Stay (Love In Montana Book 5)

“What do you mean?” Asked Ryder looking puzzled. “What sacrifice?” He wanted to know very badly. Anastasia shook her head 

“It’s a very long story, Blue. Maybe some other time. I really don’t want to spoil my mood now,” she said much to Ryder’s dismay. Patience wasn’t one of his virtues and Anastasia’s words made him all the more restless to know everything about her. 

“I love long stories,” he said, looking dejected.

“You’re looking like a child whose candy I’ve snatched away,” laughed Anastasia. Renée’s brother was funny not to mention hot. How did she miss him on her previous visits here? 

“You have actually but well, I guess I’ve to be more patient,” he mumbled. Anastasia smiled. 

“I’ve come to Fordsville every holiday for the last seven years. How is it possible that I’ve never met you?” she asked with curiosity. 

“I don’t know. Maybe I was away at college or somewhere,” Ryder shrugged. This was a question that even he didn’t have an answer to. 

“Maybe you were out on your dates. Ren told me that you like to go out with girls,” said Anastasia shyly, looking away. Ryder’s jaws dropped at Renée’s betrayal. 

“F*ck! What else did Renée say?” he asked. Anastasia shrugged.

“Nothing much. Just that I should be careful around you,” said Anastasia hesitantly. Ryder shook his head feeling let down. It was true that he was a playboy, it was true that he liked hit girls but how could she bad mouth him to her best friend? What Anastasia might be thinking of him right now! 

“Right. So why don’t you listen to your best friend?” asked Ryder, staring ahead grumpily. 

“It’s okay. You don’t need to take offense, Blue. Renée’s very protective of me,” said Anastasia softly. Ryder turned towards her.

“In that case I think you should stay away from me,” said Ryder, getting up and walking towards the edge of the lake, leaving her all alone in the tent. Anastasia rolled her eyes. So much for staying and protecting her from her probable abductors! She watched Ryder roll up his sleeves as he stood on the sand shores, watching the turquoise, crystalline water beyond. From the tent, she could see his muscular, veined forearms and felt the butterflies dance in her stomach. He bent down and rolled up his denim jeans, opening his shoes and wading towards the edge of the water, cupping it and washing his, hands, face and neck. Anastasia gazed at him, hypnotized by his ripped body. The sun’s rays played with his hair and as he bent over for more water, the jeans strained at the b*tt, making him look too hot to look away. 

Ryder cupped some water and dashed towards her, a boyish grin breaking out on his face. Before she could sense what he was up to, he splashed the water on to her face.

“Ryder!” she scolded with shock. 

“Isn’t the water awesome? C’mon, I’ll carry you to the edge,” he offered. 

“No, I’d rather stay here,” she protested but Ryder wasn’t taking a no for an answer. He reached down and scooped her up, one strong arm under her knees and another around the middle of her back and walked effortlessly towards the edge of the water.

“Blue, put me down please,” she pleaded, looking around embarrassed. There was no one around thankfully to see them. 

“Don’t worry, your best friend can’t see you. You won’t be answerable to her,” said Ryder with an eye roll. The way he held her so tenderly against his chest quietened her and she didn’t protest any longer. A strange wish to stay in his arms filled Anastasia’s heart and it made her restless. She couldn’t afford to stay anywhere. Her future was predestined when the Farrell’s had adopted her. She had a purpose in life. She couldn’t afford to like Renée’s brother! 

“I’m not answerable to her at all. I’m answerable to someone else,” she said with a sigh. Ryder glanced down at her dejected face. He couldn’t decipher half the things that she was saying. 

“The water's cool. Do you want to go dipping in it with me? It’ll be fun!” said Ryder excitedly. 

“Are you crazy? We’ll fall sick in wet clothes,” she said with dread. 

“We could go in without clothes,” said Ryder, his eyes flashing with mischief.

“No way, take me back, Ryder. You’re so pervy!” She exclaimed with horror.

