Page 88 of Bad for Business
He nods.
“No one’s ever made it race like that, Ryker.”
“Cami.” His voice comes out barely above a whisper.
I give him what I hope is a comforting smile. I need him to know that two things can be true: I can go explain things better to my dad in hopes that he’ll calm down and understand what’s happened, and I can come back to Ryker after.
“I’ve never let anyone in here. Not like I’ve let you.” I press his palm harder against my skin, hoping I’m getting the point across. “We’re going to figure out what happens next.”
“Together?” he asks, his voice breaking. I hate that there’s been so much back-and-forth between us that it’s this hard for him to believe what I’m saying.
I nod. “Together.”
Before he can say anything else, there’s a pounding on my door.
“Camille,” my dad yells. “The car will be here in five minutes to get us.”
My stomach drops at the anger still in his tone. I know I’ve messed up. I understand why he’s angry. I knew better than to get involved with a client, but I couldn’t help it. The heart wants what it wants, and I hope that if I just tell my dad that, he’ll understand. He doesn’t know I know this, but Mom started out as his client. Her family did. And maybe him knowing how I feelabout Ryker will hit the soft spot that exists in his heart only for Mom.
“Okay,” I respond, not knowing if my dad even still stands there or if he’s already retreated down the hallway. Just in case he was there to hear it, I made sure to keep my voice strong. There’s something about him that always makes me back down even when I know I shouldn’t. I’ve done it my entire life, but this time, I want to stand up to him. Maybe doing that will finally earn me the respect I so desperately want from him.
“I’ve got to go,” I whisper, standing on my tiptoes to place a kiss against Ryker’s lips. “I’ll call you the moment I get this figured out,” I promise, hoping he believes me.
He nods, and even though it’s obvious he doesn’t want me to go, he accepts my answer. Something about the way he finally trusts me—trusts in us—hits me right in the heart. Hope blossoms in my chest that maybe this time we really will get it right. We’re communicating and putting our feelings out in the open in a way we didn’t get the time to do after that first night together.
He steps away but doesn’t leave the room. He watches me closely as I pull on a new outfit and throw my things back into my suitcase. I don’t grab everything. I don’t know what will happen next. I won’t be Ryker’s publicist anymore, which means I won’t need to be back here in the house with him. I don’t even know how long he plans to still be here in the Hamptons, but I want to leave pieces of myself here in the house. I hope it tells him that I really don’t plan on going anywhere.
I do my best to pack quickly and I don’t know how much time passes, but I do know that when I finally get it all packed up and I’m standing at the bedroom door, I hate how sad Ryker looks.
He stands in front of me in nothing but a pair of underwear. My sadness matches his for a moment as I mourn the day we were supposed to have together. I was looking forward to a dayspent in our underwear, continuing to get to know one another before the reality of our lives hit us. We didn’t get that today, but I have hope that we still will.
“Do me a favor, princess?” Ryker speaks up, stepping closer to me to pull me into a hug.
I easily walk into his embrace, loving the feeling of his arms wrapped around me. I take a deep breath in, wanting to commit the smell of him to memory. I don’t know when I’ll see him again. Hopefully, it won’t be long. But I still do everything possible to remember his familiar scent, just in case. Any time away from him will feel like too long after all the time we’ve spent together so far this summer.
“What’s the favor?” I ask, my words coming out a bit muffled because they’re said against his chest.
“Don’t let your dad talk down to you. You’re an amazing woman. An incredible publicist. What’s happened between us doesn’t change how hard you worked to get the job done. I just need you to remember that.”
If I wasn’t already falling for him, that would’ve done it. He knew exactly what I needed to hear. His words give me the last bit of strength I need to go into this next conversation with my dad.
“Thank you for saying that,” I tell him, squeezing around his middle a little tighter because I don’t want to let go. “I won’t let him talk down to me. Not this time.”
Ryker’s lips press to the top of my hair. Everything about him just calms me instantly. No matter what happens with Dad, I know everything that’s happened will still be worth it, because it all led to Ryker.
“I’m going to go before he comes back even more pissed,” I mutter, loosening my grip around him even though I don’t want to.
Ryker pulls away too, one of his hands reaching out to cup my cheek. “Goodbye for now.”
I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to his. He kisses me back immediately, his tongue softly running along the seam of my mouth. The kiss doesn’t last too long, but it still makes my entire body warm.
When I pull away, I give him a wide smile. “Goodbye for now, Ryker. I’ll let you know how it goes.” I press my lips to his one more time before gathering my bags and opening the door. I race out of the room before I lose the courage to leave Ryker standing there alone.
FORTY-FIVE
RYKER
There’san emptiness in my chest as I take a seat at the kitchen table across from my father. It’s been about an hour since Camille left and I already miss her. This morning hasn’t gone how I expected, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything that’s happened.
