Page 50 of Shaken and Stirred (Bottle Service Boys #1)

RYDER

When tearing Kenny a new asshole, I might have gone overboard, but the way Alex had tried to dive down my throat afterward let me know he didn’t mind my aggressive approach at all.

Someone had to put that little punk in his place, and I knew the situation was complicated for Alex due to his mother’s feelings on the matter.

The funny thing was, I didn’t balk at saving Kenny’s ass from violent drug dealers, and I would have bailed him out of jail in a heartbeat if he’d shown an ounce of remorse and asked for help.

But instead, he’d run his mouth. What I wouldn’t tolerate was him talking shit about Alex.

Not a fucking chance.

After Alex kissed me senseless, he helped his mom finish getting ready to head to the hospital. Since they didn’t have a modified car with space for her motorized wheelchair, he had to help her into a manual chair, then into my car, where he folded the chair and stowed it in the trunk.

All before seven a.m.

It was exhausting, both physically and emotionally, but Alex never complained.

And Kenny never came back out of his room.

And Alex couldn’t figure out why I liked doing things for him, why I wanted to spoil him.

No one deserved it more.

The weather had changed, bringing the warmth of spring, which made getting around easier. I no longer had to worry about Alex driving on snow and ice in his old beater of a vehicle. For some reason, he wouldn’t let me buy him a new car, no matter how many times I asked.

Stubborn man.

When we arrived at the hospital, we wheeled her to the OR check-in window. From there, she was whisked away to prepare for surgery, and we had a few hours to kill.

“Want to grab a coffee at that little shop on the first floor?” I asked after saying goodbye to his mom.

Alex nodded. “Unless you need to go. You don’t have to stay with me.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I know.”

“Okay, then coffee it is.” He bumped my shoulder, then took my hand, making me smile.

I got it. This relationship thing was new to both of us, and he needed to make sure one final time that I wanted to be here.

Which I did. Over the past few weeks, I’d discovered I’d happily sit on a trash heap just to be next to Alex.

Throwing my arm around his shoulders, I tugged him to me as we strolled down the hallway. “Or we could find a supply closet and reenact what went down in the shower this morning,” I whispered against his ear before kissing the side of his head.

He glared at me with the same scowl that used to annoy me. “Jesus, Ryder.” He shifted his hips as he walked.

“Something wrong?”

“Yes, something is wrong. I’m fucking hard in the middle of the damn hospital.”

“Mmm, I love making you hard, especially when you grow on my tongue. Wanna know what my favorite thing is?” He didn’t respond, but the furrow in his brow told me he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to strangle me or push me against the window and fuck me.

“My favorite thing in the whole goddamn world is taking you in my mouth in the morning when you’re still soft and sleepy.

I love the way you get so fucking hard on my to—”

He stopped so abruptly that I stumbled, but the way he shoved me against the wall of windows prevented me from falling. “Shut up,” he said with a growl as he slammed his palm over my mouth. “Just shut the fuck up.”

I smirked beneath his hand.

“You cannot say shit like that to me in the hallway of a hospital.”

Since I couldn’t speak, I raised an eyebrow. Why?

He stepped into me, letting me feel his erection pressing along the length of mine, which went hard in a flash. My eyes fluttered closed. Oh, how I loved that feeling.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “That’s why.” He removed his hand and whispered, “Because now I want to fuck when I have to sit in a hospital waiting room for hours.”

I opened my mouth, and he shook his head with a laugh.

“No, I’m not fucking you in a hospital supply closet, you deviant.”

He’d do it. If I pushed, I could get him to the point of no return where he’d drag me off like a caveman to the nearest dark corner. A shiver ran through me at the delicious thought, but I backed off. I’d succeeded in taking his mind off today’s stress.

“Then I guess I’ll have to settle for coffee.”

As he laughed, my phone buzzed from my pocket. A quick check showed my mother’s name at the top. We hadn’t spoken in weeks since the blowup with my father when I’d moved out. She texted a few times, but I’d left them on read. I silenced the phone and shoved it in my pocket.

“You’re going to have to talk to them at some point.”

“I know. Just not today. But I know I have to do it soon. My classes start in a few weeks so…”

The phone buzzed again. Another call from my mother. I frowned at the flashing screen.

“You should get it,” Alex said gently. “It might be important.”

“She’s probably just trying to get my attention.”

