Page 16 of Summer with a Ranger

Because that ring on her finger scared the daylights outta her, and everyone around us could see her fear right there on display.

My stomach cramped. I slung an arm around her, pulling her into my chest. “Easy, honey,” I murmured.

Fuck, this assignment will be blown before we touch foot in our apartment. A joint holiday—ahem, honeymoon—apartment with one bed, ostensibly.

Guess I’m sleeping on the sofa.

“Don’t honey me,” she snapped, but thankfully my shirt muffled the sound and only I heard it. Maybe.

An older couple eyed us, and I gave them what I hoped was a Californian winning grin. What a way to do fifty states in five minutes. The girl sent my head on a whirlwind tour of my own sanity. How the hell we were supposed to be partners in this thing while all I wanted to do was find a quiet space and fuck like bunnies for the next hour eluded me.

Her, too, from the dazed look in her eyes.

Huh. I liked that one.

“Don’t do that,” she murmured, a little softer, thankfully.

“All part of the show.” I affected a swagger I sure as hell didn’t feel with her looking at me with a decent dollop of distrust as she swiped her fingers—glittering with that ring—over her pink mouth I just wanted to kiss some more.

Because she tasted like sunshine and sand and new beginnings and I never wanted to stop.

“We have a job to do,” she reminded me, one hand still curled in my shirt from our PDA. She looked down at it, surprise written across her stunning features, and pried her fingers free, flexing them.

“Way to give a guy a boner and whiplash in one. This is the assignment, honey,” I said pointedly.

“What, being a demanding asshole?” She pivoted in the circle of my arms, and stared around. “Ah, there’s a good place to start.” She strode forward, or tried to, but I pulled her back.

“Teamwork. There’s no I in it, Skye.”

“Exactly. So we do this my way.”

“Or we find our accommodation and get it done the Archer way.”

Her laugh tinkled around me like silver bells before her voice sliced through the effect laced heavily with derision. “There’s brown on your nose, Ranger. Did you know?” Her hair flicked me in the face as she marched forward.

I caught her hand, catching up with her all too easily, and fast enough I noted the tight expression on her face before she managed to hide it.

Ahh. That explained a lot. Perhaps our cover story was a little too good.

“You can be the Ranger if you want,” I said softly. “I’ll be satisfied with being the house husband.”

Her brow dipped though she didn't look at me. “I don’t think anyone would buy that.”

“And yet here you are.” I squeezed her hand. “Busting past all the odds and expectations of failure.”

She stopped short. “What did you say?”

I caught her chin. “What aren’t you saying, princess?” She said nothing and I smiled slightly. “Hit a nerve, huh?”

Her gaze drifted past me and before I could snark at her further, her expression cleared and she pulled her hand from mine.

“Stay here, househusband.”

“Is this how it’s always going to be?” I called to her sexy backside that disappeared inside a jewellery shop.

“Better catch her now. Not a good habit to get into already.” The older gent and his wife winked at me.

I managed a smile and followed Skye toward the shop she disappeared into, nearly faceplanting right into her as she busted back on out.

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