Page 35

“Are you sure?”

“Completely sure,” I said, running my hands up her arms. Fuck, I wanted to touch her everywhere. All my social anxiety had left the building. The only thing left inside me was desire.

Ryan lifted me off the car and then opened the passenger door for me. I fell into the seat, still swaddled in Ryan’s jacket.

She got into the driver’s seat and sped out of the lot, kicking up gravel.

Chapter Eight

“This is your rental?” I asked. It was dark, so I couldn’t see everything, but there was no mistaking that the house was big. Not as big as Mark’s, but still, large. We were down the end of a private road, tucked right into the woods, and this huge house was sitting here.

“I never knew this was here,” I said.

“I think they built it two or three years ago,” Ryan said, pulling into the garage.

This time I didn’t wait for her to open my door, but I did wait for her to open the door that led into the house as the automatic garage door closed.

I followed Ryan through the door and into a bright, open kitchen that was open to a huge living room with high ceilings and wood beams. The space had a modern cabin vibe with a massive brick fireplace, cozy couches, thick rugs, and a neutral palate.

“Wow,” I said. “This is gorgeous.”

“It works,” Ryan said, setting her keys down in a bowl on a side table. “Would you like a drink?”

“Sure,” I said, heading from the kitchen toward the living area. I peered through the window and saw a massive backyard with a patio, a shining grill, a pool, and a gazebo.

“Why do you swim in the ocean?” I asked as she mixed drinks for both of us.

“I don’t really like the smell of chlorine,” she said as she dropped ice cubes into a glass.

“That makes sense,” I said. “The ocean’s pretty cold, though.”

“I don’t mind,” she said.

I rejoined her in the kitchen to see what she was making. Ryan carefully moved a peeler across an orange and then added the little strip to the glass and handed it to me.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Negroni,” she said. “So you can try it.”

“Oh, thank you,” I said, taking it from her.

Ryan sipped at her drink, watching me. I took a cautious taste.

“Well?” she asked.

“It’s good,” I said. “I like it.”

“Good,” she said before starting to walk out of the kitchen and down a hallway.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

She swiveled around to face me. “My bedroom. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

I mean, yes, but now that I actually was standing in her house with her with the prospect of having sex with a sexy candle heiress, my anxiety had started to creep its way back into my mind.

“Y-yes, let’s go to your bedroom,” I said, hating the little stutter in my voice.

Ryan raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything else as she led me down the hall to her room.