Then it hits me. Danny wasn’t pissed off that I saw her naked. She was embarrassed. If Tristan had walked in on her, she would’ve slapped him upside the head.
My eyes sharpen on her. The faint blush on her cheeks.
Holy shit.
Danny glances up, then she frowns. “What?”
“Nothing,” I answer quickly. Yet.
But if my gut is right…
Chapter 5
DANNY
The first meeting with Take3 went much better than I expected. We’ve already been in South Africa for six days, and all we’ve seen is the inside of the hotel room, Take3’s offices, and that nerve-wracking trip to the mall.
Ryker’s been working non-stop on the interim contract, where I’ve been doing further research on the market.
Dressed in a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals, I walk out of my bedroom.
Ryker glances in my direction as he comes out of his own room, then he stops and stares at me. “Damn, I can’t remember when last I saw you in casual clothes.”
Rolling my eyes, I ask, “Do you expect me to go to the beach in a suit?”
He lets out a burst of silent laughter. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you did.”
Scrunching my nose, I pick up my bag. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”
Not that I would. I’m looking forward to spending some time on the beach before going on the Franschhoek wine route tour for the day.
Leaving the hotel, Ryker drives us to the nearest accessible beach. He finds a parking space in a designated area, and then we have to follow a path through houses. The ocean is a deep blue, and honestly, it looks cold even though it’s summer on this side of the planet.
When we reach the sand, I grab hold of Ryker’s arm. “Give me a second.” He helps me keep my balance while I slip off my sandals. “Thanks.”
Due to the rocks, mountain and houses surrounding the beach, it feels like we’re in a cove. With my eyes on the waves rushing to shore, I walk closer to the water.
“Gosh, it’s pretty,” I sigh, and then I let out a shriek when Ryker wraps an arm around my waist, and I’m lifted into the air. I drop my sandals as he carries me into the water, and it has me laughing. “No. Shit, it’s cold. I’m going to kill you.”
The second he lets go of me, I splash water his way before making an awkward run for the sand. I don’t get far. Ryker grabs hold of me again and then drags me in deeper. “Dead…” I shiver. “So dead.”
The only answer I get from him is laughter.
When I try to turn around in his hold, a wave washes our feet from under us, and then I’m tumbling and swallowing the salty water.
I manage to sit up, and then Ryker lets out a bark of laughter. “You look like the girl from The Ring.”
I begin to cough and send him a scathing glare. A sharp pain shoots through my head, and my vision blurs. I let out a groan, and it has Ryker crouching in front of me. He takes hold of my shoulder and wipes the hair from my face. “Did you get hurt?”
I shake my head, and it has the sharp pain lessening to a dull ache. “Just a headache.” I scowl up at him. “Probably from all the water I just swallowed.”
Ryker helps me climb to my feet, then says, “We’ll stop by the hotel to change, then you can take some painkillers.”
The painkillers he got suck, but I’m not about to tell him that because then he’ll start worrying.
Walking over the soft white sand, I say, “I’m going to plant my butt right here and soak up some sun. I’m sure it will go away soon.”
I sit down and wiggle my toes in the sand. Ryker drops down beside me, and when his arm presses against mine, it sends a zap straight to my abdomen.
You’d think after all these years, I’d be used to those pesky zaps.
We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, and then I admit, “This is the first day I’ve taken off in a year… I think.”
“You work too hard,” Ryker grumbles.
“Someone has to.”
My reply has him turning his face to me. “There are eight of us. You keep forgetting that.”
“I know.” I pull my legs to my chest and rest my chin on my knees.
“Do you?” Ryker asks. “Indie Ink won’t fall apart without you.”
His words cause a ripple of heartache to spread through me. Not that I want Indie Ink to fall apart without me, but it’s all I have.
“Thanks for that vote of confidence,” I mutter.
Ryker nudges at me with his shoulder. “You know that’s not what I meant. You just need to take some time off like the rest of us.”
“I’ll rest when I’m dead,” I chuckle.