Ryan Hunter

by Piper Shelly

  I quickly glanced at my wristwatch. Five-twenty. “We still have an hour and a half.”

  “I want to shower before we go out.”

  “All right. But this—” I slid the blouse down her arms and cast her a determined grin. “Is mine.” A short hard kiss was enough to stop her protest.

  Lacing my fingers through hers, I dragged her down the stairs after me, and we ambled back to where I had parked my car. The cool sea brushed around our ankles. I tucked Liza’s blouse partly into my back pocket then bent down to roll up the hems of my jeans.

  As I straightened, I caught Liza ogling my backside, but she tried to hide her interest and quickly looked away. Her cheeks turned lovely red.

  “What, Matthews? You like my butt?” I mocked her.

  When she looked at me again, she lifted her chin. “Yep. That and a few other things.”

  “So? What would that be?”

  She didn’t answer that but scolded me for something I just couldn’t stop myself from doing. “Didn’t we agree on you using my first name from now on?”

  Innocently, I cocked one brow. “Did we?”

  “I think it was one of the conditions, yeah.”

  “Ah, conditions, conditions,” I growled through half a laugh and pulled her closer. “I should have made you swear never to wear anything other than that bikini top when you’re with me.”

  Liza leaned slightly back and gave me an evil look. “I doubt that’s a good idea. Especially, when we’re at your place. You had me sweating blood back there.”

  So I was right about the window. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face, I hooked it behind her ear. “Aw look, who’s still worried.”

  “That is your fault. You scared the crap out of me last time when your mom came in.”

  “I know. I felt your heart pounding like it would jump out your chest when I had you pinned to the floor behind the couch.” Pursing my lips, I angled my head, looking at her sideways. “Or could it be that you were just excited to be so close to me?” Which was my guess from the start.

  Liza stuck her sweet tongue out at me. “You’ll never find out.”

  Oh, I would find out, if it meant I had to tickle her sexy body until she could breathe no more. Later…

  With my arm around her warm shoulders, we walked along the beach, and I thought some more about her fear of someone walking in on us. Finally, I made a decision, one that was totally unusual for me. “I met your parents this morning. I think it’s time for you to meet mine,” I told her.

  Liza looked appalled. “What, now?”

  Actually, why not? “There’s still plenty of time until the movie begins. And they should both be home right now. We could just pop in for a moment before meeting up with the others.”

  “But you didn’t even tell them about me yet.”

  “So what? You didn’t tell yours before you dragged me into your kitchen to say hello.” Holy crap, that was quite an experience. I’d never before been introduced as somebody’s boyfriend. But when I glimpsed her mother’s delighted face, I relaxed and realized I actually happened to like it quite a bit. Bethany Matthews had kept her promise and never told Liza we’d met that night three weeks ago. When she’d offered me a delicious smelling muffin, I winked at her, and she gave me a smile that made me feel totally welcome in her house.

  “But you’re always cool with everything,” Liza whined now. “I knew it wouldn’t trouble you.”

  “And meeting my parents would be a problem for you?” I didn’t understand her fear. Mom and Dad would love her. Rachel already did.

  “You haven’t even told me their names.”

  I didn’t see how that was important, so I chuckled. “Their names are Mom and Dad.”

  Liza rolled her eyes when her voice took on a sarcastic edge. “Amazing…that’s what I call my parents, too.”

  “Yeah, popular names.” I dropped my hand from her shoulder to hug her waist tighter against my hip. Her skin was smooth and warm everywhere and tempted me to stroke her in small circles with my fingertips. “But maybe it isn’t such a good idea to meet them now,” I added. “They’ll make us stay all evening, and we won’t be able to get to the cinema in time.”

  Instead, I pulled my phone out of my chest pocket.

  “Calling someone?” she wanted to know.

  I nodded and motioned with one finger on my lips for her to be silent for a moment while I waited for my mother to answer.

  “Hello?” She sounded breathless, like she had run through the house to get to the phone.

  “Mom? Hi.”

  “Ryan, what’s up?”

