53

Kassie

Submit An Official Request

Before the brunch rush, Gianna's was quietest than I'd ever seen it. It wasn't hard for the hostess to seat us at a booth. And the moment we sat down, I was damn grateful. My whole body ached. The only thing keeping the exhaustion at bay was curiosity.

What does Ryan want to talk about this badly?

I put my chin in my hands and yawned. "What are we discussing?"

"Just one thing," Ryan promised and scrolled through his phone, keeping it a foot away, like it could've grown fangs and bit him.

"Is this something I need to be coherent for?"

"I'm not looking for an answer right now," he replied. "This is more of an introduction to negotiations and I can print out a copy, if you want."

Negotiations?

Our waitress stopped by the table with some waters and I smiled up at her. Sloane, the pretty redhead who remembered Ryan's protein shakes. But when I reached for a menu, Ryan stopped me.

"We don't need menus. Kassie wants the strawberry banana French Toast special, eggs, toast, bacon. And a glass of orange juice."

My lips tugged up for a smile.

Ryan grinned back at me and shifted to face her again. "And I'll have my usual."

While I had french toast? I shook my head. "No, he won't. We're both getting my order."

"That's a lot of sugar," Ryan pointed out. "I can't do that."

"No practice today and you dragged me in here, you're doing it."

Sloane took a long look between us. "Uh…do we need a minute?"

"Nope." I reached for my back pocket for my secret weapon, nestled in my wallet. "You dragged me here, ball dribbler. Either you eat this with me or I'm paying."

Ryan took a long look at me but I wasn't bluffing. I slipped out my credit card and held it between two fingers, a loaded weapon as far as he was concerned.

"You're not paying," he told me flatly.

"Maybe I'll pretend to go to the bathroom and slip them my card."

" Kassie ."

I shrugged. "Even if you pay, I'll come back later, and offer a bigger tip for a refund with a new card."

Sloane giggled. "Sounds good to me."

Ryan ran a hand through my hair, never straying his eyes from mine. He waited for me to crack. Maybe he thought I was too tired to fight him on this but he couldn't be more wrong. I wasn't getting a damn good breakfast and watching him eat kitchen ingredients. Fuck that. I gazed back at him. No compromise today.

He narrowed his eyes. "Fine."

I gave the sweetest smile I had and he narrowed his eyes further.

The moment the menus disappeared, I had all of Ryan's irritation to myself. He might've scared the freshmen on his football team but I didn't have a jersey number. He couldn't negotiate on this.

"Don't do that again," he warned.

I took a drink of water to hide my smile. "I wanted to give you a reward."

"A reward?"

"You did good," I admitted and a flush crept up my neck at the thought.

"Good…?" The frown disappeared. A grin crossed his lips and all the irritation vanished. "I'm glad you had a good time."

"I had a great time," I murmured.

"I know. You had a great time all over my face."

I choked on the water and pulled it back before I could spill it on the table. God, how did he just… talk like that? I could cuss out reporters all day every day to defend Ryan but gazing into those dark honey eyes and talking about how he made me feel? I might as well have lost my vocal cords.

"You're shy," Ryan said, surprised.

" Shy? " I repeated, pushing past the blush. "Be real. I've got to be the least shy person you've ever met in your life. I could walk through that football locker room and not give a shit. I'm not shy ."

Ryan shifted forward on the table, watching me. Those dark eyes trailed over my face and I couldn't help that my breathing slowed. I couldn't change the effect he had on me.

"Kassie?" His voice lowered, liquid honey that felt like it dripped on my body. "I want to fuck that pretty pussy until you come on my cock."

My heart dropped six inches in my body, I could actually feel the breath leave me, and I ducked my head, blushing so hard I knew I couldn't look at him again. My eyes were glued to the table. I couldn't even find the words.

"I—I—"

His fingers reached for my chin and tilted me back up to look at him. My blush deepened. I didn't even know that was possible.

"We're in…public…" I finished, my words weak.

"Like you give a shit what people think about what you do."

He's right .

No one ever read me so well. But it was so hard to explain. The truth was, kissing and sex and everything in between was so…intimate. It required trust. And I'd never been the trophy winner for giving that out. Openly talking about it was openly acknowledging the truth that I'd given that trust to someone. Given it to Ryan .

