Rhythm and the Blue Line Ch. 05

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PennLady
PennLady
1,731 Followers

He was saved thinking any more about it when the phone rang again. He checked the display and smiled when he was Ryan's name.

"Hey there, rock star. How are you?"

"Hi, Brody. I'm okay. Pretty beat."

"You sound it. Where are you?"

"Just got back. I flopped on the couch and I'm not sure I want to move now."

"I have to ask—did you eat today? Anything?"

Ryan paused. "There was pizza at some point, but it's all a blur." When he grumbled, she added, "But there were vegetables! On the pizza. I swear. They were even green."

"You up for some company?"

"Aw, Brody, did you miss me? That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside."

"If you're going to tease me, then no, I didn't."

"I'm sorry. I was going to say that it'd be really sweet if you missed me. No one ever misses me when I'm at rehearsal."

"In that case, yes, I missed you." He grinned.

"That really is sweet. I don't suppose you have any food up there? I mean, otherwise I'll have to see what I have in a box that I can maybe microwave and—"

"Stop! Jesus, stop! You're killing me."

"You're right. I'll just go for the ice cream."

"Ryan."

"What? It's organic. Lara bought it."

Brody went into his kitchen and started rummaging through the fridge. "Okay, now you're just doing that to annoy me. Do you want some food?"

"Yeah, I do, but I don't have the energy to do much about it."

"Fine. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Ha, my cunning plan worked." She laughed. "Brody, that would be great, but you don't have to do that. Honest. I'll be fine."

"Oh, no." He grabbed a plastic container and checked his pocket for his keys. "You're not getting out of it that easy."

"Yes, sir."

x-x-x-x

Ryan laughed to herself as she hung up the phone. She did feel a little guilty about conning Brody into bringing her food, but she reminded herself that they had had plans, and he likely would have made dinner anyway. This was a simple matter of timing and location.

She sat for a minute with her eyes closed until she heard a knock on the door. With a groan, she dragged herself off the couch and opened the door. She had to bite back a smile at the exasperated expression on Brody's face.

"You know, I don't deliver dinner to just anybody."

"Well, then, I'm honored." She closed the door after he stepped in and followed him into the kitchen. "I do appreciate it, really."

"Good." He set the container on the counter and put his hands on her shoulders. "Now, are you okay? You sounded pretty upset in your message."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ryan leaned against him and smiled as he slid his arms around her. "It was just unexpected. I figured we'd have a nice, calm, run-through of everything—well, as calm as it gets with Jason—and then he comes in and . . . Oh, never mind. I'm tired of thinking about it."

"Fair enough. Come on, sit while I heat up the food."

"If I eat that, can I have the ice cream?"

"We'll see."

Ryan laughed, then kissed him. "Does that influence your answer?"

"It might." He gave her a sly grin. "Try again and I'll let you know."

"Okay, but just once." Ryan linked her hands behind his neck and pulled him down to make it easier to kiss him. It was so easy, she thought, to just relax with him. Already the weight of the day seemed to be easing off a little, so she shifted a bit so that she rested more against him.

He kept one arm around her and slid the other hand up until he cupped the back of her head, and tangled his fingers in her hair. She made an appreciative sound at that, and he smiled as he broke the kiss.

"Okay, I'm convinced. You can have the ice cream."

Ryan laughed and kissed him once more. "Thanks." She paused a moment. "Really, thanks. I missed you today, and I felt bad when I called earlier. I was looking forward to seeing you. I'm glad you came over."

"Well, I have to admit I missed you, too." He hugged her, dropped a kiss on her forehead, and stepped back. "I must have, or I wouldn't have brought food."

Ryan sat at the kitchen table. "So how was your day? Less chaotic than mine, I hope."

"It was good. Coach wanted us to try a new power play strategy. Took a little time to adjust but I think we got it. Had lunch with Bax, then did some food shopping. I talked to one of my brothers. Mark says hi and good luck; I told him about Jason."

"Bastard," Ryan grumbled. "Prick."

Brody laughed and put a container in the microwave. "Guess you're still a little mad about that."

"Oh, just a little."

While the food heated, Ryan got herself a drink and she asked him about his conversation with his brother. The timer beeped a moment later and Brody pulled the food out. He grabbed a plate, arranged everything, and put it in front of Ryan. He found silverware and handed it to her, then sat down at the table himself. "Okay, so, tell me what happened."

