Ryan exhales, tilting his head back against the locker with a thud. “Yeah, well. Somebody has to.”
We sit in silence for a moment, his labored breaths the only sound between us. Then, I catch him shifting his shoulder, and a wince pulls at his face as he lets out a low groan.
“You’re hurt,” I say, my brows pulling together.
He brushes it off, but it’s obvious that he’s in pain. “It’s nothing.”
I arch an eyebrow and cross my arms, not buying it for a second. “Ryan.”
He lets out a long, tired sigh. Slowly, he rolls his shoulder back, wincing as he does. “Took a bad hit. I’ll be fine.”
I frown, glancing down at him for a second before stepping closer, narrowing the gap between us. “Let me see.”
He gives me a look like he’s about to argue, but I’m not backing down. I’ve seen him take hits before, but there’s something about this one that doesn’t sit right with me.
Reluctantly, he shifts a bit, allowing me to get a better look at his shoulder. I step right between his legs, my heart skips at how close we are.
Ryan stays still as I press my fingers into his shoulder, feeling the stiff muscles beneath the fabric. He’s warm, too warm, and when I dig into the sore spot, he exhales sharply, his body tensing.
“Jesus,” I mutter, pressing a little harder. “You’re completely locked up.”
“It’s not that bad,” he mumbles, though his voice is tight.
I raise an eyebrow, pushing a little harder, ignoring his half-hearted protest. “Don’t lie. This is pretty bad. You’ve got a rock for a shoulder.”
He lets out a soft groan and the sound sends something hot curling through me, swirling in my stomach.
I don’t acknowledge it. Irefuseto acknowledge it.
I clear my throat, focusing hard on the muscle beneath my fingers. He shifts slightly, and I’m suddenly way too aware of how close we are. His eyes are on me, dark and heavy, and I can feel the heat radiating off of him.
“Feel better?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady, but my pulse is thumping in my ears, drowning out everything else.
“Yeah,” he says, his voice even rougher now, a little lower, and definitely not helping the weird energy zipping through the air. “Surprisingly.”
I swallow hard, my fingers lingering on his skin a moment longer than necessary, my brain screaming at me to step back, but I can’t move. His skin is warm beneath my fingertips, and I can feel the thrum of his heartbeat through his shirt.
The space between us feels like it’s shrinking by the second. His face is so close, I can feel the faintest brush of his breath against my skin. His hands are light on my hips, just enough to keep me in place, like he’s not ready for me to let go of me yet.
I don’t know when he touched me, but it’s like he’s always had his hands there, pulling me closer without a single word.
His eyes are locked on mine—dark and intense—like he’s trying to figure me out. Or maybe he is daring me to make the first move.
When I shift a little, his fingers tighten on my hips, and my breath hitches in my chest.
My pulse is pounding so loud in my ears that it drowns out everything else. My hands are still pressed against his chest, the muscles beneath my palms so solid, and the pull between us is magnetic—like neither of us can pull away, but neither of us knows how to make the first move either.
He moves his hand, just slightly, and my heart skips in my chest when his thumb brushes my hip. The heat shoots straight through me, and I bite my lip, trying to focus on anything except the way his eyes follow the movement.
Before I know it, his hands pull me forward, yanking me into his lap.
I gasp, my hands flying to his shoulders. “Ryan?—”
He groans, the sound low and rough, like he’s trying to keep control but doesn’t have it in him anymore. “I know,” he mutters, shaking his head like he’s frustrated with himself. “Fuck, I know. I just… don’t want you to stop.”
I can feel him hard beneath me. His hands grip my hips, pulling me even closer, and the friction between us is so intense I can hardly think straight. It’s too much, but it’s also exactly what I want.
“What about what you said?” I breathe out. “The rules… and my brother?”
