Getting out of an agreement with Ryder would be similar to trying to escape from a straitjacket. When he set his mind to something, he didn’t back down. Stubborn sexy asshole. No matter; two could play at that game. She’d be sure to make adhering to his clause as difficult as possible.

  Liese spent the days leading up to Thursday attempting to act nonchalant at work, which proved difficult. She limited her visits to the main office as much as possible but still ended up running into Ryder. Every time she saw him, lurid fantasies popped into her head, her imagination running wild. Ryder’s “no hanky-panky” clause was going to be a giant problem.

  She hadn’t factored in the impact such a bargain would have. Being the kind of person who never backed down from a challenge, she’d just agreed. In the interim between their conversation and the planned date, her “plastic friends” were getting quite the workout. Liese was almost relieved that she and Ryder would be in a public place for their evening together, because she didn’t want to be the one to forfeit.

  If she could entice him enough, surely Ryder would cave and at least help her out since he’d given in before. He’d gratified her after they made up; she banked on the fact he would do it again. She’d even keep most of her clothes on, if that’s what he wanted.

  On Thursday after work, Liese rushed home to get ready. She donned a slinky dress with a plunging neckline and her best push-up bra. The power of cleavage should never be underestimated. To deter potential nudity at the end of their date, she wore the one pair of granny panties she owned. Even though inviting him back to her house might be a no-no, the backseat of his Lexus was roomy. Wearing ugly underpants would deter her from making use of that option.

  Ryder arrived five minutes early, looking adorably nervous and carrying a box of decadent truffles and a much nicer bouquet of flowers.

  She brought the blossoms to her nose and inhaled. “These are beautiful,” she sighed as she discarded the wilted flowers from earlier in the week and replaced them with the new bouquet.

  He smiled, looking pleased with himself. She sidled up to him, running her hands over his chest as she brought her body flush to his. “That was very thoughtful of you,” she whispered, batting her lashes as she kissed his lips. His hands came up to rest on her waist. Liese stepped back but he followed, pressing her against the counter as he caged her with his arms.

  “I know what you’re trying to do,” he said against her mouth, the evidence of her effect on him pressed against her stomach.

  “Is that so?” She snaked an arm around him.

  “Mm-hmm, and it’s not going to work.”

  “I have no idea what you mean.” She gave his ass a squeeze, then pushed him away and stepped around him, heading for the door. If they didn’t leave now, they’d end up on the kitchen floor. “We should probably go. Don’t want to be late.”

  He dropped a juicy curse. She hid a satisfied smile as she slipped on her heels and shrugged into her coat. Ryder guided her down the porch steps to his car. Part of the charm of her tiny house came from the evergreens lining the drive. Plus, they offered privacy from neighbors, something she certainly wasn’t used to after living in New York.

  Ryder waited as she folded her legs into the car. Liese sucked in a breath when his fingers brushed along the outside of her thigh to adjust her dress. She had no idea how she would make it through this evening, let alone wait for another opportunity to spend some time in the privacy of one of their bedrooms. Ryder wore a mischievous grin as he shut the door and rounded the front of the car, his eyes on her the entire time.

  On their way to the restaurant, Liese tried not to focus on the car-sex fantasies that inundated her. She kept up a steady stream of questions, only half paying attention to his replies. Ryder glanced at her and reached over, his fingers grazing the back of her wrist. Liese flipped her hand so he could lace his fingers through hers.

  “You okay? You seem a little antsy,” he observed as she uncrossed her legs for the third time in less than a minute.

  “Yes, I need a distraction.”

  “From what?”

  “You.”

  “Me? Am I making you nervous?”

  “No, you’re making me horny,” Liese said and slapped her hand over her mouth. So much for maintaining the upper hand.

  “Really? I’m not even trying,” Ryder said in a smooth voice that made her want to climb over the center console.

  “I can resist temptation.” Liese pulled her hand away and linked her fingers in her lap.

  “What if I don’t want you to?”

  “Then I’d tell you that’s too bad since you’re the one who enacted the stupid clause in the first place.”

  “Clause?”

  “Yes, the no-naked clause.”

  “I thought it was a mutual agreement.” Ryder raised an eyebrow but kept his eyes on the road. “I wouldn’t want to be responsible for acts of coercion. Heaven forbid I come across as domineering.” There was that smirk again, as infuriating as it was charming. “If it’s too difficult for you to resist me, by all means let me know. I wouldn’t want to cause you undue sexual frustration.”

  “You’re not egotistical at all, are you?” Liese shot back, crossing her legs. The fabric of her dress rode up, and she tugged it down over her thighs.

  Ryder’s eyes moved from the road to her lap, fixated on her hands moving along the satin. “So I’m not only domineering, I’m egotistical now? Maybe I need to be punished for being so difficult.”

  “You do know the road is in front of you, not in my lap, right?” Liese ignored the comment. The conversation needed to end.

  “Right.” Ryder sighed and turned his attention forward.

  “And you’re the one who said you were domineering, not me,” Liese noted.

  “Am I?

  “Sometimes.”

  “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay; sometimes it turns me on,” Liese murmured, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

  “And other times?” Ryder prompted.

