I lifted my head from the book I’d spent the entire flight reading and smiled up at him. With his salt-and-pepper hair cut short, and dressed in the typical uniform of any cabin crew, he didn’t look like he’d just spent the last twelve-plus hours in the air. More than six of those hours were flying out to fetch me from Northern California, and then the rest of that time was spent seeing to my every need on the return trip. Other than the occasional drink request, I hadn’t required his services, and I could have easily retrieved the soft drinks myself. But Ryan would have been furious if he knew no one had been around to see to my every possible need.
I didn’t know if I should roll my eyes at that or melt a little more over how much time Ryan spent worrying about my comfort. I loved that he wanted to take care of me, but he needed to realize I could do most things for myself. And while it irritated me—a little—that he didn’t want me to lift so much as a finger, it made my heart hope that it meant he cared for me more than as just his best friend.
“Thanks, Oliver. Will I see you at the end of the summer for my return trip home?”
He bowed his head. “I sincerely hope so. As always, it was a pleasure to serve you on this flight.”
After fastening my seat belt, I put my book in my purse. Moments later, we were on the ground and I had my gaze trained out the window, looking for any sign of Ryan. When I caught sight of the three blacked-out SUVs, my heart jumped in excitement, but I told myself to take it easy. If I got up before the door was even opened, he could possibly suspect that my feelings for him went deeper than those of a best friend. I’d done my best to keep my crush from him, but it was getting harder and harder every time I saw him after weeks and months apart.
It was a lesson in willpower as I waited for Oliver to open the door and then step back. But once he was out of the way, I couldn’t hold back another second. Grabbing my purse, I stuffed my phone into the side pocket and slung the strap over myself like a crossbody and sprinted off the aircraft.
As soon as I got to the door, I saw Ryan waiting at the bottom of the steps. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his hair pushed back from his face, and a pair of aviators covering his dark eyes. The very sight of him eased the ache deep in my chest that was constantly present when we were apart. Unable to hide my happy cry, I ran down the stairs and threw myself into his arms before I reached the last few steps.
I molded my body around his, my legs wrapping around his waist and my arms clinging to his neck. There had never been a time when I hadn’t greeted him exactly like this. It was our tradition, and as soon as his hands caught my hips, holding me in place, I felt like I was home.
But instead of laughing like he always did, he groaned, his large hands squeezing my flesh and holding me against him a little harder than usual. My heart started racing at the unusual—yet completely welcomed—way he was holding me. I held my breath, waiting to see what he did next.
I felt his cheek press to the side of my head, heard his deep inhale as if trying to trap my scent inside him. I tightened my legs around him instinctively, combing my fingers through his hair in a soothing, inviting way I’d noticed Delaney doing to Max right before they kissed.
Slowly, I lifted my head, but before our gazes could lock and I could read what he was thinking, I found myself once again on my feet and Ryan turning for the small convoy of vehicles waiting for us. “How was your flight?” he asked in a tight voice.
One of the guards started to open the door for him, but he growled something as I rushed to keep up, and he opened the door himself. Stepping back, he waited for me to get in first before following behind me.
“It was a smooth trip. Nothing exciting happened.” I put on my seat belt and then turned enough to face him. But his gaze wasn’t on me as it normally would have been. Usually, Ryan’s entire focus was directed at me, as if he were looking for every change that had occurred with me since the last time we’d seen each other in person. His head was turned so that he was looking out the side window, his jaw clenched so hard that I knew he was angry about something.
“What’s wrong?” I asked softly, wondering what I’d done to make him so upset.
He clenched and unclenched his hands into fists several times before he turned his head in my direction. Even with his sunglasses still on, I could tell he wasn’t looking directly at me, though. “I know I promised we would have the entire day together, but something came up at work. I hate that I’m going to disappoint you, Nova.”
“Oh,” I muttered, swallowing the lump that suddenly filled my throat. “It’s okay. I understand. You have a lot on your plate now that you’re working at the club and for your dad too. But we have all summer to hang out.”
Ryan was already nodding. “Absolutely.”
Hesitantly, I reached out and wrapped my fingers around his. He turned his hand over, interlocking his fingers with mine. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too,” he choked out. “I can’t wait for you to graduate so you can move here full time.”
My lips lifted into a happy smile. “Well, that might—”
“Sir,” Pietro, the guard who was the head of Ryan’s security detail, interrupted before I could tell him my news. “Do you want us to drop you off first, or take Miss Nova home?”
Ryan muttered something vicious under his breath before answering. “Me,” he surprised me by saying. “And then I want you to take her back to the compound yourself, Pietro.”
“Your mother won’t be pleased with that, sir,” he informed him.
“If I’m unable to protect myself in the time it will take you to take Nova home, then I don’t deserve my rank,” he snapped. “I will be fine until you return from ensuring that Nova makes it home safely.”
I wanted to argue that he had always been the one to ensure I got home safely, but I pressed my lips together to keep the words trapped inside. Whatever had come up must have been extremely important for him not to be able to take me home personally, and I didn’t want to add more stress to him when he already seemed completely unlike himself.
Not that I needed him or anyone else to oversee my safety. I could take care of myself just fine, thanks to Anya. But no one outside of her and I knew that little detail. Part of me felt guilty for keeping such a huge secret from Ryan, but I’d made a promise to his mom all those years ago never to tell him. She’d been so worried back then—and continued to worry—about him possibly hating her for teaching me all her skills, that I couldn’t break her trust.
The driver stopped outside of an office building downtown. It was the Vituccis’ legitimate place of business. They owned the entire skyscraper, and every one of their legit businesses had its own floor. From construction to accounting, which dealt with the payroll for the entire corporation, to any number of other enterprises I wasn’t fully aware of. All I really knew about the building itself was that Ryan had an office on the top floor, just as Zayne did—and his sister would once she finished law school—along with Cristiano and Scarlett as well. Over the past fifteen years or so, the Vituccis had tried their damnedest to turn their business ventures into something more…respectable.
Pietro stepped out and opened the back door, but Ryan hesitated before taking off his seat belt. As he turned to me, I felt his gaze skimming over me lovingly before he gave me his sweet smile. “See you soon, my heart.”