Jay threw up an index finger.
“Right. Too soon. Mhm. I guess I’ll just?—”
“You’re coming with me,” Jay said, hitting the button for the elevator.
“I am?”
“Yes. We’re going to my condo so I can pack, then we’re going to your house where you’re going to fuck me into the mattress, buy me dinner, and cuddle, not necessarily in that order, no wait. Yes, in that order.” The elevator doors pinged open, and Jay stepped in. He turned and held the doors open. Ryden stood blinking at him. “You coming? I plan to, with or without you.”
Ryden jumped into the elevator. “We’ll take your car. It’s faster.”
“Saint,” King prompted, and Saint came running, stopping the door from closing. He gave them an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, guys, but I gotta.”
Jay stepped around Saint to address King. “I have a Marine!”
“And now you have a Navy SEAL,” King growled. “I will assign you a member of every military branch if I have to. Do not try me.”
“Wait, what’s going on?” Finch wheezed. “Why’s he got a protective detail?”
Jay didn’t wait around to hear more. He narrowed his eyes at Saint. “Fine. But Ryden and I are having sex at some point tonight, so do with that what you will.”
“Roger that.” Saint moved his gaze to Ryden and back, his expression not giving anything away, but Jay was sure the guy’s head was running on all cylinders. If he hadn’t been on the job, he probably would have been giving Ryden hell about how right he’d been.
The elevator doors closed, and Jay was so angry he could scream.Ugh, that asshole! What were the chances? It wasn’t bad enough that he had to call Finch for help on this case, but the jerk was living in the same town and now he was working with him?
“Do ya wanna talk about it?” Ryden asked.
“Nope.”
When they got out into the parking lot, Ryden held out his hand. “Keys.”
Jay glared at him, and Ryden arched an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, okay.” Jay tossed him his keys. Road rage was not a good look. He got into his car on the passenger side and fastened his seatbelt. He crossed his arms over his chest, still fuming. Saint silently opened the door and slid into the backseat.
“Hey, darlin’?”
Jay turned his head, and Ryden took hold of his chin, leaned over, and kissed him. It was unexpected and sweet. Jay couldn’t help but melt into it. He moaned and returned the kiss, feeling his shoulders relax and the anger drain from his body.
Ryden pulled back, brushing his lips over Jay’s in the softest kiss that had Jay’s heart skipping a beat. It was a kiss that conveyed so much emotion without uttering a word, a kiss that told Jay they were both falling deeper into each other than they knew what to do with. Ryden got them moving, and Jay sat back,his lips still tasting of the gorgeous and at times infuriating man next to him.
As Ryden drove, Jay studied him. How had he never noticed the man’s perfectly tanned skin, the way his T-shirt stretched over the muscles of his strong arms and chest, or the sexy stubble? He had big hands, long fingers, and…was that a mala bracelet on his right wrist?
“How long have you had that?” Jay asked.
“Had what?”
“The bracelet.”
“Oh, uh, Lucky gave it to me after I started at Four Kings. Let me see if I got this right. Hematite, tiger’s eye, blue tiger’s eye, and lava rock. He said it was for protection and groundin’. There’s a lot more to it than that, but that’s what stuck the most. Guess ’cause it’s what I needed most.”
“That was sweet of him,” Jay said. “I can’t believe I never noticed it before. Guess we were too busy driving each other batshit to pay that kind of attention to detail.”
Ryden was uncharacteristically quiet as he bit down on his bottom lip. He glanced at the rearview mirror as if wondering whether he should say anything in front of Saint. What was this now? Jay eyed him.
“Spill.”
“Darlin’, I can point out every outfit you’ve worn since I met you.”
