Chapter 10 – Would you teach me if I asked?

The silence that followed was deafening. A tear slipped down her face as the girl waited for something, anything, to happen. No matter how long time had passed since that night she still felt dirty every time she talked about it.

She dared herself to look up at Ryan's face and flinched at what she saw. His vibrant blue eyes were dark and dangerous, his jaw was set and Kaylin could almost see how furiously his heart was pumping through the veins on his neck.

Kaylin gently placed a hand on his shoulder and felt another tear fall from her eyes when she realized that he was shaking. She was doing it again, hurting the people she cared about and she hated it!

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I just... I didn't know what to say." Kaylin's weak voice broke the silence and Ryan had to stop himself from shouting at her.

"Don't say you're sorry, Kay." Even his voice was shaking and it took everything she had in her not to be drawn into those furious eyes. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about."

The silence settled between them again, this time the girl felt safe enough to grab a soft hold of his still shaking hand.

"Are you angry?" She asked, her voice giving away just how small she felt.

"Yes, but not at you." He breathed slowly, trying to get the fury out of his system. He caught her looking at him uncertainly and squeezed her hand a little. "I'm angry at myself."

The uncertainty didn't leave her eyes.

"Kaylin." He turned to her, his free hand cupping her cheek gently to make her look into his eyes. "If I had known I never would have..." Tears formed in his eyes, fully realizing just what he had done. "I never wanted to hurt you, you have to believe me, Kay." He was nearly begging now, a lonely tear escaping down his face as he desperately looked into her eyes, searching for a sign that she didn't hate him.

"Ryan..." Kaylin was at a loss for words, she knew he hadn't had any intention of hurting her. "I know you didn't mean to and I do believe you. Why else would I have agreed to come here tonight?" She pulled him into a hug, letting a closeness that so many times had scared her, soothe her.

"I scared you though, didn't I?" He said, his hand resting in her hair.

"Yeah..." She nodded a little. "But I know you. You would never intentionally scare me, it was an accident. It happens." She shrugged a little, thinking back on the reason for her fighting.

Ryan pulled back from her and looking into her calm green eyes he felt amazement wash over him as he realized that she meant every word she'd said.

"You still wanna go to bed?" She asked when the silence settled again, feeling that he might need to get rid of his obvious frustration over what she'd just told him.

He looked at her for a few seconds before his eyes wandered to the bed and then back to her.

"Yeah, sure. Just gotta get ready." He said, kissing her temple gently and entering the bathroom out in the hallway.

Somewhat dazed about what had just happened Kaylin got off the bed, ridding herself of everything but her underwear before moving under the covers, waiting for Ryan to come back.

They had been together for little over a month but still she had never actually spent the night before, especially not in Ryan's bed.

Her mother preferred her spending the night at home and although she hadn't asked Ryan about it it would appear that his father preferred it that way as well.

Laying there, smiling a little to herself at how this crazy day had worked out, she could hear Ryan coming into the room again, closing the door before walking up to the bed.

He looked down at her for a moment, thinking that she was asleep, wondering just how he was going to play this. Sighing to himself he walked away from the bed but before he even made it halfway out of the room Kaylin's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"You don't have to leave."

Ryan looked up at her, searching for an uncertainty he wouldn't find.

"I thought I'd give you a little space..." He said, looking a little uncomfortable where he stood in the middle of the room.

"I don't want space." Kaylin spoke in a determined voice. "I want you next to me, it makes me feel safe."

Without a word Ryan walked back to her before joining her in the big bed. He was a little unsure just how far he could go, should he just lay there? Should he pull her close? He really had no clue what would be okay considering their situation so Kaylin saw it fitting to make the decision for him.

She moved slightly so that she was facing him, taking his hand and guiding it to her waist before moving closer, close enough for their breaths to mingle together as they looked into each others eyes.

"It's not you I'm afraid of." Kaylin whispered, her body slowly melting away at their proximity. "It's doing something against my will again, and for a moment today I forgot about you and just saw him." She felt a sudden urge to touch his hair and smiling softly she brought her hand up to run it through that shaggy blondness.

