Never Standing Still (The Never Duet #1)(15)

“I’m gonna go,” I mumbled, turning toward my car again. I had to get away from him before my body completely betrayed me and melted right in front of him.

“Should I meet you here tomorrow?”

I stopped and looked back to him. “Do you have a ride? I could drop you off at your hotel.”

He shook his head. “I found a place close by last night. I’m good. What time should I meet you here tomorrow?”

“Ten sound good? I’d like to get at least a few hours of sleep.”

“Sounds perfect. See you tomorrow, Kalli.” His voice went soft on my name, but the dimple came out again. Words failed me, so I just waved.

I made it to my Range Rover, but took a few deep breaths before I started the engine. I hadn’t expected to be so affected by Riot or his words. His body, sure. But not his words. Perhaps he was just punchy from the long day. I sighed, started the engine, and then headed toward my hotel just praying for a good night’s sleep.





Chapter Five


A Wonderful Wasted Day


I walked into the trailer the next morning and groaned. It was even more of a mess than I left it the night before and I was immediately regretting putting it off. I had taken a few more steps in, looking around, trying to formulate a game plan in my mind on how to best attack the mess, when I heard the door open.

Riot stepped in, eyes widening. “Holy shit,” he said with conviction.

“Yeah,” I said as I placed my bag on the table. “Feel free to back out. You don’t have to stay and help with this. It’s my job.”

“What kind of a guy would I be if I just left you here by yourself?”

I shrugged. “One with better things to do than clean up someone else’s mess?”

“Turns out,” he said with a dazzling smile, “I’ve got absolutely nothing better to do.”

I simply couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face, so I chose, instead, to turn away and focus on picking up the mess.



That’s how we spent the next two hours: picking up. We picked up the clothes, hung them on hangers, organized them into categories, then I rolled most of them on the rack back to the studio for their manager to deal with, and then put the few items I’d brought with me in the back of my Range Rover after Riot had kindly carried them out for me.

“Nice ride,” he said after he closed the trunk.

“Thanks. I need something big for instances just like this,” I said, smiling at him as I held my hand up to block the sun from my eyes. Something about the way he looked just then, the sun shining behind him, only allowing me to see the silhouette of his face, cheeks big from smiling, it made something inside me melt a little. Soften. I could feel something warm spreading throughout me, coating everything that had been solid and cold before.

“Shall we go get the last load?” he asked softly, forcing me out of my state of wonder. I blinked and looked down at the ground, allowing my eyes to adjust to the lack of light.

“Sure,” I said quietly, then started to walk past him. He turned to walk beside me and I felt his hand rest at the base of my neck, gently squeezing. After a moment or two of feeling his big, strong hand wrapped around the back of my neck, I felt the warmth leave as he removed it. The loss of his skin against mine left me breathless. I’d never been a huge fan of public displays of affection; I also had always shunned a lot of physical contact. I was usually more annoyed by being touched than anything. But having Riot’s hand on me hadn’t been even remotely annoying; it had been exhilarating. I tried to keep my reaction to his touch under control, letting out a slow and silent breath.

When we’d finally made the last trip to the car and I was positive we’d gotten everything that belonged to me out of there, I turned to Riot with a smile.

“So, I don’t know about you, but I could really use some coffee.”

“I’m up for just about anything.” He smiled and then gave me a wink. I tried to keep myself from blushing, but it was unavoidable.

“Great.” We both climbed in my car and I took off toward the center of the city.



Thirty minutes later we sat on the steps of Pioneer Courthouse Square, coffee in hand, enjoying the sunshine and watching the people pass by.

“This is kind of a cool spot,” Riot said just before taking a sip of his sugary coffee concoction through a straw. I’d had to stifle a giggle when he’d ordered his drink. Something about a big, tall, masculine man ordering a triple iced grande vanilla mocha made my eyebrows rise. I’d never met a man who drank anything except straight coffee before. He’d thrown another adorable wink my way and insisted on buying my iced latte.

“Did you ever see Free Willy?” I asked between sips.

“Uh, of course,” he answered, as if it were ridiculous to even ask. “I was a child of the nineties.”

I laughed. “Well, do you remember the opening scene where the homeless kids are asking for change?”

“Yeah,” he said, sipping again from his straw.

I made a grand gesture with my hand to the open square and to the light rail track behind me. He looked around, confused at first, but then his eyes went wide.

“Really?” he asked excitedly.

“Yeah. They shot that scene here. This is one of the first places Ella took me when we started hanging out.”