I tensed when I heard the vibrations of my phone. Someone was calling me because it was vibrating too long for it to be a text message. I groaned when the person didn’t hang up. I sat up on my bed and worried who would be ringing me during the middle of the night.

I groggily pushed my covers from my body and walked in the direction of the vibrations. I hissed and opened my eyes when my knee knocked into something hard. I reached down and rubbed the pain away before standing upright.

It didn’t take me long to realise I wasn’t in my bedroom, and it also didn’t take long for the memories of last night’s events to slam into me with the impact of a train. I gasped and flung my hand over my mouth. I spun around and widened my eyes when they landed on the sleeping form of Ryder Slater. My heart slammed into my chest as I took him in. His tanned, scuttled body was only half covered by his bed sheets and I had only God to thank for that.

I had sex with him, I told myself. Twice.

I let a huge smile over take my face, and barely contained myself from doing a happy dance. I had sex with a Greek fucking God. Two bloody times! Aideen was going to piss herself when I gave her a play by play of how well Ryder turned me out. The soreness I felt between my legs, and on other parts of my body, was a delicious reminder of just how well he fucked me.

I reluctantly tore my eyes away from him when I realised my phone was still vibrating.

“Shit,” I whispered and looked around for my clutch.

I found it near my discarded dress, and quickly picked it up. I retrieved my phone and almost passed out when I saw it wasn’t a phone call that had my phone vibrating, it was my alarm to wake me up for school. I checked the time and saw it was quarter past seven which meant I had forty-five minutes to get to class otherwise I was so fucked.

Bollocks.

I was about to put my phone away when I saw I had two text messages. One message was from Aideen, and the other from my sister. Aideen, unsurprisingly, wanted to meet up later to hear every detail of my night with Ryder, while Bronagh was letting me know something else.

Bronagh: I took a 5r out of ur drawer in ur room 4 me lunch, ok? U didnt leav me any €, but you probs were still drunk when u left 4 school so its cool. I didnt hear u come home last nyt, but if u hav a headache let me know nd I’ll make some chicken soup 4 u so u can eat it when u com home. C u l8r, luv u xx

I smiled as I read my sister’s message and wanted to give her a big hug. She was a darling girl and had a beautiful heart that I wished she would open up and share. It wasn’t right that only I got to see how brilliant she was.

I thumbed out a reply that I was okay—which wasn’t a lie, I was so okay—and told her I forgot about her lunch money. I apologised and told her I’d see her later when she came home from school. I didn’t let on that I stayed out all night, if she thought I came home then that’s exactly what I was going to let her think.

I didn’t know how she would receive my night with Ryder, so I figured it’d be best to keep it—him—to myself.

I put my phone back in my clutch, and silently scrambled around Ryder’s room. I found my bra that Ryder aimlessly flung behind him, put it on then got my dress back on. I picked up my heels, gripped my clutch and stared at Ryder for a few moments.

I wanted to wake him up and say goodbye, but I couldn’t because I was afraid I would cry. I wasn’t a fool; I knew it was a one-night stand. Not only was the sex off the charts amazing, but also his company made me smile. I was pissed for allowing myself to form a slight attachment but I couldn’t help it. He was really great, and my night with him was incredible and I would remember it forever.

Leave before you cry and he wakes up and freaks out, my mind sneered.

I sighed as I looked at him once more before turning and tip toeing over to his bedroom door. I opened the door and without looking back, I stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind me. I exhaled a deep breath and walked over to the stairs and began to walk down them. I stopped when a door on the floor above opened and closed. I looked up and froze when one of Ryder’s brothers leaned over the banister and smiled when he saw me. I remembered his name and cleared my throat.

“Hey, Alec.”

He winked. “Morning, beautiful.”

I felt my cheeks flush. “I have to leave and go to school, will you tell Ryder goodbye for me? Tell him I had so much fun.”

Alec’s laughter was low and rumbling. “You got it.”

I wiggled my fingers at him, gave him a smile then continued my descent of the stairs. I blew out a breath when I reached the bottom of the stairs and moved towards the front door but gasped when I heard movement upstairs.

“Shit,” I heard Ryder’s voice shout. “Shit, shit, shit!”

Oh, fuck. I thought. He was coming downstairs.

I told myself to run, but I couldn’t, I was frozen to the spot as Ryder ran down the stairs, only coming to a stop when he saw me. He was wearing boxer shorts now, and I sort of wished he were fully naked again.

“There you are,” he breathed, his shoulders sagging with what looked like relief. “Where are you going, sweetness?”

I swallowed. “I didn’t think I’d be good at sayin’ goodbye so I figured it’d be best if I left quietly.”

I didn’t know what to do so I turned and made a motion to move towards the door, but arms came around my waist, a hard body moulded into my back and hot breath tickled my neck, bringing me to a halt.

“Why would you say goodbye to me?” Ryder murmured as he causally trailed his tongue over my skin, causing me to shudder.

“Because, um, it was a one-night stand and—oh.”

I lifted my hands and covered his, squeezing as he began to suck on my neck, directly on my sweet spot. My eyes fluttered shut and a moan escaped me.

“Sounds like you don’t want to say goodbye to me at all,” Ryder murmured, his amusement obvious in his tone.

I licked my lower lip. “I have to go to school.”

Ryder hummed. “At the university in town, right?”

I nodded, barely containing another moan. “That’s right.”

“Can you not call in sick?” he asked, sucking on my neck once more.

I gasped. “I’ve never called in sick.”

His hold tightened on me. “There’s a first time for everything.”

I swallowed. “I don’t know...”

“Come on, beautiful,” Ryder murmured. “Spend some more time with me, please?”

He was killing me.

“Why?” I asked a little breathlessly.

“I’m not ready to let you leave,” he replied, surprising the hell out of me.

I turned in his arms and looked up at him. “It’s because I’m a sex goddess, isn’t it?”

Ryder smiled and it made me smile too.

“You’ve figured me out,” he mused. “I want to keep you here to avail of your wickedly naughty pussy, and your talented mouth.”

I playfully slapped his arm. “Ryder!”

He rubbed my cheeks when they stained with heat.

“It amazes me how shy you are during normal conversation,” he smirked, “but in bed you’re a naughty siren.”

I covered my face with my hands.

“Shut up!”

Ryder laughed and pulled me against his chest, hugging me tightly.

“Stay with me,” he said and kissed the crown of my head. “I want to bring you out for a few hours. Just me and you.”

I pulled back and looked up at him.

“Are... are you askin’ me out on a date?” I asked, my heart slamming into my chest.

Ryder smiled and brushed my hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear.

“Yeah,” he murmured. “I have a gut feeling that I want to get to know you better, and I always listen to my gut.”