“I look like Raggedy Ann.”
I surveyed my bright red, paint-coated hair in the visor mirror. I hoped this came out. Bad enough when my hair turned green because of chlorine in the pool. Bright red hair was not flattering on me whatsoever.
“Should have surrendered when I gave you the chance.”
“I surrender to no man.”
“I specifically remember you begging for mercy.” His lips tipped into a cocky grin. The only thing that made it funny was that his face was bright orange, only the skin around his eyes his normal tan. It was like an Oopma Loompa was smiling at me. A sexy Oompa Loompa, if that was even possible.
I shifted on the towel and pivoted toward him, making sure I didn’t get any paint on his seat. “It was all strategy. It got me close enough to stuff a balloon down your pants, didn’t it?” And with that I answered the underwear conundrum. Black boxer briefs. Well, now, pink and black boxer briefs.
“You’re sneaky. Need to keep an eye on you.”
Flutters erupted in my stomach as we neared my apartment complex. Should I invite him in? Payton was at Blake’s by now, meaning I had the whole apartment to myself. I wanted to explore more of these black boxer briefs. He obviously had a good read on me if he’d picked paint ballooning as a date. Not many guys would risk it with someone they didn’t know that well. But I got the impression Ryan liked taking risks.
I had clearly misjudged him when we first met. Yeah, he was a lot of talk, but underneath was a down-to-earth guy, one that I could relate to. He gave me glimpses of that occasionally. That, and his dirty comments, were enough to pull me in. Yes, I definitely should invite him in. I was ready to take it to the next level. At least physically. I needed to remind myself of that whenever feelings started to creep up out of the dark shadows of my heart. He was leaving; I couldn’t let myself get attached. Plus, he liked the Jules who kicked ass and took names. Not the one who second-guessed every decision she made, planned every situation with a mental checklist, but the one with the insatiable itch for more energy, which Ryan scratched when he was around.
He pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. Before I had a chance to unbuckle my seatbelt, he booked it out his side and opened my door. He smiled down at me as I swung my legs out of the car. Whoa, chivalry totally wasn’t dead. It was alive and kicking and did weird things to the space between my thighs.
We walked to the door, fingers laced together. He cleared his throat nervously as we reached the welcome mat. Nervous Ryan was by far the cutest. It was genuine, vulnerable, and turned all thoughts to static noise. “I had a really good time tonight. Maybe we could—”
No. This date could not end. I needed this. Needed him. I stopped his good-bye with a kiss, our mouths crashing together, my arms wrapped around his neck. He smoothed his hands down my waist, up my back, exploring every curve. Between breaths I said, “We should get cleaned up.” I managed to get my key into the door, and we stumbled into the hall.
Ryan continued kissing my neck. “Are you sure?” His warm breath sent a shiver down my spine.
“Getting cold feet, DeShane?”
“Nope.” Ryan’s fingers traced down my sides. They hooked underneath the material and pulled my tank up to my ribs. He looked at me again, asking a silent permission. When I nodded, he worked the shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor behind me. He stood back, his gaze wandering over my body, and blew out a heavy breath. “What am I going to do with you?”
Stay and show me how you’d get to the top of my spreadsheet.
I lifted a brow. “Finish what you started earlier.”
With that, he moved in, his soft lips kissing down my neck, ghosting a path to my breasts. He teased my nipples, grazing his teeth through the fabric of my bra until they turned into hardened peaks. Unhooking my bra, he cupped my breasts with his warm hands, running his thumbs over my nipples. He pushed me up against the wall, his breath coming out rushed and heavy as he kissed me.
His body molded against mine, every taught muscle rubbing against my bare skin. I pushed him away long enough to tear his shirt over his head, his mouth going back to mine immediately. “I should get the shower started,” I breathed as his fingers slid underneath my shorts.