“Oh. Right.”
That makes sense, I guess. I mean, what college kid wants to meet a high school kid? Can you say jailbait? Not that anything would have ever happened between us. I was with Eric, and like Ryan said, he’s four years older than me.
I was fourteen when he was eighteen. Gross.
It’s funny how age can go from meaning so much to so little. Four years doesn’t seem like much of a difference anymore now that I’m in my late twenties. I have friends who married men five and six years older than them.
The thought that Ryan is not so much older than me now, that he’s actually the perfect age for me, suddenly makes me blush furiously. I turn away from him, hoping he doesn’t catch it, as I pretend to take in the city around us. I’m not oblivious to how good looking he is. Tall, muscular, piercing green eyes that feel like they can see through me. Not that I’m interested. I’m not.
But four years. That age difference means very little now.
4
Ryan
* * *
We spend all afternoon walking around the city, and by the time we make it back to the hotel, we are both exhausted.
“I’m going to take a nap, I think,” Katie says as she leans her tiny body against the back wall of the elevator. “You said we’re not going out until eight, right?”
“Yes.” I check my watch. “It’s almost five now. Is that okay?”
“Perfect,” she says through a yawn. “Sorry.” She covers her mouth. “All the driving and walking wore me out, plus I didn’t sleep well last night.” She looks up at me with a smirk. “I was a little nervous about meeting you this morning.”
I laugh lightly. “Me too,” I lie, and she knows it, because she snorts out a laugh.
“Don’t tease me.” She nudges me as we step off the elevator and walk toward our rooms at the end of the hall. The plastic keycard swipes along the outside of her door and the mechanical lock disengages, allowing her to open it up. “I’ll see you at eight. Thanks for today. I had fun.” She gives me a sleepy smile before shutting the door behind her.
I enter my room, dropping down onto my bed face-first with a heavy bounce, sinking contentedly into the plush bedding. My eyes shut instantly only to open again what feels like two minutes later to a pounding on my door. A groan slips from my lips as I pry myself out of bed slowly before putting my glasses back on. The bright red numbers of the bedside clock tell me that it’s 7:14.
Shit. How did that happen?
It’s still too early for that to be Katie, but I’m not surprised when I open the door to see Tommy on the other side. “What’s up, dude? You look like shit.” His standard greeting.
“You too, asshat.” Tommy brushes past me, dropping himself into a chair and kicking his feet up on the desk. “Make yourself at home,” I say dryly.
“Hey, I got you these nice digs.” I throw him a look, and he holds his hands up in surrender. “Which you more than deserve,” he amends quickly.
“What are you doing here, man?” I yawn, rubbing my hands up and down my face under my glasses, trying to wipe the sleep away. “I thought we said eight?”
“We did, but I wanted to get here early to talk some business, and to find out about the lady you’re traveling with.” He bounces his eyebrows at me suggestively.
“What business?” I ask, ignoring the comment about Katie. I’m just not ready to share her with this douchebag yet.
“It’s about a new app I’m developing.” His fingers intertwine behind his head as he leans back casually in the chair. “I’d like you to take a look for me. Do all the usual checks, and when it hits the market, I’ll give you fifteen percent.”
“Twenty,” I respond in a bored tone like it doesn’t matter much to me either way, because even though I’m curious about what he’s got going on, the money doesn’t drive me anymore.
He pretends to think this over for a minute, his dark eyes slightly narrowed at me. “All right. Twenty.” This must be important to him otherwise he never would have caved that easily. “I’ll send it over to you later.”
“Sure,” I walk over to my suitcase and pull out a t-shirt and jeans for me to change into after I shower. My hand comes up to scratch my beard, which has gotten way out of control. I should trim it, but I don’t have the energy to do it tonight.
“So, this girl?” he starts, and I should have known he wouldn’t let it go. “Katie Taylor is it?”
“It’s Kate to you, dicklick.”
He smiles that wide, greasy smile I hate. “But she’s Katie to you?”
“Don’t start,” I warn, because Katie is different, and I don’t want him making her uncomfortable. “She’s been through more than you can imagine, so none of the usual slimy bullshit you like to pull with women.”
“Slimy bullshit?” Tommy says with mock indignation. “I’m always a perfect gentleman.” He smiles again, and it sort of makes me want to punch in his perfect teeth. “So she’s hot, huh? Smoking body?”
I do my best to hide my frustration and anger, because he’ll just feed off of it.
“Tommy, I’m not messing with you on this. She’s been through the deepest levels of hell, man. I’m not gonna say it again. Don’t.”
I sit on the edge of the bed and level him with my eyes. It’s not my place to tell Katie’s story, and from what I can decipher about her in the brief time we’ve spent together, she doesn’t like to talk about herself. So I won’t do that, but Tommy needs to know she’s off the market all the same.
He examines the deliberate and weighted look I’m giving him. Ever so slowly, his arrogant, cocky grin slips, and he nods. “I’ll be good,” he promises.
“Thanks, man. I’m going to go grab a quick shower. I’ll meet you down in the bar.”
“You kicking me out?”
“Absolutely.” I stand up and head to the bathroom. “As much as I love you, I’d rather not have you in my room when I come out of the shower naked. See you at eight.”
I shut the bathroom door, effectively dismissing him, and start the shower. In the back of my mind, I know that once Tommy sees Katie, he’ll push the limit with her. Katie is tenacious, and I have a feeling she can hold her own, but the thought of him hitting on her and making her uncomfortable grates on me.
I feel protective over her for some reason.
Maybe it’s what I know she’s been through, or that I know she’s in search of a new life.
I don’t want a piece of shit like Tommy to hinder any progress she’s making with it. Whatever the hell it is, I want to see that smile she showed me earlier on her sweet face again, and I’ll do what I have to do to make that happen.
By the time I shower, throw on my clothes, and run a brush through my hair it’s almost eight, so I check my phone and write out a few emails before I need to grab Katie.
When the knock on my door comes, it surprises me.
Girls are always late, and I figured Katie was no different. When I open the door, my fucking breath catches in my damn lungs as I take her in.