“Nice to see you, too. How’s Cardiff?”
“It’s not bad. They talk funny, though. Liv showed us around the place yesterday, but she’s to work this week so Abbi and I just chilled out at her place today, then had a takeaway when she got home. What about you?”
“Just worked, really. We’ve had so much come in. I went out with Adam again on Saturday night. He took me for a meal and to the cinema, which was nice. Megan and I went to our dance class tonight, hence the bath. Anything to stop it hurting so much in the morning.”
“You know I did a massage course when I was at university? I’m sure I could work wonders on your body,” Ryan suggests. I watch his eyes darken as he thinks about it. I guess his time away from me has been as effective as mine away from him. The idea of having his hands all over my body has me squeezing my thighs together to try to stop my clit throbbing.
“Uh…I think the bath should do it. Thanks, though.”
“Well, if you change your mind, I’m more than willing.”
We chat for a few more minutes about what we’ve been up to, as I try to drag my mind out of the gutter.
“Do you know what day you’re going to be home yet?”
“No, we haven’t made any decisions. I’m thinking Friday.”
“Okay, well, let me know. Enjoy the rest of your week.”
“Yeah, you too. Speak soon. Love you, Molls,” he says, then hangs up.
“Love you, too,” I mutter to myself.
I lie back in the bath and get comfortable again. Between my legs is still pounding, and thinking about that massage only makes it worse. It’s been too long since I had an orgasm, I think to myself, while sliding my hand down my stomach to the place that’s causing me grief. I rest my head back while my fingers get to work. I can’t help my mind going back to that kiss in the office and letting my imagination run wild. I come with his name rolling off my tongue.
I put my phone back down on my desk. I’ve been trying to get a hold of Emma all week, but my calls just go straight to voicemail. It’s really starting to piss me off.
The front door slams just after one o’clock, announcing Jax’s arrival. His feet pound up the stairs. When he appears at the top, he looks livid.
“Jax, what’s wrong?” I ask, rushing over to him.
“She was fucking playing me. She never fucking loved me, she just wanted to screw me over and take as much money as she could.”
“Wait, what?” I ask, a little confused, as I grab his hand and drag him to the living room so we can sit.
“When I got home yesterday, I found her handbag on the side with a load of paperwork spilling out of it. I wouldn’t usually look, but a few things haven’t added up recently. They were addressed to a Charlotte Smith. I didn’t think much of it until I saw a passport, so I grabbed it and opened it to the photo page. There was her picture, next to the name ‘Charlotte Smith’. She was fucking playing me.”
“What did you do?”
“I waited for her. The look on her face was priceless as I confronted her. She just broke down in tears, telling me how sorry she was. It took a while, but eventually she admitted that her name was Charlotte. She made Lucy up so I couldn’t find anything out about her. It turns out everything she’d told me was one big lie. The times I thought she was with her friends, she was actually with her boyfriend, her partner in crime. They had targeted me because of my family’s money. She made herself the perfect girlfriend so I would fall for her, and got me to buy her a stupidly expensive ring just so she could pawn it and take the cash. God knows what else they would have done if I hadn’t figured it out.”
“Fuck, I’m so sorry, Jax.”
“I was blinded by how perfect she seemed. I pulled the ring off her finger, made sure I still had the wedding band in my room, and threw her out of the flat, swiftly followed by her stuff. I then called a locksmith to change the locks. I never want to lay eyes on her again. I can’t fucking believe how stupid I was. It was all an act.” He puts his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. I pull him into my side and put both my arms around him in comfort.
“I’m so sorry, Jax,” I repeat.
We sit, silent for a few minutes while he gets himself together.
“Right. Come on, we’ve got work to do. I’m not sitting here letting her make me miserable. She can fuck off if she thinks I’m going to waste any more of my time on her from now on.”
“Good for you. But we’re not working. Come on, we’re going for lunch, then I’ve got something I want you to help me with.”
