“Too long. It was only a week, but it felt like a month. They completely redecorated my home and now I can’t find anything. Not to mention I have all these useless pillows on my couch and bed that are a ‘pop of color.’ What the fuck is that?”
Rylee laughed at the pained expression on his face. “It sounds like they love you very much.”
His eyes softened in the moonlight. “They love to irritate me very much.”
Somehow Rylee knew Nate didn’t really mean that. “Where do they live?”
Nate rubbed the back of his neck. “In Europe.”
Ahhh, that explained it. “Is that the accent I hear?”
His brows furrowed. “I thought I’d lost the accent.”
Rylee chuckled. “Sorry. I think it’s quite a nice accent. You shouldn’t try to lose it.” She imagined that sexy accent had gotten him into more than one bed. Heck, he didn’t need the accent for that; he was too handsome to need an accent as his catch. She couldn’t stop a yawn from taking over and quickly covered her mouth.
Nate leaned over her and opened her door, once again brushing her breasts and causing a rippling effect straight to her core. She gasped, and Nate’s eyes flashed to hers. His arm didn’t move from across her chest and she knew the moment he realized the hardened state of her nipples because those blue eyes flared. He was so close, and it wouldn’t take but the slightest movement to eliminate the space between their lips. And for a split second, she thought he wanted that, too. She’d fantasized about kissing him so many times. Would it be wrong to run her hands through his hair and pull him into a searing kiss that would leave them both breathless? She leaned forward, helping him to make the correct decision when…
Nate cleared his throat and moved out of her personal space. Without opening her door, which she found interesting. Maybe she wasn’t the only one dreaming of their kiss. “Come on, you look dead on your feet. Let me walk you to your door.”
Rylee closed her eyes. Great. She’d just embarrassed him. A man that looked like he did was probably used to women acting like fools around him. But she didn’t want to be one of those women. “That’s not necessary. It’s just right there.” Of course, he didn’t listen, but she scrambled out of the car before he could make it around to her door. She’d never had anyone open a door for her, and she had no idea what to do. He met her at the front of the car and placed his hand low on her back, and for a moment, she let herself dream that he was bringing her home from a dinner date. Would she feel a sense of heightened anticipation wondering if he would kiss her goodnight, or would she ask him to come in for a drink? Oh no…did she have eggs and bacon for breakfast? Nope, but she did have a selection of sugary cereals and frozen waffles. Would he go for that? Rylee grinned at her runaway imagination.
Then they were standing on her porch, which was no more than a cement square just big enough for the two of them. She had to tilt her head up to see him. “Thank you again for the ride.”
Nate gave her a cocky grin and a nod of his head. “No problem. I’m glad I was there for you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Her mouth began spewing nervous nonsense. “Right. Tomorrow. At work. Because we work at the same place.” Oh, and that wasn’t all, she also did the pistol thing with her fingers. And now her embarrassment was complete.
Nate chuckled and gave her the oddest look. Probably wondering if she was a crazy person who couldn’t form complete sentences and had trouble with motor skills.
She peeked through her curtains and watched his taillights disappear down the road. With a wistful sigh, she let the curtain drop and turned, then tripped over a Barbie and let loose a few choice words when she stepped on a plastic teacup on her way to bed. Just as she lay down, her phone rang. She frowned at the screen and almost didn’t answer.
“Hello, Mama.” Her mother never bothered to calculate time zone differences.
“Hey, Sugar.”
At least she didn’t sound drunk. “How’s Tijuana?”
“Oh, it’s incredible. These people really know how to party.”
Of that, Rylee had no doubt. Her mother was a beautiful woman who looked at least ten years younger than her real age of forty-six, and her only job was acquiring men. Rich men, to be exact. “How’s Paul?”
“Paulo, dear and that’s why I’m calling. We had a falling out and I need money to get home.”
Wow, that had to be a record. She’d been on the phone for less than five minutes when the plea for money came. “If he got you there, he should have gotten you home.”
