Ryder sighed, defeated. “Fine, but I’m picking you up at the front doors.”

  Later that afternoon, Liese exchanged contact information and made promises to keep in touch with colleagues as she left the building. Blake carried her box of parting gifts from staff and students alike. She would miss FAHL.

  Janet and Emily had followed her out and were now debating whether they wanted to go straight home or out for an end-of-year celebratory drink. Liese wavered as she scanned the parking lot for Ryder’s Lexus. She didn’t have to search hard; he’d parked as close to the building as he could get without driving up the front steps. As soon as she hit the bottom of the stairs he stepped out of the car and started toward her. Liese wished they’d discussed how forthcoming he planned to be. She braced for her colleagues’ reactions.

  Blake stepped over to greet Ryder, shuffling the box to one side so they could engage in some kind of ritualistic man handshake. Over the past several months she and Ryder had spent a lot of time with Marissa and Blake, and the two men had become friends. They bumped shoulders and patted each other on the back.

  “Hey Ry, what’s going on?” Blake asked. “You leave something behind?”

  Ryder pursed his lips. “In a manner of speaking.”

  Emily and Janet looked surprised, but they greeted their former principal and made polite conversation while Liese hung back and tried to decipher his plan of attack. As if sensing her discomfort, Ryder pointed to the box under Blake’s arm. “Starting a pink coffee mug collection?”

  “Hardly, the box of crap belongs to this one.” Blake inclined his head at Liese.

  “Oh?” He looked to Liese, and when she nodded, he took the box. Popping his trunk, he sauntered casually to the rear of his vehicle and deposited the box inside.

  The silence that ensued reminded Liese of Christmas dinner. Emily and Janet looked utterly baffled as he closed the trunk.

  “Well, it was nice to see you.” Ryder addressed them cordially.

  He slipped an arm around Liese’s waist and tucked her into his side, his hand dropping low on her hip. She looked up at him, shocked by his overt display of physical affection. That was until he upped the ante and bent to kiss her. His lips met hers, lingering longer than necessary. Emily gasped, Janet made a strange noise, and Blake just stood there with his hands in his pockets. The ladies’ bewildered looks turned to shock as they finally figured out why Ryder had stopped by the school.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  “Sure.” Liese fought to hold a strained smile. “Have a great summer, guys.”

  She couldn’t make eye contact as she rounded the car and waited for Ryder to open the passenger door. She slipped into the seat, palms sweaty and knees shaking. With one hand on the door and the other on the hood Ryder ducked his head. “That wasn’t too bad, was it?” He brought his mouth to hers. And if that wasn’t bold enough, he sucked on her bottom lip, if only for a second, before releasing it. At her outraged gasp he whispered, “Be thankful I didn’t smack your ass in public. Imagine the response that would have gleaned.”

  A burst of laughter slipped out, and she slapped her palm over her mouth as Ryder closed the door. He crossed the front of the car, smiling at her dumbstruck colleagues.

  Ryder slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. They waved in tandem at her gawking friends, and Liese watched them shrink into the background through the rearview mirror as they left FAHL behind.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Ryder said later as he sipped a glass of wine, idly running his fingers up and down her arm.

  Dusk crept in, casting long shadows on the deck as evening turned to night. The sun threw off a pink glow as it made its way toward the horizon, turning the clouds the color of cotton candy.

  “That’s new,” Liese taunted, rolling her head toward him. She was on her third glass of wine, celebrating the end of the school year on the privacy of her back deck.

  Ryder shifted in his chair as he ran his free hand down the front of his shirt, right where his tie should be. That put her on alert.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine.” His tense smile told a different story. “Come here, please.” He tugged gently on her hand.

  Picking up her wine, Liese moved from her seat to his. “What’s going on up here?” She tapped his temple. “You look way too serious for summer vacation.” She settled in his lap, drawing her legs up so she could sling them over the arm of his chair. His palm traveled along her bare calf.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about my current living situation and what that will look like in the long term.”

