Wildcard

by Missy Johnson

  I love how content she is right now. I wonder how long it’s been since she’s experienced that, but I don’t want to embarrass her by asking.

  “I’m so,” she sighs again. She can’t even finish a sentence.

  I smile and reach down for the covers, pulling them up over us. Pleasuring her has left me hard as fuck, but I can see how tired she is, and I’m more than happy to let her fall asleep. There will be plenty of other times.

  I grin, because I don’t think I’ve ever thought those words after being with someone.

  **

  Scarlett has gone when I wake up the next morning. A note sits on the table.

  Over at the hospital with Jake. Can I see you later? x

  I shower and throw on a pair of jeans and a shirt, and then pour myself a coffee. I wonder what time she got up, because I didn’t hear her leave. Checking my phone, I see I have a voice message from Matt. I dial my answering service.

  “Ryder, just checking in on you. I hope you’re keeping out of trouble. Give me a call so we can talk about a few things, okay?”

  I hang up and shove my phone in my pocket because I’m not ready to deal with that just yet. Tennis has been part of my life for eighteen years. I’m still young; I know I can recover from this injury and be the best again—only I’m not convinced I want to.

  **

  “Ryder!”

  I smile and walk over to the bed. Jake looks pleased to see me. I was expecting to see Scarlett with him, but she’s not there. Before I can question that, Jake turns to the boy in the bed next to him.

  “See? I told you so,” he says triumphantly.

  The other boy is staring at me through wide eyes. I laugh and sit down, and just as I do, Scarlett walks into the room. Surprise registers on her face when she sees me.

  “Hey.” She slips the phone she’s holding into her pocket. There is something odd about her behaviour, but I can’t put my finger on it so I push it out of my mind.

  “I thought I’d drop by and see how he is doing. And bring him this.” I reach into my pocket and pull out a small box.

  Jake takes it from me and shakes it, as if he’s trying to figure out what it is.

  “You can open it,” I laugh.

  He does. He lets out a squeal when he sees I’ve gotten him a portable PlayStation and a handful of games. “Oh yeah, this is freaking awesome,” he grins.

  Scarlett sits down next to me. She’s smiling now, and back to her old self.

  “A bit better than the bike?” I ask her.

  She glowers at me. “Anything is better than that damn bike,” she mutters.

  I laugh and turn my attention back to Jake. “How are you feeling?” I ask.

  “I’m good. I miss my friends and Terry.”

  “Terry?” I repeat.

  Scarlett giggles next to me. “His pet rabbit,” she explains.

  “You have a rabbit? That’s pretty awesome. I wasn’t allowed any pets when I was a kid,” I explain.

  “How come?” he asks, his brow furrowing. “Terry sleeps in my bed, doesn’t he, Mom?”

  “Only when you sneak him inside,” she retorts, grinning. “He’s pretty domesticated for a rabbit. Sometimes I think he thinks he’s a dog.”

  “You’ll be home and back with Terry in no time,” I assure him. “Are they looking after you in here?”

  He nods. “I’ve been in the hospital lots, Ryder.”

  He rolls his eyes and I laugh. I thought being alone in here would be scary for the kid, but he’s obviously a pro when it comes to being brave. I shoot a glance at Scarlett. She’s gazing at Jake, teary-eyed. She’s done such a great job bringing him up.

  God, I hope this works.

  Without this trial, the chances of him surviving past his teens without a transplant are pretty slim. He’s her whole world. I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been for her, raising Jake alone, and losing her mum. Everything she does, she does for that little boy.

  She can’t lose him too.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see,” I smile.

  It’s Thursday evening, and I wanted to do something special for her.

  Only, I never knew picking a restaurant to take her for dinner would be so damn hard. Did I go expensive and try to impress her? But then knowing her, expensive wasn’t going to do the trick. Maybe she’d like somewhere more intimate?

  In the end, I compromised and booked us into one of the top restaurants in London that caters only for couples, and only twenty at a time. I glance over at her. She looks stunning. Her black dress, although short, is elegant with a high neckline and a low cut back.

