Chapter 9

CHAPTERNINE

Liv

I’m standing outside my apartment complex, wearing my prettiest long-sleeve dark green sundress, my favorite white sandals that match my purse, and my black aviator sunglasses. My hair is in loose waves down my back, my makeup light and natural. I wanted to look cute for Ryder. I know he likes me in jeans, but I’ve never worn a dress for him, so maybe he’ll like it too.

I didn’t sleep much, since I had to make sure I’m back on track with my classes, but it was worth it. I only have a few assignments left over for tomorrow, and since Gunner checked in with me last night, I can enjoy today to the fullest.

Ryder’s car comes around the block and parks in front of me. He jumps out, comes to my side, and kisses me.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, baby,” he exaggerates, and I chuckle.

“And you’re a charmer,” I say against his lips.

“Just telling the truth, baby girl.”

He opens the door for me, and I get in. As we make the thirty-five-minute drive to Miami, Ryder and I talk about all the shops he wants to take me to and what there is to see in Miami. I can tell he’s excited to show me around, and I’m looking forward to spending the day with him.

I ask him if I can choose the next song, since the GPS says we’re almost to Miami. He furrows his brows for a moment, then hands me his phone.

“The code is 0404,” he says.

I’m a bit shocked that he just told me his passcode, but then I smile at the realization.

“That’s my birthday,” I say, and he shoots me a smile.

“I know, that’s the whole point,” he says, and my eyebrows rise in surprise.

“I never told you my birthday,” I say, and he chuckles.

“Oh, I have my ways,” he replies, and I slap his arm.

“Ryder, how do you know my birthday?” I ask him, curious.

“I may have asked Chris, and she knew,” he says.

I smile, remembering my shopping date with Chris, then turn myself in the seat to face him.

“When is your and River’s birthday?” I ask, and he grins.

“Ours is February eighteenth,” he replies. “Before you ask, Jaxon’s is May twenty-first, and Chase’s is October tenth.”

“That’s in two weeks!” I exclaim, sitting up straight.

“We can have a look today,” Ryder suggests with a chuckle. “Maybe we’ll find something for him in the city.” I relax back, relieved to at least have a plan.

As we drive into Miami, I find the song I was looking for, and “Miami” by Will Smith starts blasting from Ryder’s new stereo.

“God, you’re such a cliché, I love it,” he says, laughing out loud.

We both nod our heads to the beat and sing the chorus loudly. As he searches for a parking spot, I just know today is going to be great.

We walk towards a guitar shop that Ryder called a hidden gem in South Beach, and my mouth falls open when we enter. The walls are lined with guitar after guitar, each one cooler than the last. There are even a few in some fancy colors like yellow and pink. I spot a green one, and Ryder grins.

“My next one is going to be the color of your eyes,” he says, and I laugh.

“Stop it, cheeseball,” I say.

“No cheese, just a bit of sweat,” he says, rubbing his nose on mine.

I chuckle, and he pecks me on the lips before turning and going to the register to ask for the strings he ordered. I stroll around, mentally making a note to shop at this place for Ryder’s Christmas and birthday presents.

I stand beside Ryder as he continues to chat with the guy behind the counter, who has long hair and a surfer vibe, but I suppose that’s the norm for most Miami guys.

“That your girl, Davies?” he asks with a glance at me.

Ryder smiles and puts his arm around my shoulder, kissing my temple.

“Yep, I hit the jackpot,” he says, and I grin at him.

“Seems like you were good in a past life,” the guy says, handing Ryder a bag before he winks at me. “You know where to find me when he messes up, pretty girl.”

Ryder turns us and mutters, “Get in line,” before leading me out of the store.

We spend the rest of the day shopping, and it’s a blast. I never would’ve thought that Ryder would be the guy you could take with you to go shopping, but he loved picking outfits for me, and I had to try on everything while he chose what we were going to buy. He also bought me a truly sexy black lace lingerie set, but I told him he would only see it when I wear it at home. The heat in his eyes was scorching.

We also found some new Chucks for Ryder and a birthday present for Chase that I’m happy with. It took some time to get it made, but I just told the vendor what I wanted and we came back an hour later to pick it up. We took a break to eat some pulled pork sandwiches and drink a slushy, then we headed into a grocery store to get some water bottles and snacks for the ride home.