  “Just wanted to say we’re going to have a guest for dinner tomorrow.”

  “Oh. That’s nice.”

  At that announcement not only my mom sounded surprised, but also Liza’s chin dropped to her chest.

  Then my mother added in a teasing tone, “Could it actually be a girl?”

  “Yes, a friend.” I told her, struggling to sound nonchalant. But with everything Rachel had dragged out of me the other day and surely passed on to my mom, I wasn’t fooling anybody. Heck, why did I even try? “Oh, and could you please invite Rach and Phil, too?”

  Liza looked shocked at that news, definitely thinking about decapitating me for it later.

  But what really made me laugh then was Jezebel Hunter’s jumping at conclusions. “Rachel and Philip, too? Good lord, Ryan. You aren’t getting us all together to tell us I’m going to be a Gran come next spring.”

  Instantly, my gaze dropped to Liza’s sexy stomach. I had to turn around to make myself look away and stop thinking about how badly I wanted to tickle her bellybutton with my tongue.

  “No, Mom,” I said into the phone. “If it was that, I swear I wouldn’t be calling.”

  “Thank goodness.” My mother released a deep breath. “All right, I’ll call Rachel and invite her over. See you later, darling.”

  After I said goodbye and rang off, I turned back to Liza and slid a knuckle under her chin, closing her mouth. “We have a date tomorrow evening.”

  “Yeah, I heard that,” she sighed. “So you’re going to throw me in there like a bone in front of a wolf pack?”

  Ah, this girl was so sweet when she was scared. “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you and protect you all evening. No one gets to gnaw on you.” Leaning closer, I nibbled her earlobe then whispered, “Apart from me, that is.”

  But this couldn’t convince her that it was okay to meet my folks, and she whined, “If you liked me one bit, you wouldn’t do that.”

  “I even like you two bits, and that’s exactly why we need to do this. Now stop worrying. It can’t be worse than your father asking me if I knew how to use a condom.”

  With a gasp, she pulled back. “He asked you that?”

  Yeah, I had been shocked as she was now. But on another note it was funny, too. “Not exactly. He mentioned something like it to your mother when we were out of the room. Didn’t you hear him whispering?”

  “Oh my God, how embarrassing is that?”

  For her? Not at all. For me? I had felt like a bloody beginner.

  “Calm down,” I told her then. “Your parents are great. And your mom’s blueberry muffins are amazing.” I kissed her brow and pulled her on, smiling to myself about what was at the tip of my tongue. “Maybe you want to assure your dad, that I do know how not to get you pregnant, though.”

  Liza reacted with a blush to my smirk.

  As we arrived at the Audi, she asked, “Can I have my shirt back now, or do you want me to ride half naked in your car?”

  Man, she shouldn’t tempt me like that. “You mean I have a choice?”

  “No!” She swatted my arm then reached around me to fish for her blouse. Her eyes narrowed all of a sudden. “Where is it?”

  What, the blouse? I reached back myself and found my pocket empty. We both pivoted and stared down the way we’d come. Oh fucking crap. The red bundle floated on the water, getting washed up and down the beach
with a wave.

  Liza dashed for it, but as she held it up against the sun, it was clear I’d get my way and she’d be riding home half-naked. “Oh, great.”

  “It’s not the end of the world, Liza,” I told her as I walked up to her, laughing about her sweetly scrunched face. Then I had pity in her and unbuttoned my shirt. “You can take mine for the ride home.”

  Liza took a minute to gawk at my necked chest again, and it made me feel unspeakably good. But I also couldn’t resist mocking her and arched one eyebrow. “Okay. If you don’t want it…”

  Before I could slip the shirt on again, she jerked it out of my hands, flung it around her shoulders, then shoved her arms through the short sleeves.

  Damn, she looked hot in my shirt, even though it was way too long for her and covered her hot pants completely. Or maybe just because of that…

  “I like you in my clothes,” I said and pulled her against me, hardly able to suppress an animalistic growl. “You’re way too sexy for your own good, Matthews.”

