Three and Out

  “Just like old times,” she responded, and they both laughed.

  At that moment, all of Hannah’s insecurities resurfaced, even though Ryker had just made love to every part of her body for an hour in his dressing room. A mere comment from Ashlin that they had a history pained Hannah because she was still trying to get to know Ryker; she didn’t know him like Ashlin did.

  From a distance, Hannah saw Ashlin drop her robe, showing pretty much her entire body…her magnificent body, and Ryker removed his, showing off his ripped physique and small boxer briefs. They stood next to each other as they talked to the director, while he described what he was looking for. There were a lot of hand movements from the director and a lot of nodding from Ryker and Ashlin. Occasionally, Hannah would hear words like, hot and sexy and she wondered if it was her selective hearing or if the director just kept saying those words over and over again.

  Ryker clapped his hands and said something as they both headed to the bed.

  A strong presence casted over her as she looked at Ryker, who was now positioning himself in the bed.

  “It won’t be very long,” Jesse said from behind her.

  Hannah looked up at him and replied, “It will be the longest couple of minutes of my life.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “I keep telling myself that…”

  “But…” Jesse made her continue.

  She blew out a heavy breath and said, “They just have so much history together. It’s hard to just sit back and watch them practically have simulated sex in front of us.”

  “Then why did you come?” Jesse asked mater-of-factly, not even acknowledging that his girlfriend was practically naked in front of a bunch of people and currently straddling another man.

  “Because he told me I could.”

  “And you were curious?” Jesse asked, as Ashlin threw her head back, her hair floating around her shoulders. Camera flashes started erupting around them and the shoot was off.

  “Maybe,” Hannah confessed.

  “Do you not trust him?”

  Hannah looked at Jesse. He was normally a nice guy, but right now, she felt like he was being an ass, and she wondered if it was because he was showing his own insecurities, but in a different way. It was a tough positon to be in, as a significant other.

  “I trust him, no doubt about that, but I’m just worried that…” Hannah trailed off as the director told Ryker to sit up more and press his lips against her neck, which he did automatically, making Hannah feel ill, because those lips were just all over her neck.

  “What are you worried about?” Jesse pushed.

  Ashlin’s hands ran over Ryker’s chest as Ryker’s hands did the same to hers. He cupped Ashlin’s breast, making her mouth drop open, giving the photographer the perfect shot.

  “Hannah…”

  She shook her head and looked at Jesse as she said, “I’m worried that he is going to be with Ashlin and then come back to me and finally realize that we are so different. He should be with a girl like Ashlin, a super model.”

  “Why’s that?”

  The director called out to Ryker and Ashlin, who stopped mid silent moan and then looked at each other. They shared a knowing smile, and then Ryker undid her bra, letting it fall to the side of her arm. He flipped her on her back, like it was something he did every day, and hovered over her. His arms flexed as they held up his body and his lips were attached to hers. Right in front of Hannah and Jesse, they were kissing.

  Bile came to the edge of her mouth, threatening to come out, as Ashlin arched her back when Ryker’s hand palmed her breast. The photographer cheered and started moving all around them, while clicking. Hannah didn’t know how long they were in that position, but it was way too long for her liking.

  She looked over at Jesse, who was done talking to Hannah, because his gaze was focused on the same thing she was seeing. Ryker was hovering over Ashlin, but there was a definite bulge happening, and Hannah knew Jesse wasn’t happy about it from the tick in his jaw.

  The director said something to Ashlin, which made her nod her head and laugh. Her foot came up to Ryker’s waistband and her toes grabbed ahold of his boxers and pulled them down until a part of his butt crack was showing. She smiled up at Ryker, who smiled back, and then pressed his lips against her neck. Her eyes closed tightly shut as her back arched off the mattress again, but this time, her hips went right into Ryker’s. The minute their hips met, Hannah noticed the flex of Ryker’s back muscles, taking in the impact of having Ashlin wrapped around his waist.

