Ryker’s smirk turns downright sinful, causing flutters to burst to life in my stomach. Then he murmurs, “You have ten minutes to hand over all your work to Christopher. The flight is tonight, so there’s no putting this off until later.”
I should get an award for my acting skills. I’ve mastered the art of hiding my true feelings from him.
Narrowing my eyes at him, I say, “You’re giving me orders now?”
He lets out a chuckle. “Do you know tiny sparks explode in your eyes when I push your buttons?”
That’s not the only place I get sparks.
I push by him and sit down. Turning to my desk, I pull a folder closer and open it.
Ryker places a hand on the back of my chair and another on my desk, and then he leans down until his face is right next to mine, and his cologne fills the air I breathe.
Good God, he smells fantastic.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, hoping to all that’s holy, I look irritated and not affected by him being so close to me.
“Ryker,” I whisper, my resolve starting to slip.
You can’t, Danny. It would make you a freaking cougar. Don’t… just don’t.
“Yes, Ma’am?” he murmurs, his voice low and deep by my ear, and I almost let out a need-filled groan.
“You’re a second away from being demoted to a janitor,” I threaten as my body starts to tremble with desire.
Ryker lets out another chuckle, and then he grabs the folder away from me and walks toward the door.
“Bring that back,” I gasp.
“I’m giving it to Christopher. Get your ass to the round table so we can look over the files. I’m sure you still need to pack as well.”
I stare at Ryker’s broad back and then shake my head.
God, the business trip to South Africa is probably going to kill me. Three weeks alone with Ryker. The odds of surviving are not in my favor.
I’ll probably die from my ovaries combusting.
A smile tugs at my mouth. Ryker West might be forbidden, but at the end of the day, when all is said and done, I live for these moments between us.
RYKER
We still have nine hours left before we’ll land at Cape Town International. I watch Danny where she’s sitting across from me on the company’s private jet. Her eyes keep drifting shut before she’s jarred awake again.
When her eyes close again, I get up from my seat. The second I slip my arms behind her back, and under her knees, she startles awake.
“What are you doing?” she mumbles.
“Putting you to bed,” I murmur as I lift her to my chest.
When she doesn’t fight me, it just tells me how exhausted she is.
Danny usually fights me on everything.
My mouth curves up from the thought.
Stepping inside the bedroom, I walk to the side of the bed, then lay Danny down on the white bedspread. When I glance at her face, I see that she’s out cold. I remove her shoes, setting them down on the floor. Pulling the covers back on the other side of the mattress, I move Danny over and cover her.
I kick off my own shoes before I climb under the covers. Turning onto my side, I let my eyes drift over her face.
Danielle Hayes. Unattainable like the stars. Untouchable like the sun.
I’ve always loved Danny in some way. At first, she was my best friend’s older sister with a beautiful smile and eyes as blue as the sky, who drove us to school and pretty much anywhere else we needed to go.
Then my balls dropped, and I noticed how smoking hot she was, especially during summer breaks. Seeing Danny in a bikini was the highlight of my teenage years.
But watching her run a company as big as Indie Ink – effortlessly, gracefully, never backing down – it’s a constant turn-on.
Danny mumbles something as she turns over until she’s facing me. Her button nose twitches, drawing a smile from me.
God, she’s beautiful.
I push my left arm under the pillow, and it’s just in time because Danny moves again, snuggling up against me. My body freezes as I watch her rub her cheek against my chest, and then my eyes drift shut from how good it feels to have her so close to me.
Praying she doesn’t wake up because she will kick my ass and send me flying without a parachute, I carefully wrap my right arm around her.
Thank God she doesn’t wake up, and I push my luck as I lower my head, pressing a kiss to her hair.
Damn, she smells good.
I take a deep breath of her soft scent.
Apples.
Danny is everything I want but can never have. I have to settle for flirting with her because I’m dead sure she only sees me as her little brother’s friend.
God, sometimes life is just unfair.