Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“Seems like this night is one for celebrations. Let’s grab dinner and make it official,” Cal says with a slap to Dad’s shoulder.
“How about Taco Loco?” Sadie throws out and everyone agrees.
“All right. We’ll all meet up at the restaurant,” Dad says. “Last one there foots the bill.”
As everyone heads for the exit, Ryder and I hang back, needing to steal a moment alone.
He presses his lips to mine again before whispering, “I would much rather take you home and make love to you.”
“Me too, but there’s no way we can bail on our parents.”
He glances at them. “Nope. It’ll have to wait until after.”
I reach onto the tips of my toes and whisper, “Did I happen to mention that I started another one of Carina’s books and there was a pretty interesting position I wouldn’t mind trying out?”
He groans before smacking another kiss against my lips. “Are you sure we can’t just ditch them? We could always say that you have a headache or something.”
My lips tremble around the edges as I shake my head. “Yeah, it’s doubtful anyone would buy that.”
“I think you might be trying to torture me,” he grumbles.
With a shrug, I nip his lower lip between my teeth and give it a gentle tug. “Maybe.”
“Maybe my ass. You’re definitely trying to torture me. But you know what?”
I raise my brows in askance.
His voice softens and his expression grows serious. “It doesn’t matter, because I love you.”
“I love you more. And I have a sign that proves it.”
Before I can say anything else, he sweeps me up into his arms and carries me out of the arena.
And yeah…we end up at Taco Loco for an hour or so before heading home, where Ryder makes sweet love to me.
CHAPTER 37
RYDER
The house is jampacked as we move through the first floor. My arm is draped around Juliette’s shoulders. What I’ve found is that I can’t keep her close enough. Even when we’re having sex, it’s never enough.
I want closer.
I want everything with this girl.
I always have.
And now she’s mine.
It might have taken a while, but Juliette McKinnon belongs to me. And if I have anything to say about it, that’s the way it’ll stay. I kept my distance for years until it was no longer possible. And then I did the only thing I could and claimed her as my own.
Thank fuck she claimed me right back.
“Love you, babe,” I whisper against the outer shell of her ear.
She turns her face until our gazes can lock and hold. A smile simmers around the corners of her lips.
“I love you, too.”
Her softly spoken words have the power to settle something deep inside me.
It’s like that every time.
Breaking eye contact, Juliette glances over her shoulder at Carina and the new guy she’s been seeing. He’s a douchey baseball player. Justin something or other. As far as I can tell, the guy seems kind of full of himself. All he does is talk about baseball. His stats and how great he is…blah, blah, blah.
For fuck’s sake, he’s not even in season.
Chill out, man.
“Let’s get something to drink,” Justin shouts before plowing his way toward the kitchen and dragging Carina behind him like a ragdoll. She glances at Juliette before shrugging and going with the flow.
Once she disappears through the sea of people, I ask, “How long do you think this one will last?”
Juliette narrows her eyes and scrunches her nose. “Hopefully, not long. I don’t particularly care for him. Brooke is friends with a girl on the soccer team who he cheated on.”
Not a surprise.
“Did you tell Carina about it?” I ask with a popped brow.
“Not yet, but I will.” She presses her lips together before admitting, “The guy is kind of an ass.”
“Really?” I say with a snort. “I hadn’t noticed.”
A chuckle erupts from me when she whacks me on the chest.
It takes about ten minutes before we finally make it to the kitchen. Everyone is there and having a good time. Luckily, the party isn’t too rowdy or out of control. This hasn’t turned into a clothing-optional evening and no one’s putting on a sex show in the living room.
Some of these people just don’t care about having an audience.
Or maybe that’s the kind of thing they’re into.
It’s the sound of raised voices over the music that pulses throughout the first floor that catches my attention. Fights erupt here just as often as they do on the ice. These are a bunch of guys who are used to throwing punches.
Hell, I’ve thrown a few myself.
My gaze sweeps over the packed space until it lands on the guy Carina brought with her.
And Ford.
I should have known this would happen. Even though all these two do is bicker, their wicked barbs seem more like foreplay than genuine dislike.
Ford glares at the ballplayer. “What the fuck are you doing here, Fischer?”