Page 57 of Whirlwind

“Joey is going to want to sleep at some point,” I say, though he definitely can’t sleep in this bed. We’ll have to get a cot rolled in and open the windows to air it out.

Ryker holds me tighter. “Did you have to say his name right now while we’re both naked together and my cum is inside you?”

The corner of my mouth turns up. “Sorry, but he does have to get back in here. Otherwise, he has to share with Ezra and Hawk. Not that I’d think he’d mind sharing a bed with the latter.”

Ryker’s body stiffens. At first, I think his reaction is because of the possibility of Joey having to room with Hawk and Ezra, because if he does that, the entire team will know for sure that Ryker and I slept together. But then I realize what I said and feel stupid for saying it, because I don’t know if Joey wanted Ryker to know his personal information.

“Ryker, what is it?” I ask, holding my breath in anticipation of his answer. When I feel his body relax, mine does, too.

“Well, shit, I guess that explains Joey’s tall, dark, and smart comment,” he drawls, Southern accent thicker than usual.

My face screws up. “I have no idea what that means.”

“Joey spoke to me before we danced, I apologized for my behavior, and…”

“And what?”

Ryker strokes my cheek and sighs. “Do you promise not to be angry?”

“I can’t promise that, no.”

His breath puffs over the top of my hair. “Fair enough.” He takes a breath. “Joey told me I was being an idiot about you, helped me see what kind of mistake I was making by what I did and told me to go to you on the dance floor.”

My heart warms at his words. Joey is the sweetest person alive, and I love that he did that, even if it was meddling. Buthe always has the best intentions, and I know he wouldn’t have encouraged Ryker if he didn’t think our relationship could be something.

I look into Ryker’s eyes. “Why would I be angry about that?”

“I don’t want you to think the only reason I apologized is because Joey pushed me to.”

“Is it?”

He shakes his head and squeezes me closer. “No, he may have helped me see what a fucking idiot I was for what I said yesterday, but I already knew it. I just spiraled because of the circumstances.”

I run my fingers through the light smattering of chest hair over Ryker’s pecs. He shivers at the gentle motion, and I smile to myself. “We can talk about our circumstances later,” I tell him, because honestly, I don’t want to think about school or the fact that he’s my professor or our age difference—none of it matters right now. I want to enjoy this moment without all that.

“Okay,” Ryker says.

“But I still want to know what that has to do with the tall, dark, and smart comment.”

He threads one of his toned legs through mine, and I cuddle further into his damp chest, not caring that this room is hot and I’m a literal mess. The motel maid is going to hate us tomorrow when she strips the sheets.

“As I’ve already confessed, my idiot self thought he was flirting with you this whole time.”

“He was,” I tease.

Ryker chuffs. “Yeah, yeah. I get it, but you know what I mean.”

I tug on some of the hair I’m playing with, and Ryker’s cock twitches against my leg. It makes me grin deviously and has him clearing his throat.

“He told me he was bi and that he generally prefers tall, dark, and smart—I thought he meant me at first.”

I cackle. “Oh, Ryker, no.”

His fingers tickle against my ribs gently, and I squirm, shoving him away. He smiles wide, a smile I’ve missed seeing on his face, then he pulls me back into him and places his chin on top of my head.

“Yeah, I get that now. I can’t believe I didn’t see it.”

“It was easy to spot if you were paying attention. They were definitely not just tinkering with the rockets together outside the diner earlier, either. They were totally making out.”

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