I poked his cheek. Not once, not twice but he still didn't look at me and I hide my smile trying to make the dimple on his cheek appear once more but with no avail.
"Are you still mad at me?" I asked 'innocently' and I could see his jaw move and I refrained from smiling once more.
Baseline, I'd got out of his grip and we called draw. Human weakness, I love you so much. But as it seemed someone didn't like losing and it had had me laughing to the point of tearing up when he took his vow of silence against me. That was ten minutes ago and it was beginning to bug me. I'd already concluded this was why I was here, to keep him company or something, so I'd pushed that topic away. At least until I was curious enough to ask.
"I won't laugh again, I promise," I said though unconsciously I knew my fingers were crossed but he still didn't budge.
Annoying him into talking but clearly that didn't go so well. Time for phase two. Buttering him up for attention.
"Aren't you even going to smile or smirk? Pretty please. Not even a little. Don't you know you look cute when you smile? You usually have this cute dimple right here," I said before letting out a small yawn and suddenly he was pulling me to him and I let my weight rest against him and he chuckled caressing my face.
"I guess we should probably get you in bed," he murmured and I hummed a response making him chuckle as snuggled into him. "But we should get the door open first."
"Oh, I know," I said sitting up and pulling the hair pins that held my hair up and he looked amused.
"You know that doesn't actually work right?" he said eyebrows quirked in question and I pouted standing up.
"You just have to know how to use them," I said walking towards the door ignoring him and squatted in front of the door pushing the pins inside. "And done."
"You could do that this whole time?" he asked looking impressed as I leant against the now open door. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Uhh, you never asked," I said scratching my head nervously and he laughed pulling the hoodie on the bench over his form as he made his way towards me with a smile. "What?"
"I'm still curious. How did you learn to do that?" He said and I flushed red in embarrassment.
"Let's just say there was a lot of liquor cabinets involved but I'm no drinker if that's what you're thinking," I said drowsily as he scooped me up in his arms despite my protests.
"You are cute when you're grumpy," he said in reference to my pout as he went back down the stairs.
"I'm usually sleepy when I'm grumpy, or is it the other way round?" I mused out loud and he laughed.
"I think you're better off asleep for now."
"Maybe you're right," I said snuggling further into his chest and the world was dark to me.
********
There was light, bright nearly blinding white light and I let out a small groan realizing that it was way too early for this. But moving away from it seemed impossible as I became aware of the weight holding me down from my torso to my legs and I groaned trying to push it away. What I wasn't exactly prepared for was the groan that came from beside me and I let out a low shriek snapping my eyes open as I realized I didn't even remember how I got to bed. A large warm comfortable bed that wasn't obviously mine, I thought in horror as my eyes forced themselves to adjust to the light and I let my eyes roam around the room.
The room I stayed in was a blend of silver and navy blue walls giving it a much classier look. This one wasn't far off but was a blend of grey, black and white highlights with navy blue curtains that were currently pushed to the side to reveal the wall sized window that let the light from outside flood the room.
Reluctantly, I let my eyes roam to the figure beside me who had his face pushed to the length of my neck and I shivered trying to figure out the moment when we came here but it was futile. All I remembered was him carrying me to his car, I thought took in his sleeping form. His bare chest rising steadily up and down, the strands of his tousled hair falling over his forehead and an adorable frown on his face before he relaxed making me hold my breath. I couldn't help but ogle and marvel his golden skin that contrasted greatly with the white sheets as my eyes landed on the small tattoo I hadn't noticed before on the inner arm of the arm draped around me of a broken heart and it made me halt my thoughts as I searched his face wondering if it symbolised anything before our position registered in my brain and I blushed. We seriously had to stop finding ourselves in these situations, I thought trying to wiggle out of his grip with no avail. As a matter of fact, his grip tightened around me as his face scrunched up in annoyance till I stopped moving. Sigh, with his arm draped around me and his legs tangled with mine, the only way out of this was waking him up since I couldn't actually wait for him to wake up. I had to pee really bad, not to mention Kate had probably woken up to find an empty room.
"Ryder," I called out nudging his arm but all he did was let out a small groan pulling me even closer and my blush intensified alongside the goosebumps on my arms every time he let out a breath against my neck.
"Ryder come on," I said shaking him even harder pushing away the urge to pinch his skin as he roused drowsily.
"Diana," he groaned sleepily as he opened his eyes, not even giving me time to register what he'd just said as he blinked once, then twice as he stared at me in shock.
Just like me, he seemed not to have expected me here as he tried to scramble off me as fast as he could but our tangled legs caught up in the sheets wasn't much help and without much warning he was tumbling out of bed bringing with down with him his arms wrapping around me inadvertently shielding me as he crashed into the floor with an oomph.
"Ow, we really have to stop meeting like this," I groaned out loud as understanding seemed to dawn on him.
"Diana!? What are you doing here?" He asked his voice so low and husky I could feel my body twitch for a moment loving how heat radiated off him in waves and into my bones. I seriously need to get checked.
"Uh, the answer is lost to me?" I said stupidly scratching my head in confusion ignoring his raised eyebrow as I rolled off him and got to my feet.
I asked before realizing that my bra was unhooked not to mention I was in his shirt and the receding blush on my face came back with a vengeance not liking how he was looking at me or how I was feeling about it. But despite this, he looked away as he got up from the cold floor stretching his body and I tried not to ogle his body as the muscles rippled under his skin that on looking closer, I realized had a few pink marks littered on the parts where his tattoo was and I looked away. Okay, these feelings were beginning to feel criminal, I thought grumpily keeping my distance.
"How exactly did I end up in your room?" I asked nervously, reluctantly keeping my eyes off him as my legs automatically took me to the shelf closest near the window.
"I don't remember," he said and I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I think felt being too lazy to take you home."
He said scratching his head nervously and I chuckled shaking my head before picking out one of the books.
"Business? Are you trying to kill yourself?" I asked and he looked at me strangely. "What!?"
"No one has ever said that to me before," he said as I turned to look at him.
"Well, given what I've heard about you, about your dad, his business I'm assuming you're being prepped to take over," I said examining the rest of his books and I could feel his intense gaze on me. "I'm serious. Go on like this and you'll be grumpier tenfold. Who knows a few wrinkles here and there too."
"You are a very opinionated person," he said and I smiled.
"It's just part of the charm," I said batting my eyelashes at him and his eyes darkened as a small smirk grew on his face. "But I'm serious. Why your bed?"
I asked and he turned away from me as I sat on the bed.
"Well it wouldn't be nice to have you sleep on the couch when you're my guest now, would it?" He said and I shrugged. That made sense.
"Why jump in bed with me?" I asked curiously and he looked at me horrified before pinching his brow.
"Uh.. because it's my house and my bed?" He said crossing his arms as she looked down at me. "I figure I'm allowed to sleep anywhere I want."
"Okay why not have me sleep on the futon?" I asked directing my gaze to the futon behind him and he smacked his forehead rubbing his face and I refrained from smiling as he stared at me in silence. I'm pretty sure he wondered whether he should play my game or kick me out.
"It would beat the whole point of having you sleeping comfortably," He said sounding annoyed and I rolled my eyes, despite my amusement at the situation.
"Sorry for bugging you grumpy but you know I have to go home some time right?" I said and he rolled his eyes.
"Bathroom's that way. I'll put out some clothes for you," he said and I grinned at him.
"Such a gentleman," I teased and he grinned at me.
"Princess, I'm the last thing from a gentleman," he said winking at me and I let out a chortled laugh as he disappeared into what I supposed to be the closet. Damn, I had it bad.