Ryder and I spent most of the day chatting in the kitchen and getting to know one another better. After telling him about my relationship with my parents, he seemed to have dropped his guard a little more, and the conversation was filled with fewer jokes and less sarcasm. Instead, it was replaced with more honesty and vulnerability. I was just telling Ryder about the time Skylar had sabotaged my dress for a school dance by slashing the skirt, when Tyler appeared in the doorway, taking me by surprise. I jumped off the chair I'd been perched on beside Ryder and stood there like I'd been caught in some compromising position. Tyler chuckled and headed to the fridge. "Hey, guys. Sorry to interrupt," he apologized, taking a soda out and snapping it open. Looking like a deer caught in the headlights, I went on to say, in a rather surprised and accusing tone, "What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be here." "It's kind of my house..." he reminded me with a chuckle. "But you sai
I looked up at him, my heart racing and my eyes begging him for more. He released my hand, his fingers now cradling my cheek tenderly as he kissed me. His touch sent a rush of pleasure through me as a wave of goosebumps rippled throughout my body. My hands had a mind of their own as they trailed their way up his arms and over his shoulders before they wrapped around the back of his neck. The kiss grew more fervent and his hands wandered down the curves of my body before settling on my butt. He began to trail hungry kisses down my neck as his hands pulled my hips closer to him possessively. I leaned my head back, giving him all the access he needed as he nipped and kissed along my neck and collarbone. His fingers began a desperate ascent once more, feeling their way over my body like a man lost in the darkness. They wandered up under my top, his touch warm against my skin as he wrapped a hand around my waist, anchoring me in place against him as he kissed me once more. With one hand
To my own astonishment, I actually considered his request very seriously. Under normal circumstances, I would probably have dismissed it immediately, but in truth, I didn't want to be away from him either. I wanted to stay. I wanted to feel like this forever. I wanted to see where this would go. But I knew where this would go... And while there wasn't much point in delaying the inevitable, I also felt that there wasn't much point in rushing it either. "I can't," I whispered, the words hard to say as I fought between two conflicting parts of myself. There was logical Katelyn, who liked to plan everything out, and then impulsive Katelyn, who liked to take chances and let the chips fall where they may."Yeah, you can. It's getting late anyway. Just stay, Kate. We have loads of spare bedrooms. Nothing has to happen. Just stay here with me," he repeated. He didn't sound desperate, but there was an underlying neediness that rang through. "I can't, Ryder. I don't..." I hesitated, uncertai
I'm not sure why I did it. I don't know why I asked her if she wanted to see the studio. Now that she was here I felt like an idiot. This was the kind of thing I pulled when I wanted to impress a girl, but Katelyn was different... I didn't want her to be impressed. I wanted her to be interested.In most cases, I would invite a girl here with the sole intention of getting laid. I don't know if it was the music shit or the lighting, but something about the room seemed to seal the deal almost every single time."Pretty Cool," she said as her eyes scanned the room.I headed to the back of the room, sitting at my desk as I watched her wandering around the dimly lit room. She explored the various musical instruments that I probably should have packed away a little more neatly the last time I was in here.Her fingers skimmed the strings of an acoustic guitar I'd been messing around on the night before and she turned to look at me. "Do you play?" she asked, looking up at me with curiosity.My
She was perfect... It was like she was made for me. Like we were two pieces of a puzzle that just fit. I started to wonder whether I deserved her. She was sweet and caring and pretty while I was just an asshole who happened to get born into a powerful family.I pushed the intrusive thought to the back of my mind and kissed her harder as I tried to drown it out. My fingers raked over her body as they made their way down to her ass. I squeezed her pert little cheeks and pulled her in closer so that I could kiss her neck.The sound of her breathing began to speed up and she closed her eyes as she tilted her head back further while I worked my way down to her collarbone. It was clear that she loved it and that made me love it. I wanted more of her... I wanted all of her.My fingers traced her silhouette, finding their way up beneath her hoodie. My hoodie. She was wearing my clothes and it made me feel like I held some kind of ownership over her. Her waist felt small and dainty as I grippe
I scrambled inside, escaping the cool air and taking comfort in the smell of Aunt Mara's cooking. "You're home earlier than I expected," she announced as she poured herself a glass of wine in the kitchen. "And I didn't tell you I would be home for dinner..." I said glumly as my stomach rumbled. "Well, it's your lucky day. I'm making chicken pot pie and it's probably impossible to make it in a single serving," she explained with a smile as she took a sip from her glass. I was filled with gratitude as I kicked off my shoes, leaving them neatly at the front door. Aunt Mara went to settle in on the sofa and I headed over and took a seat beside her. "How was your day?" I asked as I slumped back in my seat, staring at some cooking gameshow that played on the TV. "It was fine," she sighed, sounding exhausted. "I had to deal with a Karen so that kinda sucked. But I think I managed to get her to see reason eventually," she explained, her tone one of relief. "Oh yeah? What did she do?" I a
My phone buzzed again and I saw that it was Tyler this time. I smiled like an idiot as I opened his message.Tyler: I've had such a crazy day and it still isn't over. They've started me on Physical Training classes at night too, so that's where I'm going now. I wish I could have seen you for longer today. I smiled a sad smile wishing the same thing. I couldn't wait for the weekend so that I could see more of him. Thinking about it, I figured that maybe it was kind of better this way. If I could see either of them any time, I'd probably feel guilty having to pick, but because their schedules were predetermined and very strict, Tyler's in particular, I was forced to see them based on their availability. I didn't get to pick favorites, I had to take what I could get. Despite the realization, it still sucked. "Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?" I asked Aunt Mara as she set the plates down on the table. I got up and grabbed a napkin for each of us from the holder on the c
Sleep found me, but so did dreams. Wild and crazy dreams that made me question my sanity. I was in the Valentine house, standing in the kitchen where I'd made pancakes with Ryder earlier. But the room was dark and I was alone, so I found my way out and wandered down the hallway, tracing my hands along the walls as I looked for either Ryder or Tyler. "Ryder? Tyler?" I called out, hoping one of them would answer me. But no one did. I made it to Ryder's bedroom door first and heard voices inside. It sounded like he had a girl in there and she was laughing and giggling. A surge of rage and jealousy coursed through me and I shoved the door open, wanting to see what the fuck he was playing at. The room was dimly lit, the bedside lamp the only source of light, but it was clear that a man and a woman were lying on the bed in a tangle of limbs. They were obviously too distracted to even hear me open the door because neither of them so much as glanced up to acknowledge my presence. He was