A couple of hours later, Jax is pulling up outside my house, having followed me here after lunch. I give him a quick tour before letting him get comfortable in the living room with a beer. I quickly go downstairs to change and grab my sketchpad.
“After Hannah died, I decided I wanted a tattoo. I wanted something to remind me how short life is, so I’ve been sketching. I’ve done loads based on the forget-me-not, different patterns and words…But I think I’ve got my final design.”
“That’s so exciting. Your first tattoo. Let me see.”
“I was also hoping you could recommend someone—you know, seeing as you have one or two yourself.”
He flicks through my sketches. “These are really good, Molly.”
“Thanks. It’s that one,” I say, pointing at one of the designs. “Jax?”
“Yeah.”
“What made you get yours? Can I see them?”
“Is that your way of asking me to get naked?” he laughs.
“No, Jackson, it’s me asking to see your tats! Now, kit off!”
I watch as he pulls his t-shirt over his head, revealing his toned torso and the tattoos that continue up his chest, ribs, and over his stomach.
“Wow. They’re awesome,” I say, running my finger over the one on his ribs. Jax goes on to point out each one and why he got it. I’m totally mesmerised by the ink.
“So, where do you want yours?” I stand and run my finger down my side from my bra strap to my waist. “Yeah, that should look good. Have you got any greaseproof paper?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I’m going to trace your design, then we can place it on your skin so we can get an idea of what it’ll be like.”
“That makes sense,” I say, heading over to the kitchen.
I watch as Jax makes quick work of tracing my design with a sharpie. I pass him some scissors when he’s done so he can cut it to size.
“Right, ready?” he asks me. I nod and lift the side of my vest.
“You’re going to need to take your top off, Molly.”
I quirk my eyebrow at him. “Now who’s the one trying to get who naked?”
“You won’t get the full impact if your top and bra are in the way.” My eyes widen and my chin drops at his suggestion. “You can cover your front up still. You haven’t got to stand there totally naked, flashing me. Not that I’d complain, of course.”
“Shut up, Jax. I’m your boss!”
I turn my back to him and lift my top over my head. I remove my bra and throw it on to the sofa before gathering my top up and holding it in front of the girls, hiding them from view. “Better?” I ask, turning back to him.
“Yes.” He grabs the sketch and holds it against my side. “What do you think?”
“I think I love it. You’re the only one that I’ve told about this. I haven’t even told Ryan.”
“Your secret is safe with me. Can you hold it? I’ll take a picture with your phone.”
“What the fuck are you doing? Get your fucking hands off her, arsehole!” Ryan’s shouting scares the shit out of me. I turn towards the door to see him storming our way, looking murderous. Jax is still holding the paper to my side but he quickly screws it up and puts it in his pocket. Just as he pulls his hand out, Ryan grabs his arm and throws him across the room.
“Ryan, what the fuck? Chill out. Jax wasn’t doing anything.”
“Then why the fuck are you both stood here half-naked?
I fucking told you he wanted in your knickers.”
“Dude, that is not what’s going on here. Molly’s my boss, and like I said before, I want nothing to do with her knickers. I was just helping her out with something.”
“What the fuck could you be helping her with that involves both of you being topless?”
Jax looks at me for help. I only just told him Ryan didn’t know, but it looks like I’m going to have to tell him now.
“Ryan,” I say, walking over to him. “I want to get a tattoo, and I was asking Jax to help me with the design. He’s topless because I asked to look at his ink, and I am because he was showing me what my design could look like. That’s it.”
“You’re getting a tattoo? Since when?” Ryan’s voice has softened, and his body has visibly relaxed.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I’ll explain later. Right now, I’d like to put my top back on, if you don’t mind. Turn around, both of you,” I demand, and watch them both do as they’re told.
I’m just doing my bra up when I look to my left and see Ryan watching me in the mirror. His eyes meet mine and he quickly turns away, looking embarrassed. I put my top on and turn around just as Abbi walks into the room.
