He was rather grumpy lately.

“She wants to become a bodyguard.” I was surprised when he didn’t seem fazed by that. He took another swig of water and I watched him swallow. Something about that was quite sexy, actually. “Mike told me.” The news that Mike talked to him about it was also surprising, since Mike wasn’t one to share much. “Mike told you?” He nodded. “Yeah. We talked about it quite a bit.”

“According to Marie, he’s being extremely supportive about it.”

Ryan twisted his lips as if he were hiding a secret. “Love will do that to ya.” That surprised me. “He’s in love?”

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s very attractive, but she also is a bit of a scrapper. Feisty little thing, ya know? That’s exactly what he needs.”

I smiled. “Yeah, I know. She doesn’t take a lot of crap. She’s worse if she’s been drinking.”

He crawled out of the bank seat and sat down on the couch, putting his feet up. “And what are your thoughts on all of that? You’d lose your bar manager.”

“I think she should do whatever makes her happy.”

He rested his head back into his hands. “I agree. Especially if she and Mike stick.

Would be best if their jobs complemented each other. That’s just a win-win for us.”

“Win-win?”

He gave me his isn’t it obvious? eyes. I wasn’t about to ask. I was sort of stuck on his other innuendo. “You want me to sell the bar.” It wasn’t a question, but it definitely came out of my mouth as a whispered realization.

His frown said it for him. He took another drink of his water, eyeing me before he spoke. “I want you to do what’s right for us.

Having the business is great but you being constantly worried about it isn’t, so something needs to give.”

He was right, in a way, but then again we’d been engaged only a few weeks. Was I wrong for wanting a fallback plan? One ace stashed up my sleeve in case of emergencies?

After all, I had my own sense of self-preservation.

“Can we discuss this some other time?” Without hesitation, he said, “Yep.”

“How are things on set? How’s Nicole doing?”

Ryan seemed undecided. “She’s been toe-ing the line.”

“You think she’s staying clean?” He scratched his eyebrow. “She doesn’t have much of a choice since I insisted on her getting weekly drug screenings. She can be pissy toward me all she wants; while she’s here working on my film, she will keep that shit out of her body and her head in the game.”

I nodded. “Did you talk to her about getting some drug counseling?”

I knew he was not keen on intervening.

“No, but I did have a private chat with her.

One slipup and I’d see to it that she’d get hauled off set in cuffs.”

“You didn’t?”

“I most certainly did. I don’t have time to babysit. She has to deal with her own shit or else. Anyway, that’s not our problem. I have to go back soon. I came to get you. I need you there.”

“You need me there?” I gave him my best are you for real? look.

He picked at his costume, which was a blue pair of very cool rock climbing pants, a look that I’d be sure to buy for him the next time I went shopping. “Yeah. I like knowing you’re there.”

“I don’t want to be in the way. I figured I was a distraction.”

“Taryn, you just breathing is a distraction.

Knowing you’re on the lot, holed up in my trailer doing God knows what that I can’t see, is a distraction.”

Ditto.

And here I thought I made him nervous.

Hearing that he wanted me there made my insides warm. I was learning so much by being a silent observer and I’d much rather be out there than in here. “Well, since you need me . . .”

Ryan knifed his body up and then he was inches from my face, letting me know his thoughts. “I need you. You’re my muse.” I knew he was messing with me but his sexy lips made me think about how damn lucky I was, especially imagining him being all athletic and sweaty on set. “Your muse, huh?”

He grinned and nodded. “Uh huh.”

“I thought I was your sex slave.” That got me a wider grin and a sexy-as-hell kiss. “That, too,” he breathed, tasting of the mint gum I had slipped into his pocket.

I wanted his tongue again. “You taste good.”

“I’ll let you taste me all over if you want—later. Reminds me, there’s this one position we haven’t tried yet and I was wondering if you’d be game?”

His face was so close; I had to lean back.

“Just one?”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “You have a dirty mind and a mouth that makes me have all sorts of ideas. That’s why you’re perfect for me.”

I met his lips and gave him a wicked kiss, growling from the strain of having to separate us. “Before you get carried away . . .”

“Then you better come up with another distraction besides putting your tongue in my mouth.”

I fought his pull and murmured, “I talked to Joe for almost an hour.”

He looked surprised, edging back a bit.

“Yeah? And?”

I fought back my disappointment and sudden sadness, trying to stay positive on the subject, but it was hard. The man who fathered me was keeping me at arm’s length, and well, it hurt. I felt more rejection than acceptance in that hour.

“It was good, but . . . welll. . . He told me about his wife and his family. He has two young daughters who apparently are huge fans of yours.”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed, reading me like a book again. “Is that so? Apparently he also said something that upset you. I can see it in your eyes.”

I sat back. “He said that he’d always regretted giving me up but he was young and didn’t know the first thing about raising a baby and . . . I can tell he’s full of remorse.”

Ryan sat down next to me. “I can imagine.

So we going there to meet him?”

“No.”

“And why not?”

“Ryan, I have not been a part of his life for a very long time.”

“So?”

“It’s not that simple. We talked and, well, he’s glad I know the truth about him but said he’s not ready to tell his wife about me yet.

He’s not sure how she’ll take it since he’s never told her about fathering a child when he was a teenager. He’s afraid the news will upset her too much.”