Invisibility Cloak (21 page)

Gah!
Why couldn’t she play it cool for cripes sakes?

“That was what I wanted to talk to you about before I got the call from Sophia.”

“What?”

“I overheard what you and Marge were talking about. I did see you when you first started going to Go Fitness.” He nodded and gestured to the window and the view it held. “From up here.”

She turned around. Marge had left, leaving them alone.

“What?” And then the pieces slammed into place. She rubbed her temples before rounded on him. “You?” She drew her brows together. “Oh my God.” Her right hand pushed at his chest. “You saw me when I first came to the gym two months ago. After the accident when I started going to therapy with Joshua.” Her palm flew up to her forehead. “You saw me with my father, didn’t you?” Her throat clogged. “And you felt sorry for me!”

I will not cry. I will not cry.
She needed to get out of that room, with Ryder being so close, and walked to the door of the kitchenette. “Take me home.”

Ryder walked up to her with his arms hanging loosely at his side, but she knew he wasn’t as relaxed as he let on. Her pride of being a woman was absolutely crushed at that moment. She wanted to go home. No. She needed to go. Get away from this man. He held too much control over her and she could not let him know that. He really was too good to be true and she should have known.

“Amanda, it wasn’t like that.” He reached his hand out and she took a step back. His arm fell back to his side.

“Oh!” She took a breath in. “Go away.” Her heart ached. “Please.” She turned to go and looked out onto the hallway. This was just way too fast. This amazing man just appeared at Sophia Edgington’s house? She wacked her left palm up to her forehead, realizing she should have known better. And he left with her? How stupid was she?

“Amanda,” Ryder said in a low voice behind her.

She turned around to face him. His expression was unreadable. The lines bracketing his mouth looked hard as granite.

“I should have known. Are you really dating Sophia Edgington? Was I the poor
little cause
that you rich people were going to play with for a while?” Amanda couldn’t stop all the nasty words that flew from her mouth. “Was I the local joke? Now I know why I was invited to Sophia Edgington’s house. I was the entertainment, wasn’t I?”

He moved so quickly, Amanda didn’t have time to react. His hands grabbed her waist and pinned her against the kitchen wall. “Amanda it wasn’t anything like that and you know it.”

She looked down and pursed her lips together. Her gaze roamed over his stoic expression. A muscle in his jaw ticked; the only sign of any reaction.

“It seems I am always positioning you like this, aren’t I?”

“Are you dating Sophia Edgington?” Amanda brought her arms down to settle on his forearms. “Jeffrey said you were involved with her.” She attempted stepping away but was trapped by his big body. “I don’t understand. Am I just a stupid nerd? Am I a sick joke for you?”

“Amanda,” he groaned.

She pulled her head up. The way he said her name was so, so . . .
guttural.
Their eyes met and held. They stood so close together, she could see striations of gold and caramel leaping out from his pupil. She pulled herself out of his mesmerizing look; away from his beautiful eyes and looked beyond him to the window that faced the gym. From a sideways glance she saw his nostrils flare and her eyes flew back up to his intense look again. “I don’t . . .” Amanda didn’t finish her sentence because his mouth crushed down on hers.

She dug her fingers into the muscles in his arms as they kissed. Her body jolted alive. When Ryder finally ended the kiss, he stepped back only fractionally and she took a deep breath.

“Now does that seem like a man making fun of a woman?” He took her hand and led her to the small table in the center of the room. “Okay. I do need to talk to you about something else. Can we sit down? I know I have some ‘
splaining to do, Lucy
’.”

Holding her head up, she braced her hands on her hips, but didn’t sit in the chair.

“Okay. Fine then, stand. Just don’t leave until I’m done, please.”

She couldn’t help but give him a small smile. They were probably the only two people that still watched old
“I Love Lucy”
episodes anymore on the T.V. “Don’t you dare use Ricky Ricardo to get in my good graces. That’s cheating.”

