Challenging Ryker (Kringle Security #2)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Staying in a hotel room wasn't ideal. That meant that the people who came to visit would see the bed where she and Ryker got down and dirty. And yes, they did that a lot.

Like A LOT. Ryker was insatiable. Especially since they’d almost died.

His words, not hers, because the garage catching fire didn't constitute as almost dying in her mind. The bomb that threw him through a glass door? Now that she considering almost dying. But who was she to argue when the man's way of coping was to give her a ton of orgasms?

"Is there a reason Caden is meeting us here rather than us going to your office?" Amelia did her best to straighten the covers and fix the pillows but nothing she seemed to do helped. There was no hiding how they had spent the remainder of their night.

"Because I'm not ready to leave this hotel room yet." Ryker nuzzled his nose into her neck, causing her to giggle in the process. She shoved at his rock-hard stomach. She knew if it weren’t for him allowing her to move him, he never would’ve budged. That alone should’ve annoyed her. Instead, she focused on straightening the blankets and pillows.

"Our room smells like sex , Ryker. I doubt Caden wants to smell that."

"He'll get over it."

The man was unreasonable. No one got over that.

She didn't get a chance to argue her point before there was a knock on the door. So much for airing the room out. Not that it was much of an option. They were on the seventh floor of the hotel, so the windows only opened up a crack. Something about not wanting people to jump out. That sounded great and all, but it did nothing to help her current situation.

"I guess we know what the two of you have been doing since the fire last night," Austin chuckled as he walked into the room and took a spot against the wall, leaning against it with a huge grin on his face.

Ryker growled, "Watch it, brother," and threw a pillow at his friend. The same pillow she had straightened barely a minute ago.

Austin easily caught it and continued to laugh, while her face was as red as the damn comforter on the bed.

But it was Caden's bored look that really took the cake. She felt silly worrying about what he would think. The man never showed emotion, and if he had any opinion about what Austin said, he kept it to himself.

"Where's the anklet?" Caden asked her.

As per usual, he completely ignored the other two men as if they weren't acting like children and got on with it.

Amelia lifted her leg and set it on the bed. "On my ankle. Here, let me take it off."

She took her time unclasping the delicate chain, and once it was off her ankle, she set it carefully down on the small desk.

Caden got right down to business, plopping into the rolling chair and scooting it in. He pulled a box from the backpack she didn't realize he had brought in with him, as well as a pouch that unraveled to reveal a variety of tiny tools.

"Just how small is this tracker?" She leaned over Caden's shoulder to get a better look. He didn't seem the least bit bothered that she was invading his space.

Amelia didn't have the first clue what she was looking at. Everything was so damn tiny that she couldn't figure out how it was supposed to keep track of her location.

"Small enough that it will be safely hidden behind one of the puzzle pieces," Caden answered without looking up. He continued to work as if he had never spoken. This man's level of concentration was intense.

It made her wonder what his story was.

Was he always this serious or did something happen to change it? And if he was always like this, then what kind of woman would it take to loosen him up some? Because she was convinced he needed to have more fun in his life.

And she’d only known him for a few short weeks.

"Done," Caden announced a moment later.

"Wait, that's it?" She blinked.

"That's it. I just sent Tex a message. He's going to make sure everything is good on his end, but otherwise, yeah, that's it."

"Don't you find it just a little concerning how easy that was? I mean, less than five minutes and this guy can track my every movement."

The panic she had first felt started to creep back in. She trusted Ryker and his friends, but she didn't know this Tex guy. Was she trading one stalker in for another?

Ryker must've sensed her spiraling thoughts because before she could fall into a full-blown panic attack, he was right there having her place her hand over his heart.

"Feel my heartbeat, sweetheart. Match your rhythm to mine." She focused on the beat under her fingers and tried to mimic her breathing to his. It took a few tries, but eventually, she was able to get it. "Atta girl. Keep going."

In and out. In and out. Everything else in the room faded away and it was just the two of them, breathing together. Eventually, her racing pulse slowed down and she no longer felt like everything was out of her control.

"Feel better?"

She nodded her head. She wasn't ready to talk just yet. She wasn't ready to break the connection they had. It was more intimate than any physical contact could ever be.

It was Caden who finally broke the silence.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but I promise you Tex is a great guy. He doesn't give a shit what you do on a regular day. His only concern is finding you if and when we need to. He won't even so much as look at your tracker unless I ask him to. And the deal I made with him doesn't allow me access either. It's another safeguard in place to protect you and your privacy. It's the same for Monica."

That's right, Monica had the same thing. She needed that reminder.

She could do this. Ryker was nothing like Gavin. He didn't want to control her. He didn't want to know her every move. He just wanted her safe. And this was a way to do it.

"Sorry,” Amelia said, looking at the floor. “I didn't mean to freak out on you guys like that."

"Don't ever apologize for voicing how you feel," Austin told her. "I would be more concerned if you just went along with everything without ever questioning us. I know you trust us, but we’d still prefer you ask if something is bothering you. It's the only way we can help."

The more time she spent with Austin, the more she liked the man. He gave her a level of comfort she didn't think she would ever feel around Ryker's friends.

"Thank you. I appreciate that." She took another big gulp of air before letting it out slowly. "Can I put it back on now?"

She missed the weight of it on her body. She had been concerned at first that it would bother her but she actually found the weight a comfort. Or maybe it was just the fact that Ryker gave it to her.

"Allow me." Ryker took the delicate chain from Caden's hand and gently put it around her ankle. Once it was clasped, he placed a featherlight kiss right above where the two pieces connected and smiled up at her from where he was knelt down on the floor.

Suddenly, she wanted everyone out of the room. To hell with what his friends thought. She needed to show this man how much he meant to her.