Rys asked me to spend the night at his place, claiming my neck-killing pillows would ruin the festival experience for us both. I didn't mind the excuse to have a sleepover at his place. After dinner, I stopped by the rental, packed the clothes and toiletries I'd need, and went back to his house.

He'd left the door unlocked, and as I crossed the spacious foyer and entered the living room, I found him on the couch, frowning at the open laptop he'd placed on the coffee table.

"I'm back," I said.

Rys extended his hand toward me. "Come here. I need to ask you something."

I dropped my overnight bag on the gray rug and reached for Rys's fingers. He tugged slightly, and as I made a step forward, my knee bumped into the corner of the table.

I let out a pained yelp, and Rys sprang to his feet. "What is it? Did you hurt yourself?"

He took my face between his palms, examining it as if it was the part of me I'd injured. "Where does it hurt?"

"It's nothing," I mumbled. "You just don't know me yet. I'm a walking disaster, clumsy and—"

Firm, demanding lips hungrily seized mine. I forgot about the pain I still felt and leaned into Rys, whose arms found their way around my body, holding me close.

The kiss went from bruising to soft. Rys broke it and pressed his mouth to my forehead. "Let's go to bed."

"But you wanted to ask me something."

"I'll take my laptop with me."

He picked up my bag and his computer and walked out of the room. We turned left into a hallway, and Rys stopped next to a white door.

"My room," he said, opening it.

I stepped inside first. Rys's bed, much bigger than mine, took up the center of the bedroom. The en suite and closet must've been behind the doors on my right. Rys put my bag on the floor and walked to the nightstand. He placed the laptop on it, and as he touched the lamp with his index, soft yellow light illuminated our surroundings.

"The bathroom's behind the door right next to you," he said, drawing the curtains. "If you want to shower, I'll get ready for bed in the guest bath."

"Thank you."

Rys pecked my cheek. "Don't rush."

As much as I liked the tiny bathroom in my rental, Rys's spacious shower with multiple jets had no competition. I took my time under the spray and completed the rest of my bedtime routine. When I returned to the room, Rys was already in bed, wearing only black shorts.

He patted the mattress by his side, and I sat, rubbing my bruised knee.

Rys circled my wrist with his fingers. "Let me see."

I removed my hand, and he looked at my knee, sighing. "Wait here."

Rys went to the bathroom. When he was back, I was sitting in the same position, trying to reign in the nerves from what might happen between us later.

I knew what kind of magic Rys Delano could do with his hands, and I had no doubt I wanted more than that with him. Maybe wanting him so much was the issue. Until him, I'd been only Brock's. My boyfriend took all my firsts, so why didn't I hesitate when Rys touched me last night?

Rys crouched down before me, holding a tube with some ointment. Before I could tell him my bruise wasn't a big deal, he squeezed the clear gel onto his fingertips and pressed them to my skin, rubbing it in circles. "Tell me if it hurts."

Tell me if you like it. Please.

His words from last night burst into my mind, setting my cheeks aflame.

"Lyra?

I swallowed thickly, hoping Rys wouldn't notice my unease. "Yeah?"

"I need to know something. Something personal."

Was there anything more personal than giving someone pleasure? With all the lines we blurred and crossed, it was funny Rys worried about that, but I nodded. "Sure."

"Has your..." Rys paused, his jaw working, "so-called boyfriend ever laid a hand on you?"

Why would he think that? Brock hurt me with his words multiple times, but he wouldn't hit me. "No, of course not," I said with hopefully enough conviction.

Rys's only reaction was a whispered 'okay'. He put the ointment on the nightstand and straightened. I got in bed, and Rys sat beside me, leaning against the padded faux leather headboard.

"Why did you ask me that?" I said, sliding my folded hands under my cheek.

He glanced toward the window as if buying himself time to think and looked at me. "You got hurt and pretended it was nothing. I've seen someone do that before."

"Everyone always laughs at how clumsy I am, Rys. I tripped during my graduation ceremony too. So much for trying to appear confident for once."

"Hard to be confident if you're surrounded by assholes who laugh at someone else's pain."

Rys stared ahead of him, unblinking, probably remembering something. I trailed my fingertips along his strong forearm. "Hey, what's this all about?"

He covered my fingers with his. "Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

Rys got under the sheet and turned off the light. The dark curtains didn't allow the moonlight into the room, and I couldn't see his face to figure out what was on his mind and why he made those strange comments.

Maybe he was talking about an ex-girlfriend of his. He must've been in a relationship before our arrangement. I still knew little about him when there was hardly a detail of my biography he didn't know thanks to my drunken confession and me answering the many questions he asked.

"I want to know something too," I said.

Rys's hand slid closer to mine, and our fingers brushed. "Ask."

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Rys said, seemingly unbothered by my question. "A few."

"Why did it end?"