“Abbi, I wasn’t expecting you,” I say, walking over to her, but she doesn’t even look at me. Her focus is solely on Jax. I glance at him and see he’s just as transfixed with her. I look back to Abbi to see her cheeks redden and her usually bright blue eyes darken.
I put my arms around Abbi and pull her in to a hug. “Close your mouth, Abbi. You’ll start drooling in a minute,” I whisper in her ear. This seems to snap her out of it.
“Sorry. Who is he? He’s seriously hot,” she whispers back.
“So, how come you came back early?” I ask Ryan, changing the subject before he blows a fuse at the way his sister’s eyeing up Jax.
“Liv had loads of work to do so we decided to come here. Abbi is staying until Saturday, if it’s okay with you.”
“Of course, it is. Have you guys eaten?”
“No, not yet. We were going to see what you wanted to do. Takeaway?”
“Yes, perfect. Jax, are you staying to eat? If you want to drink, you’re more than welcome to stay the night.” I see Abbi’s eyes light up at this suggestion.
“Uh, as long as Ryan doesn’t mind. It’s his home, after all,” Jax says politely, but I can tell he’s dying for him to say yes. I fix Ryan with a glare.
“Of course, no problem with me,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Awesome, I’ll get the menus.”
We decide on Chinese, order a shit load of dishes, and put them in the middle of the table for everyone to have a bit of. I watch Abbi and Jax chat between themselves while we eat. Apart from looking at their plates, they don’t take their eyes off each other.
I can feel the tension coming off Ryan in waves. He’s clearly unhappy about this. I place my hand on his thigh, making him jump. When I’ve finished eating, I lean in to whisper in his ear. “Chill out, Ryan. It’s not that bad.” He just turns and stares at me in total disbelief.
I wait until he’s finished eating before I say loudly, “Ryan, could you come downstairs with me a minute? I need you to look at something.” I don’t know why I said it aloud —Abbi and Jax are so lost in their own world, they wouldn’t hear a bomb go off. Ryan doesn’t move, so I have to pull him from his seat and out of the room.
“For fuck’s sake, Ryan, get a grip.”
“Get a grip. Are you fucking serious? Did you not see them?” He gestures above our heads with his hand. “I do not want him lusting after my little sister. He’s not good enough for her, and forgive me if I’m wrong, but he’s fucking engaged.”
“Oh, come on, Ryan. Your little sister is an adult, and Jax is actually a really decent guy. Actually, he is no longer engaged since-”
“They only got engaged two weeks ago! What the fuck happened?” Ryan interrupts me.
“It turns out we were right not to like her. She was playing him for his money. Completely screwed him over.”
“I still don’t like him.” Ryan is actually pouting. I lift my hand and flick his bottom lip, “Hey. Stop being such a pansy about this. Jax is a great guy, and your sister is a great girl. If they get on as well as it looks like they’re going to—I mean, sexual tension, hello—then we should be happy for them.”
“Please do not say the words ‘sexual tension’ and my sister in the same sentence again.”
“Ryan?”
“Yeah?”
“Welcome home. I’ve missed you,” I say, then throw my arms around him and squeeze him tight.
Ryan
Having her body against mine has my dick hardening instantly. I put my arms around her and nuzzle my nose in her hair. God, I’ve missed her. I breathe in through my nose and take in her usual scent. Her hair smells of toffee from her shampoo, and her skin like sweet vanilla. She smells like home to me. It might be ridiculous, but I’m a little jealous that Molly told Jax about the tattoo before me. I thought I knew everything about her, so it hurts a little. I’m yet to find out what this tattoo is, but I’m dying to know.
If it wasn’t clear from my reaction when I first arrived home, it’s now really obvious that my time away from her hasn’t dampened my feelings at all. I really don’t know what to do about it. I want her so bad, but she’s still pulling the ‘just friends’ card. I’m pretty sure she’s lying to herself, but I don’t know what I have to do to make her throw caution to the wind and give us a go. I just need to be patient.
