Just a Little Crush(42)

I pulled back and my lip quivered.

“Shit.” He shook his head and reached out to me. “I’m sorry.”

“No. You’re right.” I scooted over the console, adjusted my dress and sat with my body rigidly facing forward.

He banged his head against the top of the driver’s seat. With one big inhale followed by an exhale, he relaxed his shoulders and shifted toward me. “Ask me sober.”

“What?”

“If you want to have sex, ask me sober.”

“Why? You’ve made it clear you aren’t having sex with me. Ever.”

“If you still want to when you’re sober, ask me. I promise I won’t say no again. Hell, I can’t say no again. But you have to ask.”

I eyed him, not sure what kind of game he played.

“Buckle up.”

With the seatbelt fastened, I rested my head against the cool window and closed my eyes.

He drove me to my dorm and parked.

“You don’t have to walk me in,” I said as he unbuckled.

He raised an eyebrow. “Of course I do.”

I shrugged and got out of his car. Not wanting to be trapped in the elevator with him, I took the stairs.

“I hate this dress,” I grumbled, and slogged upstairs. Each step was a challenge due to the restrictive fabric.

“I don’t.”

I glanced back at a grinning Ryder. The door creaked as I pulled it open on the third floor. Ryder reached past me and held it.

“It’s my roommate’s, so if you want to borrow it, you have to take it up with her.” I slipped past him.

“You’re quite the feisty drunk.”

We arrived at my room and Ryder leaned against the wall next to my door.

I unlocked it, but he didn’t budge. “Did you want to come in?” I asked.

With a slow appraisal of my body, he asked, “You promise to be good?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes.” Though his smirk made me want to be bad.

He strolled past me and into my room.

I followed, amazed at how comfortable he could make himself anywhere.

I dug out a pair of shorts and slid them up my thighs. I had to force the dress up some in order to pull them all the way on. Ryder watched. Some part of me hoped seeing me almost naked would help change his mind, but he didn’t make a move. I tugged at my dress, yanking it over my boobs, yet it still managed to get stuck.

Ryder’s hands seared my back as he pushed the dress over my shoulders. After he helped slide it off, he ran his hands down the length of my body, finally resting them on my hips. He kissed my neck, before stepping back and slouching onto the bed. I pulled on a Sutton T-shirt, unfastened my strapless bra and let it fall to the floor. When I turned, I found Ryder staring at it lying on the ground. His gaze rose and he met my eyes.

I crawled around him and tucked myself into bed.

He kicked off his shoes, stood and unbuttoned his pants. They sagged but didn’t fall. He yanked his T-shirt over his head.

I stared at the muscles of each hip, plunging to some hidden point under his pants.

Ryder pulled his jeans off, revealing boxer briefs.

Though I should look away, I couldn’t. My heartbeat raced and I forced my gaze up. Dark eyes stared back. He lifted the blanket and crawled in beside me. We faced each other and he brushed his lips against mine.

“ ’Night, Brinley.”

Goodnight? How was I supposed to sleep now?

“ ’Night,” I whispered back. I tucked into his chest and he kissed my head. “Hey, Ryder?” My words were muffled by his chest.

“Yeah.”

“Wanna have sex?”

He chuckled. “Yeah. But you have to ask when you’re sober.”

I yawned. “How long you think it will take until I’m sober?”

He rubbed the top of my head. “Oh, I think we’ll both know the second you are.”





Chapter Ten


The blanket tangled around my feet at some point during the night, leaving my legs cold though my body was nice and warm. With my eyes sealed shut, I fumbled for the blanket. My hand came down hard on something.

“Son of a bitch.” Ryder groaned and curled in on himself.

I shot upright and grabbed my head. “Crap.”

Still clinging to his crotch, he moaned. “Geez, I know you’re pissed about the no-sex thing but don’t take it out on the boys.”

My body went rigid, but my jaw slacked as I stared down at Ryder.

I buried my face in my hands. “Ohmigod. Ohmigod.” I shook my head and prayed I could wake up from this nightmare.

Ryder chuckled. “She’s sober.”

My head pounded and my stomach soured. Bits and pieces of the previous night replayed. I desperately tried to suppress them.

“Anything you want to ask me?” Ryder’s amused tone made me feel angry and humiliated all at once. “I’m game for it now…well, at least, I was. You may have broken something. Should we check to see if everything’s working?”