Claiming Felicity (Ace Security #4)(10)

“I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it a long time,” she argued.

“I know you have, love, but now you don’t have to.”

“Argh . . . do you have a comeback for everything?”

“Yup.”

Felicity glared at him for another beat, then sighed and gave in. She refused to admit to herself that she felt safer with him around. Nope, he’d never leave her alone if she did that. Only one thing had happened in the last week—an old newspaper clipping about her college roommate’s death had arrived in the mail. She knew exactly who’d sent it. He was up to his usual tricks . . . slowly and surely attempting to freak her out, to make her feel less and less safe. She had no doubt he’d escalate his little gifts in the coming weeks. She almost preferred he just make his move and be done with it, but she knew he wanted her to suffer first.

Sighing, Felicity put the car in gear and backed out of the parking space. Making sure to look both ways for anything or anyone that might be suspicious before she pulled out, they were finally on their way.

“When did you move to Castle Rock?” Ryder asked.

Felicity stiffened. It looked like the inquisition was starting immediately. “About five years ago. Give or take a few months.” When he didn’t respond or ask anything else, Felicity risked glancing over at him. He was staring out the front of the vehicle, and she could see his jaw clenching.

For the first time in ten years, she wanted to spill her guts to someone. Ryder made her want to lower the shields she’d put up when she stepped foot out of her mom’s house, and let someone in. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it a second later. No, she couldn’t risk it. Couldn’t risk him.

It was stupid. She didn’t know Ryder. Didn’t care about him. Since she wasn’t emotionally attached to him, he could help her, and if something happened to him, she wouldn’t care . . . right? Inwardly, she sighed. God help her, she did care about him. Even after such a short time, she couldn’t deny his protectiveness was intoxicating and flattering. Not to mention he was freaking gorgeous.

He was muscular and built; he obviously worked out. His brown hair was constantly messy, as if he frequently ran a hand through the strands. He had a five o’clock shadow on his square jaw, and his nose was just crooked enough for her to think he must have broken it at one time. His hands were large, with calluses on them. She remembered that from when she’d shaken his hand last week and when he’d touched her neck. His shoulders were broad, and she had a feeling he carried quite a load on them . . . with no problem.

But most of all, she was drawn to the way he made her feel. He didn’t treat her as if she was Wonder Woman, but neither did he make her feel weak. Ryder Sinclair was more alpha than any man she’d ever met, and that was saying something, considering she’d been hanging around the Anderson brothers and Cole. But instead of getting her dander up and making her want to take him down a peg, it made her want to let him stand in front of her and face the dangers in her life for her. Even though she knew Joseph was out there somewhere, watching her, she didn’t feel nearly as freaked as she should. Because of Ryder.

The grocery store Felicity liked to go to was up in Denver. It carried organic and specialty food that she couldn’t get in Castle Rock. She gave Ryder credit—he didn’t ask where they were going as she pulled onto the interstate and headed north, he just sat next to her in silence, letting her have her space . . . for now.

They spent an hour walking around the store together. He teased her for her purchases, and she made fun of him for buying nothing more than a dozen doughnuts, a box of granola bars, and a bag of almonds.

“Is that what you’ve been eating?”

He shrugged. “Not much space in the hotel. Besides, I’ve been eating at the coffee shop a lot.”

“What? Why there? They don’t even have real food. Just muffins and stuff.”

He met her eyes dead-on and said, “Because it’s across the street from the gym, and I can keep an eye on you from there.”

She stopped in the middle of the aisle and stammered, “Ryder . . . you . . . why?”

He leaned toward her and said softly, “Because I told you I’d make sure you were free of whatever is haunting you. And the only way I can do that is to keep you in my sights.”

Felicity bit her lip and struggled to find the words to express what she was thinking. Unlike most people, he let her think. He didn’t fill the silence with empty words. Finally, she looked up at him and said, “You can’t make me safe. No one can.”

It was more than she’d admitted about her personal life in a really long time.

As if he understood how much of a concession it was for her to say even that, he slowly brought his hand up and ran his palm over her short, spiked hair. His eyes followed his hand and came back to her face when he gripped the back of her neck in a tight, but comforting, grip. “I can make you safe.” It sounded like a vow.

“You can’t.”

“I can,” he insisted. “When we get back to Castle Rock, invite me up to your apartment. We’ll talk. I’ll give you my résumé, my real résumé, the one no one but my handler knows. Then you can decide if you trust me to keep you safe or not.”

“Your handler?”

His brows went up, as if in a challenge.