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“Spank you, sir.”
The hint of a smile touched the corner of Ryker’s mouth at her Ace Ventura reference. “At your service, milady.”
Jade felt a surge of pride at finally cracking that serious exterior. She couldn’t wait to break him out of that professional shell and see the real Ryker.
* * *
Jade leisurely lapped the pool for a third round, enjoying the water on her skin. It wasn’t the ocean, but it would do.
She had the entire pool to herself. Ryker sat at one of the nearby tables, and Drake stood outside the door turning away early morning hotel patrons.
Jade swam to the edge of the pool near Ryker and surfaced. She wiped her palm down her face and leaned her arms on the cold concrete pool edge. She leisurely kicked her legs in the water as she waited there, looking at him. He looked like a man in his early 30’s — entirely too young to be permanently serious.
He glanced at her. “Need somethin’?”
“What do you do for fun?” she asked.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m on an assignment. Fun isn’t a factor.”
“You aren’t working all the time. What do you do when you’re off?”
“Sleep.”
“So you work and sleep all the time — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year?”
“Sure seems like it.”
She rolled her eyes. “No vacations? No days off? Ever?”
“I run my own company. My team depends on me. I make sure I’m available to them at all times.”
“You can be available to them by phone from almost anywhere in the world. You know that, right?”
“Some people can do that, sure. On an assignment, I prefer to be present. I’m very hands-on.”
She couldn’t resist. “I’m your assignment right now. Does that mean I get your hands on me?” She rested her chin on her arms and batted her eyelashes at him playfully.
Ryker’s eyes darkened with desire, but otherwise his expression didn’t change.
“I can’t put my hands on you because you’re my assignment. Firm policy.”
“You made the policy. You can un-make the policy.”
He shook his head. “Nope. It’s a safety thing. I can’t focus on keeping you safe if I’m focused on when I’ll get to touch you next. No matter how much fun that might be.”
“Oh, it’d be lots of fun. Never doubt that.” Jade winked at him.
“That doubt never crossed my mind.” His serious expression never changed.
She pushed herself off the pool edge and let her body relax so that she floated on her back.
“Care to join me, Mr. Blue Eyes?”
“Can’t. I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
“Are you sure that’s the real reason? Because you could always wear your boxers. Or skinny dip. I am not opposed to skinny dipping with you. Your ‘no swimsuit’ excuse makes me think maybe you’re scared of water.”
Ryker barked out a loud laugh.
