by K. Street
“Presley, you can play with me.”
I leaned in close to Presley and spoke low enough, so only she could hear, “I’m sure you’d much rather play with me.”
She elbowed me in the side and laughed.
“Zeke, what’s your favorite thing?” Presley asked.
“That’s easy. The blue spongy floor with the turtle that shoots water.”
“Like a splash pad?”
He hit himself on the forehead. “I didn’t remember what to call it.” Then, he rattled random facts about ocean life, completely oblivious to anything going on between Presley and me.
She lifted the spoon to her lips. The sight of her licking the creamy vanilla concoction off the utensil, coupled with her moan of satisfaction, made my dick hard.
I dropped my free hand to her thigh and gave it a squeeze. “The way you’re licking that spoon has me thinking all kinds of inappropriate things.”
“Ryder.” Her cheeks pinked.
“What?” I feigned innocence. Then, flattening my tongue, I licked a circle around the cone.
Presley’s eyes zeroed in on the movement. She squirmed next to me, pressing her thighs together.
Our gazes locked. The sexual tension climbed to damn near combustible. Until the sound of Zeke’s voice reminded us that we weren’t alone.
“Can I go play now?” He scraped his spoon against the bottom of his cardboard cup.
I pointed to the garbage can. “Throw your trash away.” Turning to Presley, I asked, “You mind moving closer to the playground? He needs to burn off some of that sugar, or he’ll be up all night.”
“Of course not. Let’s go.”
Zeke tossed his empty cup and ran to the play structure while Presley and I trailed after him.
“Thank you for coming with us,” I told her.
“Thanks for inviting me.”
We finished our treats while we watched Zeke play. When my phone vibrated in my pocket, I pulled it out to see a text from Carter and chuckled.
“What?”
When I looked up from my phone, Presley was in the midst of reapplying lip balm to her supple lips.
“Earth to Ryder.” She giggled while pocketing the mint sphere.
“Sorry. My buddy Carter and his wife are having a barbeque next weekend. He says I should bring my girl.”
Before Presley could react, Zeke appeared in front of us.
“Hey, guys. Wanna play hide-and-seek? I will be the counter.”
“All right. Keep your eyes closed and count to twenty. No peeking.”
“Okay.” He covered his eyes.
I pulled Presley by the hand, leading her around the corner of the play structure, where we’d be out of Zeke’s line of sight when he turned around. Then, I pressed her into the shadows.
“So, what do you say, Pres? Want to go to a barbeque with me?”
She glanced up at me through her lashes. “I’d like that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Unable to hold back for another second, I captured her mouth in a searing kiss, tasting mint on her lips.
Bodies pressed together. Tongues twined.
Presley’s fingers tugged the hair at my nape. Pulling me closer.
“Nineteen. Twenty. Ready or not, here I come.”
Zeke’s voice broke through the lust-drunk haze. I tore my mouth from Presley’s. The sound of our collective pants filled the space between us.
Footsteps drew closer.
Then, a little voice shouted, “I found you.”
I recovered quickly. “You sure did, kid.”
“Now, you be the counter, and me and Presley will be hiders,” Zeke said.
“All right.”
Presley reached for Zeke’s hand as though it were the most natural thing in the world, and the overwhelming urge to make her mine took root in my chest.
We spent an hour at the park playing and chasing Zeke around before we left for home.
Between the sugar crash and exhaustion, Zeke passed out before I drove into the neighborhood.
I pulled into Presley’s drive and put my truck in park. Then, I glanced across the cab at her. Reaching for her hand, I brushed the pad of my thumb over her knuckles.
My eyes met hers. “Thanks for hanging out with us tonight.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“I’ll walk you to your door.” I gently squeezed her hand before letting it go.
She peered into the backseat at Zeke. Her expression was one of adoration as she took in his sleeping form. “It’s okay. You should get him home.”
Yeah, there was no way I wasn’t walking her to the door.
Dismissing her comment, I put the emergency brake on and climbed out of the truck, leaving the engine running. I eased the door closed and then went around to the passenger side.
I opened Presley’s door and offered her my hand. Once her feet were safely on the ground, I shut her door as quietly as possible.
Out cold, Zeke didn’t so much as flinch.
We didn’t speak as we strode up the sidewalk.
We stood on Presley’s porch, both of us speaking at once.
“I—”
“This—”
We laughed.
“You first,” I said, slipping an arm around her waist.
“I had a really good time.”
“Me too. I like spending time with you.”
“I like spending time with you too,” she said to my chest.
I hooked my index finger under her chin, tilting her head, and swept my lips over hers.
The kiss started off slow and gentle. A mere brushing of our mouths.
Presley glided her hands over my chest to my neck. Her wristlet slipped off her wrist, dropping onto the porch. Both of us too caught up in each other to care.
A muted moan hummed in her throat as she melted into me. That tiny sound was my undoing.
I cupped her face in my palms and took the kiss deeper. When Presley’s lips parted, I slipped my tongue inside, tasting her sweetness.
Slow and gentle became fast and needy. Her fingers gripped my hair. I walked her backward until her back pressed against the door.
