Unexpected Temptation ✔

Chapter 5

Ryder Mathis

With a quick text to Blake, Scott and I knew how everyone wanted their steaks. She shot us another text when she was about 10 minutes out so we could get things started.

Jamison came in from the pool and offered to take over making the sides including homemade mashed potatoes and a salad. I wasn't much help on either front, but Scott offered conversation and insight on grilling.

As Scott spoke about seasonings and temperatures for cooking, my phone chimed.

Trouble:

Meet me?

I looked out at the dock, but the boat wasn't in yet.

Me:

You're not back

Trouble:

Yet...

Smiling down at my phone, Scott caught me.

"You better get that smile off your face before Cole sees." He lay the next steak on the grill. The excited hiss from the meat touching the hot metal hid the footsteps coming up the stairs of the deck.

"Damn, that was a good call. Those smell good already and they barely got started," Cole said as he wrapped the towel around himself. "What else are we having?"

My phone chimed again and Scott responded before I could. "Salad and mashed potatoes."

Cole grunted and gave Scott a curt nod. Glancing at me he said, "Aubree still trying to make amends?"

"Everyday," I told him truthfully.

"Maybe you should invite her for the last bit of our vacation. I'm sure she would get on her knees to get you back," he said with a sneer.

I shook my head and stared back over the rail. The girls were back. I focused on the boat as it docked and ignored Cole's lude comments.

The sliding door closed and Scott came up to stand beside me. "Does Aubree really try to win you back, still?" I could hear the disbelief in his voice and I wanted to tell him no, but that wasn't the truth.

"Every day. You'd think she would have gotten the hint already."

My phone chimed again and Scott tilted his head to see.

"Trouble? Is that Aubree?" He asked, but when I didn't answer and stared down at the girls making their way to the house from the dock, he said, "Oh, clever Ryder. It is fitting. She definitely is trouble. Thankfully, she is the good kind of trouble." He laughed as he went back to add a few more steaks to the grill.

Taking a moment, I checked my phone.

Trouble:

So?

Aubree:

Call me...

I ran my tongue along the edge my teeth as the girls came up the stairs, briefly making eye contact with Blake as she passed.

When the girls disappeared into the house, Scott turned to me as if he were reading my mind and said, "If you need to go, I'll cover for you."

I looked at my phone before nodding and headed inside.

I'd forgotten her name, but the brunette who liked to get loud when she drank was sitting on the counter of the kitchen as Jamison chopped vegetables for the salad. He looked up as I passed and gave me a wink. If they weren't together yet, they would be by the end of the trip.