Page 21 of Bad for Business
“You heard me,” I finally get out, meeting his eyes once again. I don’t know how I feel about this version of Ryker—the vulnerable one. I think I prefer the annoying one. At least then, I know what to expect. “My dad doesn’t think you have a chance of getting the board’s approval. Therefore, we’re going to prove him wrong.”
He leans back, his eyes focusing straight ahead. I follow his line of sight, taking in the scenic view of the golf course. The green leads right to the beach and the ocean. It’s stunning, and I can’t complain about the view I have while he golfs with his friends.
“Maybe Iamhopeless,” Ryker mutters, his eyes still staring ahead.
I don’t even think. I react. I reach up and softly hit him on the back of the head. “No,” I scold. “Don’t think like that. You aren’t hopeless. We’re going to get it done, Ryker.”
He rubs the back of his head, his eyes wide as they connect with mine. “Did you just hit me?”
I roll my eyes. “Please. It was barely a tap. You’ll be fine. Now, you have an enormous ego and an annoying amount of confidence. Bring back that Ryker, and let’s prove my father wrong. I know you have it in you to impress your board. And you’ve already told me you think you can. Let’s do it.”
Ryker smirks. “Is this you saying you believe in me?”
I purse my lips. “Don’t fish for compliments. You still annoy the hell out of me, and I wish I was stuck with anyone else this summer.”
Ryker’s smile gets wider. “But?”
“How do you know there’s a but?”
He lifts a shoulder coolly, not seeming to care that one of his friends is calling his name. “Because I know there is. What else were you going to say?”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “But I think you can impress your board. And as much as I hate to admit it, I need you. Without their approval, I’ll never become partner. I’m ready to prove my dad wrong. So get your shit together and start listening to me so we can proveeveryonewrong.”
Ryker stares at me for a few seconds without saying a word. His grin doesn’t falter, and just as quickly as it came, the self-doubt that had crept into his features is gone. “Fine. But you’re still not in charge. We plan together. And I’m counting down the seconds until I can ditch you.”
I laugh and focus back on my phone. “You and me both.”
THIRTEEN
RYKER
An intense bangingsound wakes me up from my dream. One moment, I’m fast asleep, deep into a dream about soft lips and hushed moans, and the next, the clank of something hitting against metal is pulling me from my slumber.
“What the fuck,” I mutter, my mind trying to wake up fully and make sense of what the horrible noise is.
“Get up,” a familiar voice demands from the end of my bed.
I rub the heels of my palms against my eyes before opening them. Once open, I find Camille standing at the foot of the bed with a pot and a wooden spoon, her gaze smugly pointed at me. It’s been almost two weeks since we first got to the Hamptons, and never once has she barged into my room like this.
“What the fuck are you doing in here?” I spit, sitting up in bed.
“You kept snoozing your alarm, and you’re supposed to be at Pembroke in an hour. I had to find a way to wake you up.” She shrugs innocently, letting her hand holding the wooden spoon fall to her side.
Nothing about her is innocent. She knew exactly what she was doing by waking me up in the loudest, most abrupt way possible.
“I was going to wake up soon,” I argue, clearing my throat to rid my voice of sleepiness.
Camille ignores me. Instead, she chooses to walk over to the large bedroom windows and pull the curtains open. In one quick movement, the blackout shades are moved to the side, and the early morning sun washes the entire room in bright light.
I hiss, covering my eyes and falling into my pillow. “Camille!” I yell. “Give me a second to finish waking up before blinding me.”
“Blinding you?Really? That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”
I let out a disapproving grunt. “You shouldn’t be allowed in my room.”
She sets the pot and spoon down on the dresser before propping against it. I watch her through a small crack in my fingers, not ready to fully embrace the bright room quite yet. “If you didn’t want me in here, then you should’ve locked your door.”
I let out a displeased laugh and shake my head. “Seriously? Just because I didn’t lock my door doesn’t mean you have the right to come barging in before the sun’s even up.”