He gripped my fingers and tugged so I'd scoot closer, and when I did, he engulfed me in a hug. "The first one was in high school. We broke up before college. The second one was in college, and I guess it ended because we didn't have lots in common."

"And that's it?"

Rys kissed the side of my head. "No. There was someone else after I graduated, and some hookups. Nothing significant. I was too busy setting up my business and helping my father run his. What about you?"

"There's only been Brock," I mumbled into Rys's neck. "So, not a lot of experience here."

"Nothing's wrong with that."

"I know. I just don't..."

Saying that I didn't know what good sex was like didn't seem such a good idea anymore. It was easy to talk about it with Kaia, but not the gorgeous, almost naked guy who was cuddling me in bed, driving me crazy with his body and scent.

"You just don't..."

I foolishly hoped Rys wouldn't ask me to finish the sentence, but I should've known better.

"I don't know if it was the way it's supposed to be because I had nothing to compare it with until..."

Rys pressed a soft kiss to my lips. "Until me?"

"Yeah."

There it was — my disguised admission that sex with Brock was far from satisfying. Rys combed his fingers through my hair and pressed his lips to the corner of my mouth.

"I'll make sure you know how it's supposed to be when we're together, mi cielo."

***

The morning started with us oversleeping and running around the house, making sure we got everything we needed for the trip. Rys put my things and his in a bag and led me to his garage.

A black Kawasaki motorbike stood next to Rys's Tesla. "It's a two-seater." Rys ran his hand over the bike's leather seat. "I've got an extra helmet, and Ash will bring you some clothes."

"So, you also like bikes."

"I do. That's how Ash and I met. He gushed about the characteristics of a bike at a launch event when he saw me examining it, and I naively believed him to be a fellow bike enthusiast until people started taking pictures of the guy."

"And then you became friends?"

"We grabbed lunch after that bike thing and hit it off. He travels around the world during the season, and we saw each other in several countries. Besides, Ash and his crew often stay at our hotels."

An engine rumbled outside. We swiveled our heads, looking toward the street.

Ash rode into the driveway. He hopped off the bike first and helped Kaia get off it after. As soon as Kaia saw us, she grinned, waving.

As I went to greet her, she hugged me and winked, nodding toward Rys, who was chatting with Ash.

My traitorous face warmed.

"I knew it," she mouthed. "I brought you some clothes. Where can we change?"

I told Rys we'd go into the house for a moment and led Kaia to the bedroom. "Are you going to change too?" I asked, closing the door.

Kaia sat on the bed and unzipped her black backpack. "The festival venue is two hours away from Marfolk, and Ash makes me wear leather gear on the road for safety. Rys asked us if we had some for you since he didn't have time to order anything."

She pulled out black leather overalls and spread them on the bed. "I called to ask your size, but your phone was off. I think mine will fit you, though. I'll change with you."

After we got dressed, I looked at myself in the mirror. The tight material hugged my curves like second skin, but I loved seeing this new version of me. "What do you think?" I spun toward Kaia.

"They look amazing on you," she said, grinning. "Rys will appreciate the view. By the way, are you two..."

"We're together for a month," I said. "Rys can't commit to a relationship, and I'm kind of still in one. It sounds crazy to have an arrangement like that, doesn't it?"

Kaia gave me a one-shouldered shrug. "What's the harm if both of you want the same thing? He doesn't take his eyes off you, anyway. Maybe he thinks a month will be enough but changes his mind later."

Under different circumstances, Kaia's words would've filled me with hope. But although I was into him, and he was into me, there was no way to make it work with Rys's trips and my situation. Fantasizing about what could've been would only crash my heart, and it'd already taken enough blows.

"I think I'll just enjoy being with him while it lasts," I said.

"Enjoying being with someone isn't the worst thing you can do," Kaia said, smiling. "Let's go. The guys must be getting impatient."

Outside, Rys and Ash were waiting, clad in similar leather clothes. We put on our helmets, and I settled behind Rys on the Kawasaki, sliding my arms around his middle while ordering myself not to freak out.

Ash rode out of the driveway first, and Rys followed close behind. It was on the highway where I realized why wearing the overalls that protected me from the lashing wind was an excellent idea — we didn't ride but flew, leaving most vehicles behind. I was wary of the speed at first but enjoyed it immensely later. Whenever the highway was almost empty, Asher sped, and Rys's body I clung to vibrated with his deep laughter.

The two-hour journey passed in the blink of an eye, and we rode into Sanlow, a small town where the Ocean Breeze festival took place every summer.

I'd never been here, but Rys confidently navigated the narrow streets with one-story residential buildings until the scenery changed, and he slowed the bike next to tall, wrought iron double gates flanked by two stone columns. As he entered a code on a panel, the gates opened with a click, and our bike rolled down the wide driveway lined with towering palm trees. A sprawling two-story building with arch windows and stone colonnades, similar to those I'd seen in travel magazines, came into view.

