by Mia Dymond
“Oh, Ryker.” She couldn’t keep the amazement from her voice. “It’s absolutely beautiful!”
Much like his house in the States, the enormous two-story structure stood tall and proud against the breathtaking scenery. She’d been completely honest about its beauty, she just wondered why Ryker kept something so elaborate so far away – for business.
“Glad you approve.” He glanced at Omario. “We’ll use the vehicles this evening.”
The other man nodded and left the vehicle. Soon she heard him lift the back gate of the truck.
Ryker opened his own door, stepped out, and then opened hers. “Omario and Odane will carry the luggage inside.” He offered her a hand. “Watch your step.”
As soon as Alex and Jackson exited, Mace, Dara, Jake and Bri met them behind the vehicles.
“Where did you find them?” Mace nodded his head toward the men balancing suitcases on shoulders.
“Both came highly recommended by Uncle Sam.” She wasn’t in the least bit surprised Ryker didn’t provide much detail. “They have a separate place here on the grounds.”
Marnie tossed his explanation around in her head as they walked to the front of the house and entered through the front door. Apparently, there was much more to Ryker’s business than she knew. Not only did he have an office and team in Primrose, she got the distinct impression he had the same set-up here.
“The living room is to your left,” he said as everyone stood in the entry, “and the kitchen is straight ahead. “Upstairs are three bedrooms on the left end and two bedrooms and the laundry room on the right. They’re all the same size and each has a private bathroom. We’ll go downstairs on our way out. Wheel’s up in ten minutes.”
Marnie only halfway listened, distracted by the scenery outside the French doors in the living room. As soon as everyone else headed for the stairs, she walked into the living area, twisted the knobs to open both doors, and almost lost her breath. Straight ahead, the ocean water sparkled in several shades of blue and green, ranging from light turquoise to sapphire. Tall, white sailboats drifted on the warm breeze. Even taller, elegant palm trees outlined the edge of the grounds.
She stepped out onto a wooden deck, welcomed by wicker furniture with large, inviting, overstuffed pillows in bright orange fabric. Pillows she was willing to bet surrounded one in comfort while dozing in the sun.
She continued to the railing, again mesmerized when she glanced below. A rectangular pool rested there, adorned with a trickling waterfall in one end. Lounge chairs decorated the cement around.
Several feet away, a covered patio was wrapped in a blanket of thick greenery sprinkled with bright, colorful flowers. A table and chairs were positioned beneath the canopy with a built-in barbeque just behind. A warm, comfortable place for conversation. Or in Ryker’s words, relaxation.
“You gonna stay out here all day?”
Startled, she spun around. “Ryker! You just about gave me a heart attack!”
“How so?”
“You snuck up on me.”
“It’s what I do.”
Curiosity pushed her to ask what exactly he did but she knew from experience he would only evade her questions. Instead she gave him a good and well-deserved eye roll. “Why are you out here pestering me?”
“I put your bags in your room. You can stare at the ocean later.” He grasped her elbow and urged her forward. “Come on, we have things to do, places to go.” He nudged her back through the open doors.
“I haven’t chosen a room.”
“You got one by default.”
“Where is it?”
“Right next to mine.”
She released a hard breath. “Seriously?”
“Problem?”
“Do you snore?”
“No.”
“Then, no.”
“He snores like a freight train,” Jackson drawled as he and Alex entered the room. “Man could wake the dead.”
“So does Mace,” Dara chimed in as she, Mace, Jake and Bri joined them. “And I’ve heard Jake does too.”
Bri giggled and nodded.
Ryker braced a hip against the sofa and gave Marnie a sideways grin. “What about you?”
“I don’t snore.”
“Bet you do.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Wanna put some money on it?” She paused to consider his wager. Taking his money was pretty much a sure thing – she’d never been accused of snoring in the past. Then again, she had been told it wasn’t wise to bet on a sure thing.
“Maybe not your money,” she countered.
“Oh hell,” Jake muttered.
“Then what do you want to wager?”
“Career day in my classroom.”
“Double hell,” Mace groaned.
“Let me get this straight.” He transferred his weight from one side to the other. “If you win, I participate in Career Day. What happens if I win?”
“I’ll be your chauffeur for a week.”
“That’s not winning,” he drawled. “What else do you have to offer?”
“Don’t do it, man,” Jackson warned him. “Learn from the past.”
“If you hear me snore,” she said around a smile, “then I’ll wash your truck.”
“In a bikini.”
Suddenly, this bet did not feel safe. Then again, she knew for a fact he would not hear her snore. She’d simply stay up all night.
“Okay, in a bikini.”
“And I’ll document with pictures.”
“No.”
“Fair is fair.”
“No pictures.”
“Why not?”
“I’m a teacher, Ryker. I don’t need those pictures to end up in the wrong hands. Especially if someone decides to edit them.”
“Point taken. No pictures.” He stuck out his hand. “Then we’re on.”
She grasped his hand and shook it, still determined to outwit him. “Good luck.”
Without another comment, he pushed himself off the sofa. “Come on, I’ll show you all downstairs.”
