Page 15 of Heart Thief

“I don’t usually sleep on my couch. Sounds, uh, fun.”

His tone implies that it’s anything but fun. More like the most distasteful thing he’s ever heard.

Raised by Debra, I remind myself. Over and over. He needs someone to teach him how to relax.

“I’ll put everything away. Don’t worry. I promise not to trash the place like a rockstar in a fancy hotel.” I immediately regret my words. There’s not a chance he’ll find them amusing, even if he found anything in life amusing.

His expression remains blank. “Of course not.”

I take a deep breath and decide to be blunt. “I’m not a neat freak, Ryker. Is that a problem? If it is, please say so now.”

“I trust you, Mila.”

Somehow that answer makes me feel guilty, like he trusts me to keep his place as neat as he does. That’s not going to happen.

He continues. “I wouldn’t have asked you to live there if I didn’t have faith in you.”

“I guess that’s all I can ask.” I wish this conversation could start over.

He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m beat. Good night, Mila. I’ll call again soon.”

He’s gone before I can say anything else.

“I love you too,” I whisper in the silent room, sarcasm evident in my tone. I turn on the bench and catch my reflection in the window. My eyebrows are deeply furrowed, my lips turned into a frown.

That didn’t go well. My heart is questioning my relationship with Ryker and wondering if we’re really a good fit. The seeds of doubt planted inside me have become climbing vines, reaching up to strangle me.

I’m losing something, but I don’t know what it is or how to define it. And I don’t know how to catch it and bring it back, either.

Arthur whimpers from his dog bed, missing his daddy.

“Sorry, Artie. He’ll be back, don’t worry.”

chapter six

~

THE ELEVATOR DINGSas I rub my eyes. This day has lasted forever and I’m seeing double. I pull out my key with aching fingers and head for Ryker’s penthouse, my steps slow. The classical pieces I practiced with the symphony are rolling through my head, granting me no mercy. I need a quiet evening to relax and de-stress. Clear my mind.

I received a text from Ryker, asking me to be sure to keep up with cleaning the floor-to ceiling-windows. I’ve been reminding myself all day that I’m getting free rent, so I won’t feel irritated. He said a service comes and cleans the windows once every two weeks, but it’s helpful if someone removes any built-up grime in between cleanings.

No I miss you. No I’m falling for you.

I let out a huge discouraged sigh. I wish I could go back in time and feel the same stirrings he created within me in the beginning. Even how I felt only a few weeks ago would suffice. I think my emotions are stuffed in a lost-and-found box somewhere far, far away.

The first thing that registers as I push open the door is loud music blasting from a music station on Ryker’s big screen TV, Lady Antebellum’sNeed You Now. I wonder if I accidently left the TV on. Then I come face to face with a shirtless man standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Adrenaline washes through my body, erasing fatigue and bringing me to life in an instant. Yet, I’m frozen in place, my hand rushing to my throat in a protective gesture.

He’s barefoot, clothed inonlya pair of torn-at-the-knees jeans. His short hair is damp, and a towel is hanging around his neck as though he just showered. He’s holding a cereal bowl, and when he sees me, his spoon, dripping milk, pauses mid-air, like I told him to freeze with my imaginary magical powers and he obeyed.

For several moments too long, we stand there staring at each other, both in shock. It’s as though we’ve turned into an artistic viewing of ice sculptures, a display for the public that captures this blip in time forever.

Frozen encounter.

I hear the music announce that Ineed you now, and I think to myself, I need someone right now. Someone to help me. Immediately.Move, Mila.Act. Do something. Someone has broken into Ryker’s apartment and made themselves at home. It must be someone who knows he’s out of town. Someone who thinks they can squat without being discovered.

He reacts first by reaching into his back pocket and pulling out the remote to the TV. He quickly mutes the music.

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