Ryker appeared over my shoulder, his hand sliding onto my hip. “Don’t believe a word she says,” he said to me. “It’s all lies.”
“I was just getting ready to tell her about the time you arrested that lady and it turned out to be a man,” Amy teased.
Ryker groaned. “That’s one strip search I’ll never forget.”
Amy and I laughed. After that, it was a little easier. Anisha didn’t say much to me, but that was okay. Sammy was nice and the guys made everyone laugh with their constant ribbing of each other. All in all, it was a relaxing afternoon and by the time we’d eaten and gotten back to the pier, I’d consumed enough beer to be more than a little tipsy. I’d also deepened my tan and the bikini looked amazing. It was skimpier than anything I’d worn before, but I’d seen it on the hanger and had only thought of how Ryker would react when he saw it. Considering how he’d been using any excuse to touch me all afternoon, I thought it was a pretty good bet that he liked it very much.
Tyrone and Troy were docking the boat while Ryker and I stood at the bow, watching as the sun was beginning to set. His chest was hot against my back and his arms wrapped around my waist. I rested my head back against his shoulder and he leaned down to press his lips to the dip between my neck and shoulder.
Another boat was docked next to ours and I glanced over to the deck. A man stood opposite us, maybe thirty or forty feet away. He had on an unbuttoned white shirt that blew in the wind and his dark hair ruffled with the breeze. He was striking, a charisma about him drawing my eye as Ryker pressed kisses to my bare shoulder. Then he turned, and though he wore sunglasses I knew he was looking at me, and I realized why he looked so familiar.
It was Parker.
His chest was deliciously bare and showing the six-pack of muscles usually hidden underneath his suits. The loose-fitting linen pants he wore hit low on his lean hips. He was holding a glass of white wine, and once he saw me, he froze. I wondered if he knew who I was. Probably not, not at this distance with my hair tousled by the wind and wearing sunglasses. No doubt the bikini had caught his eye—he was a man, after all.
But then he dipped his head, just a little, just enough that it couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than an acknowledgment. He took a drink of the wine, still looking my way.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Ryker’s growl forced my gaze away from Parker.
“Out on his boat,” I said. “Just like us.” I’d forgotten about the bill, deducted from Parker’s account every month, for docking his boat here. I’d never seen his boat before, though I’d known he had one.
“I don’t like how he’s looking at you.” Ryker’s arms pulled me farther back into him.
“He’s looking at us,” I said mildly. “And may I remind you that I’m his assistant. He looks at me every day.”
“Not wearing that bikini, he doesn’t.”
I was distracted from the argument by someone else on Parker’s boat. A woman. She’d just come up the steps from the cabin below
She was tall and lean—Victoria’s Secret model–type lean—with long, dark hair, and sporting oversize designer sunglasses. Wearing a black bikini that made mine look like a modest vintage piece, she strutted up to Parker, blocking my view of him. She slid her hands around his waist and tipped her head up. The three-inch heels she wore put her only slightly shorter than he was. I saw his lips tilt in a half-smile, then he kissed her.
Well.
Good for him. Really.
There was an ache in my gut that hadn’t been there before, but I ignored it. I still had half a beer left and I chugged it, daintily covering my mouth when the very non-dainty burp erupted.
“Oops. Sorry.”
But Ryker just laughed and scooped me up in his arms. I squealed as the deck tilted underneath me, clutching at his shoulders.
“You shouldn’t do that to someone who’s drank as much as I have today,” I said. “You’re liable to get puked on.”
“I’ll take my chances,” he said with a grin. “I’m ready to get home and get you out of that bikini that’s been driving me insane all day.”
I glanced over his shoulder to where Parker still stood with the woman. He was playing with her hair now and talking, and didn’t look our way. My smile faded.
“Yeah, me too.”
Later that night, we sat in my living room eating pizza, and I decided to bring up what had happened today.
“I don’t think your friends like me all that much,” I said, taking a drink of water. I needed to hydrate.
Ryker frowned at me as he reached for another slice. “Why do you say that?”
“Because I work for Parker and don’t think he’s the devil.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course they like you.”
“How did you and Parker meet?” I asked, deciding to drop that particular topic. “No one seems to know.”
“Why do you want to know?” he asked.
“Why don’t you want to tell me?” I countered.