by KB Winters
I sucked back my shock. “Twenty thousand dollars? Wow.” I didn’t know for sure, but I Figured embezzling that kind of cash carried a pretty harsh penalty. I shuddered, unable to imagine how scared Tori must be. “Are you going back to jail? Are you only here to say goodbye?”
My frantic eyes landed on Ryker. He held my gaze for a moment, before picking up the story. “When Bennett and I helped the FBI in the take down of the Sanderson organization, we took Cassandra into custody too, not as a part of the group, but as a witness. While we were questioning her, she gave Tori up as being involved. She said Tori was stealing money and giving it to Sanderson in order to fund the organization. The FBI went to the burlesque club, and found that there was an open investigation into missing funds. When they dug through those records, they found it was Tori who had taken the money. At that point, they had no choice but to arrest her not only for the theft, but for aiding a terrorist organization.”
“Tori…” I whispered, unable to hold in my horror.
“Last night, Ryk and I went door to door in that neighborhood to see if we could find anyone who remembered seeing Tori anywhere around or at the Sanderson house. In that search, we found a witness who had overheard a conversation where Cassandra was trying to extort more money from Tori. Tori was indeed at the Sanderson house, but she had no idea who was inside. She thought it was Cassandra’s residence. When we took that information back to the FBI, they went to Cassandra and through another thorough interrogation, she finally broke and came clean. She admitted that Tori had no idea who Sanderson was or anything about the militia group. She also confessed to blackmail and is being charged as an accessory to the theft, in addition to all her other charges.”
Relief rushed through me, and I released a slow breath, realizing I’d been holding my breath while Bennett finished the story. “So, Tori is free?”
“Not exactly,” Tori answered, meeting my eyes again. “They still have me for the theft. But, if I testify against Cassandra, the DA is willing to drop those charges.”
“That’s great!” I smiled but it faded once I realized none of the three faces looking back at me looked celebratory. “Isn’t it?”
“Well, there’s a hitch,” Tori answered. “The trial could be months away and the FBI has to have my testimony in person. So, until this all goes to trial, I have to go into protective custody. That’s the only way they can make sure Sanderson doesn’t send people after me to keep Cassandra safe. Without my testimony, there isn’t any proof she was involved.”
I sagged back against the couch, like a balloon that had a slow air leak. “Months?” The word echoed through the room.
Tori nodded, her face grim. “It’s the only way, Ev.” She got up from her place on the loveseat and came to take the empty seat between Ryker and me. “Can we have a little time?” She asked, looking back at Bennett.
He nodded at her, and Ryker and him both shoved off the couches and went back outside to the porch.
“I’m sorry for all the stress, Ev. I wanted to call. I begged for them to let me call you, but they didn’t believe that I wasn’t going to call whatever criminals I was supposedly tangled up with. God, it was such a nightmare.” She pushed her curls out of her face and collapsed back against the couch.
“I can’t even imagine.”
“It wasn’t all bad…” Her eyes rolled to the window where we could see Bennett and Ryker on the stoop. “It was kinda fun having a knight in shining armor coming for me.”
“Yeah, after he arrested you. Or, have you forgotten that part?” I replied with a giggle.
“You should see him in his FBI gear. God, it melted my panties right off…” Tori mused, ignoring my comment entirely.
I rolled my eyes. “Tori! As nice as it is to see you’re still the same person before ya did time, come back to me for a second.”
She laughed and grabbed for my hands. “Tell me about you? What’s going on with you and stud-muffin?”
“Absolutely nothing.” My eyes drifted to look at Ryker. The two men had their backs turned, and my eyes raked in the sight of him with a surprising hunger.
“Uh huh…” Tori’s tone dripped with sarcasm and I looked over at her and blushed, realizing she’d caught me staring at Ryker’s perfect behind. “Come on, girl! I’ve been holed up! I need something juicy!”