  “Do you always drive?” she asks me. I’m surprised by her question.

  “Yes, unless I plan to drink excessively. I like driving. Why?”

  “I don’t know, I’ve been watching too much TV. People with money always seem to have drivers,” she smiles.

  “Maybe over in the States it’s different, but here,” I shrug. “I travel so much that I don’t get that much time to drive. I feel bad for her.”

  “Her?” she giggles and I smile. “It’s a car, Ryder. It doesn’t have feelings.”

  “You can attach emotion to any object. And if you can do that, you can feel emotion for anything.”

  “So you feel for your poor little car, but not for anything that’s actually significant?” she teases.

  “I never said that,” I protest, laughing. “Is this you believing everything you read again?”

  “No,” she replies, tilting her head. “When was your last serious relationship?”

  “Define serious,” I say, narrowing my eyes.

  “Ha! See, you don’t even know the definition of the word!” Her tone is triumphant. “When was the last time you were in a relationship that involved contact with that person more than once? When was the last time you couldn’t breathe without having that person near you? When was the last time you’d have done anything for someone else?”

  Does this count?

  “Honestly? I don’t think I’ve ever felt that strongly about another person. I’ve had relationships—serious ones,” I add, in reply to her grin, “but they were always second to tennis. Nobody wants to come second.”

  “I understand that,” she mumbles. Her expression grows wistful.

  “Jake?” I guess and she nods.

  “I’ve avoided dating in the past for that very reason. I always thought I’d never be able to give my all to a relationship. He will always come first. Every single time.”

  “Any guy who doesn’t get that isn’t worth your time,” I say. She’s likening her situation to mine when in reality they couldn’t be more different. I put a game before my relationships. She puts a child—her child. I admired her strength.

  “You’d be surprised at the number of guys who don’t share your point of view.”

  “Maybe it’s a British thing. We’re supposed to be more chivalrous than our American counterparts,” I joke.

  She laughs. “And arrogant.”

  I grin. I’ll take that.

  **

  We talk more over dinner, and then go for a walk along the river. Everything about this woman surprises me. I reach for her hand, smiling as she closes her fingers around mine.

  “It’s really pretty,” she comments. She is staring out at the lights as they twinkle against the gentle ripples of the water, but the only thing I’m staring at is her. She catches me and blushes. I smile, because I love how she blushes. She possesses a different kind of confidence, unlike anything I’ve seen before. It’s internal. Almost soulful.

  “You’re staring at me,” she whispers.

  “I am.” I grin. I reach over and tuck her hair behind her ear.

  Her eyes meet mine as I run my fingers through her hair and cradle the back of her head. I press my lips against hers. She reciprocates, her sweet lips so soft against mine. It is every bit as amazing as I imagined it would be, and a
t the same time, I’m stunned that a kiss could feel so damn good. My head is a mess of feelings and shit.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  She’s speechless as she gazes up at me. I smile and tilt her head, burying my face in the crook of her neck. The sweet scent of body wash and shampoo engulfs my senses as I run kisses down her neck. She sighs and snuggles up against my warmth.

  “I should probably get you back to the hotel,” I murmur, kissing her again.

  “You probably should,” she agrees. “You should also probably walk me to my room.” Her eyes gleam as she stares up at me and I smile.

  “I also should probably make sure you get to bed safely,” I smirk.

  **

  She is undressing and we’re not even in the room yet.

  She’s facing me as she walks backwards through the entrance to her suite. Laughing, I catch the jacket she tosses at me. She’s unbuttoning her shirt by the time I safely close the door behind me.

  “You little exhibitionist.” I throw the jacket aside and grab hold of her.

  She squeals as I kiss her neck. “God, stop, stop,” she cries, laughing. “It tickles.”

  I stop and lift her face to mine, kissing her tenderly. Somewhere in the midst of our kissing she loses her shirt. I admire her slender figure, my hands sitting on the curve of her hips as I drown myself in her kiss again.

