A protective instinct pinged in my solar plexus. “Come on, don’t give him a hard time,” I echoed, and Jason raised an eyebrow at me meaningfully.Crap. Why not just declare your love in front of the entire bar?I needed to cover. “Wyder can’t help it if he’s afwaid of heights,” I said in an exaggerated baby voice, pinching his cheeks.
Ryder wasted no time grabbing my wrists and pinningthem behind me while he tickled the living daylights out of me, and I writhed with laughter.
“You know, if I had known your treatment for a fear of flying was to dry-hump me, I would’ve confessed my phobia a lot sooner,” he said with a naughty glint in his eye. “In fact, I’m feeling pretty scared right now…”
“Unhand me!” I squealed as Jason shook his head at us in the background.
“Just promise me one thing,” Ryder rumbled, his voice low and rough against my ear, and I hummed in response, still breathless with laughter. “You’ll never do that for anyone else.”
The air between us shifted, thickening, and when I pulled back to look at him, the gleam in his eye had softened into something that made my heart stutter.
“What do you guys think, we ready to call it a night yet?” Jason interrupted, gathering up all our empty cups. I think we may have gone a tad overboard on the souvenir glasses.
The familiar piano intro of a Bob Seger song came on, and I whooped. “What are you talking about? This party’s just getting started! Come on Ryder, let’s see that Tom Cruise strip tease!”
The next thing I knew, I came to with my head nestled against Ryder’s shoulder. It was warm and cozy here, and his gently prodding voice sounded a million miles away. “Hey Sleeping Beauty, I think it’s time to go home.”
I answered without bothering to open my eyes. My eyelids felt like they had weights sewn into them. “Mmkay,” I said, snuggling my head deeper into his collarbone. He smelled delicious, like a pine tree on Christmas morning.
“Why don’t you guys head back, and I’ll settle the tab,” I heard Jason say. “Plus, there’s a girl over there who’s been eyeing me.”
That tidbit woke me right up, triggering a second wind and noisy catcalling from me and Ryder, and prompting Jason to practically drop-kick us out the door.
“Thanks for buying,” I told him and threw my arms around his neck in a sloppy hug, overcome with tipsy sentimentality. “I love you, Jase.” As soon the words were out, a light bulb blazed on, and I pulled back. “Jase! That’s it!”
“Jase.” He puckered his lips, thinking about it. “You know what? I kinda like it.”
“Of course you do!” I said, pounding a fist on his chest. “Because it’s perfect. It’s so simple. It was just hanging out there the whole time!” I did a little happy dance and tripped over my own feet.
Ryder caught me easily, steadying me as he shoveled me out the door. “Okay there, birthday girl. Fresh air time for you.”
Only problem was, the summer air was so swampy, I’m not sure one could call it “fresh.” It certainly did nothing to sober me up. In fact, I think it might have made me drunker. “Is fresh air supposed to feel this stifling?” I asked him, fanning myself.
“I think I’m sweating more now than I was inside,” Ryder admitted, wiping his brow.
“I’m not sure the Tiki Hut was our best choice,” I told him, feeling woozy. My ears were ringing, and the slightest hint of nausea was starting to set in. I’d consumed so many sugary drinks tonight, my tongue felt fuzzy, like it had grown a layer of fur. If I got sick, it would look like I raided a Kool-Aid factory.
“But we’re only like ten steps away from our door,” he pointed out. “Really, my plan was inspired.”
We stepped off the curb to cross the street, and I immediately stumbled again—not exactly my wisest decision, choosing heels for my inauguration into the world of binge drinking—but Ryder somehow managed to catch me before I completely face-planted, though I nearly took him out in the process. I’m not sure why I expected him to keep me upright when he could hardly walk a straight line himself. We were both fighting for our lives, and the whole thing made me collapse into hysterics.
“That was a close one,” I wheezed, laughing so hard tears started leaking from my eyes. Everything was hilarious. “Can you imagine Francesca’s meltdown if I showed up on Monday with my face covered in road rash?”
“Don’t even speak it into the universe.” Ryder kept a firm grip on my waist as he led us across the street.We were jaywalking! Such rulebreakers!
“I’d blame it on you for sure,” I said through my giggling. The moon hung low in the sky, illuminating our path home like a stage light on an empty set.
“At least you’re a happy drunk,” he said as we reached Riverview’s front entrance and he pulled open the door.
“Is there another kind?”
“Oh, sure. There are sad drunks, angry drunks, aggressive drunks, sloppy drunks, horny drunks…”
Interesting. “Maybe I’m a horny drunk and just don’t know it yet.” I waggled my brows suggestively.
He slid me a sideways glance that said he knewexactlywhat I was up to. “Maybe.”
Silence loomed between as we made our way to the elevator—only to discover anOut of Ordersign taped to the metal doors, directing us to the stairwell.
