Greatest Distraction (Distracted #1)

by Juli Valenti

“Tell me to stop, Ryen,” he said hoarsely, his fingers tracing my cheekbone, my chin. Cradling my face in his hand, I kissed his thumb when he brought it to my lip, teasingly biting the tip. Dane growled, his grip growing firm on my face before he pulled my mouth back to his. I’d had no intention of telling him to stop; I wanted him, to hell with consequences or timeframe - we could deal with that later. There was something about this man that I wanted, needed, and intended to have.

  Chapter Eleven

  Fuck this man can kiss, I thought as fire grew inside me. I squirmed against him, unable to help myself, and he broke our connection. A protesting sound escaped me, which was quickly silenced as he trailed soft bites and kisses along my neck, leading to the collar of my shirt.

  “Ryen,” Dane whispered, his hands playing along the hem of my tank top. I was delirious, unable to tell if he’d said my name in question, or protest, or want and need. Experience informed me it was a question and I answered by grabbing the fabric and slipping it over my head, letting it fall to the floor. The air on my bare breasts was cold along my sensitive skin, Dane’s breath a welcome heat, but I wanted more. Reaching between us, I tugged at his T-shirt, lifting it to get my point across. Thank all that’s holy he understood, and momentarily stepped back to shrug it off, my breath catching at the sight of his chest. Sure, I’d seen his abs earlier, but there was something so sexy about a nice chest, even with the tattoo inked over his heart.

  Curious, I ran my hands over the smooth hardness of him, my fingers tracing the ink lines. They were words, Italian if I wasn’t mistaken. Something about mother and father, but that’s about my extent of the language. It was done well, though, the words looping amongst themselves. Leaning forward I replaced my tracing finger with my tongue, following one of the lines before moving farther, capturing his nipple in my mouth and using my teeth to pull gently.

  Dane moaned, his hand coming to cup my face for a moment, his expression either telling me to stop or keep going, which, I couldn’t tell. His eyes were hooded, lust clear in them, and I started when he pressed his chest against my breasts, laying me back on the table. He stared for only a moment before allowing his mouth to capture one of my nipples, his hand moving to caress the other. My back arched involuntarily, thrusting my breasts upward and even farther in his mouth. He hummed appreciatively, the vibration causing me to groan. I could feel him growing through the thin fabric of my yoga pants, hard, enticing. Why are we still wearing pants, the voice in my head chimed in, for once completely in agreement with my libido. Just as I was about to do something about it, my phone started ringing on the bar counter and Dane hesitated.

  “Ignore it,” I said breathlessly. In no way, shape, or form was I going to answer it. Whoever it was, whatever it was about, could wait. I couldn’t.

  Thankfully Dane didn’t question my decision, instead turning his attention to my neglected nipple, one of his hands gripping my hip and holding me against him. I wanted to move, to grind, to do something to ease the build-up of sensation running through me, but I couldn’t. His grip was strong, leaving me completely pinned and immobile. It was hot as hell, and I relished in it as much as I despaired in it.

  “Fuck, Dane, please.” I didn’t recognize my voice, almost begging him. I’m not even sure what I was begging for, I just needed … more. Something.

  “Shhh, Ryen,” he cooed, his mouth leaving a warm trail as he placed kisses down my breastbone, moving toward my stomach. He had my card, and was holding it hostage. Asshole. Hot, irresistible, all man and mine, asshole.

  His teeth playfully tugged at the folded top of my yoga pants, just as I felt vibrating against the leg I still had wrapped around him. The fog in my brain was slow to clear, and it took me a while to register what it was. Dane, though, was quicker than I was. He stepped back as far as my leg would let him, and dug in his pocket to retrieve the vibrating cell phone. He glanced at the screen before looking at me. I’m sure my face was as desperate for release as I felt, and I could see the internal debate cross his features.

  “Ignore it,” I repeated, reaching for him once again.

  “Ryen…” he started, glancing back at the screen. “Fuck. If it was anyone else, I would, but it’s my mom. I’ve gotta take this. Don’t move,” he said, leaning over me and kissing my belly button. Propping up on my elbows, I watched at he answered the phone.

