Just One Kiss (Very Irresistible Bachelors Book 2) Page 3

  The second I answered, I knew I was in deep trouble.

  “Hi, Heather.”

  “Hello, possible stranger,” I teased. I had no idea why I kept up the charade. Well, it was fun.

  “You need a reminder about our evening. Let’s see. You came to look for me under the pretense of making it up to me for the other night.”

  My jaw dropped. “It wasn’t pretend. I absolutely meant it.”

  “You also used that excuse to invite me to a drink,” he went on as if I hadn’t interrupted.

  “Again, not an excuse.” I was grinning. By the tone of his voice, I was sure that so did he.

  “So my good looks and talent didn’t have anything to do with your invitation?”

  Yes, they totally did, but I couldn’t admit that and not talk myself into a corner. Of course I would have offered to pay repairs to anyone, but inviting them for a drink? When I didn’t reply, he simply went on.

  “We had drinks. Then you had to leave, and I tried to trick you into staying. I almost convinced you—”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Really?”

  Eh... what could I say? He’d gotten an excellent read on me.

  “You know, even though your interpretation of the events is a little imaginative, it does ring a bell, Ryker.”

  I was fully aware that I’d avoided answering every time he’d put me on the spot.

  “Imaginative?” he asked.

  “Very,” I emphasized. “Are you still at the Northern Lights?”

  I wondered if any woman in the audience had caught his eye... if he was leaving the bar alone. What on earth? It wasn’t any of my business if he was with a woman. Except... I was really hoping he wasn’t.

  “Nah, I’m home already. Set was short, and I left right after. I have an early call tomorrow,” he said.

  “Oh. I assumed you slept in, since you work in the evenings.”

  “Guitar playing is just something I do for fun. My day job requires me to wake up early, unfortunately.”

  “What is your day job?”

  “Venture capitalism.”

  “You work in finance?” Holy hell.

  “Yep.”

  His leather jacket flashed in my memory. I’d gotten an eyeful of his jeans too. They screamed nonconformity and all-around bad boy.

  I whistled. “You had me all fooled. Thought you’re an artist through and through. You sure rock that leather jacket and scruffy jeans.”

  His laughter was so unexpected that I couldn’t help but laugh with him. “I assure you I rock a suit just as well.”

  Come to think of it, I had no idea what he’d been wearing that first night.

  “Full of yourself, are you?”

  “You can say that. I called to ask if you want to come to another set next week. I can lure you here with music, drinks, and a few other things I won’t mention, or you’ll call me imaginative again.”

  Something in the way he said those last two words made my skin sizzle. I couldn’t go, though. It meant missing out on an evening with Avery again. I wanted to say yes but knew I shouldn’t. I wanted to talk to the manager anyway about a job, but I could do that over the phone.

  “Let’s talk about that on Monday.” Apparently, I couldn’t bring myself to say no either.

  “Music to my ears.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I’m even better at... being imaginative in person.”

  Chapter Five

  Heather

  On Monday, I was a little giddy as I headed to the address Ryker had texted me. Did I have an actual reason to be happy? I did not. Was I determined to stay positive? Yes, I was.

  My editor had told me the chances of my bonus being paid out early were slim, but if I brought in a great story and the response to it was enthusiastic, it was possible. The ten ideas I’d pitched weren’t what they were looking for, so I was back to the drawing board.

  Just in case I could not come up with a story idea to their liking, I checked into plan B. Unfortunately, the manager of the Northern Lights said they didn’t need any additional personnel at this time. So although I could look for other waitress jobs, I’d decided my time was better used coming up with a good story.

  I stepped out of the subway at the corner of 57th Street and Seventh Avenue. The second week of March was already much warmer than the first one. Somehow, through the exhaust and leftover garbage on the sidewalk the air smelled fresh, as if the city was preparing itself to go from gray to green any day now. My fellow New Yorkers seemed to share my opinion; I noticed a few more joggers than usual coming out of Central Park. I preferred the gym, where I was safe from the whims of the weather.

  When I stepped inside the guitar shop, I told myself that my giddiness had nothing to do with the fact that I was seeing Ryker again. Except, my heartbeat intensified when I saw him at the far end of the room, talking to the green-haired guy behind the counter. My breath caught when our gazes locked. The intensity in his eyes made me burn.

  He smiled at me, wiggling his eyebrows. Laughing, I made my way to them.

  “How much are the repairs?” I asked.

  “Zero,” said Ryker.

  I glanced at green-haired guy. “He already paid, didn’t he?”

  “He did.”

  Placing my hands on my hips, I shook my head at Ryker. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Give me shit?”

  “I’ll let you get on with that while I pack the guitar away. I’m Arlo, by the way.”

  Arlo disappeared behind a curtain, leaving me alone with Ryker.

  “I came a few minutes earlier, thinking you might do this,” I said.

  “That’s why I came even earlier.” He grinned, and I took stock of his appearance. He must be coming straight from work. He was wearing a fancy black coat, and I could see the bottoms of his suit pants beneath.

  “So, Rose said you asked if she has any openings at the bar,” he said.

