Layer by Layer (Riggins Brothers Book 1)

by Kaylee Ryan

  “I’m right here,” I assure her, kissing my way to the swell of her breasts not concealed by my shirt.

  “I-Is this another—layer?”

  I can’t stop my chuckle. “The one that shows that I’m insanely attracted to you? Sure,” I concede.

  “No. The teasing. You’re a tease, Royce Riggins,” she says, her green eyes dark and wild with need. With pleasure.

  “This is going to complicate things.”

  “I don’t care. Let’s complicate them. Make the water muddy, mix oil and vinegar, however the hell you want to state it. All I care about is that you find your way inside me. Sooner rather than later.”

  Fuck.

  “Saying no is the right thing to do.” I don’t know if I’m trying to convince her or myself.

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” She runs her hands over my shoulders. “The right thing to do is to take care of this ache. The one that you’ve created inside me. Only you can take it away.”

  “We can’t go back from this.”

  “Who says that I want to?” Her hands slide behind my head, and she pulls me back into a kiss.

  Soft lips.

  Hot breath.

  “I need you naked,” I say just as my phone rings from its spot on the nightstand. I ignore it and continue to kiss her. If there is exposed skin, my lips are there, exploring her. Tasting her.

  “You should probably get that,” she says when my phone stops ringing only to begin again.

  Resting my forehead against hers, I take a minute to catch my breath. That’s the effect she has on me. My phone stops ringing, only to ring again. “Damn it,” I curse, rolling off her and reaching for my phone. “Hello,” I snap.

  “Royce. We have a problem,” Grant says.

  “What’s wrong?” I’m instantly on alert.

  “Tony. We have him on video going through the lot and slashing the tires on all of the rigs. He took a baseball bat to the building windows. Security was able to detain him. I don’t know what the hell took them so long to allow him to do so much damage. Scott called and said that he just got there and the place is a disaster. News crews are there, and Tony is screaming wrongful termination.”

  “He wasn’t terminated. He still fucking works for us,” I seethe.

  “I’ll call Sawyer and have her arrange the company jet. Shit,” Grant murmurs. “Does she even know how to do that yet? Maybe I should call Gail.”

  I turn to look at Sawyer. “Do you know how to arrange the company jet?”

  She nods. “Sam gave me instructions. I have them on my phone. She said I would need the information at odd times so to keep it on me.”

  “No,” Grant replies.

  “I was asking Sawyer.”

  “You’re still with her?”

  “Yes.”

  “And it took you forever to answer your phone.” If it is possible to hear someone smirk, it would be Grant at this moment.

  “Fuck off,” I grumble.

  “Where do you need to go?” Sawyer asks, her phone in her hands.

  “Idaho, plant 82. There’s an issue. I need to get there sooner rather than later,” I tell her.

  Her eyes widen, but she nods and gets to work preparing the company jet. Her fingers fly across the screen before she places her phone to her ear. She climbs off the bed and moves toward the bathroom as she speaks softly into the phone.

  “She’s taking care of it. Are you going with me?”

  “Yeah,” he agrees. “I’ll meet you at the airport. I’m going to call Owen on my way and let him know what’s going on.”

  “I’ll text you what time to be there.”

  “Thanks, and, Royce?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Sorry to ruin your night.”

  “We were just talking.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, brother.” He laughs as the line goes dead.

  Tossing my phone on the bed, I run my hands over my face and fight the urge to scream. This is part of my job as CEO—I handle this shit—but this is a first for me. It’s the first time an employee has come in raging mad, and the first time that I dread leaving the office. Who am I kidding? It’s not the office I don’t want to leave. It’s her. Sawyer.

  Her hands land on my shoulders, and I lift my head. She’s standing in front of me, and I can’t resist wrapping my arms around her and resting my head against her belly. “I’m sorry.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for. This was out of your control, and it’s your job to handle whatever it is that you have to handle. It must be major for one of your brothers to call you at this hour.”