Ryan gave him a wry smile and told him about Allison and Jason and what they'd said. Brody listened and joked around a little, but she appreciated that he understood how serious it was for her. She was quiet as she ate, and Brody talked about how his family was coming out for Christmas. He sounded as though he was looking forward to it and she envied him that.

"Thanks, Brody, that was really good." She pushed the plate away. "You're definitely the only guy to bring me homemade enchiladas."

"Not a problem. Want that ice cream?"

"No, not really." She stood and stretched. "Too tired."

"Hey, do that again." Brody came and stood in front of her. "That was nice."

She couldn't hold back a laugh. "Men. You're all the same."

"Just trying to distract you after a tough day." He grinned. "And it was nice."

Ryan laughed as they walked out to the living room. "I'll take the flattery." She rested her hands on his chest and smiled when his arms came around her. "But I'm done stretching."

"You're a terrible tease, but I guess I'll survive."

"Who's teasing?" Ryan grinned and stripped off her sweater.

Brody looked down at her. "Wow. I think I need to sit down." He dropped onto the couch and pulled her with him so that she straddled his lap. He traced a finger along the strap of her lacy, light blue bra. "Now this is nice."

Ryan bit her lip and shrugged. "Every so often I go and get something kind of girly with Lara."

"Nice choice."

Ryan shifted on his lap and he groaned, making her laugh. "I guess you like it."

"What's not to like?" He pulled her down for a kiss. When she rolled her hips against him again, he grabbed her waist to hold her still. When she parted her lips, he took advantage to plunge his tongue into her mouth. She responded by twining her hands in his hair and pressing her body against his.

They were both breathless when they broke the kiss.

"You sure about this?" Brody asked. He ran a finger along the edge of her bra and watched as she closed her eyes and took in a deep but shaky breath.

"Yeah, I am." She opened her eyes. "You?"

"Oh, yeah." He rubbed his denim-clad erection against her to prove the point. "Just checking."

Ryan took in a deep breath and bit her lip. "I'm healthy and safe. You?"

"Yes, ma'am. And prepared."

"All right then."

Brody tightened his arms around her, fusing his lips to hers. She curled her fingers into his shirt and responded with an urgency he hadn't felt from her before. He dropped his hands to cup her breasts, running his thumbs over the hard tips beneath the smooth material of her bra. Ryan responded by sliding a hand down between them and cupping him through his jeans. He let out a muffled groan as he thrust against her hand, unable to help himself.

"Like that, do you?" She smiled against his lips.

In answer, he unbuttoned her jeans and slid a hand inside. It was his turn to smile as she gasped. "Do you like that?"

"Yeah." She rested her forehead on his and bit her lip as she rocked against his hand. "I'd like a little more."

"I aim to please." He tangled one hand in her hair and kissed her again, harder and faster. This, he thought, was a much better end to the day than he'd had planned.

Ryan didn't say anything, just tugged his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans and put her hands underneath to begin working it off. Brody hissed out a breath as her hands moved over him; he loved the feel of her hands. He'd imagined they were strong and nimble, having seen her play the guitar, and he was right.

She worked his shirt up and he sat up so she could slide it off, then pulled her back with him, kissing her and savoring the feel of her skin against his. She shifted to adjust her balance and he groaned as she rubbed against his erection.

She broke the kiss with that husky laugh. "Sorry. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine." He kissed her again and with an efficiency that made her laugh again, unhooked her bra. "As pretty as this is, you don't need it." He pushed the straps down her arms and she slid them all the way off. She closed her eyes as he reached up to cup her breasts.

Ryan closed her eyes as Brody stroked his thumbs over her nipples. She splayed her hands on his chest, loving the feel of his muscles and how they tensed under her touch. She was glad she had followed her instincts and taken the initiative tonight. In fact, if he didn't move a little faster, she'd take it again. To prove the point, she pressed her lips to his and worked on unbuttoning his jeans.

"Hold on." Brody's voice startled her out of his thoughts.

"What?" She was surprised to find herself so breathless.

"Just, ah, just logistics." He guided her up on her knees so that he could push his jeans down although he dug into his pocket first.