Her mother giggled. “Yes, well, we came in his private plane. It was small, but much more comfortable than commercial.”
Heaven forbid her mother fly with the little people. “Then why can’t you fly back with him?”
Again, with the giggles. “There may have been an incident with our bed.”
Rylee leaned back against the pillows on her bed because she knew getting to the truth would be taxing. “What did you do, Mother?”
“Let’s just say he wasn’t thrilled when he found someone else in his bed.”
Rylee’s hand went to her forehead. Why was she surprised? “Mother! You cheated on him?”
“I really couldn’t help myself Ry-Ry. The men down here are very…” her mother growled seductively, and Rylee wanted to throw up.
“Stop. Just stop, I don’t want to hear any of this.” As if temptation was a valid reason for cheating. But Rylee had stopped trying to reason with her mother years ago. It would be easier to just give her the money. “I’ll put the money in your account. How much do you need?”
“Two grand should cover it.”
“Two thousand dollars?” Rylee’s stomach sank at this hit to her savings account. Before her sister moved in, she’d had a very nice nest egg saved up. But she’d been helping with Grace’s bills. “I’m not paying for you to fly first class.”
Her mother huffed and Rylee could just see her bottom lip stick out in a pout like a five-year-old. “Fine, but there is half the hotel bill to cover,” she whined.
Rylee let her head drop. She didn’t blame Paul…Paulo for making her cheating mother pay her own bill, but Rylee just wished the money wasn’t coming from her. “Fine. I’ll send it tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Chica! Kisses!”
Flopping back in bed, Rylee stared at the ceiling. She made pretty good money at Wicked Ink as their designer. But Rylee was a pessimist planner. She’d been caught too many times over the years and had learned to be prepared for whatever life threw at her. Wicked Ink paid her bills, but Thirsty’s gave her peace of mind.
The next morning, she overslept because she was in the midst of a very erotic dream starring Nate when her alarm went off. She tried to get back to where she was before she had been interrupted, but it was useless. She hurried through a shower, thankfully before anyone else was awake, then grabbed a handful of dry cereal before remembering she didn’t have her car. She’d have to walk to the bus stop. Which meant she would be late.
As soon as she opened her front door she stopped. How… Her car was in the driveway. She walked all the way around the vehicle and unless she was seeing things, she had four brand new tires. Like, top-of-the-line quality tires. She kicked one just for good measure. “Ouch!” She balanced on one foot while rubbing her sore toes and wondering why people kick their tires.
Her lips thinned. Unless the tire fairy had visited her during the night, she had no explanation for her good fortune. She supposed any of the guys at work could have happened upon her car, but four new tires had to have cost close to a thousand dollars, and she knew none of the guys had that kind of extra money lying around.
That only left one person. Nate. But why would he have gone out of his way? She would definitely pay him back.
Chapter 3
Nate
* * *
Nate poured his first cup of coffee in the breakroom when he felt Rylee behind him. How he knew it was her, he had no idea. But it had been that way si
nce she’d started working for him.
The day he met her, he had known he should walk away. The chemistry between the two had been impossible to ignore, but her ink designs were phenomenal. If he were honest, he hadn’t felt that way about a woman in a very long time. So his intrigue outweighed his better sense.
He knew he couldn’t start anything with her, but last night he’d been very close to taking the kiss she offered. She might not understand it, but he was doing her a favor by keeping his distance. When he turned around, distance was the last thing on his mind. Today she wore a pleated plaid skirt paired with what looked like a men’s button-up shirt. The scalding going on in his mouth from the too-hot coffee didn’t even register. In fact, he took another gulp.
“Hey, Nate. Do you happen to know anything about my car?” Rylee asked, eyeing him closely.
His brow lifted. “I know it’s a piece of junk that should be put out of its misery.”
“Hey, watch it,” she scolded and came back with a retort. “We can’t all drive flashy cars that use way too much gas and require stretching exercises before entering.”