  I nodded. “My landlord wants proof that I can afford the apartment on my own. My base salary is low and most of my money comes from a bonus. But I want my daughter to have her own room.”

  Oh... I hadn’t told Ryker about Avery until now. I hadn’t meant to keep it a secret... I’d just got so caught up in our flirting that I didn’t get a chance to mention her.

  “You have a kid?” Ryker asked.

  I nodded, my stomach tightening in a knot. “A seven-year-old girl. Avery.”

  “And that asshole is her dad?”

  “No. Her dad was an even bigger asshole. But Gerald was supposed to move in with us, and the lease was in both our names. Anyway... I asked him to hold off telling the new landlord he’d changed his mind, so I could have time to get my ducks in a row. Instead, he informed him right away.”

  “He had to know you’d have a huge problem on your hands. This is New York. It’s hard finding apartments even in normal circumstances.”

  Ryker’s eyes were feral.

  “I know.”

  “Why don’t we grab some burgers and you tell me more?” He flashed a smile that revealed sexy as hell dimples. Wow. I’d noticed them on Thursday too, but in the dim lighting of the bar they didn’t make an impact. Now, under the neon flash, things were different.

  “I only have forty minutes.”

  “I know a small bistro a few blocks away. They serve excellent burgers, and they’re quick.”

  I was sold. What harm could forty minutes in a bistro do?

  “Okay.”

  Arlo returned with the guitar, and after Ryker strapped it to his shoulder, we left the store.

  “It’s a ten-minute walk. We can grab a cab if you like,” Ryker offered.

  “No, it’s fine. I want to stretch my legs a little.”

  We walked side by side, with him occasionally placing a hand on my lower back to steer me into a side street. Every time he touched me, my body temperature seemed to rise.

  The bistro wasn’t what I expected. I felt as i
f I’d walked into a tiny vacation cabin. Everything was wood paneled, and the seating area consisted of long tables with padded benches. They were so crowded that I couldn’t find a single spot to sit.

  The woman manning the counter seemed to be in her late seventies. She lit up when she saw us.

  “Ryker, finally decided to share your secret eatery with others?”

  He’d brought me to his secret place?

  “No, Mary. Promised I won’t bring Wall Street in here, and I’m sticking to it. Heather is... special. We need to take good care of her, or I risk her not wanting to see my face again.”

  “Pretty face like yours? Tut-tut. I don’t think so. Besides, those dimples are to die for, aren’t they?” She directed the last question to me.

  Ah, his dimples were a national treasure, clearly. Ryker looked at me as if expecting me to actually answer. Instead, I proceeded to order the house specialty: garden burger and chili fries. He ordered the same... and watched me even after Mary started preparing our food. I became hyperaware of every breath I took. When I couldn’t stand the tension anymore, I glanced at him. He wasn’t just watching me. He was studying me.

  “What?” I whispered.

  “You didn’t contradict her.”

  “About what?”

  “The dimples.”

  “It’s rude to contradict someone older than you.”

  “Are you sure it’s the only reason?”

  I rolled my eyes but was giddy inside. I felt as if we were engaging in a foreplay of sorts.

  To my astonishment, after we ordered, Ryker didn’t lead me to one of the long, crammed tables. Instead, we went to the back, up a tiny spiral staircase I hadn’t noticed before. My heartbeat intensified with every step, as if warning me that I was going to get more than I bargained for.

  I sighed when we reached the upper floor. It was small and intimate. There were only a few other people here, and I knew I was absolutely in trouble.

  “You call this a bistro?” I teased.

  “Mary does. I’m just following her lead.”

  Uh-uh... as if. Ryker wasn’t the type to follow anyone’s lead but his own. There were small round tables set around the room.

  We sat at the one near a fake fireplace at the back. Ryker put his guitar against the wall. When he took off his coat, I couldn’t help but stare. He was wearing a navy suit and platinum cuff links—he was every bit a respectable venture capitalist. That half smile didn’t quite fit; too charming, too seductive.

  “And? What’s the verdict?” he asked. “Like the scruffy look or the suit better?”

  I blushed. “Can’t decide.”

  “You need more occasions to decide? I can make that happen.”

  I laughed, just as our food was delivered. I bit into my burger right away. I didn’t even know what to say.

  “So, Mr. Venture Capitalist, care to tell me how you went into finance?” I asked.

  “I’ve always been good with numbers, and I got an internship when I was a college freshman. They said I could have a bright future, so I threw everything I had at it. Worked part-time at the fund after the internship.”

  I had the feeling that was his motto in life. He worked with dedication, played the guitar with passion. I was certain that passion would carry on between the sheets too. I felt my face heat up at the mere thought.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Hmm?”

  “That blush.”

  “Nothing.”

  He didn’t believe me, I was sure of it.

  “Did you ever think about doing something with your music professionally?”

  “Honestly, no. Family finances were precarious. I wanted to contribute. I did odd jobs in high school too. We all did what we could. It was so weird, there were a few years when absolutely everyone in the family was just trying to make ends meet. And then we all sort of started to do well at once. Hunter and Cole suddenly hit it big in real estate, my sisters got great jobs right out of college....”