The day went by so fast, and now it’s already evening. The sun is setting over the ocean, and I stand to watch the sunset while Ryder puts our bags on the backseat of his car. After, he comes up behind me and puts his arms around me.

“Thank you for today, Liv. It’s been the best day in a long time,” he whispers in my ear.

I let myself lean back into his embrace and turn my head, kissing his cheek.

“I loved it too. You’re a great shopping companion,” I say, and he chuckles.

“I’m anything you want me to be, baby.”

* * *

Ryder

Liv and I get into the car. She sighs when she looks at the GPS, which tells us it will only take thirty-five minutes to get home.

“I’m not ready to go back yet,” she whispers.

I check the clock. It’s already half past seven and getting dark outside, but I have no qualms about driving in the dark.

“Want to take the long way home?” I suggest. “We could take a more rural road with less traffic, but it will take us approximately two and a half hours to get home.”

“You would do that?” she asks, beaming at me, and I chuckle.

“And get more alone time with my baby girl? Of course I would. Let’s go,” I say.

“Perfect, I’ll just let the guys know that we’ll be late,” Liv says giddily, getting out her phone to text them.

We drive for a little over an hour, singing to the songs Liv chooses and enjoying each other’s company. I have my hand on her knee, and it all feels just right. It’s so dark around us, I can barely see anything outside of the headlights, and we only encounter three or four cars the whole way. Suddenly, the stereo goes dark and the music cuts off. What the fuck?

Despite my car being fucking old, I installed a new stereo system, complete with GPS and other features, to improve the sound quality. Except as I push the buttons to turn it back on, nothing happens, and Liv notices my frustration.

“Don’t worry, I have my own little jukebox with me,” she assures me with a laugh and playfully boops my nose. “Sing for me, Ryder,” she says. I grin and attempt to nibble on her finger, but she withdraws it too quickly.

“What do you want to hear, baby?” I ask.

“Whatever’s on your mind,” she just says.

I begin to sing “Beautiful Soul” by Jesse McCartney, a song that reminds me of her, and I can feel her swooning beside me. I love how she gazes at me like I’m the most important person in the world when I sing. She makes me feel valuable, and I hope I do the same for her.

“You know, you’re such a softie behind all those tattoos, black clothes, and jewelry,” she says with a sigh when I end the song, and I chuckle.

“Oh yeah, you think so?” I reply, but she’s playing with the rings on the hand I have on her thigh.

“Why all the rings?” she asks. “Do they mean something, or is it just for style?”

I pull over to the side of the road and turn off the engine before turning in my seat to face her. I stroke her cheek and tuck some hair behind her ear as she looks at me with big eyes.

“I wear the rings so your neck looks pretty,” I whisper, my voice deep and rough.

My hand moves down to her throat, squeezing. I feel her gulp and watch her eyes widen even more, then I kiss her gently with my hand still on her throat, giving it one last squeeze before letting go. I can’t help but chuckle at the face she’s making.

“Fuck, Ryder,” she murmurs and squeezes her thighs together.

I grin and try turning the engine back on, but it doesn’t respond. I turn the key a few more times, but it still won’t start. Fuck! I look at Liv and cringe.

“Yeah well, that was dumb of me,” I say, and she chuckles.

“No, that’s just what you get for telling Jaxon you wouldn’t drive me around in this car anymore and still doing it.”

“He is going to kill us,” I say with a groan, letting my head fall back.

“Oh no, mister, he’s going to kill you,” she says with a laugh. “I’m an innocent bystander.”

“Oh, you think you’re innocent?” I ask before undoing my seatbelt, then I lean over to unbuckle hers. I pull her onto my lap so she’s straddling me, then grip her bare thighs under her dress and pull her down on the bulge in my pants. Her breath hitches, and she takes my head in both hands.

“I was innocent, but I think I enjoy being sinful with you, Ryder,” she whispers, making me groan, then she presses her lips to mine.

The kiss is sweet, full of emotion, and I’m overwhelmed when I realize how much she already means to me. Being in love is something I’ve never experienced before, but I know at this exact moment I love her.

She eases away, and I bite my lip to keep from letting those three words burst out. Instead, I stroke her bottom lip with my thumb and gaze into her stunning green eyes.