  I look up at her. “How did you know it was one of my brothers?”

  She runs her fingers through my hair, and I pull her even closer as my legs part wider, making room to bring her into my space. “That’s a layer. You have this way you speak to them. You’re not as stern as you are with your employees, and you’re more vocal. You don’t hold back your frustration or the foul language.” She smiles softly, and I swear I can feel her hands reaching into my chest and gripping my heart.

  “I’m sorry that I have to go.” I run my hands up the back of her thighs. “I hate that I’m losing this time with you.”

  “You have a job to do. I’ll be here when you get back.”

  Acceptance. I only have my failed marriage to go off, but I’ve never had this kind of acceptance when it comes to my job. “Will you miss me?” I ask, my lips quirking up at the question.

  “Yeah, Riggins. I’m going to miss you.” She kisses the corner of my mouth, then pulls out of my hold. “The jet will be ready in an hour. You need to get packed, and I need to call a cab.”

  “What?” I reach out and snag her wrist, pulling her back into me. “You don’t need to call a cab. You can stay here and sleep.” I hate the thought of her in my bed alone, but what’s worse is thinking about her leaving and going back to her place. Even though I’m not going to be here with her, I want her here.

  “I can go home, Royce. I’m a big girl.”

  “I know, but it’s late, and I would feel better knowing that you were here in my house tonight. Not out in a cab, all alone.” I give her what I hope is a puppy-dog look. I’ve never used it on anyone but my momma.

  “Fine.” She rolls those beautiful green eyes, but there’s a smile playing on her lips. “I’ll stay.”

  “Good. Now, I need to grab a shower and pack.”

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  I rake my eyes over her. “No. If you come near that shower, I’m going to be late.”

  “You are the boss.” She smirks.

  “Make yourself at home, beautiful. I’ll be right out.” I kiss the corner of her mouth and stand from the bed and rush to the bathroom to take the world's fastest shower. I have an hour, and the airport is only ten minutes away. The faster I get my shit handled, the more time I have with her before I need to leave.

  Fifteen minutes later, I’m showered and packed. When I exit my closet, Sawyer is in my bed, under the covers. Her hair is pulled up on top of her head, and I’m two seconds from calling Grant and telling him to handle this clusterfuck on his own. “You look like you belong there,” I say, and her eyes pull away from her phone to look at me.

  “Sorry,” she says sheepishly. “The air conditioning was a little cool.” She starts to get up, but my words stop her.

  “No. Stay.” I take a seat on the edge of the bed. “In fact, stay as long as you want. I hope only to be gone a couple of days.”

  “I can’t stay here. I’ll lock up when I leave, but I need to go home and do laundry and grocery shop. All the things I said I needed to do earlier.”

  I nod. “Fair enough. I’ll call you.”

  “Do you even have my number?”

  “Yes, Sawyer, I have your number. You’re my assistant.” Yet, she feels like more.

  “I was just curious. You’ve never used it.”

  “I’ll call,” I say again. I’ve not even stepped one foot
outside of these walls, and I already miss her. I went on countless business trips during my marriage, and never once did I feel this way when I had to leave.

  “Go. You’re going to be late.”

  “Come here,” I murmur, reaching for her. My hand slides behind her neck, and my lips press against hers. This kiss is different from all the others. It’s not hurried or ignited by the chemistry between us. No, this one says I’m sorry I have to leave, and I’ll miss you. Both I find to be true.

  “Have a safe flight. I’m sorry I won’t be there to calm you down.” She smiles.

  “Maybe you should come with me.” As her boss, I can demand it, but I know as well as she does, I don’t need her there. Grant and I can handle this, and anything we might need can be handled remotely.

  “Owen, Conrad, and Marshall need me,” she says, her face serious. “I can’t abandon them.”

  “What if I need you?”

  “Do you?”

