Drop Everything Now (8 page)

Ryder practically hopped off his seat. “No problem.” He moved to the open space in the café area, mumbling something to the fake-mustachioed workers, and they all fanned out to leave space for him.

I snorted. “Okay, Ryder, seriously. It’s just a cartwheel.”

When he backed up two steps in prep, he snuck a look over to me and gave me a fast wink. Then he charged forward and launched into a full back-handspring with a flip at the end. My mouth dropped open, and even though his briefly exposed torso was stunning enough to achieve that, it was really his skill level. Ryder had to weigh 200 pounds, but the way he flipped through the air made it looked like he was half that. I shook my head slowly back and forth and clapped, sneaking in a wolf whistle for good measure. He sauntered back to the table.

“Even though you didn’t technically follow instructions,” I said, “I’ll take it. That was incredible. How do you know how to do that? Are you a professional dancer? Do you perform with the Cirque du Soleil for your night job or something?” I hadn’t actually thought about Ryder’s second job until right this moment, but now I was curious.

He waggled his finger as he lounged in his chair again, taking another drink.. “Nuh-uh. It’s your turn now. No questions for me. Truth or dare?” he asked lazily.

The drink had my muscles feeling all relaxed and me so overall contented that I felt like I could do anything. “Dare,” I said, leaning forward for another drink.. The glass was almost a quarter of the way down, and instead of feeling colder in the increasingly chilly night, I felt nice and warm, full of that same restless, tense energy I’d had the night before.

Ryder plucked the cherry from the edge of his drink. They had left stem intact, and right away, I knew what he was going to ask me to do. “Tie it in a knot. With your tongue.”

“Ha!” My hand darted across the table, and I snatched it from his hand, reveling in the feel of his fingers against mine. Absolutely familiar, after only a couple days. Absolutely right. “You just want to watch me do it,” I teased before popping it into my mouth.

He leaned back, smiling, and shrugged. Goddamn, those shoulders. A swish and flick of the stem was all it took. I’d become an expert at this during high school parties when everyone else around me was drinking themselves sick and had appointed me the designated driver hours ago. I felt the way my tongue pushed my lips around, watched the way Ryder’s eyes followed them carefully. Yeah, he wanted to watch. I slowly stretched two fingers up to my lips and pulled the cherry stem out, displaying the perfect knot I’d left.

Ryder laughed, a look of pleased astonishment on his face. I took a mock bow in my seat and giggled. God, it felt so good just to be out with someone, having fun and enjoying myself for once. Even thoughts about Mom’s stressful day in the hospital receded to the back of my mind as the buzz of the alcohol and the high of being in such close proximity, alone, to this beautiful man took over my brain.

“Your turrrrrn,” I practically sang, wiggling in my seat, soaking up the feel of the chilling night air and the pastel ombre of the sunset sky on the horizon. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” he said. “I want to save my energy.”

Holy shit. Was everything this guy said a double entendre, or did I seriously need to get laid? “Why did you break up with your last girlfriend?”

That question surprised even me. At the same time, though, an anxiousness to know the answer burned through me. I wanted to know what kind of girl she was, how long ago it was, whether they had been in love. I wanted to know everything about her so I could do better.

“Wow. You sure know how to hit hard, don’t you?” Ryder asked, his face falling.

“Oh, shit,” I said, suddenly feeling how very real this game could get.

“No, no, it’s okay. Most people don’t know, but it’s not like a big secret.”

I pushed my eyebrows up and tried to give him a sympathetic look, despite my numbing face.

“Actually,” he said, pulling at his shirt collar in a way that made me want to do it, too. “It was a few years back now. And I didn’t break up with her, she broke up with me. And it hurt so bad I haven’t dated anybody seriously since.”

“You haven’t…wow,” I said, shocked that this beautiful specimen of a man hadn’t been in a relationship since then. Then it hit me. “But you’ve
been
with people since then, right?”

He shrugged, looking down at the ground. “Once in a while. Here and there. Having to get tested to make sure I was clean after every one got old fast. Girls here… They’re rarely the type of girl I would take home to my mom, you know?”

I wanted, suddenly, to wrap my arms around his waist, nuzzle my face into his neck, and tenderly kiss away anything that had hurt him. Then I realized that if he didn’t do one-night stands, he probably didn’t get cozy with girls he’d only known for 48 hours either.

