No Turning Back (Breaking the Rules #4) - A.M. Madden Page 0,57
you back on track to find a man.”
“I kind of found one,” I said hesitantly. “I’m back together with Ryder.”
“The Ryder!” she exclaimed so loudly that I didn’t doubt the entire office heard her.
“Shh. Yes, the Ryder.”
“Scratch coming here. I need to come down there and meet the man who broke your heart and then recaptured it.” Good Lord. Kayla suddenly went nuts, bolting to the door while barking and circling. “You got a dog!”
“Oh yeah. I forgot that part.” Needing to investigate what Kayla heard that had her whining, I then said, “I gotta go. It was great talking to you, Janie. I miss you.”
“I miss you too. Ree, I’m happy for you. Congratulations. Everything you wanted is happening, and you deserve it all, sweetie. And now that I know the reason you didn’t call had nothing to do with failure or death, be prepared to hear from me a lot.”
I giggled. “Deal.” Just as I hung up, Ryder let himself in, only to be charged at by a very excitable golden retriever.
“Hey, girl,” he said, squatting so she could get a good lick at his face. Through a grin, he looked at me. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey. What are you doing home so soon?”
“Long story.” Using his happy demeanor as a sign that whatever happened wasn’t negative, I waited until the greeting with Kayla was over before leaning up to kiss him. “Mmm,” he said, wrapping his arms around me to lengthen it. And it was a good thing he had a solid hold on me, because the kiss made me weak in the knees.
Once we broke apart, he took my hand and dragged me along with him while grabbing a beer from the fridge, popping it open, and taking us out onto the balcony. He then placed the beer on a side table and me on his lap as Kayla lay at his feet.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m more than okay.” He cupped my face affectionately, but the intensity in his gaze still worried me. “I quit today.”
My mouth gaped open, causing a small smile to lift the corners of his lips. “Why?”
“It’d been something I wanted to do for a few weeks now. I’m not happy there anymore,” he admitted on a shrug. “I’m sick of being used and my personal life suffering because of it.”
“Being used how?”
“My boss has always depended on me to get done what he was too lazy to achieve. Sure, it made me a success in my field and more than enough money, but now that I have you back, I’m not willing to make even one more sacrifice for him.”
It felt as though he spoke in code, until the meaning behind his words hit me. “He was going to transfer you again?”
“Not right now, but it was coming. I had gone out to California to end another potential shit show that was about to implode. Instability is common in my business, as is betrayal and greed. Since his executive agent in LA walked out, Doug was kind of hinting that I should be back there running things.”
Guilt consumed me, as did déjà vu. “Ryder, if you want to be in LA, we’ll figure out a way to make it work.”
He cupped my face, forcing my eyes on him. “I don’t want to be in LA. I want to be here, with you. I want to work for me, be my own boss.”
“You’re starting your own firm?”
“Yes. Wes will help, and my loyal clients will follow.”
“But—”
“There are no buts, Ree,” he interrupted. “I can do my job anywhere. The traveling part was to do Doug’s dirty work. And because I carried that out successfully each time, prompting him to move me around like a fucking chess piece meant he got richer and richer. I’m done.” His gaze held mine. “I want this, Ree. As of today, I’m officially president of the R. Carter Agency, employer of two.” His grin was infectious, and he kissed me when one of my own spread. “I want to build a life with you here… and build my business. I want to reap the benefits for ourselves. Any travel would be on my terms or for our pleasure. And I want to sprint into our future and not look back.”
My heart squeezed within my chest with emotion. They were all good emotions, with the love I held for him dominating. “I want that, too, all of it… with you.”
A brilliant smile spread over his handsome face, while his