The Rule Maker (Rule Breakers) Read online

  I’d never seen him disagree with my grandparents. Ever. That was always my job. Hell, maybe the world really was ending.

  They both stared at him, blinking.

  “I will go back when I’m damned ready. Ryder is in charge of my only project at the moment.”

  He turned to me. “I appreciate you helping me out.”

  “No problem.” At the moment, my help seemed like the last thing Jason needed. I’d stalled on the project because I thought it was a bad idea. It was only this week that I decided to take Zoey seriously about renovations. I’d seen how important it was to her. And if Jason wanted to throw away his money? Fine. I’d go along with it because hell if I’d be the reason to get in the way of Zoey’s career or my brother’s happiness. They both seemed convinced this project was a good idea, so maybe it was me who was missing something. Maybe there really was more to this property than just the land.

  My grandmother scoffed. “This has to be a joke. Really, Jason? Putting your brother in charge? Don’t you see this will end in disaster?”

  “Beatrice,” my grandfather snarled.

  “Go ahead, Grandma. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.” Her arsenal of potshots could put a thesaurus to shame.

  “You’ve yet to prove you can handle money. What’s to say you won’t blow all of it on your silly snow sports?”

  “Seems I’m doing just fine. Without your money, I’d like to add.” That damn trust fund. My grandmother practically begged me to cash in, just so she’d have a little leverage over me. She’d be waiting a hell of a lot longer. “I get you think I’m irresponsible, and I don’t know how to sway you to think otherwise, but I’m helping out with this renovation, whether you like it or not.”

  “If you’d like to hound Ryder some more, you can feel free to leave,” Jason cut in, his tone lethal.

  My grandparents sat there, shifting their empty tumblers, swishing ice cubes around. Finally, my grandmother stood and announced, “I’m going to see if Dora has dinner prepared yet. George?” She held out her hand, an order for my grandfather to follow.

  I glanced over at Jason, at his tight-lipped smile, his hunched back. Before his accident, he was the life of the party. The type of guy that made sure everyone felt comfortable and happy to be there. I’d rather break my leg in five more places than see that light extinguished from his eyes.

  My grandparents left the room, and it was just me and Jason.

  “How is the project going?” He swirled his drink in his hand, regarding me.

  “Zoey’s sent me some great plans. I want you to come with me this weekend to finalize everything. Then we can start demo work.”

  He hesitated. “I don’t know about that.”

  I could see it in his eyes—the same look I had after an extremely grueling practice and my coach tacking on two more runs down the mountain. Utter exhaustion.

  Hell would freeze over before I let him continue down this path of solitude. He needed a reboot. Something to jumpstart his passion again.

  “J, you need to get out. Come with me to the resort this weekend, or else I’ll make Zoey paint the walls Pepto-Bismol pink.” Not that I’d actually do this, but it seemed like a simple enough threat to be believable.

  He smirked. “She wouldn’t let you.”

  There we go. Keep smiling, J.

  The brother I knew was still in there, even if he was hurting. I wasn’t into the whole building a campfire and singing “Kumbaya” shit, but I could try to get his mind off his problems for at least a few minutes. “I can tell her you special requested it.”

  He took another sip of his whiskey, and after a few moments, he said, “Fine. I’ll go.”

  “Good. Some snow will do you good.” The final hint of winter clung to the slopes, trails that begged to be carved with my board. My legs ached to get back in the game.

  Soon.

  After I got this resort in order.

  He cleared his throat and stared out the window. “I’m not ready to go back into the office.” He rubbed his forehead. “I don’t want people to see me like this. I don’t want their pitying glances.”

  I’d never in a million years be able to fully understand how he felt, but this was Jason. He took life by the balls. He just needed a little push to get his confidence back. I refused to believe he’d spend the rest of his life avoiding something he loved. “If they look at you like that, fuck them. You’re still the same, Jason. If they underestimate you, it’s their problem. But hiding out here like you’re Bruce Wayne is only letting them win.”

  “You sure you don’t want a future in business?” A smile cracked the corner of his lips.

  “Come with me to Divinity on Friday. Then you can go back to the office and show them you’re stronger than whatever life throws at you.”

  “Does that advice apply to you, too?” He made a point to look at my leg.

  I didn’t know the answer to that.

  Chapter Nine

  Zoey

  Rule #71: Don’t fantasize about your client, even when he does something swoonier than a romance novel hero.

  Ryder: Join me at Divinity this weekend to finalize designs? Think you could manage Friday?

  Since the Uber ride incident, Ryder had moved from intolerable to somewhat manageable. He didn’t shoot my ideas down within two seconds, and was finally answering emails. Whether that was because we were both walking a fine line, teetering on the edge of me losing my professional edge, or the fact he finally liked the designs, I didn’t really know. Either way, I had a job to do, and he was finally allowing me to do it. At that point, I’d agree to almost anything to get this project finished.

  I checked the weather app on my phone, and with a clear forecast for the next seven days, I trusted I wouldn’t be met with another freak snow storm.

  Zoey: I’ll meet you up there at 11.

  Ryder: You can ride with me and Jason.

