comfortable she’ll feel as an actor.”
“Show me,” Ryker demanded. He positioned himself on the
far right side of the stage. “I’m Hank. I’ve just come from an encounter with a
menacing thug that I think may be working for Lena’s brother. I’ve come here
because I’m worried about her, but I’m also suspicious that she may be caught
up in the business.”
Alix nibbled her lower lip and sat down on the arm of the
couch, as Lena had the day before. “So you stalk around the room, as much for
her benefit as yours. She’s by the couch, watching. The camera follows her
point of view, varied between broad shots of your upper body and tight shots on
your hands hovering near your gun, maybe your upper back and the side of your
face.”
Ryker walked around the set slowly. He looked thoughtful
but not hostile. Alix decided that was a good sign.
“Then when you come over to the couch, Lena stands up.
She’s nervous; maybe her hands are trembling. But she knows what she has to
do.”
Ryker stopped a few inches from her. Alix held out one
hand toward him. “She’s pleading, supplicating.”
He took her hand slowly. Alix rose to her feet, the touch
of his hand instantly bringing a warm tingle through her body. “We’ll need to
rewrite a bit of the script here. She says you can’t stay, but she’s holding on
to you like she’s terrified to let go. She’s saying one thing, but her body is
telling you something else. She touches your chest, and you cover her hand with
yours.”
Alix placed her hand over Ryker’s heart and felt the
strong, steady beat through the smooth cotton of his shirt. He brought his
other hand to touch hers, and the jolt of energy that followed was so strong
she jumped.
“And then?” he said, his voice low.
“Why don’t we wait for Jake and Lena to get here,” she
gasped. Her body seemed paralyzed, held in place by the force of his hand
closing over hers.
“If we’re going to bring something new to them, I want to
understand what it is first,” he said. “This partnership isn’t going to work if
we don’t have a unified front.”
She had to admit he had a point. “It isn’t complicated.”
She tried to extract her hand from his, but his fingers tightened around hers.
“You exchange a look with her. You tell her she’s driving you crazy, but you
can’t get romantically involved while you’re on a case. You start to pull away.
She begs you to stay. She brings your arms around her.” Alix twined Ryker’s arm
around her body, trying to convince herself that they were actors in a movie.
That she was not inches away from the body she longed to
rub herself against like a cat at a scratching post.
“You stop, body rigid. Your breathing quickens. She
caresses the side of your face, your hair. You hold back from her, but you’re
obviously fighting a losing battle.” His hair felt soft on her fingers, his jaw
rough with dark stubble. Had he not shaved that morning? Alix swallowed hard
but forced herself to continue. “She twines her fingers in your hair and pulls
your face down to hers. You follow her lead, slowly but surely, eyes never
leaving hers.”
Ryker’s dark gaze devoured her. Her thoughts seemed
determined to scatter, but she forced them back to the reason she was holding
him. “And then they kiss.”
Ryker moved his mouth next to hers, so close she could
feel the touch of his breath sliding across her cheek.
“And it’s your kiss, not mine?” he asked. “You’re in
control?”
Alix nodded, taking short, shallow breaths, fearing her
breasts might brush against him if she sucked in air the way she wanted.
“But how do I feel?” Ryker’s eyes never left hers. He had
moved his hand to her back, pressing her body gently but firmly toward his. She
resisted until the force of his hand pushed her slightly off balance, and she
had to take a step forward to steady herself. The tiny movement brought their
legs brushing against each other. “I’m a man
“Show me,” Ryker demanded. He positioned himself on the
far right side of the stage. “I’m Hank. I’ve just come from an encounter with a
menacing thug that I think may be working for Lena’s brother. I’ve come here
because I’m worried about her, but I’m also suspicious that she may be caught
up in the business.”
Alix nibbled her lower lip and sat down on the arm of the
couch, as Lena had the day before. “So you stalk around the room, as much for
her benefit as yours. She’s by the couch, watching. The camera follows her
point of view, varied between broad shots of your upper body and tight shots on
your hands hovering near your gun, maybe your upper back and the side of your
face.”
Ryker walked around the set slowly. He looked thoughtful
but not hostile. Alix decided that was a good sign.
“Then when you come over to the couch, Lena stands up.
She’s nervous; maybe her hands are trembling. But she knows what she has to
do.”
Ryker stopped a few inches from her. Alix held out one
hand toward him. “She’s pleading, supplicating.”
He took her hand slowly. Alix rose to her feet, the touch
of his hand instantly bringing a warm tingle through her body. “We’ll need to
rewrite a bit of the script here. She says you can’t stay, but she’s holding on
to you like she’s terrified to let go. She’s saying one thing, but her body is
telling you something else. She touches your chest, and you cover her hand with
yours.”
Alix placed her hand over Ryker’s heart and felt the
strong, steady beat through the smooth cotton of his shirt. He brought his
other hand to touch hers, and the jolt of energy that followed was so strong
she jumped.
“And then?” he said, his voice low.
“Why don’t we wait for Jake and Lena to get here,” she
gasped. Her body seemed paralyzed, held in place by the force of his hand
closing over hers.
“If we’re going to bring something new to them, I want to
understand what it is first,” he said. “This partnership isn’t going to work if
we don’t have a unified front.”
She had to admit he had a point. “It isn’t complicated.”
She tried to extract her hand from his, but his fingers tightened around hers.
“You exchange a look with her. You tell her she’s driving you crazy, but you
can’t get romantically involved while you’re on a case. You start to pull away.
She begs you to stay. She brings your arms around her.” Alix twined Ryker’s arm
around her body, trying to convince herself that they were actors in a movie.
That she was not inches away from the body she longed to
rub herself against like a cat at a scratching post.
“You stop, body rigid. Your breathing quickens. She
caresses the side of your face, your hair. You hold back from her, but you’re
obviously fighting a losing battle.” His hair felt soft on her fingers, his jaw
rough with dark stubble. Had he not shaved that morning? Alix swallowed hard
but forced herself to continue. “She twines her fingers in your hair and pulls
your face down to hers. You follow her lead, slowly but surely, eyes never
leaving hers.”
Ryker’s dark gaze devoured her. Her thoughts seemed
determined to scatter, but she forced them back to the reason she was holding
him. “And then they kiss.”
Ryker moved his mouth next to hers, so close she could
feel the touch of his breath sliding across her cheek.
“And it’s your kiss, not mine?” he asked. “You’re in
control?”
Alix nodded, taking short, shallow breaths, fearing her
breasts might brush against him if she sucked in air the way she wanted.
“But how do I feel?” Ryker’s eyes never left hers. He had
moved his hand to her back, pressing her body gently but firmly toward his. She
resisted until the force of his hand pushed her slightly off balance, and she
had to take a step forward to steady herself. The tiny movement brought their
legs brushing against each other. “I’m a man
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