Unauthorized Deception

by Lisa Ladew

  Ivy’s eyes widened. He’d just said it. He didn’t warn Kara or dance around it. He just dropped it on her. No wonder he’d made sure she was sitting down first. She felt Ryker squeeze her hand and was grateful for the touch.

  He listened again then apparently answered her question. “Half-sisters.”

  Ivy winced as she heard Kara’s voice come out of the speaker. Hunter pulled the phone away from his ear. Tentatively he put the phone back up to his ear and listened. He nodded slightly, then covered the receiver. “Her dad’s there with her. She’s talking to him now.”

  Hunter listened, and after a few moments answered another question. “Oakes, that’s right.” He listened intently and then said, “OK, can I put you on speaker phone? I’ve got Ivy and her boyfriend here in my office.”

  Hunter pressed a button and placed the phone down. “Mr. Price, are you there?”

  Ivy recognized the voice at once, but it was serious, with none of the customary teasing she’d heard a few days ago. “Yes, and please call me William.”

  “William then, thank you. Is it possible that you could be Ivy’s father?”

  William didn’t speak for a moment. Ivy squeezed Ryker’s hand as hard as she could, her spine stick-straight and her lips pursed defiantly. If he was going to refuse her, she was ready for it.

  William finally spoke. “I would say it’s probable. Ivy, is your mother Patricia Oakes?”

  Ivy felt her world spiral out of control. She slumped in her seat. “Yes,” she whispered.

  William Price sighed heavily. “I can’t believe she never told me…” he said.

  Hunter’s eyes found Ivy’s. He gave her an encouraging smile. When she didn’t say anything he spoke for her. “Told you what, William?”

  “She never told me she was pregnant. Or had a baby. I never knew.” He sighed again and Ivy thought of her mother. Her mother’s mania. Her mother’s brokenness. Ivy could believe it. “Let me start from the beginning,” William said. “When Kara was two, her mother and I split up for almost a year. My wife had had a rough childhood, and Kara being born brought out all of those feelings of being young and helpless again. She reacted strongly and then hid from her own emotions. She tried to deny me completely and had an affair.”

  Ivy heard William murmur something away from the phone. The words were soft, but clear. “I’m sorry we never told you Kare-bear. By the time you were old enough to understand it just wasn’t important anymore. I never stopped loving your mother.”

  He brought the phone back close to him and went on. “She didn’t move her new man into the house to take my place, but she did demand I move out. I was devastated. I loved her and I loved Kara. I wanted nothing more than to be a family. But what could I do? I moved out, and I tried to stay available to her. But after a few months, loneliness drove me to … accept companionship. I met Patricia in the diner where I ate breakfast. She was a waitress there and I always sat in her section. We became friendly and I poured out my laments to her. I was immediately attracted to her, but I never quite gave up on my wife. So I just sat in her section and admired her without acting on it. She was young, amazingly beautiful, and very passionate. I imagined she had plenty of boyfriends and wouldn’t want anything to do with me. But one day I bumped into her outside of my office building on my way home from work. She invited me out for a drink and we ended up in a relationship. It was very short. Only about a month. She showed certain … leanings that sometimes … sometimes made me … I felt …”

  William stopped talking, as if unsure how to go on. Ivy, who had been connecting the dots between his words, spoke up, trying to hide the bitterness in her voice. She didn’t want William to think it was directed at him. “You can say it. She was crazy. She had problems. She’s still crazy. I know that.”

  Ivy could hear the relief in William’s voice as he spoke. “Well, yes. She did tend towards mania sometimes. I won’t say she didn’t scare me a little at the end. I broke it off with her. But I never, ever had any idea she was pregnant. She never said a word. If I had known …” William broke off, his voice catching. When he started talking again, Ivy could hear the emotion in his voice. “Well, if I had known I would have insisted on being there for you Ivy. Being your father.”

  A loud sob welled up out of Ivy’s throat at these words. It surprised even her and she clapped her hands to her mouth again, then moved them up to her eyes as the tears started to spill. She couldn’t help it. She’d never had a father. Never known a father. Never even known his name or seen a picture. And here he was. Her father at last. And he’d never known about her either.