  Zoey: Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be driving on my own.

  Ryder: You’re missing out on a great Carpool Karaoke opportunity. I’m particularly fond of Adele.

  I rolled my eyes and smiled. When he wasn’t being a pain in the ass, Ryder was a huge goofball. And I’d pay good money to see him belt out a few of her ballads. But I needed that time to think and prepare. If both Covingtons were there, I wanted everything to be perfect.

  Ryder: I felt that eye roll all the way at my apartment.

  Zoey: There was absolutely no eye-rolling.

  Ryder: You’re still a bad liar over text message.

  I let out laugh. Seriously, the guy had me pegged.

  Zoey: I’ll see you on Friday.

  Ryder: Looking forward to it. Night, Flash.

  I smothered a smile and shook my head.

  I was in so much trouble.

  …

  On Friday, I left for the mountains first thing in the morning to avoid the end-of-week traffic. This time I dressed appropriately for the brisk morning, with jeans and a zip-up, and decided to pack an overnight bag just in case. Even in March, there was a chance another storm could roll through, but it wasn’t as likely. Most of the snow had melted on the sides of the pass, and by the time I reached Divinity, only traces of the storm the other week still blanketed the mountain.

  I pulled into the parking lot of the resort, and parked under a large pine tree with flecks of powder dusting the branches. The clock on the dash informed me that I’d arrived twenty minutes ahead of schedule, so I hunkered down, turned on my audiobook, and ignored the fact that it was really quiet in this abandoned resort…all by myself. Freddie and Jason only came out at night, right?

  Duke Renau had just said his vows to Lady Eddington. He’d gotten down on one knee, proclaiming his love for her with one single rose—the same color as her lips, he’d insisted. Um, sah-woon. Now there was a man who knew how to woo ladies. A guy doing that nowadays was about as likely as me successfully baking something. Didn’t mean I couldn’t crave brownie batter and burn the kitchen
down while trying, though.

  If I was comparing men to baked goods, then my hair stylist was completely right. I needed to get laid. They both might be yummy and drool-inducing, but that was where the similarity ended.

  I closed my eyes, leaning my seat back to almost a full recline, listening to the narrator as the duke kissed down the heroine’s neck, down her chest, to other parts.

  Yeah, you get yours, Lady Eddington.

  The heroine’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as my new favorite duke did the wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am nineteenth-century style, and my mind started to slip back into the memory of Ryder’s touch. His tongue on my neck. Him down on his knees.

  I let myself take this opportunity to remember how his long lashes fanned over his cheeks as he kissed a trail down my body, and the way his tongue darted to places that hadn’t been touched by another person in months.

  Three taps rapped on my window, and I bolted upright, smashing my chest into the steering wheel. The horn’s beep echoed through the bowl of the ski area, and my face flamed. Birds took flight from trees and a few squirrels darted across the expanse.

  Ryder smiled at me as I put the audiobook on pause and rolled down my window, the icy air caressing my heated cheeks. “The duke have you all hot and bothered again?” he asked.

  “He’s not the one bothering me,” I teased, and ignored the fact that though the narrator’s English accent was on point, it was Ryder who was on my mind.

  He clutched his chest. “My heart. It’s wounded.”

  I tapped a finger to where his hand rested on his pec. “I still don’t believe there’s one in there.”

  “With the way my pulse races when I see you, I can safely say it’s accounted for.”

  Holy hell. Seriously, what was I supposed to do with that? I wasn’t usually the type to swoon over one-liners, but I had to admit, that one hit several buttons, including do, me, and now. “Did it take you all day to come up with that line?”

  “Just the walk from my car to yours.” He took a low, flourishing bow.

  Before I could help it, a giggle slipped out. I liked this side of Ryder, the one that made it so easy to lower my walls. It was why I had been drawn to him in the first place, before we had our one-night stand, when we’d hung out, two people with their guards down. Above anything, there was a comfort in our back and forth. Up on the mountain, with enough space between me and my work environment, it was easy to fall into that easy, joking mindset like I had before.

  “But who knew there was a secret romantic in there?”

  His gaze cut to mine. “There are a lot of things about me that would surprise you.”

  Before I could ask what those certain things entailed, he strode to his car and opened the trunk of the SUV, extracting a wheelchair. After walking back over to the passenger side, Ryder opened the door, helped his brother into the wheelchair, and guided him to where I stood. Jason shifted uncomfortably, like he wasn’t quite used to sitting in a confined space. He looked so different than when I’d last seen him.

  The two brothers both had the same high cheekbones, dark hair, and charming smile. Which was to say, that family had a lot of great genetics going on. While Ryder was a little taller than his brother, from what I remembered when working with him on the last project, they both had that bulky build that screamed of hours at the gym.

  “It’s great to see you again, Mr. Covington.” I didn’t know whether or not to comment on his accident, but decided against saying anything because I didn’t want to bring attention to what must have been a touchy subject with the injury being so fresh.

  The tension fled his features. “Ms. Reynolds. A pleasure as always.”

