by L. P. Dover
Pushing him off, I snatched the towel out of his hand and quickly wrapped it around my body. “What the hell are you doing coming in here like this? Not to mention you’re early.”
Amused, he grinned wide and leaned against the door frame. “Gabriella let me in, so I thought I would wait for you in your room. I must say, it was too tempting not to come in here with you. You have a beautiful voice, by the way.”
“Thanks,” I said, rolling my eyes. “How long have you been here? You just texted me about ten minutes ago saying you would be here in an hour.”
“Yeah, about that, I was actually outside in the parking lot. I got to see your friend leave looking none too happy. I guess he wasn’t thrilled when you told him you were going out with me, huh?”
“Not exactly, but it’s not like it matters anyway … he’s just a little overprotective.”
“Isn’t that a little much for someone who’s just a friend?”
I shrugged. “It’s just the way he is. I make my own choices.”
Ryley moved closer and brushed the wet hair off my shoulders before tilting my chin up with his fingers. “Ah, I think I get it now. Well, the poor fool doesn’t know what he’s missing, does he?”
“I guess not,” I confessed.
Taking my hand, Ryley smiled and led me out of the bathroom. “All right, angel, hurry up and get dressed. We’re going to have some fun today and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you think about me and not your friend. Are you okay with that?”
He sat down on my bed, all confident and sexy in a pair of khaki shorts and a navy Oakley T-shirt with his gorgeous blue eyes staring back at me. Was I okay with him helping me forget? If he could prove he was different from his brother, I would certainly let him try.
“All right,” I agreed.
Biting his lip, he stood up and came straight to me, grasping my cheeks in his large, warm hands. “That’s all I needed to hear.”
The next thing I knew his lips were on mine and he held me firm, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs as he kissed me. He smelled so amazingly good—thanks to whatever cologne he had put on—that I moved closer and breathed him in. Camden definitely didn’t kiss like Ryley.
“Wow, okay,” I panted, breaking the kiss. Ryley smirked and licked his lips, taking a step back. “Let me get dressed and then we can go. Getting out of this room is definitely a necessity.”
He chuckled and sat back down on the bed. “And why is that? Are you afraid of what could happen?”
Rushing to my closet, I pulled out a tank top and a pair of denim shorts. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. You’re too dangerous to be alone with.”
Shaking his head with his usual amused smirk on his face, he got up and went to the door. “Fine, I’ll wait for you in the living room. You might want to pack some extra clothes, such as a bathing suit, and maybe some old ones that you wouldn’t mind getting dirty.”
“Dirty? What exactly are we going to do? Play in the mud?” I teased.
He winked. “Not exactly, but then again I’m new to all of this. I’m going to do something with you that I’ve never done with another female. Frankly, none of them would be up for it. You, on the other hand, I think would enjoy it. Or at least, I hope you do.”
Opening the door, he smiled at me one last time before walking out and shutting it behind him. I could still feel his kiss on my lips, causing me to tremble all the way down throughout my body. If he kept that up, I was going to be in some serious trouble by the end of the day. What the hell was I talking about … I was already in trouble.
GABRIELLA WAS TALKING to Ryley while loading up a small cooler with drinks when I made it into the kitchen, my overnight bag draped across my shoulder. Since he’d been talking about getting dirty, I didn’t even bother with makeup or fixing my hair. I ran my hair dryer through it for a minute, and then braided it down the side in a Katniss-style braid.
“Wow, I think this is a world record,” Gabriella teased. “It didn’t take you long at all to get ready.”
Ryley winked. “It’s because she was in a hurry to get back to me.”
“Please,” I scoffed. “Keep telling yourself that. Are you ready to go?”
“I’ve been waiting on you, angel,” he said, getting up from the bar stool.
Squealing, Gabriella handed him the cooler. “Oh, you two are so cute. Now run along and have fun. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? I’m not coming back tonight?” I asked.
Gabriella scoffed incredulously. “Are you crazy? You can’t go all the way to—” Ryley cleared his throat to interrupt her and shook his head, making her pause. “Oops, sorry, it’s a surprise,” she remarked sheepishly. “I can’t tell you why.”
She came around the bar and hugged Ryley before doing the same to me and whispering in my ear, “I hope you have a good time. He’ll be good to you, I promise.”
After she disappeared down the hall, I turned to Ryley and smiled. “Okay, let’s go.”
When we got into Ryley’s car and headed down the road, he still hadn’t told me anything about where we were going. Judging by the drinks and snacks in the car, I’d say we were going kind of far. “So how far away is it?” I asked.
“Can you not just sit back and relax?” he countered with a smile. “That’s why I wanted to pick you up early, so we could get where we’re going at a decent time.”
“You know, if you piss me off and I tie you to a bed I’m not going to be able to have anyone come rescue you quickly.”
He chuckled. “I’m not worried about that. There’s going to be no tying anyone up this weekend. I think I got a fair warning after witnessing my brother’s demise.”
“Does he know you’re with me?”
His smile faded slightly. “No, he doesn’t. I haven’t seen or talked to him since I left Malibu.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
“Do you want me to?” he countered.