  “And what conclusion have you drawn?” Liese fought off a wave of apprehension.

  Ryder had already mentioned moving closer to his job, but he’d only said it in passing. Liese’s commute to her new school, while relatively short, took her in the opposite direction. If either of them moved closer to their job, it would put more distance between them, not less. Liese had grown accustomed to staying at his house most nights of the week, or having him at her place. She didn’t want to lose that.

  “Well, I was wondering about your thoughts on the issue,” Ryder said as he continued to focus on their linked hands.

  “On the issue of commuting?” Liese asked.

  “I know you’ve talked about buying a house. I’m curious as to whether this is still something you’re considering.”

  “Oh, right.” Liese inhaled deeply. “For now I guess I like this place well enough. I’d like to get a feel for my new school before I make any life-altering decisions.”

  “I see.” Ryder’s throat bobbed.

  “What’s going on? Why are you being so . . . sketchy?”

  “Sketchy?”

  “Yes. You’re all shifty-eyed and vague, asking these questions that aren’t going anywhere. You’re stressing me out.”

  “I’m sorry; it’s not intentional.” Ryder shifted under her and took her glass, setting it on the table between their chairs. “I was wondering whether you might be interested in moving in with me.”

  “Come again?”

  “I haven’t even come a first time.”

  “Smartass. Are you serious?”

  “Completely.”

  Liese could hardly believe it. Ryder made rational decisions, based on carefully thought-out plans. As alluring as the idea might be, it certainly didn’t speak to logic. “We’ve spent all this time being careful and keeping things low key just to blow our cover by moving in together as soon as we start dating publicly?”

  Ryder laughed. “I think I managed to do that when I picked you up this afternoon. It’s not exactly a stealth mission, Liese. Neither of us works there anymore; it’s a non-issue.”

  After months of being cautious, of only going out in public together when they were at least an hour outside of Fullerton, they no longer needed to hide. It was strange.

  “Besides, I want you to be the first person I see at the beginning and end of my day.”

  Her heart fluttered. “Are you sure it’s a good idea?”

  “Is that a yes?”

  Liese mulled the prospect over. Of course it was a yes. Preoccupied with what would happen if they moved farther apart, she hadn’t considered he would solve the problem by asking her to live with him.

  “I can see the allure,” she said thoughtfully. She ran her fingers through his hair and shifted to straddle him. The soles of her feet settled on the deck, and she leaned into his solid warmth.

  “I’m greedy,” he said, as though he still needed to persuade her. “I want more time with you—more mornings and evenings and weekends. I suppose now that we’re at the point where we can be open, I want to push the boundaries. And just so we’re clear, I’m not referring to sexual boundaries. I believe we’ve been pushing those from the beginning.”

  “Thanks for the clarification.” Liese smiled.

  “People will always talk. We’re beyond that. I want you with me. The question is, do you want the same thing?”

  “Very much so.” Liese kissed him softly.

  “You’ll move in with me?”

  “Yes, I’ll move in with you. I’m already halfway there.”

  “This is true. You know, I thought I’d have to work much harder to persuade you,” Ryder admitted.

  “Aren’t you fortunate I’m easy?” Liese teased. She smoothed her palms over his arms, up his biceps to his shoulders.

  “I’m quite fortunate, actually.” Ryder nuzzled her neck, his lips against her collarbone. “I’m also fortunate you’re intelligent and sexy and loud in bed—”

  “I am not!” Liese exclaimed.

  Ryder’s hands grazed the underside of her breasts. She swiveled her hips. His erection lay snug between her thighs, and though it was still constricted by clothing, it provided the friction she wanted.

  “You’re not what? Intelligent?”

  “No.” She tugged on his hair.

  “Sexy?”

  “Ryder!”

  “Oh, you don’t think you’re loud in bed?” He grinned, his hands moving lower.

