The Boy on the Bridge

by Sam Mariano

  Ray walks in, but he doesn’t have an investor with him—he has Hunter Maxwell.

  My smile slips. An unfair reaction since he looks absolutely gorgeous in a crisp white button down and a pair of black slacks with a matching belt.

  He looks like he expects to take me out, but he really should have texted me first instead of just showing up.

  “Hey,” I say uncertainly, taking a step toward him. “What are you doing here?”

  Before Hunter can say anything, Ray steals my attention, frowning as he glances from Hunter to me. “Uh… it seems like you’ve already met.”

  I blink. “Um… yes. This is… This is my Hunter,” I say, since I’m not about to get into a label discussion right now.

  Ray’s frown deepens. “Your Hunter?”

  “He’s not her boyfriend like you’re not my boyfriend,” Mom explains.

  I shoot Mom a quick glance before looking back at Ray. “Not exactly like that, but… yeah.” I look back at Hunter. “I can’t hang out tonight. We’re about to have a dinner with…” My words slow to a halt as it hits me.

  Hunter smiles.

  Ray sighs. “He’s the potential investor I was telling you about.”

  “There it is,” Mom says flatly, shaking her head and looking over at me. “And, judging by the stunned look on your face, I can see you didn’t know anything about this.” She looks back at Hunter. “I think I would’ve preferred if you were a gangster.”

  Hunter’s eyebrows rise in surprise. “Sorry to disappoint.”

  “Well, you can’t win ’em all,” Mom says. “So, are you actually a potential investor, or is this some elaborate trick? I don’t really know how to proceed here.”

  “I’m really a potential investor,” Hunter assures her.

  “We were hoping you were British,” Mom tells him.

  Hunter frowns. “What?”

  “At least I can assure you he isn’t boring,” I tell her. “And you can make references he doesn’t understand—it won’t annoy him. I do it sometimes.” Despite reassuring my mom that everything is fine, I approach Hunter. Stopping in front of him, I demand, “What’s your game, Maxwell?”

  His beautiful eyes glint with mischief. “Do I get a kiss hello?”

  “No,” I say sweetly.

  His smile only widens. “I think we should talk alone for a few minutes.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Ray interrupts, looking to me for some sign of how to proceed. “What’s going on here, Riley?”

  “This is the Scorpio,” I tell him, since that he’ll understand.

  His expression clears, understanding dawning and shifting his vibe from businesslike, to… well, a different kind of businesslike. “Ah.”

  “Wow, I’m known as ‘the Scorpio’ in this house? That sounds ominous,” Hunter remarks. “No wonder your mom doesn’t like me.”

  “Yeah, that’s why,” I say dryly, but I don’t want anyone to mention any of the other reasons in front of Ray, so I move on quickly. “It’s your fault for sending that damn necklace.” I take his hand and start dragging him down the hall toward my bedroom. “We’ll be right back,” I tell Mom and Ray.

  “The walls are thin,” Mom calls as a reminder, making me blush.

  “Oh my God, we’re just going to talk,” I tell her.

  “Are we?” Hunter whispers.

  I shoot him a look over my shoulder as we walk. “We’re certainly not going to do anything else with my parents in the other room. You have a lot of explaining to do, mister.”

  “Ray’s not your real dad, is he?” he asks, trying to piece together our odd family portrait. “His name’s not on your birth certificate.”

  I stop walking outside my bedroom door and stare at him. “You’ve seen my birth certificate?”

  Hunter pauses for a suspicious length of time, then says, “No?”

  “My God, you are such a stalker.” I push open my bedroom door and he follows me in.

  “I wasn’t trying to be, I was just trying to figure out how permanent a fixture this guy was before I approached him about investing in the gym. It would only accomplish what I needed it to if you and your mom had strong ties to him.”

  I close my bedroom door and turn around. Given the clear calculation in what he just said, I prop a hand on my hip and look at him expectantly. “And what, exactly, were you trying to accomplish?”

  Instead of answering, Hunter closes the short distance between us. Once he’s near enough, he drags my hand off my hip and slides both of my arms around his torso.

  With a faint sigh, I let him distract me for just a moment. I wrap my arms around him for a hug and let him pull me into his strong arms.