  “Hey, Mom,” he answered, his voice rough and still sexy as hell. I had the most absurd urge to cover myself, or my face, because surely she would know he was busy.

  “Um, no … I’m fine. What’s up? Oh, those.” He paced, but didn’t leave the room. Delight filled me that he felt comfortable enough talking to her in front of me … or maybe that’s just how he was. Aaron, wow it was getting easier to at least think his name, would leave the room every time he answered his phone.

  “I’d have to talk to her … Yes, Mom … I know, Mom …I told her this morning. Yeah. I do like her. Mom, it’s been a day and a half…”

  I grinned, my face stretching so wide that it almost hurt. He just told his mom he liked me. Well, at least I’m assuming he meant me … for all I knew he could have a harem of women, but I doubted it. He had said he told ‘her’ this morning … surely that was me. It was his timeframe that sealed it. Yep, definitely talking about me.

  “Alright, I will. Love you too.”

  Finishing the call, Dane placed his phone beside mine on the counter before turning to face me. His eyes moved from my face and down to my breasts before returning to meet mine. Somehow I’d already forgotten I was topless and laying on my table, displayed like a prized feast. I almost moved, almost sat up for my tank, but decided against it. Nothing he hadn’t seen, or felt, or touched, mmmm, or kissed and fondled…

  “That was my mom,” he told me, his mouth quirking up.

  “I gathered that,” I paused, thinking. “I’m assuming the photos have gone viral?”

  “Yep. She wasn’t sure if I knew about them, so she thought she’d tell me. She thinks you’re lovely, by the way.”

  Sighing, I stood and scooped my shirt from the floor, making my way over to him and my phone. I was pretty sure that sexy time was over, damn it, and wanted to see who’d called, though I had an inkling I already knew. Picking it up, still holding my shirt, Elle’s name flashed across the front, along with three text messages I hadn’t even heard ping through.

  *Elle: You’re on the front page of TMZ!*

  *Elle: Is that the hottie that was with you this morning?*

  *Elle: Oh. My. God. Do you know who he is? CALL ME*

  *Elle: ‘Ryen Macek and mafia Prodigal son, Brian Ranucci, home, and love could be in the air…’*

  I took a deep breath, debating on calling her or not, but deciding against it. Instead, I wrapped my arms around Dane, burying my face in his still bare chest, enjoying the feeling of his skin touching mine. His arms snaked around me as he rested his chin on the top of my head after kissing my hair.

  “You alright?” he asked.

  “Frustrated,” I answered him honestly, not thinking how it was going to come out. He started to step away from me, but I tightened my hold on him. “Not because the pictures are out, what the headlines are spouting, and that people are seeing them. Not because it’s you and me in them, or because your mom called. I’m frustrated,” I stressed the word, and was rewarded with a deep masculine chuckle that warmed me all the way to my toes.

  “Good things come to those who wait.”

  “Ugh, just like patience is a virtue I’ve never possessed,” I told him, loosening my grasp and stepping back to look at him. His eyes glittered down at me and he grabbed my hands, his thumb caressing my knuckles.

  “What do you want to do today?” he asked, surprising me. I hadn’t expected anything … maybe that was a good thing. Expect the worst, hope for the best, and life surprises you.

  “Huh?” I asked intelligently. Me has education.

  “Do you wanna go out? Do you want to stay in and watch movies
and eat junk food all day? Do you want me to go away, leave you alone?”

  “Um, I don’t know?” I told him, my declaration coming out a question. “I didn’t think you’d want … I mean… “

  “Ryen,” Dane sighed, releasing one of my hands to drag it through his hair. “I just admitted to my mom I like you, and I meant it. I want more than what almost just happened over there.” He pointed to the table and I flushed. “So, I’m going to ignore the fact that your trust in me is for shit, and ask again. What do you want to do today?”

  “I’ve missed Central Park. Wanna go for a walk?” I asked softly, feeling bad for not believing in him more. I barely knew him … how was I supposed to know if I could truly trust him? Sigh, so yes, he’d been upfront and honest about his family, not wanting me to be surprised, he’d told his mom about me too, but we’ve already covered that I’m jaded.

