It Ends with Us

Chapter Twenty-Three
It’s three hours later and after ten o’clock when I make it back home. I
stayed with Allysa for another hour after Ryle left and then went back to
my office to finish up a few things so that I don’t have to go in for the next
two days. Whenever Ryle has a day off, I try to coincide my own days off
with his.
The lights are off when I walk through the front door, so that means
Ryle is already in bed.
The entire drive home I thought about what he’d said. I wasn’t
expecting this conversation to come up so soon. I’m almost twenty-five,
but I had it in my head it would be at least a couple of years before we
started trying for a family. I’m still not certain I’m ready for it yet, but
knowing it’s now something he wants someday has put me in an incredibly
happy mood.
I decide to make myself a quick bite to eat before waking him up. I
haven’t had dinner yet and I’m starving. When I flip on the kitchen light, I
scream. My hand goes to my chest and I fall against the counter. “Jesus
Christ, Ryle! What are you doing?”
He’s leaning with his back against the wall next to the refrigerator. His
feet are crossed at the ankles and his eyes are narrowed in my direction.
He’s flipping something over in his fingers, staring at me.
My eyes fall to the counter to his left and I see an empty glass that
probably recently held scotch. He drinks it on occasion to help him fall
asleep.
I look back at him and there’s a smirk on his face. My body instantly
grows warm at that smile because I know what comes next. This apartment
is about to become a frenzy of clothes and kisses. We’ve christened nearly
every room since we moved in here, but the kitchen is one we haven’t
tackled yet.
I smile back at him, my heart still beating erratically from the shock of
finding him here in the dark. His eyes fall to his hand, and I notice he’s

---

holding the Boston magnet. I brought it from the old apartment and stuck
it on this fridge when we moved in.
He places it back on the fridge and taps it. “Where’d you get this?”
I look at the magnet and then back at him. The last thing I want to do is
tell him that magnet came from Atlas on my sixteenth birthday. It would
only bring up an already sore subject, and I’m too excited for what’s about
to come next between us to give him the naked truth right now.
I shrug. “I can’t remember. I’ve had it forever.”
He stares at me silently and then straightens up, taking two steps toward
me. I back myself against the counter and my breath catches. His hands
meet my waist and he slides them between my ass and my jeans and pulls
me against him. His mouth claims mine and he kisses me while he begins
to lower my jeans.
Okay. So we’re doing this right now.
His lips drag down my neck as I kick off my shoes and then he pulls my
jeans off the rest of the way.
I guess I can eat later. Christening the kitchen just became my priority.
When his mouth is back on mine, he lifts me and sets me down on the
countertop, standing between my knees. I can smell the scotch on his
breath, and I kind of like it. I’m already breathing heavily as his warm lips
slide across mine. He takes a fistful of my hair and he tugs gently so that
I’m looking up at him.
“Naked truth?” he whispers, looking at my mouth like he’s about to
devour me.
I nod.
His other hand begins to slide slowly up my thigh until there’s nowhere
left for his hand to go. He slips two warm fingers inside of me, keeping my
gaze locked with his. I suck in a rush of air as my legs tighten around his
waist. I begin to slowly move against his hand, moaning softly as he stares
heatedly at me.
“Where did you get that magnet, Lily?”