Page 28 of Without Fail

He hadn’t meant one single word of the hurtful words he’d said to Ryker, but if they got the man to forget about the kiss, then so be it.

He just had to stay focused and then he’d be out of there. Find the threat on Ryker and then he could walk away, just like he had last time.

Things had been okay after he’d left. He’d made a point of checking on the Langstons often and from what he could tell, Ryker had been keeping out of his father’s business.

And that was a very good thing.

As long as Ryker continued being in the dark, Marshal could find some peace when he walked away.

This time, though, he would sell his property and leave the country. Perhaps going abroad would save him from temptation.

Those thoughts were born out of desperation and would never come to fruition because as much as he wanted to escape, he would never part with his home.

He rubbed his fingers on his lips, remembering the feel of Ryker’s mouth beneath his and if things had been different, then he would have taken Ryker up on his offer a long time ago.

Only, things weren’t different and there was nothing he could do to change that.

One week later…

Everything felt flat.

Thanksgiving had come and gone. They’d celebrated, including the FBI and bodyguards, but Marshal had been MIA on Thursday. The man had shown up the next day, but was still avoiding him.

Ever since that kiss, Marshal had been avoiding him.

When Ryker happened to come upon Marshal by accident, the man would give him the cold shoulder.

He was tired of the whiplash and the dodging. There was nothing on earth that could make him believe that Marshal had not been just as affected as him by that kiss.

What the hell was standing in their way?

He wanted answers.

Either they were going to become something or they weren’t, but he wanted a real honest-to-God conversation to Marshal’s face, not presented with his fucking back.

Yet every time he tried to pin Marshal down to talk, his questions were ignored.

“I can’t talk right now,” was Marshal’s standard mantra.

Finally, Ryker had had enough.

He gave up.

Marshal didn’t want him.

And if that was the way the man wanted it, then so be it.

For the past day or so, he’d basically ignored Marshal and started avoiding him when they happened to meet.

Marshal seemed to notice and had grown surly.

So what? He didn’t have to be polite. They were just employer and employee at this point.

Ryker set aside Marshal’s bad behavior. He had a business to run and no time for childishness or men who didn’t know what the hell they wanted.

Rounding the corner, Ryker heard voices near the front door.

“Listen, you’re on the list, but he is not,” Tanner’s voice informed someone at the front door.

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