✔︎ | Gold Digger

Chapter 21 - What Love Is

Chapter 21 – What Love Is

Bella seems to instantly get along with everyone, and Ryker pulls me away from the group. Instead of letting him take me into the kitchen, I make him follow me up the stairs and into my room. He doesn't seem surprised when I close the door behind him and shove his body against it, pressing my lips against his.

He does laugh though, folding his strong, compassionate arms around my waist.

"What?" I ask. "Don't laugh at me."

"You're just very forward," he continues to laugh, pecking me on the lips. "But you can kiss me all you want. It's Valentine's Day, isn't it?"

"Oh, is it?" I say obviously, pretending I'm not excited that he remembered.

He kisses me again, this time harder. "Yes, and I got you something." He bites his lip and moves away, picking up a present that's sitting beside my desk.

I laugh, taking the terribly wrapped pink present from his hands, feeling it to see if I can guess what's inside of it. "You really didn't need to get me anything, Ryker, I mean, I didn't get you anything," I say, and we take a seat on my bed.

"Just open it," he says, "it's a terrible gift anyway. You'll most likely find it really stupid and give it back to me." He laughs again, running his fingers through his soft hair. "And I will take it back. I love it. A lot. I think it's one of my greatest presents. But we have a different opinion on things."

I smile, beginning to unwrap it. "I'm sure I'll love it, I mean, it's from you and I love..."

My hands stop unwrapping and my mouth closes abruptly. Ryker breathes out calmly, resting his hand on the mattress behind my back, leaning closer towards me. "And you love what, Jessie?" He asks in a low voice, and when I look up into his eyes, his face is completely serious.

"I love spending time with you," I say smoothly, continuing to open my present and avoiding Ryker's gaze. "So of course you'd know what to get me. Even if I do find it stupid, I'll most likely love it." Ryker chuckles, shrugging like he's not so sure. I pull the wrapping paper away and throw it on my ground, setting my gift on my bed.

The first thing is a shirt, and Ryker watches my expression when I hold it up, reading the words on it. "Gosh, being a princess is exhausting," I read, bursting out into a laugh. Ryker smiles at my reaction, his eyes gleaming. "Of course you got this for me."

"I'm making you wear it," Ryker says, pulling his feet up onto the bed.

I smile and pick up a different shirt, this one reading, "Once upon a time I was a princess...and I still am, so bow down." Ryker laughs, leaning forward and resting his head on my shoulder. "I'm guessing you're going to make me wear this too?" He nods, and I peck him on the forehead.

Moving away, Ryker picks up the last present, a small, rectangular box. "One more thing," he says, handing it to me. I bite down on my lip as I pull off the lid of the box, finding a necklace inside. My mouth drops open as my finger runs over the small, silver knight, like the ones used on a chessboard. "Um, look, I know it's cheesy," Ryker begins, but I press my lips to his mouth so he can't continue.

"Ryker Knight," I say, pulling away. "This is the most thoughtful gift I've ever received."

"Well," he smiles, "I told you that one day my name would mean something to you, one way or another, and I just wanted to remind you of that. Because you like me, and you never thought you would."

"I thought you were so mean," I say, pulling the necklace out of the box. Ryker chuckles and takes it from my hands, swinging his legs around me so that I'm sitting between them, and puts the necklace around my neck. I take the little knight into my hands, and Ryker kisses my neck, slowly and seductively.