Page 86 of Something to Someone

“You haven’t scolded me for calling you ‘baby,’” I observed. “Is that allowed now?”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head in mock annoyance. “I’ll allow it for now,” she said. “But only if you give me something in return.” She pushed her hips off the couch and dragged them along my aching erection, making her intentions and desires crystal fucking clear.

With a groan, I rolled my hips and watched her mouth pop open on a silent moan. “Anything, baby,” I promised. “I’ll give you anything you want.”

THIRTY-SEVEN

THIRTY-FOUR CANDLES

Caroline

Glancingover at the clock above the stove, I hurriedly grabbed the last platter of food from the fridge and placed it on the island.

I rearranged a few plates and switched the music booming through the speakers mounted around the house. Although my friends who were joining me to celebrate my birthday would have been fine listening to my carefully curated early 2000s playlist, my parents and other family members would not.

After event planning for the better part of a decade and putting together my own parties for even longer, I had hosting down to a science. But I still couldn’t shake the nervous energy buzzing through me. It had nothing to do with the party itself, or even turning another year older and had everything to do with the fact that it was the first time I would introduce Ryder to my family as my boyfriend.

It was the natural next step, but he was the first person who had claimed that title since Jaxon, so it felt monumental.

The weeks since I’d shown up at his apartment had been better than I ever expected. Telling him about Daniel and then Jaxonwas rough, but I felt like a thousand-pound weight had been lifted in the process.

After our fireworks-filled reunion, he’d asked me about Daniel. What he was like and about our relationship. It had been cathartic to talk about and even more so when Ryder asked to see the scrapbook. We’d flipped through it for a while. I explained the photos and shared a few stories.

When I got home, I’d placed it on the shelf at the top of my closet where I expected it to stay. The past was once and for all truly behind me, and apparently, it had taken Ryder fucking Calaway to help make that happen.

I glanced down at the ring on my right ring finger and smiled. When Ryder found an upgraded option, a silver band with simple, light purple stones that didn’t come out of a coin-operated vending machine, he jumped on the opportunity.

He’d picked it up a few days ago, before my birthday, but he couldn’t wait to give it to me. That night, he’d slid the box across the table at dinner with a clarification that it was absolutely not an engagement ring. Neither of us was ready for that step.

It was the sweetest gift I’d ever been given, and I never wanted to take it off.

The front door opened, and a voice boomed, “Baby, I’m home!”

I shook my head and tried to hide my smile as Ryder came around the corner with the largest bouquet of light purple flowers I’d ever seen. His smile was a mile wide, and his black hair was a mess like he’d been running his fingers through it all day.

It wasn’t until he stepped closer that I realized he was also holding a smaller, white bouquet, too. It was partially hidden behind the enormous purple one. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion but happily kissed him over the armful of flowers.

“Two bouquets?” I asked as he placed both on the counter next to the sink and slid his arms around my waist. He ushered me backward until my back hit the countertop behind me, and I had nochoice but to heed his hungry kiss and exploratory hands.

The warmth and fullness in my chest still felt so new to me, but I’d finally stopped fighting it.

Ryder placed one final kiss on my lower lip and pulled back. He smiled down at me and cupped my cheek.

“Happy birthday, pretty girl.”

“You’ve already wished me happy birthday several times today.”

He shook his head and brushed his nose against mine. “And I’m bound to tell you at least ten more times before the day is over.”

He kissed me once more and stepped back. “I left the drinks in the car. I’ll be right back.”

I nodded, and he jogged around the corner. Crossing the kitchen, I surveyed the large purple bouquet. It was all my favorite flowers and so large it wouldn’t fit anywhere in the kitchen. It was as heavy as I expected as I moved it to the center of the kitchen table.

Ryder reentered the kitchen with soda and beer in both hands as I turned my attention to the smaller, but no less pretty, white arrangement. He set the drinks on the counter and started organizing them in the fridge.

“So, two bouquets?” I asked.

Ryder slid the last can into place and straightened, shutting the fridge and turning to me. He leaned against the counter next to me and placed his hand against my hip. With my hands wrapped around the clear glass vase, I spun the flowers slowly.

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