  Her fingers trickle over my crotch and she smiles. Yes, I’m hard. But I’m still cautious about moving this too fast. I’ve done fast before. Hell, I’ve done everything before, except slow. The slower this goes, the longer I’ll have with her.

  “Come here,” I say. I lead her into the bedroom where I sit on the edge of the bed. She stands in front of me. I run my fingers over the bare skin of her stomach. By now, all she’s wearing is a black skirt, a bra, and panties.

  Well, I assume she’s wearing panties.

  I reach up under her skirt and loop my fingers around the skimpy material that separates my fingers from her wetness. And oh, God, is she wet. She gasps as I slowly roll them down until they are nothing more than a pool of pale blue around her ankles. She kicks them aside and parts her legs slightly—just enough for me to run my hand up the inner side of her thigh.

  “Put your hands on my shoulders,” I order her. She does, and I run my middle finger along her opening of her pussy. She inhales sharply. I plunge a finger inside her, slowly manoeuvring it around. I pull my finger out and lift it to my mouth, running my tongue over her juices.

  “You taste so sweet. I’m addicted to your pussy,” I chuckle. She leans in and kisses me, her lips crushing against mine. She climbs onto my lap and the tip of my cock buries itself in her entrance. So fucking soft…

  I groan and roll her onto the bed. If we’d stayed in that position for much longer, I wouldn’t have been able to control myself.

  “Still too sore?” she whispers and I nod, my mouth devouring hers. She moans as I free her breast and rub her nipple against the palm of my hand. I push her skirt up and spread her legs. She gasps as my mouth covers her pussy, my tongue sliding inside of her.

  God, I am addicted. I could do this all fucking day.

  I thrust a finger inside of her as I tease her with my tongue. She moans, lifting her hips off the bed. I feel her grab at my hair, her hand clenching into a fist as she pulls. I slither up her body and free her other breast, closing my mouth around her nipple, my fingers thrusting inside her as I suck.

  “Oh God,” she yells.

  I lift my head and meet her lips, kissing her fiercely while circling her spot. She groans, her thighs clenching together, trapping my hand between her legs. “Holy crap, oh fuck,” she cries. “Stop, stop, stop.”

  She frees my hand, allowing me out. I chuckle and curve my hand around her neck, caressing her face. We kiss, our lips moulding together as she struggles to catch her breath.

  “Your turn,” she whispers, a devious glint in her eyes. I raise my eyebrows as she crawls down the bed until she’s eye level with my cock. I groan as she wraps her fingers around it. She leans over, arse up in the air, and tongues the tip. I clutch at the pillow behind my head and groan. Fucking unbelievable.

  My cock is throbbing, demanding more. I have to resist the urge to force myself down her throat. I gasp as her lips taste me, her tongue curling around my length.

  I’m almost smothering myself with the damn pillow, because she has me so aroused. I can’t focus on anything other than her mouth, my cock, and what’s about to explode out of it.

  “Faster,” I urge. She complies, her mouth sliding up and down. “Fuck,” I curse, coating the back of her throat. “Fuuck yes!”

  My back arches. The pain is easy to ignore because I’m in ecstasy. My high drags on and on as her soft lips move over me. Oh God, this feels amazing.

  She grins and sidles up next to me, pressing her arse against my body.

  I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her neck. “That was fucking amazing,” I whisper, my voice hoarse.

  She laughs and shakes her head. “You are amazing, Ryder.”

  I grin and hold her closer. I’m fucked, and all I want to do is sleep, but I’m also mindful that it’s almost time for her and Jake to go back home. I run my fingernails over her back. She sighs, and shivers against my touch. I want to make the most of the time we have left, and not think about what happens when she goes back home.

  But it’s hard, because it’s a reality we are going to have to face, and I know before I figure out what this is, I need to work out what I want.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I open my eyes to the crack of sunlight sneaking in through the blinds. It takes me a moment to remember where I am. Scarlett rolls over and into my arms and I smile as last night comes back to me. I can still taste her on my lips.

