Page 73 of Say Yes to the Nemesis
He just shakes his head. “Nope. Only you.”
That makes something in my chest lurch. I hate it.
“So what happens when the cameras stop filming? Does that mean this, whatever this is that’s going on between us, is done?”
He doesn’t answer.
I sigh and take another bite of my burger. After a minute, he slides along the couch until he’s close to me. He catches my wrist gently, not enough to stop me but enough to make me pause.
“I don’t know how to do this, okay? I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help it.”
My lip catches between my teeth. I look up. His eyes spear right through me. God help me. I have feelings for this guy, don’t I?
“Just don’t lie to me,” I whisper. “I couldn’t handle that.”
He moves to touch my hair, tucking a strand back behind my ear. I almost believe him.
I don’t know if he knows what he’s saying, but it’s clear that my brother was playing up Ryan’s past.
Ryan says, “I know we’re caught in a world of rights and wrongs, but I would like just one night where I don’t have to play by the rules. Anybody’s rules.”
I look up at him, breathless. “Then take me.”
twenty
WREN
Ryan Haart is kissing me.And oh, does he know how to kiss.
I open my mouth. Ryan crashes into me, tasting like fresh air and danger. It’s greedy, messy, and perfect. I arch against him, his pulse heavy on my lips. My skin prickles with desire. Before I know it, I am straddling him. The friction between us makes my head spin. I’m grinding against him, feeling him, hard through his jeans. All I can think ismore. He groans against my mouth, the sound vibrating through me.
“You’re killing me, Chirp,” he murmurs, breathless, leaving me breathless, too.
“I’m killing you?” I whisper, a laugh bubbling up, the tension electric between us. I’m surprised by how bold I feel, emboldened by everything that’s happened tonight. “Then why don’t we take this to the bedroom?”
He pulls back slightly. I can see his eyes gleaming in the dim light, wild and mischievous. He scoops me up over his shoulder like I’m a sack of flour, but it feels more like I’m his prize. I’m so surprised I let out a tiny, involuntary squeak that makes him chuckle as he carries me down the hallway. He deposits me on his bed with a grin that makes my stomach flip.
I laugh and flop back, catching my breath, trying to make sense of this.
“You’re such a caveman, Haart,” I tease. But there’s heat in my voice, in the room, everywhere. This is happening.
He hovers over me, his breath hot on my skin. I pull at his shirt, needing it off, needing everything off. He complies, a flash of his bare chest in the dim light. I think about how I am undressing him again with more than just my eyes this time.
We fumble with my shirt, our fingers tangling, my hands shaking with urgency. When I tug it off, he pushes it down my shoulders. It feels like a small victory, but I want so much more.
He stops, breathes, takes me in. His eyes are like a touch, moving over my skin. I want to cover myself, but more than that, I want him to finish what he started.
“You’re staring,” I say, my voice coming out soft and impatient.
“I won’t be rushed.” His gaze is unwavering, full of want. “Let me memorize you, Chirp.”
The way he says it makes my heart stutter. It’s like he’s waiting for permission, like he means every word.
I arch my back and part my thighs, wide, while my cheeks blaze. His eyes, hungry and bright, never leave me, like I’m the last game of the season and he must win. My deliberate display breaks the last of his resolve. He growls, lunges, and is on me. His mouth finds my breasts, kisses trailing down my stomach. I am slick and ready when he touches me. It’s like a fuse igniting.
“Is that all for me?” he asks, breathless.
“That’s what you do to me,” I manage, not quite a whisper, not quite a shout.
