Chapter Four

Madison froze in the doorway, her gaze locked on Ryder, oblivious to the fact there were people behind her trying to get into the pizzeria. Someone cleared their throat obnoxiously, and she stepped out of the way. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

What was he doing here? And why was he sitting in her favorite spot? But there he sat, smiling, looking hotter than anyone had a right to look. And he was staring at her like she was the only person in the entire place.

He lifted his hand and gave a slight wave. Her heart sputtered then took off like a jackhammer in her chest. She took a deep breath, gave him a halfhearted smile, then made a beeline for the kitchen, which would lead her to the employee lounge in the back. No matter how badly she wanted to go sit down across from him and pick up the flirting she’d so rudely cut off last night, she couldn’t. She had more important things to deal with right now. Maybe, if he was still there when she was done, she’d go talk to him. Maybe.

“Madison, honey, what’re you doing here this time of day?” Brenda asked. “You’re not supposed to be here until six.”

“I know.” Madison set her bag on the table reserved for employee use. “I had some time in between my classes and figured I’d stop by to talk to you because it’s probably quieter now than it will be later.”

Brenda put her hand on her hip and tilted her head. “Something’s up, huh? Please tell me you’re not quitting.”

“Oh, no, not at all.” Madison shook her head.

Smiling, Brenda pulled out a chair and nodded at it. “Sit. Tell Momma what’s goin’ on in that pretty little head of yours.”

As the sole owner of the pizzeria, Brenda treated all her employees like family, and she was the self-proclaimed Mama Bear. Even though Madison hadn’t worked here that long, Brenda had welcomed her with open arms, and she really, really didn’t want to lose this job.

Madison sat and let out a heavy breath. “I got a call last night. My cousin is getting married in three weeks, and she asked me to be her maid of honor. I know I haven’t even been here a month yet, and I have no vacation time and no right to even ask for time off, but I’d like to go home to Vegas for her wedding. Erica has offered to take my shifts that weekend, if you want to give them to her.”

Brenda placed her hand on Madison’s shoulder, silencing her. “Well, of course you can.” She retrieved the scheduling calendar. “What dates do you need to have off?”

Her jaw dropped. It could not be that easy, could it? They spent the next few moments going over the calendar and picking out the dates Madison would need off. Now all she had to do was get a flight and save every dime she made between now and then so she could pay for it.

She stood and wiped her palms on her jeans. “Thank you so much, Brenda.”

“Of course, hon. Now you go on and get back to school. I’ll see you later.”

Before she could think about what she was doing, she gave her boss a hug. Thankfully, Brenda chuckled and hugged her back. Madison grabbed her bag and put the strap across her chest, adjusting it so the strap wasn’t cutting into her neck.

The idea of going home again still had knots twisting tighter and tighter in her stomach, but at least she didn’t have to worry about angering her boss and losing her job. She stepped back into the dining room, and all the relief she’d felt a second ago vanished. Ryder was still sitting in the same spot, and he was smiling at her. Again.

There was no way she could walk out of here without saying something to him. She took a deep breath and headed toward him. As she got closer, he stood. Her steps faltered for a brief moment—until he pulled out the chair for her. Then she stopped completely. Was he for real? What college guy did that?

“Guess you weren’t lying about stalking me, were you?” she said as she accepted his offer to sit.

“Well, I’m nothing if not a man of my word.” He laughed and returned to his seat.

She squirmed, not liking the way the sound of his laughter wrapped around her in a swirling motion of warmth and comfort.

“So.” He rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “Do you still think stalker isn’t my color?”

She couldn’t stop the burst of laughter that bubbled up from deep within her chest. “Stalker is never anyone’s color. It’s like yellow. Or bright orange. No one can pull it off.”

He leaned back, grinning. “I was hoping I’d find you here.”

His admission didn’t shock her, exactly, but she wasn’t expecting it, either. Or rather, she wasn’t expecting to smile when he said it, and she sure as hell wasn’t expecting to have her thighs clench in an effort to stop the unwanted throbbing. Damn traitorous body! But something about the way he’d said it had her tilting her head and studying him.

