Page 49

If she only had a couple days left with Ryder, she wasn’t going to waste it trying to tip-toe around him. She wanted to make some good memories to soften the bad ones.
“Spaghetti,” she declared, grabbing her purse from her office. “And aDoctor Whomarathon.”
There. She’d lobbed the ball in his court. What would he do with it?
“David Tennant.” Was that a hint of amusement in his oh-so-serious expression?
She grinned, feeling ten pounds lighter. “Ha. Matt Smith was the best Doctor Who and you know it!” It was a friendly argument they used to have, sitting in his flat on Saturday evenings, drinking cheap wine or beer and watching episodes of the show.
“We shall have to agree to disagree.”
They kept up the debate on the ride home and over a dinner of spaghetti and salad before settling on the couch in the living room.
Nathalie searched the TV menu to locate the channel showingDoctor Who.Thank God for streaming. She’d had no idea if she would even find it. Something else she’d given up when she left England.
“This is nice.” Ryder’s comment was subdued, as if he’d pushed it reluctantly from his lips. His eyes focused on her and, for once, they appeared free of the guarded look they normally held.
She shifted her legs, the movement pushing her black skirt further up her thighs.
His gaze followed.
Nathalie licked her lips, her pulse quickening as tendrils of arousal flickered in her veins. “It is nice. I didn’t want you leaving with things being awkward between us.”
“I’m not leaving until I know you’re safe.” Ryder reached out, his fingers caressing her cheek. “I told Caleb to head to London after his assignment in Mexico and conduct an interview I was supposed to handle this week for a new agent.”
His touch was scrambling her brain. “What about Grace Winfield?” Why did she sound like she couldn’t take in enough air?
This was the first time he’d looked at her where she didn’t see either a total lack of emotion in his eyes or a simmering resentment.
“Grace and I are friends. That’s all. I’ve already explained to her I have a conflict here that couldn’t be helped.”
“Thank you.” Her vision blurred. She couldn’t help it. After the way they’d parted—the way she’d broken his heart—it was more than she’d expected for him to care enough to want personally to keep her safe.
The fingers on her cheek slid to the back of her neck. Ryder’s gaze softened, and she glimpsed the boy she’d loved inside the man she found dangerously alluring.
He slid closer to her on the couch. “Don’t cry. You know I hate your tears.”
If he didn’t kiss her, she would kiss him. They might never have what they used to have together, but she wasn’t passing up the opportunity to take whatever he was willing to give. She was desperate, needy for it.
They moved together in slow-motion synchronicity, their breaths caressing each other’s lips. It felt…different.
New.
Nathalie tilted her face up, lips parted. Her lids fluttered shut.
Ryder’s cell phone rang.
“Bollocks,” he swore.
Her eyes flew open. “You’re going to answer that?”
The look he shot her was equal measure regret and frustration. “I have to.” He held the phone to his ear. “Nathan. What do you need?”
Nathalie could just make out the baritone rumble of the big Texan on the other end of the line as he spoke.
Ryder’s face lost all expression, his eyes turning cold as gemstones. He looked like the special forces soldier he’d been trained to be.
“Have Danny meet me at the safe house. Once I’ve secured Nathalie, I’ll meet you at Williams,” he told Nathan, then hung up.