links my arms behind my back. “I asked you to take your shirt off. Please, I want to see you…all of you.”

My chest rises and falls. I’ve never been so turned on in my life. All at once he’s commanding, decisive, and then playful again. I’m realizing I have never known good sex—not yet.