AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Actually, no. I fought it for almost a year. It wasn’t until I ran to find you that these two teamed up and talked.” I gestured to Asa and Cohen. “Milo I kind of pulled along for the ride. The three of them have been part of my life for this past year, and I was only fooling myself with the connections we had. I didn’t think I deserved for multiple men to love me with all the things we’d done with MKG.”
“I’m sorry you thought you were responsible for Mongoose. I never wanted you to carry that. I wish I’d tried to find you sooner. With everything that happened after, my hurt feelings got shoved to the bottom, and I didn’t look at them, too afraid to see what you might have meant to me since I was under the impression you’d bailed. I was a coward, and for that, I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it, but if I’m not responsible for Mongoose, you can’t take responsibility for my guilt either. Let’s just promise to talk through things instead of assuming and running off scared this time. Deal?”
“Deal. That goes for you too, Cohen. I don’t want to lose you even if all we ever become is friends.”
“No running.” Cohen nodded, and I could tell something was swirling in his mind. “Well, we better head to our new room so we can get settled.”
“Yes, I’ll, um, show you where.”
We slid out of the booth and waved goodbye to a few people as we made our way to our new suite. It wasn’t in the same hall as before, and I tried to remember how to get to it as we took a few turns.
“Um, so, we kind of share a unit,” Ryker said, and I could’ve sworn he blushed.
“Oh, um. Okay.” I lifted my shoulders and eyes to the guys, not knowing what it meant or what to do in this situation. The perfect Fin in me wanted to say it was cool, but I couldn’t tell if it really was or if that was my knee-jerk response. Sometimes, it really sucked being a people-pleaser when you couldn’t determine whether your reactions were legitimate or from years of kowtowing.
“You have a separate sleeping area. These units are more for families, so the bedrooms are on one side, and the shared space is a kitchen and living room. So, if you don’t want to see me that often, you don’t have to. These are just more secure, and I wanted you to be closer. Sorry if that was presumptuous.”
“I mean, it was a little, but I don’t think you have anything to apologize for. Thank you for considering our safety, Ryker. Do we get into these the same way?” I asked.
Ryker seemed to exhale in relief, his whole body unraveling as he nodded, one corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. “Yeah. Just place your hand. Other than us, only my security detail has access to these.”
I placed my hand on the scanner, the familiar tingle warming my palm as it scanned me. When it beeped, I opened the door and stepped in. Immediately I was hit with Ryker’s smell. It was a combination of coffee, eucalyptus, and rain. Not that I smelled him often. Nope. Not this girl.
The area was modern and designed beautifully. It had a personality, and I could tell it was his home rather than a standard room we’d been staying in. There were paintings on the walls and little hints of him around the space. It gave me new insight into the man, and I liked it. To the right were an oversized sectional couch, two armchairs, and a coffee table facing a fireplace with a flatscreen over it. To the left was an immaculate kitchen that appeared to have all the latest gadgets. The whole space was nice and not what I’d expected. The guys looked as impressed as I, looking around our new space.
Ryker cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head. “Your rooms are through here. There are three, though one of them has two beds in it. I didn’t want to presume what your sleeping situation was. I put all of your belongings in the biggest bedroom, Fin. It had the largest closet and its own bathroom. There’s another Jack-and-Jill bathroom between the other two rooms.”
“And where’s your room?” I asked, turning to look back at him. He pointed in the opposite direction.
“My suite and office are on this side. Both hallways have keypads, so you can lock your side of the suite off at night if you desire.”
“I doubt that’s necessary, but thank you for the option,” Cohen said, taking charge of our group. “We should get ourselves settled. Tomorrow is a busy day. Thanks for dinner.”
Ryker nodded, standing with his hands in his pockets as he watched us walk toward the other hallway.
“Help yourself to anything in the fridge, and if you find you’re missing something, just let me know.”
“Thanks, Ryker. Goodnight.”
“Night, little hacker.”
He smiled, relaxing some, and I waved as we headed toward our corner of the world, knowing that my life would be different from this point forward. I could feel it in the air. A turning point was just around the bend. And for once, it didn’t scare me.
Sixteen
FINLEY
Walking down the hall,I peered into the rooms. When I spotted a mountain of bags, I knew I’d found mine. The room was gorgeous, decorated in grays and blues, with a massive bed in the center. There was even a little vanity table and mirror off to one side, and as I stepped into the master closet, I squealed. The guys chuckled, moving on to theirs.
“Now, this is a closet.”
Sighing with happiness, I began sorting my new clothes, hanging them up with care like the treasured items they were. The closet had shelves and slots for shoes, and I realized it was almost my dream closet. Once I had everything in its rightful place, I checked out the bathroom, practically squealing again.
“Okay, this place is amazing. I might never want to leave.”
“Talking to yourself,” Asa said, coming up behind me.
