Tori seemed to be doing fine, and Ryan was—shit.
Ryan was walking toward her with an extra drink in his hand.
He tapped her shoulder and she turned, surprise and a bit of wariness flickering in her eyes before she accepted the drink.
Not the thought his cousin was crazy enough to drug her or anything, but even still. Especially after that conversation today, his protective instinct rose to high alert.
James took his seat in the row above where the two were sitting, all thoughts of leaving forgotten.
Might as well get comfortable, keep his eye on Tori, and enjoy the rest of the baseball game.
Chapter Eight
“Thanks for thedrink.”
Tori accepted the beverage from Ryan, praying it wasn’t spiked. Not that he’d be that stupid at a company event.
“Anytime.”
She was always cautious when accepting drinks from men—especially the ones who made her put her guard up.
Lately, Ryan had been dropping by her office more often. Flashing that charming smile that did absolutely nothing for her. She’d even started taking her lunch breaks later to avoid running into him in the cafeteria.
While he hadn’t outright hit on her or asked her out, it felt a bit implied. Where she just had to take the bait.
When he sat down in the seat beside her, she resisted the instinct to stiffen.
Couldn’t he read the signs? She didn’t want to be this close to him.
“Are you enjoying the game?” Politeness had her asking the question.
“This?” Ryan jerked his chin toward the field. “It’s fine. I’m not the biggest baseball fan. Now take me to a Seahawks game? Hell, yeah. Kaw-ka!”
She winced at his sharp bird impression. Or whatever it was.
“Are you still loving Wright and Williams, Victoria?”
The question put her a bit more at ease, and the slight tension in her body lifted.
“Absolutely. It’s my first foray into the legal field, and it’s just as fascinating as I’d imagined.”
“Yeah? That’s great.” He took a sip of beer, turning his attention to the field. “What’d you do before you came here?”
“I was in HR for about six months at an accounting firm.” Her lips twisted into a lopsided smile. “Not quite as exciting.”
Though the ego levels weren’t quite as high there either. Not that all the attorneys she’d met had big egos, but definitely a big enough percentage that she’d taken note.
“And before that?”
What?
She glanced at him sharply, her pulse quickening. Was this line of questioning making a weird turn? It couldn’t just be curiosity, could it?
Something about his tone sent a frisson of unease through her.
“I was still in college.” She turned her attention to the field where the Minnesota Twins were up to bat. She kept her voice calm and added, “You know, getting my degree and all.”
He shifted, and his knee bumped hers. He made no move to pull it away again.