Page 135 of The Right Move

Ryan doesn’t seem upset, only slightly unimpressed. Leaning a shoulder against the corner wall of the living room, he keeps his hands in his pockets and one foot crossed over the other, casually unaffected.

“There’s the runaway.”

“Hi.”

Eyes soften. “Hi, Blue.”

Zanders squeals from the couch like a teenager.

“I was giving you some space,” I explain before I’m asked.

“Why would I want space, and from you of all people?”

“Last night—”

“Last night, you didn’t let me finish what I was trying to say.”

He pops off the wall, quickly swallowing the distance between us and meeting me across the room. He crowds me with his beautiful body, stepping into my space as I retreat at the same pace.

His hooded eyes look down at me, bottom lip sliding between his teeth. “Can we finish our conversation now?”

I swallow, audibly, and with a simple nod.

“No one has ever come into my life without just looking for what they can gain from me,” he repeats his words from last night, as if I could forget them. “Until you.”

Backing up, my shoulders hit the wall where Ryan brackets his hands above my head, caging me in, and ensuring I hear his words.

“Until you walked your colorful, messy, and extremely tempting ass into my apartment. I’ve never once felt taken advantage of by you. In fact, if you remember, I was the one who didn’t want you paying rent. I don’t give a fuck if you don’t need to save money anymore, you’re not leaving.”

“That sounds very kidnap-y of you.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Looking down, I find the bright pink toothbrush still in my hand. My romantic brain played this out a lot differently. Maybe this confession would come in the middle of a rainstorm or announced publicly in front of millions of people. Not while I’m holding my toothbrush in the middle of my best friend’s apartment.

“We have an audience,” I whisper, nodding towards the couple of eavesdroppers on the couch.

“Good. They can watch for all I care.” Ryan gently takes my toothbrush and sets it on a nearby table before draping my arms over his shoulders. “After what they put me through last year? This is the very least they deserve.”

A quick bubble of a laugh escapes me.

The sound causes a beautifully soft smile to tug at the corner of his lip, concaving his dimples. “So, are we done with the whole bullshit conversation about you moving out?”

Ocean eyes drop to my mouth.

“But I spend a lot of your money.”

“Someone needs to.”

“And I’m messy. You don’t like messy.”

“I like your mess.”

“And I’m needy. I have no idea how to be alone.”

“Good. I don’t want you to be alone. I want you to be with me.”

His eyes fall to my throat, watching it work its way through a swallow.

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