  All the telltale signs that Hannah knew were Ryker’s “I’m excited” tells were coming out right in front of her, but instead of having them with her, he was sharing them with another woman. It slowly tore her heart apart as her body went numb and into fight or flight mode. The pain was almost too much; she couldn’t take one more moment of this.

  Instead of sticking around, which she knew she should have done, she got out of the chair she was sitting in, passed a seething Jesse, who was trying his best to be cool, but Hannah knew better, and went back to Ryker’s dressing room. She could have waited for him there, but she needed to get away from that place. So, she grabbed her purse, called a cab, and took off to where she could think.

  Chapter Nineteen

  **Ryker**

  “Why the hell did you not stop her?” Ryker asked Jesse, as he drove his car from Hannah’s apartment to his. The moment she left, he could feel her retreat away from them, but they had to finish the shoot; he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t chase after her right away.

  Once he was done groping Ashlin, he tore off of her and went to his dressing room. When he saw that all her things were gone, he got dressed quickly, tried calling her, and when she didn’t pick up, he started driving to her place while calling everyone he knew, but no one knew where she was. Now he was on the phone with Jesse who had watched Hannah walk right out of the studio.

  “Sorry, I was a little busy watching you have your hands all over my girlfriend, dickhead.” Ryker could hear Ashlin in the background, trying to calm Jesse down.

  Yes, they had to touch each other; they had to do things that should really only be happening between a committed couple, but that was what they were signed up for. When they first signed the contracts with C.C. Morris, they were both single, so there was no harm in what they were doing; it was just awkward. But now that both he and Ashlin were with other people, it made the situation significantly more awkward and uncomfortable. They were both done with C.C. Morris after this shoot, because they didn’t feel comfortable doing the same kind of work when they both had someone so important in their lives.

  “It was a job,” Ryker gritted out.

  “Whatever,” Jesse hung up the phone, acting completely out of character. He couldn’t blame the man, though, because if he ever saw Hannah making out with someone else while they played with her breasts, he would see red. Ryker was surprised he was able to get out of the studio unharmed.

  He continued his search, but after two hours of driving around, he gave up and went back to her place, where he expected her to show up. Luckily, he had a key and let himself in to wait for her.

  He sat on her couch and took in her surroundings. Her place was so comfortable, so homey. She had throw pillows, afghans, pictures…everything that made a house a home. On the side table, there was a picture frame and it was the two of them at Jesse’s house. They were both holding cups of hot chocolate with Ryker’s arm around Hannah’s shoulder, pulling her in closer. Her head was tilted into his shoulder and they both had giant smiles on their faces. Ryker was right about the first assessment he made when he first saw Hannah, she was going to be his wife one day, no doubt about it. She was everything he needed.

  The day turned into night as Ryker lay on Hannah’s couch, clutching the picture. It wasn’t until Hannah walked into her apartment at midnight that Ryker looked at the time and saw that it was so late. He sat up automatically and forced his eye
s to adjust to the light Hannah had just turned on.

  “Where the fuck have you been?” Ryker swore, not even caring about what he said.

  Hannah’s hand flew to her heart as she screamed from being startled.

  “Ryker, what are you doing here?” she breathed heavily.

  “Looking for my girlfriend who walked out on me.”

  “I didn’t walk out on you,” she said, as she set her purse down on the side table. “I just couldn’t watch anymore.”

  “Nothing happened,” Ryker said between clenched teeth.

  “Don’t, Ryker. I don’t want to relive it. I know what I saw.”

  “And what exactly did you see?” Ryker stepped forward, feeling heat and anger burst through his veins.

  “I saw you groping another woman, touching and kissing her like you kiss me,” Hannah’s voice caught on a cry. “You were…excited, Ryker,” she continued softly, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

  “It’s called acting, Hannah.”

  “You’re a football player, Ryker, not an actor. Plus, I’m pretty sure you can’t act out the kind of excitement you were having.”

