Page 43 of Burning Bridges Duet

“His loss,” River chimes in with a grin. “Now you can sit between Ryder and me.” He waggles his eyebrows, and Liv laughs, the tension in the air momentarily easing.

“You guys are worse than kids, and because of that, I’ll sit next to Jaxon,” she says just as he enters the room, arms full of treats. He smirks at us as he sets the bowls on the coffee table.

“Perfect,” he says, sitting down and pulling Liv into his lap. She laughs, and he whispers in her ear, “Hey, sunshine.” I chuckle at their teasing and take a step back.

“I’ll catch up with you guys later, enjoy the movie,” I say before turning to leave. I feel a pang of guilt in my chest as I walk away, knowing that I’ve hurt Liv’s feelings, but I can’t let myself get too caught up in this. I have a date tonight, and I need to focus on that. Hoping it’s just what I need to get her out of my head.

She looks stunning tonight. We had suggested that she dress casually and comfortably, since we were only planning to relax and watch movies. We’re all in sweats or basketball shorts, while she’s wearing a light green lounge set with flowy shorts and a long-sleeved sweatshirt. Her hair is in a messy bun, and she’s only wearing a hint of makeup. She smells like vanilla, and I take a deep breath to savor the scent. It seems that she’s becoming more comfortable around us because the scar on her sexy, toned leg is on full display, and I love that she doesn’t feel the need to conceal it from us anymore.

I guide her off me so she’s sitting on the couch with her legs draped over my lap, then take one of the new blankets and pull it over us. Her head rests on my shoulder, and I can feel her warm breath against my neck. I begin to stroke her bare thigh under the blanket and am fascinated by the goose bumps that form in the wake of my touch. She shivers slightly, and I try to keep myself from getting hard. Fuck.

“What are we watching? Chase told me he discovered yesterday that our Liv is a little Star Wars geek,” Ryder says, breaking the silence. My eyebrows rise as I look down at Liv’s beautiful face, since we do a Star Wars marathon at least twice a year as a family. She’s blushing, and having a front row seat to that reaction from her makes it even harder for me not to sport a semi. I can’t help but wonder if that blush extends to the rest of her body. I let my fingers wander from the safe zone of the outside of her thighs, grazing the inside of her right thigh, close to the seam of her shorts. Her breath hitches, and I can’t help but think about how much I want to let my fingers wander higher and feel if she can’t help but react to me too.

I bet she tastes like heaven and vanilla.

“What do you want to watch Ryder?” Liv blurts out, her voice a bit shaky, and I smirk.

“I don’t know, what are we in the mood for? Something funny? A classic? Action? Or do you just enjoy chick flicks?” he teases her.

“I like chick flicks,” she says, and his face falls. I laugh into her hair.

Little minx.

“How about an action movie?” Liv suggests. “Like John Wick or Bourne Identity?” I squeeze her thigh, and she looks up at me with questions in her eyes.

“The Bourne films are my favorite,” I explain.

“Really?” she asks. “I like them too, but I’ve only seen the first two.”

“We have all of them.” Ryder suggests. “We can do another movie night soon to finish them all.”

Liv nods with a smile, then adds, “But not tomorrow, because tomorrow is your gig.” Ryder smiles. “What kind of bar is it? Is there any dress code?” she asks.

“Nope, come however you want to.”

“Are you playing the acoustic guitar or is it more like electric guitars and drums?” she asks, while River smiles at her.

“I play with my band, so I’ll be playing the acoustic-electric guitar, but there will be drums too,” Ryder answers. Liv sits up, the movement bringing my hand under her shorts, and the tips of my fingers graze the lace of her panties. She shivers, and I pull my hand back slowly. Yep, definitely damp.

“Oh, I always think those guitars look so cool,” she says, beaming.

“Want to help me choose which one I’m going to play tomorrow?” Ryder asks. “I have three.”

She nods eagerly, then looks up at me. I take my hands off her, pulling back the blanket so she can step out. I already miss her nearness.

“Hurry up, you two! I’m going to set up the movie in the meantime,” River says, while Ryder takes Liv’s hand and guides her to his room down the hall.

We enter Ryder’s room, and I’m surprised by its size, since it’s bigger than my whole apartment. Decorated in dark colors, mainly dark gray and black, it’s just as messy though. Clothes, sheet music, and guitar picks are strewn about everywhere. I can’t help but grin.

“I’m sorry for the mess,” Ryder says, nervously biting on his lip ring, which is adorable. “I should have tidied up before inviting you in. Want to step out real quick so I can try to salvage it?”

I laugh. “Don’t be silly. You should see my apartment.”

“I’d love to, but I never got an invite,” he replies, raising his eyebrows, and I playfully slap him on the bicep.

“Why would I ever want to squeeze you guys into my small apartment when you’re living like this? If you show me anymore nice rooms, I might just move in soon.”

“Please do! You’re so small, I don’t think you even need your own room. We can put you in my closet, and I could have you here always,” he says with a grin, but I think about the last time I was in a closet and shiver. Don’t go there now, Livy.