by Taylor Dean
taylor dean
Heart Thief
Copyright © 2019 by Taylor Dean
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Cover art: ©iStockphoto.com/svetikd]
Back cover art: ©iStockphoto.com/pepifoto]
Stamp design: ©iStockphoto.com/artag_lab]
Cover design: Jules Isaacs
Author photo: Jules Isaacs
Edited by: Charissa Stastny
E-book formatting by: Maureen Cutajar
Print ISBN: 9781691946280
Other titles in the Love Under Wraps standalone series:
December 2019
Rules are Made to be Broken
by Mylissa Demeyere
One rule: Don’t fall in love with your best friend’s brother. Should be easy, right?
January 2020
A Wrinkle in Forever
by Charissa Stastny
What do you do when forever unravels?
Hold on tight.
To Charissa and Mylissa,
The best author friends a girl could have!
I’m so thankful for your love and support.
It’s been an honor to do this series with you.
~
contents
~
chapter one
chapter two
chapter three
chapter four
chapter five
chapter six
chapter seven
chapter eight
chapter nine
chapter ten
chapter eleven
chapter twelve
chapter thirteen
chapter fourteen
chapter fifteen
chapter sixteen
chapter seventeen
chapter eighteen
chapter nineteen
chapter twenty
chapter twenty-one
chapter twenty-two
chapter twenty-three
chapter twenty-four
chapter twenty-five
chapter twenty-six
chapter twenty-seven
chapter twenty-eight
chapter twenty-nine
chapter thirty
chapter thirty-one
chapter thirty-two
chapter thirty-three
chapter thirty-four
chapter thirty-five
chapter thirty-six
epilogue
a note from taylor dean
other books by taylor dean
about the author
“Oh, I see,” said the Tin Woodman. “But, after all, brains are not the best things in the world.”
“Have you any?” enquired the Scarecrow.
“No, my head is quite empty,” answered the Woodman. “But once I had brains, and a heart also, so having tried them both, I should much rather have a heart.”
– L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
chapter one
~
“I HAVE AN important question for you this evening,” Ryker says as he leans forward, his forearms resting on the edge of the table.
I press my lips together, hiding my smile, and pushing down my excitement. I’m not going to say I know, because I don’t know for sure.
But I’m hoping that Ryker’s about to propose. All the clues are there. Fancy restaurant, check. Candlelight dinner, check. Soft music in the background, check. Lingering for two hours over dinner and dessert while he appears nervous, check. Dressed to the nines, check. Bulge in his suitcoat pocket the size of a ring box, check. My family waiting by the phone to hear the official announcement, check.
This is it. My future. I never thought I’d meet someone like Ryker. It’s taken me all of my twenty-nine years to find him. Nothing is as Disney-princess-perfect as I’d imagined it would be, but this is reality. So far, reality is surprisingly good.
“I hope you’ve enjoyed this evening. I love spoiling you,” he says, his voice deep and smooth. His silver cufflinks catch my eyes as his sleeves peek out from his suitcoat.
If there’s a word to describe Ryker, it would be . . . polished. I swear he was born with perfect manners.
“I’ve loved every minute. Thank you.”
He grants me a warm smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I know he’s as pleased as I am when it comes to our relationship.
The low murmur of conversation and the gentle tinkle of ice swirling in glasses surrounds us. Pleasant background noise for a momentous occasion.
Ryker’s brown-eyed gaze sinks into mine, his mouth parts, and he inhales slightly, the words I want to hear about to drip from his lips.
His phone rings for the fifth time this evening, ruining the moment.
Okay, so maybe I haven’t loved every minute of this evening.
“I’m so sorry, Mila.” He runs one hand through his dark brown hair that’s always styled to perfection, ruffling it slightly. A rare sign of frustration. “I wanted this night to be all about us, with no interruptions.”
“It’s okay. I know you have to take it. Go ahead.”
He nods, his expression thankful. He brings his phone to his ear. “Ryker Martel.”
Of course, I hate the interruption. But I do understand and I refuse to let it ruin the magic of our evening.
Ryker’s father suffered a stroke a year ago, leaving Martel Investments in Ryker’s capable, but swamped hands. I don’t think the man ever stops working. I think he feels the need to prove himself by taking the company to new heights.
And he has.
For a price. I swear, the man doesn’t sleep.
“No, that cannot happen, and I expect you to fix it immediately. Don’t call me back until it’s done,” Ryker snaps.
When his phone call is complete, he holds up one finger. “I apologize, just one moment.” He sends a text before turning his attention back to me, the woman he’s been dating for the past ten months.
“Thanks for being patient with me, Mila. You’re a gem.” He takes a deep breath. “It never stops.”
Ryker tries and succeeds at being attentive, so I don’t allow myself to become upset. While he’s inundated with phone calls day and night, he’s never oblivious to the disturbance, often apologizing numerous times. Like I said, the man was born with manners. Toward me, anyway. I sure wouldn’t want to be the person on the other end of some of his business phone calls. It gets quite heated at times. I’m glad I’m not part of the corporate world.
