Ray of Light

by E. L. Todd

  He nodded slowly. “Everything is starting to make more sense now…”

  “Rex still sees himself as my guardian even though I’m old enough to take care of myself.”

  “And that’s why you’re so lenient about it.” He nodded again. “I understand now.”

  “Yeah…”

  He squeezed my hand and brushed his thumb across my skin.

  That affection was enough to make me feel a little better.

  ***

  Ryker walked me to the door, his hand still in mine. “I had a great time.”

  “I did too.”

  He faced me then placed his arms around my waist. He looked down at me with longing in his eyes. He slowly pressed his forehead to mine and rested it there. Silence passed for minutes. It was clear Ryker didn’t want to leave.

  I didn’t want him to go either.

  He squeezed the small of my back. “I want to sleep with you.”

  I knew what he meant. “I do too.”

  “I’m not much of a snuggler, but I like to cuddle with you.”

  “Well, I went to school for it and everything…”

  A slight smile crept onto his lips. “I guess this is where I say goodnight.”

  “Yeah…” I didn’t want to lie in my bed all alone. I wanted this strong man beside me, to kiss my shoulder in the morning then bury his face in my neck. I wanted good sex, all night long.

  He leaned in and gave me a closed-mouth kiss on the lips. It was simple and restrained, the most boring kiss we’ve ever had. He pulled away quickly, like he was kissing an aunt.

  I raised an eyebrow. “What the hell was that?”

  “I can’t give you a real kiss right now,” he said. “Because I know what will happen.”

  “So you give me a granny kiss?”

  “A granny kiss? What’s that?”

  “The kind of kiss you give your grandmother.”

  “Uh, thanks,” he said sarcastically.

  “Well, it was.”

  “You know I’m a damn good kisser. But if I let myself get carried away…” He eyed the wall next to my front door. “I’m going to pick you up and fuck you right there. So, a G-rated kiss is all you’re getting.”

  “That doesn’t sound so bad…”

  He growled in my face. “Why are you making this so difficult for me?”

  “You’re the one who decided to be a prude.”

  “I’m just trying to get you to be mine. You said you wanted something more, so I’m giving you a date. This is what people do on dates.”

  “And then they screw afterward. That’s the whole point of the date.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment in an attempt to restrain himself. “On our next date, I’ll fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk. Alright?”

  My core tightened in longing. “When’s that gonna be?”

  “It could be tomorrow, but you’re going out with Zeke.” His tone changed noticeably.

  “Well, I can come over afterward…”

  “After you go out to dinner with him?” he asked. “No, thanks.”

  “Don’t be like that.” I met his glare with my own. “I told you this is non-negotiable.”

  “You know, I really hate it when women tell me what to do.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Well, you aren’t going to like me very much.”

  He stared at me for several heartbeats. “Actually, I think that is why I like you—in a complicated way.” He kissed me on the cheek before he stepped back. “Goodnight, Rae.”

  I knew I wasn’t going to get my way, so I let it go. “Goodnight, Ryker.”

  “Sweet dreams,” he said. “I hope you think of me.”

  I knew I would be thinking of him—very soon.

  ***

  I tossed and turned and couldn’t get to sleep. I kept thinking about those soft lips kissing my body. The way he kissed my ear made my hair stand on end. I wanted Ryker, and my mind couldn’t stop thinking about it.

  Neither could my body.

  I grabbed my vibrator out of the nightstand and didn’t feel any guilt as I did it. Just before I turned it on, my phone rang.

  I stared at the screen and saw Ryker’s name. Maybe he was at my front door because he changed his mind. That would be the greatest news ever. “Hello?”

  His breathing was heavy, like he was doing something other than lying in bed. “I want my big cock in that pretty little mouth of yours.” The sound of a lubricated hand moving quickly was heard through the phone.

