Invisibility Cloak

by Jill Elaine Prim

  “Yes, well if only I could tell the others that call the same thing.” Marge pushed a button on the phone and it appeared she was taking the missed messages, so Amanda silently waved her hand and walked down to see what Ryder was doing.

  Peeking around the corner, Amanda found Ryder behind his desk working on papers scattered in front of him.

  “Knock, knock.”

  He waved her inside. “C’mon in, did Marge get back?” He stood and stacked the papers evenly with both hands. “I’m about done.” The sunlight from the large picture window behind him outlined his movements in an incandescent way.

  Amanda gestured to his window. “That’s the gym.”

  Ryder nodded. “Yep.”

  “And you belong there, too?” Her mouth went dry.

  Again, he nodded.

  “I’m surprised I never ran into you.” She tilted the bottle up and took a sip of water.

  “I usually go in the afternoon. I prefer that time. Less people. It was always too congested for me in the morning.”

  “I would’ve definitely noticed if you were in the gym when I was there, Ryder.” What in the devil made her say that? She bit her tongue for punishment. Didn’t she, in so many words, just tell Marge that they had to keep his ego in check?

  “Amanda.” Ryder walked over to her. “There is something I need to tell you.” He looked down at the floor and clenched his jaw.

  Something bad? She felt faint. This must be bad, because he couldn’t even look at her. He was married! What a louse. Her mind raced and she collapsed onto the chair behind her.

  “Look, Amanda.” He shoved both his hands into his pants pockets. “I swear this isn’t as bad as it sounds.”

  “You’re married―”

  He cut her off. “No, that’s not it.”

  Oh Thank God. “Then, you’re engaged to be―”

  He scowled. “Is that all women think about?”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Excuuuuuzzze me?” She jerked out of her seat, no longer feeling faint. “Why is it that you men all think that that is all we women think about?” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “I suggest you bend over right now and pull your head out of your a―”

  Ryder pulled her to him before she could finish her sentence. “Sometimes you just talk too much, woman,” he said before his mouth crushed down on hers.

  Amanda was stubborn at first, but Ryder wanted more. He clamped his hands on the backside of her butt and pulled her even closer.

  Yalza. That faint feeling came over her again. Lordy this man could kiss. They were plastered against each other as they went at each other’s mouth.

  “Amanda,” he groaned.

  Her head was dizzy in lust, but she somehow heard him through the haze. “What, Ryder?” That voice was smoky and sultry. That voice was her. That was her?

  His hands roamed all over her body and he slid his palm up to her breast.

  “Ah,” she groaned and pulled his shirt out of his pants then slid her hands up his bare back.

  A soft tapping and a faint voice murmured at the door, “Mr. Stevenson?” Then a startled, “Oops!”

  They both seemed to remember where they were at the same time. Ryder grabbed onto Amanda’s arms and stepped back. Mortified, she looked at him and his cheeks flamed red. Good!

  And then she looked down. Oh My God. How embarrassing. She wretched her own two hands out from underneath his shirt and took a step back as well.

  “Yes, Marge,” he croaked out. He swiped a hand through the top of his head. “I, uh . . .”

  Amanda could actually feel her eyes bug out of their sockets. Ryder was fumbling? Unbelievable.

  “I do apologize for the interruption.” His secretary smiled knowingly at them both. “You have a phone call on line two.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Mrs. Edgington,” she murmured before she looked over at Amanda. “Would you like some more water, Ms. Harris?”

  Amanda grabbed her plastic bottle that she’d placed on Ryder’s desk. “You know, that is a great idea.” She fanned her hand in front of her face. “I am kinda hot.”

  “I’ll get you one.”

  She held up her palm. “No!” Amanda stepped over to the door. “I’ll go, and give Ryder some privacy for the phone call.”

  Turning to look at Ryder before she left for the kitchenette, she noticed his color had returned to normal and he reached over to pick up the phone. Before he depressed the line button, his gaze focused on her and he grinned.

  Amanda’s stomach flipped over at least three times when he gave her that lop-sided smile. Her mouth curved up in a giddy grin, until his head dropped to take the call.

  “Mrs. Edgington.” He paused. “Okay, Sophia, then. What can I do for you?”

  Amanda turned to walk to the kitchenette, but tilted her head, hoping to hear more of the conversation.

  Oooh!

  So, what was really going on between those two? Was it like Ryder insisted; that she was only a client? But Jeffrey Smeth alluded to Ryder being romantically involved with Sophia. As she tossed her empty water bottle in a recycling bin, Marge stepped in the room.

  “Ms. Harris, can I get you anything else. Something to eat, maybe?”

  “Ah, no.” Amanda looked out the window that overlooked the Go Fitness Gym. “I’m fine, thank-you anyway, Marge.” She wasn’t sure what to do with her hands, so she crossed them, tucking her fingers under her biceps. It was a slight comfort.

  “I don’t mean to pry, Ms. Harris.” Marge came to stand next to her. “I know for a fact that Mrs. Edgington will not leave poor Ryder alone.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, I’ve watched the whole episode for months now.” Marge chuckled quietly. “I don’t think the woman is used to the word no or being turned down.”

