“Oh,” Addie quips, practically choking on her bite. She grabs a quick drink of her wine and then continues. “I can play hooky one day and we can hang out. Do some girly stuff.” I narrow my eyes at her. Addie is not a girly girl.
Aspen smiles at her. “I’d like that.”
“Ryker, can you show me where you keep your bottle opener?” I turn to Aiden, wondering why he’s asking. He knows damn well where it is. He does a small jerk of his head toward the kitchen. I hesitantly get up and follow him. This can’t be good.
“What’s up?” I ask, leaning against the counter, crossing my arms. He reaches into the fridge and grabs a beer and holds it up.
The smartass replies, “I really needed one.” I point to my other side where the drawer is and I stare at him. He cracks a smile as he opens the drawer, taking out the bottle opener. “I have some concerns.” He wipes his mouth after taking a long pull. He’s FBI, he always has concerns.
“Why? You knew I sent her a ticket. Where the hell is this coming from?”
“I see how you’re looking at her. You like this woman.”
I hold my arms out and try to keep my voice down. “What did you expect? I flew a woman who lives thousands of miles away here to see me because I didn’t like her?”
“Are you sure you’re not an out for her?”
My arms drop and irritation hardens my jaw at what he’s implying. “Aiden, she’s an American. She didn’t need me to come here. And I don’t need Addie sniffing around her for you.”
“Hey,” he states, pointing his beer at me and then gesturing to the living room. “That surprised me just as much as you.”
“Addie will do anything to get out of having that gaggle of kids you keep insisting on.”
He tosses his head back, laughing. “I think you’re right. Just be careful, brother.”
“You don’t have to be concerned about Aspen. She’s the most genuine person you’ll ever meet.” The only thing I need to worry about is not getting too deep with her. She’s been here one day and already has me knotted up inside.
We both return and the girls look up at us with curious expressions. Aiden holds up his beer. “Got it taken care of.”
“You two are as bad as girls needing to go to the bathroom together,” Addie says, rolling her eyes. There’s my non-girly-girl friend.
We cut the night short because Aspen can barely stay awake. Jet lag is a bitch. But it’s okay with me. The quicker I can get her naked, curled up to me, the better.
Chapter Sixteen
Aspen
“I’ll get used to it.”
Ryker shakes his head, worry etched in his forehead. Determined to struggle through the cold stinging my body, and make Ryker stop worrying, I yank him into the tenth coffee shop we’ve passed. American’s like their coffee.
The heat, like a brick wall, threatens to shatter my frozen bones. “Go grab us those seats.” With a tip of his head, he motions to a table by the window, looking out to the snow-covered streets, “and I’ll grab a couple coffees.” I nod, pulling off my hat and walking between a couple tables.
I overhear a couple girls whisper his name as I sit and seconds later glance at me with curiosity. There’s a lengthy line to order so I busy myself with taking off my coat to avoid the questioning expressions. After a few minutes, I glance to the line to see how far he’s gotten. It doesn’t help that he stands out in the crowded room. Between his looks and his height, it’s hard for anyone to miss him. He’s caught more people’s attention, yet his focus stays on me. He smiles and winks. You can hear the whiplash of people’s head jerking my direction. My cheeks burn and I swiftly turn my attention outside.
Not used to seeing bare trees, their bones exposed, my body aches for them in these harsh elements and I wonder how they survive. I focus on the boutique shops lining the colorless street. Everything in the city seems dull during the day, yet bright and festive at night with all the lights on the buildings. Last night, seeing how the city wakes up after dark, I was awestruck. The energy fueling my soul. It was love at first sight. People crowd the sidewalks, not bothered by the freezing temperatures. Well, per Ryker, today is a gorgeous day.