living on an island where they probably make lasagna with cottage cheese.” The cramp in Ryder’s stomach had nothing to do with hunger and everything to do with the hot guy she’d left in the suite.
A staticky silence crackled from her cell phone as she paced in front of the ice machine. A crash sounded behind her and she whipped around, half expecting to see Devin and his drool-worthy six-pack leaning against a wall. Instead, the hall remained empty. More banging emanated from the ice machine as it dropped a fresh load of ice into the freezer.
High-strung? Her? Not at all.
“Yeah, yeah, calm down. I promise not to breathe a word of it to your brother, even if he is asleep in the next room and would turn about twenty shades of pissed off if I told him you were sleeping with a client.”
Her brother’s live-in girlfriend and her best friend or not, Ryder was going to kill Sylvie.
“ Slept . Past tense. It will not happen again.”
“That sure was convincing, said no one, ever.”
Ryder shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t even like him.” Good thing she was leaning against the ice machine because her black pants were about to spontaneously combust.
“ Uh-huh .”
“He’s just so…”
“Hot? Good in bed? Sex on a stick?”
Yes. Yes. And yes . “You are not helping, Sylvie.”
“Look, I remember what you were like after you two hooked up and you ditched him like Cinderella after the ball. You were a mopey and snarly woman, and if I didn’t love you, I’d have conked you over the head with my favorite Coach bag. Something about this guy just does it for you. Maybe it’s time you started listening to that little voice inside you. Your instincts weren’t totally off with any of your exes—even with Heath. You went with your gut and you found out the truth.”
The idea of doing that scared and thrilled her. Could she trust herself again? Was she on target with Devin?
“Anyway,” Sylvie chuckled. “You’re in a tropical island paradise with him, you might as well go for broke.”
Ryder’s stomach fluttered. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“What are friends for?”
“Chocolate ice cream and booze.”
Sylvie laughed. “Yeah, I’m good for that, too.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to need both when I get back to Harbor City. Thanks for everything, Sylvie.”
“No problem.” She sighed. “But think about what I had said, okay?”
Thinking about Devin wasn’t the problem. The fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about the hotness sitting in the suite, now that was a huge problem.
“Before you go, there’s one more thing I have to tell you.” Sylvie paused.
Ryder’s sixth sense for trouble perked up, and she held her breath, knowing whatever she heard next would rock her world.
…
The egg white omelet could have been made from painted cardboard for all Devin could taste. All the brain cells not connected to basic functions, like remembering to breathe, were busy making sure he didn’t say or do anything stupid while sitting across from Ryder at the wrought iron table on the patio.
Over her left shoulder, he could see white-tipped waves rolling onto the beach about ten yards from where they sat silently during the most tension-filled breakfast he’d ever experienced. Shit, telling his father to go ahead and disown him hadn’t been as nerve-wracking.
If he could turn down the Harris billions without blinking an eye, surely, breaking bread with Ryder Falcon was no big deal. He just needed to explain that last night was a freak—and freaky hot—occurrence that couldn’t happen again. The irony of being the one to say those words after the way she’d ditched him after their previous night together should have been a kick-ass victory.
It wasn’t.
“So…” His brain tried to catch up with his mouth, but it was slow rolling. “How’s your fruit and yogurt?”
“Good.” Ryder sucked the last bit of Greek yogurt off her spoon and Devin bent his fork, the metal
A staticky silence crackled from her cell phone as she paced in front of the ice machine. A crash sounded behind her and she whipped around, half expecting to see Devin and his drool-worthy six-pack leaning against a wall. Instead, the hall remained empty. More banging emanated from the ice machine as it dropped a fresh load of ice into the freezer.
High-strung? Her? Not at all.
“Yeah, yeah, calm down. I promise not to breathe a word of it to your brother, even if he is asleep in the next room and would turn about twenty shades of pissed off if I told him you were sleeping with a client.”
Her brother’s live-in girlfriend and her best friend or not, Ryder was going to kill Sylvie.
“ Slept . Past tense. It will not happen again.”
“That sure was convincing, said no one, ever.”
Ryder shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t even like him.” Good thing she was leaning against the ice machine because her black pants were about to spontaneously combust.
“ Uh-huh .”
“He’s just so…”
“Hot? Good in bed? Sex on a stick?”
Yes. Yes. And yes . “You are not helping, Sylvie.”
“Look, I remember what you were like after you two hooked up and you ditched him like Cinderella after the ball. You were a mopey and snarly woman, and if I didn’t love you, I’d have conked you over the head with my favorite Coach bag. Something about this guy just does it for you. Maybe it’s time you started listening to that little voice inside you. Your instincts weren’t totally off with any of your exes—even with Heath. You went with your gut and you found out the truth.”
The idea of doing that scared and thrilled her. Could she trust herself again? Was she on target with Devin?
“Anyway,” Sylvie chuckled. “You’re in a tropical island paradise with him, you might as well go for broke.”
Ryder’s stomach fluttered. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“What are friends for?”
“Chocolate ice cream and booze.”
Sylvie laughed. “Yeah, I’m good for that, too.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to need both when I get back to Harbor City. Thanks for everything, Sylvie.”
“No problem.” She sighed. “But think about what I had said, okay?”
Thinking about Devin wasn’t the problem. The fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about the hotness sitting in the suite, now that was a huge problem.
“Before you go, there’s one more thing I have to tell you.” Sylvie paused.
Ryder’s sixth sense for trouble perked up, and she held her breath, knowing whatever she heard next would rock her world.
…
The egg white omelet could have been made from painted cardboard for all Devin could taste. All the brain cells not connected to basic functions, like remembering to breathe, were busy making sure he didn’t say or do anything stupid while sitting across from Ryder at the wrought iron table on the patio.
Over her left shoulder, he could see white-tipped waves rolling onto the beach about ten yards from where they sat silently during the most tension-filled breakfast he’d ever experienced. Shit, telling his father to go ahead and disown him hadn’t been as nerve-wracking.
If he could turn down the Harris billions without blinking an eye, surely, breaking bread with Ryder Falcon was no big deal. He just needed to explain that last night was a freak—and freaky hot—occurrence that couldn’t happen again. The irony of being the one to say those words after the way she’d ditched him after their previous night together should have been a kick-ass victory.
It wasn’t.
“So…” His brain tried to catch up with his mouth, but it was slow rolling. “How’s your fruit and yogurt?”
“Good.” Ryder sucked the last bit of Greek yogurt off her spoon and Devin bent his fork, the metal
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