Kyle’s voice. He was speaking in confidential tones, something I’d never heard him do before.
“Not as good as it should’ve.”
“What happened? What did Briggs say?”
“He told me to leave it alone,” I heard Ryan say. “He said we should all back off for a bit, and let him get—”
He stopped… and I realized he was probably looking at my ankles.
Oh shit.
There was a good chance he could see me standing there on the staircase.
“Hi!” I cried, bounding down the stairs again. Trying not to make my eavesdropping look obvious, I ran straight into Ryan’s arms and hugged him. “Welcome home!”
Ryan hugged me back and gave me an obligatory smile. His mocha skin was much darker than it was the last time I’d seen him. His beard had a week’s worth more of wild growth.
“How was your trip?”
“Tell you about it later,” he said. “After I’ve settled.”
“Of course.”
“He means after we get him drunk,” Dakota grinned. He elbowed his friend. “Right?”
“If you’ve still got any alcohol left in this place,” Ryan quipped, “then maybe.”
Looking at Ryan I felt those familiar butterflies again — the same warmth in my belly I felt on his motorcycle, with my legs wrapped tightly around him. He was attractive in a manner that appealed to my sense of rebelliousness. Hot in a ‘bad boy’ type of way that Kyle and Dakota were both missing.
“You guys go nuts,” I said. “For now I’ve got some work to do, so maybe I’ll join you later.”
Dakota looked disappointed, but Kyle nodded appreciatively, like he knew. Ryan’s look remained unchanged, although there was something in his expression I couldn’t quite figure out.
I thought about all this as I crept back upstairs, leaving the guys to their camaraderie. They needed to talk, and obviously about something I couldn’t be around for. Curious as I was, I had to respect that.
But what was that they were saying about Briggs?
It bothered me that I didn’t know. Bothered me that I knew even less about Briggs now than when the whole thing had started. At the same time though, I knew Kyle and Dakota much more intimately. And in ways I was especially looking forward to knowing Ryan, too.
Slow down Sammara. This isn’t a race.
It was one of my flaws, moving way too quickly on things. My curiosity was another.
I was still in my bedroom a few hours later when I looked up… and nearly leapt out of my bed! Ryan was standing silently in the open doorway, staring down at me with those piercing brown eyes.
“HOLY SHIT!” I cried, clutching my chest. I could feel my heart pounding already. “You just scared the hell out of me!”
He chuckled, but only briefly. “Sorry,” he said. “I guess I’m just used to moving quietly.”
“Ranger stuff?” I smirked.
“Ranger stuff.”
I patted the bed, inviting him in. But he only shook his head.
“I’m going to bed,” he told me. “Sorry, but I’m totally exhausted.”
“Oh. Okay.”