  “I can be quiet when I need to be,” Liese whispered.

  “That’s true. You were very, very quiet that one time in my office,” he replied, his mouth against her ear.

  “No so much that time in your car, though.”

  “But that time on your back deck? That was amazing.” Ryder’s hands found their way under her shirt, his fingertips whispering over the swell of her breasts.

  “We haven’t . . .” Liese stopped when she realized he was referring to their current situation.

  Ryder nipped gently at her neck before he kissed her. His hands moved slowly, unrushed and deliberate, as he skimmed over her nipples through the satin of her bra. Liese ground herself against him, moaning quietly at the sensation.

  “Shhh . . . you don’t want to disturb the neighbors,” Ryder goaded.

  She ignored him and moaned again, louder this time, and was quietly thankful for the thick barrier of trees surrounding her property. No one could hear her unless she called his name at the top of her lungs.

  She slid her hands down his chest and found his belt buckle, pulling on the clasp. She popped the button on his pants and dipped her hand inside to find warm, smooth skin, hard and ready for her.

  “Did you want to go inside?” Ryder teased, hands tightening on her hips.

  “I’m good here,” Liese whispered, standing as she pulled her dress over her head and discarded it on the deck.

  His gaze lingered on her pale satin underwear as he leaned forward and kissed just below her navel.

  Soft light came from the window behind them, and Liese could see shadows on her skin. She reached behind her and unclasped her bra, letting it drop to the deck. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her panties and dragged them down her thighs. She steadied herself, one hand on each of his shoulders as she lifted one foot and then the other. Ryder discarded the scrap of fabric and pulled her forward to straddle him once again. The hard length of him pressed against her. Liese rose, and Ryder gripped his erection. When she sank down slowly, they groaned in tandem.

  “Shh, you wouldn’t want the neighbors to hear you.” Liese provoked him as she rocked her hips, keeping their bodies flush, her movements gentle and controlled. She grabbed the tail of his shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it aside.

  “You’re such an exhibitionist,” Ryder said through clenched teeth.

  Liese’s mouth moved along his shoulder toward his chin. “Don’t pretend you don’t like it.” She nipped at his bottom lip.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He lifted his hips, his hands grabbed her ass, moving her faster over him.

  Liese braced herself, lacing her fingers behind his neck as she allowed him to set the pace, going harder only when the sensation began to overwhelm her. She succumbed to the current that ignited in the pit of her stomach, shooting through her like lightning.

  Ryder’s head dropped against the back of the chair, the tendons in his neck straining as his eyes closed and his lips parted. Liese watched, entranced, as he shuddered. He pulled her tight against him, then bowed forward to bury his face in her hair. She hummed into his shoulder and waited for his ragged breathing to calm.

  “I suppose we could have gone inside to do that,” Ryder said, his head lolling on the back of the chair, eyes half-closed.

  “We can always go inside and do it again.”

  Ryder’s eyes opened. “You’re insatiable.”

  “Only where you’re concerned.”

  “I suppose it’s a good thing you’ll be moving in with me then, isn’t it?” He stroked her cheek.

  “It’s a very good thing,” Liese agreed. She rose to her feet, extending a hand. He linked his fingers with hers and followed her inside, leaving their clothing strewn across the deck.

  “Liese? Sweetheart, I’m home!”

  The sound of Ryder’s voice coming from downstairs roused her. Their bedroom was dark, which disoriented her. She’d only intended to lie down for a minute or two before she started dinner. Liese rolled over to look at the clock on the nightstand. It was six-thirty. She’d been out for two hours. And dinner was still in the fridge, rather than ready to eat.

  She pushed herself up to sitting, but it took an ungodly amount of energy to accomplish the feat. She had to be sick. That was the only logical explanation. The mild roll of her stomach confirmed it. “I’m coming!”

