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“HEY,” Ryker barked. All traces of amusement vanished from his voice. “You will not speak to her that way. Ever. You will not speak to ANYone that way while I’m here. You will be respectful at ALL times or you are off this tour.”
“I run this tour! You work for me,” Tawny said.
“No, I work for the record label to ensure the safety of the band. And if you’re going to be a threat to their safety and morale, I will remove you from this tour. I have that authority.”
Tawny scoffed. “We’ll see about that. Jade, get up. Now.”
Jade heard Tawny’s boots stomp down the hallway away from her door.
Jade stood and crossed the room. She pulled the door open and squinted at Ryker in the bright hallway.
He looked freshly showered and unruffled, like a shouting match in the hallway at 5 a.m. was normal.
“You okay?” he asked, looking her over. When his eyes darkened with desire, she realized she was still in her sleep tank and shorts, which left little to the imagination. She didn’t mind his hungry eyes on her so she didn’t move to cover anything.
“I’m fine. Thank you. Tawny isn’t used to being challenged, so you just made a tour-enemy. Better watch your back.”
“Pfft. I’m not worried. Does she always talk to you like that?”
“When she’s extra-stressed. I let it roll off my back and ignore her. She’s all bark and no bite.”
“I won’t tolerate her speaking to you like that. Let me know if it happens again.”
“Aye aye, captain.” Jade smiled at him but moved on to a new topic. She gestured to her head. “So what’s the verdict? Do I look like a swamp-demon?”
A smile touched his lips. “If you do, you’re the prettiest damn swamp-demon I’ve ever seen. You look beautiful.”
“I have no makeup on and my cowlicks are sticking up.”
“Doesn’t matter. I like this look.”
“The messy bed-head, just-fucked look?”
He raised an eyebrow with amusement. “That’s not your ‘just-fucked’ look because I know no one was in there last night. Even if you used your hand or dare-I-say a toy, that doesn’t count for just-fucked. This is your natural morning look.”
She laughed. “Don’t bring my toy into this. You’ll hurt his feelings if you tell him he didn’t fuck me. But yeah, you seriously don’t think this equals swamp-demon?” She pointed to her disheveled hair.
“Nope. You always look great, and this is my favorite look so far. Makes you seem more... real.”
“Wait, what? You don’t think I’m real?”
“Of course you are. I mean — ” He opened his mouth to respond but Tawny shouted and clapped her hands loudly, “Come on, everyone! Let’s get a move on!”
Ryker looked at Jade. “Go get ready. I’ll be out front when you want to head down to the bus.”
“No, tell me what you meant.”
“Not right now.” He gave her a half-smile, then walked away.
Jade stared after him for a minute, wondering what he meant. Finally, she decided to interrogate him later. There should be plenty of time for questions on their eight-hour bus ride later.
She flipped the light on and shut the door.
Jade grabbed her duffel bag and rounded up all her belongings from the room. She double-checked that she had missed nothing under the bed and that she had the essentials — phone, charger, wallet, and Manny, her handy-dandy vibrator.
Quickly, Jade changed out of her sleep-clothes into a t-shirt, hoodie, and sweatpants. They would be on the road all day and comfort always won out over glamour.
Jade ran a brush through her hair and donned a ball cap. She tucked a pair of sunglasses and her phone into her hoodie pocket, then shoved everything else into her bag. The fact that everything essential to her fit in one small suitcase and a duffel bag never ceased to amaze her.