I propped my cheek on my hand. “There’s nothing to tell. Not much anyways. He came into town because he found out about you and he wanted to help. I was too busy with rehearsal to do much except worry…a lot. Anyways, he came to the studio one day and saw me and Jason…”
“Oh shit!”
I nodded. “Yeah. He got the wrong idea and when I went to see him and tell him we weren’t together, he was a total asshole and told me he was leaving to go back to his ranch. Honestly, until I saw him staring back through the peephole just a minute ago, I thought he was long gone.”
“Wow. Well thank God he didn’t!”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s the one to thank for me being free again! He’s the one who found the guy who saw the conversation between Cassandra-bitch and me out there at that house. If not for him, I don’t think I’d be here right now. I’d probably be on my way to prison or a courthouse or some shit like that.”
I looked back at Ryker and blushed even more when he turned and our eyes met through the window. I darted mine away. “Well, I’ll be sure to tell him thank you before he leaves for the airport then…” I tried to make my tone sound detached, but I was sure I wasn’t fooling anyone. Especially not my best friend.
“Right.” She didn’t look the slightest bit convinced. “So, Jason’s on deck then? Anything going on there?”
I shook my head. “No, actually, I’m done with Fly. I resigned yesterday.”
“You what?” She shouted.
“Everything okay in here?” Bennett asked, popping his head back into the apartment.
“No! It most certainly is not!” Tori replied, waving her arms like a lunatic. “She quit her job!”
“Tori, calm down!” I turned in my seat and waved Bennett away. He reluctantly closed the door again and I silently prayed he wouldn’t tell Ryker what Tori had said. “It’s okay. I’ve given it a lot of thought. Being in the show wasn’t what I really wanted. I thought it was, but the reality was a far cry from what I imagined. I found out…in the hardest way possible…that I’m not meant for the spotlight.”
Tori stared me down, not bothering to hide the skepticism in her eyes. “So, what are you going to do?”
I sighed. “Well, this is that part you’re not gonna be too crazy about…but, I’m going back to Kentucky.”
“What?” She shrieked again, even more decibel shattering than the shout before.
“Shhh!” I hissed. “I want to be a teacher again. Not here, but somewhere that I can really make a home. I want that small town, friendly feeling again. And besides, my mother’s husband might be a dick, but he’s a rich dick, and I’m fairly sure all it’ll take is a phone call to ask for some help. You and I both know my mother would do just about anything to get me back home again. I can have my own dance studio and teach classes all day and who knows, maybe I’ll meet someone, have a family of my own…” The words tore at the stitches on my broken heart. It was hard to imagine a life like that without picturing Ryker in the lead. My time with him in Oklahoma had revived my joy for the simple life, and while I knew I could find that part back in Kentucky, I also knew it wouldn’t feel quite the same without him.
All I could do was hope that I’d come to terms with it over time and find someone who’d make me forget Ryker’s name someday.
“Wow. You’re really serious about all this,” Tori said. She whistled under her breath. “God, everything is changing so fast. I’m going underground. You’re going country.”
I laughed softly and took her hand. “It’ll be okay, Tori. We’ll always be friends. What would I do without my zany, outgoing, spunky roommate. Besides, with
out you around to hit on me, I fear my self-esteem would suffer dramatically.”
She winked. “You know it, baby girl.”
“In a few months, you’ll be free and you can come visit me in Kentucky. It’ll be fun.”
“Oooh! Can we go to that thing where everyone wears fabulous hats and gets smashed in the middle of the day?”
I giggled. “The Kentucky Derby?”
“Sure!”
“You know what, for you, anything.”
Chapter Ten
Everlie
Tori and I didn’t have long to bask in our reunited happiness. Bennett and Ryker came back into the apartment a few minutes later, and Bennett announced that their car was on the way. Tori raced off down the hall to pack and Bennett followed after her. I had no idea what had happened between them, but he was looking at her with the same starry eyes that she’d had when staring at him through the window.
Ryker hung back by the front door and I stood to face him. “Are you going with them?”
“No,” he replied, shaking his head. “I’m booked on a three thirty flight back to Oklahoma.”
