One Man's Trash by Yolanda Allen Page B

closer to the front door. She stepped
back when the door opened. Her breath caught in her throat. Ryan pushed open
the storm door and she exhaled a sigh of relief. “Hey, Ryan,” she said.

“Hey, come on in.” Ryan pushed the door open wider. She brushed past him and entered
into what appeared to be the den. It was bare except for an old plaid couch.
Something that definitely had seen better days. It probably had come with the
house. She couldn’t see Ryder purchasing that thing.

Ryan led her into the kitchen. Ryder stood from the table when she entered the
room. Only Ryder Gillian could spend five years in prison and walk out looking
like he just left a photoshoot. He wore gray sweats that hung a little baggy
around his athletic frame and a black wife beater, probably Hanes. He looked
like a Hanes guy. For some reason, the image of Marky Mark in his Calvin Klein
days popped into her head. She bet Ryder was hiding those Marky Mark abs
underneath that tank top.

Just the thought of seeing his naked body sent a wave of desire all over her.
Ryan placed his hand under her chin and pushed her mouth closed. She looked at
him. Oh. My. Gosh. She was practically drooling over this man and didn’t even
know it. “Sorry. I don’t mean to stare. It’s just—”

Ryan grinned. “We know. Trust me, sometimes I can’t believe he’s here either.”
Ryan nudged her with his elbow. He thought she was drooling because she
couldn’t believe Ryder was home after all these years. But she was drooling
because her feelings for him had rushed back into her heart as strong as they
were when she was growing up. Maybe stronger.

“Long time no see, huh?”

His voice was deeper. Was that possible? Or maybe it just sounded deeper
because she hadn’t heard him speak in forever. At least he could speak
right now. She answered his question the best way she knew how, with a nod.

“If I didn’t know that you were coming over I wouldn’t have recognized you.
You’re definitely not the Diamond I remember.”

She shook her head in agreement that she wasn’t the Diamond that he remembered.

Ryder lowered his head and put a hand up to his face to hide a smile. Diamond
looked at Ryan with pleading eyes. He had to save her from making a complete
ass of herself.

“So Diamond, I explained to Ryder what happened with JT and told him that you
needed the CD. So why don’t we discuss that since we’ve gotten reacquainted.”

Diamond blinked slowly.  If she didn’t break out of this Ryder induced trance
he was going to think that she was the same shy girl from back in the day. She
was not that girl. She was not even a girl. She was a grown woman. She used to
wish to be older so that he would finally look at her like a woman. Now she was older. Hell she was even sexy. And you know what sexy women do. They talk. Not
drool.

Ryan took her by the arm and led her to the seat in front of Ryder and sat in
the seat beside her.

Ryder’s green eyes held her gaze. She cleared her throat and rested her hands
on the kitchen table.

“Where are my manners?” He lightly touched her hand. “Would you like something
to drink?”

She shook her head. Speak Diamond. Sexy women speak. “No, thank you.”

“Okay.” His pearly whites brightened his face. “So I had the pleasure of seeing
your performance on YouTube the other night?”

She rested her head in her hands. “I watched that horrible video like a hundred
times I’m sure. Each time I watched it I just wanted to crawl up in a hole
somewhere and never show my face again. I don’t even know what came over me. I
just heard those words and I was like—”

“Imagine how I felt when I heard it.”

How did he feel? She studied his chiseled face. He was too perfect to be human.
He was probably created in a lab somewhere like the lady from Weird Science. A
beautifully tanned Ken doll with green eyes and jet black hair.

“I couldn’t believe that was you onstage,” Ryan said.

“I couldn’t