Page 28 of Stalking His Target

Ryder nods sadly. “Yes. But it’s okay, Layla. You passed.”

Five years later…

I glanceup at the door, excitement rippling through my body.

He should be here any minute. He said he was coming. He promised. And Ryder has never broken a promise he’s made to me. Not once.

I’ve been running the shop all day, training Cammie, the new girl, on how to use the register and how to organize the watercolor display. I haven’t seen my husband since I left the house this morning, but I know he’s somewhere close. Watching, waiting. Never letting me out of his sight.

My lust for him never wanes. All day, every day, I want him.

I can’t stop thinking about the way he looks at me, those strong arms, his broad shoulders, and those rough hands gripping my waist and scouring my body. I love how much he wants me. He loves how much I want him. We’re a couple of lascivious animals who can’t keep our hands off each other.

We were transferred into the CIA’s version of witness protection five years ago. We left Texas behind for a tiny, snowy town in Utah called Crag Valley. Ryder left the agency to become my full-time bodyguard. Knowing he’s out there, his eyes on me, a gun tucked into his belt, gave me the strength and encouragement I needed to open my own art supply store, which has been a phenomenal success.

I won’t lie; it took me a couple weeks to fully recover from what happened down in Mexico. As hard as I tried, the feeling of betrayal was still there, so I fought it by keeping myself basically stuck to him at all times. I clung to him like a littlespider monkey, going everywhere he went as though I was glued directly to him. All we did was make love, eat, sleep, and make love again. Soon, our love overcame any leftover reticence I had, and I was completely and totally his once more.

Some people might disagree with our relationship if they knew how it all began. How we became a couple. But I don’t care. So my husband used some slightly unconventional methods to get close to me. So what? Maybe his obsession with me goes beyond what people consider “normal,” but who’s to say what “normal” really is?

All that matters to me is our love. It’s fierce, passionate, and grows stronger every day. I know he watches me sleep. I know he steals my panties for his personal stash. I know he watches me wherever I go. And I’m okay with it. My love for him will never fade.

I hear the bell at the door ring and look up to see Ryder step into the shop. Cammie looks up from the register, and I see the flash in her eyes. She thinks he’s hot. Most women would get jealous at her reaction. Possessive. But I’m fine with it. She’d be crazy not to think he’s hot. He’s the definition of it. And I know that he’s completely loyal to me. So what do I have to worry about?

Nothing. He’s mine, and I’m his.

“May I help you, sir?” I ask before Cammie gets the chance.

“Yes, I was looking for a specific color oil paint. Aubergine violet. Do you have it?”

The gruff strength in his voice ignites me like an engine starting. It’s only just after lunch, yet I’ve been missing him terribly since this morning.

“I believe we do,” I reply, coming out from behind the counter. “But I think it’s in the back room. We haven’t stocked the shelves with it just yet. If you’d like me to show you…?”

Cammie eyes me, wondering what in the world I’m doing. I just ignore her.

“That would be great.” Ryder smiles.

I sway my hips as I lead him to the door to the back room. Showing off for him, even in a minute way such as this, turns me on like crazy. I guess I just love his eyes on me.

“Right this way,” I tell him as I open the door. I barely have time to close it behind me before he’s on me.

He slides one hand up my shirt to cup my breast and uses the other to twist the lock, securing our privacy.

“I told you, didn’t I?” he rasps into my ear. “You’d have a back room one day that I’d use to take you whenever I wanted you.”

He presses his lips against the soft skin of my neck, warming me with the heat from his breath. “I’ve missed you all day. I hate not being able to see you.”

“I’ve been watching you this whole time,” he says with a devilish smile.

“You bastard,” I joke.

“Hey, I have it harder than you.”

With a single tug, he pulls my pants down to my knees. I gasp. “How do you figure?”

“Well,” he says slowly as he slips a hand between my tingling thighs, “I’ve had to watch you all day while you work. It’s like the world’s worst tease.”

“Yeah?” I whimper as he slips a finger gently into my entrance. Ryder can be so powerful and rough, but he can also be so soft and sensual with his every caress. “Have you been edging out there in the truck?”

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