  “I like this dress you’re wearing tonight,” he tells me.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Mm-hmm.” He kisses the side of my head, one of his hands dropping to the small of my back. “White lace. So innocent.” His hand slides lower, grazing the curve of my ass right before he cups it and squeezes. “Are you wearing panties like a good girl, or are you feeling a little naughty tonight? If I reach under this pretty lace dress, will I have access to your bare pussy, or is there something in my way?”

  A breath rushes out of me. Between his words and his touch, heat begins to spread through my veins. I certainly don’t feel innocent.

  I try to pull away, but his embrace tightens, keeping me close.

  Regarding him with open suspicion, I demand, “Are you trying to tempt me, Hunter Maxwell?”

  “Maybe.” He dips his head, brushing his perfect lips across my temple. “Do you feel tempted?”

  Yes.

  I try harder to pull away from him. “Let me go. I am not going to hook up with you when my mom is almost certainly straining to hear what we’re talking about in here—and keep your voice down, you dirty talker.”

  “Is that the only reason?” he teases.

  I shoot him a look. “And then there are the other dozen or so, but I wasn’t even going to mention those.” He finally lets me go. I take a step back to help clear my head. “What is this, Hunter? What are you doing?”

  “Playing with my girlfriend,” he says, his whole demeanor more relaxed and playful than I’ve seen him lately.

  “I am not your girlfriend,” I tell him.

  He smiles. “Oh, yes, you are.”

  There’s something I don’t like about the way he says that. He sounds suspiciously sure of himself, so I lift my chin in faint defiance, but I don’t argue. I wait to see what else he says.

  “See, you told me to be creative.” He takes a step toward me and grabs my hip, pulling me close again.

  I let him, since at least I can be sure he’ll keep his voice low if he’s right on top of me.

  “You told me to find a way around your resistance. Well, I have, and I think I’ve done better than you expected me to.”

  The way he says that sends a slight chill down my spine. “What do you mean?”

  He’s warm and loving despite the declaration he just made. Gazing down at me fondly, he caresses my jawline. “You’re mine, Riley. I want everyone to know it. I want to effectively own you,” he murmurs, bending to press his lips against mine.

  I let him kiss me, but I don’t kiss him back.

  I swallow, my heart racing. I have a sinking feeling I know where this is heading.

  “And you want something, too,” he murmurs against my lips. “Your motivation is much nobler than mine, but that doesn’t matter.” He pauses, then says, “Your family needs my money, and I’ll give it to them. But I’ll want something in return.”

  “What do you want?” I ask warily.

  “You,” he says simply.

  I don’t trust that answer. It’s too simple. “You have me.”

  “No. Not the way I want you. I want full access. I want all of you. I want the word no to fall out of your vocabulary. You’re going to be my girlfriend—no asterisks. No holding back. I also want you to quit your job at the diner.”

&nbs
p; “Hunter!”

  “Sherlock knows you work there,” he says before I can argue. “I don’t want him to know where to get you alone.”

  My heart sinks. I hadn’t even considered that.

  “Now, I think you should take advantage of not having to work right now. Use that time to focus on your studies, and your last year at home with your mom, and your boyfriend. But if you’re dead set on working, I have a better idea. Once Ray opens the gym, we’ll need people to work reception. You could work there a couple of days a week. It wouldn’t be a terribly demanding job; half the time we’d probably be paying you to sit at the desk and do your homework or read a book.”

  My eyebrows rise with interest. “That does sound better…”

  “In the meantime, I’ll give you a credit card. You can use that to pay for whatever you need.”

  His insistence on fostering dependence on him still makes me uneasy. “You’re asking for a lot of power over me, Hunter.”

  “I’m not asking for it.” He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses it, holding my gaze. “I’m demanding it. But I won’t abuse it,” he promises.

  “You have before,” I remind him.

  “I won’t again. Remember I told you about my dad and his wife?”

  I nod.

  “She told me that a relationship is like a bank account. The more you invest, the more you’ll get out of it over time, and I like that. But she also told me you can’t afford to make too many big withdrawals.”

  I look down at our hands as he spreads my fingers to make room for his, then intertwines them.