“Oh?” I twisted my fingers together.
“You quit the show?”
My eyes snapped to his. Damn Bennett.
“Yeah. It wasn’t a good fit.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
I waved him off. “Don’t be, it’s for the best. I’m uh—actually planning to get things settled here and then go back to Kentucky.”
His eyebrows shot into peaked arches. “Really?”
“Mmhmm.” I gave him the brief rundown of what I’d finished telling Tori minutes before.
“Wow,” he said, as soon as I wrapped up my plan. “That’s all really fast, but really exciting, I guess.”
“You guess?”
“Sorry, no, that’s not what I meant. It is exciting. I’m proud of you.”
It was my turn to arch a brow.
“I just mean, it takes a lot of guts to walk away from such a big opportunity—God, I’m saying this all wrong…” He stopped and grit his teeth together. “I think it’s admirable to know yourself that well. Your passion changed and you’re going to chase it down even though it’s a big jump. Most people wouldn’t be willing to do that.”
I nodded, smiling slightly at his frazzled speech. “Thanks. I guess, in some ways, it’s like what you did, though. You walked away from the military to take over your grandfather’s ranch. That’s a big leap too.”
Ryker nodded earnestly. “I’d never really thought of it like that, but yeah.”
Silence fell between us, and I went back to twisting and joining my fingers together. “You know…Ryker…that guy you saw me with, I wasn’t lying. He wasn’t my boyfriend or anything like that. He was my dance partner, the male lead.”
Ryker’s eyes went dark as he met mine. His jaw tensed but then relaxed. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Everlie. It’s really okay.”
“No it’s not…” I replied, my voice soft. “I still care about you, and I don’t want you to think you could be so easily replaced.”
I was surprised by my own raw words, and Ryker looked even more startled. He took a few steps towards me. “Ev…”
“All right! We’re outta here!” Tori’s voice blasted down the hall. She appeared seconds later, bags hung over both arms. Bennett followed behind a beat later, pulling two gigantic suitcases in his wake. He grimaced at us, and Ryker and I both laughed at the sight.
Tori stopped at the door and her eyes pooled with tears when they landed on me. She grabbed me around the waist and squeezed tight. “I love you, girl. Don’t ever forget it!”
“I won’t,” I said into her hair, too choked up to offer much more than a whisper.
Neither of us had any idea when we’d be able to speak again, but Bennett assured us we would find a way. Ryker and Bennett exchanged the classic bro-hug, and in a whirlwind of goodbyes, a train load of luggage, and a swiftly closed door, they were gone.
Leaving Ryker and me in the apartment alone.
“Are you all right?” He asked, following my stare to the door.
“She’s really gone…”
Ryker closed the gap between us and gently drew me into his arms. I went willingly, and rested my head against his chest, surprised by how familiar and comfortably I nestled into place. We fit together seamlessly. I exhaled a shaky breath, and Ryker reached up to stroke a hand down my loose waves. “It’s not forever, Ev. She’ll be safe and all of this will be over soon.”
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Ev.”
I looked up, resting my chin on his solid chest. “Tori told me what you did. That you were the one who kept looking for the truth and found the witness that was able to clear her name. You don’t even know how much that means to me. Is that why you’re still here? To help with the case?”
He hesitated, almost looking embarrassed, but finally nodded. “I couldn’t leave things like they were. Even after…well, you know. It didn’t feel right, and I knew that as soon as I got back onto the ranch, I’d be kicking myself every day and wonder what had happened.”
I ran my hands up his back and held him close. I pressed my eyes closed and took in a deep, soothing breath of him. His flannel shirt smelled like sunshine but a hint of his aftershave burst through and made my knees quiver. It was a simple—but powerful—scent.
I opened my eyes and found his deep brown eyes staring down at me. “You’re a good man, Ryker Knight.”
“I try. More so recently.”
