Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
But it was the banner congratulating Ryan on his win hanging on the wall, with the floor covered in purple and gold balloons that likely surprised him.
“Holy shit,” he said. “When did you do this?”
“I drove out a little early.”
“You said you had to go study this morning.”
I shrugged. “It was a bit of a white lie.”
“Wow… baby, thank you. Holy fuck. This is amazing.” He grabbed my hand and twirled me against him. “I wish I could celebrate all my wins like this.”
“I figured I wanted to do something outside of the dorm. That way, we can feel like we’re on vacation or something.”
“This is seriously”—he kissed me—“so”—again—“perfect.” And again.
I melted into him, resting my head on his chest. Even though we were miles away from home, it felt like we’d never left. It didn’t matter where I was in the world. So long as Ryan was by my side, I figured I would always feel at home. He was my North Star, my lighthouse in a stormy night, my sunshine after a rain-filled day.
Ryan was quickly and unapologetically becoming my everything.
“Come, the surprise isn’t over.”
“Alright, but you’re gonna have to match me,” he said, gaze dropping down to my still-on jeans.
“Fine.” I smirked as I followed suit, taking my shoes off first and then my jeans. My underwear was way more colorful than Ryan’s and also a little skimpier. The pink-and-blue briefs were tight on me, and I knew half my ass was hanging out.
So I gave a twirl. Ryan let out a “woosh” of a breath and slapped my ass. The sting was nice, making me jump. “Follow me,” I said over my shoulder.
Ryan did, walking down the hallway, past the marble statue of a man holding flower. It wore a purple and gold sash that said “Congratulations, Ryan!” I pointed to him. “Look, your number one fan.”
“I thought that was you,” he said, chuckling as we continued down the hall, streamers up on the wall.
Thankfully, he won because it could have been pretty awkward otherwise.
“Don’t worry, I plan on earning that title back from him.”
“Babe, I feel like you already have.”
That had me smiling like I’d won the lotto. I continued down the hall and made a right, entering the living room. There, the two glass doors were wide open, leading out to the serene yard. The flickering lights of tiki torches danced with the strung fairy lights. The pool changed colors, shifting from purple to blue to red.
“Jay, holy shit this is incredible. Look at the mini shells!” He went over to the pool, more excited than I think I’d ever seen him.
Floating on the surface were a few tiny rowboats.
“These are awesome,” he said as he picked one up.
I didn’t want to tell him I ordered them from a sketchy Etsy vendor, so I smiled and kept the magic intact.
Next to the pool was a beer pong table, already set up with red Solo cups and a couple of Coronas. On the other side of the pool was a long table full of fruit and cheeses and meats and olives and basically anything I could think that Ryan would like.
“I wanted it to be like the night we first met, but, you know, better. Classier. Less sweaty frat guy smell.”
“You seriously fucking outdid yourself.” He came from behind me and wrapped me up in his arms, kissing my neck, his thumbs hooking on the band of my briefs. He was so warm, so solid. I leaned back, rolling my head so he had more access. His lips were like velvet. I placed my hands over his and let this moment really sink in.
“Thank you, seriously. For everything.” Ryan kissed me again, this time aiming for my earlobe, nipping at me with his teeth. “Now, let me kick your ass at beer pong.”
“Who said you’re doing the ass kicking?” I pulled myself off him, surprised I had the willpower to even do so. “You’re not taking first place in this.”
We walked over to the table. I took my place at the opposite end, unable to stop myself from admiring Ryan’s juicy thighs and the way that sexy black snake tattoo wrapped around him.
“Why don’t we up the stakes?” Ryan asked. “Every shot one of us makes means the other person has to take off a piece of clothing.”
“Work. Sounds good to me. I’m excited to get you naked first.”
“Hah. Sure,” Ryan said. We filled up our cups and made a show of stretching and flexing, as if we were prepping for a marathon. We were being silly, and it felt so natural, and gah damn did I love this.
We grabbed our Ping-Pong balls and locked eyes with each other. On three, we both shot the balls. Ryan’s bounced off the table, but mine went into a cup.