Alex grabbed her arm as everyone else left the room. “Seems to me you’re the winner either way, teasing him in a bikini and all.”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t snore.”
“Think he’ll get close enough to notice?”
“No and besides, I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if these walls are soundproofed.”
“I hope so.” Alex bumped her with one hip. “Because I don’t really want to hear what goes on when he gets close.”
She gave her friend a full-fledged grin of assurance. “In the words of Steven Tyler, dream on, Alex.”
She and Alex descended the stairs just as Ryker started the tour.
“This level is the game room, bar and gym.” She fully expected to see the pool table along one side of the room. She should’ve just bet him another game of pool.
“There’s a large sitting area and big screen television here, and over there is the most important part of the house.” He pointed to an alcove filled with several rolling chairs, and keyboards connected to what appeared to be several more television screens. “My security system is monitored there and those doors lead to a conference room.”
Marnie glanced at the numerous screens hung on the wall. “Wow. This is overkill, don’t you think? I can see everywhere.”
“Everywhere outside. But inside, the bedrooms and bathrooms are off limits.”
Jackson slapped Ryker on the back. “Good to know.”
“There are motion sensors outside that come on at dark,” Ryker continued. “An alarm will sound when the front gate opens.”
Alex shook her head, obviously as stunned as Marnie at Ryker’s obsession with security. “Don’t your guests complain?”
“No. They expect the privacy.”
“Expect? You must have some pretty important guests.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes. Anybody hungry?”
“Starved,” Mace answered. “Those airplane peanuts didn’t quite c
ut it.”
“Agreed.” Ryker folded his arms across his chest. “Should we go out or stay in?”
“Might as well go out.” Jake squeezed Bri’s shoulders. “We need to make a quick stop at the courthouse for the marriage license.”
Alex nodded. “Mandatory twenty four hour waiting period.” She glanced at Bri. “Do you have all your documents?”
Bri grinned and tapped her totebag. “Right here.”
Jackson glanced at his watch. “It’s already three thirty. If the earlier traffic was any indication, we probably better get a move on or we’ll never make it.”
“I know a shortcut.” Ryker gestured toward the door. “After you, ladies.”
An hour and a half later, Ryker sat at a table next to Marnie on the covered patio of The Bait and Switch, fighting the incredible urge to touch her. Her reaction to the island and his compound made him think things he hadn’t entertained in the past. With her there, the house could be home. He had a feeling that the white, sandy beaches and temperate air would work magic to wrap her in bliss to the extent that leaving would never be an option. And, if she just happened to catch a case of island fever, he knew just how to cure her.
Beneath his shades, he watched the cool breeze move a lock of Marnie’s hair onto her face. Much to his chagrin, before he could stop it, his hand reached over of its own accord and tucked it behind one ear. She simply smiled.
A slight giggle caused him to glance at Dara. She whispered something to Mace who raised both eyebrows.
He quickly removed his hand while he cursed himself for being so obvious.
I need a beer.
“Nice choice in restaurants, Ryker.” Thankfully, Marnie had brains enough to start conversation about something other than the moment between them. “I love this place. The décor is tasteful and this table is great. We can watch the sun set on the water.”
Tasteful? Since he usually visited to grab a cold beer and watch a game, he hadn’t really paid much attention to what hung on the walls. All he remembered seeing were boats and fish. He moved his gaze around the room, refreshing his memory. Paddles, anchors, and nets hung next to replicas of marlins, sailfish and sharks. A huge clamshell occupied one corner, with a seahorse inside who spit water into a large basin.
Bri laid her head on Jake’s shoulder. “This is so romantic.”
Ryker broke out into a cold sweat, mainly because he agreed. Maybe he was coming down with a case of island fever.
Make that two beers.
Luckily the waitress arrived at the table, preventing anyone from starting a whole new conversation, one he wanted to avoid.
“Hello, I’m Maggie. Can I get you something from the bar?”
Ryker almost forgot his manners. Beer, I need beer.
He glanced at Marnie. “Cocktail?”
“Any suggestions?”
“I recommend the rum punch,” Maggie answered. “It’s a local favorite.”
Ryker nodded. “Make it four rum punches and four beers on tap.”
Marnie opened her menu as Maggie left the table. “So what’s good to eat here?”
He shrugged. “Everything’s good.” He glanced at the chalkboard near the entrance. “Looks like the catch of the day is shark.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Have you eaten shark?”
“Yeah. It’s good.”
“Let me guess. It tastes like chicken.”
He shook his head while he perused his own menu. “No. Tastes like shark.”
He released a sigh of relief when Maggie returned with the alcohol and took their food orders. He didn’t hesitate before he picked up his mug and took a long swallow. He wasn’t really bothered by his thoughts of Marnie, he just didn’t really want to go public.
He stretched out his legs and looked around the table. He didn’t face repercussions from any of them; these people were now his family and he’d be extremely surprised if they didn’t already have a future mapped between Marnie and himself. His life was very different than just a few months ago. He spent less time in the field and more time in the office, his thoughts consumed by sixth grade math.
