Just One Kiss (Very Irresistible Bachelors #2) - Layla Hagen Page 0,33
I murmured.
“Yeah, it was.”
He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. My entire body was on edge from that one touch.
“Do you have time for that movie tomorrow?”
“I have a deadline for an article on Sunday. Next week?”
“We have a big project coming in on Monday... it will keep me at work until late in the evening. Next Friday?”
“Yes, that works.”
He trained his eyes on me, and I was overwhelmed by the mix of heat and determination in them.
I had to be honest with him. “Avery asked me if it’ll be just the two of us for a while, and I said yes. I don’t think she wants us to have someone else in our life.”
He cupped my face in both hands. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that little girl feels safe around me. Make sure she’s happy. And then we’ll take it from there.”
Oh, wow. What could I say to that? All I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and pull him into a kiss.
“Between you and me, I think my chances aren’t half bad. She gave me her permission to take you out to a movie pretty quickly.”
“That’s because you tricked her. You essentially made her believe I might watch cartoons with her if you take me to the movies.”
Ryker grinned unapologetically. “Hey, I saw my chance, and I seized it.”
“You most definitely did.”
“And I’m not done doing that yet.”
I laughed, and this time I did pull him into a kiss. One thing I knew about Ryker. If he didn’t see a chance, he created one.
Chapter Fourteen
Ryker
The next morning, I was at my sisters’ store at ten o’clock. To my surprise, only Tess and Skye were here. Tess was perched on a ladder, pushing merchandise boxes around on the last shelf. Skye was handing her boxes.
“Where are the rest of your helpers?” I asked, referring to Cole, Hunter, and Josie. Since the store officially opened on Monday, we had a lot of last-minute details to take care of.
“Cole’s bringing breakfast, so he’ll be a bit late. But Josie and Hunter should be here any second.”
“Okay. Can’t believe they’re coming. Didn’t they land last night?”
“I told them they can sleep in or just skip today, but they insisted,” Skye said.
After they finished the boxes, Tess climbed down from the ladder. My sisters looked absolutely exhausted. They both had dark rings under their eyes, and Skye was paler than usual.
“What time did you two go to bed?” I asked them.
Tess waved her hand. “Don’t make me think about it. I think I slept two hours in total. But I haven’t slept much the past week either.”
“Yeah, I only got in one hour Thursday evening. Got stuck here sorting through inventory, and we had more deliveries coming in at six o’clock.”
“You slept here?” I asked.
“Hey, don’t judge. The couch is comfy,” Skye said on a frown. I’d been naive enough to think that after they quit their day jobs, they’d be taking it easier.
“You two will burn out if you go at this rate.”
Tess pointed a finger at me. “I’ll make you a deal. You stop nagging us about that, and we won’t ask about your plans for the date.”
Skye jerked her head back. “Ummm... don’t make deals in my name, sister.”
I burst out laughing. This morning was off to a brilliant start.
“Besides, you’re one to talk. Who was working a hundred hours a week to make director just a few years ago?” Skye asked.
“I was twenty-five, and it was only for a short time.”
Tess gasped. “Oh my God, he just called us old.”
“I didn’t. Fuck, I did. I need coffee,” I said on a groan.
Skye shook her head energetically. “No, no. It’s easier to spill secrets when you’re half awake.”
The front door opened, and Hunter and Josie came in, as well as Cole carrying bags.
“You’re saving my life,” I told him. He placed the food on the counter.
“Dig in. I was hungry, so I bought half the store.”
“Atta boy,” Skye exclaimed, rubbing her stomach.
We all reached for the food so fast, one would think we hadn’t eaten in three days. I wolfed down a ham and cheese sandwich before downing a coffee.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Skye pout. There went her strategy of keeping me away from caffeine so I was an easier prey for their questioning.
“Did I miss anything last evening?” Josie asked.
“Business as usual. The donation spreadsheets aren’t done, but I think we’ve reached