Eight years ago, Jolene Anderson left her family and friends behind to study fashion design abroad. As she began to soar in both her professional and personal life, disaster struck without warning and her world came crashing down. Broken, she retreats to the only place she feels safe…home.
Ryder Brisson has just returned home from military service and is prepared to start his own security firm. His future is looking bright but there’s one person that would make his life complete…the one he’s loved forever, Jolene.
A series of threatening events force Jolene to hire protection and Ryder is the one she turns to. Can Ryder prove to her that a lifelong friendship can become the love of a lifetime? His job is to protect her but will he succeed in securing her heart?
Ryder Brisson has just returned home from military service and is prepared to start his own security firm. His future is looking bright but there’s one person that would make his life complete…the one he’s loved forever, Jolene.
A series of threatening events force Jolene to hire protection and Ryder is the one she turns to. Can Ryder prove to her that a lifelong friendship can become the love of a lifetime? His job is to protect her but will he succeed in securing her heart?
After imposing on my parents for a few weeks it was finally time to move into my condo. Everyone had pitched in to help and I had my stored things moved in last. They had finally arrived and were sitting in boxes lined up in my newly decorated living room. Olivia and I had spent the better part of a weekend picking out my new furniture and it had looked neat and tidy until the delivery man dumped my personal belongings in the middle of the room. Diving in, I pulled the tape off the first box and the first thing I saw was a framed picture of myself with Giada at my first fashion week show. One of the photographers had sent it to her not caring who the ‘girl’ was in the picture but as soon as Giada saw it, she had it framed and gave it to me for my desk. Holding the picture in my hands, I backed over to the couch where I dropped down to perch on the edge. All of the emotions came welling up and just for a moment, I thought I caught a whiff of her favorite perfume. My head started buzzing and I found myself swallowing back the urge to sob. I touched the cold glass in the frame as if trying to make contact with her but I felt nothing but sadness and the ache of her loss. I placed the picture on a shelf by the window then began to unpack the rest of the box. My hair, which I’d left in its natural curly state was getting in my way so I piled it up into a ponytail.
I heard the intercom buzz and I walked over to the phone.
“Yes?” I asked expecting it was the Chinese food I’d ordered earlier since my kitchen was a mess from moving and hadn’t been organized enough for me to cook yet.
“Miss Anderson?” A deep male voice asked.
“Yes? Are you the delivery guy with my food? If you are, I’ll buzz you up but if not, I’m not interested.”
There was a pause then I heard a muffled “Yeah.”
I pushed the button to unlock the door and grabbed my wallet to pay for my food. My stomach growled its impatience as I hustled to the door. A moment later after a very loud knock, I whipped open the door and found myself looking directly at a chiseled chest with broad arms crossed over it. My eyes traveled upward slowly until they locked on to the bluest eyes I’d ever seen and they belonged to someone I knew well.
“Ryder…” I gasped.
“Hey, Jolene. You gonna invite me in?” He gave me a devilish grin causing me to stumble backwards pulling the door open along with me. He strolled in, his eyes taking in my condo while giving it an approving nod. Thankfully, he didn’t notice my eyes scanning him from behind. His hair which had always been long and tousled was now close cropped. He was taller than I remembered and obviously had been working out as evidenced by his muscles defined by his tight t-shirt. “Nice place you’ve got here. Making clothes must pay pretty well.”
I nodded dumbly then realized what he’d said. “Making clothes? Ryder, I don’t make clothes. I design them. Big difference,” I said defensively.
He held up his hands and shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t know how that works. What Uncle Sam didn’t provide me with, I bought at Wallyworld.” There was an awkward silence before he broke into a huge smile. “Where’s my hug?”
That was the Ryder I knew. I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck. “I’ve missed my friend,” I squealed as he wrapped his arms around me to lift me effortlessly from the ground.
“I missed you, too,” he said softly in my ear. I was suddenly aware how tightly he was holding me with only my thin tank top and shorts covering me. He held me for a moment longer then set me back on the ground, his eyes taking in my appearance. I quickly grabbed a sweatshirt I had thrown on the couch and tried to act as casual as possible.
“It’s good to see you, Ryder.”
I heard the intercom buzz and I walked over to the phone.
“Yes?” I asked expecting it was the Chinese food I’d ordered earlier since my kitchen was a mess from moving and hadn’t been organized enough for me to cook yet.
“Miss Anderson?” A deep male voice asked.
“Yes? Are you the delivery guy with my food? If you are, I’ll buzz you up but if not, I’m not interested.”
There was a pause then I heard a muffled “Yeah.”
I pushed the button to unlock the door and grabbed my wallet to pay for my food. My stomach growled its impatience as I hustled to the door. A moment later after a very loud knock, I whipped open the door and found myself looking directly at a chiseled chest with broad arms crossed over it. My eyes traveled upward slowly until they locked on to the bluest eyes I’d ever seen and they belonged to someone I knew well.
“Ryder…” I gasped.
“Hey, Jolene. You gonna invite me in?” He gave me a devilish grin causing me to stumble backwards pulling the door open along with me. He strolled in, his eyes taking in my condo while giving it an approving nod. Thankfully, he didn’t notice my eyes scanning him from behind. His hair which had always been long and tousled was now close cropped. He was taller than I remembered and obviously had been working out as evidenced by his muscles defined by his tight t-shirt. “Nice place you’ve got here. Making clothes must pay pretty well.”
I nodded dumbly then realized what he’d said. “Making clothes? Ryder, I don’t make clothes. I design them. Big difference,” I said defensively.
He held up his hands and shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t know how that works. What Uncle Sam didn’t provide me with, I bought at Wallyworld.” There was an awkward silence before he broke into a huge smile. “Where’s my hug?”
That was the Ryder I knew. I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck. “I’ve missed my friend,” I squealed as he wrapped his arms around me to lift me effortlessly from the ground.
“I missed you, too,” he said softly in my ear. I was suddenly aware how tightly he was holding me with only my thin tank top and shorts covering me. He held me for a moment longer then set me back on the ground, his eyes taking in my appearance. I quickly grabbed a sweatshirt I had thrown on the couch and tried to act as casual as possible.
“It’s good to see you, Ryder.”