the covers and left the bed, just in case Marnie decided to deck the guest. She, too, marched across the distance and arrived just as her friend slung open the door. Bright, blinding sunlight speared her eyeballs but she still managed to identify the visitor.
Yes, he’s in danger of bodily harm.
“What the heck, Ryker?” Marnie squinted while she grasped his forearm and pulled him inside before she shoved the door until it snapped shut.
“Get dressed.”
“I beg your pardon?” Alex blinked several times in succession to clear her polka-dotted vision. “We were asleep.”
“Ten o’clock. Rise and shine. You wanted to go shopping, it’s time.”
“Says who?” she challenged.
“Me.”
“I need coffee,” Marnie mumbled.
“Tough. Train leaves the station in fifteen minutes.”
“Cool your jets there, cowboy.” Marnie stuck a hand on one hip. “First, we don’t need a chaperone. Second, we need at least an hour. And third, stop ordering us around like a drill sergeant.”
Ryker took one step forward, his gargantuan frame almost swallowing Marnie in the process. For half a second, Alex considered giving in. After all, they were already fully awake now.
“First, you don’t leave the apartment without me,” he said. “Second, I’ll compromise on thirty minutes. And third, Miss Carpenter, I’ll give you orders until you comply.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll padlock the door from the outside.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Challenge me, short stuff.”
Alex grinned at Marnie’s gumption. Yet, even she knew when to soothe the savage beast. “You shower first, Marnie.”
“Now that we’re all on the same page, I’ll wait outside for thirty minutes. Any longer and you’re stuck here, possibly for good.”
Marnie opened her mouth to speak, but Alex intervened. “You made your point. Go so we can get ready.”
Ryker slipped out the door, much more quietly than he had entered.
“What is it with these guys?” Marnie headed for the bathroom. “I’m thinking they all have testosterone poisoning.”
Alex tended to agree and approximately thirty minutes later when she and Marnie sat in Marnie’s car, Ryker proved her point by tapping on the driver’s side window with a key. Marnie stuck out her tongue.
He simply braced one hip against her door with his back to her. Waiting her out, Alex assumed.
“Oh good grief!” Marnie huffed and rolled down the window. “What?”
He turned and smirked. “Seatbelts.”
Alex pulled hers over her lap and clicked it into place. “Just do it, Marnie.”
Her friend did as she suggested and then glanced up at Ryker. “Happy now?”
“Ecstatic.”
Marnie started the engine and pulled out into traffic. “Is he married?”
“No.”
“Girlfriend?”
“I’m not positive, why? You’re not trying to pair me up with him, are you?”
“What? No! You have a man.”
Even Alex knew her next question was lame but gave it a shot anyway. “Who?”
“Jackson, Alex. The two of you would be much happier if you’d stop circling each other and meet in the middle.”
“Don’t you mean if I wave the white flag and allow that bossy, alpha male to tell me what I can and cannot do?”
“You have a point,” her friend mumbled.
“What does any of this have to do with Ryker?”
“Nothing.” The words poured over Marnie’s lips in less than a millisecond.
Alex raised one eyebrow. “You want him.”
“Absolutely not. I’ll admit he’s smokin’ hot but way too arrogant for my taste. I’m used to telling people what to do, remember?”
“Then why is he going shopping with us?”
“I have no idea.” Marnie frowned and glanced into her side mirror. “Maybe you should ask Jackson.”
Alex sighed, dug her cell phone from the depths of her purse, pressed ten familiar numbers, and then lifted the device to her ear until a familiar voice spoke.
“Behave, Alex.” Jackson had obviously expected her call. “Ryker drew the short
Yes, he’s in danger of bodily harm.
“What the heck, Ryker?” Marnie squinted while she grasped his forearm and pulled him inside before she shoved the door until it snapped shut.
“Get dressed.”
“I beg your pardon?” Alex blinked several times in succession to clear her polka-dotted vision. “We were asleep.”
“Ten o’clock. Rise and shine. You wanted to go shopping, it’s time.”
“Says who?” she challenged.
“Me.”
“I need coffee,” Marnie mumbled.
“Tough. Train leaves the station in fifteen minutes.”
“Cool your jets there, cowboy.” Marnie stuck a hand on one hip. “First, we don’t need a chaperone. Second, we need at least an hour. And third, stop ordering us around like a drill sergeant.”
Ryker took one step forward, his gargantuan frame almost swallowing Marnie in the process. For half a second, Alex considered giving in. After all, they were already fully awake now.
“First, you don’t leave the apartment without me,” he said. “Second, I’ll compromise on thirty minutes. And third, Miss Carpenter, I’ll give you orders until you comply.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll padlock the door from the outside.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Challenge me, short stuff.”
Alex grinned at Marnie’s gumption. Yet, even she knew when to soothe the savage beast. “You shower first, Marnie.”
“Now that we’re all on the same page, I’ll wait outside for thirty minutes. Any longer and you’re stuck here, possibly for good.”
Marnie opened her mouth to speak, but Alex intervened. “You made your point. Go so we can get ready.”
Ryker slipped out the door, much more quietly than he had entered.
“What is it with these guys?” Marnie headed for the bathroom. “I’m thinking they all have testosterone poisoning.”
Alex tended to agree and approximately thirty minutes later when she and Marnie sat in Marnie’s car, Ryker proved her point by tapping on the driver’s side window with a key. Marnie stuck out her tongue.
He simply braced one hip against her door with his back to her. Waiting her out, Alex assumed.
“Oh good grief!” Marnie huffed and rolled down the window. “What?”
He turned and smirked. “Seatbelts.”
Alex pulled hers over her lap and clicked it into place. “Just do it, Marnie.”
Her friend did as she suggested and then glanced up at Ryker. “Happy now?”
“Ecstatic.”
Marnie started the engine and pulled out into traffic. “Is he married?”
“No.”
“Girlfriend?”
“I’m not positive, why? You’re not trying to pair me up with him, are you?”
“What? No! You have a man.”
Even Alex knew her next question was lame but gave it a shot anyway. “Who?”
“Jackson, Alex. The two of you would be much happier if you’d stop circling each other and meet in the middle.”
“Don’t you mean if I wave the white flag and allow that bossy, alpha male to tell me what I can and cannot do?”
“You have a point,” her friend mumbled.
“What does any of this have to do with Ryker?”
“Nothing.” The words poured over Marnie’s lips in less than a millisecond.
Alex raised one eyebrow. “You want him.”
“Absolutely not. I’ll admit he’s smokin’ hot but way too arrogant for my taste. I’m used to telling people what to do, remember?”
“Then why is he going shopping with us?”
“I have no idea.” Marnie frowned and glanced into her side mirror. “Maybe you should ask Jackson.”
Alex sighed, dug her cell phone from the depths of her purse, pressed ten familiar numbers, and then lifted the device to her ear until a familiar voice spoke.
“Behave, Alex.” Jackson had obviously expected her call. “Ryker drew the short
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