“I know you love it.” He thrives on his fast-paced life. It animates him.
He shakes his head. “You get me. That’s why we’re perfect for each other.”
“I think so too, Ryker. But don’t be surprised if I hide your phone every now and again.”
He stiffens. “You wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”
Humor is always lost on him. He takes everything literally. “That was a joke.”
He chuckles, even though he didn’t find it remotely funny. “I was born without a funny bone. Don’t give up on me, please.”
“Never.”
He reaches out to hold my hand across the table. Our fingers lace together.
There are so many reasons why I love this man, but his persistence at keeping our relationship alive amidst his crazy schedule takes top billing.
“Where were we?” he asks, focusing solely on me.
“You said you want
ed to ask me a question.” Hint, hint.
He taps one finger on the table like he’s nervous. Not his usual behavior. “Ah, yes. I’ve been thinking a lot about our upcoming separation. It’s going to be difficult to be apart from each other. Our relationship gets better every day. It’s strange, I’ve never experienced anything like this before now.”
He’s leaving for Japan in two weeks. He’ll be gone for three months, dealing with his father’s foreign investments.
He continues after clearing his throat three times. I find his nerves endearing. “I know this is a tenuous time for us, when our love is still new and fragile. I’m sorry I have to leave.”
“Me too.” Ten months of dating is not exactly new, but I know what he means. We’ve taken things slow and easy, a pace we’re both comfortable with.
“I can’t imagine life without seeing your beautiful face every day.”
My heart pitter-patters in my chest. “I feel the same. It’s going to be tough without you.”
He squeezes my hand, his eyes never wandering from mine, never distracted by the activity at the other tables. “I-I have to admit, I’m dreading it. Y-you’ve become a fixture in my life and I don’t want that to change.”
He’s stumbling over his words. That never happens with my smooth-talking man. Here it comes. The question I’ve been waiting for all night.
“I don’t want it to change either, Ryker.”
Pleased with my reassurance, his eyes glitter. “The more I think about it, the more I realize it would be silly for my apartment to sit empty while I’m gone.”
My smile falters at the change of subject. What?
“Your apartment?” He owns the top story penthouse in a luxury high rise. Yet, he calls it his apartment. I couldn’t hide my surprise the first time I saw it. It’s nothing short of amazing.
“That’s what I’d like to talk to you about this evening. I have a proposition for you,” he says with sudden confidence, his nerves a thing of the past.
My smile dies a quick death, exiting my face entirely. Proposition? Not a proposal?
“Why don’t you stay there? It’d get you out of that quaint studio apartment you’re living in and you’d be able to save a lot of money because you wouldn’t have any rent to pay. Arthur loves you. He’d be much happier with you than the kennel. What do you think? It’s the perfect arrangement, right?”
Wait. Is that his question?
Ryker doesn’t seem to notice that all the blood left my face. My mind is screaming hashtag: relationship fail. I misread his nerves, saw what I wanted to see.
He goes on, excited by his idea. “You’re renting month to month. Give your two-week notice, and I’ll send movers over to collect your belongings. All expenses paid. You wouldn’t need to worry about a thing. Your baby grand piano would look stunning in my living room, don’t you think?”
I nod, speechless. I mean, he’s right. My baby grand would look stunning next to his gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge. At night, the city lights are breathtaking from his floor-to-ceiling windows. It would be an amazing place to live. Absolutely. I would love it.
But that’s not the issue.
I look down at my plate. Color me pale and call me blindsided. “Uh, that’s a generous offer. Thank you, Ryker. I’m, uh, overwhelmed.”
“I’d do anything for you, Mila Westerman. You know that.”
Anything except propose. “I, um, I’m speechless. I’m not sure what to say.” Redundant thought, Mila. Pull yourself together. I slip my hand away from his as my long black hair falls forward. I let it hang over one side of my face, a curtain of privacy while I compose myself. My heart’s racing and I can’t catch my breath. I inhale slowly, over and over. Deep, calming breaths.
I’m that girl. The one who thought she was about to be proposed to and couldn’t have been more wrong. I’ve seen this scene in movies so many times, it has become cliché. How did I get here? I fell into the hope-for-marriage trap when I should’ve known better. I feel silly.
Slowly, I push my black hair aside and let my blue eyes travel up to his. I try to appear normal and fail miserably.
Realization slowly dawns on Ryker’s handsome face. His eyes widen. “Oh. You thought I was going to propose, didn’t you?”
I shrug away his perceptiveness. “It might’ve crossed my mind.” To my horror, my eyes well with tears.
He snakes his fingers through his brown hair. Very unlike him. “I’m so sorry, Mila.” He leans in closer, his eyes direct. He holds out both hands, open palms resting on the table, an invitation for me to join him. “Hear me out. Please.”