It took more effort, and a fair amount of laughing, to slide Ryan's pants down as well, but she managed to get one leg free and then settle down against him. His groan was muffled as she pressed her mouth to his neck and applied pressure. His hand slid between her legs and she bit down on his shoulder as he stroked through the wetness he found.

When she had control of herself again, she reached down and wrapped her hands around him, stroking in a firm and steady rhythm.

"Okay, okay. Stop. Just for a second." Brody took a deep breath, then looked up at her and smiled. "You have excellent hands."

"Thanks." Ryan waited for her heart rate to get back to normal.

"Feeling less stressed?" he asked as his hands skimmed her sides.

"Some. You?"

"Well, it's a good kind of stress." He pulled her close for another kiss, then tore open the condom package and slid the covering on, anxious to get inside her.

Once ready, he put his hands on her hips and nudged her up, then shifted until he could lower her onto him. He pushed inside and savored the heat for a moment before moving to set a rhythm.

"You feel really good." He closed his eyes and dropped his head back on the couch. "Really good."

She murmured an assent and Brody kept moving, making approving sounds as Ryan moved with him. She drew in a sharp breath and her body tightened around him as she came, forcing him to grit his teeth to make everything last longer. Her body relaxed, and so did he, but a moment later he could feel her body start to tense and he gave up. He thrust faster, feeling his own body tighten, and a moment later he groaned as his own climax raced over him.

They were quiet for a while, getting their breath back, and Brody kissed her before nudging her back. Understanding, she stood and backed up a couple of steps. While Brody stepped into the bathroom, Ryan realized what a mess she must look like and stepped back into her jeans. Though on the whole, she thought with a grin, it was more than worth it.

"So, how was that for some stress relief?" Brody wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"Pretty good." She leaned closer and looked up at him. "I was pretty angry today, though. I might need to do it again later."

"Later, we'll do things a bit more slowly." He nuzzled her neck and bit lightly on the pulse point, making her gasp.

"More slowly?" She swallowed. "Something wrong with what we did?"

"No, no. It's just that it can be even more relaxing if you take your time."

"Well, you said you were the relaxing expert." She gave that low, husky laugh that he liked to hear.

"You'll just have to let me show you." He nipped at her bottom lip. "In a little while."

x-x-x-x

Ryan sat at her desk, willing the time to pass. It was Friday and she was itching to get out of the office. She'd been distracted all day, thinking about the gig the following night. Plus, she wanted to see Brody.

She hadn't seen him since Sunday and smiled at the memory. They had eventually worked off enough stress that she had slept until after ten in the morning. Brody had been gone when she'd woken up, but he'd left a note and a ticket for that afternoon's game, telling her to come and noting that cheering on the team was yet another positive way to release stress.

Although her initial reaction was to decline, she decided to go. She could go to the game, or she could sit at home and worry about the gig. She had a good time: the Caps won the game, and she'd enjoyed chatting with the other women again. Afterwards, she and Brody had met up with Lara and Trout for dinner. By the time she'd gotten home, despite everything that had happened at rehearsal, she'd felt more relaxed than she had in a while.

After they'd gotten back to Brody's place, they'd made love again. Advance stress relief, he'd called it, since he'd be gone for road games and not back until Friday. She'd laughed and gone along with it.

She glanced at the clock and groaned. One more hour. She clicked on her work log to see which project she could make the most progress on. As she clicked on a file, her phone rang. She hoped it was Brody, but any break was welcome.

"Hello, Ryan Bancroft."

"Hi, sweetie. It's Mom."

Ryan groaned to herself; a call from her mom was not the break she'd hoped for. "Hi, Mom. What's up?"

"Oh, not much. I was just calling to remind you about Aunt Margo's party tomorrow. It's so wonderful that it's their thirty-second anniversary. So many people don't get that far these days."

Ryan closed her eyes and counted to ten. "Mom, I told you, I can't make it. We have our gig at the 9:30 Club tomorrow night. I've already talked to Aunt Margo and Uncle Pete both."

"Really? It's tomorrow? But, Ryan, it's their anniversary. Can't you come before your show?"

"No, Mom, I can't. I wish I could, but this was set up before the dinner was, and they understand." The last thing she needed, Ryan thought, was to be with her family before the gig. She could just imagine the "encouragement" she'd get.

"Ryan, really. I don't understand why you do this. It's not much to ask that you be there to celebrate an important milestone for someone in the family, especially after all the things they've done for us. For you."