“I could kiss you for hours, baby, but let me check the car first so I can drive you home and we can continue this in my bed.”

Her breath hitches, but she nods eagerly and moves back to her seat.

“Stay in the car, please,” I say as I pull the lever to open the hood before getting out. As soon as I’m bending over the engine, I hear the passenger door open and roll my eyes. Of course she doesn’t do as she’s told, little minx.

“You’re lucky I’m not Jaxon, or you would be spanked for not listening to me,” I say before she even comes around the hood.

“So you think you deserve a spanking for not listening to me too?” Jaxon’s gruff voice says, coming out of Liv’s phone speakers as she stands beside me. I look at her with wide eyes, but she just chuckles. Oh, I am so screwed. I shoot Liv a glare, mouthing “Traitor,” but she bites her lip and giggles.

“Hey, Jax, nice to hear from you,” I say into the phone. “Did you have a good day?”

“Drop the shit Ry. What’s wrong with the car?” Jaxon asks, cutting straight to the point.

“Well, baby girl here didn’t really give me much time to check before she ratted me out,” I respond, taking another look under the hood. I shoot Liv a playful glare again, and she mouths “Sorry” in response. “It seems like the battery gave out. I can’t find anything else. Earlier, the radio went dead.”

“I’m coming to get you both,” Jaxon says with a huff. “I’ll bring some jumper cables, but it doesn’t sound like we can start it back up. The alternator should charge the battery while you’re driving, so more than likely, it’s completely dead. Can you send me your location, sunshine?”

Liv fiddles with her phone, then we hear a beep from Jaxon’s side.

“Why the fuck are you two out there? That isn’t the fucking way home from Miami!” Jaxon exclaims.

“It is, it’s just the long way,” Liv says, jumping to our defense. I can’t help but snicker, and Jaxon sighs.

“Fuck, okay, so it’ll take me at least an hour to get to you. Get in the car with the doors locked and stay put.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you,” Liv whispers and Jaxon’s mood seems to improve dramatically.

“You’re welcome, sunshine. And Ryder…” He trails off, and I wince. “We’re going to talk about this whole situation on the drive back,” he warns before hanging up.

I close the hood and turn to Liv.

“Really?” I ask, my eyebrows rising. “You ran to Jaxon before I even told you what the problem is?”

“River told me to,” she replies, biting her lip. “He said that when there’s a problem with the car, I should call Jaxon before you have the chance to make it worse.”

I stare at her, blink, then start laughing out loud.

“Oh my god,” I exclaim, holding my stomach, which already hurts from my wheezing.

“Are you mad at me?” she asks, unsure.

I pull her to me and hug her before I sit her on the hood of the car.

“Of course I’m not mad at you. It’s just fucking hilarious how little faith River has in me, but then again, he’s right. He always tells me that I haven’t got enough self-worth or self-esteem, but look how little he trusts me, and he’s the person who knows me best,” I say sadly, putting my head on her forehead. “I’m so sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have put you in danger in that car. You deserve so much better.”

“Stop that, Ryder. You know that’s not how we see you,” she says. I step back with my arms wide and turn around in a circle.

“What is it then? Tell me, Liv. You’re sitting in the dark, in the middle of nowhere, because I can’t part from that junk car,” I say, kicking the bumper.

“Ryder, nothing happened. Jaxon will get us, and soon, we’ll laugh about it. You could even take it as inspiration and write your first song about it,” she suggests.

I grimace and look at the ground.

“What?” she asks me, jumping off the hood and standing in front of me. She lifts my chin, so I look in her eyes.

“I write a lot of songs, baby, but they’re just shit,” I confess.

“Oh really? Who says that? You?” she questions, and that pulls a smile from my lips.

“Since I never let anyone else hear them, yes,” I admit. She gives me a short peck and sits back on the hood.

“Well, try me,” she challenges, and my eyes widen.

“What do you mean?” I ask her. She crosses her arms under her chest, pushing up her perfect tits. My eyes linger for a second before I look back into her eyes.

“We’re out here in the middle of nowhere, it’s dark, and no one beside me will hear you. Try me. Sing me one of your songs. If it’s bad, I’ll tell you and you’ll know. If it’s good, I’ll tell you and you can be reassured enough to share with others,” she explains.

