Page 78 of The Christmas You Crash

She mumbles something unintelligible in response, then ducks her head back into the hallway and leaves us alone.

“Boyfriend, huh?”

Now that we’re alone, Ryder sweeps me into his arms, flowers and all, and slants his lips over mine. I can’t help it. I moan into his mouth. And when he ends the kiss much sooner than I’d like, I whine. It’s not dignified, but he doesn’t seem to mind, if the self-satisfied smirk on his face is any indication.

“Yeah. Your boyfriend. I guess we could play it cool for a while longer if you really want, but I figure it’s inevitable. Why not call it what it is?”

“Cocky much?” Honestly, he has every right to be cocky. He’s sweet and hot, and just showed up at my place with the most beautiful bouquet anyone has ever given me. I could deny that I want him to be my boyfriend, but what would it get me?

A very hard, very impressive bulge presses into me as Ryder replies, “Hell, yeah, OTG. Extremely cocky.”

I giggle, but it turns into a soft moan when Ryder presses his thigh between mine and uses his grip on me to grind my pussy along his jean-clad leg. My mind goes to that day at the cabin, when he made me come just like this. “We can’t do this out here,” I say breathlessly. “Roommate.”

“Say you’re my girlfriend and I’ll stop.” He grins wickedly and nips at my lower lip.

“I’m your girlfriend.” He draws a gasp out of me when he grinds me along his leg again. “Oh, fuck.”

And just like that, Ryder stops. Despite the fact that I’m the one calling for a sexual ceasefire, I can’t hide my disappointment. The way lust addles my brain and lights my entire body on fire every time he touches me is insane.

Blue eyes closing, Ryder tips his head back and groans. “Damn, Alexis. It’s so hard to keep it together around you.” His hands roam over my back. “But I came here to ask you to get food with me. As much as I want to carry you over my shoulder caveman-style into your room so I can ravish you, I was hoping we could talk a bit about how things will go once I’m cleared to play.”

The fizzy bubbles of happiness that have been tickling my stomach begin to pop. Every word Ryder has spoken, every gesture he’s made runs through my internal processors. He can’t be breaking up with me. The man just claimed me as his girlfriend in front of my roommate. Maybe my dad found out about us? No, he looks too calm for that. I suck in a slow breath.

“Lex? Your face is doing something weird right now. Are you okay?” Ryder squints at me. The longer he looks, the more his smile slips.

Get it together, Lexi. I suck in a deep breath and hold it for five seconds before releasing it. “I’m good. Totally fine. Dinner, you say?”

Ryder’s head tilts to the side. And then his eyes widen. “Babe, this isn’t a bad conversation. When I say I want to talk about things, I mean I want to plan out our schedules so I can see you as much as humanly possible.”

Of course, that’s what he meant.Not everyone is champing at the bit to ditch you, Lexi.

“Sorry,” I say, genuinely embarrassed at my reaction. But I suppose it’s better to show Ryder my crazy and my issues soonerrather than later. That way, if he sticks around, I’ll know he really likes me.

One slow, sweet kiss to my forehead later, Ryder meets my gaze. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Now, let’s get those flowers in some water, then grab some food. I didn’t do full body training today, but I did enough that I’m hungry again.”

That breaks the tension. Pro athletes’ appetites are nothing to scoff at. And I had a long day of classes today, so I could eat too.

“What do you have in mind?”

Someday,I hope Ryder looks as longingly at me as he’s currently looking at my double cheeseburger.

“God, watching you eat that thing is pure torture.” Ryder groans, scrubbing his hand over his face before glaring at his über-healthy dinner of chicken and broccoli. “But I went off plan so many times at the cabin, I really need to buckle down now.”

“Poor baby,” I coo through a mouthful of burger.

“Watch it,” Ryder warns with a twinkle in his eyes. “Or I’ll spank that perfect ass later.”

Hand over my heart, I gasp for dramatic effect before rolling my eyes. “That supposed to scare me? Don’t threaten me with a good time, Hanson.”

He laughs at that. Free and loud and with his head thrown back. Ryder’s responses to me are always enthusiastic and genuine, and it thaws some deeply frozen part of me that’s used to being an obligation, or a stepping stone, or background noise. I’m none of those things with him, and I wish I could take back my panicked reaction earlier. Which is why I draw in a slowbreath, suck it up, and start the conversation, so he doesn’t have to.

“You had your appointment with the doctor today, right? How’d it go?”

Those stunning blue eyes survey me as he takes a bite of broccoli. “Really good, actually. I should be cleared to play in a week and a half. I have to go in daily for physical therapy, but everything is looking good.”

“That’s so great,” I say. And I mean it. Sure, there’s a flutter of worry in my belly about what this will mean for our relationship. But it’s like the fluttering of a singular insect’s wings, not the frenetic flapping of a whole murder of crows. Manageable. Reasonable. “That means your first game back will be a home game, right?”

Ryder flashes me a mouth full of white teeth as he smiles. “Yeah, it does. You keeping track of my schedule, OTG?”

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