  His first words told me everything I needed to know, and they turned me on like crazy. I turned on my vibrator and pressed it tightly against my clit. The vibration immediately got me wet, wetter than I already was. We were strong enough to walk away from each other tonight, but we both gave into the temptation anyway. “Then put it in.”

  Chapter Nine

  Rex

  Kayden opened the door.

  And my jaw dropped.

  She wore a skin-tight black dress with silver heels. Her long legs looked super long in the short dress. Her slim and toned thighs almost looked fake because they were shaped so perfectly.

  Her hourglass figure was highlighted in the slim fabric. Her hips were wide and they led to a tiny waist. Up farther, she had a boobalicious chest. I’d always thought Kayden was pretty but tonight…damn.

  Her blonde hair was in luscious curls, the kind I liked to fist when I was screwing a girl from behind. She wore light makeup, and the enhancement brought out her blue eyes and full lips.

  Fuck.

  Kayden watched my expression, her eyes glowing with something I couldn’t identify. “Hi.”

  “Hi…” I couldn’t stop staring at her legs. Had they always been that sexy? How did I not notice that before? Was Kayden always this hot? Was it just because she curled her hair? “You look…wow.”

  “Thanks.” Her face turned crimson. A tomato couldn’t even compete with her.

  I stepped back and allowed her to lock the door. When she was turned around, my eyes immediately went to her legs and her ass.

  That was nice too.

  “Ready to go?” She turned around, her clutch tucked under her arm.

  I needed to adjust my jeans because my dick was getting in the way, but I couldn’t do that in front of her. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  ***

  We sat at the bar. People chitchatted quietly around us and classical music played overhead. The place was crowded but the background noise was at a minimal volume. I preferred regular bars with cheap booze, but since she was dressed like that, I thought we should come here instead.

  Her legs were crossed and pivoted toward me on the stool.

  I kept glancing at her legs uncontrollably. Knock it off, man. She’s like your sister. “How was work?”

  “Good,” she said. “It was pretty slow, but I like it like that.”

  “So you don’t have to do anything?”

  “No. So I can read.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “Plus, it’s quiet.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think I could handle all the quiet. It would drive me crazy. Hearing the bowling balls crash against the pins every ten seconds is soothing for me at this point.”

  “Really?” She smiled like she was enjoying the conversation. “That would give me a headache.”

  “I just like to be around people—be around life.”

  “I’m too shy for that.”

  “That’s not true,” I said. “I’ve seen you with Jessie and Rae. The three of you are trouble.”

  “Well, that’s different,” she said. “They’re my best friends. I can do anything with them.”

  “I guess I feel that way with Zeke.” But there wasn’t something I did with him that I wouldn’t do with anyone else.

  “How’s the bowling alley?”

  “Still a mess,” I said. “I have two employees.”

  “Are you one of the two?” she asked with a smile.

  “Actua
lly, I’m the third employee. But I have a feeling I’m going to have to cut someone soon.”

  “Hopefully things turn around with all the changes.”

  “Yeah, but that’ll take a while. I’m really lucky Zeke and Rae are willing to help me.”

  She sipped her drink then returned it to the counter with nothing but grace. “They love you.”

  “Yeah, I know. Sometimes I wonder why.”

  “Because you’re a sweet person, Rex.”

  I always got the most compliments from Kayden. She said nice things to me almost every time I saw her. Everyone else made fun of me whenever they had the chance. “Thanks.”

  “Rae told me your conversation about her personal life went well.”

  “Yeah…that was a bit awkward. But we got through it.”

  “She said you’ve been sticking with it.” She stirred her drink before she took another sip. “That’s good.”

  “I slip up sometimes,” I said. “I’m so used to asking where she’s going and who she’s with…like a parent. She’s been through a lot, and I can’t let her get hurt again. It’s not a protective brother thing. It’s a family thing.”

  “I get that.”