"I know that you would never hurt me, Ryan. I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone before, and that's saying something." Ryan chuckled a little, enjoying the feeling of having her in his arms with her fingers running through his hair.

"I have a suggestion." He mumbled, a shiver going through his body as she tugged loosely at his hair and looked at him with those eyes. "How about a safeword? You know like... 'popcorn' or something like that to let the other know to stop."

Kaylin raised her eyebrows and chuckled.

"How about 'no'?"

Ryan looked stunned for a moment before laughing softly, seemingly a little embarrassed.

"Yeah, that could work too. Didn't think about that."

"But it's not a bad idea." Kaylin continued, putting him at ease. "But it would have to mean that no matter what whatever is happening is serious and we need to stop, no exceptions." She explained and Ryan nodded in agreement.

"It's like a tap out, you feel and it you stop. Simple and like you said, no exceptions."

"Agreed." Kaylin yawned, suddenly feeling the sleepiness coming back to her.

"Hey." Ryan whispered into her hair, wondering if she had fallen asleep on him. "We never agreed on the actual word though."

"Popcorn." She mumbled sleepily and Ryan chuckled as he pulled the covers closer around them.

"'Popcorn' it is then." He thought before he too fell asleep, his arms secured around his girlfriend's waist and her head on his chest, feeling truly safe for the first time in a long time.

*****They're our objects of affection that can mesmerize the soul. There is always one addiction that just can not be controlled *****

"Ryan, get up! We have a lot of work to..." That Saturday morning Robert McCarthy walked straight into his son's bedroom without knocking as he usually did when he was stressed, clearly not expecting the view that greeted him as he stepped through the door.

Ryan was half-laying in bed, squinting against the bright light as a mop of brown hair moved next to him, mumbling something incoherent.

"Um, you mind giving us a moment, dad?" Ryan said, sleep lacing his voice as he sat up completely.

"Who is that?" The older McCarthy asked gruffly, getting straight to the point. He actually liked Kaylin Davis so he'd be damned if his blockhead of a son screwed someone behind her back.

"Good morning, mr. McCarthy." Said girlfriend sat up, stretching tiredly but making sure to cover herself up, not wanting to give off a worse impression than she'd already had this morning.

"Well, good morning, Kaylin. I wasn't expecting to see you here this early." Robert said, his voice a lot less gruff this time.

"Well, it was sort of a, eh... long night so I ended up staying the night. I hope you don't mind terribly." Robert smiled at how formal she sounded, she was really worried about what he thought of her.

"Oh no, not at all. You know you're always welcome in my home, Kaylin. But Ryan, you've got a training-session in half an hour, so you better get ready." Robert said before leaving the room, and a flabbergasted Ryan, behind.

He had no idea how but this girl seemed to make decent people out of anyone who laid eyes on her. His dad was being nice to him, that might just have been a first.

"Do you wanna stay in bed?" He asked as he was getting ready to leave the warmth of the bed. "I can bring you some breakfast if you want."

Kaylin just smiled at him, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Can I watch you train?" She asked, feeling bubbly inside as Ryan looked at her incredulously,

"You wanna watch me getting my ass kicked?" He wondered as he changed into his training gear.

"Oh, come on, Ryan! I promise I won't be a distraction."

He walked up to the bed again and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Kaylin, you're the very embodiment of a distraction." He smirked but his answer just left the girl with a cute pout on her lips.

"I'll be quiet as a mouse and I won't make a move, so please? Pretty please?" She left her spot under the covers and moved closer on her knees, not paying much attention to the fact that she was only wearing a bra and a pair of boyshorts.

But Ryan sure did and he had to force himself not to look anywhere but in her eyes, although he was dying to.

"Alright, but first go put some clothes on and eat something. Then you can join me in the gym."

Shocked Kaylin looked down and it seemed to dawn on her just how little clothing she was wearing because her face went beet-red.

"Meet you downstairs." He kissed her on the lips, feeling her smile before he pulled back and went downstairs to start warming up, leaving behind a somewhat grinning and flushing Kaylin.

She didn't care what had happened between
them, last night had told her what she needed to know. That he would never hurt her like Logan did. That he was serious about her, serious enough to bring up the concept of a safeword.

