RYKER (Rogue Billionaires, Book Two)

by Olivia Chase

  “I know it’s a long shot, but I couldn’t wait,” I explain.

  She scrutinizes me in a way that makes me uncomfortable. This woman is sharp. She’s eyeing me up to see if I’m worthy. No doubt her opinion of me shrunk even more after Andrea’s interview. The man who abandoned the woman he loves. Shitty story. “I’ll do it. If Andrea is amenable to it. I’m not going to force her. But I’ll ask her. Regardless, I want the interview with you. Deal?”

  This woman plays hard ball. I like it. I give her a nod of respect. “Deal.”

  She stands. “Then follow me.”

  I’m led back through the station toward her deejay booth. And there she is, the woman who destroyed me so thoroughly that I’ll never be the same. Andrea is sitting in a chair at the booth, headphones on, smiling and talking with a caller. Her buttery-smooth voice comes out through a speaker as she discusses stats.

  I know in this moment that I’ll do anything for her. Any fucking thing she wants. I miss her beyond reason. And seeing her makes me feel like this is the first time in weeks I’ve drawn a real breath.

  “Stay here,” Nancy says. She disappears into the booth, and my heart stops beating as I wait. Like my entire life isn’t on the line.

  The feed changes to a commercial. I see the two women talk, though I can’t hear what they’re saying, and Andrea freezes. Looks through the glass, our eyes connecting. Hers are filled with confusion, tinged with anger.

  I don’t break eye contact. We remain like this for a few moments, then she looks away and talks more to Nancy, who gives a slow nod.

  Nancy comes to the door, while Andrea resumes her seat.

  My stomach sinks all the way to the floor.

  The woman gives me a quick smile but shakes her head. “She doesn’t want to come out here, sorry. I tried.”

  I’m not walking away. Not when I already did. So I stride past Nancy and open the booth door.

  “Hey,” Nancy starts, but I ignore her and step right in front of Andrea, who shoots out of her seat, her mouth dropped.

  “Wh—why are you here?” Andrea stutters. Her cheeks burn red, and she steps away from me as far as she can get. Admittedly, the gesture stings. But I try to respect her feelings and need for control in a situation where she feels powerless.

  “I know you didn’t want to hear me,” I tell her. “I don’t blame you. I fucked up royally, and I don’t deserve your time. But I hope you’ll listen to me, because I have some explaining to do.”

  “Commercial break is ending in thirty seconds,” Nancy says as she slaps on her headphones.

  Andrea stares hard at me. “Okay. You wanna talk? Do it on the air. Whatever you want to say to me, you can say to all of the listeners.”

  Fuck. This woman challenges me beyond anything I’ve ever dealt with. I know she’s calling my bluff, putting forth a counteroffer she’s sure I’ll reject. And why shouldn’t she assume so? I’ve spent weeks avoiding the public.

  Despite the ricochet of my heart in my chest, I nod. “Fine.” I grab a pair of headphones and put them on, then settle in a seat.

  I can hear Andrea gasp even through the headphones. “Wait, what? We’re going to do this on the air?” She shakes her head. “I… What?”

  “And this is Nancy Spiro, welcoming you back.” The woman’s smooth voice fills my ears and she nods at me in question. I nod back. “I’m pleased to announce we have a special guest who just dropped by unexpectedly. Listeners, we’ll return to your guest calls in a few moments. But right now, I want to welcome…Ryker Baldwin to the show. As most of you may know, Ryker is a former New York legendary pitcher who opened his own sports agency after being forced to retire young because of an injury.” She pauses. “Ryker is our other guest Andrea Bradshaw’s former employer. Right after this brief message from our station, we’ll talk with Ryker. Stay tuned.” She pushes a few buttons then looks at both of us expectantly. She’s buying us a minute or two to sort this out.

  Andrea is still standing, staring in shock. I can see her warring with indecision. She wants to run.

  I start to reach toward her, but pull back. Grandma warned me to give her a little space and wait to see her warm up before I touch her. “I’m willing to share it all with the listeners if it’ll convince you I’m serious. Unless you’re too afraid to talk to me.” I can’t help but prod her a bit. Poke the bear to get a reaction.

