I cup her face, making her look at me. Our eyes lock in the dim light, and I try to pour everything I’m feeling into that gaze. “Hey, that’s not fair. You’re not just some job to me, Cora. You know that.”
“But when this is over, when I’m safe, you’ll go back to him, won’t you? Join his team and disappear into some classified mission?”
The question hangs in the air between us, heavy with implications. I want to reassure her, to promise I’ll stay, but I can’t lie to her. Not about this.
“I don’t know,” I admit, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. “I told you before, I can’t give you a relationship.”
Cora nods, her face a mask of understanding that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She pulls away, and the distance between us feels like a chasm.
“I get it,” she says. “I do. You have dreams and goals. I can’t ask you to give those up for whatever this is.”
“Cora...” I start, reaching for her, but she shakes her head.
“It’s okay, Ryder. Let’s just focus on getting through this.On the wedding, on keeping me safe. We can figure out the rest later.”
The palm trees sway lazily in the breeze, their rustling a constant backdrop to the growing crowd of wedding guests.
I scan the beach for what feels like the thousandth time, my eyes straining against the long shadows stretching across the sand. “Why does this wedding have to be outdoors?” I mutter under my breath, frustration seeping into my voice. “It’s a security nightmare.”
My gaze sweeps over the four hulking guards surrounding Valerie and her soon-to-be husband. They resemble giants in suits, with glinting earpieces in the fading light. Six additional men patrol the perimeter. At least there’s extra security; it eases my mind a bit. They might not be Cora’s personal detail, but they won’t let any weapons slip in.
I track Cora as she darts from table to table, finalizing last-minute arrangements. Her blue dress flows around her legs, making her look like some kind of ocean goddess. Guests have started to trickle in, filling the air with excited chatter and the rustle of fancy clothes.
She asked me not to hover, not to scare the guests, and I’m trying to give her the space she wants. But if I had my way, I’d tie her naked to the bed and fuck her senseless until she forgot her own name, let alone any urge to wander around unprotected. The need to possess her, to claim her, wraps around me like a vise.
Raised voices pierce through the ambient noise of thewedding preparations. I zero in on two men arguing near a row of chairs, their faces flushed with anger.
“It’s my seat, asshole!”
“No, it’s not! You moved my stuff!”
Cora’s already heading toward them, her expression all business, and I grit my teeth. She’s on the opposite side of the altercation from me, damn it. My heart rate spikes as I watch her approach the two men, who are now shoving each other.
“Gentlemen,” she smiles, all charm and poise. “What seems to be the problem?”
“This asshole stole my seat.”
“I’m the asshole? You took my spot, and you have the nerve to curse at me?” In a heartbeat, the situation escalates, and they start shoving each other again.
“Fuck,” I mutter, quickening my pace. Please, Cora, don’t get involved. Keep that pretty nose of yours out of their argument.
But of course, she steps right in the middle of it.
She positions herself between them, placing a hand on each of their chests to separate them. “Gentlemen, let’s not fight over a chair. This is a joyous occasion. We can solve this.”
I wedge myself between them just in time to block a punch with my palm, intercepting the blow that would have caught Cora square in the face.
I grip the man’s fist tight, not letting go. “You almost hit the lady,” I growl. “You’re no longer welcome here.”
“It’s okay,” Cora places a hand on my shoulder. “He didn’t mean to hurt me.”
The man stares at me, wide-eyed and pale.
“I’m getting you out of here. It’s not safe.” I grab Cora’s arm and try to pull her aside, but she resists.
“Ryder, I’m fine. Everything’s fine. It’s justemotions running high. I know how to handle this, trust me. It’s not my first event.”
“He nearly hit you,” I insist, my jaw clenched tight.