  I stare into her eyes, and I swear I could get lost in them. “Yeah, beautiful. I think I do.” My phone rings, and I don’t have to look to know that it’s Grant making sure I’m on my way. “I need to go. The keys for my SUV are in the kitchen. Drive it home tomorrow. Don’t call a cab.”

  “You’re going to be late,” she reminds me.

  One more kiss of her sweet lips and I force myself to stand and walk away from her. By the time I’m pulling out of my garage, Grant calls again. “What?” I snap.

  “You coming?”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Shit, I forgot you had to take Sawyer home.”

  “She’s still at my place. She’s staying tonight, and before you ask no, I don’t want to talk about it. Do you have an update?”

  He laughs. “Yeah, so the head of Idaho security just called.” He spends the ten-minute drive catching me up to speed on what’s going on, and it’s a good thing. I’m not sure that if I was left to my own devices that I wouldn’t have turned this car around and gone back to her.

  Back to Sawyer.

  Chapter 15

  Sawyer

  My phone vibrates from its place next to me on my desk, and a thrill races through me. I have a pretty good idea of who the message is from. Royce kept his word and called me early Sunday morning to tell me they’d arrived, and he was going to be busy “taking care of the shit storm,” which were his words. He also said he’d text me later. Later ended up being late Sunday night as I was ready to fall asleep.

  It’s Friday, and although I haven’t heard his voice since that first late-night call. The trip to Idaho took longer than they expected. They wanted to stick around and make sure everything was settled before heading home. He’s been texting me every day, and I’ve gotten into the habit of keeping my phone out of my desk so that I don’t miss him. Well, miss his texts. I already miss him. The office just isn’t the same without his brooding.

  My phone vibrates again, but I ignore it. I need to get this spreadsheet finished for Owen, and I’m afraid if I start down the texting rabbit hole with Royce, I’ll never finish it and get out of here on time. Hadley and I are having dinner, and I don’t want to be late.

  I’m so engrossed in my task I don’t notice Marshall standing in front of me until he clears his throat. “Oh.” I look up. “I’m sorry. I was in the zone.” I chuckle. “What can I do for you, Marshall?”

  “You can answer your phone before you give my brother an ulcer.”

  “What?”

  He points to my phone that buzzes with what I assume is another text message. “Royce is flipping out that he can’t get a hold of you.”

  “I’m working.”

  “You work for him.” He grins, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “I can assure you that he doesn’t need me right now. I’ve arranged for the jet to be ready for takeoff, and confirmed that everything is a go.”

  Marshall nods. “You’re right, but what you didn’t account for is that my brother refuses to leave until he talks to you.”

  “What? That’s crazy. I texted him earlier, and everything was all set.”

  “Look at your phone, Sawyer.”

  Heaving a sigh, I grab my phone and swipe the screen and read his messages. I changed his contact name earlier this week. He’s no longer Royce plane guy. To me, he’s just Royce.

  Royce: Headed to the airport.

  Royce: Getting ready to board.

  Royce: Sawyer?

  Missed Call: Royce Riggins

  I glance up at Marshall. “Three messages and a missed call. None of them appear to be urgent.”

  “Call him.”

  I roll my eyes, and his grin grows wider. Hitting Royce’s contact, I place the phone to my ear. “Sawyer,” Royce’s greeting is rushed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I didn’t hear from you.”

  “I’m working, Riggins,” I tease.

  “As your boss, you should answer your messages and your phone when I call.”

  “I’m sorry, boss, what did you need?”

  He sighs. “Don’t be like that.”

  “Did you need something, Mr. Riggins?” He doesn’t get to act a fool because I was doing my damn job.

  “Fuck,” he curses under his breath, but I hear him loud and clear. “What are you working on that’s so important?” His tone is softer, but there is still an underlying edge to his voice.

  “A project for Owen, and I want to get out of here on time tonight. Hadley and I are having dinner with Sam.”

  “So, I don’t get to see you?” he asks, his voice low.