  I looked between him and Ryder, debating if I should keep up the pretense of small talk, or dive straight into business. Jason was never one for wasting time, so I decided on the latter. “If you don’t mind. I’m going to grab my mock-ups from the car, and then we can head in and look at the designs.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Ryder has been catching me up to speed with most of the changes,” Jason said.

  As Ryder wheeled his brother into the main lodge area, I made my way to the trunk of my car and took a minute to compose myself. I took a few deep breaths, letting the cold air sear down my throat.

  Eye on the prize. Get them to approve the renovations, bring the demo team in here, and have this place looking brand-spankin’-new in time to be featured on HGTV. I’d claw my way to a promotion and wasn’t afraid to get a little mud on my Alexander McQueens in the process.

  Barring any unforeseen changes, I could get a crew up here on Monday to start tearing everything down. We even had a dumpster on the side of the building ready for all the seventies crap to meet its overdue demise.

  All I had to do was not screw it up in the next thirty minutes. Completely manageable.

  As if I’d summoned trouble himself, Ryder brushed through the double doors of the reception building and wandered toward me down the winding path. The sun streaked his dark hair, and even from here, his eyes glinted in the light. The sight completely robbed me of my breath. It wasn’t even that he was attractive. Because yes, his attractiveness was completely unfair. Heck, even the scar on his right eyebrow was somehow sexy. It was more than that, though. Ryder drove me up-the-wall insane. He made me angry, made me want to slap the shit out of his artfully carved cheeks. He made me feel things, sent a procession of emotions volleying from synapse to synapse.

  One hundred sun salutations wouldn’t do jack crap to wipe him from my mind at this point.

  A tight smile pulled at his lips. “I just wanted to apologize in advance if Jason says anything rude. He’s not himself lately. The accident”—he paused, looking at the lodge—“really affected him. I thought maybe if he saw something from work, it’d get him interested in the things he loves again.”

  “It’s understandable. He’s been through a lot.”

  After a long moment he closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. “Thank you for not saying anything about his injury. He was nervous about that.”

  The protectiveness he had for his brother melted any icy remnants I’d felt toward him.

  “I’m not going to look at him differently just because of an injury. He’s still ruthless, I can see it in his eyes.”

  “Takes one to know one, huh?”

  I decided to ignore that. I did whatever it took to get the job done, and I’d bring out the boxing gloves today if needed. “I’ll bet you’ll be happy to relinquish your CEO duties.” If he was already out of his cast, it meant he must be well on his way back to training and snowboarding. In fact, he wasn’t even using his crutches, which was impressive in itself.

  “Not exactly my dream job. Anything involving a suit and tie is too stuffy for my taste.” He gave one of those smiles that made my whole body tingle in response.

  “That’s too bad,” I said, before I could reel it in. At least I hadn’t added you fill them out nicely. I bit the tip of my tongue and winced.

  “Which part? That I won’t be doing business full-time or that I’m not in a suit right now?”

  Both.

  I stole a glance his way, which was a mistake because his blue eyes liquefied what was left of my insides. I cleared my throat and clutched the printout of my sketches. “We should get in there before your brother starts to wonder.”

  The heat in his eyes dissolved. “You’re right.”

  I locked my car and we made our way into the reception area of the lodge. I had so many things I wanted to do. I’d keep the natural beauty of the columns and exposed beams, but I’d take this from hokey rustic lodge to winter-escape chic in no time.

  The heat had been turned off except for the night we’d spent here, and the lodge was almost as chilly as the crisp mountain air. I rubbed my arms, trying to keep the last of the feeling in them while I walked next to Ryder.

  Jason sat there in the middle of the room, examining it from floor to ceiling.

  I spread the plan
s across the oak table, and both men studied them. There was nothing quite as nerve-wracking as people critiquing my work. When I first started the job, I barely managed to keep down my breakfast before client meetings. Now, it was more like butterflies in the stomach—ones hopped up on venti quad shot lattes and hooked up with grenade launchers.

  I planted myself next to the table, fighting my urge to pace around the room.

  After a few minutes, Jason asked, “Which one do you like better, Ms. Reynolds?”

  Ryder cast a glance my way, and I knew what he was thinking without him saying a word. He was expecting me to manipulate Jason’s opinion. He’d said so our very first meeting together. I encouraged clients, yes, but I’d never make Jason do something against his will. Sometimes it felt like Ryder equated my business techniques to that of a used car salesman. It seemed our trust in each other fluctuated. Frequently.

  I took great care to keep my comments as impartial as possible today.

  “Personally, I think the one with the neutral color palate will bring out the richness in the cherry wood.”

  Jason nodded, still looking at the images I’d created with my modeling software.

  I continued on. “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to keep the exposed beams. I’d take the wall out over there.” I pointed to the space sectioning off the main lodge and what appeared to have been at one time a large storage closet. “It will open up the space, creating an airier atmosphere and better functionality.”

  “I like it.” He turned to Ryder. “What do you think?”

  He shrugged. “You know my opinion on this whole thing.”

  It was a minor miracle Jason was up here to get the ball rolling. If it were up to Ryder, I was sure this place would have been bulldozed already. In fact, given his track record, it was a minor miracle he was still in town.