  I kissed her deeply, satisfying the need to touch her, which stayed with me the entire day. Giving her bottom lip a gentle bite, I eased back. Apparently, my girl wasn’t done kissing me, though, because she threaded her fingers in my hair and held me in place, not intending to let me get away from her just yet. Fine with me. I yanked her hard against me, giving her a kiss she could live on through the rest of the evening.

  After a couple of minutes, I pulled back and reminded her, “You know we have to get you home so you can shower. And if I remember it right, we’re supposed to watch a movie.”

  Gazing at me with dreamy eyes, she stroked my whiskered cheek. “What do I care about a movie, if I have my gorgeous boyfriend all to myself?”

  She made me eat my words? That little witch. “Yeah, right. And afterward you’ll make me pay for making us late. No way. Get your butt into my car, Matthews. Now.”

  With a pout, she relented.

  We put our shoes on, which we’d left behind in the car, then I drove us to her house. Liza made me wait by the door until she’d inspected the hallway and made sure that her folks weren’t around. Obviously, she didn’t like me walking in front of them half-naked. Me neither.

  She ushered me past the empty kitchen, but when we headed for the stairs, Mr. Matthews came out of the living room and stopped dead in the threshold. He gave me a once over, his brows furrowing into a deep V.

  “Wet blouse,” I said quickly and held out the dirty bundle in my defense. “She needed something to wear.”

  A laughing Bethany walked up behind her husband and rubbed his upper arm. “I told you he’s a gentleman, darling.” She then gave me a warm smile, easing my tension.

  Without wasting another moment, Liza dragged me up to her room. While she rushed through a shower and dressed, I lounged on her bed, this time resisting the urge to read more of her diary. I wanted to be a nice boyfriend. Someone she could rely on and utterly trust.

  While she skimmed through the many hoodies in her wardrobe, trying to select one that fit her pink strappy top, I walked up behind her, looped my arms around her middle and rested my chin on her shoulder. “Do you still have the Mickey Mouse sweatshirt?”

  Liza sent me a startled sideways glance. “The dark gray one?”

  “M-hm.”

  “I didn’t wear it for over a year.”

  “I know,” I drawled, letting her hear how that fact had bothered me all of last school year. She looked amazing in that sweater, and right now I wanted to give her a choice between either that or the green bikini top again.

  Fishing the sweatshirt out from under a stack of other clothes, she mumbled, “I can’t believe that you still remember that thing.”

  She had no freaking idea what other memories I had saved of her over the years. When she pulled the snuggly fitting sweater on and turned in my arms, I all but asked her to do her hair in those sexy pigtails again, which she’d last done when she wore this outfit. But I decided to keep that option for a day where I wouldn’t have to share her with anyone else.

  Fifteen minutes later, we climbed out of my car in front of the cinema. While Liza headed over to Frederickson and Alex—the guy had finally grabbed the girl he wanted as well—I joined Andy and Sasha by the counter and paid for two tickets.

  Walking back to the others, I found Liza standing way too close to Tony, who must have come just a minute ago, and the sight clenched my gut. Liza had told me that he’d kissed her before sending me the text message on Friday night, but that she’d felt nothing for him. I believed her, but there was this small part in me that felt insecure nonetheless.

  I hooked two fingers into the waistband of her jeans and pulled her just a small step back, marking territories here. Liza looked up at me and reached for my hand, squeezing it with the utmost trust and confidence. With it, she coaxed out my smile.

  Then I turned to Tony. “Hey, Mitchell. Are we cool?” I held out a fist to him.

  He bumped it without hesitation. “Of course.”

  And that was the moment when everything slipped into place. I had my friend back, and the most beautiful girl, the only one I ever loved, stood by my side and laced her fingers through mine.

  When it was time to get to our seats inside and everyone got moving, I held Liza back for another moment.

  “What’s wrong?” she demanded, tilting her head.

  “What did Mitchell say to you?” I just had to know to be able to check the matter off and completely relax with my girlfriend.

  “He asked me if I was happy.”

  I leaned down and touched my forehead to hers, needing to know only one more thing. “Are you?”