“Actually, you might not want to,” I confessed. “I don’t want to cause problems between you two.” I’d seen the way he reacted when Ryley texted me; there were some major jealousy issues.
Ryley chuckled incredulously. “Trust me, you’re not going to cause problems. Knowing Camden, and forgive me for saying this, but he’s probably already banging another chick by now.”
That wouldn’t surprise me, however …
“Yeah, but he got really angry when he found out you were texting me last night. I know he’s not going to get pissed about me per se, but he might get angry about the situation. I left him tied up to a bed, and now I’m out with you. Has he not ever gotten jealous about people choosing you over him?”
Ryley sighed, his gaze guarded. “He mentioned something about it last night. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard him say anything like that before. I know it’s not an excuse, but he was seriously pissed off. He tends to say things without thinking sometimes. I wouldn’t worry about it, though. I know I’m not.”
“Okay,” I murmured. “I was just giving you a heads up. Even though he needs a serious ass kicking, I would hate to see you two torn apart by jealousy.”
“We’re tight, Ash. That’ll never happen.”
I nodded and was about to change the subject when the radio signaled an incoming call from Ryley’s phone. He looked at the number, his smile disappearing when he pressed the button on his steering wheel to answer it.
“Megan, what’s up?”
I wonder who Megan is.
Instead of a female’s voice like I was expecting, it was a guy’s. “Ryley, it’s Brent, Megan’s brother.”
“Hey, what’s going on?” Ryley asked skeptically. “Is everything okay?”
Brent sighed and started to talk, but choked up for a second. “Yeah … everything will be fine now. Megan’s in the hospital, but she’ll be all right. She just has a few bruises.”
Ryley tightly gripped the steering wheel, his muscles tense. “What happened? Her ex didn’t
come after her, did he?”
“Yes, unfortunately he did. She said he wanted her back, but when she told him no he wouldn’t accept her answer. Luckily, thanks to you and teaching her those self-defense moves, she was able to get away. I just wanted to call and tell you thank you for helping her. If she hadn’t fought back, I don’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened to her. I’m sure she’ll call you when she’s feeling better.”
“Do you need me to come out there?”
“No, that’s okay. Our family is here with her. She’s pressing charges against him and getting a restraining order. I would’ve given anything to have been there so I could kick his ass for her. I’m afraid I would’ve killed him.”
“Same here,” Ryley growled. “Tell Megan she can call me at any time, okay?”
“Will do, Ryley. Again, thank you for all that you’ve done, and keep teaching those self-defense classes. Who knows, you might be saving another life.”
When Brent hung up, Ryley kept his gaze on the road, but I could tell he was troubled and concerned. “Do we need to go back?” I asked softly. “I don’t mind at all. I can come with you.”
Wearily, he shook his head and glanced over at me. “No, but thank you. I’ll see Megan next week.”
“Who is she?”
Ryley chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “It’s funny you should mention that. Did Gabriella tell you that she got me out of jail a couple of weeks ago?”
I gasped. “That was you? I knew she got someone out, but I didn’t know it was you. What did you do?”
“Well, I was at Cloud Nine and Megan bought me a drink. Needless to say, you can only imagine where things were leading after that. Anyway, her boyfriend caught us in one of the VIP rooms and hit her before starting a fight with me.”
Hand over my mouth, I gaped at him, wide-eyed. “He hit her?”
“Yeah, and then I hit him … a lot. I was taken to the station after that, but Megan told them what had happened and swore that it wasn’t my fault. She ended up telling me about how he would hit her and shit, so I offered to teach her self-defense classes. When she broke up with him, I was afraid he would come after her, and it looks like he did.”
“I can’t imagine ever going through something like that,” I murmured. “I guess everyone should learn how to defend themselves. When do you teach the classes?”
“Why? Do you want me to teach you?” he asked, a slow smile spreading across his face. “If you do, you can come by the gym on either Tuesday or Thursday … or both.”
“I might have to do that. Maybe I could kick your brother’s ass for practice,” I teased.
That made him laugh and it was good to see the smile come back into his crystal blue gaze. “I think I’d like that, but I also think it might be best for you two to stay away from each other. You can practice with me all you want.”
“Deal.”
As much as I tried to stay awake in the car, I dozed off one minute … and the next it was as if we teleported to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I’d slept for three hours and hadn’t even woken up once.
Ryley chuckled when I jerked awake; in a stupor, and not knowing where I was. “Sweet dreams, angel?”
Rubbing my eyes, I sat up in the seat. “Actually, I don’t remember if I had any dreams. Where are we?” I asked, staring at the enormous log cabin.
We were secluded, completely surrounded by trees, with no other cabins in sight. The mountains were my home, where I grew up, but my passion was with the ocean. That was why I studied Marine Biology. Nothing, however, could take the place of my memories in the woods with my father.
We hiked, fished, and even camped out almost every weekend when I was a child. I missed those times, but as I got older other things became more important to me. Now I wished I could take those times back.
