Page 24 of Sinful Abandon

“That’s five months away.”

“Good things come to those who plan early.”

I laugh lightly with my comment, but when I look up, I see Ryan’s face is far from laughing. He’s looking at me seriously. The look makes my body still and my heart race.

“Sometimes, the very best things show up unannounced.”

His words hit my heart in a place that has been thickly coated with a force field that protects it from feeling the way it is right now because I know exactly what he means. I hadn’t planned on meeting Ryan, but he happened anyway.

“Do you have a Never Have I Ever?” he asks.

I blink. “Me? No. I’ve done just about everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“Not even something mediocre? Something you have always wanted to try but never have?”

I look down and think of something I’ve never done. My thoughts immediately go to the time I begged my parents to take me to a local carnival. We couldn’t go because we didn’t have the money. Imagine that? A two-dollar ticket was more than we could afford.

It’s a simple experience that was lost on me. It’s childish, so I’ve never talked about it. Until now.

“I’ve never been to a fair. You know, ridden a Ferris wheel or a roller coaster. I’ve never even been on a carousel.” I wave my hand in the air in a blasé way.

“Every girl deserves a ride on a carousel.” His words are sincere, and the way his eyes glisten as he says them makes my heart melt. “Heather,” Ryan says my name, the low-pitch sound of his voice like a whisper in the air.

I look over at him and am struck with just how handsome he is—the masculine line of his jaw, the perfectly formed nose, and the intense deep-set eyes and thick lashes. Those thick lashes fall on my ring. His face hardens, and I pull my hand back onto my lap.

“Excuse me,” Meg says as she knocks on my door.

I look up and see her standing with a printed piece of paper in her hand.

I raise my brows to her, asking what she needs.

Meg looks to Ryan and then to me. “Sorry if I’m interrupting, but”—she holds the paper up in the air—“why did you send me the lyrics to ‘Amazing Grace’?”

My head falls to my hand in mortification. I mean, what else do you type when you’re pretending to be busy? Clearly, the answer is “Amazing Grace.”

I roughly wipe my brow in a move that’s half-embarrassment, half-annoyance. “We’ll discuss it after my meeting.”

I shoo her away as best as I can, and when she is out of earshot, I look at Ryan, who is staring me down with a gaze so fierce, I fear I might fall apart in my chair. My breath hitches, and I have to put my facade back on or else he’ll completely tear down my walls.

With a clearing of my throat, I settle back into position and resume typing on my computer. “It’s time you go back to work. I want the additional experiences in my mailbox tomorrow.” I lick my lips and purse them tightly. “I think you should start meeting with one of our producers who will guide you through the process.”

“I thought you were gonna be my mentor?” he asks.

I answer him by breathing in through my nose as I pull up the website for a high-end wedding dress designer, and then I start scrolling through her collection.

He sits for a moment, clearly not in a rush to get up. I can feel his stare shooting into me like a laser beam, but I pretend to ignore it. I lift my chin and continue to scroll and click. He must get bored of watching me because he rises from his seat. As he walks to the door, I sneak a glance and am suddenly reminded of how impressive his physique is.

In my head, I keep telling myself that he’s just a boy. But, in reality, he’s all man.

Ryan walks to the door, and just as he’s about to walk away, he turns and says, “Are you the wretch who needs to be saved?”

My body freezes. I won’t turn to him, but the question is enough to make me lose all conscious thought.

“Is that what you think of me? I’m a wretch?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “No, Heather, I think you’re lost. You just need to be found.”

“There you are, love!”