“Did you look somewhere else for me?” she asked.

“I suffered through the bookstore line again.” He nodded and gave her a look of faux shame. “I did manage to get out of there without a head trauma, though, so that was a win.”

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

“I might be willing to drop it.” His dimples appeared, and his eyes twinkled like they had last night.

Madison sucked in a sharp breath. She knew where this conversation was headed, and she cursed herself for sticking around long enough to let it get this far. “Let me guess.” She folded her arms on the table and held his gaze. “You’ll drop it if I agree to go out with you?” For a fleeting moment earlier, she’d thought Ryder was different, but she was wrong. All college guys were the same.

“No, actually I was going to say I’d drop it if you paid for my lunch.” He nodded toward the empty pizza pan in front of him.

Her eyes widened, and she dropped her hands into her lap. “Are you for real right now? You want me to buy your lunch?”

“I think it’s only fair, don’t you?” His face was completely expressionless, his dark eyes serious and unflinching.

“You are unbelievable!” She stood, and when she did, her knee hit the table, causing his half full glass of water to tip over.

Ryder was out of his chair and on his feet before the water hit his lap. “Jesus, I was kidding about buying my lunch.”

“Shit. I’m sorry. My leg hit the table…” Flames of embarrassment warmed her face. Not because she’d been a total klutz and almost spilled water on him, but because all she could think about was what his crotch would look like wet, how his package would be more visible than it already was behind his tight, pressed slacks. “Hold on. Stay here.” Madison disappeared into the back and returned quickly with a roll of paper towels and a mop. She cleaned up the spilled water, grateful she had something to do to distract her from Ryder’s intense gaze.

He took the paper towels from her and wiped the water from his chair. “Now you owe me a date,” he said, turning his head ever so slightly and whipping out that lethal smile he brandished so easily.

“I didn’t even get you wet.” The instant the words were out of her mouth, she realized just how wrong they sounded. Or rather, how right.

Slowly, Ryder straightened, the movement so fluid she swore it was choreographed with the sole intent of making women want to take their clothes off and beg for his touch. And damn if it wasn’t working. She took a small step back, needing the distance, craving a breath of air that wasn’t tainted with his outdoorsy cologne.

He raised a brow. “No, but I’m happy to give you the opportunity.” He glanced around, a devilish sparkle in his eyes. “Under different circumstances, of course, because I’m sure no one here wants to see that kind of show.”

She almost raised her hand and shouted, “I do.” Because she did. She wanted to see what he could do without a dozen pairs of eyes trained on them. But at the same time, she wanted to tuck her tail and run so far and so fast he’d think she was just an apparition he’d conjured in his mind to pass a boring afternoon.

Barely reigning in her self-control, she cleared her throat. “Look, I’m really sorry about the water, okay? But I’m not going to go out with you.” She wanted to. Really damn bad. But she was already wavering and acting like a total dunce around him; she could not risk being alone with him. Ever.

“All right. When do you work again?” He crossed his arms, and his biceps flexed, showing off some impressive muscles.

“I’m off this weekend, then working the next five days.” She wanted to smack herself for telling him that. “You seem like a really nice guy, but I’m not interested. It’s nothing personal.”

He studied her for a moment, then pulled a couple of bills from his wallet and casually tossed them on the table. Madison tried to hide her shock at the two twenties he’d so carelessly put down. He’d had water and a personal pizza; his total bill couldn’t be more than ten dollars, which meant he’d given Brenda a thirty-dollar tip. She’d known since first meeting him that he was wealthy, and that was exactly why she was keeping her distance. If she wanted a “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” life, she never would’ve left home.

Ryder stepped toward her and stood so they were shoulder-to-shoulder, her facing the back wall, him facing the door. “For someone who claims to be un-interested, you did a hell of a job undressing me with your eyes.” And then he walked away. Just like that. Cool and collected and cocky as can be.