“You’re biased,” I say with a laugh. “You would tell me my songs are good just because you’re mine.” She shivers when I say this, and I step closer, putting my hands on her knees.

“No, Ryder. I was a performer. I made money by making dance videos and showing them to the world. There’s no love in telling you you’re good when you’re not. It might make you feel good right this second, but the feedback you’d get when you release it to the public would be much harsher on you than anything I could tell you. In this situation, tough love is real love. I’d tell you that your songs need more work and hurt your feelings a hundred times over to make sure nobody else with ill intentions is going to hurt you much worse later on.”

She reaches up and pushes my hair out of my eyes while I look at her in amazement. She knows how to get through to me. I take a deep breath and nod.

“Okay, I’ll sing you one of my songs,” I say, sitting beside her on the hood. “I wrote this for you, when you were gone.”

Her eyes widen, and she takes my hand, squeezing it, so I start to sing.

Baby, your beautiful smile lights up my world

It’s like sunshine on a cloudy day, unfurled

And your green eyes, they sparkle with life

I could get lost in them, without any strife.

’Cause the way you laugh, it’s like music to my ears

The way you move, it’s like a dance without fears

’Cause, girl, you got me falling fucking fast

For your smile, your wit, I know that we will last.

Baby, your beauty goes beyond skin deep

It’s in the way you move, the way you speak

Your grace and poise, they leave me in awe

You are perfect for me, without a flaw.

’Cause the way you laugh, it’s like music to my ears

The way you move, it’s like a dance without fears

’Cause, girl, you got me falling fucking fast

For your smile, your wit, I know that we will last.

You’ve shown me love I never thought existed

You make me feel alive, my heart so uplifted

I never knew love could feel this way

Baby, with you, I want to stay.

As I sing the lyrics, I can see the emotions on Liv’s face. At first, she just listens and smiles, but as I go on, I see tears welling up in her eyes. There is so much admiration in her gaze, and I start to realize that maybe my song isn’t as bad as I thought, because the girl I wrote it for seems to love it.

’Cause the way you laugh, it’s like music to my ears

The way you move, it’s like a dance without fears

’Cause, girl, you got me falling fucking fast

For your smile, your wit, I know that we will last.

’Cause, baby, you got me falling fast,

falling for you, falling so hard

And I’m so glad I found you, baby,

’cause you are the beat of my heart.

When I finish, I look at her and find tears streaming down her cheeks, so I brush one away.

“Ryder, that was—” she starts, but before she can finish, I interrupt her, unable to contain my feelings any longer.

“I love you, Liv,” I blurt out, my eyes going wide with shock at what I just said. She chuckles softly at my expression through her tears, then pulls me to her by my shirt.

“I love you too, Ryder Davies, singer and songwriter.”

She kisses me gently, and I close my eyes, taking in her sweet vanilla scent.

* * *

Liv

Ryder’s kisses go from gentle and loving to more passionate as he holds my chin to deepen the kiss. I moan, and he takes it as encouragement, changing position so that I’m now lying on the hood while he leans over me. His other hand finds my thigh and squeezes it before slowly making its way upwards under my skirt. I feel myself getting wet as his mouth wanders to my neck. His hand is now cupping my pussy, stroking over the lace. I’m panting as he sucks my earlobe into his mouth before letting it pop out.

“How much time do we have left?” he asks. I try to think through the horniness and check my phone beside me.

“Maybe half an hour,” I whisper, and Ryder chuckles.

“That’s enough to make you come at least twice, what do you think?” he asks, his finger now rubbing my clit over my panties.

“Oh my god,” I murmur.

“Can I eat you out in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road until you come all over my face, baby?” he asks with a smirk. Words every girl wants to hear.

“Yes,” I reply, nodding frantically.

He pecks my lips and pulls down my panties in one swift motion before tucking them into the back pocket of his jeans.

“God, I love dresses on you—gives me easy access,” he says with a grin before kneeling in front of me and throwing my legs over his shoulders.

He licks a long stripe up my slit, and I grip the hood, my head falling back. I can hear the sound of crickets in the distance as Ryder devours me, his tongue swirling around my clit before diving back into my heat. I’m squirming, moaning his name, and he takes it as a signal to increase the pace. He pushes two fingers inside of me, curling them up to hit my sweet spot, and I involuntarily squeeze my thighs together. He chuckles and presses them back open before going back to sucking in my clit. The sensation is too much, and I feel my body tensing up, ready to explode.