  Ryker pulled her chair close and wrapped his strong arms around her. He rocked her like a child and whispered sweet words in her ear. Hunter came around the desk and laid a hand on her shoulder. From the phone, William’s voice sounded torn apart. “No, sweetie, don’t cry, I’m so sorry.”

  Ivy fought to get herself under control. Now wasn’t the time. This wasn’t the place. She wiped her eyes, shot Hunter a thank-you smile, and firmly pulled back a bit from Ryker’s protective arms. “OK. I’m OK.”

  William sounded so relieved that Ivy almost laughed. “Dinner. Can we have dinner Ivy? Would you and your boyfriend like to come have dinner with Kara and I?”

  Ivy raised an eyebrow at Ryker. He nodded.

  “Yeah, that would be great,” Ivy said.

  “Wonderful!” Ivy heard the smile back in his voice. “How about tonight? Oh-wait. Kara is saying tonight won’t work. She won’t be released from the hospital till, tomorrow and I have something scheduled already. Tomorrow maybe? Around 6? You could come to my place?” he asked, eager hope evident in his voice. It warmed Ivy’s heart to hear it. He wanted to see her. He wanted to know her. He wanted to be a part of her life.

  Again she looked at Ryker and got a nod back. “Yes, that would be great.”

  “Wonderful!” William recited his address, said his goodbyes, and put Kara back on the line for a moment.

  “Hey little sis, I’ll see you tomorrow!” Kara said, her words and tone making it clear that she not only accepted she had a half-sister she’d never known about, but she embraced it already.

  Ivy laughed. “OK, bye.”

  Hunter hung up the phone. “That was amazing. William Price is a good man, Ivy. You’re really going to like him.”

  Ivy nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Hunter looked up at the clock. “I have a meeting in twenty minutes, so we need to wrap this up. As far as I know, there’s only one more order of business. Recruit class.”

  Ivy saw Ryker sit up straighter in his chair. The class had started on Monday and they’d missed it because of everything that had been going on. There wouldn’t be another one for six months. Would they be allowed in the next one?

  “I’ve spoken with Sergeant Rice and told him everything you two went through last weekend. I told him about you, Ivy, saving Officer Price’s life. And I told him about you, Ryker, single-handedly stopping a federal prison breakout and uncovering Arthur Monroe’s plot to take countless lives. He and I believe that both of you would be incredible assets to the department and the sooner we get you in uniform the better. So he has agreed to let you start class on Monday. Tomorrow we will outfit you with your uniforms and this weekend, Jen has agreed to get you up to speed with what they’ve gone over this week.”

  Pure joy surged in Ivy’s cells. She felt a smile cross her face that she couldn’t suppress if she tried. She’d never gotten this much good news at once before and she felt completely overwhelmed. She looked at Ryker and saw his reaction mirror her own. “Thanks, Chief,” he said.

  “Don’t thank me. You guys earned it. You deserve it. I didn’t make that up.” He stood and held out his hand to shake both Ivy and Ryker’s. “Be here tomorrow at 8 a.m. My secretary will tell you who to see.” He bent forward and gave Ivy a quick hug. “Congratulations,” he whispered, and then he showed them to the door. As soon as he opened it, his secretary stood up and started reading
messages off to him.

  Ivy gave him a final wave and pulled Ryker into the elevator, her heart singing at what the next few days would bring.

  Chapter 23

  The elevator was empty. “Ryker, I can’t believe it, we get to start recruit class!”

  Ryker pulled her to him and rubbed his hands up and down her body. “Mmm,” he murmured in her ear, “I can only get really excited about one thing at a time. And I’m still excited about the fact that we aren’t related. I was hoping to explore that a little more.”

  Ivy laughed, but her body responded immediately to his touch. “Yeah, OK,” she said softly, thinking he probably didn’t know what he was getting himself into. She’d made a decision when she was in the hospital, but hadn’t thought of that decision since they’d originally heard about the erroneous test results.

  Hand in hand, they made their way out of the police station and into Ryker’s truck. The ride to Ivy’s apartment was swift. She thought she would need the time to convince herself that her decision was the right one. But she didn’t. Every time she thought of it she knew it was right. And she was ready. She caressed Ryker’s leg lightly as he drove, not willing to go very long without touching him.

