Skylar marched to the door like a soldier going into battle. "Let me handle this. I need to establish dominance."
She opened the door and immediately crossed her arms, blocking the doorway. "Listen here, puck-boy. If you so much as let someone spill a drop of cheap beer on this silk, or if you make her look stupid for even a second tonight, I will personally melt your skates down to liquid plastic. Do we have an understanding?"
Ryder was leaning against the doorframe, looking entirely too comfortable in a fitted black button-down and dark jeans. He didn't look intimidated in the slightest. In fact, an amused smirk played on his lips.
"Message received, bodyguard," Ryder drawled, his deep voice carrying into the room. "Can I see my girlfriend now?"
His gaze shifted past Skylar's shoulder and landed on me as I stepped fully into the light.
For a split second, his trademark cocky look totally vanished from his face. His eyes went dark as his gaze swept from the draped neckline of my emerald dress down to the slit at my thigh, and then back up to my face. His smirk slipped. He just stood there, completely still and looking genuinely caught off guard.
It was the most satisfying two seconds of my entire week.
Then, he blinked. The mask slammed back into place, and the arrogant curve of his mouth returned.
"You clean up nice, Nerd," he said, though his voice sounded a fraction huskier than usual.
"Let's just get this over with," I said, grabbing my small black clutch and stepping past Skylar.
The walk to his matte black SUV was mostly silent, save for the crunch of gravel under my heels. He opened the passenger door for me, a surprisingly gentlemanly move, before jogging around to the driver's side.
The second the doors slammed shut, sealing us in the quiet, leather-scented cab, the air shifted. The tension suddenly felt thick enough to cut with a knife.
Ryder didn't start the engine immediately. Instead, he turned his body fully toward me, resting his arm on the steering wheel.
"Rules of engagement, Cleo. We need a story before we walk through those doors," he said, all business now.
"Fine," I replied, squaring my shoulders. "We met at the library. You dropped a textbook."
Ryder let out a short, harsh laugh. "No one is going to believe I willingly set foot in a library. We met at a party two weeks ago. We've been talking on the down-low because you just got out of a relationship and wanted to keep it quiet. Makes you look like the one in control, makes Liam look like yesterday's news."
I hated to admit it, but it was a solid story. "Fine. But before we walk in there, let's review the boundaries we already set. The 'no kissing' rule is strictly in effect."
Ryder's eyes dropped briefly to my lips before snapping back up to mine. "I remember the terms, Evans. What else?"
"No calling me 'babe' or 'sweetheart.' It makes my skin crawl."
"Noted, Nerd," he said smoothly. He leaned in just an inch closer. "But if we're going to sell this to your ex and your evil stepsister, I need a rule too."
"Which is?"
"You can't flinch when I touch you," he said softly, looking directly into my eyes. "If I put my hand on your waist, you lean into it. If I touch your thigh, you don't tense up. Liam is going to be watching us like a hawk, and if we look like two people who can't stand each other, this whole thing falls apart."
"I'm a great actress," I said confidently, lifting my chin. "I won't flinch."
To prove his point, Ryder suddenly reached across the centre console. His large, warm hand settled right on the bare skin of my thigh where the slit of my dress opened up.
I jumped, my breath catching in my throat as my muscles locked up.
Ryder raised a single, arrogant eyebrow, his hand still resting heavily on my leg. "See? You just flinched."
"I wasn't expecting you to do it right that second," I shot back, desperate to will away the heat rushing to my cheeks.
He tilted his head, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement. "Sure that's what it was?"
"Positive," I said, forcing my voice to stay level.
"Let's test that theory," he murmured.
Slowly this time, his hand slid just a fraction higher on my thigh, his long fingers wrapping warmly around the curve of my leg.
My heart did a wild, traitorous flip, then started pounding against my ribs. Every nerve ending under his palm felt like it was short-circuiting, sending electricity straight to my core.
My pulse raced, drumming loudly in my ears, but I forced every single muscle in my body to remain completely relaxed. I didn't pull away; I didn't even blink.
But Ryder wasn't done.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned across the console, his massive frame completely crowding my space. He kept moving closer, his dark eyes dropping heavily to my lips.
Panic and something dangerously close to anticipation flared in my chest. He's going to kiss me. He's breaking the rule alreay.
"W-what… what are you doing?" I breathed, my voice betraying a slight tremor.
"Shh," he commanded softly.
He stopped moving when his face was mere inches from mine. I was completely trapped in his orbit, paralysed by the intensity radiating off him. Being this close, his scent hit me… a sharp, intoxicating mix of cedarwood, clean mint, and worn leather.
My chest rose and fell rapidly with my shallow breaths, but I held my ground, keeping my eyes locked on his.
For a long, agonising moment, he just held me there in silence.
Then, slowly, he lifted his free hand. The back of his knuckles brushed lightly against my cheekbone before his fingers found a loose curl, tucking it gently behind my ear.
He leaned in the final inch, his lips grazing the shell of my ear.
"That was actually good," he whispered, his deep voice vibrating right through me.
Before I could even process the praise, he pulled away.
The suffocating heat of his body vanished as he slid effortlessly back into his own seat, buckling his belt and shifting the SUV into drive.
I exhaled a shaky breath I hadn't realised I was holding. The cold AC blasted against the skin where his hand had just been, leaving a strange, hollow ache behind.
I cleared my throat, forcing my tone to stay completely casual. "Told you."
Then, I quickly turned my head, staring out the passenger window into the dark so he wouldn't see how thoroughly he had just wrecked my composure.
Ten minutes later, the deafening bass of the Sigma house party vibrated through the floorboards of the SUV. Ryder killed the engine, turned to me, and unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Ready to go ruin your ex-boyfriend's night?" he asked.
I swallowed hard, grabbing the door handle as a cold, sharp thrill finally managed to cut through the lingering haze of his cologne. "Lead the way."