Almost an impossibility for me.

Ryan tilted his head back, smirking. "I found it."

"Found what?"

"I found the way to trip you up like how you get me."

Another blush, another show of trust. I took a deep breath. "Do I even want to hear what we're here for?"

"Oh. Right." He nodded and reached for his phone again.

The moment he wasn't focused on me, I could finally breathe again. I watched him scroll through his phone and nod to himself about something. He looked like he was preparing for one of those important analyst meetings.

He rolled back his shoulders. "Kassandra Ragar, the last few months have been a successful and worthwhile venture. You've been an important addition to the Romans' team. This has been beneficial for both parties."

"Huh." I chuckled, confused. "Okay."

"I'd like to change the nature of our association."

"Association?" I repeated.

What the hell is he talking about?

Ryan nodded. "I'd like to submit an official request to be your boyfriend."

My mouth fell open.

"Your real boyfriend," he amended.

For a moment, I didn't think I heard him. I stared at him for a long moment. Once again, Ryan knocked me off my feet and I had literally no idea what to say. My mouth fell open but I snapped shut just as fast when Sloane hurried up with our drinks.

"I have a lot of good qualities that would help me with this new role," Ryan continued, unfazed by the stunned silence. He held up a finger. "I'm loyal. More than sixteen colleges in the last month have tried to poach me for a potential transfer from the Romans and I declined all opportunities." He scrolled down a little further and held up another finger. "Communication is one of my strongest suits. I answer all texts and phone calls within a twenty-four hour period—"

" Ryan, " I blurted out.

"What?" Ryan glanced up from the phone. He raised his eyebrows. "I have fifty-two items left on the list."

I stared. Shocked. "You—you wrote that?"

"Yeah." He flashed me the phone. "You showed me the notes app and I wrote it in the waiting room at UrgentCare."

"You…wrote all of that…?"

"Yeah. Somehow, I added pictures of our Tuesday schedule in here? I don't know how I did it but now I can't delete them. I hate these phones."

I hurried to take a drink of water, heart pounding in my chest.

"Can I continue with the list?"

"No!" I flinched. "I mean, no. You don't have to. This isn't a job—job interview." It wasn't embarrassment that hit me. I was so out of my depth, I honestly didn't know what to say. "Wow. You got me, Ryan. I've never had a conversation like this before."

"I haven't either."

"And you just…did all that?" I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to think of exactly why he wrote all of that. "I'm not…fucking other people, Ryan."

"I don't want this to be just about sex," he told me in a firm voice. "I don't want to be the benefit friends shit or whatever it's called. I want to be your boyfriend. It's different."

I gazed up at him. "Oh."

"Can I continue? I had to prepare. I know I'm not your type."

"Not my…?" I blinked at him and the embarrassment ebbed away to being plain confused. Did Ryan seriously think I wasn't attracted to him? How was that possible? "What the hell gave you that idea?"

"Adam told you like skinny boy band guys."

Oh, Jesus Christ .

"We've got to stop listening to our dumbass friends," I muttered. "No. Ryan. Of course, I'm—I'm attracted to you. And you're one of the most…"

I couldn't struggle with my words. Ryan needed to know how much I liked him. Because as much as it felt like my throat was closing up, I hated the idea that Ryan had been thinking about himself like that.

"Look, you're hot as fuck, that's just a fact," I told him point-blank. "And you're also one of the most uptight dudes I've ever met in my entire life. And you're so dedicated to everything you do, it shocks the shit out of me. And you put people first without a second thought. And you care so much." My voice strained. "It's amazing and it's so stupid and I wish I could—I wish I could protect you from all of these people who demand so much from you—"

Sloane reappeared with breakfast and my words died. I stared hard at the table.

But I could still feel Ryan's eyes on me.

"Do we need anything else?" Sloane asked.

"No," Ryan said, his voice soft. "No, we don't."

Looking back up at him meant I couldn't look away. Ryan gazed down at me with all the intensity in the world, like I was the only person in the restaurant and nothing else mattered. He reached for my hand. His easily engulfed mine. My heart beat in my throat as he ran his thumb over my knuckles.

"I want to do the selfish thing and take even more of your time," he murmured.