Ryder rests his hand at the small of my back as we walk up to the restaurant. His touch does nothing to help me calm down. He’s making this feel so much like a real date; it’s no wonder I’m responding to him the way I am. I’m glad women don’t have such blatantly noticeable signs of arousal as men do. Outside of the random, spontaneous orgasm, that is. Thank god that hasn’t happened again.
The restaurant he’s chosen is small with a romantic atmosphere. Soft music is playing, and the tables are covered in white cloths and accented with vases of pink flowers.
At first, both of us are quieter than we’d been during the ride here. I wonder if he’s still thinking about our kiss as much as I am. Is it normal that I want to forgo dinner altogether and skip ahead to when I hope there will be more kissing later tonight?
Conversation finally picks up after we place our orders, and it’s not long before we’re laughing together, with only the smallest bit of self-consciousness lingering.
Though while Ryder is telling me about two men who got a bit too drunk on the course today and almost drove a golf cart into a pond, I find myself getting distracted. Why have I never before noticed what a nicely-shaped mouth he has? His bottom lip has a delicious fullness to it, and I wonder if I might be bold enough to give it a nibble the next time we kiss.
I will confess to no one but myself that even though the restaurant’s desserts look creative and amazing, I choose to skip them so that I can be alone with Ryder sooner than later. Once we’re out the door, he puts his hand on my back again, and it’s like a spark igniting a flame.
“Want to walk down to the beach?” he asks, his voice soft, his head close to mine.
“Sure.”
We cross the lot, and when we get to the sand, Ryder takes my hand. Heat races from my palm, up my arm, and across my chest. His hand feels so strong, but despite the support he’s offering, I’m still wobbly.
“I need to take these off,” I say, gesturing to my high-heeled sandals.
“I’ll help you.” Before I can say anything, he kneels beside me and undoes the straps at my ankles. It’s thrillingly intimate.
I place a hand on his back for balance as I step out of the shoes, and wish I had a reason to touch more of him. When he removes my sandals, instead of handing them to me, he carries them himself. With his free hand, he takes my hand again, and we head to the shore together.
“Dinner was good,” I say, needing to say something to distract myself from all of the feels I’m feeling.
“Mm-hmm.” His thumb gently rubs the back of my hand, and – oh god – how is such a simple gesture making me wet?
When we reach the water, we walk beside it for a while, occasionally looking down for shells, though there’s only a half moon, so it’s hard to see. The sound of the waves rolling in is both soothing and exciting, especially when Ryder coordinates his caress on my hand to match the rhythm of the ocean.
After a few minutes, he stops and turns toward me. We both speak at the same time.
“Bianca, I –”
“Ryder, I really –”
“Go ahead,” he says, with a small smile.
“I just wanted to say, I really appreciate you and your brothers offering to take me out on these practice dates and give me experience. It’s really nice of you, and I’m having a good time.”
He releases my hand and his brow furrows slightly. Maybe our fake date had started to seem real to him too.
He doesn’t say anything, so I continue. “I know you probably have other things you could be doing, and I’m grateful for your –.”
Before I can get the last word out, his hand is behind my head, tipping my face upward as he bends over me. He closes the space between us, his body pressing against mine as he wraps an arm around me and holds me tight.
His mouth covers mine hungrily, picking up where we left off in the car, but with even more heat. My arms slide around him and I take the opportunity to explore the hard muscles of his back, so strong and tight.
He devours me, kissing me passionately, his tongue tangling with mine, his hands possessing me while he cradles me in his arms.
Something stiff juts against my hip and belly, hardness pressing into softness, and my pussy clenches with excitement. I shift slightly and slide my body against his erection, needing to feel it better, wanting to explore.
Cradling my head in his hands, Ryder gives me one last kiss before abruptly stepping back.