“Fuck, I’m going to come,” I murmur, and he looks up at me with a wicked grin on his face.

“Let go, baby. Come all over my face,” he says before nibbling at my clit again, and that’s all it takes.

My body shakes as I ride out the intense waves of pleasure, Ryder’s fingers never stopping their movements. I’m gasping for air, my heart pounding in my chest, when he crawls up to me and kisses me deeply, letting me taste myself on his tongue.

“You taste so fucking good,” he whispers against my lips. When he moves to kneel back down, muttering, “One down, one more to go,” I stop him. He stands back up and looks at me with a raised brow. “What’s wrong, Liv?”

I see the bulge in his pants and feel sexy and reckless, all because of him. I reach for it and squeeze him through his pants.

“Fuck me, Ryder,” I demand. His eyes widen, and he leans in to press his mouth to mine.

“Are you sure?” he whispers against my lips, so I kiss him back.

“Shut up and fuck me already,” I mutter.

He huffs a laugh and quickly pushes down his jeans so they fall to his knees. I reach for him, but he lifts one of my legs over his shoulder and leans in to kiss my chest, pulling down the bodice of the sundress to free my tits. I feel the air brush against them, and my nipples peak even more. He sucks one of them into his mouth while rolling the other in his hand.

“Fuck,” he mutters, and I moan, happy that all the stretching I’ve been doing again gives me such flexibility.

He leans back, and I get a glimpse of his long cock, already leaking pre-cum, then I see something shimmer. Is that a fucking piercing? Before I can see more, Ryder enters me, and I gasp at the sudden sensation of being filled. One of my legs is still over his shoulder, giving him a delicious angle, while something hard is rubbing my inside walls, hitting the best spots. It is a fucking piercing. Oh my god.

He starts to thrust in and out of me, each movement harder and faster than the last. His hands wander from my hips to my breasts and throat, gently squeezing.

“Fuck, Liv, your tight pussy is gripping me so good,” he says with a groan.

His thrusts get harder and the grip on my throat stronger when I feel his muscles contracting, his breathing getting heavier, and I know he’s close. He brings his free hand to his mouth and bites down on his fingers, trying to prevent himself from coming, but I want him to. I moan his name, and he responds by kissing me fiercely, his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth. I break the kiss and look into his eyes, watching him as he takes me to the brink of ecstasy.

“Come again for me, baby,” he whispers while rubbing my clit, and I unravel around him, my walls clenching tightly as I come undone. “Fuck” he moans, and I feel his hot cum inside me. He collapses onto me, panting and spent, before kissing me.

“I love you, baby,” he whispers against my lips.

“I love you too,” I whisper back, and he kisses me gently once more.

He pulls out of me, and we take a few moments to catch our breaths. I glance down at him, definitely seeing a piercing through the head of his cock. I look back to his face and find him smirking, eyes filled with amusement.

“You’re fucking crazy, you know that?” I say with a laugh, and he nuzzles my throat.

“And you love it,” he replies.

“I can’t believe we just did that on the side of the road,” I say, giggling. “We should probably get back in the car before Jaxon arrives and catches us.”

He nods and helps me up, giving me my panties back and pulling them up my legs before smoothing down my dress. Only after I’m dressed does he pull up his pants.

I feel his cum already leaking out of me and into my panties, causing me to squeeze my thighs together.

“Fuck, I’m going to make a mess,” I say. His gaze shifts down to my thighs, and he groans, closing his eyes.

“That’s so fucking hot,” he says, but I playfully push him away.

“Don’t come at me when there’s a wet spot on the seat of your beloved car,” I tease, and he pulls me back to him.

“I’m going to fuck you raw in the car next time, and you’ll see how little I care about getting your sweet scent all over my seats,” he whispers.

I shudder at his words, and he laughs before letting me go. We get back in the car, grinning at each other like two teenagers who just got away with something naughty. Jaxon calls to tell us he’s going to be there in two minutes, and we both burst out laughing, wondering what his reaction would’ve been if he’d arrived just five minutes earlier.