Ryan (Mallick Brothers #2)(29)

That would be huge.

"Eli and Mark have something they need to do with me today actually. So, ah..."

Okay, seeing him a little stressed was charming. But I knew how that felt so I let him out of his misery. "Who then?"

"Fee and Lea. They're Hunter and Shane's women. They've been wanting to meet you and I thought..." he trailed off, sighing. "I probably should have asked first, but I invited them."

Okay.

That was okay.

No reason to freak.

It wasn't like they were interviewing me as a potential family member or anything. Except, let's get real, they totally would be.

I had a momentary pang of longing for a stash of makeup. Some coverup for the bruises, some lipstick, anything.

"Dusty, they're pretty chill chicks, okay? There's nothing to freak out about. Fee is going to show up dressed like she stepped out of a fucking fashion magazine because that's how she is and Lea is gonna be in jeans, tee, and combat boots because that's how she is. They're both going to curse a lot and likely make highly inappropriate sexual jokes because that's what they do. But they're not going to poke and prod at you about anything. They both have pasts too."

I took a deep breath, figuring I could deal with a little cursing and sexual remarks. I mean, his sister-in-law ran a phone sex business. That was kind of expected.

"Alright," I said with a nod as I forced myself to eat my food.

In fact, the more I thought about it, the more interested I got. I wanted to know about his family dynamic. I wanted to see the people he loved so deeply. And maybe a part of me too was excited about the idea of being around some women for a change. My life had been hyper-masculine since I stopped being able to leave my house. Aside from my seeing the woman who lived below me go about her daily life, and the sessions with my shrink, I literally had no contact with women. I had my uncle and Bry. I had the landlord when I occasionally needed him. Now I had Ryan and a bit of Eli and Mark. It would be kind of nice to have some girl talk again.

"You alright? You're quiet."

I smiled up at him, having momentarily forgotten he was actually there. "Sorry. Quiet is still my default," I admitted. "I'm not used to having someone around to talk to. I'm fine. When are they coming?"

"Knowing them, fifteen minutes earlier than I plan on them being here. Just to be pains in the ass. Though Fee tends to run more toward late with the kids now."

"Oh," I said, feeling another little thrill. "Are the kids coming?" I asked, hearing the eagerness in my own voice.

You didn't go into teaching kindergarten if you didn't like kids. They were loud and crazy and stressful and unpredictable and not everyone found those qualities cute and endearing. I, for one, always had. I loved every minute of being in my classroom- from the way they would light up when they finally learned all their letters to listening to the God-awful off-key way they would sing along to the glitter spills and glue mishaps and fighting over toys. I loved every second of it.



       
         
       
        

And it felt like a big part of me was missing since I lost that.

"No," he said, looking apologetic. "Not today. I thought maybe that would be a lot all at once. My nieces are cute as fuck, but they're a handful. Becca especially. Fee blames all of us for her. Says we let her get away with anything she wants."

"Do you?"

"For the most part," he admitted shamelessly. "She was the first kid any of us had ever really been around. We liked spoiling her."

"And now she's got you wrapped around her little finger," I said with a smile. I knew how that went. I saw it every day. I once had a mother come up to me and ask me to tell her daughter she wasn't allowed to push the other kids on the playground because she 'didn't want to be the bad guy'. Ridiculous.

"Something like that," he admitted, putting his coffee cup back on the breakfast cart. I guess that was a perk of living in a hotel occasionally- room service.

I followed suit, putting what was left of my breakfast on the cart and watching as he rolled it out into the hallway.

"Come here," he demanded, leaning against the front door. And I was hopeless to do anything but what he asked. His arms circled around my lower back, dragging me against his firm body. "Think they're gonna take away my man card if I said I'm gonna fucking miss you today?"

In my chest, my heart did a wild flip-flop and I beamed up at him. "It'll be our little secret," I said, wrapping my arms around the back of his neck, making my breasts crush into his chest. And despite having had him the night before and just over an hour ago, my body wanted him again. "I'm gonna miss you too," I admitted, knowing the truth of it down to a soul level. In such a short time, he had begun to mean so much. Maybe, if I was honest with myself, perhaps it was too much.