I kissed my way across her cheek, down her neck, and over her collarbone.
“Ryder,” she panted, angling her head upward. “Ryder. Please.”
“Please what, baby?”
I barely registered a noise in the distance.
My mouth moved back to hers.
One second, Presley was kissing me, and the next, her whole body went rigid.
Before I could ask what was wrong, a little voice asked, “Why are you eating her face?”
Fifteen
Presley
One minute, Ryder was kissing me. Stoking the embers with every swipe of his tongue. Setting my body ablaze. And the next, my skin prickled with a sense that we were being watched. I opened my eyes and froze.
Zeke was standing on my porch. His arms over his chest and his head cocked to the side. A look of bewilderment on his face.
“Why are you eating her face?”
Ryder dropped his hands and turned around.
My cheeks flamed with a different kind of heat. The kind that stemmed from complete and utter embarrassment.
Thankfully, Ryder recovered more quickly than I did.
“I was just kissing Presley good night.”
Zeke suspiciously squinted his eyes. “That did not look like kissing. Your tongue was in her mouth. So gross. We don’t lick people. You say that to Turtle all the time.”
The little boy strung his words together so fast that I couldn’t help but snicker.
Ryder scrubbed his hand over his face.
“Is Presley your girlfriend?”
Oh my God.
I can see it now. Presley Victoria Gallagher. Cause of death: humiliation.
“How about you stop asking so many questions and say good night?”
“How am I supposed to know stuff unless
I ask?”
“Zeke.” Ryder’s tone held a warning.
“Fine. But when I am six, I want answers.” He stomped off in the direction of the truck.
Ryder pivoted back to me, pulling me close. “Sorry about that.”
“No apologies needed. I rather like it when you eat my face.”
“I’d like to eat something else.”
“Ryder. Oh my God.” I playfully pushed on his chest.
He stroked my cheek. “You’re so fucking pretty. I love it when you blush.” Ryder brushed his lips over mine and then kissed my forehead. “We’ll talk later. Night, Pres.”
“Good night.”
My eyes remained on Ryder as he strode back to the truck. He checked the buckle on Zeke’s booster seat and ruffled the little boy’s hair before he got behind the wheel. He made no move to back out.
It took me about three seconds to realize he was waiting on me to go inside. I bent to retrieve my wristlet, pulled out my keys, unlocked the door, and stepped into my house. Then, I turned back, lifting my hand in a wave.
Ryder returned the gesture and backed out of the driveway.
I closed the front door and leaned back against it. Hand moving to my still-swollen lips.
“Is Presley your girlfriend?”
Zeke’s question pinged around in my head like a pinball.
Whatever this thing was between Ryder and me, we hadn’t put a label on it. As far as I knew, Ryder didn’t date. And except for that first night, which technically wasn’t a date, whenever we were together, Zeke was with us.
When he’d asked about the barbeque, Ryder had mentioned his friend Carter had said to bring his girl.
Is that what I am? Ryder’s girl? His friend? His girlfriend? What exactly are we to each other? And why do I feel the need to overanalyze everything?
I grabbed my phone and took it with me as I ambled to the kitchen and opened the small pantry. Reaching inside, I grabbed the huge plastic jar of Peanut M&M’s, carried them into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Then, I dialed my best friend, Layla. If anyone could talk me off the ledge, it was her.
A week and a half had passed since the impromptu ice cream and park date with Ryder and Zeke. I’d been keeping busy, gearing up for the start of a new school year, while Ryder was pulling long hours at his shop.
We were both short on time, so we resorted to late-night phone calls and good-morning texts. With each conversation, the walls had gradually started to come down, and I fell a little more for Ryder every day.
Today, we were going to the barbeque, and Ryder would be here any minute. With all my nerve endings on high alert, I chanced a look at the clock.
As if the very thought had conjured him, a knock sounded on my door, making me jolt. Butterflies swooped in my belly as I crossed the living room to answer it.
Ryder stood on my front stoop, casually dressed in a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a white V-neck shirt, looking sexier than any man had a right to.
“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted me, his dimples on full display.
“Hi.”
He dipped his head and pecked a quick kiss to my lips. “Zeke is waiting in the truck,” he offered by way of explanation.
“It’s probably a good idea to keep it PG after last time.”
Ryder smirked. “We’ll just have to get creative.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.” He glanced over his shoulder to the truck and then back to me. “Do you need help carrying anything?”
“No. I just need to grab the Rice Krispies treats from the kitchen and lock up.” I turned on my heels and strode into the kitchen for my contribution to the barbeque, and then I headed back to the living room. I balanced the platter in one arm before grabbing my purse and keys from the pegged shelf by the door.
“What about that?” Ryder pointed to the beach bag on the couch.
I laughed while rolling my eyes at my forgetfulness. “Oh yeah.”
“I got it.” He moved passed me and crossed over to the couch, lifting the beach bag into his hand.
Once I locked the door, I dropped the key ring into my purse and followed Ryder to the truck.
He opened the passenger door, slid the strap of the bag over his shoulder, and then took the platter from my hands, so I could climb into the cab. Once I sat, he shut the door before walking around to the driver’s side. He opened the rear door, dropping my bag onto the floorboard and placing the crispy rice treats on the seat.
