Chapter 50: Nikki

Once I'd cried all the tears my eyes would form, Ryker leaned down, placing his lips to my ear. "Get your shit, babe. All of it." There was no room for discussion in his tone. He'd given an order, and I didn't dare disobey...not this time. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and I inhaled the scent of lemons before letting him go.

I felt the weight of his stare as he tracked my movement down the hall, and just before I stepped into my bedroom, I made eye contact with a man who should have scared the shit out of me. His eyes were narrowed and stormy and his jaw set in a hard line, but somehow, I found security in his broodiness. I held his stare for a beat, and the connection I'd felt to him on the stage-before I'd even known his name-wrapped me up like a warm blanket. I didn't wait for him to tell me again to get moving and disappeared into my room.

Ryker didn't try to keep his voice down as he kicked Ralph out, nor did he quietly close the door when he slammed it. And as he