Page 99 of Save Me

Liam had pulled him aside last night to apologize for leaving early, but he was going to propose to Tessa and that had gotten Ryker thinking.

He wanted to ask Ryleigh to marry him, but…he wasn’t sure if now was the right time. His schedule was full for the upcoming months and there was a part of it he hadn’t really broached with her.

He wanted her to travel with him.

More than once she had told him she could work from anywhere and he understood that. But a lot of his speaking engagements and conventions were multi-day events where he’d be busy most of the time.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t want her with him.

And that kind of thinking made him feel like he was being completely selfish.

Then he remembered something else Ryleigh had told him that made him think that maybe he wasn’t quite so bad. She hadn’t gone away to college and felt envious that Arianna had and how she’d gotten the opportunity to travel a bit.

So he wanted to do this for her—to take her all over the country so she could explore and do some sight-seeing. Not every convention was in a big popular travel destination, but he had a feeling she’d enjoy it no matter what.

And one of them was Las Vegas and the thought of taking in Sin City with her had been on his mind far more than he thought it would. Maybe he’d be a cheesy cliché and propose to her there and ask her to marry him in one of the chapels off the strip.

He instantly pushed that thought aside because things were solid with him and the Donovan family. If he pulled a stunt like that and they eloped? He would undoubtedly be public enemy number one for the rest of his life.

Damn.

Well, he didn’t have to marry her there, but he could propose. It was three months away and that would be plenty of time for him to plan the most memorable trip for them.

The coming year was gearing up to be a wild ride and there was no one else he wanted sitting beside him and experiencing it all with him.

On the flip side, however, there was no way that he wanted this relationship to solely be about him. No matter how much he thought it could be exciting for her—to travel with him since she’d never had the opportunity to—it was still all about him and his career, his business.

And…we’re back to feeling selfish.

Taking another slow sip of his coffee, he leaned back in the chair and tried to focus on the day ahead instead of obsessing over travel.

Only…today was exactly like he had told Ryleigh last night. It was a no-brainer. There was nothing to think about.

Groaning, he closed his eyes. “Now what do I do?”

“Well, for starters, you should get your ass back in the bed because it’s freezing out here.”

Turning, he saw Ryleigh standing in the doorway, wrapped in his robe. “I promise to keep you warm right here,” he told her, holding out a hand. “I’ll even share my coffee.”

Slowly, she padded over and hissed when her bare feet hit the cool concrete. “There better be milk and sugar in it,” she mumbled, settling into his lap.

“There is. Here.”

She took a tentative sip and then hummed. “Mmm…so good.” Handing the mug back to him, she rested her head on his shoulder. “Why are you up so early?”

“Lot on my mind.”

“Worried about today?”

“No, just…other things.”

“It’s too early to be vague, Ryker. Out with it.”

With no real choice, he blurted out everything he’d been thinking about, and she didn’t say a word the whole time.

“So…basically, you want me to travel with you, and that makes you selfish.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

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