Laney prayed she never had to find out.
She pulled in a breath, as much as her dress would allow. “I’ll be right back.”
She wasn’t going to make up an excuse to leave the room. The guests weren’t due to arrive for another hour, so her presence wasn’t needed at the moment.
The foursome continued talking as the caterers entered through the side doors to set up the food tables in the back of the room. Laney saw her chance to slip out. She headed toward the wide, curved staircase and made her way up to the study. Nobody would think twice about her and Ryker talking.
Once she reached the landing, she glanced over her shoulder to see that she was still alone. She didn’t hear Ryker on the phone as she approached the study, then she realized the door was closed. Laney turned the knob slowly as she pushed the door open a crack. When she peeked inside, she didn’t see Ryker on the phone at all. His hands were on the desk, his back to the door, his head bowed.
Opening the door wider, Laney let herself in. Her heels were quiet on the carpet, but the shift in the full skirt of her dress pulled Ryker straight up. He spun and froze. Laney stilled, as well.
She’d seen him in a tux before, but something about seeing him now that she knew him so intimately...damn, he was one sexy man. His all-black tux played up the menacing male he was on a daily basis, but the expensive cut screamed money and class. Ryker was every type of fantasy man wrapped into one delicious package.
And something was troubling him. His tight face, clenched jaw and worried eyes stared back at her.
“What’s wrong?”
Shaking his head, he pushed off the desk and walked toward her. “Nothing now that you showed up wearing this killer dress.”
As much as her ego appreciated his approval, she wasn’t letting his compliments distract her from digging deeper.
“Tell me.” She stepped back when he stood right before her. Touching him now would get them nowhere...except naked, which was a bad idea, considering her family was downstairs. “Something happened.”
Raking a hand over the back of his neck, Ryker blew out a sigh. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
When he reached for her, Laney held up her hands. “No. You’re not blowing me off. I do worry, Ryker. It’s what happens when you care about someone.”
“It’s just work, nothing I can’t handle.” He moved lightning-fast and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body flush with his. “You didn’t tell me you’d look so damn sexy tonight. I’m going to have a hard time keeping my hands to myself.”
Laney wanted his hands all over her, but she also wanted to know what he was hiding from her.
“You better keep your hands off. If we expose ourselves here, you and my brothers will have a fight and that’s not the atmosphere we want for this party.”
“I’ll just have mental foreplay until I can get you back to my bed tonight.”
Laney lifted a brow. “Your bed?”
He slid one fingertip up her arm, across her collarbone and down to the V of her plunging neckline. “My bed. Where you belong.”
Laney could barely process the meaning of those words for all the delicious tingles shooting through her. Finally, he was coming around and admitting he wanted her. They were making progress and she was going to continue to build on this, to show him exactly what they could be together.
Ryker’s eyes held hers, so much desire and passion staring back at her. She couldn’t get to his house soon enough.
The click of the door had Ryker easing his hand away and crossing his arms over his chest. Laney took a step back.
“Everything okay?”
Laney kept her back to Mac, who’d just come in. Her eyes stayed on Ryker, who was looking over her head.
“Yeah. Laney was just following up on an email she sent me earlier.”
When Ryker moved around her, Laney turned in time to see the one-armed man hug between the two.
“I hear we got the Feds on us now.” Mac shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “If you all need me here, let me know. I doubt the source is coming from down South.”
Laney shook her head. “I disagree. I think the timing is too coincidental, since you opened two new stores and now we have a mole.”
“We can’t rule out anything yet,” Ryker, the voice of calm and reason, interjected. “I’ll pursue every angle, and Laney will dig deeper to get to the bottom of this. She’s been losing sleep over it.”