"Well then I think I'm safe," he said, giving me a smile as he leaned forward and claimed my lips.

I was pretty sure it was supposed to be a short, sweet little kiss. But, well, the second his lips pressed to mine, it became something else entirely. I whimpered against his lips as he held me impossibly tight to his body, as he slanted my head and deepened the kiss, as his tongue traced the seam and invaded.

He turned suddenly, slamming me back against the wall, taking my arms from around his neck and pinning them to the wall above my head as his lips left mine, leaving them feeling swollen and sensitive, and trailed down my cheek, jaw, and then torturing my neck. He kissed, licked, sucked, until every inch of my body was humming with the need for him, until I felt halfway to an orgasm and his hand hadn't been anywhere near my sex yet.

His mouth went up, his teeth snagging my earlobe and making me let out a moan. 

Then, perfectly timed it seemed, there was a ding in the hallway that made Ryan release me and go back a step. My hands fell numbly down by my sides as I pressed back against the wall, feeling wobbly and so turned on it was genuinely painful as Ryan took several long, deep breaths, similarly afflicted it seemed.

"Fuck," he sighed, scrubbing a hand down the scruff on his cheek that was well on its way to becoming a beard if he didn't shave sometime soon. "Told you they'd be early," he added with an apologetic smile, moving over toward me and pressing a kiss to my temple as I forced my legs to solidify again and stood up straight.

Then there was pounding on the door. Not knocking. Pounding with, it seemed, at least three fists. "Open up!" a female voice called, making Ryan chuckle and move a step to the side where the door was.

"Ready for this?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," I admitted, giving him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

Then he slid the locks and they... burst in.

They were polar opposites to each other in the looks department. One was blonde with a soft, delicate face, big green eyes, beach-wavy hair, and had on a tight mini skirt with glitter-printed leggings and an oversized black sweater that had a scoop neck and an unusual hem that went up high in the center then dipped down low at the sides so it actually brushed the hem of her skirt by her thighs.

The other was a tall, leggy, stacked woman with long, straight dark hair, striking blue eyes, and feminine but angular face. As Ryan had predicted, she wore a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, black combat boots, and a tight blue long-sleeve tee.

They both also had about half a dozen bags between them, in their hands and hanging from their wrists.

"Well...?" The blonde, Fee, demanded, big-eying Ryan as she waved a hand full of bags out.

"Well what?" Ryan asked.

"Where is she?" she added, rolling her eyes.

"Good morning to you too, Fee, Lea," he said, and while I couldn't see his face from my position behind the door, I could hear the smile in it. "It's nice to see you. You seem well..."

"Cut the bullshit. We aren't here for you," Fee added with a smirk in her own voice.

Ryan closed the door and their eyes fell on me as he reached out to take my hand and pull me forward. "Dusty," he said, giving me a squeeze. "This is Fee and Lea, my brothers' women. Guys, this is Dusty. Try not to freak her out too much while I'm gone."

"Oh, please," Fee said, rolling her eyes at him. "She's going to love us. Now leave so we can get the scoop on you."

"The scoop on me?" Ryan asked, raising a brow.

"I have a feeling he's the holds you down while he fuck..."

"Alright," Ryan cut her off on a rumbling chuckle. "On that note, I'm off. I apologize in advance for leaving you in their viper claws," he added, giving me a kiss and releasing my hand. "Have a good day. If you really need to get in touch with me, I have my cell." He stepped into the open doorway and looked at Fee and Lea and, with a pointed brow raise demanded, "Be nice." With that, he was going.

"So dramatic," Lea snorted as he left. "Like we're here to make you join our Satanical cult or something," she said, dropping the bags she had on the coffee table. "That is totally up to you," she added and, caught off guard, I let out a somewhat loud laugh.

"So you look freshly kissed," Fee added, similarly disposing of her bags and cocking her head to look at me. "Come on, the suspense is killing me. Is he the hold you down sort?"