He’s your best friend, and that’s it, Willow. Calm the hell down.
“You okay?” he asks, tipping his head to the side.
“Sure.” I’m totally fine. Definitely not reacting to the way that gray T-shirt is molded against his torso and the sleeves hug his biceps. His body is just ...ridiculous.
“Let me know if you need help,” he says, once he seems satisfied that I’m telling the truth. “I’ll be in the back guest rooms on the second floor. I’m converting the two rooms into one so I can have a gym.”
And now I have visions of this man working out, and I need to get away from him before I do something stupid. Like lick him.
This is why it’s always been better that we didn’t live in the same place, and we just talked via the phone. Because where Ryker James is concerned, my hormones are in overdrive.
“Will do,” I reply, trying to act as nonchalant as possible as I grab some garbage sacks and head upstairs to my room.
It’s so weird to hear the noises of renovations echoing through the gigantic farmhouse. I practically grew up here. My mom was Debbie’s sister. Mom loved to dump me off here so she didn’t have to worry about me, and Aunt Deb and Uncle Ray never turned me away.
They treated me like I was theirs. Like I belonged with them.
Losing them hurt more than anything I’ve ever gone through in my life.
I walk into my room and take a deep breath. The full-size bed still has the same blue hand-sewn quilt draped over it that Deb made for me when I was ten. After college, I didn’t stay out here often, but I was always reminded that I had a place here.
There aren’t any mementos in here. No yearbooks or old clothes of mine. It looks like any other spare bedroom, but it always belonged to me. My safest place in this world. I spent countless summer nights sitting by that window, staring out at the mountains and the stars, daydreaming about Ryker. And I’ve never slept better in my life than I did in that bed.
It won’t take me long to make sure everything is wrapped and covered so the furniture will be safe from the painters.
I’ve just folded up my sheets and blankets and am stuffing them into a giant plastic bag when I feel movement behind me. I’m bent at the waist, wrestling with the edge of this bag. I turn to look behind me and find Ryker’s eyes pinned to my ass.
Embarrassment ignites over my face, and I jerk upright. Jesus, my ass is ... not tiny. And he was just staring at it.
“Sorry,” I mutter. “What’s up?”
“Huh?” He’s still staring at where my ass was and then seems to shake himself and meet my gaze. He licks his lips. “Oh, lunchtime. Come on down to the kitchen. We’re making sandwiches and stuff.”
“I’m not hungry.”
My stomach decides now is the right time to make me a lying liar and lets out a loud growl, and Ry’s grin slides into view.
“Not hungry, huh?”
“Okay, I’m a little hungry. I just have to finish stuffing this in this bag, and I’ll be down.”
“I’ll help.” He crosses over and picks up the edge of the plastic. “Here, you hold, I’ll stuff.”
With a nod, I join him, and we work together, getting it all secure, and then he tosses it on the stripped bed, and we haul the bed into the middle of the room and spread a tarp over the top.
“Thanks. I’m all done in here.”
“Come on then. Gid always puts too much mustard on the sandwiches. I have to supervise.”
He gestures for me to walk out ahead of him, and I slide past. I’m near the staircase when I glance back and once again find him watching my butt.
My steps falter, and I feel myself pitch forward.Shit, I’m going to fall down the stairs.I flail, but before I can fall, strong arms circle around me, and Ryker tugs my back to his front and plants his lips by my ear.
“Easy, Trouble. No hurting yourself.”
I clear my throat and step out of his embrace. “Thanks. I don’t know why I’m so clumsy today. What kind of sandwiches are we having?”
I’m halfway down the stairs when I glance back because Ryker hasn’t answered me.