“But,” he said, leaning forward and drinking again, “you’re different. I mean, it’s not like you came from another planet or something, but there’s just something about you. Something that makes me want to spend my one night off playing kid games and doing cheesy Vegas stuff with you.”

Boldness surged through me again. “We can make it a little less kid-game-like,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

His eyebrow went up. “It’s your turn. Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” I said without hesitation. Something about the way his eyes burned into mine made me want to share everything about myself with him, even the stuff I kept tamped deep down because I’d spent my whole damn life trying to be appreciative of what I had, trying to be the girl I was supposed to be, trying not to be a bother. I’d spent so much time trying to give to others that, on a cold Vegas night with too much rum and sugar coursing through my system, I wanted to give to myself. I wanted, for once, to reach out and grab what I wanted and not relinquish it for anything.

But his question wasn’t exactly the one I wanted. “What attracts you to someone?”

“Like, to a guy?” He nodded. “I haven’t really dated in a long time, and even then, the guy wasn’t anything special. I liked him because he liked me, you know? Most guys never show a bit of interest.”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” he said. “You are absolutely gorgeous and, as far as I can tell, fun to be around. And you can cook.”

My neck flushed with heat. I wanted to keep the sound of him calling me “gorgeous” in my head forever. “I don’t really go out, you know? Between my classes and my internship and the general grossness and immaturity of college guys, it’s hard to meet someone.”

His deep green eyes didn’t break contact with mine. “You didn’t answer my question,” he said.

“Um,” I said, biting my lip. “I guess what attracts me to a guy is looks, obviously. Just like any other girl.”

“What kind of looks?” he said, leaning back nonchalantly and taking his drink with him. “Because you are not just any other girl.”

I gave him a wicked look and leaned in closer. “I really like geeks. You know, the ones who sit inside playing video games all day.” I waited for him to accuse me of joking, but all of a sudden, he started choking, and I leapt out of my chair to go pat him on the back. “What the hell? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

He shook his head. “Just went down the wrong pipe.” He held a napkin to his mouth and coughed one more time. “Anyway, it’s my turn.”

I gave him a wary look. “Okay,” I said, taking my seat and scooting it closer to him in the process. “Truth or dare?”

“Another truth,” he said, taking a small sip from his drink. “Because I trust you.” He hadn’t had nearly as much as I had.

“Aw, dammit! Don’t you know I have to go easy on you when you flatter me?”

“That might be the idea.”

“Okay,” I sighed. “What’s your favorite thing about Vegas?” I waited to hear “people watching” or “good money” or even “the weather.”

But instead, he said, “Nothing. I really don’t like anything about Vegas. But my brother Chris is here, I have a steady job, and…it just makes sense for me to stay. I guess.”

I gave him the side-eye. “You and your brother are that close? You never mentioned him before.”

He shook his head with a smile. “Nuh-uh. You’re trying to ask two questions again. My turn. Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” I said. “I’m letting my feet rest for a little longer before you make me do anything crazy.”

“Okay,” he said. “What’s your least favorite thing about Vegas? Besides your mom being in the hospital because I already know that.”

My throat started to ache at the thought of my mom all bruised and bloodied, my empty bank account, how rapidly my classes could go to shit without me there. I forced myself to stay focused.
Ryder wanted to bring you out for a fun night. To help you forget. Do not cry into your drink.
I swirled my straw around. Finally, I met his eyes again. “My sheets stink.”

His eyebrows went up. “Really? That’s the worst thing?”

I laughed. “Yes. Like mold and smoke. I won’t lie—that’s why I fell asleep on your bed last night.”

“It wasn’t to get closer to me?” His face was dead-serious. Butterflies took over my belly, and heat crept up my neck.

“Hey, now
you’re
trying to ask more than one question. If it’s not fair for me, it’s not fair for you. It’s my turn now. Truth or dare?”

He reached out in front of himself, linking his fingers together and stretching out his arms to crack his knuckles. “Dare. Bring it, Herrera.”

“Okay,” I said, as a wicked idea took hold. I took a long drink from my straw for some extra oomph. “You have to sit perfectly still for one minute. I’ll set my alarm,” I said, brandishing my phone, “and I can do anything I want to get you to move. But you can’t. Not even a facial expression. Got it?”