“You’re so boring!” he teased, trying to incite her. 

“Fine! I’m happy being boring. We won’t see each other anyway after this trip. You continue enjoying with the girls who interest you,” said Anastasia. “You can out me down. I’ll hop on one leg and go back to the tent,” said Anastasia, looking mad. But Ryder grinned at her in return. 

“I won’t let you hop on one leg,” he said much to her displeasure. “So what do you do for fun, tell me?” insisted Ryder. Anastasia didn’t have any answer to his question, his muscular chest was brushing against her soft body and she just couldn’t think straight.

“Nothing. I can’t do what you’re asking me to. Please put me down,” she just told him, giving up. She didn’t do anything for fun. She didn’t have that kind of fun and normal life. She had a purpose in life and she worked hard for it. The little time she had, she spent at her grandparents house, helping them with their bakery. There was no place for fun. It was only Renée who dragged her to a birthday party for the first time in her life. Her grandparents insisted that she buy dresses and her grandpa dropped her off at Ryder’s shop. 

“I was just kidding, dammit. Why do you take everything to heart?” Ryder asked with concern. He carried her back to the tent. Anastasia didn’t look at him at all. He reached the tent and placed her on the blanket where she was. The ankle was swelling and Anastasia sat down to inspect it. Ryder watched her with a grim look on his face while she ignored him. He squatted in front of her. 

“I can fix that if you’d allow me to. I’m the quarterback of our college football team. I’ve fixed many players,” offered Ryder, eyeing her hesitantly. Anastasia shook her head. 

“Are you sure that you won’t break it?” she asked, her beautiful green eyes widening with apprehension. 

“Let me see?” asked Ryder. His fingers touched her ankle and she hissed, withdrawing it away, not out of pain but after the electric current that ran up her body at his touch. “Relax, I won’t hurt you,” he told her but how could Anastasia relax when she could feel the strange goosebumps all over her at his touch? 

“It’s okay, Blue. Let’s leave it like this, please,” said Anastasia shyly, unable to concentrate upon anything but his fingers caressing her ankle. He didn’t listen to her and kept on stroking her ankle lightly. “Umm, what are you doing?” she asked him hesitantly when he didn’t stop stroking the skin tenderly. There was magic in his touch and she didn’t want him to stop whatever he was doing to her. 

“Just feeling the injury. Do you want me to kiss it better?” he asked, his eyes leaving the injury and locking with hers. Anastasia’s eyes widened as a shudder went through her body.

“No, absolutely not. I’m fine. I never knew quarterbacks kiss their teammates feet better!” she rolled her eyes at the thought. Ryder grinned at her sassy retort. 

“This special privilege is only for you,” he told her, his fingers continuing their stroking, making her lose her head. 

“Why so?” she asked. “Or is it only for women?” She asked curiously. 

“I have better things to do with the girls than go kissing their feet, okay?” he said getting up. Anastasia’s cheeks reddened at his implication and she felt an odd feeling of jealousy clutch at her heart. 

“Leave me alone,” she just told him in a pissed off tone. Ryder walked away and Anastasia didn’t even look where he marched off to. Renée was right. She should stay away from him. She wasn’t the type girl Ryder liked and she could never be. She was exactly opposite to his type. Meeting him was a mistake. She would have to pull down her shutters and stay as far away from him as possible. It was just a matter of a few days. After this trip, she would never see him again. She was too boring for him after all! 

She sat playing with her mobile phone and waiting for the others to return. It had already been an hour since they’d gone. Her stomach was growling and she wanted to get her bag from Rex’s car but how? If only she could hop to his car and get her bag! Ryder stomped up to her and sat down beside her with a pack full of mouthwatering chicken nuggets and all her resolutions to stay away from him crumbled to dust.

“They’ll be returning after an hour. You have to kiss me if you want this,” said Ryder making her gasp and gawk at him. He looked deadly serious this time!