“Staying longer?” Whitney asked.
Penny just shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah. Maybe there’s something you might like sticking around for.”
“Like…” Whitney prompted, even though she could tell Penny had the same idea Whitney was trying to deny.
“Like a tall guy with impeccable manners, who needs a good ass kicking from a hot chick like yourself every now and again so he can lighten up and have fun.”
“Oh that!” Whitney said, and tapped her jaw. “I thought you were talking about me staying for all the awesome food you make.”
“Well, that too, naturally.”
Whitney laughed, then did one thing she hadn’t done in a long time. She reached out for a hug. Penny reached back, wrapped her up, and pulled her in. When Whitney squeezed her eyes shut, a stray tear slipped out, and it caught her off guard.
Penny had treated her well from the beginning. She’d been supportive and took life by the balls. She was kind and vibrant. Ryder was lucky to have her for a sister, because Whitney saw so much of her own sister in her. And it both broke and healed her heart at the same time.
“Thank you,” Whitney said and finally released Penny.
But Penny just cupped her shoulders. “You’re welcome.” She gave a little squeeze, then said, “Now, what are you going to do about the big pain in the ass Diamond boy?”
Whitney smiled. “Well, last I saw him, I left him sleeping in my bed the other day. I haven’t heard from him since. I didn’t think anything of it.” Even though she had. “I know he needs his space.” Even though she’d wished he would call her. Or come by the BBQ. Or…anything.
“Please.” Penny rolled her eyes. “Ryder is excited about you. It’s obvious. Now the question is, what are you excited about?”
The truth hit Whitney hard. “Him,” she said.
She was excited about the idea of staying in Diamond. Of getting to spend her nights with a specific Diamond, and maybe even her days with the same one. They were family. And that made Whitney feel like she just might belong here. She’d spent the year after Kacey’s death on the run, and this was the first place that felt like home.
But Ryder’s admission from the other night still plagued her thoughts.
“Ryder told me about his past, and the woman he eloped with.”
Penny nodded and looked around, as though gauging who was within earshot. This had to be a tightly kept secret. “Shh,” Penny said.
Whitney lowered her voice. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. I’m surprised he told you. No one knows except our closest friends. He was heartbroken. That woman crushed a part of him.”
Wow. Ryder hadn’t gone into those kinds of details, like how he’d felt crushed. He had told her more about how he regretted dragging his family into the mess.
“She really hurt him?”
“Yeah. He’d left everything and everyone and followed her to the city. He plays it off that he was young, which he was. But he was lost to her. Once the knot was tied, the ink wasn’t dry on the license before she left him and wanted a settlement. It broke something in him. Ever since, he hasn’t really let go of his control.” Penny looked at Whitney and smiled. “But since he met you, I’ve seen some of that spark come back in him.”
“That doesn’t sound like a good thing, if he’s worried about it.”
“He doesn’t know how to deal with that kind of passion. For a while, I didn’t, either. But eventually I let it take me down, and it’s a hell of a ride.” Penny smiled, like she was recalling a happy memory. “Ryder just keeps things at arm’s length.”
Like coffee dates and manners. It was his shield.
“I’m not after anything of his, or your family’s,” Whitney said.
“Oh, I know that!” Penny assured her quickly. “If I thought you were, I wouldn’t be pushing you to continue making my brother’s life difficult.”
Difficult. Yep, that was what she was doing. He’d been honest, and Whitney now knew what he was fighting. She didn’t want to make it harder for him. She just wanted him. Ryder had tried to date her, to keep his boundaries in place, to even be her friend, and now it was Whitney’s turn to step up and compromise.
“I’m officially taking sex off the table,” she said, and Penny’s brows rose.
“Ah…I think you lost me.”
“I mean, it’s not just about sex anymore. I want…” She swallowed back the lump in her throat. “More.”
“Oh, honey! We can definitely work with more! I’m all about getting that!”
Penny did a little dance, and Whitney felt truly happy. She had a friend, maybe even a couple of friends. With Ryder, with Penny, with their friends, she felt like she had a small part of her sister back. Like she just might get a chance to hang onto the one man she…
“Oh, fuckin’ A!” Whitney whispered and ran a hand along her forehead, where an instant phantom headache hit.
“What? Are you okay?” Penny asked.
She looked at her and shook her head. “I don’t know. I think it’s…side effects or something. Oh God…oh God…” She pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Side effects? Are you on medication? Should I call Lily?”
Whitney shook her head. “I love him,” she muttered. “Somehow I fell in love with a guy who’s killing me with good manners. It’s not my fault, though. He tempted me with naughtiness until I gave in.”
“That sounds like Ryder.”
Yes, it did. Now it was her turn to retaliate.
Ryder was doing touch ups to the paint with a single light on. It was well past dark, and he was the only one at the Hall. He was trying to convince himself he was doing what he should be doing. Seeing to the small details. Proving to the client that he was on top of everything. He was the first one to the site and the last one to leave. Except for that one morning…
He continued the small brush strokes along the baseboard, making sure all the paint was even and no spatter was left behind. The event was in two days. This was the final stretch, and he would be ready. Ready to discuss the future with Davenport. Ready to face Whitney and really let her go.
His chest punched at the last part.
And like God himself had read his mind, Whitney appeared, standing in the doorway of the foyer, holding a small paper bag.
“Hi,” she said softly. There was a stark vulnerability in her eyes. He set the brush in the paint tin and rose from his hunkered down position.
She stepped toward him. Those toned leg muscles flexed beneath olive skin, and his mouth dried out with the need to drink down her sweet taste. Her shirt was tied at the side. He’d learned that she liked her wordy tees. The one she was wearing tonight read:
Welcome to the big apple. Bite me.
He grinned. He loved her sass. In was in every move, every breath, and every word.
Wild.
It was just her.
“I brought you dinner,” she said and held up the brown bag.
He took it. “Thank you.”
He opened it and struggled not to laugh when he saw what was inside: an assortment of candy. He raised a brow and looked at her. “I’ve never had candy for dinner.”
“Well, I’ve never asked a man on a date, so I figured candy was a starting point.”
Ryder’s blood stopped pumping, and his chest stilled like he’d forgotten how to breathe.
Had he heard her right? Surely not. This was their game. The “I’ve Never” part of it was never meant to be serious. She’d said so herself from the beginning.
She took another step toward him, and her delicate throat worked on a hard swallow. She glanced down, her fingers fumbling in front of her. My God, the woman was…nervous.
The smart-mouthed, rise-to-the-challenge, no-dates-allowed woman was actually nervous.
“I was wondering if, ah, maybe you wanted to get coffee sometime?” she asked.