Nate chuckled. “Touché.”
Her brown eyes softened. “Seriously, did you have my car towed and my tires replaced?”
He nodded. “Yes, I did. And before you say anything, just let me tell you that it was in my best interest as your employer to make sure you have transportation to and from work.”
Nate was ready for Rylee to continue to argue. He wasn’t prepared for the water gathering in her eyes or the total confusion on her face. He didn’t know much about her background, but he couldn’t believe new tires made her weepy. He’d given women diamonds before and never received such a reaction.
She blinked the tears away and an angry glint replaced them. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back. Just tell me how much.”
Nate shook his head; he’d never miss the money. “I don’t want you to pay me back, Ry. I just wanted you to be safe.”
Her chin tipped and her eyes challenged him. “I’m going to pay you back.”
He took a few steps forward until he was towering over her. “If you try to pay me back, I’ll only add it to your paycheck.” She swallowed, bringing his attention to her neck, and he wanted to put his lips on her. Her slight gasp of air sent his eyes flashing to hers, where he found the exact same reaction to his nearness. Just one taste…
“Rylee,” their receptionist called from the hallway. Rylee jumped away from him. Cora paused in the doorway but took a moment to access the situation she’d obviously interrupted. “Your appointment is here,” she announced, her gaze moving from Rylee to land accusingly on Nate.
“Thanks, I’ll be right there.” Nate saw a silent communication going on between the two women until Cora finally excused herself and left them alone once again. “I’ve got to go.” She took a retreating step. “But I don’t take charity. I am paying you back.” She spun around and marched out of the breakroom.
Nate chuckled as he picked up his coffee cup, then his brows furrowed as a strange thought came out of the blue. His mom would have told his dad the exact same thing. Both of his parents would love Rylee. Scratching his head, he wondered where that thought had come from.
Taking a sip of his coffee, he admitted he missed his family. The thought had only just formed when his phone vibrated with an incoming call. He knew without even looking whose name he would see on the screen. He and his brother always had the eerie twin thing going on. They were so tuned in to each other it was scary to others who didn’t understand their bond. Unfortunately, that worked against them many times when they went after the same thing. Always in the past, they’d been able to compromise. But when they’d both fallen in love with the same woman, and she only had feelings for his brother, that had been too much.
Everyone in his family thought he’d moved to Denver to get out from under the family shadow, but Milo knew. His mom did, too. She could ferret out all her children’s problems. But the real reason was because he couldn’t handle seeing the woman he loved with someone else. Even his twin, who, if he was honest, was a much better fit than he was. So he bowed out gracefully.
“Hey, bro. What’s up?”
Milo sighed deeply. “Oh, no. You are starting to sound like an American.”
Nate pinched the bridge of his nose. He really missed his brother. Shaking it off, he came back, “May I remind you that our mother is an American?”
“You think she’d let us forget?” Milo chuckled, then paused. “I’m just calling to check in, and well, I never thought it would happen, but Lukas, we miss your sorry ass around here. When are you going to come home?”
Nate smiled, just hearing the name he’d gone by since birth made him realize that he really had become Nate. It had only been two years, but he no longer felt like Lukas. “I don’t know, Milo. I miss home, but this place…it’s growing on me.”
“But you’re coming home for the wedding, right?” his brother asked.
Nate pulled the phone away from his face and looked up at the ceiling. If there were any way he could get out of it, he would. But this was his twin, so he sucked it up and put a smile on his face when he said, “Of course. I wouldn’t miss my brother’s wedding, and the very first SuMartra offspring crossing over to the married side. There hasn’t been a wedding at the palace in a long time. Not since Uncle Siran and Aunt Chellie got married, and that was like twenty-some years ago.”
“Luk…” Milo started to say, but by the tone of his voice, Nate couldn’t let him continue.
Nate’s muscles tensed; nothing his brother could say would make a difference. “Stop, Milo. I’m fine. Honest. Kiersten made her choice and I’ve accepted it.”
