He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I was gaming and had my headphones on half the time. Someone might have come in.”
Ryker and Jenna exchanged a glance.
Jenna didn’t know what to believe. She didn’t have much of value, except for her laptop, and an emergency credit card, and neither of those things had been stolen. In fact, nothing had actually been taken, just messed up a little. Maybe Mikey was of that age where he might go through her stuff in the search of underwear, but she was hardly a Victoria’s Secret model. Mikey could find more erotic things simply by going online.
But if it hadn’t been Mikey, did that mean Garrett was here? Had he snuck in and gone through her stuff while they were in town? If so, that meant he knew exactly where she was staying.
“I need to go,” she told Ryker, pushing past him to go and gather her things. She ran up the stairs to the bedroom. She bent to grab her bags, but Ryker had followed her. He caught her by the wrist, pulling her back.
“Wait. Where are you going?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Anywhere but here. I was stupid to have come here in the first place. Garrett could have come in and hurt Mikey!”
Ryker lowered his voice. “Hey, we don’t know it wasn’t Mikey who moved your stuff around. I don’t like calling my little brother a liar, but trust me, I’ve caught him out on bigger lies than this before. I don’t want you to go, especially not just because of this.”
“It isn’t just because of this. It’s because of everything. I still thought I saw him, remember? Then there was the thing with the bird, and Garrett missing his parole meeting …” All the energy went out of her and she sank to the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands. “I don’t know what to think any more. I feel like I’m going crazy.” She shook her head. “Maybe that’s exactly what Garrett wants.”
The bed dipped as Ryker sat down beside her. His big, warm hand made contact with her back and he rubbed in soothing circles.
“You can’t go anywhere tonight, Jenna. It’s going to be getting dark soon, and there’s nowhere else in town for you to stay. I won’t see you sleeping out on the streets, especially if there’s a chance that son of a bitch is out there somewhere.”
She lifted her eyes to his, searching their blue depths for the truth. “Aren’t you frightened for Mikey? For yourself? A seriously angry, probably mentally unstable ex-con might be out there somewhere, might know where you live and that you’re helping me, but you don’t seem fazed.”
He looked back at her, his gaze unflinching. “I can take on that asshole, baby. If he comes for you, he’s got to go through me first.”
A sob swelled up inside her, and she clamped her hand to her mouth, trying to prevent it bursting from her throat. She didn’t know if she wanted to cry because she was so happy Ryker wanted to protect her, or because she was so terrified for what she might have dropped on this already struggling, small family.
Unable to speak, she threw her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his throat, absorbing the scent of him. His hands wrapped around her body and he held her tight.
She never wanted him to let go.
Chapter Thirteen
However much she wanted to give in to her feelings for Ryker, Jenna had no choice but to fight them. Garrett might know exactly where she was. She forced herself to break from his embrace and got to her feet. “I need to go.”
She reached for her bags, but Ryker stood as well and grabbed her hand before she could lift one of the hold-alls.
“You’re not going anywhere, Jenna. I mean it. I don’t want to hear another word about it.”
She shook her head. “I’m frightened. I don’t want to get you or Mikey in trouble.”
He pulled her back against him, and she pressed her face against his chest. His hand ran up and down her back in a soothing caress. “Let me worry about me and Mikey.”
Ryker’s hand moved from her back, trailing up her neck to stop to stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers. Jenna lifted her face from his chest, her eyes filled with tears. He studied her face intently, and his fingers moved from her cheek to trace the outline of her mouth. His thumb dragged across her lower lip and she opened her mouth slightly, instinctively teasing the tip of his thumb with her teeth and tongue.
Ryker gave a sharp inhale of breath, his gaze growing darker.
His hand cupped her cheek once again and he leaned into her, his lips claiming hers.
He kissed her, deep and hard and hungry. She returned his fervor, her arms around his neck, their tongues dancing and breath fast and heated. Ryker’s hands reached down, cupping her ample backside and pressing her harder against him. Excitement spiked inside her, making her heart race. She could feel that he wanted her, the hard length of his arousal pressed into the soft folds of her stomach, and she stood on tiptoes, wanting to feel him against the softest, most intimate part of her. Ryker sensed what she was trying to do and lifted her higher, so they ground together as they kissed, like two horny teenagers.