Claiming Felicity (Ace Security #4)(54)

“Is Logan going to be there?”

“I don’t think so. But Bailey is. Alexis was planning on being there too, but I think she had to bail. Something about a real-time training session with that hacker guy she’s been working with.”

“I’ll stay until you’re ready to go then.”

Felicity wanted to protest. Wanted to tell him she didn’t need a babysitter, but then she thought back to all the shit Joseph had been doing recently. The missing-person signs he’d posted all over downtown Castle Rock with her picture and description on them. She thought Ryder was going to lose his shit when he saw them. She’d never seen him look so furious. She’d come face-to-face with the mercenary that morning. Seeing the anger on his face made her realize that she never wanted to be on the receiving end of that amount of testosterone. But it also made her feel safe. He would kill for her. Weirdly, it comforted her.

Other things were annoying, but not as blatantly threatening as that “missing” poster had been. Dead flowers on the sidewalk outside the gym, the police showing up several times because of reports of a disturbance, more pictures of her going about her days, a cookie delivery with each sweet decorated with a number . . . when put in the right order, it turned out to be Ryder’s cell phone number, and they’d even discovered a rattlesnake in the men’s locker room at the gym one day.

Felicity sighed. “But you were going to go over and visit with Blake,” she protested.

“He’ll understand,” Ryder told her. “You’re way more important than anything else I might have planned.”

“We can’t spend every second together,” Felicity argued.

“Why not?”

“Why not?” she echoed. “Because.”

Ryder smirked. “That’s not an answer, love.”

“Because we’ll get sick of each other. Because most people have jobs they go to every day. It gives them time away from the person they’re dating.”

“I won’t get sick of you, no way. And we both have jobs . . . they’re just not nine-to-five jobs. We’re lucky in that we can make our own schedules.”

“You have a job?” Felicity asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “I thought you quit working for Rex.”

“I did. One of the things I was going to talk to Blake about when I saw him next was becoming a part of Ace Security.”

Felicity stared at Ryder for a moment before smiling huge and throwing herself at him.

He went back on a foot, but curled his arms around her, steadying them both. “I take it that meets with your approval?” he asked dryly.

“Oh my God, yes!” she said. She leaned up and kissed him, keeping her arms around him. “I didn’t even think about that, but it’s perfect. And they’re okay with you joining them?”

“They came to me with the offer,” Ryder told her. “I was going to discuss more details with Blake today, then see what you thought before I officially accepted.”

Felicity tilted her head to the side in confusion. “You were going to talk to me about it before accepting the job? Why?”

“Seriously?” he asked with one brow arched.

“Uh . . . yeah?”

“I’m the newcomer here, Felicity. You’re already settled in. Grace is your best friend. This is your territory. I didn’t want you to feel as if I pushed my way into your family circle if you didn’t want me there.”

It was Felicity’s turn to ask, “Seriously?”

His lips twitched, but he managed to keep the smile from his face. “Yeah.”

“For God’s sake, I’m not eighteen and a jealous teenager. Logan, Blake, and Nathan are your family. I would never say that I didn’t want you working with your brothers, no matter what was going on with us. Besides . . . from what I’ve seen . . . you’re good. They could totally use you on their team. Shit, with your connections, you could really help Ace Security get to the next level . . . whatever that is. I don’t know how it all works. But they’d be lucky, really lucky, to have you join them. And not just because you’re related.”

“I have an appointment with a real estate agent next week,” Ryder told her. “Come with me?”

Felicity stared up at him. “Of course. I’m going to miss you in my apartment, though.”

“No, you won’t.”

“Ryder, yes, I will. You’ve been living there with me for like, a month. I’m used to you hogging the covers, leaving the toilet seat up, and making a mess anytime you cook.” She smiled to make sure he knew she was teasing. She really didn’t give a shit about those things, but was trying not to get all morose at the thought of him moving out. “But you do get me my water every night, so that kinda negates the other stuff.”

“You won’t miss me because I want you to move in with me,” Ryder said, ignoring her teasing. “We’ll find a house we both like, hopefully not too far from downtown so we can be close to the Ace Security office and the gym.”

She gaped up at him. He’d mentioned something about her helping him find a house, but she’d thought it was an offhand comment. Or something he wanted her to do later . . . much later. Her eyes filled with tears she refused to shed. She wasn’t a crier. She was tough and badass, dammit. “Really?” she croaked.