  It works. Her eyes flare, and she grabs the headphones. “I’m not afraid. Say what you need to, and then leave.” Andrea takes a seat in the chair opposite me.

  Nancy says, “Okay, you two sure?”

  We both nod.

  “And we’re back,” Nancy says with a smile on her face. “Thank you for tuning in. For those of you just joining us, we have Ryker Baldwin and Andrea Bradshaw in studio. Both are former sports agents at The Baldwin Corporation, and briefly represented Cade Thompson. Ryker wishes to speak to our listener audience. Go ahead, Ryker. And welcome to the show.”

  “Thank you for having me,” I say roughly. Fuck. I sound weak, not confident. Come on, you can do this, I rally myself. “Until now, I’ve not come forth and spoken about the incident that occurred with Cade. Nor about how Andrea became unfairly entangled in this mess.” I look at her, unable to read the expression on her face. She’s shuttered to me.

  “Andrea,” I continue. “I can offer you a thousand apologies for how I left you to deal with the fallout of the Thompson situation. But the truth is, we both know that words won’t help anything in this situation.”

  She clenches her jaw but stares at me. Unmoving.

  “I want to go on the record personally and say that attacking Cade in the gym was unacceptable. However…” I swallow. “I fell in love with Andrea, and when I heard he came to her apartment and threatened to leave the agency if she didn’t submit to his sexual needs, I became enraged.”

  Upon hearing my feelings for her, Andrea sucks in a shaky breath. “Wait, what did you say?” I can see the fear in her eyes. Fear of being hurt by me. But I also see a tiny spark of hope, of need.

  I finally reach over and let myself touch her hand. She doesn’t move away, though she doesn’t squeeze it back. “I’m madly, wildly in love with you, Andrea. You’re the most beautiful and hotheaded and stubborn woman I’ve ever met, and every day I’ve spent without you has been miserable.” The words are spilling out now, and I can’t stop it. I don’t even care if this is being heard all throughout the metro area. I care if she’s hearing it. How she feels. “I miss you. I want us to try again. I want to be able to prove to you every day that I love you and I’ll never abandon you like that, ever.”

  Nancy sucks in a shaky breath, clearly moved by my words.

  And let’s face it. She knows this is great radio, and incredible for her ratings.

  But I don’t give a shit about any of that. All I care about is Andrea.

  Andrea rolls her lips between her teeth. “I…” She looks away. “I can’t believe you’re saying all this on the air.”

  “Me either,” I admit baldly. “It’s insane. But then again, so are my feelings for you.” I drop to my knees in front of her and grip her hands. Peer up into her eyes. Because now is the time for me to put it all on the line. “I know you’re afraid that if things get difficult, I’ll bail again. But I’ve had a long history of avoiding my feelings, since…” I flush.

  “Since your mom,” she whispers.

  I nod. “Before I met you, I thought I was living my best life. But I wasn’t living at all. I was existing. You woke me up, and I ran. Because I was your boss and I wasn’t supposed to feel this way. Because ultimately, you have the power to break my heart if you choose to.” I suck in a breath.

  She starts to cry, her hands shaking.

  I remove one hand and dig into my coat pocket. Pull out the ring box. Andrea gasps in shock, as does Nancy, who says, “Oh my God, he’s got a ring.”

  “Ryker?” Andrea says, a question in her eyes.

  “I’m in love with you. I
lost my company, and I lost my reputation, but the thing that crushed me was realizing nothing mattered without you by my side.” I flick the box open. “Be my wife. I’ll spend every day of the rest of my life proving to you how precious and loved you are.”

  There’s a long stretch of silence. I can’t hear above the roar in my ears.

  Then Andrea nods, and I pull her out of her seat, rip the headphones off of us, and kiss her until our air is mingled and I feel safe and whole again. We cling to each other, desperate, frantic, the weeks of absence fading away into the distance.

  I rain kisses all over her face, whisper in her ear as I slip the massive engagement ring on her finger. “I’m in love with you. I heard your interview, and I’m so fucking proud of your courage. You’re stronger than anyone I’ve ever known.”

