Page 34 of Stuck On Them

Real smooth.

The driver was already opening the trunk and pulling out Paige’s bags, so I busied myself with helping him. I could separate what happened in the past from helping out a woman in distress, couldn’t I? Besides, it was just for a few days until we found her another place to stay.

There is no we.

She eventually got out of the car, her lips pressed into a tight line. I didn’t want to risk her demanding me to take her to a hotel or back to her place, so I stayed quiet as we made our way up to my condo on the thirty-eighth floor.

As I opened my door, Paige gasped in amazement. I couldn’t blame her; my condo was like something out of a magazine. The modern, sleek design blended seamlessly with the warm, inviting furniture. When I’d first moved in, it had felt cold and uninviting with all of the white and chrome.

“Wow,” she breathed out, looking around the space with wide eyes before walking toward the large windows with a view of Central Park and the Hudson River. “This is incredible.”

A weird feeling of déjà vupassed through me as I left her stuff at the end of the hallway and walked toward her. This time, though, I didn’t wrap my arms around her.

As we both stood in silence, our arms pressed together, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked in the soft glow of the city lights. I was struck by how badly I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her again.

”I’m going to show you to your room.” I stepped away from her before I did something stupid. “It’s just down the hall.”

Paige followed me, her footsteps echoing in the silence. I stopped in front of the guest room, gesturing for her to enter. The room was comfortable, with a queen-sized bed and its own bathroom. It didn’t have the same view as the living room and my room, but it was still a nice one nonetheless.

“I hope it’s comfortable enough.” I stepped into the room behind her.

“It’s perfect. Bigger than my whole apartment.” She turned to face me, and I could see the hesitation in her eyes. “Are you sure this is okay?”

I moved closer, my eyes locked on hers, holding steady for a beat longer than necessary. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

My heart pounded in my ears, and my lower back prickled with sweat. She backed up a few steps, right into the wall.

“Ryker,” she whimpered as I cupped her cheek. “Wow. Your hand is really hot.”

“I’ve never had someone compliment my hand before. Usually, Garrett gets all the hand and arm compliments.” My words were just the reminder I needed to snap out of it, and I took a step back. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

She reached for my face, putting the back of her hand against my cheek. “You’re burning up. Are you feeling okay?”

I felt my forehead. Shit. “I’ve felt a little off today, but I just thought...”

“You thought it was me.” She turned her hand over and the contrast between our skin’s temperatures was noticeable. “You should go take your temperature and get some sleep. You do look tired.”

I nodded, not really wanting to leave her presence. “Yeah, I think I will. Goodnight, Paige.”

She smiled softly at me as I backed toward the door, not taking my eyes off her. “Goodnight, Ryker.”

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, feeling like a lovesick teenager. Maybe I did have a fever and it was making me delusional.

As I trudged to my room, my thoughts were consumed with her. The way she looked at me, the softness of her skin, the sound of her voice. Everything about her was making me crazy. It was like she had cast a spell on me, and I couldn’t shake it off.

Apparently, neither could my dick.

I went into my bathroom, turning on my shower before stripping down. A cold shower would hopefully fix the need that was burning inside me.

At least for now.

Chapter12

Ice, Ice Baby

Luca

Istood outside Ryker’s door, wondering if I should knock or just use my passcode. Ryker not showing up to the office by nine o’clock was unheard of and I was worried. He hadn’t called and his phone went straight to voicemail. After our conversation the day before, he wasn’t in a good headspace, even though we ended our little spat with a hug.

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