  “The thing about Rae is, she’s really confident. That’s not a bad thing. But sometimes, she thinks she’s stronger than she really is. I’m afraid she’ll take on more than she can handle, and when the load is too heavy, she’ll collapse.”

  “I know exactly what you mean.”

  “I hate being the voice of reason in her head, but I have to do it.”

  “She appreciates it, Rex.”

  I felt like we talked about my sister a lot. I reminded myself of a parent who couldn’t stop talking about their kids. When my mom passed away, it forced me to be an adult. Since I had to take on that role so quickly while having a teenage girl to look after, it’s been ingrained in me ever since. “I wish arranged marriages were still a thing.”

  “Why?” she asked with a laugh.

  “I could go out and find the right guy for her, and then I would be done.”

  She chuckled. “Rae will find Mr. Right on her own.”

  “I don’t know…she’s brought home a lot of losers.”

  “You think every guy is a loser.”

  I didn’t think Zeke was. Truthfully, Zeke was the best person for her. He could take care of her, talk her down when she was worked up over something, and he would always respect her and treat her right. More importantly, he would make her happy. But I had a feeling they were never going to end up together so I shouldn’t waste my hopes and dreams on it.

  “Do you think Rae will be that way when you start seeing someone?”

  “Ha,” I said sarcastically. “No. Rae doesn’t care. She knows I can look after myself.”

  “So…have you been seeing anybody?”

  “I hooked up with this girl at the bowling alley. That’s about it.”

  “Oh…” She looked down at her drink. “Recently?”

  “Yeah, it was just the other day. We started flirting at the counter, and before I knew it, we were screwing in the men’s bathroom. Then she left.” There wasn’t a single romantic aspect to it. We both just wanted to get laid, even if it was against the bathroom stall.

  Kayden stirred her drink, her eyes downcast.

  I eyed her, noticing the sudden change of mood. “Did I say something?”

  She shook it off. “No, no. I was just thinking about something I forgot to do at work…”

  “Screw a guy in the bathroom?” I teased.

  She forced a laugh but it was clearly fake.

  “Not really your thing?”

  “Not so much.”

  I never talked to Kayden about her personal life, so I didn’t really know anything. “Are you the hit-it-and-quit-it kind of girl?” She never had a boyfriend, so I assumed that must be the case.

  “No.” She shook her head quickly. “No, definitely not.”

  “Then do you date on the down low?”

  “Uh…sometimes.”

  Did she have an active personal life at all? She was way too pretty not to get offers left and right. Maybe she felt uncomfortable talking about it with me, which was why she wasn’t saying much. Was I repeating the same mistakes I made with my sister? “See any good movies lately?”

  “I saw The Revenant. I really liked it.”

  “With Leo?” I asked. “I’ve been meaning to see it.”

  “You should. It’s your kind of movie.”

  “How do you know what kind of movies I like?”

  She shrugged. “I just know what you’re into.”

  We continued talking about music and movies for the next hour. She was more relaxed around me than she usually was, so we were definitely making progress. I’m glad I said something because it was too tense for my liking. It actually felt like we were friends—finally.

  “Excuse me,” she said. “I’m going to powder my nose.”

  “What?” I blurted.

  “It means I’m going to the bathroom.”

  “Oh.” I nodded. “That was too classy for me to understand.”

  She gave me a smile before she walked away. Instantly, all heads turned her away, admiring her perfect physique and gorgeous legs.

  I wasn’t ashamed to admit it. I stared at her ass the entire time.

  “Excuse me?” A feminine hand gripped my shoulder.

  “What’s up?” I turned in her direction and saw a cute brunette. She was tall for a woman, just less than six feet.

  “Are you with anyone?”

  “No. I’m just hanging out with my friend.” I looked her up and down and liked what I saw. “See something you like?”

  She smiled. “I do, actually. My name is Reina.”

  “Hey, Reina.” I shook her hand. “I’m Rex.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She stood there like she expected me to offer her a drink.

