Winter

by Michelle Love

  I squint to make out the shape of the animal she’s pointing at. “What is it?”

  “A lemur,” she says. “Can you imagine a day when these creatures will be on a new planet?”

  “I can and do, all the time,” I say. “It’s my dream to go on the first mission. I suppose you’ll be accompanying Damien on his first mission.”

  “I don’t know about that.” She walks away from me to the next cage.

  Getting back to her side, I take her hand and tuck it back into the crook of my arm. “And why don’t you know about that?”

  “I don’t want to leave our planet. I’d like nothing more than to help people and animals to get there, though. You know, like the ground crew.” She looks up at a sleeping Eagle in its huge nest. “Eagles flying in a red sky, how cool, huh?”

  “We do need people here to make it all happen. It’s admirable of you to want to help people get there. I want to be there. I want to have one of the first children born on the planet,” I tell her and find her smiling.

  “So, where is Mrs. Crawford?”

  “There’s not one,” I say. “There won’t be one, here on Earth. I’m waiting to meet a woman on Mars. It’s there I want to make my life. It’s there I want to raise a family.”

  “And you’ll leave all your wealth to who, here on Earth?” she asks as she peers into a dark cage and jumps back when an owl swoops out at us, screeching to let us know he dislikes being disturbed.

  I find her in my arms and hold her tight as I look down at her sweet face. “I don’t know. I’ve never even thought about it. I suppose I could donate it to a deserving charity or several of them.”

  “You’re very generous,” she says as she moves out of my arms. “Sorry for jumping into you like that.”

  “Not a problem,” I say then take her hand again. “I didn’t mind at all. So, tell me more about yourself. Are you a scientist?”

  “No, I’m an engineer. I graduated from MIT.” She looks away like that’s not a huge deal.

  “Why would you be wasting away in Russia as Damien Markov’s toy? You’re much too talented to do that. I’d like to offer you a position with Apollo Engineering,” I say, without hesitation.

  “My only idea, I’ve sold to Damien’s company. What good could I even do for your company?” she asks me as she looks away, shaking her head. “I’ve wasted my chances.”

  Stopping her, I turn her to face me, leaving my hands on her narrow shoulders. “Gia, you said you don’t plan on going to Mars. Damien is going to go. So, what’s your plan when he leaves you here, all alone?”

  She seems to be thinking about this for the first time ever. “Um, I guess I don’t know. I kind of thought he’d make sure I was taken care of.”

  “Is that all you want out of life?” I ask her as she doesn’t seem the type to be so shallow. “To be taken care of?”

  “No,” she says then looks down. “Oh, I don’t know what it is I want, Ryker.”

  “There you are,” Damien says as he walks up behind us. “Are you trying to steal my girl away, Ryker?” He laughs with a deep sound, as if that could never happen.

  I let Gia go and she steps around me and goes to him. “He was keeping me company while you were busy, Damien. Do you know this man?”

  Damien looks at her with surprise. “Oh, he didn’t tell you about the business deal we discussed at his office earlier today? I thought that was why he came to introduce himself to you.” His ice colored eyes dart to mine. “Why else would he take someone else’s woman off?”

  With a chuckle, I say, “I was on my way to talk to you when I was ambushed by a pack of engineers, trying to pick my brain. I saw you leave, just as I got free. It was my intention to tell Gia why I had made my way to her. But we got to talking about other things, like how wonderful she is, smart she is, and talented she is. I could go on and on, obviously.”

  “And taken she is,” he adds. “Perhaps I could join you two on your little walk?”

  Gia holds tight to his arm as she senses his jealousy. “Please do, Damien. It’s nice to know you want to do business with Ryker. He seems to be a nice man and a generous one too. Much like yourself.”

  I watch her smooth his rumpled feathers, expertly. She must be used to him getting pissed when anyone wants her attention. Not that he does!