  “What are they doing?”

  “They’ve just left their jobs to focus on their own business, a lingerie store. They’ve been working twelve hours a day for years, juggling their online shop and jobs. Now they’re also opening a physical store. I don’t think their workload will decrease at all. I have a feeling they’re going to have a tough time in the following months.”

  He frowned, clearly worried about his sisters. I had the sudden urge to reach out and comfort him.

  “But tell me about your living issue.”

  “Well, I really don’t want to move Avery somewhere else. It’s our new home, you know? And she’s already had to change schools once. She loves her room. We’ve just finished decorating, and I don’t want her to feel disheartened if I just drag her somewhere else now.”

  “I’m sure she doesn’t feel that,” he said softly.

  “I don’t know, I just want to give her the best there is.... Anyway, I either need a second job or to convince my current employer to pay part of my bonus earlier, not all of it at the end of the year.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m a reporter for the New York Reports. Pitched a few ideas I could work on along with my current articles, but none were of interest to them.”

  Ryker drummed his fingers over the counter, deep in thought. Even with a table between us, his sexual energy was inescapable. It wrapped around me, pulling me to him like a magnet.

  “Would writing about the Pearman Fund make the cut?”

  I blinked. Sitting up straighter. “That’s the fund you work for?”

  It had received a lot of bad press in industry journals as of late; maybe I could write something to help improve their image.

  “Yes. The HR and marketing departments are trying to come up with ways to improve the company’s reputation.”

  “I’d focus on the people, not the company per se. Letting the workers behind the numbers shine. Do you think I could interview some of the employees?” My brain was already spinning a story. The more I thought of it, the clearer I saw the angle. This actually could work, and I’d enjoy piecing it together.

  “I’ll talk to my team—I think the timing is right, and it’s something we really need now,” he said.

  “Why are you willing to do this?” Honestly, after my last two relationships I was feeling a little raw. I couldn’t believe someone would want to help me.

  “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours?” He smiled, wiggling his eyebrows but then became more serious, saying, “You need a good article, and we need something positive written about us.”

  “It’s not the only reason though, is it?”

  “I was raised by a single mother. I know how much work it takes; how hard it is. Mom struggled a lot raising the four of us and Hunter, our cousin. I don’t want that for you.”

  Oh my God. I couldn’t believe he cared so much, when the man I’d spent two years with didn’t give a damn that Avery and I would be evicted. Ryker seemed so sincere.

  “Thank you,” I said. I wished I could find the right words to tell him how much this meant to me.

  “I’ll talk to my team and let you know. And now, no more talking about stressful things. Tell me about Avery.”

  Of course I beamed, I couldn’t help it—my baby and I were tight. “She’s smart and likes to collect coloring books. She’s just the best kid in the world.”

  Ryker watched me with a smile as I filled him in on my daughter’s accomplishments. But his grin kept growing, and I had to stop and ask him, “What?”

  “Nothing, you just... transform when you talk about her.”

  I blushed, shrugging. “I can go on forever.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  Checking the time on my phone, I gasped. “Oh, no. I have to leave. I promised Avery we’re going to watch a movie.”

  Ryker pushed back from the table. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “Oh, no, no. You’re not done eating.”

  He held my
gaze, smiling shrewdly until I squirmed on my seat. I wasn’t ready to spend even more time with him, and he saw right through me.

  But my excuse was good—I’d already finished my food, but Ryker still had half a burger and almost all the fries. I rose from the table, smiling when Ryker did the same. Taking my coat, he held it for me. His fingers brushed my shoulders. Even through two layers of clothes, the touch made my whole body sizzle. I tried to pull myself together, but clearly that wasn’t possible when I was so close to him. Everything about Ryker was just all-consuming: the way he looked at me, as if he was determined to see right through me; the way he leaned into me, as if he was just barely restraining himself from touching me. I wanted his touch just as much as I feared it.

  “The burgers are excellent. Pity it’s out of my way.” I turned around and licked my lips when I realized we were only inches apart.

  “I’ll lure you back here,” he said confidently.

  “How?”

  “Do you really want to know, or rather I surprise you?”

  “Hmm... now that you mention it, I do like surprises.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. We’ll see each other soon, Heather. One way or another.”

  I was caught up in his flirting game again. How had that happened? Thursday, I thought a little flirting couldn’t do any damage, but now I was wondering if I hadn’t started something I couldn’t stop.

  He smiled, winking at me before I left. My stomach flipped a few times. I pressed my palm against it, but all that accomplished was to make me aware of how erratic my pulse was. Yeah, I’d definitely started something I had no idea how to stop... or if I even wanted to.

  Chapter Six

  Ryker

  I intended to talk to Owen, a fellow fund director, first thing the next morning, but he was out of the office until later in the day. At noon, I met with my siblings and my cousin Hunter for lunch.

  We had “working” lunches once or twice a week. It was the perfect opportunity to catch up. All our offices were located in Manhattan. My brother Cole worked with my cousin, Hunter. They ran one of the most successful real estate development companies around.