Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“How old are you?”
“Thirty-one, but I was never a party ‘til dawn kind of guy.” He glanced at me as we pulled up to a stoplight. “Mind if I ask how old you are?”
“Twenty-five. But like, a very old twenty-five.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I started a demanding career at fourteen and had to grow up fast. I think that makes me different than a lot of guys my age.”
“Why did you start working that young?”
“I was discovered by a modeling scout during my freshman year of high school. My career took off, and it was… just a lot at that age.”
“I can imagine. Are you still modeling?”
“No. I retired in my early twenties and went to college. Two years ago, I moved from L.A. to San Francisco and transferred to a private art school called Sutherlin. I should be finishing my degree in fashion design this June.”
I was talking too much. This guy didn’t need or want my entire life story, but I dreaded awkward silences, and that made me chattier than usual.
“That’s great! Congratulations.”
“Don’t congratulate me yet,” I muttered. “There’s still plenty of time to crash and burn.”
“I doubt it. You seem like someone who has it all together.”
“It’s an illusion.” As the light turned green and we rolled through the intersection, I asked, “What do you do when you’re not flattening your opponents on the rugby field?”
“I run a horse rescue on the ranch I inherited from my grandparents.”
That made me grin. “You work with horses and your name is Ryder? That’s awfully on the nose.”
He grinned, too. “Yeah, go figure.”
“How many animals do you look after?”
“There are currently eighteen horses, along with a bunch of goats, dogs, chickens, and a donkey named Jeff who thinks he’s a person.”
“Probably because his name’s Jeff.”
“Probably.”
“And you live in Austin?”
“The rest of the team does. I live out in the country, a little more than an hour outside of town.”
“Is your rugby league the equivalent of minor league baseball?”
“No, we’re strictly amateurs. We play different clubs in the area, and once a year we come here for this tournament. This is our fifth year, but it’ll probably be our last, although we plan to do one more regular season after this.”
“Why is this your last tournament?”
Ryder shrugged. “We’re all getting older. For a lot of the guys, that comes with more responsibilities back home, like careers and families. It’s hard to get away.”
“Please don’t tell me you have a hubby and kids back in Texas, because I have zero tolerance for cheaters.”
“God, no. The only kids back home are baby goats. I’m not seeing anyone, and I would never cheat. I think it’s despicable.”
“It really is.”
He glanced at me again. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“You don’t have to tell me about it if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s fine.” I summed it up as quickly and emotionlessly as possible. “Two years ago, I caught my live-in boyfriend cheating.”
“Pardon my language, but what kind of fuckin’ dumbshit would feel the need to sleep around when they’ve got a man like you back home?”
“Why does anyone cheat? He could have just broken up with me if he wanted to start seeing that other guy. Maybe the thrill of sneaking around made it extra exciting or something. I didn’t ask. I just left.”
“Good. He didn’t deserve you.”
I didn’t want to keep talking about this, so I asked, “What’s your story? Why is someone as hot as you single?”
“Thanks for the compliment, and that’s an easy answer. I’m single because my boyfriend of six years and my best friend fell in love.”
“Oh, shit. That must have felt like a huge betrayal.”
He shrugged. “I try not to look at it like that. All they did was fall in love. It’s not like they set out to screw me over, and they didn’t sneak around behind my back. As soon as they realized what was happening, they came to me, and we talked it out.”
Maybe I was cynical after what my ex had done to me, but I sincerely doubted his boyfriend and best friend had come to him the moment they caught feelings. It seemed much more likely that there’d been weeks or months, possibly even years, of pining, stolen kisses, maybe more. But if Ryder needed to believe what they told him, who was I to question it?
“How long ago did this happen?”
“It’s been about a year and a half. My teammates are trying to get me back out there. That’s why they sent me your photo, and why they’re always trying to get me to go out and meet people. But I’m not ready for anything more than an occasional, no strings attached hookup.” He glanced at my profile. “You know that’s what this is, right?”
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”