Page 22 of Breaking Ryan Baylor

“Of course you did,” she mumbled.

“Fuck’s that supposed to mean?” He crossed his arms and stared at her intently.

“Nothing. It’s just…” She sighed. “You’re so attractive, it’s sickening. I don’t know if you even know how hot you actually are.”

“I’ve heard a few things about it.”

“OK, well, I’ve never been with anyone even close to you. You’re an actual 10. And I’m not an idiot. I’ve seen the girls you run with, Ryan. My old crusty ass can’t compete. I think this?” She circled her hands between the two of them. “It’s clearly some kind of curious junk food bender you’re on or something.”

He uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on either of her shoulders. “One, if you ever refer to yourself as junk food again, I’ll throat punch you. Two, what you just did to me on that couch, how quickly I came? That doesn’t happen. Like, ever. Not a single one of those girls,” he leaned in close to her and kissed her on the forehead, “has shit on you. I’ve felt sick about you for days, wondering how to talk to you about this without scaring you away. And I didn’t spill my guts just to have you write me off. I’m prepared to fight for this, for you. I don’t have the first fucking clue what I’m doing, and I fully expect to fuck it up, but I’m ready to go down swinging.”

“We’re both gonna get so hurt. You know that, right?”

He shrugged. “Just another day that ends in ‘y’ for me. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“Fine, I’ll make you a deal,” she said. “I’m not committing to anything serious with you right now, OK? I can’t. But if you wanna do this again, there’s one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“I want you to make nice with…”

“Don’t say it. Don’t you dare fucking say it!”

“…Tyler.”

He groaned and threw his hands up. “I knew it. Really?”

“You’re mean as shit to him.”

“Because he’s an asshole.”

“No, he’s really not. He’s a good guy and he likes you. A lot. I want you to talk to him. You’ve got a long bus ride. Make friends with him, play ‘Never Have I Ever’ or some shit. I have to imagine this rift between you guys is carrying over to the ice as well, no?”

“Yeah. Rizz yelled at me today,” he said quietly. “Said I need to make more of an effort with him. And apparently, Coach is pissed.”

“See? Now you have two reasons to play nice. You make friends with Tyler, and,” she ran her fingers slowly through his hair, “you’ll get exactly what you want when you come back from your little road trip.”

He reached up, grabbed her hand, and moved it down to his crotch. “I ain’t 41. I can get goin’ again right now. Let’s go, woman.”

“You know, I would, but neither of us has another 30 seconds to spare at the moment, stud.” She started back toward her room, then turned back to face him. “I’m serious. I want some progress between you two this weekend.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, heading to his room, wondering how the hell he was supposed to connect with Tyler fucking Hayes. He wanted to connect with him, alright: connect a right hook with his jawline.

By the time he finished showering, packing, and laying out his suit for tomorrow, it was after 12 and he was exhausted. Before he went to sleep though, he fired off a single text message.

R: You were right. Just hooked up, and I couldn't even last 30 seconds into a hand job. I fucking can't get enough of her, Luke. I think I'm falling for her.

First Contact (10)

“Hold up, hold up: make way for the man of the hour,” Dalesy held his hands out as Ryan walked onto the bus. “This fuckin’ guy right here!” The other guys were clapping and cheering for him, and he couldn’t wipe the cheesy-ass grin off his face.

Ryan Baylor had just had the game of his life. With his help, the Islanders absolutely destroyed the Phantoms at their own home opener, 5-2. He’d put up two goals, including the game-winner, two assists, he was plus four, he dominated the PK, and he’d annihilated the other guy in his first-ever pro fight. He was named the first star of the game, and literally everyone had complimented him on his hustle, even Hayes.

“Now that is how you fuckin’ do it, Rook!” he’d said to him, slapping his ass and shaking his shoulders as he walked into the locker room after the game. “I knew you had it in there somewhere.”

He was on a serious high as he made his way through the bus, all the way to the second to last row, until he found what he was looking for. “Mind if I sit?”

Hayes looked up from his phone. “Go for it, stud,” he said, patting the seat next to him.

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