Page 27 of Hook Up

“That’s just wonderful.”

“What does it matter? I caught Mandi screwing another man in my house. Trust me, she doesn’t deserve your sympathy.”

“Right now, I feel sorry for me.” I shake my head as the full breadth of his words hit home. “Wait, shelivedwith you, too? God, that’s so much worse.”

“Mandi was more than happy to end things. Trust me, the relationship has been over for months.”

Holding up two fingers, I prepare to stand my ground. “No, it’s been over for two days. Here I thought… doesn’t matter. Turns out I’m a rebound. At least it’s a step up from being the other woman.”

He grabs my arms, forcing me to look at him. “That is not the case, Gigi. You know how special you are to me.”

“Eight years ago, you kissed me with your date downstairs. Today, after our little dance floor make-out session, I discover you had a live-in girlfriend two days ago. Do you have any idea how bad this looks?”

“How long do I need to be single for it to be acceptable to you?” Oh, good, now he’s aggravated.

Two can play that game.

“More than two days would be preferable. Hell, is asking for a week between women too much?” I rub my brow as a headache brews. “I feel like an idiot. Again.”

“Gigi, that’s the last thing I ever want to do.”

He rubs my arms, but I shrug him off. My emotions become too muddled when he touches me, and I must maintain a clear head. “If it’s a quick lay you’re after, there’s a ton of women here who will do whatever you want. No questions asked.”

His eyes darken, a storm brewing in their depths. “Is that what you think? Gigi, if I wanted a quick lay, I’d have had one by now.” No sooner has the words left his mouth than he realizes what a terrible idea it was to give them a voice. A frown mars his brow as he takes a step toward me. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

He’s right, but contrite or not, the damage is done.

Stepping back, I shake my head, disgusted I ever considered sleeping with this man. Disgusted I believed I wasn’t another in a long line of women. “Have at it, Ryder. Don’t let me stop you.” I turn on my heel, but he grasps me about the waist, his large frame pinning me against the side of the limo.

His fingers encircle my wrists, holding them hostage as his mouth claims me. After a moment’s struggle, I relent, allowing my emotions to flow unbidden. With gentle strokes, his tongue slides against mine, coaxing me off my emotional ledge.

Let’s face facts—where Ryder Gray is concerned, I have no willpower.

The moment he releases my hands, I slide them around his neck, a heated moan rising from his throat as he presses closer.

When his hands slide under the hem of my skirt, the rest of the world falls away. All I see is him. All I feel is him.

“You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Gigi.”

Pulling back, I hold his azure gaze, searching for deception. I find none. Instead, I see years of long-shelved passion aimed at me and desperate for release.

It mirrors my own.

“Let me make you mine.”

“Ryder Gray,” a voice shouts from behind us, and I groan when I spy the group of reporters gathered on the sidewalk, cameras clicking.

“Oh, no,” I murmur, burying my head in his chest.

I can see the tabloid headlines now:Not a week between women. Way to go, Ryder Gray.

“Fucking vultures,” Ryder mutters. “The restaurant won’t allow them on their property, so they hover on the sidewalk, hoping for some action.”

“Which we just gave them. What do we do now?”

“I’m going to speak to them. Better they hear from me directly instead of inventing a story of their own. Do you want to come with me? Meet the press?”

“Hard pass. What are my other options?”

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