Madison spun around and stared after him. God, he had a fabulous ass. And, of course, he chose that exact moment to glance over his shoulder, catching her ogling his backside. He winked, then pushed open the door, the bright Florida sun swallowing him up. She stifled a groan.

After tossing the used paper towels and putting away the mop, she checked the time on her cell phone. “Shit.” If she didn’t sprint back to campus, she was going to be late for class. Too bad for her she didn’t have on her running shoes, and if she attempted to move faster than a brisk walk in these boots she’d end up with a broken ankle. She pulled up the college website on her phone and then checked the bus schedule.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she muttered. The last bus that would get her to campus on time had left four minutes ago. Just my luck. And with a trip to Vegas looming, she really couldn’t afford to take an Uber. Tucking her phone into her messenger bag, she resolved herself to the fact she was going to be late to class. There wasn’t anything she could do about it. Hopefully, the professor would take mercy on her.

“Bye, Brenda,” Madison called over her shoulder and waved as she left. She stopped in the parking lot and looked up and down the road. Which route would get her to campus the fastest?

“Need a ride?”

Her ears rang at the sound of his voice. “I thought you left,” she said as she turned to face him. Smooth, Madison.

He was leaning against his car, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other resting on the roof. Seriously, was he a model or something? Did handsome guys take a special class in school that taught them how to be even more irresistible?

“Do you want a ride back to campus or not?” His words implied he was annoyed by her rudeness, but his tone was all smooth velvet and sinful amusement.

Don’t say yes. Don’t say yes. Don’t say yes. “Yeah, that’d be great.” She didn’t want to be late for class. That was the only reason she took his offer, and it had nothing to do with the fact she wanted to be close to him again. To wrap herself up in his tantalizing scent. Or see his smile. Hear his laugh.

Thank God she was leaving town in a few weeks. The distance would give her the clarity she needed to make sure she could resist him. Until then, she’d have to be extra careful not to run into him.

Unable to tear her gaze from his, she walked toward his car. He opened the door for her, and she got in. The sound of the door clicking shut made her jump, the noise like a needed slap upside the head.

Ryder slid in behind the wheel, fastened his seat belt, and pulled out of the parking lot. “What building are you going to?”

“Oh, um, Webster Hall.” It was on the north end of campus, one of the farthest buildings from her apartment. Of course. She couldn’t deny she was happy she wouldn’t have to make the walk twice.

She glanced around at the interior of his car. It looked like he’d driven it off the showroom floor that morning. The only thing missing was the new-car smell. Lucky for her, the scent filling the car was something much better—his cologne. She shifted in the seat, the leather cradling her ass in the most comfortable way, and she tucked her hands under her legs, unsure what to do with them. But holding them in her lap seemed silly and awkward.

“So, a bunch of us are going to the beach tomorrow. Want to come along?”

She whipped her head around to stare at him. That came out of nowhere. “No,” she blurted.

He sliced a look in her direction, his expression unreadable.

“I mean, I can’t. I have to work.”

He tilted his head slightly. “You told me you had the weekend off.”

Crap. She cleared her throat. “I do. From the pizzeria. I have to work a shift at the bookstore tomorrow.”

“On a Saturday?” he asked with disbelief, raising a brow.

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

That one small sound seemed to echo in the car, and she curled her fingers against the seat, fighting off the tremor of delight trying to break free. Her heart thumped loudly, and she turned to stare out the window, hoping he wouldn’t ask again because she wasn’t sure she had enough self-control to tell him no again.

He turned onto the main campus drive and looped around until he was in the staff parking lot behind Webster Hall. Her seat belt was unhooked before he had the car in park. She opened the door. “Thanks for the ride.”

Resting his arms on the steering wheel, he faced her. “You like football?”

“Not really. Why?”

“Never mind.” He grinned, flashing those dimples at her. “Have fun in class.”

“Have fun at the beach.” She got out of the car and closed the door, but not quickly enough to hear his parting words. I’d have more fun if you were going to be there. Refusing to say anything further, she practically ran toward class.