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Chapter Sixteen
They walked across the street to the infamous Big Reds, and it being a Friday night, the place was packed. Throughout dinner, as the drinks had been consumed, as Ryder had treated Sophie with cordial respect befitting his neighbor, she’d come to a life-altering conclusion.
Fuck it.
She’d studied Ryder sitting next to Cheryl, looking all kinds of wrong sitting next to her, and decided she needed him. All the martinis she’d drunk had clarified everything in her mind.
The simple truth was, she needed the way he touched her. The way he looked at her. The way he baited her. The way he made her laugh. The way his tongue felt in her mouth, and a thousand other things.
So when his foot had rested against hers, she hadn’t moved. And when his hand slid over her skin, she’d opened.
On a date with two other people was not the time or place to have this realization, but life wasn’t interested in timing.
Besides, she had an idea of how to make amends.
She’d been watching Cheryl and Bill all night, and they belonged together. Their conversation with Ryder and Sophie was awkward and tense, but they were easy and engaged with each other. All through dinner they’d paired off, only not with the person they were supposed to be on a date with. They thought they wanted people like Sophie and Ryder, but they didn’t understand it would never work. They needed calm.
And Sophie and Ryder needed wild and chaos.
Sophie was going to get them together.
Ryder pushed them up to the bar and turned to her, his gaze flicking over her mouth before dipping his head and yelling in her ear, “What do you want, darlin’?”
She tilted her head back to say into his ear, “Let’s do shots.”
“Tequila?” The hand farther away from Bill and Cheryl strayed to her hip.
“Tequila.”
They looked at Bill and Cheryl, who were shaking their heads.
Cheryl held up her hands. “I can’t do shots. I’ll take a white wine.”
Bill waved them off. “Beer for me. I’ve got practice in the morning.”
See? Utterly perfect for each other.
Ryder signaled the bartender and gave their order. A few minutes later, he’d handed Bill and Cheryl their drinks and turned back to Sophie.
He picked up the shot and handed it to her before taking one of his own. “Salt?”
His gray eyes heated. She shivered as she remembered the press of his tongue against her skin. She shook her head. “I’m good.”
They clinked the tiny glasses together. “Bottoms up.”
They downed the shots and put them back on the bar. All Sophie wanted to do was jump him, but instead she said, “Let’s dance.”
He squeezed her hip. “Let’s.”
Cheryl smiled. “Do you mind if we sit this one out?”
Ryder tensed but then Bill said, “I’ll sit with her, you guys go ahead.”
Ryder didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Sophie’s hand and led her onto the dance floor, where a country song played. A second later he spun her into his arms and she was pressed flush against him.
It was a medium tempo, and he started gliding her through a two-step. She melded into him, not understanding how someone so much bigger than her could fit her so right.
He gripped her around the waist and looked down at her. “Have you learned your lesson, Sophie?”
