Page 40 of Bad for Business

“Refuse to accept a compliment.” He leans forward, resting his chin on his forearm as he focuses on me.

I shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t be here. One of us needs to go.

He’s my client, and I’m too tired to put up the wall I normally have with him. Lying to my dad drained me. And now that I’ve sat out here feeling guilty about it, I’m too tired to pretend to hate Ryker.

I also have to remind myself that the man staring back at me hurt me. It’s not something I like admitting to myself, but there was something about the night we met that felt special to me. He seemed like a good guy. He seemed like he liked me. I let my guard down with him and was quickly reminded why I always have a guard up in the first place when I woke up alone the next morning.

Ryker’s gaze rakes over my face. I’ve never really cared to know what people think about me. It’s better to not know. But right now, I want to know everything that’s running through his head.

“Don’t avoid my question,” he demands, his voice husky and doing things to my body it absolutely shouldn’t.

Did I drink tonight?

I know I didn’t, but my head feels fuzzy enough to question that fact. I haven’t had a sip of alcohol. Meaning the buzz I’m feeling is because of him and him alone.

“I’m not avoiding it,” I answer. I sigh, pulling my legs out of the water and turning my body to face his. I pull my legs into my chest as well. We’re mirroring each other, sitting on the ledge of the pool, our feet side by side. We don’t touch at all, but something about the position seems intimate.

I wonder if I should scoot back.

I can’t.

I’m locked in his stare.

“Then tell me why you’re always defensive.”

His question feels like a slap to the face. I wasn’t expecting it. “That wasn’t what you said,” I point out, my words barely above a whisper. “You asked why I refused to take a compliment and didn’t mention anything about me being defensive.”

I try not to focus on the twitch of his lips as they turn into a cocky smirk.

God, I’ve wanted to wipe a smirk from his mouth so many times in the weeks since we’ve been here. Now, the only way I want to get rid of that smirk is by pressing my lips to it.

I close my eyes for a moment.

What is happening to me?

I need to get inside.

This is Ryker Davenport.

My client.

The bane of my existence.

The reason I think I found my very first gray hair the other day at the ripe age of twenty-four.

I shouldn’t want to kiss him.

But Iabsolutelywant to kiss him.

It’s the only thing I can think about right now.

I open my eyes to find his gaze locked on my lips.

It seems I’m the only one thinking about kissing the other and I don’t know if that realization is thrilling or terrifying.

“I think you not being able to take a compliment comes from you being defensive. They go hand in hand. So tell me, why are you always so defensive?”

I swallow, my entire body feeling tight from the question. Even though our walls seem to be lowered, at least for the moment, I don’t want to be fully honest with Ryker. I can’t be. I can’t even explain to myself why it feels like I need to alwayshave my guard up around others. All I know is that the thought of opening up and being vulnerable makes my skin crawl.