She bit back a sigh at the sight.
Or maybe she didn’t suppress it so well, because he turned around, and his steely gaze locked on hers. “Just take care of it,” he bit out to whoever was on the other end and disconnected the call.
When he faced her, his expression softened. “Hungry?” he asked.
She swallowed hard. “You don’t have to feed me. But I do need you to take me back to my car. It’s at the stadium, remember?”
Ian remembered. He also recognized a retreat when he saw one. Normally that was his job. He didn’t like that she was so eager to escape.
Not when reality would give her reasons soon enough. Before that happened, he needed to lure her back from wherever she’d gone to emotionally protect herself.
“That’s not an answer,” he said. “I asked if you were hungry.”
Her stomach answered for her, and a rosy flush stained her cheeks.
He laughed. “I thought so.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the kitchen, all the while, aware of her curves beneath his shirt and the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. He knew because he’d placed her clothes in a bag for her to take home later.
“Come. Breakfast is waiting.”
She eyed him warily, as if she suddenly didn’t know what to make of him.
He felt the same way. Most women he slept with clung to him, hoping he’d find something about them that would make him interested longer. He often suspected it was his money that had them so enthralled, because he certainly didn’t treat them to his charming personality the morning after, or feed them breakfast.
With subtle pressure on her back, he led her to the kitchen, where breakfast had been delivered while she finished in the bathroom. “Sit.”
She chose a chair and settled into a seat, studying the spread of food laid out before them.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked,” he said. “I figured since one of the benefits of living here involves full room service, you might as well take your pick.”
“Thank you.” She picked up a bagel and spread cream cheese over it, ignoring the fruit.
He grinned. “A carb girl.”
“I worked up an appetite.” The blush returned. “I can eat it on the way to the stadium if you have things to do.”
He slid his chair closer to her, gratified when her color heightened even more and her breath caught in her throat. He didn’t want to be alone in feeling like he couldn’t get enough of her.
Still, she was suddenly skittish, and he wanted to know why. “In a rush to get away?” he asked her.
“No, it’s just…I don’t know…I don’t do this.” She glanced away and took a large bite of her bagel.
“Define this.”
She chewed and swallowed. “I don’t usually have sex with a guy outside of a relationship.”
Now they were getting somewhere. “And?” He needed her to continue with no suggestions from him. He wanted her unvarnished take on what this thing between them was. Because he was still working it out himself.
Without meeting his gaze, she took another bagel bite, chewed, swallowed, and followed it with a long sip of orange juice.
He waited.
“Alex said you go from woman to woman,” she finally admitted.
He clenched his jaw, wanting to kill his half brother for offering any kind of take on his life. The other man didn’t know him. At all.
“That’s been my MO,” he admitted to her.
She placed her unfinished bagel on the plate. “Well, I appreciate your honesty. Can we go now?”
He shook his head and couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face. “Riley, Riley, Riley. I said that’s been my MO. Has there been anything about my behavior, from last night to this morning, that led you to believe I’m finished with you?”
To punctuate his point, he swiped his finger over the corner of her lip, where a drop of cream cheese remained, and licked it off his finger while she watched. Her eyes dilated with undisguised need, and his c**k grew harder in his sweats.
“So we’re not finished?” She gripped her napkin in her lap, twisting it unmercifully.
“Not by a long shot.”
She finally met his gaze. Big blue eyes stared at him through thick lashes, as she clearly worked out what she wanted to say next.
“I have some rules.”
He raised an eyebrow, not wanting to be amused, yet he was, despite himself. “Go on.”
She drew a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “If you don’t want to call this a relationship, that’s fine, but if you’re seeing me, you aren’t seeing other women at the same time.”
He hadn’t said he didn’t consider them in a relationship. Hell, Ian wouldn’t know what a relationship entailed, but he had a feeling that admission wouldn’t win him any points.
He rested his hand on her thigh where his shirt had inched up, revealing bare skin. “We both know that since we started going out together, I haven’t had time for anyone else. But you’ll be happy to know I haven’t wanted anyone either. So no other women.” He stroked her soft flesh, inching higher with a broad sweep of his thumb.
“Good.” Her voice came out on a husky rasp.
“Now for a condition of my own.” He lifted her chin with his hand. “No other men for you.”
“Done.” A cheeky grin lifted her lips, and he knew he had her back.
No more distance.
He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, tasting a mix of Riley and citrus from her juice.
She moaned and kissed him briefly before pulling away. “One more thing.”
“What would that be?” he asked, enjoying her way too much.
“I have to tell Alex, and I have to do it my way. He won’t be happy, and I need him to understand. I need him in my corner. That’s nonnegotiable.”
Ian closed his eyes and groaned, not because he objected to how she handled his half brother and her friend, but for far more serious reasons. “I think that may be a problem,” he told her.
She stiffened and pulled back. “Ian, I said nonnegotiable, and I meant it. Alex isn’t just my friend, he’s my family.” Her entire body trembled. “For a long time, he was the only person I had in my life who protected me.” She flinched at her own words. Obviously she hadn’t meant to reveal that much.
But she’d said it, and now he wondered. Protected her? From whom? There was a story there, Ian knew, and if they had time, he’d ask her about it.