AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s enough about work,” he said, setting her computer aside and then standing up with her in his arms and carrying her back to the bed. “Time for the important stuff.”
Feeling more free and sexier than she ever had in her life, Lori just laughed as he took her back to bed and proved to her just how seriously he took the ‘important stuff.’
* * *
As the rays of the rising sun filtered into her room, Lori woke with the most amazing feeling of well-being. She couldn’t believe the connection she felt to Ryker. She suddenly understood why romance writers loved writing what they did, and she finally believed that what they wrote was no more far-fetched than her own books. Was she falling in love with Ryker? Maybe. But she wasn’t going to get up in her own head, overthinking it to the point where she had irreparably sabotaged whatever might be happening between them.
Lori felt as if all was right with her world until she was awake enough to realize that Ryker no longer snored softly beside her. She rolled over to find an empty side of the bed, and it didn’t sound as if he was in the bathroom. She fought back a rush of negativity that threatened to plunge her into a bout of self-pity. She hated that about herself. She grappled with her sense of feeling let down. He couldn’t just be a one-night stand, could he? And even if he was, would she have wanted to miss last night?
She was in the midst of telling herself that she wouldn’t when there was a knock on the door. Grabbing her robe, she wrapped it around herself and peered through the peephole. It wasn’t Ryker, and she recognized how let down it made her feel.
“Room service,” said the man on the other side of the door.
She hadn’t ordered room service, but the man didn’t deserve to be yelled at from her room. She opened the door. “I think you have the wrong room. I didn’t order anything.”
“No ma’am, but Mr. McKay arranged for it over the phone.”
“He did?” she hoped her voice didn’t sound as eager to him as it did to her.
“Yes ma’am. He made sure the staff knew not to wake you, and he called from his car. I would imagine he’ll be here shortly.”
“He will?” Oh god, there was no way to miss the hopeful, desperate tone of her voice.
“Yes, ma’am. He was very specific. He asked that I set up the food at the table by the window.”
He wheeled the cart in, and there seemed to be far more food than any two people could eat, even if she was incredibly hungry. She noticed a vase with water in it. The waiter saw her looking and smiled.
“Mr. McKay asked if I could bring a vase with water up.”
For some reason the fact that Ryker had wanted to make the morning special seemed almost as important as their sexual marathon the night before.
“Shoot. I should have told them to wait for me,” he said, coming through the open door, freshly showered and dressed in button up Levi’s, a V-neck sweater, and cowboy boots. She wasn’t quite sure, but she thought he was every bit as sexy this morning as he’d been in his tux last night.
Racing across the room, she leaped into his arms, no longer worrying about whether or not she might knock him over. “No. This is perfect.”
With a fist full of an enormous bouquet, he enclosed her in his embrace, laughing as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He kissed her soundly. “Good morning, gorgeous. Just for the record, I want this kind of greeting every morning.”
She laughed. She loved that he was intimating there would be more mornings like this. “Keep me up all night and then sneak out so you can surprise me with breakfast and flowers, and it’s a deal.”
He set her down, searching her face and looking serious. “I warned you once to be careful what you wish for.”
“Is there anything else?” asked the waiter as he headed out the door.
Ryker passed him a small clutch of bills. “No and thank you.” The waiter exited. “What was that look for?” Ryker asked.
Deciding that she wasn’t going to play games or keep things to herself, she closed her eyes for a moment and then looked up into his eyes. “I have to admit, at the risk of pissing you off royally, that when you weren’t here and there wasn’t a note, I had a passing thought that, well, maybe…”
Ryker groaned. “Okay. I probably should have left a note, but honestly, babe, I thought I’d be back. My plan was to go home, shower, get dressed, and be back in time to intercept room service.” He walked to the table and placed the flowers in the vase before coming back to get her. He led her to the table and held her chair for her.
“I’m sorry. You have done nothing that should have made me feel that way, but I guess I have more baggage than I thought.”
“Completely understandable. Since you’re being vulnerable and telling me how you feel, let me do the same. I should have left a note,” he waved off her protest, “but when you didn’t balk at my saying I wanted an exuberant greeting every morning, it made me feel happier than I probably have a right to be.”
She reached out and put her hand on his. “No. I like that it made you happy. It made me feel that way too. I know it’s crazy, but… well, I don’t care.”
He grinned and lifted her hand to his lips. “Then I don’t care, either. I didn’t want to be leaving this morning dressed in my tuxedo.”
“No walk of shame for shacking up with the mystery writer-slash-suspect?” she teased. Everything with Ryker seemed simple, easy, and familiar, as if they had been together in previous lifetimes.