  “Not without me, I hope.” Ryder stood in the doorway with his jacket open, his tie loosened. His cocky smirk fell away as he processed Liese’s rather disheveled state. “Are you unwell?”

  Liese pushed her hair back, trying to smooth it into some semblance of order. She doubted her success and didn’t have the energy to care. “It’s probably the flu. It’s been going around. Yesterday one of the students threw up in the middle of the library.”

  “We’ve had a few people at the office out lately for the same sort of thing.”

  He shrugged out of his suit jacket and pulled his tie over his head, messing up his hair in the process. Liese confirmed illness as a likely possibility when no tingles of desire followed the unfastening of his cufflinks.

  “I should make dinner.” The words came out, but she didn’t move from her spot on the bed. In fact, gravity seemed to want to pull her back to a prone position.

  Ryder folded his jacket and placed it neatly on the dresser before coming over to sit on the mattress beside her. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to her forehead. “You’re not warm, but maybe you should stay in bed. We have chicken soup in the freezer?”

  Liese nodded, grateful that Ryder knew his way around a kitchen as well as he did the bedroom. Not that chicken noodle soup was difficult, but the only thing her father knew how to prepare was meat over an open flame. Ryder was an amazing cook. Unfortunately, he was rarely home before Liese, so he only had an opportunity to showcase that particular set of talents on the weekend.

  Liese must have fallen back asleep, because she woke up in the middle of the night, her stomach howling up a storm. Ryder had obviously changed her, as she was dressed in a satiny sheath, rather than her usual nighttime nothing. He lay on his side next to her, arm tucked under the pillow, as close to her as he could get without actually touching. She closed her eyes, unmotivated to get up, but her stomach growled again, the discomfort too pervasive to ignore. Slipping carefully out of bed so as not to disturb Ryder, she pulled her robe over her shoulders and padded down to the kitchen.

  She blinked against the harsh light of the fridge and looked longingly at the pot of soup on the middle shelf. It would take too much time and effort to heat up something like that. Liese settled on a piece of buttered bread and a banana, both easy on her stomach and simple to throw together.

  It was after three in the morning by the time she returned to bed. She hadn’t had much hope of falling back to sleep, having already clocked more than eight hours, but the next time she opened her eyes, it was to the sound of her alarm clock in the morning.

  “You should stay in bed today,” Ryder said as he stepped out from his closet, suit in hand. He wore only boxer briefs, and Liese stared unabashedly at his mostly naked form.

  “I feel much better than I did last night. My stomach is settled.”

  Instead of answering, Ryder passed her the phone.

  “I’m fine. Really. It’s too much of a hassle to stay home.”

  Ryder lifted a belt from the hook on the inside of the closet door and ran it across his palm suggestively. “Before you decide to go in, I think you should consider whether you feel well enough to be bent over my desk.”

  “Um . . .” Usually she’d jump at the chance, but today she questioned whether she’d enjoy herself at all. Despite all the sleep she’d gotten, she was dragging.

  “That you would even hesitate tells me you need to call in.” Ryder took her phone back and dialed the number for her.

  So Liese did as Ryder demanded: stayed in bed all day. She only went downstairs for food and drinks. She didn’t do anything remotely house-chorish, aware that Ryder would be able to tell. She just read a book, napping on and off. Mild nausea came in waves, and while she hated to admit it, Ryder had been right about her not going into work. However, by mid-afternoon the sick feeling had abated, and though she was still tired, she felt much better.

  Ryder came home early—or earlier than usual—and Liese was in the kitchen, preparing dinner when he slipped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. “Feeling better?”

  She leaned back into his embrace. “Much. It must have been one of those twenty-four-hour bugs.”

  He skimmed the tip of his nose along the side of her neck. “You smell phenomenal.”

  “It’s dessert.”

  He smiled against her skin. “You must be feeling better if you’re offering yourself.”

  Liese laughed and turned around in his arms, fingering the collar of his shirt. “There’s apple crisp in the oven.”