and something more.... something like possession, like it was his entitlement in life to pay for my coffee.
Losing the battle easily to that kind of resolve, I simply nodded and followed my giggling friends to a table. I was used to Nix’s male-dominant tactics; they were like the slow poison sucking away at my life. Nix wanted to control, to force me to serve. I loathed the prideful power that was Nix.
But Ryder was something so different, so…. gentle. He was pushy and domineering and a complete Neanderthal. But his feelings came from a place of sweetness, and with a desire to protect.
When Nix ordered me around I felt like a caged animal.
When Ryder ordered me around I felt…. turned on.
Oh no.
This was so not good.
“Ivy, he’s so yummy,” Sloane murmured, her eyes glittering with appreciation for the male species.
“Right!” Exie squealed in an exaggerated whisper. “I told you!”
What was with my friends and look at all guys like they were edible? Possibly we should have ordered some croissants too to curb their obvious hunger….
“But you’re right,” Sloane continued, her tone dropping with disappointment. “He’s so not affected by us at all. It’s kind of eerie actually.”
“But kind of nice?” I posed the statement as a question even though for me it was like balm to open wounds. I knew without a question how healing it felt to be around Ryder, to feel how unimpressed with me he was.
That was sick, right? There had to be something wrong with me.
“So are you going to….” Sloane hesitated and I knew what she was getting at but I didn’t even want to hear the question out loud. “I mean, Chase is almost times-up, right?”
“I’m not, no way.” I growled. “He will never get anywhere near Nix, or my mother. Could you imagine?” My voice dropped to a whisper as if the axis of evil could somehow overhear me.
Sloane nodded with approval, her worried expression turning back to one of respect. Exie just smiled at me with this enormous grin that ate up half her face.
“What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
“Nothing,” she said but kept smiling and now her eyes seemed to be holding a secret.
“Exie, what?” I demanded.
“Nothing,” she sighed contentedly. “I’m just…. I’m just happy for you.”
I snorted. “I just told you, I’m not-“
“I know,” she rushed quickly. “I know you’re not. But can’t I be happy for you anyway?”
“Whatever,” I laughed and then Sloane joined in.
Three coffees were set down in between us and I felt the presence of Ryder’s overwhelming body looming over me. He pushed the hot cups around the table, sorting out the different orders to their owners and then returned the smiles that Exie and Sloane were drowning him in.
“Ivy, scoot over. I’m taking my break with you guys,” Ryder commanded and this time I didn’t argue.
Well, I didn’t argue until I scooted over. “You’re so demanding,” I accused.
“What?” Ryder shrugged. “Isn’t that why you’re here tonight? To introduce me to your friends?”
I choked on a sip of hot macchiato and then set it down hard enough so that it splashed over the sides of the red ceramic cup. “Geez, cocky.”
He returned my snide comment with a proud smile and his eyebrows rose as if challenging me to contradict him. “Well, isn’t that why you’re here?”
“Psht. No,” I denied adamantly. I turned my focus to cleaning up the coffee spill with the thin napkins that sat on the table. “We were just thirsty. Don’t be so full of yourself.”
“I’m not full of myself,” he argued.
“Oh really? Then why assume we came here just for you?” I chanced a look at him, hiding half my face with my lifted shoulder. He stared met me straight on, his gunmetal gray eyes lit with amusement.
“Because you’re friends said that’s why you were here,” he answered as seriously as he could.
“My friends? What?” I gasped. “I don’t have any friends. At least not anymore….”
“Ives, we so did not say that’s why we were here,” Exie shook her head, blonde curls swinging wildly around her shoulders.
“Sloane?” I raised my eyebrow at her. She was more of a straight shooter and the moment her shoulders sagged I knew they outed me. Wenches.
“I think it was more like, we might have said…. um, how excited we were to finally meet him is all,” Sloane answered in a small voice.
“Finally?” I squeaked.
“What they said was that they had been waiting a very long time to meet me and couldn’t believe how much