Ryder swiped his palms over his face and then the top of his head. “Okay. Here’s the deal.” He puffed out a breath. “So, I did see you when you first started therapy. I remembered looking out my window.” Gesturing both hands out in front of his chest; he stopped and walked purposefully to the kitchen window. “Not this one, but I was in my office,” he clarified. “Talking on the damn phone. It must have been when you first started doing your physical therapy with Joshua. Anyway, I was on the phone feeling miserable. Just in a fu―” He stopped mi-sentence. “Beg pardon, really bad mood and I saw an older man pushing this small woman, well it was you of course, but that was before I knew you, Amanda.” Walking back over to her, he settled his hands on her waist. “I still didn’t know it was you when I met you at Sophia Edgington’s house, at first.” Tightening the grip on her waist he tugged her closer to his frame. “It wasn’t until I was at your house. Almost ready to leave. That was when I knew.” He touched his forehead onto the top of her head. “I liked you before I knew it was
you.
And honey, I still do.”

Recognition bells rang in her head. Ryder’s startled look as she walked up her basement stairs flashed through her mind. “Was it when I walked up the basement stairs?”

“What?”

“I just remembered that look on your face when I went up the stairs for the phone.” Amanda backed up to look at him. “Was it then?”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“I thought you didn’t want to be with me anymore,” she whispered. “Because of the way I was.”

His forehead crinkled. “What?”

“Because I limped. Because of my leg.”

“Amanda, you may not believe this, but the injury to your leg . . . foot drop, right?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, no,” Ryder clipped out. “That really doesn’t compare to some of the stuff I’ve seen over the years. Arms and legs torn off. Some had half of their bodies blown to bits.” Ryder tugged her closer again. “So that would be a big negative to your infinitesimal foot drop.” He chuckled and the sound rumbled through his chest into her. “It may seem like it’s everything to you right now. You being a woman and all.”

“No.” She took a step back and angled her head up to look at him. “I know I’m lucky to be alive and it is not as bad as it could’ve been.” She rolled her eyes. “Believe me . . . my doctors have reminded me over and over again. But, its other people . . .” Amanda pulled her eyes away from his and looked at the window behind him. “I know sometimes it makes other people uncomfortable.”

“Well, then they’re lame fu―,” he said, then cleared his throat. “Beg pardon, then they aren’t worth being around is what I meant to say.” His mouth formed a grim line. “I mean it, Amanda. What happened to you and the accident you went through, well, the dirt under your shoes have more merit than those people.”

She walked into his hard frame and snuck her arms around his waist. “Or what?” Giddiness overtook her and a laugh bubbled up. “Is my big, bad, Army Ranger going to take care of them if they aren’t nice to me?”

“Yeah.” He tipped her chin up with his finger to look at her. “So, are we good? You know that I’m not some weirdo stalker, now, right?”

Amanda nodded. Her head and stomach felt so light, she wanted to dance around the room. Like she could float on air. Happiness filled her pores.

“Oh, I don’t know, the idea of you creeping on me sounds . . .” Scrunching up her nose, she nodded. “Scratch that, it does sound creepy. But yes, now things make sense.”

“Good, because Sophia Edgington called earlier to confirm the time I was picking her up for the Dinner Dance, tomorrow.” He scowled. “And I told her we were driving with you and
that guy.
I told her to tell Smeth to be at her house at seven o’clock and we would meet them there.

“Oh my God.” She brought a hand up to her chest. “Was she fuming?” Amanda cringed on the inside. It was so blatantly obvious that Sophia wanted Ryder. And she was right smack in the way.

“I don’t really care. The woman is impossible. I told her I am on security detail with you.

Amanda gasped. “Did you tell her about my break-in?”

“No, no details. She’s not in the need to know.” Ryder looked down and flipped over his wrist. “What’s your folks ETA?”

“Ah!” She grabbed his arm. “We better go. I want to make sure everything is ready for them. Their room, food.”

He nodded. “Let’s move out.” Guiding her out of the kitchenette, he said, “I need to swing by my place to pick up some stuff.”

“Ryder.” Amanda laid her hand on his arm as he led her out of the office. “You don’t have to stay with us anymore. You have to be so busy at work and other obligations.”

“This is non-negotiable, Amanda.”

He stopped by Marge’s desk. “If you need me, just call. I’ll be under the radar, hopefully just for a few days.”

“Of course, Mr. Stevenson.” Marge got up out of her chair and gave Amanda a little hug. “It was so nice to meet you, Ms. Harris. Take care. Mr. Stevenson will get to the bottom of whatever is going on.”

“Thank you, Marge.” Amanda squeezed her lightly back. “For everything.”

