Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder) novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Xena’s POV

“I’m not telling,” Ryder said with that mysterious half–smile that made my stomach

flutter.

“Fine,” I replied softly, trying to sound indifferent despite the curiosity burning inside me. We walked side by side in silence, our shoulders occasionally brushing. I had no idea what was going through Ryder’s mind–his expression was always so difficult to read–but I could feel the tension crackling in the air between us.

The golf cart that had brought us here was parked in front of the pack house. We climbed in, and Ryder drove us past several houses toward the outskirts. My heart raced with each passing second, unsure of where we were heading but unable to deny the thrill of being

alone with him.

As we crested a small hill, a cluster of lights appeared ahead. Fireflies danced in the darkness, seemingly guiding our path. When the cart finally stopped, I saw a blanket spread on the ground, adorned with pillows and a tray of food.

“This looks nice,” I said, genuinely surprised by the effort he’d put into this.

“Just be yourself,” he said quietly, his green eyes reflecting the moonlight.

“You got angry when I was being myself earlier tonight,” I mumbled as I climbed out of the cart. Ryder paused for a moment, then walked over and placed a gentle kiss on my

forehead.

My heart jolted like it had been struck by lightning, and the dark cloud that had been hanging over my head dissipated. He pulled me toward the blankets. “Hope you like cold

pasta.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Thanks for doing this.” We sat down, and Ryder served us each a plate. The chicken alfredo wasn’t the best I’d ever had, but I wasn’t about to complain. Truthfully, even the most unappetizing food would have tasted like a gourmet meal

shared with him in this moment.

“I couldn’t take you on a tropical getaway for your birthday, or to the mountains. This was the best I could come up with,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.

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“It’s perfect,” I said sincerely, “I don’t need anything fancy or expensive. I just need something that comes from the heart. This is really perfect.” I felt my voice quiver slightly and hoped he didn’t notice the tears glistening in my eyes.

The atmosphere was still a bit awkward, but it was slowly improving. We each only ate half our food before setting our plates aside.

“Where did William and Amara go?” I asked as we lay down. Ryder positioned his arm beneath my head, letting me rest against his chest. Though the temperature was warm enough not to need a blanket, I grabbed one anyway and draped it over my legs. His heartbeat was steady against my ear, making me feel safer than I ever had before.

“He arranged a date for himself and Amara. She thought it was going to be a double date,

So…”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to ruin their evening anyway,” I said softly, thinking to myself: But I’m glad to have you all to myself.

Ryder placed his fingers under my chin, lifting my face to his. “I’m sorry too.”

I gave him a gentle kiss before settling back against his chest. I could feel his warmth through the thin fabric of his shirt, heating my entire body. In this moment, our earlier arguments and misunderstandings seemed insignificant.

“When do we have to go back?” I asked, not wanting this perfect moment to end.

“We don’t have to go back,” Ryder said. He gazed up at the stars. “That’s the Big Dipper.”

“It’s a full moon tonight,” I replied, completely relaxed now. I sneaked a glance at his phone. The time showed 11:24 pm. Thirty–six minutes until my birthday, I thought, but didn’t say it aloud.

“Will you wear that red dress tomorrow?” he suddenly asked.

“Yes, I will.”

“Good.”

Ryder turned so that I was lying beneath him, his body covering mine. His hand caressed my cheek, his eyes speaking volumes though his lips remained silent. Instead, he placed a

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Chapter 89

soft kiss on my lips.

Gradually, the kiss deepened, and I could feel his cock pressing against me. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it might burst through my chest, an instinctual attraction making it impossible to resist him.

“If you don’t want this, we can stop now,” Ryder said, breaking the kiss to look directly

into my eyes.

“Touch me,” I practically begged.