Page 62 of A Game of Love and Betrayal

“Oh?” Ryker tilted his head. “I’m all ears.”

He would welcome any topic of conversation as long as it meant they were talking.

“Well, first of all, your handwriting leaves something to be desired.”

Ryker snorted. “Yes, that’s true.”

His mother and the headmasters at the academy had always encouraged him to work on his penmanship, but as far as he was concerned, it was a lost cause. Ryker was left-handed; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t achieve the nice, neat loops his mother desired.

“Quite frankly, I’m surprised they let you in the army with chicken scratch like that, Captain,” Brynleigh teased.

“Is that so? Is yours much better?”

“It is.” She sounded smug. “I was always first in my class for handwriting, which qualifies me to make such a statement.”

A low laugh bubbled out of Ryker. “It’s a good thing my job doesn’t require a lot of writing. You’ll be happy to know most of my correspondence is electronic these days.”

“Oh, good. We wouldn’t want anyone to misunderstand your orders because they couldn’t read them.”

“No, we certainly wouldn’t.” Ryker rested his chin on his fist. “What were your other critiques? I’m dying to hear them.”

She huffed a laugh, and the sound warmed Ryker from the inside out. He wanted to hear that sound a million times over. “My goodness, Captain. I had no idea you were so eager to be criticized.”

“I’m eager to speak with you.” The words slipped off his tongue before he could even think about them. “It doesn’t matter what we’re talking about because hearing your voice is like listening to my favorite music. I could do it all day long. Like an enchantress, you enthralled me with your voice.”

A hitched breath came through the headphones, and for a prolonged moment, Brynleigh didn’t say anything. Every beat of his heart was long and drawn out. Every pulse of his magic in his veins was louder than before. Had he spoken out of turn? Was this too fast? Too much?

Ryker was a statue, unable to blink or move as he waited. Had he scared her off? Gods, he hoped that wasn’t the case. He didn’t want anyone else, and he needed a bride.

Then, the most beautiful sound came through his headphones. Brynleigh laughed.

His soul drank in each drop of her delight. He didn’t move or speak. He just… listened.

“I’m no enchantress and I can’t Persuade anyone, but I like you, too,” she murmured. “Although I will say, your note was a little short.”

Ryker’s lips twitched. He never thought he’d enjoy receiving criticism, yet she was proving him wrong. “Is that so?” He arched a brow. “Would you have preferred a novel? A poem? A song?”

Ryker wasn’t much of a writer, but for her, he’d try. It turned out that breaking a rule was the first of many things he was willing to do for this vampire stealing his heart.

“Maybe one day. I’ll let you know.”

The conversation between them didn’t require any thought. “You do that, sweetheart.”

She chuckled, the sound warming him through. “That’s not my last critique, though.”

He canted his head. “No?”

“You didn’t sign or initial it. How was I supposed to know it came from you?”

Ryker’s eyes widened. He hadn’t even considered that she might think it came from someone else. A low growl rumbled through him. “Brynleigh, I sent the note.”

The mere thought of one of these other men sending his vampire anything made him want to roar his frustrations skyward. She was his and no one else’s.

Fuck. This was a level of possessiveness that Ryker had never experienced. Part of him knew it was irrational, but he still wanted to rip off his headphones and yell at the other men to stay away from Brynleigh.

“Hmm. Maybe you don’t know how to sign your name.”

“I know how to write my name,” he growled, still trying to get himself under control.

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