Chapter 33: Chapter Thirty-Three

Whistling, Ryder stepped off the elevator and headed toward the lobby to meet his brothers, excited to spend the day with them. And even more excited to spend another night with Madison. He walked into the lobby to find Ryder and Xander waiting for him.

“Dude, are you seriously whistling?” Xander asked. “You have got it so bad.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Ryder laughed and shoved him. “With the way you dote on Ky, I don’t ever want to hear a word from you about how I act with Madison.”

“You drop the big L word yet?” Tanner asked.

Ryder shook his head. “She’s already so freaked out about this weekend, I don’t want to add to her stress.” Not telling her was becoming increasingly difficult, though. So many times last night, and again this morning, that he’d wanted to tell her.

“I’d be totally stressed if you told me you loved me,” Xander said.

“You’re suck a dick,” Ryder said with a smile. “So, what kind of trouble you getting us into today?”

“Drunk golf.” Xander held up his arms as if he’d just said the smartest thing ever and was awaiting applause.

“Oh, no. Nope. No way. I have to meet Madison’s parents at dinner tonight. I cannot get drunk today.”

Ryder had played Xander’s version of drunk golf before, and it was a miracle none of them ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning.

“How about food first? And I need to buy a suit for tonight,” Ryder said, hoping he could convince his brothers to do something that didn’t involve day drinking.

Xander coughed the word “whipped,” and Tanner laughed.

“I hate both of you.” Ryder sighed.

“Fine. Food first. There’s a killer buffet here. Follow me.” Without waiting for a response, Xander led them toward a banquet room with a massive buffet wrapping around the entire room. Hundreds of tables and chairs crowded the middle of the space, but surprisingly, the place wasn’t packed.

Ryder grabbed a plate and heaped it with eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, hash browns, pancakes, and toast. His brothers had similarly overflowing plates, and they found an empty table near the back wall.

“Meeting the parents, huh?” Tanner asked as he poured syrup over a tower of pancakes. “That’s a big step.”

Ryder shrugged. “It’s all part of the whole fake fiancé thing.” He highly doubted he’d be meeting Madison’s parents if it weren’t for the fact he was pretending to be engaged to her.

“So, when she’s meeting Mom and Dad?” Xander asked and shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

“No idea.” Ryder slathered his pancakes with butter and syrup. “Not sure what’s going to happen when we get back to campus. For all I know, this is nothing more than a fling for her.”

His stomach churned at that thought, but he pushed it away. He couldn’t dwell on what would happen next week. Right now, he needed to focus on tonight, on meeting her parents, and then meeting the rest of her family at the wedding. Once he’d helped her save face, then he’d talk to her about where they stood.

“I can’t believe you’re going through all this trouble for a girl you’re not even sure likes you.” Tanner’s grin was challenging. He took a large bite of his pancakes.

“Like you have room to talk,” Xander said. “I distinctly remember you telling me you squeezed your pretty little ass into a white polyester suit to impress Jules.”

Tanner flung his head back and laughed. “I’m flattered you think I have a pretty ass, but stop checking me out like that. It’s fucking weird.”

Xander threw a piece of bacon at Tanner. “The day I check you out will be the single best day of your life and you know it.”

Ryder sighed. “Can you two be serious for a minute? I have no idea what the hell I’m doing here.” Admitting that to his brothers wasn’t easy, but if anyone could give him advice, it would be them.

“You have to tell her you like her,” Xander said, crunching on a stirp of bacon.

“She already knows,” Tanner said, pinning Ryder with an unflinching stare. “No guy in their right mind would go through all this trouble for a girl he didn’t like. Trust me. She knows you like her, and she must like you a little if she’s sleeping with you.”

Xander nodded in agreement. “You know, if this gets back to Mom and Dad, they’re gonna flip out.”

Ryder jerked his head up, eyes wide. “Yeah, well, they’re not going to find out. You two assholes are gonna keep your mouths shut.”

“You really think Ky and Jules are just going to let this go?” Xander raised a brow.

“They don’t need to know, either. By the time dinner rolls around on Sunday, this whole thing will be over. Madison won’t be wearing the ring, and as far as anyone knows, she’s a friend from college.”

“A friend.” Tanner laughed. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“According to her, that’s all I am right now. A friend with benefits.” Ryder pushed his food away, leaned back, and crossed his arms.

“Then it’s time to level up,” Xander said.

If only it were that easy. Ryder would gladly level up to boyfriend status, but he had no idea how, and he didn’t want to push too hard and end up pushing Madison out of his life completely.

“Speaking of leveling up…” Tanner cleared his throat. “I’m going to propose to Jules.”

“About damn time,” Xander said.

“Yeah, that’s not exactly breaking news. We all knew it would happen eventually,” Ryder said.

“I mean, I’m proposing this weekend. Figured I’d do it here in Vegas. She’ll never expect it.” Tanner finished his pancakes and shoved the now empty plate away.

Ryder smiled. “Good for you,” he said, and he sincerely meant it, even if his own love life was teetering on the cliff of nonexistence. Jules was good for Tanner, and Ryder would hate to see his brother lose the best thing to have ever happened to him.

“Hey, Ry, you should ask Madison to come to Tanner’s wedding as your fake fiancée. She totally owes you,” Xander said.