My stomach swirled at his soft confession and the raw look behind his dark eyes. “You don’t always…have to be…you know…” I said, my voice quietly daring him. My fingers curled against the hard muscles of his back and before I could even finish my next breath, his mouth was on mine. He captured my lips, devouring them with a burning hunger that set my body on fire in a split second. I dug in my nails even harder and he groaned into my open mouth as his tongue swept past my lips, exploring and taking everything he wanted.
“God, Everlie, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you…this…” he said, running his hands over my body. His hands were on a frantic search, reclaiming every lost detail as he found each curve, line, and hollow of my body. Everywhere that his hands went, lines of heat were left behind, melting me into his arms all the more. He stripped off my shirt first, his hands skimming my bare skin as he lifted it up and over my head, and I shuddered when his fingers brushed the sides of my breasts. Even through the fabric of my bra, a thousand sensations shot through my body, charging every cell with a crackling of electricity.
I tore at Ryker’s shirt, matching his fervent urgency, and moaned with delight when my hands sprawled across the expanse of his bared chest. He was pure sex and lust and hot desire, and I didn’t know where to start. I traced the curved lines of his abs while his lips and tongue found their way to my neck. I panted and arched against him, letting out a yelp, when his hot tongue triggered a sweet spot under my ear. Ryker chuckled and lapped at the spot again and again, leaving me shaking and shivering in his arms.
When my bra released, and the cups fell forward, I jolted with surprise. I’d been so consumed with the delightful torture that I hadn’t even felt him reaching around for the clasps. Ryker backed up as the bra fell down my shoulders and I stripped it away. “Everlie…you’re so fucking beautiful.”
Before I could think of the male equivalent of beautiful, as my eyes devoured his solid chest and flat stomach and little v-lines at his hips, Ryker’s fingers found my nipples and tugged at the tender buds. I gasped and met his eyes, watching him enjoy my body was as powerful of a turn on as I’d ever experienced, and I couldn’t hold back from reaching for him. I tugged him to me by the pockets on his jeans. I wanted to feel my skin against his. The contrast of the hard and soft together driving me even further into my wanton lust for him.
“Should we take this to the bedroom?” I asked, my breath coming
in ragged pants.
Ryker’s hands went to my hips. He slid them down the curves and wrapped around to hoist me up against him. I hooked my legs around his hips, loving the way our skin melded together as he carried me down the hall. He remembered where my bedroom was without me mentioning it, and when we kicked through the door, he released me down onto the bed. I wriggled under his dark stare and he flashed his signature devious smile before lowering next to me and beginning to work on peeling away the leggings I’d thrown on that morning. His smile grew wider and he looked up at me. “Nice. I didn’t know nice little country girls went commando.”
I blushed but giggled. “Occasionally…mostly when it’s laundry day.”
“Well, in that case,” he shed the leggings, leaving me naked beneath him, and kissed up my thigh, “I think every day should be laundry day.”
I laughed again, but it vanished in a swift gulp of air when Ryker’s lips found my center. His tongue gently went between my thighs and within seconds, he had me writhing and tearing at the covers, fisting them into tight balls as my pleasure built to a fever pitch. “Ryker, Ryker, oh my…” I moaned and thrust, desperate for release.
Ryker slid a finger deep inside me, fingering me until he found the spot that made me see stars. I bucked and my hands went to the back of his head, running through his hair that had grown out long enough for me to dig my fingers into. His fingers, slick with my excitement, slipped from me, and I screamed out with a mix of horror and ecstasy when he slipped one finger into my ass. I was shocked by the bold move, but it felt so good, I couldn’t help but melt into it as he began sucking at my clit while his fingers worked both openings. I looked down my body, watching as my breasts heaved and Ryker’s head moved as my hips bucked and my back arched.
“I like watching you,” I said, my breath hitching as I gasped with each new plunge of his fingers, ever deeper inside me. Ryker’s eyes flashed up to meet mine and I came undone, shuddering back against the bed. My eyes slammed closed, and I moaned uncontrollably as my body hit the heights of my own pleasure and then went free falling back down, leaving me exhausted and dizzy.