  Fumbling for my phone, I see a missed call from my father. I ease myself out from under her and get up, tiptoeing into the living room. I pour myself a coffee as I dial Dad’s number.

  “What’s up?” I ask when he answers.

  “Howes is trying to get ahold of Scarlett. I don’t suppose you have any idea where she is?” He knows I’m with her. I can hear the disapproval in his voice.

  “Is everything all right?” I ask. “Is Jake okay?”

  “He’s fine, he just wants to talk to her about the trial. Can you pass that on to her?”

  “I can do that,” I say.

  “Oh, and Ryder? I was going to tell you that long distance relationships never work. But then I remembered who I was talking to,” he chuckles.

  “Great. Thanks for the vote of confidence there,” I mutter.

  “Come on, Ryder. If this girl is as nice as you obviously think she is, don’t mess her around. You’ve never been serious about anything in your life,” he laughs harshly. Anger boils inside me.

  “Thanks, Dad. I’ve gotta go.” I hang up and lean against the table. I can pretend his words haven’t gotten to me, but I’d be lying.

  “Who was that?”

  I turn around. Scarlett stands there, the white sheet from the bed draped around her. I smile, because all I want to do every time I set eyes on her is smile.

  “My dad. Howes needs to talk to you about the trial.”

  Her eyes widen. She rushes over to the coffee table where her phone sits. “Shit. How could I not have taken this to bed with me? What if something had happened?” she frets.

  “Scar, it’s okay. Everything is fine. Go get dressed and I’ll drive you over there.”

  She looks at me gratefully and runs into the bedroom. I pour her a coffee and then sit down. Dad’s words are echoing in my head. She walks back into the room a few minutes later, drying her hair with a towel. She gathers her still damp hair into a ponytail and grabs her purse. I stand up.

  “Will you come in with me?” she asks.

  “Of course,” I say. I’m flattered that she wants me there, and then I remember how much of a huge deal this is. Who else does she know over here?

 
; **

  She’s fidgeting as we sit in the waiting room. I reach for her hand and offer her a smile, but I know there’s not much that I can say right now to make her feel any less anxious. I can’t even imagine what’s going through her head.

  “I’m so scared,” she laughs. “I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but . . .” She shakes her head.

  I squeeze her hand. I’m about to reassure her when her name is called.

  We both stand up. Professor Howes is younger than I was expecting: in his mid to late thirties, with a thick mop of dark hair and kind blue eyes. He has a friendly face that I find oddly comforting. He nods at me as we walk past him and into his office.

  “Scarlett, take a seat. Is this your partner?” He’s referring to me. I leave that question for her to answer.

  “Uh, this is Ryder Stevens.”

  “Right,” he says enthusiastically. Recognition flickers in his eyes. “How’s the injury?”

  My face heats up and Scarlett sniggers.

  “Fine,” I reply, embarrassed. My broken arse is what I’m known for now.

  He turns his attention back to Scarlett. “So, I’ve got good news. The testing we did on Jake shows that he is in fact a suitable candidate for the drug. We are happy to include him in the study.”

  “Oh, God, thank you so much.” Her hands fly to her face. She’s overwhelmed with emotion. I smile at her as she wipes away tears, and realize I’m holding them back myself.

  “The trial will begin in six weeks. You’ll need to be here for eight weeks, and then back for three follow-up appointments six weeks apart. Is any of that going to be a problem?”

  “No problem at all,” I answer before she does, because I’ve already decided I’m going to cover all the costs.

  “Good. He will need to have some more tests, but they can be done back in Chicago.” He pushes a clear plastic folder across the table. “This is the paperwork I’ll need you and Jake’s specialist to fill out. He can fax it back to me.”

  “Thank you so much,” she whispers again. She stands up and extends her hand.

  He takes it, his kind eyes levelling on hers. “Scarlett, I’m hopeful this trial will show significant improvements in at least some of the patients, but just remember it is just a trial. This isn’t a guarantee, okay?”