Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“Bit poetic for a porn star,” he muttered, sounding offended.
“The guy in front of that camera isn’t me. You should know that better than anybody.”
“I do. I’m sorry,” he said genuinely, grabbing hold of my hands that had slipped to his shoulders. “I told you I wouldn’t be any good at this.”
“You’re doing just fine.” I smiled, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise. Instead I’m going to hold you. I’m going to keep holding you. Hold you so tight until all your broken pieces stick back together.”
Rolling onto my back I held my arm out for Ryder to snuggle into. Draping his arm across my chest, his touch lying right over my pounding heart, he cuddled up close. I rested my cheek on his messy hair, inhaling the scent that was uniquely him, and closed my eyes. My chest ached for him, my head throbbed with pain and fear. He was small against my body, yet I’d never met anybody stronger.
“Good night, tiger.”
And with just that one simple endearment, everything was right with the world. Or at least I had hope that it would be.
“Morning,” I greeted Ryder the next day when he finally surfaced from bed around eleven AM. “Coffee?”
“Please.” He nodded, stretching his arms above his head. I admired the way the flowers inked onto his slender chest twisted with the movement and smiled. “If you’re not prepared to fuck me then that means no eye-fucking either,” he teased. The smile that tugged at his plump lips brought back the sparkle in his green eyes that I’d missed so much and my feet instinctively started walking towards him. Resting my hand on his hip I gave his rough, stubbled cheek a chaste kiss and then returned to make our coffee.
“I need to head back to Matt’s soon,” I explained as I dropped a splash of milk into Ryder’s coffee. I took mine black.
“You’re not staying here?”
“Do you want me to stay here?”
“Yeah, of course I do. Only if you want to.”
“You don’t think it’s too soon to be living together?”
“We’ve already lived together, Mase.” He shrugged, misunderstanding the importance.
“That was before, and we can’t ever go back to how things were before.”
“That kinda scares me,” he confessed, sighing.
“Honestly? It scares me too,” I agreed, stretching out my arm and offering him his coffee. “But I wouldn’t go back. I think we could be something really great.”
“Then come back here.”
Sighing in contemplation, I let the thought bounce around in my head a few times before coming to my decision. “Okay,” I agreed. “But in my own room. I don’t want to push this too quickly and risk ruining anything.”
“Whatever you want. After yesterday, it just feels right that you be here.”
“I still need to go back to Matt’s. I need to change for my shoot this afternoon.”
“Shoot?”
“It’s my last one for the calendar. We’re shooting on location at the beach. I’ll go back and collect the rest of my things later. You should come with me this morning.”
“To Matt’s? Nah, I don’t think that’s a good idea. People will want to know what’s been wrong with me lately.”
“They’re your friends, Ry. They’ve been worried about you. People will just be glad to see you’re sorting through your shit and that you’re getting back on track.”
“Maybe you’re right,” he said, clearly still unsure.
“I’m always right.” I winked. “Now go get changed. We’ll leave when you’re ready.”
“Yes, sir,” he said firmly, saluting me before turning towards his bedroom.
Grinning, I took my coffee over to the couch and took a moment to let what was happening between us really sink in.
Just over an hour later Ryder drove us to Matt’s place. I told him during the drive that after my next paycheck I planned to look around for a car of my own. I was going to need one if I went to college, which was something I hadn’t shared with anyone yet, but now the money - and good money – was starting to come in, the idea of getting my photography major one day didn’t seem so unrealistic anymore.
I let us in with the key that Matt gave me, assuming he’d still be in bed anyway. I wasn’t surprised to walk in and see Alex sitting on Matt’s couch with his legs crossed, mug in one hand, newspaper in the other, but Ryder clearly was by the look of confusion that swept suddenly across his face.
“Hey, guys,” Alex said, raising his mug in acknowledgement.
“Hey.” I nodded. “Matt still in bed?”
“What do you think?” Alex laughed, burying his head back in his newspaper. I headed toward the kitchen and Ryder followed behind me.
Grabbing onto my elbow, he pulled me into him a little. “What’s he doing here?” he asked, curiosity knitting his eyebrows together.