Never Tied Down (The Never Duet #2)(35)

“Kalli was the costume designer on one of my jobs,” he answered as he placed his hand on my knee under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Mara’s eyes went wide when she heard his answer. “You work in the business too?”

“Well,” I started, smiling at her enthusiasm, “I work more behind the scenes. I just prepare costumes and manage wardrobe. That kind of thing.”

“She makes clothes too,” Riot offered, squeezing my leg again.

“Only when I can’t find exactly what I’m looking for. And I’m actually pretty terrible at it.”

“Which job did you meet on?” Halah asked, looking interested.

“The music video I did with Lexi Black.”

A bunch of knowing ah-has and ohs floated through the room, and it was then I saw Halah’s eyes light up with intrigue.

“Wait, didn’t you go to that movie premiere with her? The tabloids said you were dating.”

I tried to keep the smile on my face at the mention of the movie premiere, but I could feel it getting tight and strained. I probably looked tense and angry. I was a terrible actress.

“I never dated Lexi,” Riot responded with a little bit of bite to his words. I reached below the table and gave his hand a squeeze. I didn’t want him to get upset over Lexi in front of his family. And honestly, I didn’t want to talk about Lexi at all. She was a part of our past, but I still remember how much it stung to see her lips on his. I did the only thing I could think of and changed the topic of conversation.

“So, Halah, do you ever get celebrities on your cruises?” Her eyes lit up at my question and she launched into stories of all the famous people she’d ever encountered, including accounts of their drunken escapades. In the middle of one of her stories Riot slowly stood up, took my hand, and urged me to follow him.

We snuck out of the room, but I noticed Mara’s eyes on us, her smile widening across her face.

Riot led me to the library, a cozy little room with shelves built into the walls and benches with thick cushions for reading. He went straight for the French doors, opened one, and took us onto the deck.

If I hadn’t been completely blown away by his parents’ house before, the deck would have done me in. The wooden planks jutted out away from the hill the house was on and made you feel like you were floating in the sky, or in a fort high up in the treetops. It was big and sturdy. There was a built-in fire pit with surrounding chairs that looked like an amazing place to spend a chilly fall evening.

The best part, however, came when Riot walked me to the edge of the deck and took me down a long, steep, zig-zagging staircase that led all the way down to the cluster of jagged rocks where land met sea. At this particular point of the Pacific Coast, there were no beaches, no sandy shores. There were just rocks and waves.

“Wow,” was all I could mutter as I made my way onto the rocks.

“I haven’t been down here in forever,” Riot said, his voice wistful and deep. I pulled my hand from his grasp, but only so I could wrap both my hands around his waist and lean into his side. His arm came around my shoulders and he pressed a kiss to my temple. We stood on the rocks watching the waves crash up around us for a while. I loved his family, loved meeting all the important people in his life, but just standing together and staring out at the ocean was my favorite part of the day so far.

“Hey,” he said softly, causing me to lift my chin to meet his eyes. He turned, now facing me, and pulled me tightly to him. “It means a lot that you would come here and spend the weekend with my family.”

“They’re great. I’ve loved meeting them.”

His eyes darted back and forth between mine for a moment, but then he spoke again. “I’ve never even been inclined to bring someone home, Kalli. I’ve never wanted my family to get to know someone I was dating. The thought never even crossed my mind. And then I met you, and you’re here, and you’re perfect, and they love you, and….” His voice trailed off and he looked flustered. I leaned up on my tiptoes and caught his lips with mine, hoping my kiss could convey exactly what I was feeling.

“I love you, Kalli,” Riot whispered, pulling his lips away from mine. “I never stopped. It never went away. It never will.” He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. I rested my cheek against his chest and let his words wash over me. After everything I had put him through, after every time I had pushed him away, he’d always been right there waiting for me. It was hard for me, in the past, to imagine a man would want me, even just for a little while, let alone forever. Every single man in my life had left—in one way or another. But I knew, and had known for a while, Riot was unlike any man I’d ever met.

“I love you too,” I said against his broad chest, squeezing him with my arms. I felt his chest seize at my words, his breathing stop, his heart race. I pulled away slightly to look up at him. His mouth was partly open and he looked sincerely shocked. Apparently he wasn’t expecting me to say the words back to him. That made me love him even more. I reached up, cupped his beautiful face, and pulled his mouth down to mine. I melted into him, his hand tangling in the hair at my nape, his other arm wrapping around my waist.

His tongue swept inside my mouth and tasted me. It was primal, the way he seemed to devour me. With just lips and tongue I was left to his mercy, wishing to feel his need for me always. I wanted to give him everything and feel like I was getting everything from him in return. It was new, this feeling of being 100 percent sure, but I was. And every time his lips caressed mine, it only solidified that I was making the right choice.