  Andrea breaks into a sob and claps a hand over her mouth, staring at me. Her eyes are red-lined and tears stream down. I squeeze her tight, kiss her brow, the top of her head. This is right. This is where I belong. Holding my baby. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I want to be right by her side as we pave our own future together.

  Nancy peels off her headphones and shakes her head at us, wiping away her tears. “You guys, that’s the most fucking amazing thing I’ve ever seen.” She gives a wry chuckle. “Not to mention you’ve pretty much just vaulted me into a promotion.”

  I laugh, and Andrea does too.

  “Did you really promise her an interview just to talk to me?” Andrea asks me. She bites her lower lip.

  “I did.” I stroke her face, relishing the feel of her soft skin. I can’t wait to take my fiancée to bed. To make love to her until we’re both spent and sore.

  I can feel my phone vibrating in my pants pocket. I imagine it’s people who heard the radio spot. Me proposing live on the air to Andrea. Spilling my guts and baring myself to her, to everyone.

  And you know what? I don’t care. What matters is the woman in front of me who has shown me what real love is. The woman I’m going to make my wife.

  Andrea

  Four Months Later

  I slip out of my flip-flops and run barefoot on the warm white sand. Bora Bora, with its turquoise lagoon and mountainous islands, is beyond anything I’ve ever seen in real life. “It’s gorgeous!” I say with a giggle. “This is paradise!” I spin around to face my brand-new husband as of yesterday. “I’m glad we left our bungalow to explore.”

  He gives me a big smile, then rushes over and scoops me up. I squeal and wrap my arms around his neck. God, I forget how strong he is sometimes. “You’re lucky I let you escape. But we should eat some food and take in the sights, I guess.”

  I kiss his cheek. “Sustenance is good. As is the scenery.” He sets me down, and we hold hands as we stroll along the sand.

  Ryker’s fingers are wrapped securely in mine, and I soak in the sunshine and peace and happy feelings overwhelming me. We got married in a private ceremony, just the two of us and Daria to witness it.

  Granted, she wasn’t too thrilled when I came back to the apartment after that radio show event and told her I was engaged. I could tell she was worried about my heart, about him hurting me again. When she finally met Ryker, she gave him a piece of her mind. To his credit, he didn’t get angry or defensive.

  Time has proven his steadfastness to me. Time and effort. Ryker started seeing a counselor to discuss the trauma of his mother’s murder and how it’s impacted him. I didn’t suggest it—he said he knew he had a lot of emotional growing to do and he wanted to show me real change.

  I’ve gone to a few sessions with him to talk about our relationship. It’s not been perfect—he still withdraws sometimes and gets quiet. But not like he did before. And in return, I try to give him space and patience, because I can see his effort.

  We arrived to our bungalow last night, ate a fine dinner, and stayed in bed for hours into the morning. I wasn’t complaining. I can’t get enough of him.

  Ryker’s phone dings with a text message.

  I laugh. “Seriously, how the hell do you have signal out here? And why are you carrying your phone?”

  He gives a sheepish shrug. “I wanted to snap some pictures of you on the beach. Especially in that sexy new red bikini you bought.” His eyes grow dark as he visually devours me, and my body vibrates with a hot flush all over. God, I’m insatiable when it comes to him. I can’t get enough.

  I crave his hands all over me.

  Ryker takes a step forward, like stalking his prey. I feel my body become hyperaware of him. Desperate for him to take me again. “Mrs. Baldwin,” he says in a rough growl. I shudder, both at his nearness and the thrill of being his wife. “I’m going to fuck you again. So you’d better run back to our room or I’m taking you right here on the beach.”

  I give a laugh, then stop when I realize he’s serious. “Oh,” I whisper.

  “One…two…”

  I squeal and run back toward our bungalow. My feet thud down the wooden walkway as I cross over the water and down to the farthest room.

  “Gotcha,” Ryker whispers as he whips an arm around my waist. Yanks me hard against his chest, my ass pressed to his throbbing cock. He brushes my hair to the side and licks my neck, and I sigh, arch into him.

  My skin erupts in goose bumps when his teeth drag along my tendon and he bites.

  “You taste so fucking good,” he says, then releases me and swats my ass. “Inside, woman, before I ravish you right here.”