  Liza lifted on her toes and placed a sweet little kiss on my cheek. “Absolutely.”

  Epilogue

  “AW, PLEASE, CAN’T we just go back to my house and make out there for the rest of the evening?”

  I laughed at Liza’s whiny face, and even though that option was one helluva temptation, I dragged her through the front door with me. Standing in the foyer of my house, I wondered who’d be the first to come and meet my girlfriend. Rachel or Mom?

  As it turned out, they walked out of the dining room together, both struggling to keep their beaming expressions under control. I helped Liza out of my leather jacket, which she’d demanded as a paycheck for this official meeting, and hung it on the coat rack while Jezebel Hunter introduced herself.

  “Please, call me Jessie, dear,” my mother offered when Liza shook her hand and told Mrs. Hunter what a nice house she had. Mom never liked being called by her last name, no matter who it was. As far as I knew, she was on first name terms even with her tax accountant. A day at my school—with my friends—would actually kill her.

  I stepped to Liza’s side and took her hand, totally to the delight of my big sister. “Liza—you already met my mom and sister. Mom—this is Liza Matthews.” I took a deep breath. “My girlfriend.”

  My mom cast a radiant smile, all but grabbing Liza’s hand again and pulling her into a welcoming hug. Rachel kept a straight face, but I saw how her hand fisted at her side for a possible victory punch in the air. We grinned at each other, then the Hunter women ushered me and Liza into the dining room, where Dad had just finished decking the table.

  Liza waved hi at Phil by the window, then she shook hands with my dad. We sat through a cool dinner with my folks, and even though Liza seemed a little stiffer than usual, she obviously enjoyed the time with my family. She and Dad soon found out that they had actually met before. A very long time ago.

  “I must have been four years old, if that,” Liza said to me, “when your dad told me that I couldn’t take my fish with me into the tub. Yeah, somebody should have told me before I played Free Willy and gave them a new home.”

  We laughed at that, and under the table, I ran my palm up and down her thigh to give her a feeling of comfort. She placed her hand on mine and squeezed.

  After dinner, I managed to tear Liza away from my family, who h
ad adopted her the first moment she’d walked through our door, and kidnapped her into the garden. Down by the gazebo, there was still Rachel’s and my old swing. I sat down on it, grabbing the hem of my leather jacket, which was now hers, and pulled her between my straddled legs.

  “Did you know that you’re driving me completely out of my mind whenever you’re wearing any of my clothes?” I said, looking up at her face.

  Liza gave me one of her tight-lipped smiles that, how I’d found out by now, were always a sign that she was touched by what I’d said. “You mentioned something like that the other day, when I had your shirt on.”

  “Remind me to send you off with a few of my T-shirts tonight, so you can always wear them when I come to your place.”

  “Only tees?” She pulled my Indians cap off my head and put it on, threading her ponytail through the back. “How about that?

  Bloody hell, if she wanted me on my knees, she totally had me there. “Girl, you’re driving me to my limits of self-control,” I growled and pulled her down on my lap, starting to nibble the skin at her throat.

  She threw her head back and laughed out loud. “Ryan Hunter, you’re insatiable.”

  “When it comes down to you, Matthews, I totally am.”

  Liza wrapped her arms around my neck and looked at me with shiny eyes from out of the cap’s shade. Many things played out in her gaze at that moment. Fascination. Happiness. Even a little devotion.

  “I absolutely know what you’re thinking right now,” I teased her with a half-smile.

  “Is that so? Then what do I think?”

  I licked my lips, trying to look serious when I said, “You’re thinking that you can’t wait to get up into my room with me and have me stripping you naked on my bed.”

  Her cheeks flushed an adorable pink. “Close, but not quite the truth,” she told me with a sweetly sarcastic voice and a dry grin.

  I knew how close my taunt had hit home, but she was right. The one thing that was really written in her eyes had nothing to do with carnal needs. This time I didn’t have to struggle for a serious face. “You’re thinking that you never believed how easily you could forget Anthony Mitchell if only you gave yourself a chance with someone else.”