Kaylin wasn't born yesterday. She knew what safewords were commonly used for and although the suggestion showed that Ryan was no stranger to that world she felt safe knowing that he would do anything for her not to feel uncomfortable.

She laid down on her back on the big bed and stretched out, enjoying the feeling of having woken up next to him. The bed smelled like him, not one particular smell that she could name but simply that of Ryan.

She rolled out of bed and went up to her bag on the floor, picking out a pair of long jeans shorts, her beloved Washington Wizards T-shirt and gray hoodie before getting dressed and pulling her hair into a ponytail before walking downstairs and into the kitchen.

While Kaylin poured herself a bowl of Cheerios Robert walked into the kitchen, talking sternly to someone on the phone. He sent her an apologetic smile and she smiled back, knowing fully well that being the manager of such a big company couldn't always be easy.

"Well, deal with it, Harry. That's what I'm paying you for." Robert ended the call and took a deep breath before turning back to Kaylin who was now sitting on the counter, eating her breakfast.

"I'm sorry about that." The older man said, pouring himself a cup of coffee and offering it to the girl who politely shook her head before putting it down again. "It's way to early in the morning for this really." He took a sip and felt his mood lift slightly.

"It's alright, I'm used to my mom running back and forth in the mornings, fussing and forgetting everything she's supposed to have with her. Compared to her you're a breath of fresh air, Mr. McCarthy." Kaylin laughed, trying not to spill her breakfast.

"Really? Because she seems like such a put together person. And call me Robert, mr McCarthy just sounds so... yuck." He moved slightly, as if to shake off the feeling it was giving him.

"Alright, Robert." She laughed. "Well, my mom's been through a tough time since my dad died. She tries her best to keep everything together but it's taken a toll on her. And lord knows my problems in school haven't helped."

"Sounds like you haven't had it so easy either, losing your dad set something off in you?" Robert said and the laughter Kaylin had in her faltered a little.

"That and everything else around me at the time." She smiled a sad smile. "I just didn't know what to do and caused a lot of trouble for my family."

"That's how you ended up here, in Orlando I mean?"

"Yeah, my mom got a job as your assistant and me and my sister got transferred. She told me though before we left Montana that this was the last time she would be moving because of me and she meant it."

"Why are you really here, Kaylin?" Robert asked, his voice fatherly comforting.

"My mom kicked me out. Told me that I should leave and I was about to. I'd made up my mind and everything, said goodbye to my sister... Then Ryan showed up and well, here I am." She shrugged a little, not sure how she expected the man to react to her story.

"And here you'll stay." Robert said a moment later, not even having to think the decision over. "As long as you'd like to that is."

Kaylin looked up into his blue eyes, feeling herself tear up at his words.

"Really? You... You're not telling me to leave?"

"Of course not." Robert waved off the preposterous idea. "Listen, when Ryan's mother died he went out of control. Got cold, got into trouble, his grades slipping, lost respect for everything and everyone around him." He leaned back, taking a sip of his coffee. "But you've changed that about him. I don't know how but he's a different person when you're around. So if it's alright with you I'd like it if you chose to stick around."

Kaylin said nothing at this, just put her empty bowl down and jumped off the counter before walking up to the man, giving him a hug.

For a millisecond he stiffened as if he wasn't sure what to do but before he knew it his parental instincts kicked in and he hugged the girl back. He hadn't been a dad in so long, sure he was Ryan's father but they'd never really had a close relationship, and so it was quite nice to get to play that part for a while.

"Thank you, Robert. You don't know what those words mean to me."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. If you need anything we're here for you."

*****They're our objects of affection that can mesmerize the soul. There is always one addiction that just can not be controlled *****

Watching her boyfriend train was getting to Kaylin. Seeing how his chiseled upper-body glistened with sweat throwing his trainer to the ground, fighting for dominance, Kaylin felt her heartbeat speed up. Seeing him in his right element was breathtaking, his concentration flawless and his eyes so determined she was surprised they hadn't set the other guy on fire.

Nearly two hours later the two of them were sitting by the pool, sharing Ryan's breakfast while cooling their feet in the cool water. Kaylin was resting her head against his shoulder and happily listening to him explain the basics of MMA to her while the sun shone down on them.