“Fuck you.” Ryder laughed. “I really need to buy a suit, then I guess we can play your ridiculous drunk golf, but I am not getting drunk.”

“If you say so.” Xander stood. “C’mon, I’ll help you pick out something to wear that won’t make you look stupid.”

****

Once dressed in the black Armani pants and white button up shirt, Ryder poured himself a cup of coffee. He took a long sip, then downed two aspirin. With any luck, his head would stop pounding before he left to meet Madison’s parents.

He tugged at the collar of the shirt, then undid the top three buttons before slipping on the matching black suit jacket. Just as he finished putting on his shoes, the door lock buzzed, then the door opened. Madison walked in carrying several shopping bags. She took one look at him and froze, eyes wide.

Ryder glanced down at himself, then back up at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She set her bags on the couch. “You look… hot.”

He laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

She smiled. “I’m not. I just haven’t seen you dressed up before.”

“It’s okay?”

He had no idea what the dress code was for tonight, but he figured slacks and a jacket were a safe bet. And he’d been sure to choose name brand labels, knowing her parents would notice. He’d also purchased a Cartier wristwatch and a bottle of overpriced Christian Dior cologne.

“It’s perfect,” she said, striding toward him. She smoothed the collar of his shirt, then ran her hands down his chest. Her hazel eyes sparkled green with desire.

Instant lust sizzled in his veins, and he removed her hands from his chest. “Touch me like that again, and we’re not leaving this room tonight.”

Madison laughed and held up her hands in surrender. “Sorry.” Her expression was anything but apologetic though. “I need to shower and get dressed, then we can head over to my parents.”

He nodded.

“Speaking of…” She glanced away, but not before he saw the hesitation in her gaze. “My parents invited Heather and Will to dinner tonight, too, so you’re going to have to meet them.”

He’d have to meet them eventually anyway, especially considering he was attending their wedding in a few days. Meeting them now, under less stressful conditions, was probably for the best.

“Okay,” he said.

“You don’t mind?” she asked.

“Should I?”

“No,” she said slowly. “But it’s going to be weird having dinner with my ex, isn’t it?”

“Only if you’re still in love with him.” Ryder took off his jacket and tossed it on the arm of the couch. He’d put it back on when they left.

Madison let out a surprised laugh. “No, I’m not still in love with him.”

“Then there’s no problem.” He grinned.

“You’re something else, you know that?” She closed the distance between them, and his heart beat hard with anticipation. “You’re always so…calm. Doesn’t anything rattle you?”

“You mean other than you?” He smirked, slipped his arm around her back, and drew her closer.

She rolled her eyes but graced him with a gorgeous smile as she snaked her arms around his neck. Then she inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering closed. “I haven’t smelled that cologne since I left for college,” she said with another inhale. “It’s my favorite.”

“It is?” he asked, shocked. In the amount of time he’d known her, she hadn’t ever indicated that she preferred anything expensive, and this cologne was not cheap.

“Mm-hmm. Whenever I’d go shopping with Heather or my friends, I’d always stop at the cosmetics counter and sample it.” She laughed. “I’ve never known anyone who actually wore it, though.”

It was now his favorite cologne, too, and he’d wear it every single day if it made her happy. He captured her lips in a teasing kiss, not trusting himself to give her anything more.

“Did you have fun with Heather today?” he asked, forcing himself to take a step back.

“Yeah, actually I did.” She moved toward the couch and rummaged around in her bags. “I got everything I need for her wedding, and for dinner tonight.” Arms loaded with clothes and cosmetics, she headed for the bathroom. “I need about an hour.”

Ryder grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge, and his cup of now lukewarm coffee from the counter, then flopped down on the couch, content to pass the time on his phone while Madison got ready. He popped a couple more aspirin. The pounding in his head had eased considerably.

His phone chimed with a message from his group chat with his brothers.

Xander: you tell her you love her yet?

He shook his head and typed back a response. No.

Tanner: chicken shit.

Ryder: if I tell her, will you two get off my ass?

Xander: probably not.

Tanner: nope. We’ll just find something else to harass you about.

Before he could reply, Madison walked out of the bathroom. Ryder stood, and he was positive his jaw had come unhinged. She wore a cream colored dress with brown and green swirls that made her eyes pop. The top of the dress tied around her neck, leaving her sides and back exposed, making it clear she wasn’t wearing a bra. The hem stopped mid-thigh, and she wore the same wedge sandals she’d worn in New Orleans. Her hair was in loose curls around her shoulders, and she wore a shimmering green and gold necklace with matching earrings.

“Are you trying to kill me?” he asked, unable to stop his gaze from raking over her again and again.

“What?” she asked, confused.

“You’re going to wear that while we’re having dinner with your parents, and I’m supposed to behave like a gentleman? Pretty sure walking in with a hard on is not the first impression I need to be making.”

Her soft laugh filtered through the room and wrapped around him.

“Seriously, Madison. You’re breathtaking,” he said.

Her cheeks flushed a seductive shade of pink. “Tell you what… you get through tonight with my parents and my ex, and I’ll let you take this off me later.”

His head fell back to his shoulders, and he groaned. Having that image in his head all night wasn’t helping, either. But it certainly gave him incentive. He snatched his jacket from the couch. “Let’s go, then,” he said.