  When he finally parked his truck in the parking lot of her apartment, he pulled her towards him across the long front seat. He kissed her, then lifted her out his door with a smile.

  Ivy’s nerves tingled at each of his touches. She urged him up the stairs and in her door quickly. She didn’t want to waste a moment. Once inside, she felt momentarily flustered, but then remembered who she was with. Ryker. Her protector. The man who would never hurt her. The kindest, most tender man she’d ever known. Well, tender with her anyway.

  She put down her things and pulled him to the couch. He seemed momentarily unsure now. “I’m happy you found your dad,” he told her, his deep voice uncharacteristically soft. Ryker knew how much not having a dad affected her. They’d even talked about it years ago, in high school. He’d always been empathetic, maybe because his dad hadn’t been around much while he was growing up either.

  “Me too,” she said, her soft voice mirroring his. “But I can only get excited about one thing at a time, and right now I’m excited that we aren’t related.” He grinned at her teasing tone. She leaned forward slightly, wanting nothing more than him to cover her body with his and crush her deliciously into the couch. He took the hint immediately and caught her lips for a kiss.

  Ivy gave herself over to him. She took the last piece of resistance that she’d been holding onto and discarded it like an old rag. It went easily and Ivy was glad. She responded hungrily to Ryker’s kisses, desiring everything he had to give her. She pulled his shirt off and ran her fingers over the taut muscles of his chest and back, then pulled away for a second and whipped off her own top, revealing a simple white bra, worn only for comfort. When she’d left this morning, she hadn’t expected to come home to this. She’d expected to be devastated. But this. This was far more than she deserved. And yet, she’d take it. Every moment of it.

  Ryker gazed at her, desire written clearly in his eyes. “You’re so beautiful. I wish I had the words to tell you how beautiful you are,” he said, his voice husky.

  “You just did,” Ivy told him, her heart melting at his sentiment.

  He ran his fingers lightly over her breasts, making her shiver. “No, you deserve more, Ivy. You deserve a writer, a poet, someone who could feel this feeling and explain it. I want to, but the words won’t come. I’m not good at that.”

  Ivy saw his eyes cloud over for a second. She hated that he felt that way about himself. Like he wasn’t as good as someone who was book-smart. She didn’t feel that way about him at all. “Not everyone can be a writer, or a poet, Ryker. Some people have to be the heroes of the world.”

  Half of Ryker's mouth curved up in a sardonic grin. But then Ivy saw his eyes focus on her again and desire re-kindle in his spirit, knocking aside doubts and worry. He kissed her again, his lips impossibly soft and sweet on hers. He cupped her breasts through her bra and lightly passed his thumbs over her hard nipples, each touch sending an electric jolt straight to her lower belly, between her legs. Ivy inhaled his breath, her own breathing coming ragged and fast. She wanted him. Fully. Now.

  She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, flinging it dramatically out of the way. His sharp intake of breath gratified her. She’d never felt comfortable enough before to take off her bra and panties. But this was a new Ivy. She’d been through a lot, and she was determined not to let her own fear keep her from living a life of passion, pleasure, and joy anymore. Tomorrow was never a guarantee. She’d proved to herself that she could survive and thrive without any man. But loving a man was not something to be feared. It was something to be enjoyed fully. And she did love this man in front of her with all her heart. And now she wanted to enjoy him. And him to enjoy her.

  Her heart pounding madly with anticipation, Ivy stood up, beckoning Ryker to stand also. He did, confusion in his expression. She led him down the hallway to her bedroom. Once inside, she turned to him. Slowly, she undid her jeans and dropped them to the floor, then her simple white panties. She stepped out of them, looking openly at Ryker. His face was a mask of disbelief.

  “Now you,” she said, reaching for the top button on his jeans. She felt eager to see him laid bare in front of her. His naked chest was a work of art, a roman god carved in granite. She wanted to see the rest of him. She’d felt his erection before, but only through layers of clothes. It had always fascinated her, but scared her too. Right now though, fear had fled. Eagerness took its place.

  Ryker let her unbutton his pants but stopped her hand as she reached for the zipper. “Ivy, we’ve never done this. You’ve never done this ever. Are you sure you want to?”

