I open my mouth to introduce Ryke, but Lo ignores me and sets an ice-cold glare on him. “Who the fuck are you?”
Ryke takes the words with ease. “Green Arrow.”
Lo’s face contorts in confusion.
He doesn’t remember what happened. I step forward and come to his side. “He’s from the Halloween party,” I say. “He helped stop the fight.” And he carried you home.
Lo nods. “Thanks then.” He shifts to me, keeping his back to Ryke. His voice lowers so Ryke can’t hear. “We’re on a schedule, Lil. You shouldn’t have brought him to the apartment.”
I frown. “You’re not going to ask me why he’s here?”
His eyes flicker hesitantly to Ryke. “Right now,” he whispers, “I’m more concerned with satisfying you.”
“I’m okay,” I tell him. “This morning was good enough.”
“Are you sure?” His brows furrow. “I only came inside you twice.”
I swallow, sensitive spots throbbing. Well now I’m not so sure. But I have to try to wait. “I can hold out.”
He puts two fingers underneath my chin and tilts my head up. “I don’t know if I believe you.” He takes a step forward, causing me to take one back, repeating the movements until my spine hits a bar stool. I grip it behind me, and he pins me against it with two hands on the counter.
“We have company,” I remind him.
“Like I give a shit,” Lo whispers. He kisses me hard, stealing my breath, and my back arches to meet his pelvis. His hand slips into my jeans pocket.
Ryke says, “Lily.”
I immediately separate my lips from Lo’s, and I lean back into the stool to try to avoid his touch.
Lo clenches his teeth, and his head whips to Ryke. “Clearly, I’m trying to fuck my girlfriend. So leave.”
“Look, you can do whatever you want to her later.” He sets his hard gaze on me for extra reinforcement. This is where I should agree and peel away from Lo, but his fingers slip into the band of my jeans, sliding underneath my panties in the back. He has a hand planted firmly on my ass.
“Lo,” I warn. “He asked us for help, and we owe him a favor…”
He squeezes, and my knees nearly buckle. He keeps me standing by pinning his weight against me. “You really want to entertain this guy?”
Obviously not, but it’s the right thing to do. Before, we would have shooed him out of the door, distancing ourselves from everyone in sight. Being alone, together, that’s our thing. Adding a new person into the mix—that’s something we haven’t quite figured out yet.
With his other hand, he unbuttons my jeans.
“Lo!” I shriek. He’s trying to make Ryke so uncomfortable that he flees, but what I’ve come to understand about the guy, he’s impenetrable among all offenses. Somehow, I disentangle Lo from my body and button my jeans, my neck heating as I create distance from him.
I stand between Lo by the kitchen and Ryke by the foyer, wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do now.
Lo angles his body so he has a good view of Ryke. “You’re still here.”
Ryke scrutinizes Lo, trying to figure him out from afar. “Lily said you both would help me with research on Comic-Con.”
Lo takes this in. “She agreed to this?” He looks down at me. “That’s unlike you.”
“I owe him.”
Lo’s jaw locks as his eyes flicker to Ryke. “And you can’t come back later?”
“I’m here now. What’s the big deal?”
Lo scowls at him like he’s a moron. “You’re cock-blocking me, that’s the big fucking deal.”
I want to disappear. Like right now.
Ryke glances at me and then tilts his head at Lo without a shadow of insecurity. “Have sex with her later. I’m not stopping you.” He inches closer. “Lily, you want to show me your comics or should I go find them myself?”
Lo interjects. “Hey, I don’t know you. There’s no way in hell you’re going to be alone with her.”
“Lo, it’s fine,” I tell him. Really, I have zero desire to do anything sexual with Ryke, and I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual.
Ryke inspects Lo once more and then he nods. “If I was you, I’d probably be the same way. Some strange guy creeping in with your girlfriend—I get it. It’s weird.”
“That’s an understatement,” Lo says flatly. “I make out with my girlfriend, you stand there. I put my hand down her pants, you stand there. I tell you I’m going to fuck her, you stand there. What am I supposed to make of that?”