  “Sounds perfect,” he said, grabbing my face and pulling me toward him. “You go get your sexy ass ready. I’m going down to my car for a minute, so when you hear the door open, it’s just me, alright?” He kissed me, his lips already familiar and exquisite against mine. I held still, fighting my body’s reaction to melt into him – I knew that if we started, we wouldn’t stop, and while that’s what I wanted, I also wanted to see the park in the daylight again. And to walk it with Dane? That sounded like the best afternoon.

  After showering and dressing quickly, bypassing my hair for the sake of time, I’d gone downstairs to be greeted by Dane. He’d changed as well, now wearing a white button up, the sleeves rolled up to show his forearms. A button was left undone, just the right amount of chest peeking through the fabric, and I double checked my chin for drool. He looked amazing, entirely too good for a jaunt around Central Park … especially since I wanted to walk. For a moment I debated returning to my closet for something different to wear, but the look in his eyes when he took me in made the thought completely escape me.

  I’d chosen a bright white, eyelet lace tank top – which I’ll admit framed the girls ridiculously well – with a pair of simple boot-cut jeans and a pair of sparkly Toms slip-ons. Brushing my hair to a pretty shine, add in some makeup, and I’d been ready to roll. I wore no jewelry, with the exception of my watch, deciding that this was me, the real Ryen. Sure, I loved being all pretty and dolled up – especially with nifty shoes from my best friend – but I wanted to show Dane who he was more apt to see most often. Glamorous Ryen didn’t appear very often, so he’d either like Laid-Back Ryen, or at least we’d know early on.

  Judging by the appreciative expression on his face, along with the constant nodding of his head, I was going with the former, rather than the latter. Smiling, I held out my hand to him, which he took without hesitation, yet holding me at arm’s length.

  “Definitely thinking this may be the best Ryen yet,” he said, making me blush. “You look stunning.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing about you. Nice shirt,” I quipped, pulling at it with my free hand. “Did you call down for it?”

  “Nope,” he pointed toward a black travel bag now resting beside the couch, “I wanted to be prepared for whatever you wanted.”

  I melted.

  “Ready, beautiful?” he asked, kissing my fingers before looping my hand through his arm like an old-fashioned gentleman.

  “Yep.” I’d stuffed my phone in the back pocket of my jeans, along with my ID and debit card, not that I thought I would actually need either, but you never know. I snatched the keys with my spare hand from the holder on the wall as we walked out the door, turning to lock it before handing them to Dane. He looked at me questioningly for a moment, but caught on quickly, dropping them into his pocket and leading me toward the elevator doors.

  “You’re like a little kid!” Dane laughed, his head thrown back, as I spun in a circle with my arms out, exhilarated. I loved the bright colors of spring, the blooming of the flowers, and the trickle of water I could hear from the fountain not that far down the pathway. I grinned back at him, happy.

  “I’ve missed it here,” I told him, meaning it. “My father used to take me here when I was a little girl, always putting a flower in my hair. When I was in college, I used to study on the benches out here … I think I spent more time in this park than I did in the flat, or in class, or even the library.”

  “You really miss your dad.” Dane’s words weren’t a question, they were a statement, but I still nodded my affirmation.

  “I do. Everyday.”

  “Want to tell me what happened?” I liked that he gave me the option to tell him, leaving it up to me if I wanted to or not.

  “Not a lot to tell. My father, originally, was a farmer upstate. He was the man who worked the rows, ensuring that crops were growing the way they were supposed to. What he focused on changed with the months and the seasons, always changing. From what I understand, I was too young at the time to remember, but he’d started as just a local grower – you know, the boy who wanted to plant things – and eventually grew bigger. He ended up making pretty good money before he traded in his boots and gloves to work in an office with the International Crops and Trades Commission.” I stopped, sighing and remembering. I abruptly smiled at a random memory. “He used to let me pick out the ties he’d wear to the office. I loved that … it was always the highlight of my mornings. I’d purposely get up an hour before I needed to for school. He used to say he couldn’t go to work without my help.”

  Dane took my hand and we moved, though he didn’t speak, allowing me to get lost in time and memories.

