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Jade’s body jerked with surprise at the unexpected sound and she almost sank herself. She floundered in panic for a few seconds before she remembered to relax. When her feet finally touched the solid bottom, she kicked up, coughing when she broke the surface in the middle of the pool.
“You okay?” Ryker asked her with a small smile. He stood from his seat and approached the edge to offer her a towel.
“I’m fine,” she coughed. She crossed the pool and took the towel from him. She dried her face and ran the towel over her hair then handed it back to him. “Thanks,” she said.
She tilted her head back to look at him as he towered over her. “I can’t believe you laughed.”
His eyes sparkled and the smile morphed into a grin. “Of course I laughed. I’m a former Navy SEAL. Not only am I fluent in long-distance swimming and endurance, I’m also trained in deep-diving and underwater demolitions. Water is my second home. I practically have gills. There’s no way in hell I’m scared of water. That’s the funniest shit I’ve ever heard.”
She loved getting those glimpses of this Ryker — the true Ryker, not the stoic professional one. She’d be his own personal comedian if it made him laugh like that more often.
“A good comedian brings out the laughs in people. Happy to offer my rockstar-comedian services. I’m here all day. Don’t forget to tip your server,” she teased.
He chuckled. “I’ll be sure to do that. You ready to go back to your room?”
“You still not takin’ off your pants for me?”
He shook his head. “Pants stay on.”
“Damn. I was looking forward to seeing you in your boxers, too. Then, yes, if that’s off the table, I guess I’m ready to go to the room.”
He extended his hand to her. They grasped palms, his rough hand enveloping her soft one, and he easily helped her out of the pool.
Ryker stood and held the towel out in front of him. He motioned for her to step forward and wrapped it around her when she stepped into it. While he tucked the loose ends in for her, securing the towel in place around her torso, he remained professional.
Jade sighed to herself as she walked to the table. She slipped her flip-flops onto her feet, then picked up her shorts and phone.
She heard Ryker’s low voice rumble, “We’re about to head back to the room. Everything clear out there?”
She didn’t hear the response, but Ryker nodded and turned to Jade. He indicated for her to approach. Her flip-flops slapped the concrete as she walked toward him.
Ryker walked ahead and held the door open for her, then he closed in beside her as they walked. Drake led the way, keeping a few steps ahead.
They approached the end of the hallway, which turned a corner toward the lobby elevators. Drake motioned for them to stop, then he poked his head around the corner. He pulled back, turned to them, and said, “Wait here for my signal.”
Ryker nodded and stepped to the corner after Drake disappeared around it.
“What are we waiting on?” she asked.
“You have fans in the lobby. Drake will secure the elevator and have it ready so we can board without delay.”
“But my stalker is someone on tour, not a random fan.”
He glanced at her. “That could be true, but we don’t know for sure yet. He could also work with anyone. And fans do crazy shit, anyway. Remember the ‘90s singer Selena?”
“No. Who’s that?”
“She was one of the most-influential Latina artists of all time. She really popularized Latin music in the U.S. Everyone loved her. Sounds great, right? She was on top of the world. Until the founder of her fan club murdered her.”
“Oh wow. Really?” Jade’s stomach sank. She hadn’t thought about things escalating that far. She knew fans could get a little crazy, but murder never crossed her mind.
“Yeah. Other notable names are John Lennon, Dimebag Darrell, and, more recently, Christina Grimmie — all murdered by fans. We’re here to protect you from crazy fans, whether or not they’re Rosé, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Drake must have signaled them because Ryker motioned for her to come forward. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tucked her close to his side.
“Stay next to me,” he said.
“Okay.”