  An hour later, I lie back on the bed and release a soft sigh. My muscles are pliant, and I’m sleepy and relaxed. “Oh hey,” I say, suddenly remembering something. “Did you ever check that message?”

  “I was too busy with you,” he purrs, but he reaches over and gets his phone. I admire the strong muscles in his back that flex when he moves. I can’t believe this man is mine. Gorgeous, witty, stubborn, vulnerable…all blessedly mine.

  Ryker sits up as he reads, and he draws in several deep breaths, then exhales. “Holy shit.” He looks at me, and I can’t quite read the expression on his face. He almost seems…stunned? “You have to read this.” He hands the phone to me. “Someone I know texted me a link to this article.”

  I take it and when I quickly see Cade Thompson’s name in the title, my stomach gives a painful lurch. I force myself to read anyway, knowing that Ryker wouldn’t have given it to me if it wasn’t important.

  More Allegations Against Cade Thompson for Sexual Harassment

  I try to will my pace to slow as I read the article. It starts off discussing me, naturally, a summary of the accusations Cade made, then my interview where I called him a liar.

  But because of my interview, four other women from his college in Texas have come forward and given their testimonies about his numerous assaults on campus…and filed police reports against him. The university is also being sued for a huge sum because the football coach witnessed one assault and tried to bribe the girl to keep quiet.

  They all did for years, out of fear of retaliation…until I stepped forward.

  While reading their stories, seeing how I helped them find their courage, I chew on my lower lip and stare at the screen. My heart aches, and my eyes sting. I’m filled with sadness and grief and something else. Something akin to vindication. Wow. The article even says that the tide is turning on Cade, whose sports agent is rumored to have dropped him over these incidents. Many on social media are skewering him, while people are calling out those who trashed my name unfairly.

  Cade’s name is mud now.

  I look over at Ryker. “I…” My chest aches with tightness, and I can barely breathe. My hands shake as I hand him the phone. I feel overwhelmed, flooded with feelings I can’t figure out how to process. Relief, fear, anger, all cycling in me.

  “Yeah. Fuck him. We’re going to sue him for slandering your name,” Ryker says hotly. He pauses. “Well. If you want. I won’t make you, because it’s your choice on how to handle the situation. Though everything in me is screaming that this fucker
should pay for what he’s done…to you and other women.”

  “I…I want to think about it,” I say. Because suing him will open a huge can of worms. Am I prepared to handle it—going through more media coverage for who knows how long? Ryker reaches over and strokes my bare back, presses kisses to my shoulder. I know what he wants. But he’s not pressuring me. He’s here to support me and help me have control over my life.

  “No matter what you choose, I’ll be here,” he murmurs against my skin.

  I stroke his hair, all the negative feelings in me flitting away in the breeze pouring through the windows. I believe what he says. Every time I think I’m feeling all the love I can for this man, he does something that makes me love him more.

  “Let’s talk about this when we get home,” he says with a gentle smile. “We’re on our honeymoon. And I was supposed to take you to lunch when I got…distracted.” Ryker winks.

  “It was worth it,” I tell him as I caress his cheek. “But if you don’t feed me now, I’m going to destroy this beautiful bungalow in search of food.”

  He nods solemnly. “That would give the news channels something different to talk about us, I suppose,” he muses. I swat his arm, and he laughs. “What? You know me. Always thinking of the angles.”

  “Your office is so boring,” I declare to Ryker as I take a look around his new digs. “You haven’t put anything up yet, and we’ve been in here for two weeks now. Will you at least talk to the designer I used? She’s amazing.”

  He rolls his eyes. “You think everyone you work with is amazing.”

  “That’s because they are,” I say primly. “And even you have to admit she did a good job.”

  “I guess,” he sighs, still staring at his computer screen. “When I made you Chief Operating Officer, I didn’t think the duties included nagging.”

  “That’s free of charge,” I tell him in a sweet tone, which makes him look up and give me the stink eye. “Okay, I can see you’re busy. I have more interviews to conduct. Byeeeee.” I blow him a kiss and sashay out, giving my ass an extra wiggle. Head back to my own gloriously decorated office.