Chapter 28: Ryker

I didn't think she'd go through with it, and the deer-in-the-headlights sheen that glistened in her eyes all but confirmed it. Then as quickly as it had arrived, the reluctance disappeared. The fierce demeanor she maintained on stage worked its way from the top of her head, down her spine as she straightened it, and to her toes. Determination set in where hesitation had been. The blue-grey turned to sapphires when she met my stare. I'd swear they were so clear I could see through them.

Everything about this woman surprised the hell out of me. She hadn't cowered behind me when she'd seen her apartment, she didn't back down from Sam and Jesse, and when she set her mind to see something through, she did. Maybe she compartmentalized the hell out of her life; I didn't know. All I could be certain of was she faced every challenge head-on. Her standing in front of me now was just further proof.

I hadn't planned for her to actually dance; in fact, that had been the only way I'd gotten int