  “Okay, it turns me on most of the time. Although there are occasions when it irritates the hell out of me. Now stop asking these kinds of questions. Are you purposely trying to torture me? If so, I can assure you it’s working.”

  Ryder took her hand again, bringing it to his lips. “I would never torture you intentionally—unless you wanted me to.”

  Liese snatched her hand away. The warmth of his lips on her skin made the persistent ache low in her belly flare. “Not helpful,” she said. “Change the subject, please, or pull over.”

  Ryder took his foot off the accelerator, clearly considering the request. His eyes moved over her in a feral sweep. Liese bit back a smile of triumph, trying to maintain her composure. Then the car sped up, much to her dismay.

  “My apologies,” he said. “What would you like to talk about?”

  Liese grumbled under her breath.

  “What was that?” He turned the soft strains of music down until they were barely audible.

  He was playing with her. “Nothing.” She shot him a dirty look. “You pick the topic.”

  Ryder spent the rest of the drive sharing stories about his dysfunctional family. Soon the idea of meeting his parents terrified her. What if they didn’t like her? She pushed the thought out of her head; the present was already so complicated.

  Liese stretched as she got out of the car, the remnants of sexual tension making her stiff. She followed Ryder inside to find the restaurant small and lovely, perfect for their first date. The converted main floor of the old brick house created an intimate environment, made all the more private by the high-backed plush benches. Each was wide enough to seat two and looked like a giant throne with its ornate wooden frame and red velvet cushions. The hostess brought Liese and Ryder to the table nearest the wood-burning fireplace at the back of the restaurant.

  The side of Ryder that had initially enamored Liese came out during dinner. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed his companionship over the past couple of weeks. The change in their relationship had taken away the opportunity to spend time together the way they used to—when they’d been busy pretending to be just colleagues. Only for her did he drop his guard and show his softer side. He was sweet and attentive, charismatic and charming.

  The more they talked, the more she realized how much they’d been holding back. The chemistry between them was so powerful; she couldn’t understand how they’d managed to resist each other for nearly three months in the first place.

  Halfway through appetizers, Ryder leaned toward her, bringing into view a couple seated across the room. The woman looked away as Ryder adjusted the strap of Liese’s dress, finishing with a kiss on her shoulder.

  “Do you know her?” Liese inclined her head in the direction of the bimbo who’d been staring at them.

  Ryder turned and studied the woman briefly. He twined their fingers and, raising their clasped hands, kissed each of Liese’s knuckles, one by one. “No, I have no idea who she is.”

  “She keeps looking over here,” Liese said. “It’s like she’s trying to undress you with her eyes.”

  “Maybe she has x-ray vision.”

  “I hope not. No one should see you naked but me.”

  “Is this something you were hoping for?” She felt his teeth scrape across her finger.

  “Ryder,” she exhaled softly.

  “Hmm?”

  “Behave.”

  “I believe you started it.” He flipped her hand over and pressed her palm to his lips.

  “I did not,” she protested.

  “Shall we debate the indisputable fact that you want to undress me?” he asked, running his nose along the inside of her wrist. He leaned closer. “You smell incredible.”

  The sound of a throat clearing surprised Liese, and she pulled free of his grasp. The waitress smiled apologetically, meals in hand. Liese wanted to be angry, but she knew she should probably say thank you. The waitress had saved them from themselves.

  Conversation for the remainder of the evening included periods of heavy innuendo between bouts of normal discussion. The tension between them had ratcheted up to an almost unbearable level during dinner, and the hour spent in the car on the way home felt claustrophobic as they continued to taunt each other. Ryder must have adjusted himself half a dozen times. By the time he pulled into her driveway, Liese was biting her tongue to keep from inviting him inside—granny panties be damned.

  “I had a wonderful time,” she told him.

  “As did I.”

  “I should probably go inside,” she whispered.

  Ryder took an unsteady breath. “That would likely be best.”

  The stare down had barely begun before they lunged at one another, their lips colliding and teeth clashing. Liese fisted his hair as their tongues met and retreated over and over. Within seconds she was halfway into the driver’s seat. His hands were on her hips and moving along her sides until he was at the swell of her breasts.

  Liese broke the kiss only to go back for more. Then she got a handle on herself and remembered she wasn’t going to be the one to forfeit on the clause. “Thanks for dinner,” she panted, kissing his cheek before she returned to her seat.

  “It was my pleasure,” Ryder replied, his breathing as labored as hers.

  “I’ll see you in the morning.” She backed away, searching blindly for the door handle. She wrenched open the door, escaping before she did the unthinkable, despite her hideous underwear.

  Liese pressed her forehead against the doorjamb, taking deep breaths. The crunch of gravel filtered through her front door as Ryder backed out of her driveway. She was too late to call him back to take care of the volcanic-level problem below her waist without looking pathetic. His headlights disappeared as he pulled onto the street.

  If she’d been smarter, she would have invited him in for a drink and ditched her ugly panties—screw the no-hanky-panky garbage. Instead, like an idiot, she’d allowed him to leave. Now she had to take care of the issue on her own—not nearly as satisfying as having Ryder do the honors. She technically wouldn’t have had to get undressed either. Losing the granny gitch and lifting her skirt would have done the trick.