  “Positive,” she told him, reaching for his zipper again.

  But still he held her hand. “Maybe we should wait. We’ve had a stressful week. You might not be thinking clearly.”

  Ivy stared into his eyes, unable to believe what she was hearing. Her lower lip trembled minutely. “Ryker, you don’t want to?” she whispered, her throat clenching painfully.

  He groaned. “Oh baby, I want to. I do. But I don’t want you to regret anything.”

  Then she understood. He was being valiant again. Protecting her. She fixed him with the full weight of her stare, trying to show him her certainty. “Ryker, when I thought we were related, my greatest relief was that we’d never had sex. Because how creepy would that be? But at the same time, my biggest regret was that you wouldn’t be my first. You’re meant for me, Ryker, I know it. I can tell it when you look at me, when you touch me, by the way I feel when you walk in the room. And I’m ready now. I’m so ready. It was never anything good that kept me a virgin for so long. It was fear, plain and simple. Fear of a man taking something from me. Something I could never get back. But I’m not afraid anymore, Ryker. And you aren’t taking anything. I’m giving you everything I have to give.”

  Ryker watched her closely. She saw the moment when he realized she meant it. Fierce desire flared in his eyes and he pulled her close, kissing her deeply once more. She got her hands between them and wrestled with his zipper, finally dropping his pants to the ground. He stepped out of them, then picked her up like she was a feather, still melting her with his kisses. He placed her gently on the bed in a sitting position, then dropped his underwear in one motion.

  Ivy’s eyes grew wide. He was big. As big as she’d expected him to be. But the pure masculine beauty of him was something she wasn’t prepared for. He climbed on the bed next to her and she reached out, wanting to hold his cock in her hand. Wanting to feel the weight of it. She pressed on it, feeling its steely hardness. She ran her fingers over it, savoring its silky smoothness. Ryker closed his eyes and groaned, his hips thrusting forward. She curled her fingers around him, enjoying his reaction. She wanted him to melt, the way he made her melt. “Ivy,” he half-whispered. “I don’t have a condom.�
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  Ivy reached over and opened the top drawer in the nightstand next to her bed. Ryker glanced in at the condoms, a look of surprise on his face. “Those weren’t there last week.”

  “I bought them after the explosion. That’s when I decided I wanted this.”

  Ryker flashed her a teasing grin, but Ivy cut off any words he might say by curling her fingers again and dragging her hands up and down his cock, the friction delicious against her skin. Wordlessly, Ryker moaned again. Part of Ivy wanted to explore, to play, to stay just like this until Ryker literally begged her for release, but another part of her desired so much more. And desired it now. She reached into the drawer and picked out a condom but Ryker plucked it out of her fingers.

  “Not just yet, my beautiful one. I don’t think you’re ready,” he murmured.

  “I told you, Ryker, I am ready.”

  “That’s not the kind of ready I mean,” Ryker whispered, meeting her lips with a kiss full of sweet pressure. Ivy yielded to it and laid back on the bed. Expertly, tenderly, Ryker moved his attention down her body. She gasped as his lips and tongue found her nipple. He swirled around it, causing delicious sensations to lap up and down her spine. His other hand touched her like a feather, running up and down her bare side until goose bumps raised on her skin. He circled her lower belly with his fingers, then lightly grazed over her sex. A glancing touch to her most hidden nerve endings made her gasp again and call his name.

  “Yes, baby, I’m here,” he murmured as he slid lower on her body. Ivy pulled at his hair, not daring to believe what he was doing. Firmly, he extricated her hands from his hair and held them to her sides. She felt his hot breath on her inner thighs and she jumped and squirmed, eyes squeezed shut.

  Softly, she felt him nuzzle her most sensitive spot, and then his mouth closed on her clitoris. Ivy screamed in surprise and pleasure. She’d never, in her short years of self-exploration, experienced anything to rival this. This slippery, silky feeling that nothing could come close to. She felt his tongue, the most gentle part on his body, lave softly on the most sensitive part of her body. Almost immediately, her body tensed involuntarily, already on the brink of release. Ivy pulled against his hands and rolled her head in the bed, not able to stand it for one more second. The intensity built higher and higher until she was out of her mind with pleasure.