  Ryker ran his hand over his face. “Hannah, it was acting, and I’m sorry that I sported a minor boner while I was picturing my girlfriend as I had to be on top of another woman.”

  “Don’t give me that excuse. You were not picturing me…”

  “The hell I wasn’t,” Ryker shouted. “You can ask Ashlin…before we got on set, we both told each other we’d be picturing someone else to get through our last shoot. It’s so beyond awkward being with her that picturing you with me made it so much easier to get through. Why don’t you trust me?”

  “I do trust you,” she shouted back. “I just know I’m not good enough, okay?”

  Ryker stepped back from the force in her voice. He had never seen Hannah liked this, with fire in her eyes.

  “Who’s to decide who is good enough for me?”

  “I…”

  “No, Hannah. That’s my job. I get to decide who’s good enough for me, and I choose you because you are, by far, superior to me, but I love to aim high, I always have.” She went to respond, but he stopped her as he grabbed her hands and pulled her down on the couch. “I’m so sick of you putting yourself down and being insecure. Where is that girl I first met?”

  “She’s gone,” Hannah said, as she lowered her head and tears fell from her eyes.

  “Why?”

  “Because,” she cried. “Because I wasn’t good enough for Todd; I was only good enough to be the other woman. He spent his life with someone else and only used me when it was convenient for him.”

  Realization hit Ryker that she was still reeling from what Todd did to her. He knew it was hard on her, but for some reason, he thought that she had gotten right over it, probably because Ryker thought Todd was a total douche burger.

  Wanting to comfort her, he lifted her chin so she was looking at him. Tears filled her ice blue eyes as she searched his face for what he was going to say. His palm pressed against her cheek as his thumb rubbed away her tears.

  “Hannah, I’m sorry about what happened to you with Todd. You never deserved to be treated like that, but I’m going to be honest, I’m not that sorry.” Confusion crossed Hannah’s face as he continued. “I’m not that sorry, because it gave me the chance to finally be with you.”

  She shook her head. “It’s too hard, Ryker. Seeing you with Ashlin; it’s just too much.”

  “Listen, that was the last time…ever. You won’t have to see that anymore. From now on, I belong solely to you and you alone, boo.”

  She nodded her head as she wiped her tears away.

  “I want to be strong for you, Ryker. I want to be the girl that you need. It’s just going to take some time for me to get past all my insecurities. Todd really hurt me, but I want to get over this…”

  Ryker’s heart was beating fast as he listened to Hannah. Something possessed him in a matter of seconds, because he found himself cradling Hannah into his chest and asking her a question he had never asked before.

  “Move in with me,” he stated.

  A gasp escaped Hannah’s lips as she looked up at him with big eyes.

  “What?”

  “Move in with me,” he repeated. “Be with me, Hannah. I’ve waited a while to have you in my arms, and now that I do, I don’t want you to be anywhere else. Move in with me.”

  Her face was priceless as she tried to figure out if he was serious. Her lips parted slightly and her breath hitched as she tried to figure out what to say, and her eyes glistened.

  “You’re serious.”

  “So fucking serious.”

  “Ryker…”

  Laughing, he said, “Just answer the question.”

  “It’s so soon.”

  “It’s not,” Ryker replied. “Hannah, can’t you see the connection we have? We’re meant for each other.” He paused for a second before he took a deep breath and said, “I love you, Hannah. More than anything. From the moment I first saw you at the bar, I knew you were it for me. Please, move in with me.”

  That did it, tears started running down her face that Ryker tried to catch with his thumbs.

  “I love you too, Ryker.”

  Warmth spread through Ryker’s body as he held on to his girl and listened to the words that came out of her mouth…words that he never thought would affect him, but they did…they turned him into a crumbling mess.

  Wanting to be closer to her, he grabbed her face and pressed his lips against hers. She met the stroke of his lips with hers, and when her tongue entered his mouth, he lost it. He pulled her down so she was lying on the couch and he was on top of her. Her little body fit perfectly under his, making him realize that this was it…this was all that he needed in life; all he needed was Hannah.