  GIA

  Damien’s pulse is rapid as I hold his hand. He’s never had to see me with another man’s hands on me. It seems to be doing something to him. Maybe he’ll see he should pay more attention to me or someone might swoop in and take me away from him.

  “Which one of you would care to tell me about this deal?” I ask. “Or is it top secret?”

  “You don’t need to worry yourself with it, my darling,” Damien says then kisses the top of my head.

  “I don’t see why she can’t know,” Ryker says. “You see my company has developed a highly effective rocket booster. Damien would like to manufacture it. All he wants in trade for his work, is to have rights to it.”

  “Not exclusive,” I say as I look at him, worried Damien will make a deal with him the way he did with me not truly understanding I would never get to work on my project again. “You’ll keep your rights too, won’t you?”

  “What does that matter to you, Gia?” Damien asks me. “This is none of your concern.”

  I’ve pissed him off by asking something and I don’t care. “Look, I just don’t want him to lose something that’s so important. The way I did.”

  “You know, in light of you and she being a couple,” Ryker says as he turns to continue our stroll through the zoo. “Couldn’t you, at the very least, let her work on the other capsules for the animals? She said your people haven’t come up with anything yet. We really could use that sooner rather than later, you know. You have a diamond there, Damien. You seem to be covering her with dirt, though.”

  Damien starts to walk too, taking me up next to Ryker who looks at me from the corner of his eye as Damien says, “Gia has no reason to lift a finger. I take excellent care of her and her family. Has she explained to you all I do for them?”

  “Yes, she has. You’ve taken care of their finances. Given them more money than they know what to do with. But aren’t you going to be going to Mars?” Ryker asks, making Damien sneer.

  His pulse goes insane as he says, “So what if I am?”

  “She’ll be left here, alone. Those who have grown dependent on you would be left with no idea how to take care of themselves. What you see as a service, I see as a disservice.” Ryker stops and takes my other hand. “What do you think, Gia?”

  My eyes go wide as Damien’s hand squeezes mine. His hand is hot and I know he’s about to blow a gasket. So, I ease my hand out of Ryker’s and smile. “I think this conversation is taxing, to say the least. Damien is a man I can count on.”

  “And who needs any more than that?” Damien asks then starts walking again. “No need to worry over Gia, Ryker. She will have my portion of my family’s wealth when I leave. She can dole it out to her family as she likes.”

  “No want to take her to Mars with you, Damien?” Ryker asks and I find myself looking at Damien to see what the hell he says about that.

  “She’s much too fragile to go to Mars. She’s allergic to everything and fights with anemia. Her family also has a history of mental illness which would block her from going anyway,” Damien says and I am shocked.

  “What are you talking about? My family has no such history!”

  “But they do,” Damien says. “You have an aunt no one talks about. She was institutionalized when she was twelve.”

  My jaw drops as I stare at him. This man must’ve done some extensive research into my family’s background to come up with this. And for what?

  “You and I will discuss this later,” I snap then spin around and run away from them both.

  I’ve never been more humiliated!

  “Gia, where are you going?” Damien shouts.

  “I can’t understand wh
y he’s with me if he has no future where I’m in it.” And everything is spinning in my head. He was all about me for the first year and a half. Suddenly, he became distant and forgetful where I was concerned. And I bet it has everything to do with finding out I can never go to Mars with him.

  Not that I was ever going to go. He’d know that if he ever bothered to talk to me about it. Instead, he played detective to see if I was worthy of going in the first place. He’s impossible and I have no idea why I’m staying with him.

  A hand on my shoulder stops me and spins me back around. “Hey.”

  I find Ryker is the one who came to stop me and look around him to see Damien is nowhere in sight. “Where’d he go?”

  “He made a phone call and walked away. Don’t let that shit about your aunt get to you, Gia. We all have a squirrel or two in our family trees,” he says then grins at me. “I have five in mine.”

  His silly grin makes me laugh, despite my anger at Damien. “I’m sorry for how I’m acting. I really am. I wasn’t this person.”

  “Let me guess,” he says as he takes my hand. “Before Damien Markov.”