“Ryder…”

I sighed. “Yeah, I know.” My mom wasn’t the type to bomb my phone with calls and messages.

She seemed perfectly happy to let our silence go on until I finally reached out.

If she was calling, it had to be important.

I pushed off the wall as I swiped the phone and lifted it to my ear. “Hello, Mother.”

Immediately, sobs so loud they were nearly wails came through the phone. Alex grabbed my arm, clearly able to hear even though I hadn’t put the phone on speaker.

“Mom? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” I clutched the phone hard as my heart raced. “Where are you?”

“At the h-h-hospital. E-emergency R-room.”

I met Alex’s worried gaze. “She’s here,” I mouthed.

He still held my arm, but now his thumb rubbed back and forth in a soothing motion.

“What happened?” I was yelling now. Alex and I started jogging in the direction of the Emergency Room.

“I-it’s your father. H-he had a-a stroke.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “What?” I whispered. A cold wave washed over me, numbing my entire body.

“It’s bad, Ryder.” Her meek voice pierced through my heart, and my stomach bottomed out. “Can you come?”

The teary question zapped me out of my shock. “Yes. Yes, of course. “I’m…” My head spun. My stomach lurched. I was going to be sick.

Alex pulled me close and pried the phone from my clenched fist. “Mrs. Calloway?” he said as he lifted it to his ear.

“I’m Alex. Ryder is with me in the hospital right now, waiting for my mother to come out of surgery.

I’ll bring him to you in the ER right now.

” He fell silent, rubbing his hand up and down my back as I leaned into him.

My father had a stroke. He was only fifty. He played golf all the damn time. He wasn’t unhealthy. How had this happened?

“Yes, ma’am… okay, he’ll be right there.

” Alex ended his call and slid my phone into my pocket while I stood there, useless, with my mind rioting.

“Hey,” he said as he cupped my face and forced me to meet his gaze.

“Your mom said they’re admitting him to the ICU.

That’s where she wants you to meet her, okay? ”

I nodded. His big thumbs stroked over my cheeks in a move I’d have nuzzled into like an attention-seeking cat only seconds ago. Now, his touch was the only thing keeping me grounded as my world descended into chaos.

“Okay, all you need to do right now is keep breathing slow and steady. I’ll get you there.”

Of the two of us, Alex had dealt with more than his share of devastating medical news. Plus, he was rock steady. I had no problem putting myself entirely in his hands.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“Wait—” I caught him by his wrists before he could release my face.

“I… we don’t get along. Most of the time, I don’t even like him.

But this…” I shook my head as shame gripped my throat.

“I’d never want something like this for him, but I’m still angry at him. What kind of person does that make me?”

“Oh, baby…” He yanked me into a bone-crushing hug, surrounding me with his warmth and strength, exactly what I needed.

“Of course you didn’t. I’d never think that of you for a second.

Just because something tragic happened doesn’t change who he was or that you had a complicated relationship.

That’s all still valid, but it doesn’t mean you don’t want the best for him. Okay?”

God, this man, how did he always know exactly what to say? What the hell would have happened if he hadn’t been with me when I got the call?

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Always.” He released me, then gave me a thorough once-over with his assessing gaze. “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Hand in hand, we walked to a bank of elevators. I had no idea which floor he pushed or if anyone else joined us in the elevator. All I could do was stare at the slit where the doors joined and feel the strength of Alex’s hand clutching mine.

“We’re here,” he said in a low tone when the doors slid open.

I felt numb, as though he was guiding me through a sensory deprivation tunnel while he led me out of the elevators and down a short hallway.

“Hey,” he said, concern marring his voice.

I blinked. A set of closed double doors came into focus.

“I can’t go in with you.”

“What?” Panic clawed at my throat. “Why not?”

He pointed to a white sign on the wall above a mounted phone. It read Two visitors at a time. Immediate family only. Use the phone to give the receptionist the name and room number.

Shit.

“I can’t—”

“Shh…” Alex kissed the side of my head. “You can. And I’ll be right here when you’re done, okay?” He pointed left, where a small waiting area with four vinyl chairs and a fuzzy television playing the local news awaited him.

I shook my head. “Alex, your mom. You can’t—”

His expression hardened to the most serious I’ve ever seen from him, even as his eyes radiated with something profound. Something I was terrified to hope for because it might crush me if I misread him.

“I said I will be here, Ryder. I. Will. Be. Here.”