The subtle pleading in his voice makes me respond accordingly. Once again, our hands intertwine, his smooth skin warm against mine.
“I promise, this isn’t the tragic dinner where the girl is disappointed that the man didn’t propose.”
Could’ve fooled me.
“My thoughts are there too. We’re absolutely on the same page. I wanted to propose tonight. It was my plan. I’ve been debating over it for days now. In the end, I decided it wasn’t fair to you to propose and then leave for three months. What kind of an engagement is that? I felt like I would be sending you the message that I just wanted to stake my claim, as though I was reserving you for myself while I was gone. I can’t do that to you.”
Oh. Okay. There’s my smooth-talking man, spinning the situation enough to make me dizzy. I try to wipe the stunned expression off my face. That’s a logical explanation and yet such a strange way to look upon an engagement. Again, I’m not sure what to say, so I say nothing.
Ryker releases my hands, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out the ring box.
At least I was right about one thing.
He hesitates, gathering his thoughts. “This is for you, a promise ring of sorts. I wanted to make my intentions clear this evening. I see a future for us, Mila. As a matter of fact, I’m counting on it. But I think we should wait to make it official until after I return from my trip.” He maintains eye contact and grants me a tentative smile.
I’m a blank slate, still processing everything he said. I’m not being jilted. On the contrary. I’m being delayed, like a plane at an airport.
If you wait long enough, eventually every plane will arrive. I guess I need to wait a bit longer for my proposal.
I’m comforted by knowing I wasn’t totally wrong about us. I hate to think I could be that clueless.
Ryker slips the ring on my left ring finger, making it look like we’re engaged. The circle of diamonds catches the light and sparkles back at me.
Wow. Ryker never does anything by halves. I’m not sure I want to know how much he spent on it. This could be my actual wedding ring and I’d be thrilled. “It’s gorgeous, I love it. Thank you,” I whisper through a tight throat. I’m still reeling with emotions, my heart pounding painfully in my chest. For a moment, I thought I had given away my love foolishly.
“This is not the end, Mila. It’s the beginning, I promise. Please be happy.”
The beginning. The beginning. This is the beginning, I silently chant as I take a deep breath.
He’s right. This is just the beginning of our life together. I force a smile. “I am. This ring will always remind me of you while you’re gone.”
Will it also represent that he wasn’t sure about us? That he wasn’t quite ready to fully commit?
Even though it’s not what he’s saying, it’s the underlying message buried deep within a whole lot of sweet words.
I shake it off and remind myself to listen to his words and believe them. Don’t let my inner doubts speak for him and say what he’s not saying.
“You look beautiful this evening, Mila. Did I mention that already?” Ryker asks, interrupting my wandering thoughts.
“You did. Several times, in fact,” I say, trying to appear unfazed by the evening’s events.
“Would you like anything else or shall we go? I thought we could take a walk for a bit, enjoy the night air. It’s
a beautiful evening.”
Oh. I thought we were done. I was ready to escape. In all truth, I’d like to go home, curl up in my softest pajamas, and eat lots and lots of chocolate. Obscene amounts. Instead, I maintain a polite veneer. “That sounds lovely, thank you. Let’s go.”
Someday, I’ll look back on this night and laugh at my naivety. But that day is not today.
For right now, it’s labeled in the files of my brain as the longest night of my life.
And it’s not over yet.
chapter two
~
RYKER AND I lazily walk along the city streets hand in hand, a soft breeze licking our skin, the streetlights casting dim shadows across the pavement. He seems relaxed, or dare I say, relieved. As for me, I’m numb and still slightly dazed.
“Mila, I just want you to know that I won’t stop thinking about you the entire time I’m gone. Not for a second. We have a connection, you and I, one I’ve never felt with anyone else.” He squeezes my hand. “I feel like we’re together for all the right reasons. Sometimes you just have to take a chance on love, and I’m willing to go on this journey with you.”
It feels like he said all of this a moment ago. Nothing new. Shame on me, but my mind immediately wanders to my guilty pleasure, The Bachelor. He just repeated Bachelor rhetoric almost verbatim. I again force myself to listen to the heartfelt meaning behind his words.
“I feel the same,” I say.
We share a warm smile, but my smile is a tad forced, maybe even a touch fake. I swallow my disappointment whole, in one gulp. It’s now residing somewhere inside the cavernous recesses of my body. I’ll push it down and keep it there for now.
Time to lighten the mood. “Ryker, have you been watching The Bachelor?”
He sends me a sidelong glance. “Excuse me?”
“Nothing, I’m sorry. Go on, bad joke.” One he’d never get in a thousand years, even if he did get jokes. He’s not a TV watcher.
He continues as though I never said anything. “You know I’m falling in love with you, Mila.”
Falling.
Not in love.
More Bachelor rhetoric. Stop it, Mila.
It’s simply a figure of speech, because he says it to me often. I’ve always taken it as I love you, Mila, and I’m positive that’s what he means. It’s just that, I feel a little knocked flat this evening.