“Ryan, you need to chill out and let them enjoy this. Imagine if it was the other way around and you found someone you had that kind of chemistry with,” Molly says, dragging me back to what’s happening upstairs.
I have to bite my tongue to stop me from saying something I could regret.
“Would you want your sister ruining it for you?”
I just look down at my feet.
“No. I didn’t think so,” she finishes for me. “Let’s go to bed and leave them to figure out what is between them. Alone.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I don’t like it, but you’re right. Let’s go to bed. Yours or mine?” I ask cheekily, flashing her a cocky smile.
“How about you go to yours, and I go to mine?” she says with a raised eyebrow.
“If you insist.”
“I do. Night, Ryan. I’m glad you’re back.”
She gives me a kiss on the cheek and I begrudgingly walk away from her once again.
I wake up with the sun streaming through the crack in the curtains and a raging hard-on from the dream I was in the middle of about Molly. I can’t help but feel total disappointment that it was just a dream. The thought of me coming home yesterday and being ravaged by her as I stepped through the door was much better than the reality.
I drag my sorry arse out of bed, jump in the shower, and set about relieving myself with thoughts of my very vivid dream still in my head. It doesn’t take very long before I’m shooting my load over the tiles. I don’t feel any better for it, though. My hand just isn’t doing it for me these days.
I throw on some clothes after drying off, and I’m making my way downstairs when I stop at the sound of Molly's voice. “You two might want to move before Ryan gets down here. He’s having a hard enough time already with what’s going on with you two. He doesn’t need to see it first-hand.”
I groan to myself and scrub my hands across my face. What the fuck am I about to walk into?
I take a deep breath, then finish my descent and enter the living area. When I look up, I see Jax pulling up his jeans and Abbi doing up her shirt. They both look guilty as sin.
“Ugh, my eyes.” I grumble as I walk past them towards Molly, who instantly distracts me from the half-dressed couple in my living room. She has on skin-tight white jeans and a black crop top, showing off her toned stomach.
“Wow, Molly. Those dance classes are doing wonders for your curves.” I have to s
ay something. She looks too hot not to.
I hear Jax laugh, then cough to try and hide it. I don’t think anything of it because my sister is probably doing something inappropriate behind my back. I run my eyes up and down Molly’s body again. My temperature rises and my heartbeat picks up.
“Ryan,” she warns in a low voice. “Don’t.”
I can’t help feeling disappointed, like I did when I woke up.
“So,” she announces loudly to everyone. “We’re all going out tonight. I’ve text Megan and James, Shane and Chris, and they’re all up for it. Oh, and Adam, of course.”
Oh, fucking brilliant. I get to meet Adam and potentially watch Molly be all over him.
“I’m not sure I’m up for it, what with school starting next week and all.” I try to sound convincing.
“Shut up, old man,” Abbi says from behind me. “You’re coming; no excuses.” I turn around and see Abbi’s puppy dog eyes looking back at me.
“Yes, come on, old man, it’s the last chance you’ll get for a while,” Molly joins in.
I look back at her to see a similar look on her face that I’ve just seen on Abbi’s. They both know I can’t say no to them.
Just over ten hours later, I find myself in a bar in the city, being introduced to Adam.
“It’s so good to finally meet you. Molly’s always talking about you,” he says to me as we shake hands. I don’t like him. He could be the nicest guy in the world, but he has what I want.
“Really? Well, I haven’t heard much about you.”
I know I shouldn’t have said it, but I couldn’t help myself. Luckily, Megan and James join us and distract him.
“Ryan, if you’re anything but nice to him, Molly will never forgive you,” Abbi whispers in my ear.
After a good number of drinks, we head down the street to a nightclub. We all go straight onto the dance floor and I instantly feel left out as I watch the couples pair off. I swallow my pride and walk towards the bar to drown my sorrows, but a hand on my arm stops me. I turn to look at who it is; a tall, slender blonde smiles back at me. She was just the type I used to go for before I fell hard for Molly.
Falling For Ryan: Part One Page 16