  Frustrated, she kicked off her shoes and stomped up the stairs to her bedroom; exasperation paired with unrequited lust doubled her need for relief. She went straight for the laptop on her nightstand and opened her folder of pictures. While the photoshopped images weren’t the same as the real Ryder, she made due.

  Several orgasms later, she grabbed her phone. Ryder deserved a little payback in the form of naughty texts. The phone buzzed when she turned it on, indicating new messages. Maybe Ryder had had second thoughts. She could always invite him back over for a personal tour of her bedroom. But Liese’s grin faded when a familiar but unwelcome number flashed on the screen. Sean had sent her a total of sixteen messages in the last six hours. Talk about unnerving. And if that wasn’t cause enough for concern, he’d also left three voicemails.

  Since he’d gotten hold of her new number—she still didn’t know how that had happened—he seemed incapable of going more than twenty-four hours without contact. Ignoring him had seemed the best option, but now that approach had increased his efforts.

  The voicemails she deleted—she could predict the content without listening. But with her finger poised to delete the texts, Liese paused. One message caught her attention, and the words on the screen made her throat close. Dread hit her like a sledgehammer:

  The all-caps freaked her out; it reminded her of just how angry Sean could become, and it didn’t take a whole lot to ramp him up. The fine hairs on her neck rose, and she flipped on the lights in her room to make her feel safer. She scrolled down to the next message, the content more troubling than the first:

  There he went with the shouty-caps again. The threat in the message made her skin crawl. As she reread the texts, she decided he couldn’t possibly know anything about her date with Ryder. Sean lived in the city, hours away, and she didn’t have a landline, so he couldn’t look her up to know where she lived. Only her closest friends and family had her new address. And Liese had asked her previous landlord not to give out her forwarding information.

  As she reread the message, which he’d sent about thirty minutes ago—coincidentally about the time when Ryder had dropped her off—another one arrived.

  The man was delusional. One moment he was the jealous ex-boyfriend, and the next he was sweet and pleading. He hadn’t changed at all since she’d broken up with his crazy ass. Marissa might be right about a restraining order. The thought of running into him, even in a public place, scared Liese crapless.

  Paranoid, she gathered her robe around her and tiptoed down the darkened hallway to the bathroom. She peered outside, but could only make out the reflection of the moon on the windshield of her car.

  She debated whether to go downstairs and flick on the porch light, call Ryder and have him come back to her house, or make a run for her car and go to Ryder’s instead. She imagined herself sprinting the short distance from her front porch to her car, only to have Sean burst out of the shadows and tackle her to the ground. It seemed unlikely and ridiculous, but her imagination instilled enough fear that she stayed put.

  In the end, she decided not to respond to Sean’s messages and not to text Ryder. She would need to tell him about her ex and his unpredictable behavior, but she wasn’t quite ready. It was embarrassing to have dated such a loser.

  Once calm enough to be rational, she read the remainder of Sean’s texts—most of them ranting about how he missed her and wanted to talk to her. Only the last few focused on the possibility that she might be seeing someone else, and how could she if she was, blah, blah, blah. His tirades knew no bounds. Tired of the incessant ding of new messages, Liese turned off her phone and climbed into bed. But sleep evaded her.

  It was almost two in the morning before she finally passed out, and when she woke three hours later, thanks to a family of raccoons pilfering through her garbage, she couldn’t fall back asleep. Groggy and grumpy, Liese forfeited rest for a shower. She put on coffee and milled around her kitchen. Even at her leisurely pace, she was still more than an hour ahead of schedule. But not wanting to be alone any longer, she left the house at six-thirty, just as dawn broke through the thin cover of clouds, coloring the world a soft pink over the inky grey of morning.

  Liese stopped for coffee on the way to work, the extra caffeine a necessity to get her through the day. By the time she arrived at FAHL, the coffee had taken effect, and her tension had grown exponentially. Other than those of the janitorial staff, the parking lot was devoid of cars. She passed through the office to check her mailbox and debated whether to leave a note for Ryder. But waiting until the end of the day seemed better to tell him about her stalkerish ex. An angry Ryder wasn’t easy for anyone to work with. The less interaction they had at work today the better, as her body hummed with pent up energy, fretfulness superseding the residual sexual tension from the night before. Sean was magical in that respect: capable of killing a sex drive in one text.

  Half an hour before first bell, her office phone rang, scaring the crap out of her. She rushed to answer it, recognizing the number as Ryder’s.

  “Hi,” she whispered as she turned her back to the students working on assignments.

  “Hello, Ms. Harper. How are you this morning?” Ryder’s formal tone was laced with a hint of teasing.

  She hesitated and then answered with a lie. “I’m fine. You?”

  “I’d be better if I didn’t have a meeting. I won’t be in until lunch, but I wanted to talk to you. Do you have any free time this afternoon? I thought we might need to debrief after our meeting yesterday.”

  “Debrief? Is that code for something?” Liese twisted the phone cord around her finger.

  “I suppose. I wanted to make sure you felt okay about last night.”

  “I would have felt much better if there had been an option for extracurricular activities.”