Ryley opened his door with a wide grin on his face and I followed. “This is my place,” he said. “I haven’t been out here in months.”
“It’s very beautiful. Why don’t you come out here more often?” I asked. “I’m sure the women love it.”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never brought a female out here before.”
“Well, what made you decide to bring me?”
With a sheepish grin on his face, he cleared his throat and strolled to the back of his car, opening the lift gate so he could fetch our bags. “I don’t know. I might have talked to someone about you and asked some questions.”
Like Gabriella. She knew I liked the mountains; knew I missed my home and my family. It had to be her.
“Like what kinds of questions?”
He shut the lift gate and started up the walkway toward the front door, but I stepped in front of him with a grin on my face. “You talked to Gabriella, didn’t you?”
“Okay, fine, I talked to her and she might have said that you missed home. She didn’t tell me to bring you here, though. That was all me. So I admit she deserves a little credit, but not all of it.”
Satisfied, I stepped out of his way and let him unlock the door, only to have my jaw drop at the sight before me. The first thing I saw were the snow capped mountains in the distance through the living room windows; the magnificent view was breathtaking.
The cabin had a rustic feel, very masculine, with a couple of deer heads mounted on the walls. However, there was nothing rustic about the spacious kitchen with all of its brand new stainless steel appliances. I loved it, and I could almost imagine I was at home.
From behind, Ryley put his hands on my waist and leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Does it remind you of home?”
“Yes,” I breathed. “You have no idea how much I miss it … and my family. They run a hotel out in Aspen. I still remember the day I told them I wanted to go away to college, to study by the coast. They were heartbroken that I didn’t want to major in business and take over the hotel.”
“When was the last time you saw them?” he asked, holding me close.
Swallowing hard, I bit my lip to keep the tears at bay. “It’s been about six months now.”
“Why so long?”
“Because,” I murmured, turning around to face him. A tear about slid down my cheek, but he caught it just in time and wiped it away. “For the past two years, I’ve double majored and haven’t really had the time go home. I didn’t want to tell them just yet, but not only have I been studying Marine Biology, but I’ve also been majoring in Business Management. I was going to surprise them when I graduated in a few months.”
“What exactly does that mean? Will you be moving back to Aspen?”
“Not necessarily. I want to do both, Ryley. I want to work here in California and do what I love, but I also want to be there for my family. During the prime time in Aspen, I figured I would stay out there and help run the hotel. Afterwards, I would come back here. It would be the best of both worlds.”
He brushed the hair away from my face and slid his fingers down my cheek. “I think that sounds amazing. It looks like you have your life all planned out.”
“What about you?” I asked. “What’s in store for Ryley ‘The Rampage’ Jameson?”
Grinning, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in tight to his body. “I’m not really the kind of guy who thinks about the future like that. I live in the now, and right now I need you to change into something you don’t mind getting dirty.”
“Okay,” I drawled out curiously. “What are we going to do?”
Smirking, he tapped me on the nose and let me go, turning on his heel and heading straight for the door. “You’ll see. Now go get changed and meet me outside. If you go upstairs, my room is the first one on the right, or if you want, you can pick one of the other rooms. It’s up to you.”
He winked at me before disappearing out the door and shutting it behind him. My bag was on the floor with his, so I picked them both up and carried them upstairs. When I entered his bedroom, I was glad that it wasn’t anything like Camden’s at the Malibu house. Instead of th
e room being all dark in navy blues, it was brighter yet masculine in earthy green tones, more natural.
Setting our bags down, I opened mine up and took out a pair of black yoga pants and a dark green T-shirt with my old tennis shoes. Before I could lace them up, a rumbling came from outside and my heart jumped. I rushed to the window and peered out, only to squeal in excitement. Ryley had two four wheelers parked and ready to go.
I had one growing up in Aspen, along with a snowmobile, but I hadn’t ridden in ages. Riding was one of my favorite things to do. Excited, I dashed down the stairs and out the door, only to run right into Ryley as he was coming up the steps.
“Whoa, slow down. I didn’t think you were going to be that enthusiastic.”
“Are you kidding me?” I squealed. “I love to ride. Let’s go!”
Chuckling behind me, he hurried with me to the four wheelers and handed me a helmet. Once I had it strapped on, I climbed up on one of the beastly machines and started it up, loving the feel of that power beneath me. After Ryley put his helmet on, he hollered over at me, “I have to say I’m a little disappointed.”
“Why?” I shouted back.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t know how to ride so you’d have to hold onto me. No worries though, I think it’ll be sexy as hell watching you out there on your own.”
Rolling my eyes, I shook my head and laughed. “Lead the way then.”
I followed him around the house and through the woods until we got to a muddy trail that twisted, turned, and went up and down the hilly terrain. The mud splashed up and covered me from head to toe, but it was fun. Once we reached a small valley where the trees opened up to a beautiful lake, Ryley stopped and took off his helmet, grinning at my mud-caked clothes.
“Why’d we stop?” I asked.
He patted the seat. “It’s time for you to ride with me. The next place we need to pass through is really steep and I don’t want you getting hurt.”