Ryker’s eyes were full of happiness. I’d had no idea that you could feel joy like a physical force inside you. Only now, I felt as if there was so much of it that it couldn’t possibly fit inside me.
“Define up for anything,” he said playfully. “Does it include naughty trips to my office or sneaking behind the red curtain during galas?”
“That’s a no on both counts,” I said seriously.
“We’ll see about that.”
I laughed, stepping closer again, touching his jaw, tracing his lips with my fingers, because apparently I couldn’t keep my hands off him for even one full minute. I just loved feeling him against me. Bringing a hand to the back of my head, he pulled me into a kiss. It was different than the one before. Hotter, even more urgent. As if in a haze, I realized we were moving through the room. I almost stumbled, and blindly reached a hand backward—there was a wall here somewhere—but Ryker was ahead of me. He’d braced one hand against the wall, pushing me against it with his hips. He needed a hard surface for leverage so he could kiss and touch me the way he wanted to. The realization sent a wave of heat through me. I rose on my toes, needing leverage of my own.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked.
“How to seduce my fiancée tonight.”
“And what are the options? Your fiancée would like to weigh in.”
“Does she now?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Well, then. Can’t deny my fiancée’s first wish, can I?”
***
“This is an engagement ring,” I told Avery later that evening, after we picked up her and Mom from the airport. I was a little nervous but a lot excited to tell my little girl about our plans. We were at our apartment, and Mom had slipped out of the living room to give Ryker and me some privacy with Avery. I’d told her on the phone about the engagement, because I just couldn’t hold back, but asked her to keep it a secret from Avery.
“What’s an engagement?” Avery asked, wide-eyed.
“It’s like a promise,” Ryker explained. “Your mom and I are promising to each other that we’re going to always be together.”
“We’re getting married,” I said. Her mouth formed that adorable O, where her cheeks also went hollow from the effort.
“You’re going to be a bride, Mommy?”
“Yes. And we’re also going to move in with Ryker.”
“Ohh, so I can always play in my big room.” She turned to look at Ryker, speaking in a loud whisper. “Can we tell her now?”
Ryker grinned. “Yes, we can.”
“Tell me what?” These two. I’d known something was up ever since we’d left Phoenix.
Avery straightened up. “I asked Ryker to be my dad. And he said yes.”
I blinked, sure I’d misheard her, then quickly looked away so she couldn’t see that I had misty eyes.
“And you will not just be my dad, but also Mom’s hubband?”
“Yes,” Ryker said.
“Can I get a ring too? So we can also promise to always be together?” Avery asked.
Ryker smiled warmly at her. I reached for his hand behind Avery’s back, squeezing it lightly.
“Sure. We can go buy a ring whenever you want. Or a necklace if you want. Or a bracelet.”
Oh, damn. They were going to buy half the store; I was sure of that. But they both already looked so excited that I promised myself I would just let them have their fun this time.
When Avery yawned, I pointed a finger at her. “Bedtime, Avery.”
Avery’s expression was mutinous, but then she yawned again.
“Come on, off we go,” I insisted.
After taking care of Avery’s bedtime routine, Ryker and I snuck to my tiny room.
“I can’t wait to move to your apartment. It’s so big, and I love that it’s on two floors,” I said when we were almost at my bed. Ryker laughed, putting an arm around my waist, walking in tandem with me.
“You just pointed out my two favorite things about it.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Heather
The following Saturday, I woke up before Ryker and just stared at my ring for a few minutes. The past week had been a bit of a whirlwind.
I gave notice to my landlord and started packing. Mom helped until she returned to Phoenix yesterday. Moving day was in two weeks. Ryker being Ryker had decided to pay the rent for another month so I wouldn’t have to pack in a hurry.
Ryker stirred soon after, blindly putting his hand over my shoulder. I loved that his first instinct was to reach for my side of the bed, check to see if I was still here. I pulled back a little, teasing him. He stretched toward me even further, only stopping when his fingers grazed my thigh. Then he blinked both eyes open. Groggy with sleep as he was, he smiled at me.
“Morning,” he said. “Is it late?”
“Nah, I just woke up early.”
He turned on one side, watching me intently. “You’re smiling. Why?”
“You were cute, trying to fondle me even in your sleep.”
“Hey, I’m an honest man. I want what I want.”
Yawning, I got out of bed. In a fraction of a second, Ryker was up too and trapped me between his body and the door. Damn, he was fast.
“What are you doing?”
“Not letting you go until you admit that you were teasing me on purpose.”
“You just woke up two minutes ago. How are you so good at blackmailing me already?”
He kissed the side of my neck, laughing. “You inspire me.”
“Oh, I see. So I brought this upon myself?”
He pulled back, cocking a brow. “You say that like it’s a hardship.”
I wiggled my ass, parting my thighs so I could accommodate him more easily.
“It can be.”
“You did not say that.”
“I did. Whatcha gonna do about it?”
His eyes flashed, before he whirled me around, putting my palms up against the door above my head, holding them tight.
I swallowed, exhaling sharply. I was not expecting that. Where my instincts were slow and groggy in the morning, he was already quick and alert.
He kissed along the back of my neck, first only skimming his lips, then teasing me with the tip of his tongue. My whole body reacted to his attentions. Letting go of my hands, he moved his mouth lower, tracing a straight line of kisses down my back. At the same time, he skimmed his hands over the sides of my breasts, down to my hips.
Oh, wow. There had to be a rule against getting me so hot and bothered this early in the morning. How was I supposed to resist his charm for the rest of the day? Oh wait, I didn’t want to do that.
One hour later, the two of us and Avery walked into Tiffany’s.
“We’re looking for a ring for this little lady,” Ryker told the sales assistant. I was in heaven, admiring the sparkly displays... right until I saw the price tags. Wow! Everything had one digit more than I imagined even in my wildest dreams. How much had Ryker spent on my ring? And now on another one for Avery?
“Yes, an ekagenment ring, like Mommy’s. That means we will all be together for all times. Until Mommy and Daddy are really old.”
“We can even put it on a necklace,” I said. “That way you can also wear it after you outgrow it.” I actually had a more practical reason in mind, minimizing Avery’s risk of losing the ring.