  “Yes,” I confess. “I was different before him. I was strong willed and sure of myself and now I’m neither of those things.”

  “Well, damn!” he says as he pulls me along with him. “And those are great things to be. What made you change?”

  I find him taking us to one of the bars and ordering something pink and fruity then he hands it to me. “Thank you. And I don’t know why I changed. I don’t want to blame Damien. It was me who changed. He never tried to change me. It just happened, somehow.”

  “He’s overbearing,” Ryker says as he picks up a Scotch and takes me with him to a table.

  I nod. “I agree.”

  “Do you love him?” he asks me and I freeze.

  “We don’t use that term. We never have.” I sip the delicious drink. “Yummy. How did you know I’d like it?”

  “It’s got strawberry liquor in it and cream, what chic wouldn’t?” He moves his hand over my cheek and his smile is devastating.

  Ryker is taller than Damien by about an inch. His shoulders are a little wider but his build is a touch smaller. His jaw is rugged and he keeps a five o’clock shadow going, making him look darkly handsome.

  “You’re thoughtful,” I tell him as I watch his plump lips form another heartbreakingly beautiful smile.

  “Sometimes I am. I’m not a saint. I have my bad points too,” he says then licks his lips, picking up every last drop of the Scotch he’s just drank.

  “And they are?” I ask as I have to think something bad about this perfect man who’s paying so much attention to me.

  My body trembles as he leans in very close and whispers in my ear, “I have a penchant for corrupting gorgeous, smart, talented women, like yourself.” I go wet as his lips touch the place just behind my ear. “Have you ever fucked around behind Damien’s back?”

  Jerking my head back, I hiss at him, “No! Ryker! I’m not that kind of woman!”

  Sitting back, he grins at me with a sexy stare. His dark eyes penetrate mine as he licks his lips once again. “Pity.”

  My heart is racing and my body is shaking. “Ryker!”

  “Say it again, Gia,” he says under his breath. “Say my name, baby.”

  I hate the fact I’m on fire and he has me this way in mere seconds. “Where’s the nice man I was talking to? Do you suffer from split personality?”

  He shakes his head, sending his dark waves dancing around his face. “Nah, I have a naughty side, that’s all. I can be a little naughty and a little nice, can’t I, Gia?” He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees and jerks his head toward one side of the gazebo. “You’re in need of some attention and I can give it to you. Damien has no future plans for you. Dump him. Or don’t. That’s up to you. I want you, either way. And you need me, baby.”

  “Ryker, you’re being too forward,” I say as I look around to see if anyone can hear what he’s saying.

  “I know. It’s a byproduct of being so damn smart. I’m quick to act. I’ll be in that private bathroom, if you care to join me.” I watch him get up and stroll to a door just off the wood floor. He leaves it ajar and I find my body is trying to get up and follow him.

  Holding myself back, I take the rest of my drink down in one gulp to douse the fire he’s started inside me. I look around for Damien and don’t see him anywhere.

  With the realization that Damien will leave me all he has and I will one day be without him anyway. I get up and walk across the floor to let Ryker do to me what he wants. Because I want it too. I want it more than I’ve wanted anything.

  My heels click as I cross the wood floor. My ass shakes as I feel radiant and confident. That gorgeous man wants me. He hardly knows me and he wants me. It’s been a few weeks since Damien’s touched me. I am ripe for the picking.

  My hand hovers near the door knob. My body breaks into a sweat. My mind stills as I touch the door knob.

  “Let’s go, Gia,” Damien’s voice comes from behind me. “I’ve made my donation and I have plans for later on tonight. I need to get you back to the hotel suite.”

  “What?” I ask as he takes my hand and pulls me away with him.

  He hurries away with me in tow as I look over my shoulder and see Ryker walking out of the bathroom. He must’ve heard Damien talking to me. He eyes me as he knew I was coming to him.

