Page 24 of Caffeine & Chaos

Only you. Only you forever. Nadia felt her stomach leap into her throat. She made that promise in the heat of the moment, he had to have known that.

Ryan met Nadia’s gaze with a serious expression. “If you agree to be seen with me publicly, you can’t see other men,” he stated flatly.

Nadia’s chest tightened with unease. She hadn’t even considered another man since Ryan came into her life, but having it laid out so bluntly was unsettling. She focused on regulating her breath, concealing the internal turmoil brewing beneath the surface.

He watched her with unwavering patience, refusing to yield or fill the uncomfortable silence. It was evident that he wouldn’t budge until she made a choice. “Okay.” The word squeaked out so meekly Nadia wasn’t sure she’d even made any sound.

Ryan sprang from his seat, reaching her side in a matter of strides. Cupping her face tenderly in his hands, he pressed a passionate kiss to her lips. Even without opening her eyes, Nadia sensed the intense scrutiny from the other patrons. In this moment of public intimacy, Ryan silently accepted her commitment, and she understood that she was now unmistakably marked as his own.

As their lips parted, Ryan’s hands lingered, cradling her face. His gaze roved over her features, mapping every contour and curve with tender exploration. Fingertips traced the line of her cheekbone and trailed down her neck before his palms settled gently over her collarbones. Drawing her close, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Nadia’s hands trembled in her lap. She had never experienced this kind of intimacy with a man before, and she knew she never would with anyone else. Conflicting emotions swirled, leaving her feeling both pacified and terrified at the same time.

Him.

Ryan walked just out of sight from the cafe windows before pulling out his phone. He dialed the number and paced along the sidewalk in front of the boutique next to the cafe.

“Armand, you followed Nadia home on Tuesday morning of last week, right?” Ryan asked, appreciating that he could skip the pleasantries with Armand without him taking offense.

“Yes of course, those were my instructions. Why do you ask?”

“Did you see her pick anything up at the front desk?” Ryan asked.

“No sir, I didn’t stay. I saw her into the building as you requested and then left to pick up those files you asked for.”

Ryan cursed himself. He should have told Armand to stick around a little longer. “Okay, thank-you Armand.”

“Anything else you need sir?”

“No, that’ll be fine. A car is coming to pick me up shortly,” Ryan confirmed into the phone before ending the call. Leaning against the brick wall, he furrowed his brow in frustration. Who the hell sent those daisies to his Nadia? He needed more information.

Ryan retrieved his cell phone once more and dialed his secretary’s number. “Hey Theresa, can you track down Bruce Strait for me? I need him at the office in twenty-five minutes,” he said, waiting for her confirmation before ending the call. Just as his car arrived at the curb, Ryan clenched his jaw in determination. He would uncover the identity of the person who sent those flowers to Nadia.

Thirty minutes later Theresa buzzed into his office to let Ryan know that Bruce had arrived. Bruce was a highly skilled personal investigator that Ryan had used on many occasions to investigate potential clients and other firms competing with System Seven.

Ryan rose from behind his mahogany desk and crossed the room to greet Bruce at the door. Extending his hand as Bruce entered the office, Ryan said to him, “thanks for coming on such short notice, Bruce.”

Bruce clasped Ryan’s hand in his bear-like mitt and shook it vigorously. “No problem Ryan, I appreciate all of the business you’ve given me over the years, as well as the friendship.”

Ryan gestured towards his desk, “please come in and have a seat.”

Bruce settled into one of the espresso-colored leather chairs positioned across from Ryan’s desk. The chair emitted a soft squeak as his broad, six-foot-three frame filled it. Despite his imposing stature, Bruce, in his mid-thirties like Ryan, was a rising star in the realm of private investigation. While one might assume his size would hinder his ability to blend in, Bruce was capable of fading into the background with as much ease as a forgotten sidewalk crack.

“You’ve always done an excellent job for me, Bruce.” Ryan moved around the desk and sat down. “I’ve contracted you in the past for business related affairs, but this time I need something looked into that is more...personal in nature.”

“Okay. You know that discreteness is key in this business Ryan, I won’t let you down.”

“Thank-you Bruce, I appreciate that. I need you to look into a woman named Nadia Moore,” Ryan said, feeling a slight pang of guilt at his subterfuge.

Bruce took a small notepad out of his breast pocket and began writing. “Anything specific you are looking for?”

“We’ve entered into a relationship of sorts, and I need to know who else is pursuing her. When we were chatting earlier today, she mentioned that someone had anonymously sent her flowers last week. She assumed it was me, but it wasn’t.”

“Any idea what service was used to send the flowers?” Bruce asked.

“No idea. From what I understand they were dropped off with the daytime doorman at her building,” Ryan said.

“Alright I am on it. Do you want an extensive background search conducted on the woman as well?”

---