I Bet You(33)

His glittering gaze spears me. “Indeed, my lady, we can. I’m going to fuck you until you forget all about your fiancé, Viscount Connor.”



I slam my notebook shut, my chest heaving just like the heroine’s. Why do I keep writing these ridiculous fantasies about him?

I flip on the TV where I find Twilight on Netflix and hit play. If I can’t write fiction without Ryker as the hero, then I’ll just veg out. I send a glare at my notebook. “You will not be opened again tonight,” I announce.

“Shit!” Vampire Bill squawks.

I head to the kitchen, blaming my lapse in writing judgment on the fact that the handsome quarterback has been in my dreams at night more times than I care to count.

The doorbell rings as I’m popping popcorn in the kitchen. With a brief look at my clock—it’s after ten—I clutch my around-the-house cardigan at the neck and grab my pepper spray. I will not be taken unaware again like last night with Archer.

I walk into the den and approach the door. “Who is it?” I call out.

“Ryker.”

“Ryker?” I say back.

“Ryker!” Vampire Bill squawks, and I turn around to hush him.

“Yes,” replies the deep male voice.

I stare at the door.

“You gonna let me in, Red?”

I frown at the door. “It’s late. And stop calling me that. My hair is auburn.”

I hear him laugh. “Late? It’s the weekend, plus your lights were on when I drove past. And Auburn doesn’t make a good nickname.”

I cock my hip, already feeling rebellious. I’m not afraid to open my door—because Ryker—but I do want to mess with him. “Is this a booty call? It’s past seven.”

“No.”

“Why are you driving past my house?”

I detect a long exhale through the door, and I picture him pushing his hand through his hair or just shaking his head at me. “Okay, that’s fine. If you don’t want my help in figuring out how to actually play pool before your date with Connor—”

“Wait!” I call out. “Don’t leave! Give me a minute.”

I need Ryker to help me.

I scan the room—it’s a disaster—and like a Tasmanian devil, I tear through the den, straightening pillows and wiping crumbs off the end tables. I pause Twilight and warn Vampire Bill to watch his language. Perched inside his cage, he glares and gives me an Are you kidding? look.

He does and says what he wants.

“Are you going to let me in any time tonight?” comes Ryker’s amused reply. “I don’t care if you don’t have any lipstick on…” His voice trails off, and when he speaks again, it’s deeper. Huskier. “You are dressed, right?”

Dressed! Crap. I look down at my skimpy booty shorts and tank top under my sweater. Well, I am clothed, just not decent. I button the cardigan up from top to bottom, but when I look down, it looks as if all I’m wearing is the sweater.

“Okay, later then.” I hear him scuffling on the porch and his voice is more distant, as if he’s moving away.

Forget changing clothes. I fling the door open. “Wait! I’m here.”

He turns back around and his eyes flare as they take me in, his electric blue gaze lingering on my legs before flying back to my face. He seems to get caught up on my hair and I touch it, knowing it’s a mess, the curls everywhere.

“I take it you aren’t going out?”

I shake my head. “Where would I go?”

He leans against my doorjamb and gives me a cocky grin. “I thought you might be headed to the Tau party. We won our game tonight.”

“I heard.”

He tosses an eyebrow up. “You weren’t there?”

“Charisma told me before she left. She went to the party.”

“Ah,” he says, his eyes steady on my face. “So you’re alone? No hot date?”

Only with my notebook.

“Nope. Just doing some writing. How was the game?”

A boyish grin crosses his face, a brightness in his eyes that makes me take in a sharp breath. He’s so hot I can’t breathe. “We beat Ole Miss 23 to 3. Twelve of those points were passes I threw straight to Blaze in the end zone.”

“Nice.”

He shakes his head at me. “We beat one of the best teams in the conference and you say nice.”

I shrug.

“You probably prefer playing pool?” He smirks.

I roll my eyes. “Why on earth did I lie to him? It was like my mouth was saying stuff, and I couldn’t stop it.”

He straightens up from his nonchalant pose and shrugs. “You wanted to impress him—because you like him.”

There’s a brisk quality to his voice.

“Yeah.”

He gives me a short nod, his gaze moving inside the house. “May I come in?”

I open the door wider. “Please.”

He eases past me, and I catch a whiff of freshly showered man, spicy and dark.

“You gonna spray me with that?” His eyes are on my hand, and I follow them to the pepper spray.

Oh! I forgot I was holding it.

I set it on the foyer table. “Sorry. You can never be too sure these days.” I consider telling him about Archer, but I don’t want to cause trouble between Ryker and his teammate.