“You heard me.”
“I did,” she agreed. “I’m giving you the chance to choose different words.”
A hint of a smile danced around those kissable lips. “I’m not backing down on this, Laney. Until your dizzy spells pass, I’ll be your chauffeur.”
Even though she knew he wouldn’t back down, Laney waited a minute to see if he wanted to add anything...or retract such a ridiculous statement.
Finally, when he said nothing, Laney stepped around him and headed toward the corner of the sectional she’d been cozied up in. Well, as cozy as one could be while working on discovering who hacked into her family’s computer system. Clearly the O’Sheas were smarter than to have all of their skeletons exposed for anyone to see. But there were items, especially in the past when her father was at the helm, that could be looked at twice. Some may find their “mysterious” auction pieces to be a red flag, considering the majority of them had been reported stolen.
Laney eased back into the curve of the couch and picked up the laptop she’d laid to the side.
“Glaring at me and using this whole silent predator vibe definitely will not change my mind,” she told him without looking at him. She typed in the password for the laptop. “So, did you want anything else? Or are you ready to move on to work?”
Laney had just pulled up the system, but before she could go any further, a delicate pewter ornament appeared between her and the screen. Jerking her eyes up to his, she gasped.
“What is that?” She looked back to the ornament. “I mean, I know what it is, but—”
Well, damn. There she went, tearing up. She hated all these pregnancy-induced crying jags.
She reached out to take the likeness of a woman wrapping her arms around her swollen belly. The simple pewter ornament would look absolutely perfect on her white-and-silver tree. She clutched it against her chest.
But when she looked back up, Ryker glanced away, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I wasn’t sure what to get. I mean, I didn’t set out to get anything, but I was passing by that Christmas shop near the office.”
“All Seasons.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I knew you liked that place since you mention it every year.”
Her favorite little shop because they literally transformed their store into a completely different place depending on the season. She could spend a fortune in there...and she had. A fact he well knew because he’d taken her there a few times when he felt she was in danger of being in public alone. Of course he’d kept his brooding self out front or waiting in the car at the curb.
“They have a tree in the window that reminded me of yours, and it caught my eye,” he went on. He looked at his feet, the wall, the tree...anywhere but at her. “Then I saw this and...”
How adorable was he, being all nervous? This was definitely a side of Ryker Barrett she’d never seen before. Laney set the laptop aside and came to her feet. Tears flooded her eyes as she held tight to this precious gift.
She slid her arms around his neck, tucking her face against his. “This might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever got me.”
Slowly he returned her embrace, and Laney wanted to sink into him. “You deserve more,” he whispered into her ear.
She knew he wasn’t talking monetary items. Ryker could buy her an island and a private jet to get there if he wanted. There was a fear in Ryker that allowed him to touch her, yet not get too emotionally involved. He felt he didn’t deserve her, but she was just getting started in proving him wrong. He was everything she deserved.
“This doesn’t mean you’re driving me,” she muttered.
Ryker laughed. The vibrating sensation bounced off her chest. “We’ll talk about that later.”
There wasn’t going to be a later for that particular topic, but he’d find out soon enough. They didn’t have time to argue.
Laney pulled back, kissed him briefly, then shifted from his hold. Crossing the room to the tree, she hung her ornament right in the center, then stepped back to look at how perfectly it fit.
“I love it,” she said, turning. “You didn’t have to get me a gift, but it’s my new favorite decoration.”
Ryker nodded, which was about as much of a reaction as she was going to get from him.
“Now, we need to get to work because whoever is fighting us has chosen the wrong family to mess with.”
Before she could settle back onto the couch, Ryker’s arm snaked out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his hard chest. He closed the space between them, covering her mouth with his. Heat, instant and all-consuming, swept over her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
All too willingly, she opened to him. He eased her back slightly, keeping his hold on her tight, protective. Laney threaded her fingers through his hair, wishing they didn’t have to work, wishing they could go to her bedroom and use this kiss as a stepping-stone to something much more erotic and satisfying.
When he pulled back, nipping at her lips, Laney waited for him to say something...anything.