Caspian (Carolina Reapers 8)

“It still wasn’t your fault. I was there, too, remember? I couldn’t find her, either, and trust me, we’d always shared the best hiding spots. And when push came to shove, she was just fine the next morning. London is tougher than you give her credit for. You shouldn’t worry so much.”

“I’m always going to worry about London. Don’t you worry about Evan?”

“Well, yeah. But the biggest danger he’s in is failing a class. He’s an adult now—at least legally. His choices—his mistakes—are his own, just like his victories.” She pointed a finger at me. “And don’t give me any of that macho but-London-is-a-girl, crap. She can take care of herself.”

“She can,” I agreed, but there was still an overwhelming part of me that was thankful she’d fallen for the kind of guy who would never make her handle anything alone. She’d found her partner.

“So about last night.” She put her glass down on the counter.

“Ryleigh—” I gripped mine so hard I was surprised it didn’t shatter.

She jumped down from the counter and brushed her hair behind her ears, dragging her eyes up my torso to meet my gaze.

“Let’s not.” I shook my head, looking for any way to shut this line of conversation down. I was already on edge, already craving another taste of her, and discussing it sure as fuck wasn’t going to help matters.

“Let’s not what?” She paused about a foot away. Twelve inches. A breath of space.

“We don’t have to talk about it.” Talking was a fucking gateway drug.

“I want to talk about it,” she whispered.

I took a gulp of my juice, scrambling for the self-control I’d been so certain of the night before.

“I want to do more than talk about it.” She came closer, putting her hands on my chest.

Another gulp. Get ahold of yourself. This isn’t just some puck bunny you’ll never see again, or some casual hookup like Rose. This is Ryleigh.

“I want you to fuck me,” she whispered.

Orange juice clogged my throat as I nearly choked on the sweet liquid. “You what?” I sputtered, slamming the glass down on the counter.

Every muscle in my body tightened.

“You heard me.” There was no shy waver in her voice, no coy fluttering of her lashes as she stared up at me with those open, honest eyes of hers. Eyes a guy could fall into, could lose himself in if he wasn’t careful.

“You don’t mean that.” I should have moved away, slipped past her and run like hell to protect her from the instant need blazing through my system, but there was zero chance I could have budged an inch with her hands on me.

I would have crawled across shards of broken glass to get her hands on me.

“I know what I mean. I know what I want.” Her hands fisted in the soft fabric of my T-shirt. “And I’m not some naïve little girl, Caz. I felt how much you wanted me yesterday.” She pressed her hips against mine and her breath rushed out between her lips. “How much you want me now.”

Logic. I had to reach for some kind of logic before I did irreparable damage here.

“I’m not the guy you want. What about Chuck?” That was the whole reason we were doing this anyway, wasn’t it?

But Chuck hadn’t even been at the last two events.

Irrational, burning jealousy streaked through my veins, singing me from the inside out, just thinking about that asshole and what he’d done to her. What he’d do to her again if he pulled his head out of his ass and got her back.

“I’m not with Chuck,” she reminded me, shaking her head. “And I…” Her eyes slammed shut.

“See? This is not what you really want, and I’m not about to be some regret you have in the morning, Ryleigh. Not with all the history that’s between us.” Every word killed me, but it needed to be said.

“Stop telling me what I want!” Her eyes flashed open and she pushed off my chest, backing up a few steps, which wasn’t nearly far enough away, not when she was still within my reach.

“You don’t even like me, remember?” My dick swelled behind my zipper, more than ready to take what she was offering, but this wasn’t just about sex, not with Ryleigh. “I’m just London’s cocky older brother you liked to torment at every available opportunity while we were growing up.”

“Because I had a crush on you!” She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes flying wide. “Shit. I didn’t mean to say that.”

I blinked. “You what?”

“Why do you always make me repeat myself?”

“Because you never make any sense!” I closed the distance between us and took her face in my hands, stroking my thumbs over her cheekbones. “Think this through, Ry. If I spend tonight inside of you, how will you feel in the morning?”