Ryder

RYDER Men of Forbidden Temptation JESSICA LONG Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Acknowledgments About the Author Also by Jessica Long Ryder Copyright © 2022 Jessica Long This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Cover Design by Eve Graphic Design LLC Created with Vellum To the special moments in life that help keep love alive and blossoming. “That’s why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they’d call them something else.” - Sixteen Candles Chapter One Grabbing a pen and opening my journal, I say, “Dear Diary.” I scribble down the date as I gather my thoughts. “Today was pretty lame, mostly just comprising chores and hanging out with my parents, since they are going away for the weekend. Same old boring life where nothing exciting ever happens, especially to me. Tonight has the potential to be fun, since Danny, Sam, and I will be staying home alone. Danny’s girlfriend is coming over to help ‘watch’ us, even though they will be too busy to really care what Sam and I are doing. I kind of wish Ryder was coming over. Sure, Sam might ignore me and pick on me when he is around, but Ryder is hot and is usually really nice to me. He is also the only boy besides my brothers I am allowed to speak to.” Sam opens my bedroom door. I quickly shut my diary and shove it under my mattress, pretending I am not doing anything. “Hey! I could have been naked!” I exclaim at his abruptness. “Well, you weren’t, so stop complaining.” “This is why I have been begging for a lock on my door. Ugh!” He rolls his eyes as I let out a long sigh. Even though my heart is racing, I calmly ask, “Anyway, what’s up?” My brothers never barge into each other’s rooms, only mine. Sam narrows his eyes. “Are you alright?” He shakes his head. “Never mind. I just wanted to see if you wanted pizza for dinner. I am going to order some for myself.” Sam eyes my flipped up cover and I hastily fix it before he can ask questions. “That sounds great. Order my usual please. Is Danny eating with us?” I already know the answer, but I need to change the subject off of me and what I was doing prior to him barging into my room. “No. He’s too busy being a nineteen-year-old.” Sam smirks at my shocked expression. Sure, I know all about the birds and bees, but I don’t want to hear about my brothers partaking in extracurricular activities. Sam is worse than Danny, despite being younger, when it comes to making their way through the girls in town. “Want to watch a movie since it is just the two of us tonight?” Sam is my best friend. Besides being the closest to me in age, only four years older than me, we have very similar personalities. “Sure, if you don’t mind Ryder joining us.” Sam turns around, stopping when he hears me squeak. My voice is breathless and barely comes out. “Ryder is here?” “Yeah, he’s been asking me why you locked yourself in your room when we have unlimited freedom this weekend. It’s kind of annoying hearing him talk about you so much.” Sam heads downstairs to order our dinner from the pizza place down the block, leaving me in shock. Ryder is here and I look like this? I have not brushed my hair today and I could use a shower. I groan thinking about wearing my pajama shorts and tank top around Ryder. Of course, I have fantasies that involve this type of scenario, but nothing ever happens because I am thirteen and Ryder is seventeen. Why would he want to kiss me when there are girls his age that will do much more than just kiss? Laughter drifts up the stairs and into my room and I can’t help the growing smile on my face. Ryder’s laugh is always light, carefree, and contagious and always makes me smile. I hurry past Danny’s room where the sound of a movie playing in surround sound drifts into the hallway even with the door closed, and make my way downstairs. I pour myself a glass of soda before joining Sam and Ryder in the living room, taking my usual end seat on the three-seater couch. Ryder’s baby blue eyes sparkle as I stare into them. “Sam says you want to watch a movie tonight. Can I pick it?” His eyes remind me of the crystal blue ocean water of the tropics where we visited last Christmas. I immediately fell in love with the scenery, and besides being constantly reminded of Ryder, it was the most relaxing vacation I have ever had. Mumbling, I say, “Uh, sure.” I just hope it isn’t a horror movie because I’d like to get some sleep tonight. Sam and Ryder drone on and on about video games and their upcoming senior year, so I take this opportunity to text my best friend, Maya. She loves living vicariously through me, her words not mine. She loves coming over to watch Sam chop wood as much as I love watching Ryder lay shirtless on one of our lounge chairs during the summer months. Maya immediately responds saying she wishes she didn’t have a family reunion tomorrow because she would love to be here without parental supervision. I send a laughing