Ryan's Love - C.A. Harms Page 0,53

the counter, so I was oblivious to Ryan approaching. When I felt a hand touch the back of my thigh, I yelped in surprise and spun around quickly. Of course my hand flew out, catching his lip, and he jumped back to shield himself from any further attack.

He groaned as he brought his hand up to his mouth and lightly touched his lip. A small drop of blood had formed on the lower one. He sucked it into his mouth, and I instantly felt guilty.

“I am so sorry.” I stepped forward and ran my thumb across his lip. “I wasn’t expecting you. I feel awful.”

“You could make it feel better.” His voice was laced with sexual innuendo.

Smiling up at him, I took the bait. “Oh, what can I offer you?”

He tilted his head close and smirked. “You could kiss me, for starters. I’m more than willing to see where that leads us.” He wiggled his brows, and I couldn’t help the laughter that slipped from my lips.

“But I was making you breakfast.” I pointed over my shoulder toward the items I had spread across the countertop.

“Well, that looks real good, baby, but I’m not all that hungry for omelets right now. I’m craving something a little sweeter.” He bent his head and skimmed his lips over mine. “I didn’t like waking up alone. Why don’t you come back to bed with me?”

Ryan was the perfect mixture of sweet and sexy, and he’d been able to flip my insides around from the moment I first met him. With him, everything made sense. Yes, he was older than me, and his experiences made him more grounded than Kevin or any other man I had dated, but it was so much more than that. I felt treasured and needed, like for once in my life that what I needed mattered.

He led me toward the bedroom, and for the next hour he made me feel beautiful. Who knew omelets were great for lunch too?

***

“He invited us both.” I tugged on Bailey’s arm. She had anchored herself to the couch and refused to impose on my day with Ryan at the ranch.

“I won’t be a third wheel, Am, just go. I’ll be fine,” she insisted.

“Stop being so darn pigheaded. I said they invited both of us.” She arched an eyebrow. “Yes, I said ‘they.’ Apparently Noah is bringing a date, and Jackson is looking forward to you being there.”

We were going to the Sawyer family cookout. Only it was so much more than the Sawyers. Apparently, half the town was coming, and it led up to a pretty kickass bonfire afterward.

“What if I don’t want to be Jackson’s date?” she threw back and me, struggling not to smile.

“Whatever. I hear you moaning out his name at night. Now you can have the real thing instead of fantasizing about it.” I yanked hard one last time, and she came up off the couch, laughing.

“You better keep your mouth shut around Jackson,” she said. “My fantasies are meant to be private.”

When we pulled up at the ranch, my mouth feel open in shock. They weren’t joking when they said the town was invited. The Sawyer ranch looked like downtown Chicago during lunchtime rush.

“Holy hell,” Bailey gasped as I placed my car in park.

“Tell me about it,” I whispered. Suddenly I felt out of place.

We both sat in the car, trying to gain the confidence to get out. A light tap on the window had us both squealing in surprise.

Just outside, Jackson laughed, holding his stomach. He knelt a little lower to get a better look at Bailey, and a gleam filled his eyes. When I turned to look at her, her eyes had the same sinful gleam. It was time to get out of the lust beaming between the two of them, because I was starting to feel the heat of their stares.

Jackson opened my door before jogging around to the other side to offer Bailey the same gesture. Only he held his hand out to her and helped her out when she took it.

They were so close, almost chest to chest, when he smirked and bent his head to kiss her gently on the cheek. I didn’t miss the movement of his lips as he whispered something in Bailey’s ear. Whatever it was must have been dirty, because Bailey blushed, which rarely happens.

“Let me walk you two beautiful ladies up to the house,” Jackson offered, leading Bailey away from the car with his hand still firmly