  He kissed up her neck and made his way to her mouth. Before he kissed her lips, he stared into her eyes and asked again, “Will you move in with me, boo?”

  A smile spread across her face as she nodded her head and said, “Yes, I would love to.”

  She didn’t get a chance to say anything else, because his lips were covering hers in seconds. His hand glided under her shirt, making her let out a little moan of pleasure.

  “Ahh, you’re killing me, boo,” Ryker mumbled.

  “Take me to the bedroom, Ryker.”

  Not having to be asked twice, he bounced off the couch, grabbed Hannah by the waist, threw her over his shoulder, and sprinted to the bedroom, making her laugh the most delicious laugh he had ever heard.

  **Ashlin**

  Thanksgiving rolled around, and not only was Ashlin feeling awkward about being at Jesse’s family Thanksgiving, which was just his brother and his family, but Jesse had been very cold toward her ever since the photo shoot with Ryker. He wasn’t being rude or avoiding her, but the way he interacted with her, the lack of touching on his part, was noticeable. When she asked him if everything was alright, he always said yes, but as she sat in the kitchen and watched Jesse prepare food all morning, she knew he wasn’t being himself.

  “Ouch,” Johnny said, as he shook out his hand. “Dude, you don’t have to slap me, I was just taste testing. I don’t want you serving up shitty potatoes.”

  Jenny sidled up next to Johnny and placed a kiss on his hand before saying, “Baby, if your daughter picks up on that potty mouth of yours, your hand is not the only thing that is going to be hurting.”

  “Is that right?” he wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Ugh, men,” Jenny threw her hands up in the air and turned to Ashlin. “Please tell me you got the better end of the deal when it comes to the Rutledge brothers.”

  Ashlin peeked a glance at Jesse, who was busy carving the turkey and avoiding eye contact with her, making her stomach sink to the ground. She didn’t like the idea of Jesse being upset with her; it was slowly eating away at her.

  “Well, I don’t know Johnny very well, but from the way he just cried like a little girl, I’d say
I did get the better end of the deal,” Ashlin winked, trying to joke around so she could fit in.

  Both Johnny and Jenny stared at her for a second before laughing hysterically. Jenny poked Johnny in the side and teased him, as Johnny told Jesse not to let Ashlin go.

  “Mommy!! I got the bwue cwayon on my dwess,” Daisy called out, as she came running into the kitchen holding up her dress so everyone could see her underwear underneath. Ashlin laughed to herself, as Jenny told her ladies don’t hold their dresses up like that.

  “Tide stick?” Jenny asked Jesse.

  “In the laundry room,” Jesse’s voice rang out, making Ashlin feel week in the knees. She missed his voice; he wasn’t much of a talker lately, and it was almost warming to hear him speak. He looked up at Johnny and said, “Set the table for me?”

  Johnny nodded his head, grabbed all the items he needed, and went into the dining room.

  Watching Jesse in the kitchen was such a turn on. The man knew how to cook and entertain, while looking sexy as hell, with his fitted grey jeans and forest green sweater that was practically painted on him. His sleeves were pushed up, showing off his tattooed forearms, and if she watched closely, she could see the outline of his abs through the sweater. All she wanted to do was take him upstairs and finally have him the way she wanted, but with the way he had been so quiet, she didn’t think that was the best idea.

  “Do you need any help?” she asked shyly, waiting for him to turn her down.

  “I’m good; you can go in the other room,” Jesse replied, without looking up at her. His forearms flexed as he continued to cut the turkey and place it on a plate.

  Ashlin’s throat started to get tight from the way Jesse was being so standoffish. The holiday was rough on her as it was, because when she was young, her family either didn’t celebrate the holiday or they fought the entire time. The cold façade Jesse was putting on toward her was a deep reminder of what she went through as a child. Instead of pushing it, she excused herself and went to the bathroom upstairs to gather herself.