Alluring Attraction

by Zoelle, A. F.

  Thrusting against the friction, Ryder groaned softly as he tried to move his hands to touch Hunter, needing to feel more of him. “Hunter,” Ryder breathily whispered, hardly believing the wanton quality of his voice.

  It sent a shudder of pure lust through Hunter and he said quietly, “When you say my name like that, it almost makes me regret that you can’t call me that there.” Not allowing Ryder any time for a response, Hunter skillfully undid his rival’s belt and started on the buttons. As Hunter slowly drew the zipper down, Ryder’s heart was pounding in a mix of arousal and fear.

  “We’re going to get caught,” Ryder hissed in an anxious whisper, even as he writhed under Hunter’s touch on his now-exposed member.

  “Did we get caught earlier?” Hunter asked. Not waiting for a response, he pushed Ryder’s shirt up enough to expose his hip bones and immediately began to kiss one.

  It temporarily distracted Ryder before he answered, “Kinda, yeah. And now Jake’s going to start asking all sorts of questions and—fuck!”

  Hunter didn’t want to hear any talk about Jake while they were otherwise occupied and he nipped at Ryder’s tender skin, before applying enough suction to leave a mark of his disapproval. It earned him a vocal reaction of surprise and Hunter couldn’t help but feel smug as he admired his work.

  “What the fuck was that for?” Ryder angrily demanded in a hushed undertone as he looked down to assess the damage before glaring at Hunter.

  Looking more serious than he had intended, Hunter replied, “Don’t talk about that worthless excuse for a mutt when we—”

  “You’re jealous?” Ryder incredulously interrupted as he regarded the fierce blue eyes that were incensed with indignity.

  All previous emotions were replaced with an arrogant confidence that sent a thrill of anticipation through Ryder as he watched Hunter. “Has he ever touched like you this?” Hunter asked as he stroked Ryder’s erection though his briefs to demonstrate.

  “No,” Ryder gasped as he writhed against the shelves, unable to look away from Hunter’s intense gaze.

  Although it was merely confirmation of what he had already suspected, Hunter was still immensely pleased and it reflected in his expression, his blue eyes bright with victory. “Then I have nothing to be jealous of, do I?” Hunter murmured as he leaned closer and kissed the red mark he had made on Ryder’s hip.

  It took a moment for the realization to process through the pleasure and Ryder finally had the wherewithal to ask, “But if we had, you would have a reason to be jealous?”

  “You’re thinking too much,” Hunter growled before taking the preemptive measure of going down on Ryder. The line of questioning had displeased Hunter, with answers that were even more disturbing, but there was no time to worry about such things.

  The feeling of such a talented mouth against his hardness was almost more than Ryder could stand and he had to hold on to Hunter’s shoulder to steady himself. His other hand grabbed onto the bookshelf behind him as a shaky sigh escaped from him. It was startling to realize that Hunter had all but confessed that the thought of Ryder with Jake was an issue. There wasn’t enough time or mental facilities to completely process that fact since Hunter was zealously going at it, occasionally softly moaning against him to maximize his pleasure. Think about it later, Ryder told himself before completely surrendering to the pleasure.

  “Oh, god, we’re going to get caught,” Ryder protested, even as he was awash in pleasure at doing such a forbidden thing in such a public place.

  Hunter paused long enough to retort, “It’s an educational experience.”

  Ryder’s last protests disappeared in whimpers he smothered behind his hand as he was overwhelmed by the sensations. Satisfied by Ryder’s silence, Hunter did his best to bring things to a quick end, knowing that there was a chance that they could get caught.

  It was surreal for Ryder, knowing that Hunter was going down on him in the library, where anyone could walk in on them. In some ways, it was almost like they were in one of the themed rooms at Cole Corporation and Ryder could only sigh and softly moan in the most sensuous of ways as Hunter continued bringing him closer to the edge of bliss. He jumped when he accidentally knocked a book off the shelf, but it was immediately forgotten about in the face of overwhelming pleasure. It was finally too much and Ryder gave in with a muffled moan, too used to maintaining his agreement to not say Hunter’s name when he came.