Rys parked the bike near the entrance. When my feet touched the ground, I flexed my shaky knees and unbuckled the chin strap of my helmet.

"Wow." Kaia gasped beside me, staring at the house in front of us. "It reminds me of some Mediterranean villas I saw in Italy and Spain, but even better."

Rys smiled. "Thank you. I'm proud of this one."

"How did you manage to get two rooms on such short notice?" Asher asked him.

Rys pushed his dark hair back, smirking. "Used my charm. Well, not quite. The grand opening is in three weeks, but the boutique hotel is ready to stay at. I just asked the staff to get the rooms and the pool ready for us. The cook's here too. We might as well test everything before it's open for guests."

Circling my shoulders with his arm, Rys kissed my cheek and tilted his chin up. "Let's go in so we can change?"

"Let me have a word with Kaia first," I said.

Ash and Rys went inside the hotel, and we lingered behind.

"What's up?" Kaia asked.

"Just wanted to know what you're wearing to the festival later."

She nudged my shoulder with hers. "That's another thing I wanted to ask you last night."

"Sorry. My mother blamed the break with my boyfriend on me again, and I switched off the phone. It's in a drawer at home. Rys gave me one of his, so I can give you this number meanwhile."

"Deal," Kaia said. "And I'm wearing a skirt with a crop top."

"Then I won't look ridiculous because I chose the same. Let's go?"

We entered the spacious hotel foyer. Rys and Ash were talking to the man behind the reception desk on my left. On my right was a sitting area with dark brown leather couches. Kaia gave them a look full of longing, making me smile.

"Enjoy your stay, Mr. Delano. Mr. Williams, good luck next week," the receptionist said. Rys thanked him and approached me, carrying our bag.

Instead of taking the elevator, we climbed the grand stairway with a decorative iron railing. Ash and Kaia turned right while we went in the opposite direction.

Rys unlocked the door at the end of the hallway. "Hope you like it here."

I took a tentative step forward. Afternoon sunlight flooded the room decorated in beige tones, where a king-sized bed stood facing the glass doors leading to the balcony. A plush cream couch and a wooden coffee table were the other two pieces of furniture I lay my eyes on.

"It's beautiful," I said to Rys.

He hugged me from behind and nuzzled into my neck. "Hope only one bed isn't a problem, mi cielo."

It was the third time he'd called me that, and after last night's conversation, I didn't remember to look the word up. I made a mental note to ask Kaia what it meant and turned my head so I could kiss Rys's cheek.

"I was hoping there'd be only one."

***

The first night of the Ocean Breeze Festival started with the multi-colored fireworks bursting in the summer sky. The crowd in the front-of-stage VIP pit went wild as soon as music filled the air, and the first band, Dreamers, took the stage.

Kaia and I moved almost in sync, swiveling our hips and throwing our hands up like lots of others around us.

"I'd kill for some water," she said, fanning herself as the first headliners left the stage.

"Would you like some too?" Rys asked, wrapping a muscular arm around my waist. The skin of my exposed midriff tingled from his touch, and I would've gladly stayed with him like this if I weren't as thirsty as Kaia.

"Water would be nice," I said.

Rys glanced around, frowning. People started dancing to the first track of the second performer, DJ Led, and while some migrated to the rest of the stages we had yet to check out, lots of others arrived.

"We'll wait for you here, guys," Kaia said. "Maybe get us something to eat, too."

"We could take turns." Rys seemed to be scanning the area again as if he feared leaving us alone.

"Might be faster if we go together," Asher said. "Besides, one person won't be able to carry everything, and we've got a nice spot here. Don't go anywhere, okay, peque?"

Asher also had a nickname for Kaia. Judging by the awed smile she gave him, she liked it.

"We'll be right here," she said. "If you don't see us, call me."

Rys kissed my lips and went after Asher. Several girls checked them out as they headed toward the cordoned-off area housing the VIP bars and restaurants, and although I was sure the guys wouldn't wait too long, there was no way to avoid standing in line.

"I love this song," Kaia said, grabbing my hand. She swayed her hips, and I did the same as the next song played.

She seemed to be lost in the music, but I'd hardly have a better time to ask her what I was curious to know. I squeezed her fingers. "Kaia."

She leaned in, angling her face as if to hear me better.

"What does mi cielo mean?"

A knowing grin sat on her lips. "Let me guess; Rys called you that?"

"You guessed right."

Kaia raised her hand, her index pointing overhead.

"Cielo means sky," she said. "And Rys said you're his."

The plot thickens again.
Rys and Lyra just have this something that I love. Complicity probably. Also look at Lyra having fun with her new friend🥹
I'm super excited for what's coming. What do you think it is?