A small group of Marines stood near the flowered arch at the back of the room. They seemed to know each other. One noticed him and said something to the others, who all turned their heads. The one guy nodded in greeting, and Ryden noddedback. Then they turned back around and returned to their conversation.
“Do you know them?” Jay asked.
“No.” Something about one of the Marines bugged Ryden, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. “We should take our seats,” he murmured, putting his hand on Jay’s lower back and ushering him into the aisle, his gaze returning to that Marine.
There was something about how the guy shifted his weight from one foot to the other, then very subtly straightened. He slipped his hand into his pocket and quickly pulled it out. It was almost like he kept forgetting what he wasn’t supposed to do. It was odd.
Jay leaned in to say something, and the subtle scent of his shampoo momentarily distracted Ryden. He caught himself leaning forward, and Jay blinked up at him. Shit. He hadn’t meant to do that.
“What are you doing?” Jay asked.
“Listenin’. You were gonna say somethin’?”
Nice save.
“Oh. Right.” Jay leaned in, his voice quiet. “What’s going on? You have that look on your face.”
Fuck, Jay smelled good. What was that? Kind of flowery but not. It smelled like one of Red’s essential oils, but not quite. What was it? Ryden knew that scent. He realized it was the same one from the day they’d kissed in Red’s office. Ryden had been drawn in then, too.
“Hello?”
Ryden curled a finger around a lock of Jay’s hair and leaned in to sniff. “What is that? It’s drivin’ me nuts. Juniper? Magnolia?” Damn, his hair was so soft. He pulled back and found Jay staring at him.
“Um, it’s lavender and mint.”
“Ah, it’s the mint,” Ryden said, snapping his fingers as he sat back. “That’s what was throwin’ me off.” He was familiar with lavender because Red had been using it for years, either on his person or in his diffuser.
Jay shook his head. “Anyway, I was asking you what the face was for. It’s the look you get when something’s bugging you, but you can’t figure out what it is.”
How did Jay know that? The idea that Jay had studied him enough to know his facial expressions spread an unexpected warmth through him. As much as he wanted to tease Jay, he forced himself not to. His gaze went back to the Marine, who leaned to the side. The guy spotted him, and something flashed in his gaze. Ryden held back a curse. He discreetly slipped his arm around Jay and pulled him tight against his side.
“What are you doing?” Jay asked, his hand going to Ryden’s chest to push him away, only to have Ryden cover Jay’s hand with his.
Ryden leaned in and brushed his lips across Jay’s cheek to whisper in his ear. “I’m gonna need you to pretend you’re in love with me.”
Jay’s soft gasp made Ryden smile, and he couldn’t stop his brain from returning to their kiss, how Jay had tasted, his scent, and how he’d felt in Ryden’s arms. Okay, not the time.
“What?”
“You’re my boyfriend. We’ve been together for two years. We fell in love at work. Big office romance. Just like one of your novels.”
“Are you high?” Jay hissed. “And how doyouknow what a big office romance looks like? You don’t read romance.”
Theguystarted walking toward them, his gaze going from Ryden to Jay and back. There was definitely something off, and Ryden didn’t like it.
“I need ya to do this for me,” Ryden whispered, kissing Jay’s temple. “Please.”
“Why?”
Jay had every right to be suspicious and wary, but something told Ryden that the guy wasn’t coming over for fun. Whoever he was, he was setting off alarm bells. Ryden was going to make sure Jay was safe, no matter what.
“Because I’m pretty sure the guy walkin’ toward us ain’t a Marine.”
CHAPTER SIX
Jay was so confused.
If the guy heading their way wasn’t a Marine, why was he dressed like one? Wouldn’t the other guys he’d been talking to have something to say about that? They obviously knew one another. Ryden squeezed him before releasing him, and heat rose to Jay’s cheeks.Don’t think about the kiss.Don’t think about the kiss. Damn it, he was thinking about the kiss.
