Run Wild Horses

Chapter 5

'Cause it sounded good last night
We had a damn good time
Jack Daniel's got that jackhammer pounding on my mind

Ryan's POV

I forced my eyes open and groaned from the blinding sunlight streaming through the blinds in Chase's living room as I pulled myself up into a sitting position on the couch. My head was pounding and my mouth felt like it was stuffed full of cotton. My groan however, was not just hungover induced. Part of it was due to the fact that I had met a beautiful woman and completely blew it. Epic failure on my part.

I was obviously too drunk to drive home last night, and I guess I was also too drunk to make it upstairs to a guest room since I woke up on the couch. Note to self: don't drink so damn much.

I really wanted to talk to Sam. That kiss last night was something. I didn't expect her to respond quite the way she did. She actually seemed really into it. Although she was pretty drunk herself. Admittedly, I doubt I would have done it had I been sober. I'm usually a little more reserved and pretty awkward. I knew I had acted like a jerk though. I continued to egg her on, and to my surprise, she gave back as good as she got. She intrigued me. I really did want to get to know her. I liked her feistiness. She clearly had a wild side that I would love to tap into. The question was, how much of that was the alcohol? What was she really like?

She and I had obviously gotten off on the wrong foot. Had I not been half assed drunk before I even laid eyes on her, things might have been different. Maybe we could make amends and call a truce. Start over. Show her that sober Ryan really wasn't such a bad guy.

I stood up and staggered into the kitchen, hoping like hell I could find some aspirin or something to kill the tap dancing on my brain. Sam was already in there, eating a chocolate cupcake while waiting for coffee to brew.

"Good morning." I said softly, startling her and causing her to smear a bit of chocolate frosting on her upper lip. I thought again about the kiss we shared last night, and I had to fight the urge to lick it off. She grabbed a napkin a quickly wiped it away. She turned and faced me, her expression was clearly one of annoyance. Of course she had the fucking nerve to look like a damn wet dream. Baby blue eyes as clear and bright as the morning sky. She didn't seem to appear as if she were interested in making amends.

She almost looked guilty as she finished off the cupcake, kind of like the kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"Good morning." She replied back, in a cool, polite tone as she wiped the chocolate frosting from her fingertips.

"You missed a spot." I pointed to the corner of her mouth.

"Thanks." She muttered, dabbing it with her napkin. "Coffee is almost done if you want." She pointed towards the single cup coffee maker, then averted her eyes, as if she would rather be here with anyone else. Damn she was an ice queen. Forcing herself to be somewhat civil, all the while looking at me like I was a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

"I don't guess you'd happen to know if there is any aspirin around here?" I asked. This conversation I was trying to initiate might go a little better if I could get rid of this giant ass headache.

"Here." She handed me a bottle of aspirin that had been sitting on the counter, and grabbed her mug of coffee that had just finished brewing.

"Thanks. How are you feeling this morning?" I asked.

"Fine." Was her only reply. Maybe she just wasn't a morning person.

I tried again. "You're up early. I guess Chase and Courtney are still asleep."

"I'm used to getting up early. Old habit. Someone needs to tell my internal clock that I'm on vacation."

Whew. That was better. I had finally progressed beyond one word answers.