  “Really?” Amanda’s spirit edged up slightly.

  Marge leaned into Amanda and said softly, “About the only woman he’s talked about is you.”

  Amanda’s level of confidence just soared through the roof, but then something hit her. “Me? But we only just met last Friday.”

  “He may not have known your name before Friday, but he knew you.”

  Her stomach turned. “I don’t understand,” Amanda mumbled as she looked blindly through the window that faced the gym across the way. It was busy across the walkway with various people coming and going through the Go Fitness doors. Movement rustled behind her and her breath hitched in her throat because she knew instinctively it was him.

  “Amanda.” Ryder came up behind her and cupped her elbows.

  She shivered as his voice rumbled through the back of her nape, unconsciously arching into the hard body that came up behind her.

  Gah! Why couldn’t she play it cool for cripes sakes?

  “That was what I wanted to talk to you about before I got the call from Sophia.”

  “What?”

  “I overheard what you and Marge were talking about. I did see you when you first started going to Go Fitness.” He nodded and gestured to the window and the view it held. “From up here.”

  She turned around. Marge had left, leaving them alone.

  “What?” And then the pieces slammed into place. She rubbed her temples before rounded on him. “You?” She drew her brows together. “Oh my God.” Her right hand pushed at his chest. “You saw me when I first came to the gym two months ago. After the accident when I started going to therapy with Joshua.” Her palm flew up to her forehead. “You saw me with my father, didn’t you?” Her throat clogged. “And you felt sorry for me!”

  I will not cry. I will not cry. She needed to get out of that room, with Ryder being so close, and walked to the door of the kitchenette. “Take me home.”

  Ryder walke
d up to her with his arms hanging loosely at his side, but she knew he wasn’t as relaxed as he let on. Her pride of being a woman was absolutely crushed at that moment. She wanted to go home. No. She needed to go. Get away from this man. He held too much control over her and she could not let him know that. He really was too good to be true and she should have known.

  “Amanda, it wasn’t like that.” He reached his hand out and she took a step back. His arm fell back to his side.

  “Oh!” She took a breath in. “Go away.” Her heart ached. “Please.” She turned to go and looked out onto the hallway. This was just way too fast. This amazing man just appeared at Sophia Edgington’s house? She wacked her left palm up to her forehead, realizing she should have known better. And he left with her? How stupid was she?

  “Amanda,” Ryder said in a low voice behind her.

  She turned around to face him. His expression was unreadable. The lines bracketing his mouth looked hard as granite.

  “I should have known. Are you really dating Sophia Edgington? Was I the poor little cause that you rich people were going to play with for a while?” Amanda couldn’t stop all the nasty words that flew from her mouth. “Was I the local joke? Now I know why I was invited to Sophia Edgington’s house. I was the entertainment, wasn’t I?”

  He moved so quickly, Amanda didn’t have time to react. His hands grabbed her waist and pinned her against the kitchen wall. “Amanda it wasn’t anything like that and you know it.”

  She looked down and pursed her lips together. Her gaze roamed over his stoic expression. A muscle in his jaw ticked; the only sign of any reaction.

  “It seems I am always positioning you like this, aren’t I?”

  “Are you dating Sophia Edgington?” Amanda brought her arms down to settle on his forearms. “Jeffrey said you were involved with her.” She attempted stepping away but was trapped by his big body. “I don’t understand. Am I just a stupid nerd? Am I a sick joke for you?”

  “Amanda,” he groaned.

  She pulled her head up. The way he said her name was so, so . . . guttural. Their eyes met and held. They stood so close together, she could see striations of gold and caramel leaping out from his pupil. She pulled herself out of his mesmerizing look; away from his beautiful eyes and looked beyond him to the window that faced the gym. From a sideways glance she saw his nostrils flare and her eyes flew back up to his intense look again. “I don’t . . .” Amanda didn’t finish her sentence because his mouth crushed down on hers.

  She dug her fingers into the muscles in his arms as they kissed. Her body jolted alive. When Ryder finally ended the kiss, he stepped back only fractionally and she took a deep breath.

  “Now does that seem like a man making fun of a woman?” He took her hand and led her to the small table in the center of the room. “Okay. I do need to talk to you about something else. Can we sit down? I know I have some ‘splaining to do, Lucy’.”

  Holding her head up, she braced her hands on her hips, but didn’t sit in the chair.

  “Okay. Fine then, stand. Just don’t leave until I’m done, please.”

  She couldn’t help but give him a small smile. They were probably the only two people that still watched old “I Love Lucy” episodes anymore on the T.V. “Don’t you dare use Ricky Ricardo to get in my good graces. That’s cheating.”

  Ryder swiped his palms over his face and then the top of his head. “Okay. Here’s the deal.” He puffed out a breath. “So, I did see you when you first started therapy. I remembered looking out my window.” Gesturing both hands out in front of his chest; he stopped and walked purposefully to the kitchen window. “Not this one, but I was in my office,” he clarified. “Talking on the damn phone. It must have been when you first started doing your physical therapy with Joshua. Anyway, I was on the phone feeling miserable. Just in a fu―” He stopped mi-sentence. “Beg pardon, really bad mood and I saw an older man pushing this small woman, well it was you of course, but that was before I knew you, Amanda.” Walking back over to her, he settled his hands on her waist. “I still didn’t know it was you when I met you at Sophia Edgington’s house, at first.” Tightening the grip on her waist he tugged her closer to his frame. “It wasn’t until I was at your house. Almost ready to leave. That was when I knew.” He touched his forehead onto the top of her head. “I liked you before I knew it was you. And honey, I still do.”