Ryan ground her teeth and counted to ten once more. "Mom, I'm not 'doing' anything. I have previous plans, and people are counting on me. It's as simple as that."

"Your brothers are coming, so I don't see why you can't, at least for a while. It's bad enough that Evan has to leave early, but at least he'll be there for part of it. JT will be there for the whole thing, and you know how busy he is."

"JT's not performing tomorrow night. You know, if one of them had a game and it conflicted, you'd miss the party." Ryan chafed at the comparison to her brothers, JT in particular.

"Well, that's . . . that's different." Her mother sounded surprised.

"How? How is it different?" Ryan demanded.

"Ryan, please. It is different and you know it."

"Right. Look, Mom, I have to go. I need to get something finished."

"All right. I still think you should be there. Your brothers are making the effort, and you should too."

"Fine. Bye, Mom." Ryan didn't bother explaining why she couldn't attend; her mother wouldn't listen anyway.

At last it was time to go, and she all but raced out of the office. She turned on her iPod and punched up Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime as she walked to the Metro. Nothing like drugs, prostitutes and political assassinations to take her mind off her problems. When she got home, she tried to put it out of her head. She went into the apartment and found a note from Lara that said she was at her mom's place and would be spending the night at Trout's.

Ryan shook her head. "I bet she did that just so I can't vent about my mom." Well, she couldn't blame Lara. Lord knew Ryan had done enough venting in the time they'd been friends. She flipped over the note, per Lara's instructions, and found some new lyrics.

Just came into my head, Lara had written. See if it shakes anything loose for you.

Ryan welcomed the distraction. She hung up her coat and went into her room to change into jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, then went out to see if there was any food.

Lara had made some chicken thing a couple of nights ago, and Ryan decided that would do. She put the leftovers on a plate, nuked them, and ate quickly. After she'd finished, she grabbed her guitar and Lara's note and sat down, noodling with no particular ideas to see if anything happened. After half an hour, she had nothing. When she heard a knock at the door, she put her guitar down and got up to answer it.

"Hi, Brody. Come on in."

"Thanks." He stepped in, closed the door and followed her back to the living room. "How are you doing?"

She threw her hands up as she walked back to the couch, and picked her guitar up again. "Just fucking great."

"Ah, I see."

"Sorry. I'm okay. Sorry."

"What's the problem?" He came closer and rubbed her shoulders. "Just nervous about tomorrow? You'll be fine." He took a step back and looked her up and down. "And I was right; you definitely look sexy with the guitar."

That made her laugh. "Well, thank you. But yes, I'm nervous about tomorrow."

"You'll be fine, Ryan. You even got in an extra rehearsal this week, didn't you?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." The band had caught a break when Nate as able to switch shifts with someone and they'd squeezed in a rehearsal on Wednesday night. Even so, they were going into this without as much preparation as she'd like. She took a deep breath. "So, yes, I am stressed about tomorrow, but that's not all of it. My mom called me before I left work."

"Uh oh. What'd she say?"

"Oh, she tried to guilt trip me into going to a party for my aunt and uncle tomorrow night. For their anniversary." Ryan huffed out a frustrated breath. "I've talked to my aunt and uncle; they understand. The gig was set up before the party was. I told Mom that, but that's not good enough. Well, screw it." She put her guitar down again, then dropped onto the sofa.

Brody was silent for a moment, not sure what to say. His instinct was to try to provide a different perspective on her mom's remarks, but he couldn't, and he doubted Ryan would appreciate it.

"And you know what really pisses me off?" Ryan asked.

"What?"

"If JT or Evan had a game, my parents would miss this party without a second thought. And when I pointed that out, she just said, 'That's different.' Right, different." Ryan dropped her head back.

"What did you do?" Brody was a little uncertain as he sat next to her; he'd never seen her this upset.

"I just got off as soon as I could." Ryan shrugged. "I mean, I said good-bye and all. I couldn't take it."

"She probably didn't mean anything. She was probably just—"

"Brody, don't, okay?" She dragged her hands through her hair and turned to look at him. "I know you're just trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate it. But trust me, Mom meant it. It is different when it comes to my brothers, because my dad is all about sports, so my performance doesn't rate as a reason not to go."

PennLady
PennLady
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