  Hunter swallowed before releasing him, oddly disappointed that Ryder hadn’t called out his name when given the opportunity. Deciding that it simply meant his training was successful, Hunter ignored the thought as he leaned back and enjoyed the sight of a slightly mussed Ryder.

  There was something about his rival that called to something inside of Hunter, and he didn’t even pretend to understand it. He silently looked up at Ryder, assessing the flushed cheeks and heated green gaze of his satiated rival. Ryder was an intriguing problem, one that Hunter wasn’t entirely sure how to solve—or if he even wanted to.

  Ryder met Hunter’s gaze, unaware that his thoughts were paralleling his own. He couldn’t comprehend his reaction to Hunter. There didn’t seem to be any answers and thinking about it only complicated things further than they already were. Besides, it was hard to worry about it in the aftermath of sexual gratification, even though somehow Ryder wasn’t entirely satisfied. Something deep inside of him was still clamoring for Hunter, yearning for something more.

  The moment between them was broken when the sound of approaching footsteps was heard. Ryder hurriedly tried to rearrange himself to decency, Hunter attempting to do the same at a far slower pace. Smirking at Ryder with a playful wink, Hunter exited after he was as presentable as he was going to get.

  The librarian was startled by Hunter’s sudden appearance. Hunter apologetically smiled as he softly asked, “Did I scare you?”

  Waving it away with a chuckle, the librarian said, “A little, but don’t worry about it. It happens with far more frequency than you’d imagine.”

  Approaching the woman with the most charming of smiles, he was less than surprised by the way she looked away with a faint blush. “I was merely looking for a quiet place to get away from everything,” Hunter smoothly continued, capitalizing on her embarrassment.

  “Well, you found the right place,” she replied with a giggle that made Ryder roll his eyes behind the shelves.

  Standing slightly closer than necessary, he flustered her by murmuring, “It’s even better now that you’re here.”

  Is he seriously flirting with her? Ryder wondered with a scowl, trying to subtly watch through the crack in the shelf after he put back the book that he had accidentally knocked off earlier.

  “I also helped a student while I was here,” Hunter informed her. “I kept an eye on him for you until you returned.”

  “Aren’t you thoughtful,” she cooed, making a small noise of surprise when Hunter moved even closer, almost pinning her against a shelf.

  “Amongst other things,” Hunter commented in a seductive voice, sending a shiver through the woman as her cheeks heated with a blush.

  Aggravated, Ryder found himself acting without thinking. Walking out of the aisle with his bag, Ryder didn’t miss the way the woman jumped guiltily as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t be. “I found what I was looking for,” Ryder muttered before adding a sarcastic, “thanks.”

  The librarian looked him over with a frown as she commented, “Are you sure? I’d be more than happy to help—”

  Cutting her off, Ryder tersely assured her, “I’ll be fine, thanks.”

  “That’s my cue to leave,” Hunter told the librarian, who was still blushing.

  “That’s not necessary,” Ryder icily said with a final glare aimed at Hunter.

  Without another word, Ryder stormed out of the archeology section, seething with irritation without completely understanding why. The sight of Hunter flirting so easily with the librarian bothered Ryder. There was some niggling dou
bt in the back of Ryder’s mind, something that whispered that he and the librarian were nothing but easy targets for Hunter to exploit.

  Ryder couldn’t afford to delude himself when it came to things with Hunter. Ryder knew that there were no genuine emotions that tied them together, only money and an unhealthy obsession. He knew without a doubt that if he hadn’t visited the brothel, nothing would have changed between them, and he never would have become aware of what was possible. So why did Ryder feel almost disappointed that Hunter would flirt just as easily with the woman as with him? Had Ryder really believed that he had occupied a more special place within Hunter’s existence? Was that even what he wanted?

  Ryder had almost made it to the bottom of the stairs before someone grabbed his wrist to stop him. Angrily turning around and yanking his hand free, Ryder’s eyes blazed furiously as he silently assessed Hunter with a hostile glare.