“You betcha.” Marge gave her wink.

R
yder glanced over at Amanda as he reversed his Jeep out of the parking space. He gritted his teeth thinking about Smeth taking Amanda to the Dinner Dance. He didn’t like the guy and he didn’t want Amanda going with him.
Damn it.
He shook his head when he realized he sounded like an archaic knuckle-dragging ape. She was an intelligent, good-looking woman, so what did she see in that ass-wipe?

“Ryder,” Amanda’s soft voice brought him out of his thoughts.

He jerked his head over to the right. “What?” Were they at his place already? He must’ve been on autopilot.

“I was just saying you live in a great area.” She patted his leg. “This is one of the newest developed areas in Harbor Falls.”

“Yeah, I caught it at the beginning. Got a great deal when I bought before construction. I got a great view of Edgington Commons, you know, the new park that the city developed.” He drove past the guard gate and waved.

“Yes, I read about it in the paper. They have a ton of trails, don’t they?”

He nodded as he slid into his parking spot and shut off the Jeep. After he jumped out of his seat, he went around to her side. “Yeah. They have bike, running, dog and walking trails.”

“Thanks,” she said as he wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked to his front entrance.

He swiped his security card and the door opened. “Probably more trails, I don’t even know about.”

“It’s pretty, all the big trees.”

“You need to live in a secure place like this, Amanda. Hell, you being a scientist, you probably make more than me. But honey, these Cartels are pushing their way into our communities, our lives. You need to be in a secured neighborhood.” He guided her to the couch in his family room. “The place you live in is way too open. Too vulnerable. I don’t like it.”

“Go get your stuff.” Amanda stood up ready to face-off with him. “My house is my children’s home. They grew up there.” She fisted her hands on her hips. “It’s my home, too.”

He scrunched up his forehead. “I didn’t mean it like that. Shit, I’m sorry. It is a nice house, but the security around there . . .” Ryder shook his head. “Well, damn it, there is none.”

“I feel safe there.” Turning, she sat back down. “You don’t have to come home with me,” she muttered.

“Do you want something to drink while I grab my things?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

Ryder hustled it. He grabbed his dark gray suit, a clean white dress shirt, tie, more sweat pants, a few white tees, socks and underwear. After shoving what he could in his overnight, he swung the hanger his suit was on over his shoulder with his free hand. Walking out to his family room, he asked Amanda as she sat quietly on his couch. “Ready to go?”

“Did you get everything you need?”

“Yep, let’s hit it. Your parents will be close, and I still need to go for a long jog and shower.”

“Ryder, I really don’t think you staying with me is necessary.”

“Don’t go there again, Amanda.” He shut off his lights and locked the door.

Her cell phone rang as soon as they reached his car.

“Hello?” She talked quietly while she held the cell phone with one hand and buckled herself in with the other. “Thanks, Ginny. I’ll see you tonight.”

“What was that about?” He started the car. “And who is Ginny?”

“Ryder, you forgot to remind me what I wanted to tell you when I was making you and Nick breakfast.”

“Amanda, what were you going to tell me while I was starving this morning?” He chuckled quietly and looked over at her as he drove out of his complex.

“Oh, Ryder.” Amanda’s green eyes sparkled with excitement. “I just know Wayne was going down the wrong path to keep his killers at bay.”

“You want to start at the beginning, darlin’?”

“Well, that was Ginny Sullivan, a colleague of Wayne’s at the Institute. She asked me to stop by tonight, wants to show me what Wayne was working on before he died.”

“Correction.
We
will be going by the Institute of Physics tonight.”

“Okay.” Amanda shook her head. “We . . . Anyway, he was working on invisibility theorems. The government contracted his department to discover a way to shield and basically camouflage their aircraft and operatives when needed.” She waved her hand around. “You know, essentially become invisible.”

“Gotcha.” He looked over at her briefly, but then turned his attention back to the road.

“Well, what I wanted to tell you this morning, was after studying Wayne’s findings, I know he was leading whoever killed him on. He knew microwaves weren’t the most cohesive way to cloak an object, but his paper trail made it look like he was pursuing that path. And he did it intentionally.” She brought both hands together on her lap and tilted her head down. “Maybe he knew in the end that selling out was wrong and he tried to correct any wrong doings. Do the right thing, for once.”