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Chapter 3
Riley tried to calm her nerves as she waited for the clock to tick down the last five minutes before it was time to knock on Shadow’s door. When Jalen had said Shadow would need her on the schooner, she about choked on her shrimp scampi. What happened to not meeting him at all? She wasn’t about to argue, of course. Spending the morning with Shadow would be a fantastic opportunity.
She studied her face in the mirror once more. She’d dared to put on a little makeup, even though yesterday she’d gone with the natural look. Hopefully, it still gave that hometown-girl impression since she had only used a smidge of eyeshadow and lip gloss.
Even though she’d kept the bun, she decided the suit was too formal for a schooner boat. A dressy blouse and slacks would have to do. She tucked her travel-sized sunscreen into her bag and pulled the strap over her shoulder. She’d packed a few things she thought might be helpful. It made the bag kind of bulky, but hopefully, she would prove useful to him and therefore make it worth it. The clock told her it was time to head over to his room. At the last second, she realized she’d forgotten her fake glasses, and she grabbed the over-sized pair and shoved them on.
The man standing outside Shadow’s door was so muscular, he could have been a bodybuilder. Maybe he was before joining Shadow’s security team. He stood aside when she approached the door. Jalen must have told him about her, which was good because he looked like he wouldn’t mind physically removing anyone who didn’t belong there. She wiped her hands on her slacks before knocking.
The door opened, and Shadow stood there, dressed in his black ninja outfit. He seemed a bit taller than the last time she saw him. His gaze traveled over her, and he smiled. “You must be Riley.” He extended a gloved hand.
Even through his leather glove, she could feel the warmth of his body heat. For some reason, it made her breath hitch. “I am. Are you ready?”
He nodded and took a step into the hallway, closing the door behind him. He motioned toward the exit sign. “It’s this way.”
As they started walking, his security guard broke away from the door and followed. It was odd, having their own bodyguard trailing along behind them. But she supposed that was just how it was when you were famous. Were people that creepy? Surely a boat of wealthy people wouldn’t be dangerous.
She glanced at Shadow. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Maybe his gait? Or was it the way he carried himself? He seemed more self-assured than when she’d seen him with Jalen. Whatever it was, she could almost picture him as someone she’d seen before. Maybe an actor?
Excitement shot through her as she walked with him. If he was famous outside of his mask, this was going to be much easier than she thought. She just needed to keep her wits about her and study his every movement. Except she had to do it in a way that wasn’t obvious. Tricky but not impossible. Especially if she could be so helpful that Shadow would request she help him during other outings or shows.
They walked to the exit door, and he opened it for her, which was a surprise. She hadn’t really gotten the “gentleman” vibe from him before. He’d been kind of standoffish in the lobby. She smiled at him. “Thank you.”
As they crossed the grounds, he folded his arms and looked at her. “So, Riley, tell me about yourself.”
Was he making small talk with her? Another thing she hadn’t expected. She strained to think of something she could say. The seconds piled up, and she panicked. “I’m pretty average.”
She wanted to smack herself. What was that? I’m pretty average? She had the chance to tell Shadow Walker anything, and that’s what came out of her mouth?
He didn’t seem annoyed by it, though. His lips curled up a bit like he was trying not to smile. “What do you like to do in your spare time?”
She had no spare time. Between working, trying to pay all the bills, and taking care of her father, she basically slept in her spare time. But that was immensely dumb. Hobbies. What were her hobbies before her father got sick?
“I used to knit.” Great. Another stupid thing came out of her mouth. She was not usually this flustered. Why was she so tongue-tied? It was just a guy in a ninja outfit. Possibly a famous person. And judging from his lips, maybe even an incredibly hot, famous person. Ugh. She was going to totally mess this up. She was sure of it.
He took the sidewalk toward the water, and she matched his steps. “Used to?”
Now what? Apparently, she was incapable of lying right now. She swallowed and tried to smooth it over. “I’ve been busy lately…taking care of my father.”
Oh, this was going from bad to worse. Why did she bring her father up? What was wrong with her?
“Your father?”
They were almost to the schooner. She needed to abort. Abandon ship. Quickly. “He’s been ill. But that’s not important right now. Let’s get you ready to do this thing.” She whipped out a bottle of water from her bag. “Thirsty?”
He paused for a split second before he took the water from her. “Thanks. Just what I needed.” He took a drink, replaced the lid, and handed it back to her.
“I’m sure I’ll need more as the sun beats down on me.” He motioned to his clothes. “Black is probably the worst thing to wear in this climate.”
“Oh. Right. I didn’t think about that.” She squinted up at the sun. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I’ll be fine. We’ll be done before lunch when it will start to get hot in earnest.”
She frowned. “I should have brought a parasol.”
His laughter carried over the air, making the people on the schooner turn to look at them. Most of them were older women wearing sunhats, which kind of surprised Riley. He was a pop star. She expected the crowd to be in their twenties. However, the club was super ritzy, and most of the people she’d seen walking around were older, so she should have taken that into account. Shadow waved as he approached them. “Hello, everyone.”
A chorus of hellos came back at them. The crowd seemed excited, although not overly so. Shadow climbed onto the boat, turned back, and extended his hand to Riley. “Careful,” he said in a low voice. “The water is a bit choppy today.”