  “I didn’t know you wanted to see me.” I don’t bother to lower my voice, even knowing Marshall is listening to every word.

  He huffs out a breath. “I want to see you.”

  “I have plans.”

  “Cancel them.”

  “No.”

  “Sawyer, it’s been a damn week since I’ve laid eyes on you.”

  “And it’s going to be at least another day. I’m not going to change my plans.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Oh, no, you don’t. I’m not telling you so that the alpha CEO Royce can show up.”

  “Sawyer,” he all but growls into the phone.

  “Is that all? I really need to get this completed for Owen.”

  “Come to my place after.” It’s not a question. It’s a demand.

  “No.”

  “What do you mean, no?”

  “You’re a grown man. If you don’t know the definition of the word no by now, we have an issue,” I say, and Marshall loses it and bursts into laughter.

  “Sawyer, they’re waiting on me.”

  “I’ll talk to you on Monday, Mr. Riggins,” I say, and end the call.

  “Holy shit, did you just hang up on him?” Marshall asks in disbelief.

  “Yep,” I say, popping the p. I place my phone face down on my desk, just like before, and go back to working on the report for Owen. Marshall is standing in front of me when his phone rings.

  “Yeah?” he answers.

  “I’m standing at her desk,” he replies. He listens before saying, “I don’t think she wants to talk to you, bro.” Another pause. “Hold on.” He pulls the phone away from his ear and hands it to me. “He wants to talk to you.”

  I take the phone from him and fight the urge to roll my eyes. Again. “Sir,” I say in greeting.

  “I fucking miss you.” His gravelly voiced confession causes goose bumps to break out on my arms. “Please, Sawyer. Can I see you tonight?”

  “There he is,” I whisper.

  He chuckles. “I’m sorry for being an ass. It’s been a long week, and all I can think about is getting home to you.”

  “You should have started with that.”

  “So, you’ll come by? Or I can come to you. Just tell me when and where.”

  “I’ll come to you.” I chance a glance at Marshall, and he’s smirking. “Have a safe flight.”

  “I’ll see you soon,�
�� he says softly, ending the call.

  “How did you do it?” Marshall asks once I pass him back his phone.

  “How did I do what?”

  “Get my brother out of the trance he’s been living in the past several years.”

  “Has he? Been living in a trance?”

  “He’s been a shell of himself, but he’s coming around, and I see a lot of the old Royce in him. We have you to thank for that.”

  “I’m just his assistant.”

  “Come on, Sawyer, we both know that’s not true. He was flipping the fuck out because he couldn’t get a hold of you and knew he wouldn’t be able to during his flight.”

  I don’t have a reply to that, so I stay silent and simply shrug. I try to appear unaffected, when my heart is pounding in my chest, and the fluttering in my belly intensifies. I’ve missed him too, so damn much.

  “It’s okay. We’re all good with it. In fact, we encourage it. You’re bringing our brother back to us.”

  “It’s frowned upon,” I remind him with a wink.

  Marshall throws his head back and laughs. “It’s frowned upon because Royce likes his routine, but he didn’t always use to be that way. He changed with his divorce. He was pissed when Jase started dating Sam because he trusted her. They were friends. We all are. Then you came along, and you flipped his world on its end.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “I think my brother’s actions today prove that. Or should we talk about you staying at his house, both with and without him?”

  “It was late,” I defend.

  “I’ve heard the story,” he says, nodding with a smile tilting his lips. “I also know Royce. That’s not him. That’s not how he operates. His home is a sacred place. He bought it after the divorce, and I’ve never known a woman other than family, and Sam, of course, to step foot inside his home.” He taps his hands against the counter. “Let that sink in, and tell me you’re just his assistant. Now, I’ve got work to do, and you have a project to finish so that my brother can get his Sawyer fix.”

  “Marshall!” I scold, laughing.

  “Have a good weekend, Sawyer,” he calls out, already walking down the hall toward his office.