first ride on
Thursday night.
But it looked like his unfriendly host wasn’t
going to let him stay here. So that meant he’d be sleeping in his
truck tonight, because he wasn’t letting her out of his sight. Ryan
threw back the light blanket and sat up, biting back a moan when a
sharp pain shot through his skull. His nose felt like it was
packed, and he knew it wasn’t. He’d removed the damned tampon last
night, and hadn’t repacked it. Gingerly, he reached up and felt the
swollen bridge for obvious signs it was broken. Last night, he’d
looked and didn’t think it was. This morning, it sure felt like it was. The bag of peas Twyla had given him had helped some,
but they melted.
“ You have another bag of peas?” he
asked gruffly, his voice rusty and still sounding like he had the
head cold from hell.
“ No peas, and no room at the inn
tonight. Get going, Ryan. We have things to do today. Heather
already left to teach her dancing class, and I’ve got to get out of
here too.”
Heather was gone. This might be his only
opportunity to talk to Twyla alone.
Ryan swung his legs over the edge of the sofa
and stood, then raised his arms over his head to work out the kinks
in his spine. With a deep sigh he turned toward the kitchen, and
found Twyla staring at his crotch through the serving window at the
breakfast bar. That meant she had been staring at his ass before he
turned around. His morning wood, became California-sized redwood,
as her eyes continued to scorch him through his underwear. He
covered himself.
Sprout, huh ? Now that he wasn’t
embarrassed and angry, he did see the humor in her comment. Her
sharp tongue had always been something Ryan lov—um, liked about
Twyla. He enjoyed sparring with her, because he never knew what she
was going to come out with.
The only reason he’d done what he had last
night was because she’d used that sharp tongue to bait him to drop
the towel. He definitely hadn’t meant he would have sex with her to
get her to come home with him. That’s what she thought he meant
though. Because it was on her mind. Had been on her mind for a very
long time, and his too. There was no way Ryan was giving in to that
urge now though. He’d fought it too damned long to give in now. The
consequences of doing that were too great. He couldn’t do that to
his surrogate family.
But he could get a little retribution for her
comment. “Thought you weren’t interested? You’re sure staring like
you are,” he accused with a wry grin. Her blue eyes swung up to his
and she looked surprised, as if she hadn’t realized she’d been
staring a hole through him.
Twyla wasn’t slick like he was. Ryan caught
her staring often, and honestly felt bad for her. But not as bad as
he felt for himself. That look she got in her eyes ripped at his
insides and made it damned tough to keep his hands off of her.
Because of that look, every woman Ryan was with wore her face when
he closed his eyes. It was just sick. Pathetic.
It had to stop so they could both find peace.
If it didn’t, they’d end up with hard feelings that could drive a
wedge between them forever. Ryan had started that process with his
harsh words to push her away the other night. He knew he had pushed
too far this time.
That’s why she’d left, and was here now. An
honest conversation with her might go a long way to smoothing
things between them. But to have it, he would need the balls she
accused him of having last night. Ryan wasn’t sure at the end of
it, that she would understand any better why they needed to remain
friends, but he had to try.
Twyla looked down and shifted the skillet to
flip the egg she was frying without answering, which told him she
was the one embarrassed now.
He sighed heavily. “Twy, we need to
talk.”
“ I have nothing to say to you,
Ryan. You just need to leave.” Her voice was as flat as the egg in
that skillet.
He walked into the kitchen, stood beside her
at the stove and crossed his arms over
Thursday night.
But it looked like his unfriendly host wasn’t
going to let him stay here. So that meant he’d be sleeping in his
truck tonight, because he wasn’t letting her out of his sight. Ryan
threw back the light blanket and sat up, biting back a moan when a
sharp pain shot through his skull. His nose felt like it was
packed, and he knew it wasn’t. He’d removed the damned tampon last
night, and hadn’t repacked it. Gingerly, he reached up and felt the
swollen bridge for obvious signs it was broken. Last night, he’d
looked and didn’t think it was. This morning, it sure felt like it was. The bag of peas Twyla had given him had helped some,
but they melted.
“ You have another bag of peas?” he
asked gruffly, his voice rusty and still sounding like he had the
head cold from hell.
“ No peas, and no room at the inn
tonight. Get going, Ryan. We have things to do today. Heather
already left to teach her dancing class, and I’ve got to get out of
here too.”
Heather was gone. This might be his only
opportunity to talk to Twyla alone.
Ryan swung his legs over the edge of the sofa
and stood, then raised his arms over his head to work out the kinks
in his spine. With a deep sigh he turned toward the kitchen, and
found Twyla staring at his crotch through the serving window at the
breakfast bar. That meant she had been staring at his ass before he
turned around. His morning wood, became California-sized redwood,
as her eyes continued to scorch him through his underwear. He
covered himself.
Sprout, huh ? Now that he wasn’t
embarrassed and angry, he did see the humor in her comment. Her
sharp tongue had always been something Ryan lov—um, liked about
Twyla. He enjoyed sparring with her, because he never knew what she
was going to come out with.
The only reason he’d done what he had last
night was because she’d used that sharp tongue to bait him to drop
the towel. He definitely hadn’t meant he would have sex with her to
get her to come home with him. That’s what she thought he meant
though. Because it was on her mind. Had been on her mind for a very
long time, and his too. There was no way Ryan was giving in to that
urge now though. He’d fought it too damned long to give in now. The
consequences of doing that were too great. He couldn’t do that to
his surrogate family.
But he could get a little retribution for her
comment. “Thought you weren’t interested? You’re sure staring like
you are,” he accused with a wry grin. Her blue eyes swung up to his
and she looked surprised, as if she hadn’t realized she’d been
staring a hole through him.
Twyla wasn’t slick like he was. Ryan caught
her staring often, and honestly felt bad for her. But not as bad as
he felt for himself. That look she got in her eyes ripped at his
insides and made it damned tough to keep his hands off of her.
Because of that look, every woman Ryan was with wore her face when
he closed his eyes. It was just sick. Pathetic.
It had to stop so they could both find peace.
If it didn’t, they’d end up with hard feelings that could drive a
wedge between them forever. Ryan had started that process with his
harsh words to push her away the other night. He knew he had pushed
too far this time.
That’s why she’d left, and was here now. An
honest conversation with her might go a long way to smoothing
things between them. But to have it, he would need the balls she
accused him of having last night. Ryan wasn’t sure at the end of
it, that she would understand any better why they needed to remain
friends, but he had to try.
Twyla looked down and shifted the skillet to
flip the egg she was frying without answering, which told him she
was the one embarrassed now.
He sighed heavily. “Twy, we need to
talk.”
“ I have nothing to say to you,
Ryan. You just need to leave.” Her voice was as flat as the egg in
that skillet.
He walked into the kitchen, stood beside her
at the stove and crossed his arms over
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