Isn’t that how nature works though? Poison and venom hide within the most beautiful creatures. Nick Ryker is no exception.
“You’re welcome to swim in the pool but don’t swim in this water. Not only are the double red flags out today, but the bacteria count on the Mississippi coastline is exceptionally high.”
“Double red flags?” I know the beaches have colored flags and each has their meaning, I just can’t remember which color means what.
“They mean the beach is closed to swimmers. The water conditions are dangerous. Could be high surf, strong currents, or other hazards.”
The water looks calm from the surface but looks can be deceiving, like Nick. Even when he appears calm, he’s eerily calm. The kind that sets your soul on edge but is exciting at the same time.
“Oh. I just thought the red flags were to warn people about the owner of this house.” I snicker to myself, and maybe even audibly, but now I’m starting to panic.
The heat from his glare is so intense, I feel like a magnifying glass under the sun. “That, too.” He doesn’t look away.
I stand my ground despite my overwhelming urge to run from him. I’m skating on thin ice. Even if I was just joking, he doesn’t seem like the playful type. I don’t want to find out what would happen if I offended him.
“I shouldn’t have said that, I’m sorry.” I break the stare and look away.
“Don’t look away from me and don’t say you’re sorry when you don’t mean it, cupcake. Whether you had malicious intent, or not, you meant what you said. Backtracking won’t earn you respect. Say what you mean with conviction and stand by it.” His voice is icy. He’s the one radiating with malice.
“What are you going to do to me if I overstep and push you too far?” I do my best to hide the fear in my voice. I grew accustomed to bantering with him over the phone, but in person—is too intense.
“Trust that I won’t hurt you, but I will correct you if you’re wrong.” His demeanor softens just a tad and I try to relax.
“I’m trying. It’s not easy for me.” I cross my arms to cover my midsection, insecurity threatening to overcome me. I hate opening up to him and feeling so vulnerable.
“Nothing worth working towards is going to be easy. This is how you learn to thrive under pressure. If you can stand your ground against me, you can stand your ground against anyone. Start by maintaining eye contact. Never be the first to break a stare, it shows weakness.”
“Didn’t you say you will always win a staring contest? Does that mean we will have to stare at each other until the end of time?” God, I hope not, I would melt into a puddle under his intensity.
He rubs his chin for a second before answering. “You’ll eventually get bored of undressing me with your eyes.”
He’s so full of himself, but a man who looks like that has earned the right to be. I bet he’s used to women throwing themselves at him. I refuse to be one of them, even if he’s correct in the undressing part.
Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you can’t look at the menu.
“You’re not my type,” I lie, knowing I’m not convincing enough.
“Is Kaleb Cherry your type?” His jaw clenches when he says it.
I nearly choke on my own saliva. Not the comeback I was expecting. “How the hell do you know Kaleb Cherry?” I look him dead in the eyes.
“That’s not the answer to my question. Is he your type?” He sounds even angrier and looks way too tense, like me knowing him is pissing him off.
Kaleb Cherry is a disgusting individual. Why the hell would he think he’s my type? My stomach sinks. He can’t know what I did, can he?
“No, he’s not my type. Now please tell me why you thought that?” I beg, hoping he doesn’t know the truth but since he’s asking about him, it’s safe to assume he does.
“He said you had a mouth like a hoover. That you’d do anything for a dollar.” He’s stern. I can’t read his expression, though his irises appear a few shades darker.
“Why do you even care? It has nothing to do with you.” Tears prick in my eyes. As if my personal shame for the things Ihad to do to get by wasn’t enough, I’m now being exploited for it. I might as well strip down to my bare bones for how exposed I feel right now.
“I beg to differ. As stated before, everything that happens in my house is my business,” he snaps, crossing his arms and shifting his weight to stand taller.
“It didn’t happen in your house.” I counter defiantly.
“But will it? You need to know that I will gut any man you bring in my house to perform favors on—make that any man you bring in my house, period. This is your only warning.”
My body trembles at his words.