  “I’d love to chat, but I don’t want to ignore my friend. Can I have your number so I can give you a call later?”

  “That sounds perfect.” She wrote her number down on the napkin.

  “I look forward to it.” She flipped her hair over one shoulder as she walked away.

  I watched her go, wondering what kind of kink she was into.

  Just when she was gone, another girl came up to the pitcher’s mound. “Sorry to bother you, but I think you’re really cute.”

  “Who doesn’t?” I smiled and shrugged at the same time. “And what a coincidence. I think you’re cute too.”

  She chuckled. “What are the odds?”

  “I’m actually with a friend right now, so I’m not available for chitchat. Can I have your number so I can call you later?” I just hoped I didn’t get her mixed up with the other girl.

  “That sounds great.” She grabbed a napkin and scribbled her number down. She also added her name.

  I read her name out loud. “It’s nice to meet you, Hannah. I’m Rex.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too. I hope I can get to know you better.”

  “I have a strong feeling you will.”

  She gave me a sweet smile before she walked away.

  Damn, I’m awesome. I didn’t even have to put the moves on anyone tonight. They just flocked to me.

  Kayden came back from the bathroom, attracting the attention of the entire bar as she walked. She returned to the stool and set her clutch on the counter. “Hope you weren’t too bored while I was gone.”

  “Actually, I wasn’t.” I held up the two napkins. “I scored two numbers. Pretty slick, huh?”

  She stared at the napkins like they were two insects. Almost immediately, she became tense all over again. Eye contact was broken, and she fidgeted with her clutch. “I just realized I need to get home.”

  What? We’d only been here for an hour. We didn’t even get to dinner yet.

  “It was nice seeing you, Rex. I’ll talk to you later.” She stood up and left the stool.

  “Whoa, what?
Are you mad or something?”

  “No,” she said quickly, still not looking at me. “I just remembered…I have to feed my dog.”

  Her dog? “You don’t have a dog.”

  “I’m watching it for a friend.” She walked away without even saying goodbye to me.

  What the fuck?

  I watched her go, trying to figure out what just happened. She went to the bathroom and everything was fine. But as soon as she started talking to me, she flipped out and left. What was I missing?

  I went after her and followed her to the sidewalk. She was heading to her apartment to the left.

  I caught up to her. “Kayden, hold on.”

  She kept walking. “I’ll talk to you later, Rex. I’m in a hurry right now.”

  “Just talk to me. Did I do something? Say something?” I got tired of her ignoring me, so I grabbed her by the arm and forced her to stop in her tracks. “Kayden, talk to me.”

  When her face was visible, her eyes were full of tears. Her cheeks were blotchy and red, and her chest was expanding at an alarming rate.

  In shock, I just stared at her. “I don’t know what I did to upset you, but I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not you.” She pulled away and sniffled. “Just let me go.” She twisted out of my grasp and kept walking.

  I should have gone after her, but I didn’t. Not once in my life did I understand women. It was a science I never studied. But never in my life had I been more confused than I was right then.

  What just happened?

  ***

  I walked in the door feeling like shit. I tossed my keys on the table, but they slid across the surface and fell to the floor.

  I didn’t bother picking them up.

  Rae was Kayden’s best friend, so I decided to ask her about it. Maybe I did something incredibly offensive, and I didn’t even realize it. I needed the help of another woman for this one.

  Rae came down the hall, dressed to go out. “Hey. I need to talk to you.”

  “That’s perfect because I need to talk to you too.”

  Her purse was over her shoulder, and her hair was in curls. “Okay, I know this is strange, but just bear with me.”

  Could my night get any worse?

  “When I told you nothing was going on between Ryker and me, I meant it. That was the truth. We were just friends who had an attraction to each other. I didn’t want to get involved with him because he’s a manwhore. But he asked me out the other day, and I said yes. We went to a ballgame and had a great time. Since we hit it off so well, I’m going to see him again.”