He snickered under his breath and moved his gaze to Marnie, her pretty pink lips wrapped around the straw in her drink, a picture that caused his thoughts to take a turn for the wicked. He imagined her dainty hands squeezed around his thighs while those lips wrapped his favorite pleasure point – grasping the long strands of her silky blonde hair while he thrust into her mouth until her nose nudged his abdomen.
“Hey, Adams. You with us?”
Ryker blinked and pulled himself out of his fantasy to answer Jackson’s question. “Right here, why?”
Each of the girls giggled except Marnie. Obviously they were the only ones not in on the conversation, and she was still playing with that damn straw.
“We were toasting the bride and groom.”
Ryker raised his mug as Mace stood and faced the couple. “Okay, short and sweet and not too mushy. I still have my man card.”
“Not for long,” Ryker mumbled.
Marnie kicked him in the shin under the table.
“You done?” Mace gave him the evil eye.
“Yep. Continue.”
“As I was saying … Jake, you got lucky, man. I’m just glad the engagement is short so she won’t change her mind.”
He snickered and swallowed his drink while everyone else did the same.
Alex tapped Jackson on the shoulder. “Do you see the waitress? My glass is almost empty.”
“You still have half left.”
She picked it up and drained the contents. “Nope. Empty.”
“Mine’s empty, too.” Marnie turned and batted her eyelashes. “Ryker, can you get us another?”
“I think you need to eat first.”
“No,” she insisted as she shook her head, maybe a little too much, “I’m fine.” Her eyes widened and then she glanced at Alex. “Isn’t that the rum vendor from the airport?”
“Where?”
Marnie pointed. “There, sitting at the bar.”
Alex turned around in her seat. “Yes, I think it is. Do you suppose he’s following us?”
“Wait!” Dara snatched her purse. “I need to write this down.”
Ryker frowned. “Write what?”
“We need to figure what he’s up to.” Alex gave him a look that shouted duh.
He looked at Mace, then Jackson, then Jake, who all looked as lost as he felt. “What the hell are they talking about?”
Jake shrugged. “Just go with it, man.”
“You can’t be too careful these days.” Dara snapped her pen. “I found a dead body in my living room, remember?”
Bri nodded. “Yeah, after a crazy arsonist tried to kill Liberty.”
Marnie joined in. “And then Bri almost got sold into a slavery ring and Alex had a lunatic stalker.”
“So now it’s your turn?” Ryker motioned for the waitress. “Unlikely. It’s a small island. You’re going to see the same people several times. Go ahead and get another drink. You need it.”
After three glasses of rum punch, Marnie was a little disappointed her friends were ready to call it a night and head for the house. Restless, she headed out onto the balcony off the living area.
The evening was just as pretty if not more so than the afternoon. Although she couldn’t see the color of the water, moonlight bounced from the waves and gave it a glittery, shiny glow.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
She wasn’t surprised to hear Ryker’s voice behind her. She’d become accustomed to his quiet, almost magical appearance. “Yes, it is. I think I’ll go take a walk on the beach.”
“I’ll go with you.”
She turned to face him, cautiously optimistic. “You won’t drown me, will you?”
“Only if you make me.” He gestured with one hand at the patio door. “After you.”
“Nuh-huh. I’ll follow.”
“Suit yourself.”
She
followed him out the door, across the pool area and finally to an iron gate. She caught a slight glimmer in his eyes as he turned to look at her and extended a hand. Caution caused her to pause and glance at his hand. Something told her skin to skin contact with him might be dangerous.
“I won’t bite.” His low, husky chuckle climbed her spine and tickled the back of her neck. “This time.”
She moved her gaze back into his and then accepted his offering. Warmth surrounded her body as he laced their fingers and began descending the stairs.
Once at the bottom, she stepped onto the sand and expected him to loosen his hold. Instead, he held tight and led her to the water’s edge. “Give me your shoes.”
“You said you wouldn’t drown me,” she drawled.
He smirked. “I’m a man of my word. I thought you’d like to walk along the shoreline.”
She slipped out of her sandals and handed them to him, amused when he looped them around one finger on his opposite hand. Even her shoes looked tiny in his grip.
Water splashed against her ankles while her feet indented the wet sand as they made their way down the beach in silence. She inhaled a deep breath of clean, sea air through her nose and then released it through her mouth, relishing in the sense of freedom it offered.
“No feeling like it in the world,” Ryker said from beside her.
“Do you spend much time here?”
“Not near enough.”
She stopped and drew a line in the sand with her toe. “Are you ever going to share your deep, dark secrets, Ryker?”
As expected, he didn’t immediately answer. The waves pushed warm water over her bare feet while she waited, patient and hopeful she might actually break the iceberg around him.
“Maybe,” he said finally.
She slowly raised her head, refreshed by the breeze that rode in on the waves and cooled both her heated body and spirit. His hand still grasped hers and even though they stood on an open beach, she felt his presence surround her, envelope her in his strength and virility. And remarkably, she wasn’t in the least bit bothered.
He gave her hand a squeeze. “How much do you really know about me?”
“Only what I’ve learned from observation.”
“I’ve learned a lot about you from observation,” he countered.