Page 208 of The Path to Loving Him
We’re sitting on the couch. Mac is asleep upstairs, and it’s the second night in a row that Ryland has asked me to spend thenight. He texted me while I was in my apartment, attempting to think of anything else but him and Mac yet doing a terrible job at it. I gave it a few seconds before I responded, then said I’d love to. Because who was I kidding? I was itching to come over.
This was after I spent a solid two hours on the phone with Bower, giving her a recap of everything. She gushed of course. I gushed. And then we cried.
Because when your friend sees you struggle for so long, and then sees you happy for the first time in a long time, it requires a squeal.
“What were you thinking?” I ask.
“I was looking at tickets for the Bombers game next Friday.”
“You were?”
“Yeah. Do you want to go?”
“Those tickets are expensive,” I say to Ryland.
“I know a guy who has a suite, and he said he won’t be in town that weekend. He asked me if I wanted to take my family since he knows I’m a fan.”
I sit up to look him in the eyes to see if he’s serious. “You . . . know a guy? Since when have youknown a guy?”
“I used to mow his lawn for cash, and then he’d let me practice on the freshly mowed lawn. He moved closer to the city for a job, but we always stayed in touch. He was one of the shining lights in a pretty dark childhood.”
“What’s his name?”
“Patrick Garnett. He owns a dealership in the Bay area and has a suite where he takes executives to schmooze so they’ll buy his fleet of cars for their business. But that’s beside the point. He can’t make it and asked if I want the suite.”
This requires my full attention. “You’re serious.”
“Jesus, Gabby, yes. Why would I joke about this?”
“I don’t know. You just . . . you brought it up so casually, and I don’t know how to respond because I was just going to watch thegame on TV. But now that I can actually go, that seems insane, and I don’t know how to react properly other than to ask you if you’re serious.”
“You’re rambling.”
“Because this is huge!” I cup his cheeks and lean forward. “This is, this is . . . oh my God, I’m going to fuck you so hard tonight.”
He lets out a barrel of a laugh as his hands find my hips. “Well, I thought that was already a given, but okay.”
“It was, but this is . . . this is going to be even better. You tell me what you want, and I’m going to deliver. Want a blowie? Consider your dick sucked. Want a vibrator to the ass? Give me a second and I’ll grab my toys and lube. Want a?—”
“Uh, your what?”
“My toys and lube.”
“You have toys?” he asks cutely.
I sit back on his legs. “Ryland, I was alone and horny for a very long time. Do you really think I wouldn’t have toys?”
“I mean . . . I guess not. Why haven’t we played with them?”
“Well, we’re always over here because you have a child, and every time we’ve done it besides last night, it’s been spontaneous. I didn’t think holding up my finger and saying, ‘hold please while I grab my toys’ was very sexy.”
“Jesus, I wish you did.”
“Yeah?” I pull his shirt up and over his head. “Do you like playing with toys?”
“I find the idea of you getting off in front of me with one of them extremely appealing. Actually, that’s what I want tonight. I want you to strip for me, then fuck yourself in front of me.”
I smile and stand from his lap. “That can be arranged.” I then hold up my finger and say, “Hold please.”
