Page 7 of Bad for Business (Pembroke Hills #2)

SEVEN

CAMILLE

“Will this room work okay?” Ryker asks from behind me.

I look over my shoulder, finding him leaning against the doorframe. He has his arms folded across his chest as his brown eyes watch me closely.

“Yes,” I answer, ripping my gaze from his to look around the room.

It’s bigger than I was expecting. A large white oak bed sits against the far wall.

It’s massive and stunning, looking like it’d been picked straight from an estate sale and placed into the house.

A beautiful pale blue comforter sits on the freshly made bed.

Whoever was in charge of getting the house ready did a good job.

There are even fresh-cut flowers sitting on the large dresser that make the whole room smell incredible.

Ryker’s quiet. He spent the entire morning chatting away. Even when I made it obvious I wasn’t listening to him, he still didn’t stop talking. But since we got here, he’s been quieter than normal.

“You should be happy to know it’s the farthest room from mine,” he remarks, his tone a little flat.

I nod, turning to face him. He stares right back, keeping his mouth shut as he waits for me to say something.

We stare at one another for a moment, both lost in our thoughts as we wait for the other to break the silence.

I sigh, trying not to get lost staring into his mahogany-colored eyes.

He watches me closely, his shoulders rising and falling with shallow breaths as if he’s hoping I’ll say something.

For the first time today, he looks at me without the glint of humor in his eyes.

For some reason, this look from him makes me want to let my guard slip, even if just for a moment.

But he’s tricked me once. I won’t let it happen again.

Spending time with him is strictly professional, and I can’t let his good looks and puppy dog eyes distract me.

I rub my hands over my thighs before pushing my shoulders back. “How about we get unpacked, and then we can meet in an hour or two to talk about our plan?”

The seriousness of the moment gets swept away. Ryker raises an eyebrow. He adjusts his position against the doorframe as a smile blooms on his lips. “We just got here, and you’re already wanting to go over a plan?”

I purse my lips and narrow my eyes. “Of course. We’re here for business, Ryker. Not for fun. We need to get a plan together as soon as we can.”

“I remember you being more fun,” he tosses out with a smirk.

My eyes go wide at his remark. “You’re breaking rule number two,” I hurriedly get out.

Ryker laughs. “Camille, I never actually agreed to your rules.”

Anger brews deep inside me. I don’t know if it’s because he isn’t listening to me or the fact that my skin heats at the memory of what fun he means.

“You did. Or you will. We’ll meet in an hour.”

“I don’t want to plan in an hour.”

I let out an annoyed groan as I force myself to meet his eyes. “I don’t remember asking what you want.”

His grin gets even wider. “Shouldn’t you care what I want? Make the client happy and all?”

“Your father hired the firm, not you. What you want doesn’t matter to me. The only thing that matters is that we get out of here as soon as we can.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t make my father look bad again.

I plan on being on my best behavior.” He takes a step closer to me, effortlessly tucking his hands into his pockets as he keeps his stare on me.

The smile on his face doesn’t falter once.

“But unlike you, I enjoyed myself that night we had together. Maybe I want to talk about it.”

I roll my eyes, my cheeks flushing in anger. It’s cruel of him to tell me he enjoyed that night when he wasn’t even in bed when I woke up the next morning.

“Ryker,” I begin, his name leaving my mouth accompanied by a long sigh.

“That night is something we should forget about. It happened between two people who thought they’d never see each other again.

It was nothing . Meant nothing. And talking about it only makes things between us unnecessarily complicated.

Rule number two. We don’t talk about it. Got it?”

His smile falls. All humor is wiped from his features as he stares blankly back at me. “Nothing?” he asks, his voice tighter than it was before.

“Nothing,” I confirm, keeping my voice confident. “It was a mistake, but that doesn’t mean we have to let it get in the way of us cleaning up your image for the summer. We’re going to get you that board approval.”

He swallows, his gaze leaving mine. I watch him closely as he runs a hand over his mouth and looks around the room. Slowly, he nods before looking at me once again. “A mistake. Nothing.” He smiles again, but this one seems a little more forced. “You’re right. I was thinking the same thing.”

“Did you just tell me I was right?” I ask, a little in shock. The air between us changes. It seems…stiff. There’s a sudden shift in his demeanor as everything about him seems rigid as well.

He gives one curt nod of his head. “I did. You’re right. At least we can agree on one thing.”

I narrow my eyes on him, wondering why his words come out a little rushed. Before I can ask him, he’s backing out of the room.

“We’ll meet in the kitchen in an hour,” I call, watching him retreat from the room.

All Ryker does is laugh.

I want to call after him and force him to confirm the meeting time, but I bite my tongue.

I just have to trust him that no matter his annoyance with me, he’ll still do what’s in his best interest and come up with a plan with me.

As much as he gets on my nerves, it’s obvious in the few conversations we’ve had that he doesn’t want to create a bad image for Davenport Media.

But I instantly regret putting any sort of faith in him when I find myself waiting at the kitchen counter for two hours with no sign of Ryker.