  I turn back around and run a little to keep up with Damien as he says, “My old friend is having a crisis of sorts. I need to go and see if I can be of help.”

  “Take me with you,” I say. “I might be able to help. What’s the crisis? Women problems? I can help.”

  “No, you can’t. My friend is shy. Very shy.” He waves at a waiting cab and we get inside of it.

  He moves me all the way over, sliding his body with mine to get me on the other side of the bench seat. I look at him as he slides back to the other side of the car. I feel cold and somewhat ashamed of what I was about to do.

  “Damien, don’t leave me. Please, don’t leave me alone for the night.” My hands knot in my lap as I can’t stand the thought of being alone.

  “You’ll be fine. You can drink the wine I’ve had delivered and eat the cheeses and fruits I’ve told room service to bring to you too. Order a movie on the television. You’ll be fine. I should be back before the morning.”

  I feel deflated and look out the back window to see Ryker walking into the street. “Just leave me here then. I’d rather be here than in our room, alone.”

  His eyes narrow as he turns his head to look at me. “Gia, that man is a whore. The woman who took me to his office was his slut. Is that what you want? To be a notch on his extremely notched bedpost? I thought you were better than that?”

  “How do you know it’s Ryker I want to see?” I ask him as his glare turns into a smile, an evil one.

  “Do you think I don’t know you were about to walk into that bathroom he’d gone into? Do you think I didn’t see that exchange between you two when he kissed your neck? Do you think I don’t know what will happen if I let you out of this car?”

  “Please take me back to the hotel and stay with me then. I need to feel like I’m one with another person, Damien. I feel alone. Look what I nearly did.” I glance back again and find Ryker is no longer in the street, waiting to see if I’ll get out of this cab and go to him.

  Why would he wait for me?

  Damien’s right about him. I know he is. It’s possible, if I wasn’t so damn lonely, that I would see right through him and not want a thing to do with the man.

  Ryker is exactly like Damien. He’s leaving this planet on the first ride out of here. He’s going to make his life on Mars. I have no place in either of the men’s lives.

  Yet, Damien promises to leave me his wealth. That money will make sure my family is taken care of for the rest of their lives and then some. Once he leaves, I can move on as a rich woman. I can find a man to love me
then.

  Now is not my time, I suppose. Damien is taking care of me. For that I should be grateful. And not be thinking about giving my body to another man.

  Tears fill my eyes as I look at Damien. “I’m sorry. That was wrong of me. I felt hurt by what you said about finding things out about me that you’ve never even told me before. And I feel so lonely. You’ve taken your attention away from me.”

  “I give you all you need and more. I am leaving you everything I have and this is how I am thanked?” he asks as he looks at me with sadness in his blue eyes.

  “I know,” I look down and shake my head. “I’ll shut up.”

  He looks out the window as he sighs. “I wish I could feel more for you, Gia. I do. The fact is, I need you here with me now. I know I can’t make you any promises about always being with you. I won’t be. But you will have my money to keep you warm. I’m merely asking for your faithfulness while I’m still here. That’s all. I just need you to be my companion.”

  I nod. “I can do that.”

  But I don’t feel like I am his companion. I don’t feel like I should be here for him just so me and my family can keep his money. But I don’t know what else to do.

  The cab pulls up to the hotel and Damien looks at me. “Go on. I’ll be up when I get done.”

  Sliding out of the cab, I walk into the hotel. From what I’ve heard, it could be ten years or more before they begin taking people to Mars. For ten years, I could be stuck in this life.

  Money certainly has taken hold of my life.

  Stopping to watch the cab with Damien in it pull away, I find my heart heavy and turn back around to go into the lobby. My head hung low as I make my way to the elevator.

  “Miss Flynn?” I hear one of the desk clerks call out. “Can you come here, ma’am?”

  Looking up, I walk over to the counter. “Yes?”

  The young man slides a card to me. His hand covers it. “Mr. Markov isn’t coming in, is he?”

  “No,” I say as I look over my shoulder again. “Not until later, he said.”