He nodded slowly as a devilish smile spread across his face. Nervous butterflies fluttered around my belly. This was a brand-new kind of bravery for me, and I was pretty sure I liked it.

Ryder settled himself in an upright position, his arms resting on the thin metal arms of the chair. I stood up and slowly stepped toward him. “Alright, now,” I said, courage buzzing through me. “Remember. Perfectly still.” I hit the timer on my phone, and Ryder froze.

I didn’t have a second to waste – literally. I glanced down at Ryder’s lower half from my vantage point. Perfect—I had an unobstructed view. I took a deep breath.
Might as well go for broke, Andi.
I bent over and let my lips brush his ear ever so gently and smiled as he took a hissing breath inward.

“I’m going to tell you a secret,” I whispered, moving my lips down his neck and feeling him shiver. I grinned and stood up, walking around the back of his chair to whisper in his other ear. “I’m not really happy about the reason I’m back in Vegas, but the second I saw you at the hotel, I knew it wasn’t going to be that bad.” I glanced down at the crotch of his shorts. No discernible change, no obvious filling of the area.

I didn’t know what was going on with me, but some bravery inside me—added to the alcohol coursing through my bloodstream—really wanted to see if I could get him going, if I could make him want to grab me and kiss me as much as I wanted to jump on him, claw his shirt off, and drag my mouth all over his skin. So I stood up, walked a little further around so I could put my face right in front of his. I leaned forward so that our breath mingled, and as promised, he didn’t make a single facial expression. Just looked, unflinching, back into my eyes. Even though he barely blinked, the way he looked at me right at that moment communicated emotion and pure, raw hunger. So I bent forward, my lips millimeters from his. Desire ran through every one of my limbs, but I kept my arms down at my side. I had to, or else I really would rip all his clothes off.

As soft as the Nevada breeze whispering against our skin, I brushed my lips against his. A ragged breath dragged back through his teeth. Just that slightest of reactions turned my voice low and sultry. As hungry as his eyes flicking down to my lips.

“And ever since we first kissed, I’ve been dying to do it again.” My eyes darted down to his shorts, one last time, and now they stretched tight over a long bulge there. An impressively sizable one, at that.

Just as I’d gotten brave enough to reach my hand up to his face and graze the tips of my fingers along the delicious stubble on his jaw, the alarm on my phone went off, making me jump. As soon as it did, Ryder’s hand darted up to grab my wrist, and his other arm looped around my waist. I was on his lap in a flash, his hard-on pressing into the underside of my thighs and making heat pool between my legs.

My breaths were quick now, half from the sudden movement and half from anticipation. I wanted to kiss him, but I wanted him to make the first move, to show me what I already knew was true from the firm pressure against my leg. I wanted to hear how badly he wanted me. I wanted to know if it was as badly as I wanted him.

His breath blew heavy on my face, and the sound of it sent a thrill through me. He still didn’t move his head, though. “It’s your turn,” he breathed. “Truth or dare?”

I let my mouth drop open the slightest bit. “I…”

“Say ‘dare,’” he whispered.

I swallowed hard and took in a shuddering breath. “Dare.”

He moved his face a millimeter closer, still not daring to touch. One tiny motion and my tongue could be exploring his mouth. He brushed his lips against mine, the barest of movements, teasing me in the same way I had teased him. “Let’s see how quickly we can get kicked out of this café.”

“Yeah,” I managed with a nod, before the arm he had slung around my waist dipped me down so I was almost horizontal in the air. His other hand fisted in my hair and supported my head as his lips crashed down on mine, desperate, diving in again and again with only desperate gasps in between. I wanted to feel all of him so badly, but at the same time, the way we kissed now, teeth nipping at lips and fingers digging into skin, gave voice to the intense hunger that had been building between us since I saw him.

When his tongue brushed against my lips, parting them and darting in before leaving again just as quickly, I lost all control. I stood up and resettled myself on his lap so I was straddling him, feeling his hard excitement exactly where I needed it most. The instant he was pressed between my legs, he groaned, pushing the back of my shirt up. The cooling desert breeze caressed the skin of my back. I’d have been surprised if my bra wasn’t showing, and I really didn’t give a shit. I had the upper hand now, and I intended to use it.