  “Anyway, one day after I’d already graduated and moved into the city with Elle, I’d missed a call from him. I was nineteen at the time, I thought I had all the time in the world to call him back later. I found out later that he’d been in a cab when he called, on his way to surprise me. He, um,” I paused to keep my emotion from overwhelming me, not wanting to embarrass myself by crying. “He stopped at a small bodega he knew to pick up peace roses – the ones that bleed from pink to yellow? They’re my favorite. Anyway.” I stopped walking, steeling myself for the hard part. I was starting to wish I hadn’t decided to tell him, but talking about my father kept him alive. I hated when people pretended he didn’t exist, and, despite how hard it was, I appreciated that Dane acknowledged that he was a big part of me.

  “He got caught in a holdup; he was wearing a nice suit and the robber turned on him after robbing the store. The man shot him for a Rolex and a twenty-dollar bill, since my father never carried cash.”

  “Did they catch the man who did it?” Dane asked, squeezing the hand he still held.

  “No. They looked, but the case was eventually dubbed a ‘cold case’ and they had other crimes to solve, the only scary part of New York City. His case is still open of course, but no one is working on it.”

  “I’m surprised you’d want to come back here,” he told me and I looked up at him, a sad smile curving my lips.

  “The city itself didn’t take my father away, a greedy bastard did. I see my father in everything here and the good memories more than cancel out the bad. Anyway, sorry to get so heavy … but you asked.”

  “I did. Thank you for telling me – you didn’t have to. Look, there’s the fountain.” I followed his gaze to see the Bathesda Fountain towering a few feet away. It was breathtaking, the iconic Angel of the Waters elegant and lovely. I felt my smile grow, the same childlike awe growing in me that I’ve always felt when I saw it, and I pulled on his hand, wanting to get closer.

  Dane followed, letting me lead him, chuckling softly behind me. Hearing him, I turned, seeing his eyes sparkle in the sun rays, his lips upturned. I knew he was probably laughing at me, not that I minded, but I stuck my tongue out at him anyway. He caught me as I was turning back, pulling me into him and bringing our faces close to touching.

  “You shouldn’t tease me, Ryen.” His words were soft, but intense, his breath caressing my face, and I shivered.

  “Why not? It’s fun,” I whispered, forgetti
ng the world around us. The fountain, the people, everything faded as I focused on his lips, wanting him to kiss me again.

  “Because,” was all he said before he pressed his lips against mine. Butterflies took flight in my stomach and I lifted up on tip-toe for better reach. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t the first time we’d kissed, or even the second time; I got those little girly feelings everyone talks about in books and movies each time it happened.

  Random clicking noises intruded our not-so-private moment and I pulled back, careful not to look toward the sound. Dane must’ve been thinking the same thing – he merely looked at me.

  “Chasers?” I asked him, my gaze never lifting from his lips.

  “Pretty sure.”

  “Have a game plan?” Who knew we were here? Paparazzi showing up was definitely a surprise and to catch us during an intimate moment threw me; I wasn’t sure how to handle this.

  “Head it off on the front,” he said confidently, reaching into my back pocket for my cell phone. Flipping the camera on, he held it out, framing our faces. He kissed me softly, less intimately than we had a moment ago, and clicked the button, effectively taking a selfie of us kissing. A couple button pushes later he had the photo uploaded to my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram account, tagging himself in it. Showing me the screen, I had to laugh at his caption:

  “Caught kissing in Central Park with @bdranucci. Oops. #sorrynotsorry #NYdistractions”

  Grasping my hand, Dane led us down another path, our backs to the towering fountain and now-yelling-questions paparazzi, while my mind kept playing over his tweet. How was it, that in only a couple days, he seemed to know my personality better than any guy I’d dated – even the men that had been in my life for much longer? If I hadn’t watched him type it, I could’ve actually seen myself write it. It was just so … me.

  Brushing the inner questions out of my thoughts, I allowed Dane to lead the conversation, happy when the voices finally faded out of earshot. We talked as we walked, about our favorite movies, music, pastimes. I was relaxing and I learned a lot about him. He was an only child, had been practically everywhere – Europe, Asia, Australia, you name it, he’d been there – and spoke three languages. I about died laughing when he tried to demonstrate his language prowess, which turned into every swear word known to man. Even I knew most of them. When I’d told him that didn’t count as speaking the language, he’d merely chuckled, shrugging in a way only he could make look good, and started moving again.