know—she had read that article, too. She was grateful that Ryder wasn’t encouraging Sasha to get closer, but he certainly wasn’t shooing her away.
Melissa elbowed Katie in the ribs. “What are you going to do to get rid of her?”
What could she do? She needed to pick her battles and go for the ones she could win. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Melissa coughed as the carrot went down the wrong way. “The woman is about to rub herself all over Ryder. If she were a cat, she’d be marking him with her scent to claim him.”
Katie turned away reluctantly so her vision of the hall was blocked. “I have no claim on Ryder,” she said quietly.
“I understand.” Melissa looked back at Ryder. “But if the roles were reversed, Ryder would have none of it.”
Katie frowned at her friend. “You’ve lost me.”
“Let’s say some guy was all over you. What would Ryder do?”
“Pull us apart.” Melissa was right. Ryder’s protective instincts used to irritate Katie no end, and he wouldn’t heed her complaints. Whether by intimidation or physically getting in between, Ryder made sure her dates didn’t touch her too intimately.
He had made no claim on her, but Katie certainly felt like she belonged to him. Maybe it was time to give Ryder a taste of his own medicine.
“I’ll take that tray,” Melissa said, arms stretched out.
Katie relinquished the silver platter and marched into the hall, her ankle boots ringing on the wooden floor. Ryder saw her before Sasha did. He didn’t step away from the blonde, but he watched Katie warily.
Katie knew she shouldn’t just walk in with guns blazing. But she had no time to come up with an alternative strategy.
“Merry Christmas, Sasha,” Katie said.
“You, too,” Sasha replied without looking at Katie.
Katie figured she could go one of two ways: confrontation or sneak attack. But since she didn’t truly have a claim on Ryder—well, not one he would recognize—perhaps a sneak attack was best.
“I love your sweater,” Katie continued, wondering if a thunder-bolt was going to strike her down for this bold lie. “That color is great on you.”
That earned a fleeting look in her direction. “Thanks.”
“And the split in the front. So edgy.” Katie tried to inject some enthusiasm in her voice. “But I really love the split in the back. That must have been difficult. Who is the designer?”
“Split?” Sasha reared back and gave her full attention to Katie. “What split?”
“The one right down the back seam. You didn’t notice when you put it on?”
Sasha twisted around, trying to see the back of her sweater. “You mean it’s ripped?”
“You mean the designer didn’t intend to do that?” she asked innocently. “Are you looking for a mirror? There’s a full-length one in the bathroom. It’s down the hall and to the left.” She watched Sasha hurry toward the powder room. “Oh, that was too easy,” she muttered to herself.
Ryder leaned against the banister. “When she figures out what you did, she’s going to decapitate all those crystal snowmen in the bathroom.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Katie responded coolly. A woman had to make sacrifices . . . although she really adored those snowmen.
“What was all that about?”
Katie folded her arms across her chest. “You tell me.”
Ryder’s eyebrow rose. “I don’t respond to—”
Katie couldn’t talk about this anymore. It was time for action. She put her hands on his shoulders and went up on her toes. Ryder hesitated and, as if he had found the discipline in the last second, tilted his head to the side to avoid her kiss.
But Katie had no intention of locking lips. When he moved his head, he gave her perfect access to his neck. She nuzzled against his throat, enjoying the warmth and scent of him. She placed an open-mouth kiss below his ear. Licking his skin
Melissa elbowed Katie in the ribs. “What are you going to do to get rid of her?”
What could she do? She needed to pick her battles and go for the ones she could win. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Melissa coughed as the carrot went down the wrong way. “The woman is about to rub herself all over Ryder. If she were a cat, she’d be marking him with her scent to claim him.”
Katie turned away reluctantly so her vision of the hall was blocked. “I have no claim on Ryder,” she said quietly.
“I understand.” Melissa looked back at Ryder. “But if the roles were reversed, Ryder would have none of it.”
Katie frowned at her friend. “You’ve lost me.”
“Let’s say some guy was all over you. What would Ryder do?”
“Pull us apart.” Melissa was right. Ryder’s protective instincts used to irritate Katie no end, and he wouldn’t heed her complaints. Whether by intimidation or physically getting in between, Ryder made sure her dates didn’t touch her too intimately.
He had made no claim on her, but Katie certainly felt like she belonged to him. Maybe it was time to give Ryder a taste of his own medicine.
“I’ll take that tray,” Melissa said, arms stretched out.
Katie relinquished the silver platter and marched into the hall, her ankle boots ringing on the wooden floor. Ryder saw her before Sasha did. He didn’t step away from the blonde, but he watched Katie warily.
Katie knew she shouldn’t just walk in with guns blazing. But she had no time to come up with an alternative strategy.
“Merry Christmas, Sasha,” Katie said.
“You, too,” Sasha replied without looking at Katie.
Katie figured she could go one of two ways: confrontation or sneak attack. But since she didn’t truly have a claim on Ryder—well, not one he would recognize—perhaps a sneak attack was best.
“I love your sweater,” Katie continued, wondering if a thunder-bolt was going to strike her down for this bold lie. “That color is great on you.”
That earned a fleeting look in her direction. “Thanks.”
“And the split in the front. So edgy.” Katie tried to inject some enthusiasm in her voice. “But I really love the split in the back. That must have been difficult. Who is the designer?”
“Split?” Sasha reared back and gave her full attention to Katie. “What split?”
“The one right down the back seam. You didn’t notice when you put it on?”
Sasha twisted around, trying to see the back of her sweater. “You mean it’s ripped?”
“You mean the designer didn’t intend to do that?” she asked innocently. “Are you looking for a mirror? There’s a full-length one in the bathroom. It’s down the hall and to the left.” She watched Sasha hurry toward the powder room. “Oh, that was too easy,” she muttered to herself.
Ryder leaned against the banister. “When she figures out what you did, she’s going to decapitate all those crystal snowmen in the bathroom.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Katie responded coolly. A woman had to make sacrifices . . . although she really adored those snowmen.
“What was all that about?”
Katie folded her arms across her chest. “You tell me.”
Ryder’s eyebrow rose. “I don’t respond to—”
Katie couldn’t talk about this anymore. It was time for action. She put her hands on his shoulders and went up on her toes. Ryder hesitated and, as if he had found the discipline in the last second, tilted his head to the side to avoid her kiss.
But Katie had no intention of locking lips. When he moved his head, he gave her perfect access to his neck. She nuzzled against his throat, enjoying the warmth and scent of him. She placed an open-mouth kiss below his ear. Licking his skin
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