Free Unveiled (Vargas Cartel #2) by Lisa Cardiff Page B

“You’re right.”
    I nodded. “I’ll call you soon, okay?”
    Without responding, he spun around and headed to the entrance. He whispered something to a blonde woman in a short emerald green dress. Her eyes flashed to me. Then, Evan threaded his arm through hers, and they strolled out of the restaurant as though nothing had happened. I guess he could date, but I couldn’t. Typical Evan logic. He had the audacity to accuse me of moving on too quickly and act as if I had wounded him when he brought a date too.
    For a frozen eternity, I didn’t have the energy to do anything. I exhaled shakily. Fatigue had settled into my bones, and I wanted to go home, climb into bed, and forget about everything…everyone. Tears beaded in the corners of my eyes, but I refused to cry over Evan. He had already claimed too much of my life and wasted too much of my time. I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. “Well, that was awkward.”
    Ryker stared at me, the silence ballooning with every tick of the second hand, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his. Then, his sensual lips curved into a smile, jumpstarting my heart. He chuckled under his breath as he slapped some money on top of the bill. “I think we outstayed our welcome. Let’s get out of here.”
    His lips swept across mine, and his scent swaddled me, soothing my frayed nerves, uncoiling the tension holding my muscles hostage. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he whispered.
    “That I can’t believe you wanted me to get back together with him.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Eleven
     
     
    Ryker
     
    “This looks amazing,” Rever said, leaning over my shoulder.
    “It’s not for you,” I said, elbowing him in his stomach.
    Rever stumbled back. “What the hell?”
    I turned off the stove and snagged my keys from the counter, stuffing them into my pocket. “You need to leave.”
    He leaned against the kitchen counter, his ankles crossed. “I don’t have anywhere to go.”
    “Go out to dinner. Check into a hotel. I don’t care. You can’t stay here tonight.”
    “With what money?” he challenged.
    I opened my wallet and pulled out five crisp hundred dollar bills. “Take this.” I dropped the stack of bills on the counter.
    Rever eyed the money, but didn’t make any attempt to grab it. “No.”
    “We’ve already been over this. Hattie’s coming over for dinner, and you can’t be here.”
    “I’ll stay in the guest room. She won’t even know I’m here.”
    I groaned. “I’ll know you’re here.”
    “Look, Ryker, both of us know I shouldn’t step foot out of your apartment. Senator Deveron knows I’m in D.C. He could have me picked up again, and then we’d be fucked. Anna would be fucked.”
    He was right. As much as I wanted him to leave, it wasn’t a good decision for either of us. It’d been a week since we went out to dinner and ran into Evan. She hadn’t mentioned him again, and I hadn’t asked her any questions. I didn’t want to push her. She’d let me back into her life, which was good enough for me. For now.
    “Fine.” I opened my front door. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. Don’t come out of the room tonight.”
    “Are you ever going to introduce us?”
    “Not if I don’t have to.”
    “So you’re embarrassed by me.” It wasn’t a question.
    “Pretty much,” I answered, slamming the door behind me. Hattie and I managed to build some trust over the last week, but I didn’t want to throw Rever in her face. Likewise, she didn’t want to introduce me to her friends. Maybe someday we’d figure out how to incorporate our friends and family into our relationship, but right now I wanted to concentrate on us.
    I jogged across the street. As usual, Hattie and I had planned to meet at the bar two blocks from my apartment. We’d been careful to avoid meeting in places where we could run into her friends or family.
    I opened the door of the neighborhood bar. The smell of stale beer assaulted my nose. Dark