CHAPTER Eighteen
Taiya
“I wasn’t with anyone while I was gone,” I blurt out. I run my fingers over his stomach, not looking at him. I feel him go rigid, and he puts his hand on mine, stopping my fidgeting.
“You weren’t?” he asks, his voice husky.
“No.”
He clears his throat. “Why not?”
“What do you mean ‘why not’?”
“Say it, Taiya,” he demands, cupping my face and lifting my chin up to look at him.
“Because I didn’t… I don’t want anyone else.”
He looks at me in such a way that I actually feel lightheaded. “I love you.”
“You damn well better.”
He smiles with his eyes. “I’m never letting you go again. You know that, right?”
“As long as you treat me how I deserve to be treated, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” I say, placing a kiss on his chin.
He rolls over so I’m under him and kisses me. “I’ll always treat you like a princess. Well, maybe not in the bedroom,” he adds. I pinch his ass, making him laugh. His phone rings, and as he gets up to answer it, I head to the bathroom to have a shower. When I come out, dressed for the day, Ryan is sitting on the edge of the bed in his boxer shorts staring down at his phone.
“What is it?” I ask, standing before him.
“Jack wants Reid and me to go and see him.”
“He found her?” I ask, running my palm down the back of his head.
“He didn’t say. He just said to go and see him,” he says, looking up at me.
“Cryptic much?” I say as I move my fingers along the stubble across his jaw. “Are you going now?”
“Yes. As soon as my wife kisses me, I’ll have a quick shower and go,” he says, nuzzling my tummy. I straddle his lap and give him a kiss he will be thinking about all day. My hands start to roam and he pulls back, his heavy lidded eyes staring into mine. “Those lips are magic.”
“I must have had a good teacher,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows.
“Damn straight,” he says, rubbing his hands down my thighs.
“Lots of practice on your end? Hmmmm,” I tease, grinning at his slightly sheepish look at my dig at his experience.
“Are you ever going to let that go?” he asks, his voice turning serious.
I bite my bottom lip. “I’ll try. I get jealous and that’s kind of hard to control.”
He grins at that. “Trust me, I know the feeling.”
“You’ve never had to share me with anyone. How could you possibly know the feeling?”
He scowls. “Just the thought is bad enough.” I kiss him again, before he heads for a shower and I head back to my apartment.
*****
I walk into my apartment, grinning when I see Isis in the kitchen, looking like death. “What happened to you last night?” I ask her.
She jumps in the air, obviously not hearing me enter and grimaces. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
I laugh. “No really what happened?” I walk and sit down on the chair, all ears.
“A lot of dancing, more drinks. A conversation with Tag,” she says, her face in her palm.
“I asked him if he wanted to go home with me,” she says, her eyes wide with horror and embarrassment.
“And?” I ask.
“And… he said no, because I was drunk,” she says, putting two painkillers in her mouth and swallowing them down with some iced water. “Reid took me home. Where I threw up. Twice.”
I look around the house, like I’m going to see evidence.
“In the bathroom,” she adds dryly.
“Well, at least that’s something,” I say, trying to contain my laughter.
“Very funny! I’m going back to bed.”
“No work today?”
“No I called in sick,” she says, heading into her room. I grab my handbag and head to my mum’s house. I usually help her clean her house, and do grocery shopping so she doesn’t have extra things to worry about during the week. She’s also been dying to know the latest about me and Ryan. She’s loved Ryan from day one and hated it when we separated. I call out bye to Isis and head out.
*****
That night, Ryan and I have dinner together at my favourite restaurant. Jack had given them the last known address of twenty-two-year-old Persephone Knox. With a name like that, Jack found her easily enough, located at an address about thirty minutes from here. Ryan and Reid are heading there tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I hope everything goes well for the two of them.
“Why are we stopping here?” I ask when Ryan stops off at the bar, on the way home.
“Need to pick something up from the office,” he says. “Come in for a second? I don’t want you sitting here alone.”
I nod and get out of the car. Ryan holds my hand as we enter, and leaves me at the bar with Tag, while he heads out the back.
“Hello gorgeous,” Tag says, putting his elbows on the bar.
“Hey you. Heard last night was eventful,” I say, smiling widely.
He groans. “She’s beautiful, she is.” Is all he says about his rejection of Isis. My mouth gapes open as I see a woman walk into Ryan’s office.
“Who the f*ck was that?” I ask, standing up. I almost want to tie my hair up and take out my earrings.
“Who?” Tag asks.
“Never mind,” I mumble, walking to the office and opening the door. I see Ryan at his desk, and the mystery woman standing in front of him. Ryan stands when he sees me, giving me an apologetic look.
“Tay, come here beautiful,” he says, opening his arms to me. I walk over to him and he wraps me in his arms. “This is my wife,” he says to the pretty brunette. She narrows her eyes on me before turning and storming away.
“And don’t come into the office again please,” Ryan calls out, sighing drearily.
“Past conquest?” I gather.
“I don’t know what I was thinking. F*cking where I work! I’m sorry…”
“Don’t bother,” I say, an idea forming.
“Don’t get mad, Tay,” he says, his grip on me tightening.
“There’s a new rule. Every time one of your ex-girlfriends comes up to us and ruins my night, you have to go down on me for an hour,” I say.
Ryan’s smile turns devilish. “How’s that a punishment?”
“I don’t return the favour. In any way,” I say, inwardly grinning at the look on his face.
He scowls, brows drawing together. “Nothing at all?”
“Nothing,” I say, trying not to look smug and failing.
He scoffs, “As if you can go without me inside you.”
That is the truth. “I think I’ll manage. It won’t be every night we run into your exes.” Or at least I hope.
“They aren’t my exes,” he snaps, brows drawing together.
“Whatever.” Exes or not, they still had him.
“This torture starts from the next time though, right?” he asks hopefully. He sticks out his bottom lip in a pout and I want to suck on it.
“No,” I say smiling up at him innocently and batting my eyelashes. I kiss him on his mouth and then walk out of the office, back to chat with Tag.