  Recognition bells rang in her head. Ryder’s startled look as she walked up her basement stairs flashed through her mind. “Was it when I walked up the basement stairs?”

  “What?”

  “I just remembered that look on your face when I went up the stairs for the phone.” Amanda backed up to look at him. “Was it then?”

  “Yes.” He nodded.

  “I thought you didn’t want to be with me anymore,” she whispered. “Because of the way I was.”

  His forehead crinkled. “What?”

  “Because I limped. Because of my leg.”

  “Amanda, you may not believe this, but the injury to your leg . . . foot drop, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ah, no,” Ryder clipped out. “That really doesn’t compare to some of the stuff I’ve seen over the years. Arms and legs torn off. Some had half of their bodies blown to bits.” Ryder tugged her closer again. “So that would be a big negative to your infinitesimal foot drop.” He chuckled and the sound rumbled through his chest into her. “It may seem like it’s everything to you right now. You being a woman and all.”

  “No.” She took a step back and angled her head up to look at him. “I know I’m lucky to be alive and it is not as bad as it could’ve been.” She rolled her eyes. “Believe me . . . my doctors have reminded me over and over again. But, its other people . . .” Amanda pulled her eyes away from his and looked at the window behind him. “I know sometimes it makes other people uncomfortable.”

  “Well, then they’re lame fu―,” he said, then cleared his throat. “Beg pardon, then they aren’t worth being around is what I meant to say.” His mouth formed a grim line. “I mean it, Amanda. What happened to you and the accident you went through, well, the dirt under your shoes have more merit than those people.”

  She walked into his hard frame and snuck her arms around his waist. “Or what?” Giddiness overtook her and a laugh bubbled up. “Is my big, bad, Army Ranger going to take care of them if they aren’t nice to me?”

  “Yeah.” He tipped her chin up with his finger to look at her. “So, are we good? You know that I’m not some weirdo stalker, now, right?”

  Amanda nodded. Her head and stomach felt so light, she wanted to dance around the room. Like she could float on air. Happiness filled her pores.

  “Oh, I don’t know, the idea of you creeping on me sounds . . .” Scrunching up her nose, she nodded. “Scratch that, it does sound creepy. But yes, now things make sense.”

  “Good, because Sophia Edgington called earlier to confirm the time I was picking her up for the Dinner Dance, tomorrow.” He scowled. “And I told her we were driving with you and that guy. I told her to tell Smeth to be at her house at seven o’clock and we would meet them there.

  “Oh my God.” She brought a hand up to her chest. “Was she fuming?” Amanda cringed on the inside. It was so blatantly obvious that Sophia wanted Ryder. And she was right smack in the way.

  “I don’t really care. The woman is impossible. I told her I am on security detail with you.

  Amanda gasped. “Did you tell her about my break-in?”

  “No, no details. She’s not in the need to know.” Ryder looked down and flipped over his wrist. “What’s your folks ETA?”

  “Ah!” She grabbed his arm. “We better go. I want to make sure everything is ready for them. Their room, food.”

  He nodded. “Let’s move out.” Guiding her out of the kitchenette, he sa
id, “I need to swing by my place to pick up some stuff.”

  “Ryder.” Amanda laid her hand on his arm as he led her out of the office. “You don’t have to stay with us anymore. You have to be so busy at work and other obligations.”

  “This is non-negotiable, Amanda.”

  He stopped by Marge’s desk. “If you need me, just call. I’ll be under the radar, hopefully just for a few days.”

  “Of course, Mr. Stevenson.” Marge got up out of her chair and gave Amanda a little hug. “It was so nice to meet you, Ms. Harris. Take care. Mr. Stevenson will get to the bottom of whatever is going on.”

  “Thank you, Marge.” Amanda squeezed her lightly back. “For everything.”

  “You betcha.” Marge gave her wink.

  Ryder glanced over at Amanda as he reversed his Jeep out of the parking space. He gritted his teeth thinking about Smeth taking Amanda to the Dinner Dance. He didn’t like the guy and he didn’t want Amanda going with him. Damn it. He shook his head when he realized he sounded like an archaic knuckle-dragging ape. She was an intelligent, good-looking woman, so what did she see in that ass-wipe?

  “Ryder,” Amanda’s soft voice brought him out of his thoughts.

  He jerked his head over to the right. “What?” Were they at his place already? He must’ve been on autopilot.

  “I was just saying you live in a great area.” She patted his leg. “This is one of the newest developed areas in Harbor Falls.”

  “Yeah, I caught it at the beginning. Got a great deal when I bought before construction. I got a great view of Edgington Commons, you know, the new park that the city developed.” He drove past the guard gate and waved.