“She’s hurting, Luk. She misses you and she feels responsible for your leaving. You know it was always the three of us growing up, and she feels like she broke us apart. She tries to cover it up, especially with all the wedding preparations going on, but I can see the sadness weighing her down. Sometimes I wonder if she’s going to call the whole thing off, and I can’t lose her. She’s the only one for me, and someday, Luk, you’re going to find your own princess.”
Nate heard the desperation in his brother’s voice. He couldn’t allow Milo or Kiersten to carry such guilt because he had chosen to leave. “I’ve already found her, Mils.”
“What?” The hope in his brother’s voice was proof he’d said the right thing. “The horror sisters just got back, and they didn’t say a thing. Why haven’t you told me?”
Yeah, why hadn’t he told them? His reason would have to be good—Milo would know if he was lying. “Do you think I’m crazy? Of course, I didn’t tell them. They would have blabbed it to the entire country. And I didn’t tell you because it’s a recent thing.” So recent it’s still non-existent.
“When can we meet her? Bring her to the wedding. But honestly, I don’t know if Kiersten can wait that long.”
Fuck. He was getting in deeper. The wedding? “Milo, you need to slow down. Her name is Rylee and she works for me in the shop. She’s an incredible designer. But we’re going slow. Just getting to know each other.” How easily that flowed from his mouth.
“I can’t wait to tell Kiersten. What about Mom and Dad? You know Mom is going to freak out.”
Nate felt his life snowballing out of control. “I’m not ready to tell the folks, so don’t say anything, but definitely by your wedding. You know, we just want some time for us right now.”
Milo chuckled. “Oh, I get ya. Do you have a picture?”
Oh, he had a picture all right. One he’d taken on the spur of the moment and looked at frequently, but he wasn’t sure why. “A picture… sure. I’ll send it in a few minutes.”
A short time later after ending the call, Nate scrolled through his photos and found the candid shot of Rylee at the Fourth of July cookout at his house. He smiled at the picture. They had been roasting marshmallows over the firepit by the lake and she’d just stuffed a very toasty one in her mouth. Drips
of the gooey mess lingered on her lips, but the laughter on her face in the firelight had his heart skipping a few beats. That night, he knew she could be trouble. He’d wanted her, but he knew better than to start a casual affair with a coworker.
But it was getting harder and harder to ignore the chemistry between them. Last night, he’d been so close to kissing her and it would have led straight to her bedroom. Where regrets would have been blaringly obvious in the morning. It would be best to keep his distance.
Nate rubbed his jaw in thought. Why had Rylee’s name rolled off his tongue so naturally? All he’d been trying to do was give Milo and Kiersten the peace they needed to get on with their happiness. He didn’t want them to have clouds of regret hanging over what should be the happiest time of their lives. When he went home for the wedding, he’d simply tell them things hadn’t worked out with Rylee.
Chapter 4
Rylee
* * *
Biting the tip of her charcoal pencil, Rylee leaned slightly to the left and had a clear view of Nate as he focused on his work. She sighed when the black t-shirt pulled taut over his bulging biceps each time he reached to wipe away excess ink. She mirrored his smile when he laughed over something his client said and her insides went all fluttery.
“Rylee, please put me out of my misery. Just ask Nate out. It’s really sickening, the way you moon over him. And don’t think I couldn’t figure out what I walked in on the other morning.”
Rylee jumped and almost fell out of her chair at the unexpected intrusion. Grabbing the edge of her desk saved her from an embarrassing fall. “Hush, Cora. He’ll hear you,” Rylee whispered to her best friend. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You saw nothing because nothing happened.”
Cora leaned on her desk and crossed her arms with a smirk that told Rylee she wasn’t fooled for a second. “It happened. I can’t believe my bestie since forever has finally lied to me. That hurts, Ry. That really hurts.”
Over Ruled: On the Wild Side Series Page 2