“Hi, Presley,” Zeke greeted me with welcoming enthusiasm.
I snapped my seat belt in place and then angled my body to look at Zeke. “Hey, buddy. How are you?”
Ryder slid behind the wheel, buckled up, and reversed out of my driveaway.
“Great. I am so excited. I get to see Brucey today. He is my bestest best friend. We are going swimming, and then we are going to play Legos. Legos are super fun. Do you want to play Legos with us?”
He piled all his words on top of each other without taking a single breath.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Ryder eyed Zeke in the rearview mirror. “Little bro, you trying to steal my girl?” He shifted his gaze back to the road.
“But I thought Presley wasn’t your girl. You telled me it was consummated.”
“What?” Ryder choked out.
“Con-sue-ma-ted,” Zeke enunciated.
I cracked up laughing while Ryder just shook his head.
“Complicated, bud. I said it was complicated.”
“Ohhh.” He dragged out the word. “Wait. What does complicated mean?”
“It means, kind of messy.”
“Presley is not messy.” The little boy seemed personally affronted on my behalf. “Presley?”
“Yes, Zeke?”
“I think you are beautiful.”
“Aww.” I placed my hand over my heart. “Thank you, Zeke. I think you might be my favorite person in the world.”
Ryder briefly glanced my way. “Really? So, that’s how it is?”
“Yep.” I popped the P.
“We’ll see.” Innuendo laced Ryder’s tone.
Zeke went back to chattering away about his plans with Brucey, and I played with an errant strand of my hair, trying to tamp down the knot of anxiety in my belly.
A few minutes later, Ryder pulled into the driveway of a moderate home in a nice neighborhood a couple of miles from Silver Shores.
He killed the engine, met my eyes from across the cab, and gave my knee a squeeze. “Ready?”
“Meeting new people always makes me a little nervous.”
He chuckled. “You’ll be fine. Carter and Kendall are the best kind of people. Nobody will judge you.”
The reassuring smile he sent my way along with his touch put me at ease.
Zeke unfastened his seat belt, slid out of his booster, and then leaned on the folded-down center front seat. His eyes volleyed between me and Ryder. “Guys, are we going to sit here forever? I want to go play with Brucey.”
“Hold your horses, kid,” Ryder told Zeke.
“But I don’t have any horses.”
I stifled a laugh. Kids were always so literal.
The smell of charcoal and the faint strains of music greeted me as I opened the truck door.
We all piled out, and then I proceeded around to the driver’s side to help Ryder carry everything.
“If you want to take this”—he placed the platter of crispy rice treats in my hands—“I can get everything else.”
“I can carry something else.”
He slid a bag onto each shoulder and reached for the cooler. “I got it. If you just want to close the door?”
“Okay.”
When Ryder moved out of the way, I bumped the truck door shut with my butt. Together, the three of us made our way up the driveway and to the side entrance of the fenced-in backyard.
I held the platter in one hand and used my other to open the gate.
Zeke barreled ahead of
us. “Brucey, I’m here.”
After Ryder went through the opening, I closed the gate behind us.
The music grew a little louder as we rounded the corner and came upon the screened-in pool area, where Zeke was waiting for us.
I glanced at Ryder. “Is that The Beatles?”
“Yep. It’s sort of his thing.”
“How old is your friend again?” I joked.
“ ’Bout time you got here.” A handsome man with dark hair stepped around the grill and headed our way.
He was followed by a little boy who looked to be around Zeke’s age.
The man, who I presumed was Carter, opened the door. We stepped inside and followed him over to one of the patio tables.
“Come on, Brucey. Let’s go play.”
The little boys took off inside the house.
“Here, let me help.” Carter took the cooler from Ryder and set it aside.
Ryder set our bags on the table. I followed his lead and placed the platter of Rice Krispies treats on the glass top as well.
A beautiful, petite blonde stepped onto the pool deck and came to stand by Carter.
“Kendall, Carter, this is Presley.” Ryder glanced at me. “Pres, these are my friends Kendall and Carter.”
I shook Carter’s outstretched palm.
“So, you’re the dog-shit girl.”
Laughter spilled from my lips.
“Carter Clynes. Are you kidding me? You did not just say that.” She playfully shoved her husband’s arm. “Ignore him, Presley.” She took my hand in hers. “Welcome to our home.” Kendall’s bright smile lit her sparkling blue eyes.
“Thank you so much.”
Carter and Ryder exchanged a man hug. Then, Ryder pecked Kendall on the cheek.
“Hands off my woman,” Carter chided.
Ryder rolled his eyes. “Your woman is a saint for putting up with your ass.”
“Don’t I know it!” Kendall chimed in.
Carter clutched his heart. “Perky, you wound me.”
“So dramatic.” She winked at her husband.
He looped an arm around her waist. “I’ll show you dramatic.” Then, he sealed his mouth over his wife’s in a passionate kiss.
Their exchange caused a deep-seated longing to settle in my soul. Because I wanted a love like that. Pure and genuine. Filled with easy banter, playfulness, and passion.