  To say that Hunter was surprised by the hateful look aimed his way would be an understatement. It was a complete mystery to him how Ryder could go from being so sensuous to enraged so quickly. “What the hell is your problem?” Hunter demanded in a hushed voice, sounding particularly condescending.

  Opening his mouth to answer, Ryder immediately shut it before turning back around storming down the rest of the stairs, leaving behind a very confused Hunter. Growling in agitation, Hunter stalked after Ryder, refusing to accept the brush-off.

  Ryder had made it to the bottom of the stairwell before Hunter interfered in his escape again. Forcibly dragging Ryder behind the staircase and out of sight from prying eyes that might pass by, Hunter slammed him hard against the brick wall. Meeting Ryder’s gaze with a fierce look of his own, Hunter coldly ordered, “Explain yourself.”

  “Let go of me,” Ryder growled, less than pleased to find himself pinned against a wall by his still-erect rival.

  “After you tell me what the fuck is going on,” Hunter agreed, tightening his grip as a precautionary measure.

  “Let. Go,” Ryder hissed, sounding more menacing than Hunter would have imagined possible for someone of his slight stature.

  Completely unfazed, Hunter leaned forward and countered in an identical tone, “Answer me.”

  Using the wall as support, Ryder pushed himself off of it and succeeded in freeing himself. Shoving hard at Hunter’s chest, Ryder spat, “Fuck you!”

  “You’re more than welcome to, but—”

  Ryder harshly interrupted, “Stop it!”

  Quickly getting fed up, Hunter once again forced Ryder back against the wall while replying, “I could say the same to you. My patience is wearing thin.”

  “Your patience?” Ryder indignantly repeated, his voice rising in pitch despite being in the library stairwell.

  Realizing they were getting nowhere fast, Hunter hazarded a guess: “Is this about the librarian?” It was the only thing that Hunter could see that had changed in the past few minutes.

  As much as Ryder wanted to deny it, he couldn’t lie. Looking down while feeling foolish and ashamed, Ryder was unable to meet Hunter’s frustrated gaze as he muttered, “We’re all the same to you, aren’t we?”

  Frowning slightly, Hunter took a moment to figure out how best to proceed. It was a larger issue than Hunter felt like dealing with, but he found himself confessing with all seriousness, “You are not.” He initiated a hard kiss to hide his discomfort.

  Pulling away, Ryder skeptically refused to accept the kiss. He argued, “We all pay you.”

  “You’re not paying me now,” Hunter countered as his lips found Ryder’s neck, knowing it was a weak spot for him.

  “Neither was she,” Ryder accidentally said out loud as he moved away from Hunter’s kiss, immediately regretting it.

  Pausing in his actions, Hunter straightened up and forced Ryder to look at him before replying, “You do know I was covering for you, right?”

  “What difference does that make?” Ryder questioned, sounding more bitter than he had intended.

  “She doesn’t matter,” Hunter firmly stated, trying to get Ryder to infer his own meaning. “None of the rest of them do.”

  Taking a moment to let the statements sink in, Ryder rapidly blinked as he tried to process the deeper meaning of what Hunter had said. He thought he understood that Hunter was implying that he mattered, but Ryder couldn’t bring himself to readily believe such a thing. “What are you saying?” Ryder hesitantly asked, looking up through his bangs at Hunter.

  “You’ve been around the stupid mutt too long if you can’t figure it out,” Hunter murmured before capturing Ryder’s lips to silence him.

  If Ryder had thought he was confused before, it was nothing in comparison to what he was experiencing now. “I don’t understand,” Ryder complained in between kisses.

  “You don’t need to,” Hunter gruffly said before accidentally thrusting against his rival when Ryder shifted his hips, still desperate for relief. “Just accept it.”

  Growling at being told what to do, Ryder found his resistance wearing down as he started to give in to Hunter. Ryder’s arms betrayed him by embracing Hunter, his fingers tangling in his hair, holding him that much closer. Hunter’s hands slid under Ryder’s shirt to stroke his sensitive skin, forcing their hips together. Hunter softly moaned with need, the sound echoing in the otherwise empty stairwell.

