She shrugged. “I think that’s up to you and Ryker.”
“It feels right, I guess. It wasn’t like we had a conversation about it. Like last night, he didn’t get there until almost three in the morning.”
I didn’t mention how I hadn’t thought he was going to come over, not when he’d called and said he had to work late. But then I’d woken to the feel of his body against my back and his arm slung over my waist.
“What’re you doing here?” I’d murmured, reaching behind me to push my fingers into his hair.
He’d nuzzled my neck, his lips pressed to the tender spot beneath my jaw. “Couldn’t stand not seeing you,” he’d whispered in my ear.
Ryker was a hard-as-nails homicide detective for the Chicago PD. To say he wasn’t the type to “share his feelings” was an understatement. So when he said that, my eyes had flown open in surprise.
“Really?” I asked, turning in his arms. Our relationship was still new and we’d both shied away from any big declarations.
“Really.”
He’d made short work of the pajamas I’d worn to bed, his hands skating down my hips to my thighs as he moved above me. His lips met mine and I slipped his dog tags around to his back from where they’d rested against me.
I was lost in the memories of what had happened next when I heard my name.
“Hey, Sage. Snap out of it.”
I glanced over at Megan, sheepish, but she was grinning.
“You’re hopelessly whipped,” she said, rolling her eyes at me.
“I’m not whipped,” I protested. “I’m just … heavily in like.”
“So we’re not mentioning the other L-word?” she said, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s only been four months.”
“Which is longer than any other relationship you’ve had in the past two years,” she said. “I’m surprised Parker’s allowed it.”
My smile faded at the mention of my boss, Parker Anderson. I knew Megan was kidding … sort of. My work had intruded on my personal time ever since I’d begun my job almost two years ago as Executive Administrative Assistant to Parker Anderson, Director of Investment Analytics at KLP Capital, which was the investment bank in Chicago.
Four months ago, that changed. Whereas I used to get calls at all hours—and I did literally mean all hours—from Parker for various work things, now he rarely called in the evening, and never on the weekends. I should be glad for the space he’d given me. And I was.
Sort of.
“It’s not up to Parker to allow anything,” I said. “It’s my life.”
“And you’re sleeping with his arch-nemesis,” she reminded me.
“So they had a falling-out. It was forever ago.” I shrugged, popping the rest of the donut into my mouth.
“It was over a woman and they still hate each other,” she said. “It’s not like they’re let-bygones-be-bygones kind of guys.”
That much was true. Parker and Ryker actively despised each other, which was kind of sad, considering how they’d been best friends all through childhood, even going as far as to join the Marines together. A woman named Natalie changed all that. They both fell in love with her, and now she was dead.
“I thought you were all about me not letting Parker and my job take over my life,” I reminded Megan. “You should be glad he’s backed off, not giving me trouble about it.”
“I am glad he’s been a lot less of a jerk to you than usual,” she amended, primly blotting her lips with a napkin. “I was just kind of wondering if you are.”
I didn’t have a response to that, and still didn’t even after she’d dropped me back at my apartment. Parker and I had always had a good working relationship—professional and intuitive. I’d liked and admired him from nearly the first time we’d met and he’d given me the job, despite my woeful lack of experience. I’d worked hard for him and the job was a good one. I hadn’t complained at the hours or how often he began contacting me when I wasn’t technically on the clock.
And if part of the reason for that was that I’d fallen in love with him, well, no one had to know that but me.
As an only child to wealthy parents who were still in love even after thirty years of marriage, it was good to feel needed. Because that’s how Parker made me feel. Indispensable. Even if he didn’t look at me the same way I looked at him.
When I’d finally realized that Parker didn’t reciprocate my feelings and never would, I’d decided I wasn’t going to let an infatuation with my boss hold me back from pursuing a relationship with Ryker. Ryker was a good man who wanted me, desired me, and made my pulse climb whenever he was near.
As though the thought had conjured him, Ryker poked his head out of my kitchen when I pushed open my apartment door. He’d obviously just showered, since his dark hair was still wet and he wore only a pair of jeans. The dog tags he never took off dangled from his neck as he headed for me.