Kaylin had told him about the conversation with his dad and how he'd said that she was free to stay for as long as she wanted, which had not only made Ryan very happy but also very shocked. He had never expected his dad to accept the girl as fast as he did, he hadn't even warmed up to Baja this quick and she was a great girl.

"Ryan, can I ask you something?" Ryan opened his eyes and peered down at the girl at his side.

"Sure."

"Could you teach me to fight?" She asked, her eyes determined as she looked into his.

"Say what?" Ryan raised his eyebrows, surely he must have heard her wrong.

"I mean, I know the basics of standing my ground and all that." Kaylin explained, turning her head back towards the sun. "But if it comes down to it and I was to be alone with Logan I want to at least be able to give him a run for his money."

Two hands quickly came up to cup her face in a firm grip, forcing her to look into Ryan's eyes.

"You listen to me, 'cause I'll only say this once." He growled. "I will never let that asshole even so much as come near you ever again, do you hear me?"

Kaylin placed a gentle hand on his, inching her face from his grip.

"And I appreciate that. But despite what you may think I can't spend every single minute with you out of fear that he's gonna come after me if I'm left alone." She tried to reason. "I want my freedom, not to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life."

Ryan did see her point but just the mere thought of that jerkoff coming anywhere near her made his skin crawl and caused his vision to blur.

He turned so that he sat behind her, bringing his arms around her trimmed waist and leaning his head on her shoulder.

"I just want you to be safe, Kaylin." He sighed, hugging her closer to him.

"I know, baby." She whispered and pressed a kiss into his hair, both of them staying like that in silence.

"You really want me to teach you how to fight?" Ryan asked after contemplating their situation in silence for a long time.

"Yes." Her answer was short but determined. She had made up her mind.

Ryan sighed and squeezed her tighter, knowing that he was so going to regret his decision.

"Then I'll make a deal with you." Kaylin's ears perked up but stayed still in his arms. "If you teach me how to cook I'll teach you how to fight."

With a squeal and a grin Kay turned around and threw her arms around his neck, feeling as happy as a small child on Christmas morning.

"You're really that happy about this?" Ryan laughed and Kaylin simply hugged him harder and nodded like a maniac.

"Of course I am!" She squealed, causing him to flinch a little at her loud voice.

"Well, I'm glad but if you squeal again I'll have to cool you down." He smirked but the girl just couldn't stop her squealing and before she knew it he'd picked her up and dropped her into the deep end of the pool.

Splashing and spitting she returned to the surface seconds later and it was with a glare she swum to the edge of the pool.

"Fine, I got your point." She spluttered as she looked up at his smirking face. "Care to help me up?"

He laughed a whole-hearted laugh and reached down to grab her hand but noticed the evil twinkle in her eyes too late because he soon ended up next to her in the warm water.

"That should teach you not to mess with me, McCarthy." Kaylin laughed as she splashed water at him but instead of splashing back he swum up and caught her in his arms, treading water to keep their heads above the surface as Kaylin wrapped her legs around his waist.

"But I love messing with you, I have since the first day I met you." He smiled against her lips, enjoying the feeling of their bodies pressed so close together.

"Oh, I remember." She laughed as she ran her fingers through his hair, clinging onto him as he carried them up. "I thought you were a conceited asshole."

"I thought you were hot." He smirked as he swum them over to where his feet could actually touch the bottom.

"Turns out I was right." Kaylin countered, baiting him, pushing his buttons and when she felt him growl softly into her neck she smiled.

"You really shouldn't do that, Kay." He licked a path from her neck to her collarbone and Kaylin allowed him access, feeling her cheeks heat up as his fingers gently stroked their way down her back to cup her butt in order to press her even closer to him.

Their lips found each other again and Kaylin took this opportunity to run her own fingers over Ryan's abs, feeling them tighten at her touch.

"This is really nice, you know." Kaylin whispered once they pulled apart for air, resting their foreheads against each other, just relishing the closeness and the moment of peace.

"Yeah it is."

A/N: I'm back! I hope you enjoy this chapter ;)