  The moment between them was broken by the sound of footsteps as a group of students descended the stairs. Hunter and Ryder looked at each other for a long moment, still holding each other intimately despite the risk as the students noisily descended the stairs above them. Against his better judgment, Hunter leaned forward for a slow, lingering kiss, to impart sentiments unspoken—perhaps even unspeakable. It made Ryder hold on all the tighter as he savored the sensation, his instincts refusing to give Hunter up, even though his common sense was screaming at their irresponsible behavior and the potential consequences.

  Finally, Hunter pulled back with a smoldering look that made Ryder shiver in anticipation for something that could never happen under these circumstances. Relinquishing his position against the wall, Hunter trailed the back of his fingers along Ryder’s heated blush and down to his full lips, which instinctively parted. Rubbing his thumb lightly along Ryder’s lower lip, Hunter murmured, “I’ll see you in our next class,” before impishly adding, “provided you can wait until then.”

  Swatting the hand away in irritation, Ryder complained, “You’re so arrogant!”

  “And you fucking love it,” Hunter countered with a smug look before disappearing around the staircase with a laugh as he joined the other students heading out of the library.

  Ryder slid down the wall and rested his head on his knees, hugging them tight to his chest. It was all almost too much to handle and Ryder groaned softly to himself. He knew that he was too deep into Hunter, even if he didn’t understand the full extent of it. Still, it was hard to suppress that little burst of warmth within, that fire that seemed to burn so much hotter whenever Hunter was near.

  Despite having a shared class with Hunter soon, Ryder decided the best thing for him was to go home. His head was a mess as he tried to figure out what had just occurred in the library.

  As he began walking from the library toward the closest subway stop, he still felt the warm glow of having been recently satiated, even as he was puzzling out what his conversation with Hunter could mean for them. Ryder was so lost in his thoughts that he was startled when he heard Jake call out his name.

  Even though everything in Ryder wanted to pretend he didn’t hear his friend and keep walking, he stopped to wait for Jake to catch up with him.

  “I thought you went home,” Jake commented as he looked Ryder over, concerned by his friend’s lightly flushed cheeks. “Are you okay, man?

  Holding back a sigh, Ryder tightened his grip on his book bag and tersely said, “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry so much, Jake.”

  Jake asked, “Can we talk?”

  Trying his best to play it off, Ryder immedia
tely replied, “There’s nothing to talk about.” He desperately wished that Jake would drop the subject as they walked together toward the subway.

  “I can tell that there’s something going on,” Jake insisted. “I’m not that much of an idiot.”

  “Stop being so paranoid,” Ryder told his friend, a note of irritation creeping into his voice. “You’re making more of it than there actually is, just because you hate Hunter. You’re looking for something that’s not there.”

  “What is he to you?” Jake finally answered.

  “What the hell kind of question is that?” Ryder scoffed with a snort, trying not to overreact, despite how his heart was hammering. “He is what he’s always been.”

  It felt like a lie on some level and Ryder inwardly groaned. While it was true that Hunter was still insufferable at times and still his rival in many ways, he had become so much more than that. Ryder didn’t know how to define it, other than to lump it all under the category of “complicated.” Hunter might have found it intriguing, but Ryder thought the whole thing was turning into a convoluted mess. It was rapidly becoming apparent that Hunter was more than just a rival, whatever that meant.

  “Yeah, a real pain in the ass, the condescending bastard,” Jake agreed, oblivious to the thoughts and concerns plaguing his friend.

  “Then what are you so worried about?” Ryder asked, trying his best not to sound as exasperated as he felt. He was tired of dealing with his friend’s feelings on the matter when he had enough of his own to deal with.

  Ruffling his messy blond hair, Jake looked sheepishly at Ryder as he replied, “I don’t know, man. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something.”

  “You know that he’s doing it purely to antagonize you,” Ryder pointed out, even though it wasn’t the entire truth.

  “I hate feeling like I’m playing into his hand,” Jake confessed as they continued walking. “Fucking manipulative bastard.”