Free No In Between by Lisa Renée Jones

I’m grateful he worked his mojo, she’s so over her head with him, it’s scary.”
    He’s so right. “I know. I’ve tried to warn her away from him in the past. Obviously it didn’t work.”
    “Try harder.”
    He’s right again. “I will.”
    “Good. Because she won’t listen to me.” He straightens. “Did you hear Bossman’s back in town?”
    “I saw him at the police station. Did he call or come by here?”
    “No. Ryan told us he’s here, and we’re hoping it means we can get back to some form of order.”
    I’m irritated that Mark would communicate with Ryan but he won’t return my calls. Has this investigation become Chris and me against Mark and Ryan? Is it worse than that—against Mark, Ryan, and Ava?
    No, that’s silly. Mark isn’t aligned with Ava. I pray Ryan isn’t, either.
    Ralph slides his briefcase strap onto his shoulder. “Crystal has us closing at six since we aren’t operating the showroom. Are you coming in tomorrow?”
    I won’t know until Chris has talked with Mark. “No decisions yet, but I’m just a phone call away, no matter what. And there will be security here starting tomorrow. No more reporters stalking you.”
    “That’s welcome news. Shall we go herd Ryan and Amanda out of here, so we can all leave?”
    “I think I’ll stay and try to talk to her, while I have a chance.”
    “You sure? I don’t like leaving you here alone.”
    “I’ll be fine. I think our talk will go better if it’s just her and me.”
    He nods, giving me a hug on his way out. Pausing at the reception desk on my way to the break room, I’m stunned by the pages and pages of messages by the phone, though I suspect many are repeats. I have to help out here. There’s no way Crystal can handle Riptide’s massive operation and juggle Allure, too.
    Since Amanda still hasn’t returned, I drop my coat and purse on her desk and head toward the break room. The soft murmur of voices has me peering cautiously around the doorway. Ryan and Amanda stand on the other side of the small kitchen table, facing each other.
    He’s leaning close to Amanda, his head dipped low, and he murmurs something that I can’t make out.
    Amanda leans away from him, giving me a partial glimpse of her face. “I’m not ready,” she whispers. “I can’t.”
    Pretty sure I know what they’re discussing, I curl my hands into fists and it’s all I can do not to shout out my agreement. Of course she’s not ready. She’s a kid, an intern. He’s in his thirties, a Master with a depth of sexual experience.
    “You are ready,” he insists, and I’ve had enough.
    With a deep breath, I step into the room, and dare the deep muddy waters of butting into someone else’s life. “Ready for what?”
    Ryan turns to face me, his light brown eyes skimming my body a bit too intimately. My stomach drops and I’m back in the moment when he and Mark tried to seduce me; when they trapped me, touched me. “Sara,” Ryan says softly, his voice almost as intimate as his inspection had been. “Good to see you. The last time we saw each other was in less than favorable circumstances.”
    Is that what he calls Ava trying to kill me?
    “I’ve been worried,” he adds. “How are you?”
    “As good as any of us can be, under the still unfavorable circumstances .”
    His mouth slips into a grim line. “Indeed. It’s not our best year, is it?”
    His nonchalance over Rebecca’s death, and almost mine, makes me so angry, I decide no reply is better than what would come out of my mouth.
    I focus on Amanda instead. “You’re not ready for what?”
    She twists her fingers together in front of her. “Oh, I . . .”
    “She wants a promotion,” Ryan offers, “and she’s afraid to ask Mark.”
    His explanation is so fast and smooth, his stare so steady and unwavering, that I almost believe him. But I know Amanda almost walked out today and when I look at her, she cuts her gaze away, unintentionally telling me he’s lying. “I can talk