cutting himself another bite of pork.
“Hey.” She put her hand on his arm. “Don’t. I always hated the way you did that.”
“What?” His mouth was full.
“Put yourself down.” She frowned, glancing at the retreating back of Mrs. Whelan in her motorized seat.
“I just did it before anyone else got a chance to. Hurts less that way.”
Annalesa leaned her forehead against his bicep for a moment. The amount of muscle the man had restrained under his suit jacket was impressive. She could feel it, just in the motion he made cutting his meat.
She felt his lips brush the top of her head, briefly.
“Thanks for following me,” he said softly.
“I told you I would.”
“Yeah… I just didn’t know you really meant it.”
“Well, I have to be honest .” She wrinkled her nose in Mrs. Whelan’s direction. “I almost apologized to her for you—typical me.”
“But you didn’t?” He cocked a bronze eyebrow at her.
“No, I didn’t.” She squinted at the exit, seeing her mother following Mrs. Whelan. Even from this distance, Annalesa could see her mother’s bewildered, conciliatory body language as the bitchy old teacher zoomed through the double doors.
Is that what I look like? She wondered, frowning at the thought. It was like watching someone grovel at the feet of something unworthy. It left a bad taste in her mouth.
“Fuck.” Ric swore, then sighed, seeing the same thing as Annalesa. Her mother was heading their way. “I’m about to get a lecture.”
“Ricard Ryker.” Annalesa’s mother shook a finger at him as she slid onto the bench opposite. “If I was still technically your stepmother right now, I’d box your ears.”
“What?” He blinked, trying to look innocent, but a slow grin came over his face.
“Why do you think we invited her?” She shook her head now instead of her finger. “It certainly wasn’t because she once gave you piano lessons.”
“I do read my business emails, you know.” Ric chuckled, explaining to Annalesa. “She’s an investor.”
“Oh, no.” Annalesa’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, yes.” Her mother’s lips pressed into a thin line as she looked at Ric. “And she happens to own a considerable portion of Ryker shares. But now, thanks to your stepbrother, she’s talking about selling.”
“Good.” Ric snorted, piercing a piece of meat with his fork. “If she’s going to talk that way to Leesa? She’s not a shareholder I want on the board.”
“I appreciate the sentiment.” Annalesa’s mother sighed, relenting a little. “But you know as well as I do, there are people who want Ryker shares who we definitely don’t want on the board. And now Mrs. Whelan’s millions are going to be loose on the market.”
Annalesa smirked at the image that conjured in her head. She pictured stacks of dollar bills dashing everywhere.
“I’ll buy them the minute they’re sold. Don’t worry. I’m just going to grab a beer.” Ric stood and kissed his stepmother on the cheek. “Do you ladies want anything?”
“Wine.” Annalesa nodded vehemently as her mother shook her head. “Lots and lots of wine.”
Ric gave her a knowing wink and headed for the bar.
“God, Ryker men are so maddening!” Her mother drew her hands down her face, then raked her fingers through shoulder-length chestnut hair. Just like Annalesa’s own, but with hints of grey. “He couldn’t have been nice to her for five minutes?”
“She really kind of deserved it.”
“That’s not what Mrs. Whelan said.”
“Mother, within minutes, that woman claimed I could never play piano, she said I’d gotten fat, and then she told me I was lucky I was a trust fund baby now, otherwise I’d die a starving artist.”
“She didn’t!” Annalesa’s mother gasped. “Of course, Ric didn’t take well to that...”
“He’s Ric.”
“He
“Hey.” She put her hand on his arm. “Don’t. I always hated the way you did that.”
“What?” His mouth was full.
“Put yourself down.” She frowned, glancing at the retreating back of Mrs. Whelan in her motorized seat.
“I just did it before anyone else got a chance to. Hurts less that way.”
Annalesa leaned her forehead against his bicep for a moment. The amount of muscle the man had restrained under his suit jacket was impressive. She could feel it, just in the motion he made cutting his meat.
She felt his lips brush the top of her head, briefly.
“Thanks for following me,” he said softly.
“I told you I would.”
“Yeah… I just didn’t know you really meant it.”
“Well, I have to be honest .” She wrinkled her nose in Mrs. Whelan’s direction. “I almost apologized to her for you—typical me.”
“But you didn’t?” He cocked a bronze eyebrow at her.
“No, I didn’t.” She squinted at the exit, seeing her mother following Mrs. Whelan. Even from this distance, Annalesa could see her mother’s bewildered, conciliatory body language as the bitchy old teacher zoomed through the double doors.
Is that what I look like? She wondered, frowning at the thought. It was like watching someone grovel at the feet of something unworthy. It left a bad taste in her mouth.
“Fuck.” Ric swore, then sighed, seeing the same thing as Annalesa. Her mother was heading their way. “I’m about to get a lecture.”
“Ricard Ryker.” Annalesa’s mother shook a finger at him as she slid onto the bench opposite. “If I was still technically your stepmother right now, I’d box your ears.”
“What?” He blinked, trying to look innocent, but a slow grin came over his face.
“Why do you think we invited her?” She shook her head now instead of her finger. “It certainly wasn’t because she once gave you piano lessons.”
“I do read my business emails, you know.” Ric chuckled, explaining to Annalesa. “She’s an investor.”
“Oh, no.” Annalesa’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, yes.” Her mother’s lips pressed into a thin line as she looked at Ric. “And she happens to own a considerable portion of Ryker shares. But now, thanks to your stepbrother, she’s talking about selling.”
“Good.” Ric snorted, piercing a piece of meat with his fork. “If she’s going to talk that way to Leesa? She’s not a shareholder I want on the board.”
“I appreciate the sentiment.” Annalesa’s mother sighed, relenting a little. “But you know as well as I do, there are people who want Ryker shares who we definitely don’t want on the board. And now Mrs. Whelan’s millions are going to be loose on the market.”
Annalesa smirked at the image that conjured in her head. She pictured stacks of dollar bills dashing everywhere.
“I’ll buy them the minute they’re sold. Don’t worry. I’m just going to grab a beer.” Ric stood and kissed his stepmother on the cheek. “Do you ladies want anything?”
“Wine.” Annalesa nodded vehemently as her mother shook her head. “Lots and lots of wine.”
Ric gave her a knowing wink and headed for the bar.
“God, Ryker men are so maddening!” Her mother drew her hands down her face, then raked her fingers through shoulder-length chestnut hair. Just like Annalesa’s own, but with hints of grey. “He couldn’t have been nice to her for five minutes?”
“She really kind of deserved it.”
“That’s not what Mrs. Whelan said.”
“Mother, within minutes, that woman claimed I could never play piano, she said I’d gotten fat, and then she told me I was lucky I was a trust fund baby now, otherwise I’d die a starving artist.”
“She didn’t!” Annalesa’s mother gasped. “Of course, Ric didn’t take well to that...”
“He’s Ric.”
“He
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