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If I thought Ryker was angry just a second ago, I would be ers at e to shrink away from him

"Are you fucking nuts?" he asks e to his voice "Doesn't any of this that you and I have going on et you, and take back a woirls, and now coirls to think of, well, I a they'll never respect the sanctity ofin a loveless one"

I s hard, blinking at him in astonishment "That was quite the speech"

Ryker's arht Our faces are so close I alaze His voice is measured Clipped Finite "I Do Not Want Hensley"

I hold

"I want you," he breathes out just before he kisses me

A sigh releases into his ue I kiss hiht so all I can do is press my palms to his chest as he holds me

He pulls back and looks at me "Okay?"

I nod with a smile "I want you too"

"Good," he says, and leans in to kiss ain

But I push back at hiainst his chest He looks at ht?"

"Yeah, I know"

"I'm sorry I can't be there for you physically all the time, but emotionally, I'm there for you one hundred percent of the time I wish I could have been there for you when Ruby was hurt"

"You were," he tells oes to his chest and I snuggle in tight "You came to see me and that meant a lot"

I hesitate, because I'm not sure I really want to know the answer, but I decide I need to knohat I' "Did Zack and Kate see us?"

"Yeah Zack confronted me about it"

"And what did you say?"

"I tried to blow hi, so you don't have to worry"

And I realizeI'm not If Ryker says I can trust Zack, then I do

Because I trust Ryker

Chapter 19

Ryker

The lights coainst the harshness for a moment A teao this aot our asses handed to us yesterday

Nor fil for ways in which I can improve, and I'll be presented later with an edited and spliced digital with just ainst me so I can analyze myself individually

Coach Pretore walks to the center of the rooah, Friday against Toronto, and then the Chicago Bobcats coood teale one of them, and do you knohy that is?"

Utter silence One can only guess at Coach's reasoning sometimes, but he never keeps us in the dark

"I expect wins because this is one of theof the best executives in the league"

A snort comes from the back of the room and I don't even have to turn s known

"We have the best scouts, the best trainers, and the best fans," Coach continues, choosing to ignore Claude "We have all the tools, and on paper, we look ood"