Challenging Ryker (Kringle Security #2)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"This isn't up for debate, Ryker." Amelia crossed her arms over her chest. "I need to go to the office today and meet with Monica and a few of the board members."

This was becoming a habit for them. A night of amazing sex, Ryker waking her up much the same way, and then some kind of argument about reality. If she didn't know it all stemmed from him wanting to keep her safe, then she would wonder if maybe their relationship wasn't so normal after all.

"You heard what Caden said. We thought Gavin was dangerous when he was just a con artist but he escaped from a mental institution . The man is literally psycho. I don't want you within five hundred miles of him."

She had heard Caden loud and clear. She even knew that Ryker was right. It was better if she stayed in the hotel room, but she was sick of being cooped up, sick of living her life scared that Gavin would find her again. She had a life to live and that started with showing the board that she was serious about her new job. She took the mental health days Monica recommended, and now she was ready to get back to work.

"Yes, I heard him, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm going to work. That I need to go to work. It's important to me that I make my own way in life."

Her situation with Gavin had taught her a lot of things. One of which was that she would have a way to support herself, affording her the ability to leave if needed.

Ryker didn't back down. "Pretty sure if you explain the situation, they would understand."

Amelia forced herself to take a few deep breaths. She didn't want to argue with Ryker before she left for work but he was making it very hard to stay calm.

"I'm sure they would, but I'm not going to do that. Dom is there with Monica and Austin will join him once he finishes whatever Caden has him doing. I'll be fine."

Ryker snagged her around the waist and pulled her against him. "I'm sure I could find ways to keep us both occupied."

She was sure he could, as well. The one thing Ryker didn't lack was creativity. He had it in spades. Especially in the bedroom. Hell, he had it in the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. There wasn't a room he couldn't find a way to make her come repeatedly. On his cock, fingers, and especially his tongue.

Amelia knew without a shadow of a doubt if she stayed home from work today, he would make it worth her while. But then she would be giving him a free pass to use sex to change her mind in the future, and she couldn't let that happen.

"I know you can." She rubbed herself against his thick erection. "But you can't use sex to get what you want."

Ryker pouted. "It was worth a shot. It's not my fault I find you irresistible. If it was up to me, we would spend all our time locked behind closed doors."

She rested her forehead against his. Ryker was hard to resist on a good day. Forget when he was looking sexy as hell in a pair of sweatpants and a shirt that stretched across every one of his muscles. "You know that's not possible. I had one man in my life who tried to control me. I refuse to let another."

Ryker stepped back as if she slapped him. "That's not what . . ."

She pressed her finger against his lips. "I know that's not what you're trying to do. You just want to protect me. Believe me, I understand the difference, but I can't cave. I can't go down that path. I need to stand strong for myself."

Amelia knew she had worn him down when he sighed. "I told you I was going to fuck this up at some point."

She smiled at him. "You didn't fuck anything up. You care about me. That's why I'm not mad that you want me to stay here. I know my safety has always been your first priority, but you need to trust that I'm also going to do everything to stay safe. I want to spend my life loving you and I can't do that if I'm being irresponsible. But I can't let this situation control me either. I have to trust that you and your team have my back."

A goofy smile spread across Ryker's face. "You love me?"

"That's all you got out of what I said?”

His smile didn't go away. If anything, it got bigger and she rolled her eyes when he answered, "Of course, that's all I heard. Now answer the question, sweetheart. Do you love me?"

He was such a pain in her ass; it was a good thing she really did love him. That didn't mean she should respond too quickly. And would it be too much to ask him to say it first?

"Come on. I'm going to need you to say it so I can say it back."

Well, shit. That was all it took for her to swoon and to say the hell with it. She could appease him this one time. "I love you, Ryker."

"I love you too, sweetheart. But next time you decide to have this heart-to-heart, make sure it's when we have time to go back to bed so I can show you properly what those words do to me."

The grin on her face was so big that it hurt. It had been so long since she had a reason to smile so much. "I'll try to remember that."

"Have a great day at work. I'll see you when you come back home to me."

His kiss made her knees weak and stole her breath away. Then there was the fact that he said home . Because that was exactly what he was to her. He was her home and she would enjoy coming back to him every day. Preferably not to this hotel, but soon they would have their own place.

The smirk didn't slip off her face the entire drive into work. A few weeks ago if someone had told her she would be smiling because she was living with Ryker, she would've told them they were crazy.

Sex? Sure, she could've seen that being the reason Ryker made her twinkle, and that was definitely a perk, but the real reason for the smile was because Ryker loved her.

The man who just weeks earlier would've run just from the mention of love was now spreading that shit far and wide.

Okay, not really. He was giving it to her and only her, but that was beside the point.

Amelia parked the car and waved to Dom on her way into the building. He likely thought she was crazy, grinning like a damn fool, but she didn't care. Let him think what he wanted. She was happy and there was nothing that was going to change that.

She was about to step into the elevator when a motion off to the side caught her attention. Someone had left the emergency door open. That wasn't safe and the door clearly stated it needed to be closed at all times. She walked over to where it was propped open and reached for the handle.

She realized her mistake instantly when she was yanked through the opening and a hand covered her mouth.

"I told you, you could never leave me." Gavin's hot breath sent chills down her spine and not the good kind. "You should've stayed where I put you, pet."

The nickname flashed her back to the first time Gavin had shown his true colors. She had known as soon as he called her that, things weren't what they seemed. She had wanted a man like the ones she’d read about. Instead she found a man whose only thought was that he could own her.

Fight or flight kicked in. She fought and screamed with all her might but it was no use. His hand muffled any sounds she tried to make, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't connect with anything. Before she knew it, Amelia was being thrown into the trunk of a vehicle and the lid was slammed shut before she could fight her way out.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

She should've listened to Ryker and spent the day with him. Her damn pride had kept her from doing as such and look where it got her. Ryker was going to be so pissed at her.

No, he wouldn't. He loves me.

Anxiety threatened to crush her until she remembered the anklet Ryker gave her. She reached down under her dress pants to make sure it was still there. Relief flooded her system when she felt the delicate chain still resting against her bone.

Ryker did love her, and that was enough to keep her from spiraling. Monica would sound the alarm as soon as she didn't show for the meeting, and Ryker would come rescue her. She just needed to stall until then.