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I can’t resist it—I kiss Charlie on the forehead. “I’m sure you will.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHARLIE
“What do you think, Charlie?”
Rylan squeezes my hand as we stand in the living room of my new home. At least, my new home for now.
I’m going to be staying in the client apartment until my case is resolved—or as Rylan clarified as we walked in here, “It’s not just for clients. It’s for guests, friends, family, anyone we care about who needs a place to stay.” Then he gave me a meaningful look, one that I hope meant I’m not just a client to him.
He’s been holding my hand on and off throughout my tour of the Blade and Arrow building, which definitely feels like more than a client relationship. But with everything else going on, I’m not going to ask. I’m just going to enjoy the comfort of his big hand around mine, the little tingles zipping up my arm, the way my heart jumps every time he reaches for me.
He wouldn’t have held me like that yesterday if he didn’t have real feelings for me, would he? It can’t be all in my head.
Maybe later, once I’m all unpacked and if Rylan comes back to play games and I’m not too chicken—maybe then I’ll gather enough courage to ask how he feels about me. But there’s still that terrifying possibility hanging over me. What if he’s just being nice, and I make a total fool of myself?
Augh. This is why I focused on my career and not relationships.
I shove all those thoughts in a box and pack them away for later. Looking up at Rylan, I tell him with a smile, “I think it’s perfect.”
“Are you sure?” His brows come down, gaze concerned. “I want you to be comfortable here. If you need extra blankets, something special to eat—is the coffeemaker okay? I know it’s not what you’re used to. And if the towels are too rough, I can order new ones—”
This time, I squeeze his hand. “It’s all fine, Ry. The apartment looks great. The whole place is amazing.”
I had no idea what to expect when we got here, but the Blade and Arrow headquarters have exceeded all of my expectations.
The first thing I saw as we approached was a large, three-story brick building with a tall metal fence enclosing an expansive yard. There are security cameras everywhere—all along the top of the fence, the exterior of the building, and through all the shared rooms inside.
“There are no cameras in the apartment,” Leo told me as I eyeballed a camera above the weights in the gym. “And we don’t regularly monitor the ones in here, either. We have the interior cameras in case of a problem; the outdoor cameras are the ones we check regularly.”
The gym is impressive, with every exercise machine I could think of, plus an attached sauna that I’m already imagining using. And if Rylan came in at the same time, wearing just a towel, his chest glistening from the heat—
Stop. Now I’m standing in the living room of my new home, staring at Rylan while I think about him naked.
“Are you sure you’re okay, hun?” Rylan touches my unbruised cheek, frowning at it. “You look flushed. Are you feeling ill? Maybe I should have Cole come take a look at you.”
He pauses, explaining, “Cole is our medic; he was medical sergeant for our team, he can check your vitals, determine if you need a doctor.”
Unless embarrassment is a treatable medical condition, I don’t think Cole or a doctor will help.
“I’m okay,” I reassure him, patting his arm. “I don’t need to see Cole. I feel fine.”
“Hmm.” He’s still skeptical. “I still want to have Cole stop by sometime today. Look at your cheek; make sure you’re not more seriously injured than we thought.”
“Okay,” I say softly. I’m not going to argue with him about it. Not when he looks so worried.
There’s a buzzing in Rylan’s pocket and he reaches in to pull out his phone. After scanning the screen, he raises his eyes to mine. “I have to get to a meeting,” he says apologetically. “I’m sorry to leave you here alone.”
“It’s okay. I should do some unpacking.” I don’t want him to leave, but I force a smile for him. “I’ll just get settled in. Don’t worry about me.”
Rylan stares at me, his eyes turning a deep evergreen. “I’ll always worry about you.” He pauses, brow furrowing, and adds, “I’ll come back in a couple of hours? We can have dinner, get those consoles set up? If you’re not too tired, of course.”
Holding his gaze, I mean every word when I say, “I’m never too tired to spend time with you.”
My apartment feels too quiet.
Which is crazy, because before Rylan and Leo moved in, I had lived alone for years. But over the last few weeks, I’ve grown to like the company.