  “She said when he fucked up with my mom, it was a turning point in their relationship, but it wasn’t the same for both of them. His mistake made him love her more, but it made her love him a little less. And he couldn’t take back what he did, so he could never get that love back. He could deposit more into the account and try to make up for what he cost them, but she’ll always love him just a little less than she could have, and he’ll always have to know that.”

  I’m not sure why, but that story brings a lump of sadness to my throat. I try to swallow it down as his beautiful eyes bore into mine.

  “I can’t afford to make you love me any less, Riley. I’m too greedy for it. I know I’ve made some withdrawals, and I’m sorry for that. But that’s done. Now I need a chance to show you how it can be between us if you’ll just let it, and you’re not going to give me that chance, no matter what I do. I have to take it. So, I found a way. Sure, it’s technically blackmail, but I’m not entirely trapping you. My terms have an end date. If you still want to be with me after that—and I hope you do—then great, that’ll be your decision.”

  “What’s the end date?”

  “Graduation. If I haven’t changed your mind about me by then, I’ll…” He hesitates. “You can leave me.”

  My heart contracts painfully at the mere idea.

  I pull a little closer to him, but I focus on his chest so I don’t have to look into his eyes.

  “But you have to really mean it,” he says. “I want a real chance. No half-measures. No holding back from me. I know I can’t control that, only you can, but if you don’t give this a real shot, you’re not holding up your end of the agreement. I know how you are about rules; you won’t feel good about that.”

  My lips curve up. I splay my hand against his bicep, caressing his arm through the coarse material. “Some would argue there’s no honor in honoring a dishonorable agreement.”

  “How is this a dishonorable agreement?” he demands.

  I try to bite back a smile as I finally look up at him. “You said yourself it’s blackmail.”

  “Light blackmail,” he says.

  “Ah, right. Well, if it’s light blackmail…”

  Playing like I’ve agreed with him, he says, “See? Completely honorable.”

  I sigh, sliding my arms around his neck and leaning my body against his. “I’ll agree to your terms.”

  Hope lightens his eyes. “Yeah?”

  I nod. “It’s official. You’ve got yourself a girlfriend.”

  Hunter grins, locking his arms around my waist and pulling me tightly against him. “I like the sound of that.”

  “You better. You paid enough for me,” I tease.

  Hunter shakes his head. “Nah, I got a bargain. I’m going to have to teach my lovely girlfriend about the art of negotiating. When you have what they want, never take the first offer. You could’ve asked for more.”

  I tilt my neck as he buries his face there and starts to kiss it. “Like a pony?”

  “I was thinking a car.” He kisses my neck, then murmurs against my skin, “I’ll buy you one anyway. We’ll call it a signing bonus.”

  I grin as my eyes drift closed. “I told you, you’re not buying me a car.”

  Hunter stops kissing my neck. He straightens and looks down at me, cocking an eyebrow. “Riley Bishop, was that a no I just heard from your pretty little lips?”

  Startled, I open my mouth to deny it, but I can’t. It was repackaged in different words, but it was a no. “I’m not even allowed to…? I have to let you buy me a car?”

  Hunter nods, then resumes kissing my neck. “I’ve made your life terrible. I know.”

  “But I didn’t think…”

  “I’ve bought the rights to your resistance. Those rights will revert to you on graduation day. Until then, you don’t get to say no to me. Whatever I want, I get.” His lips find a particularly sensitive nook, and a thrill shoots down my spine. “If I want to buy you a car, you say, ‘Thank you, Hunter.’ If I want you to peel your panties off and stuff them in my pocket so I know all the way through dinner you’re sitting across from me, squirming, your pussy wet and wanting…”

  A breath rushes out of me. Arousal makes me squeeze my thighs together, protecting my panties. “Okay. Wait a minute. We need to back up a little. I don’t think I fully understood the terms…”

  “Too late. You already accepted.” Straightening again, he looks down at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You’ve really gotta get better at reading that fine print.”

  Chapter Fifty Seven

  Riley

  After a tense attempt at renegotiation, Hunter and I finally emerge from my bedroom.

  My panties are in his pocket.

  It’s possible I’ve made a mistake.

  I take his hand anyway, letting an easy smile grace my lips as I haul Hunter back to the kitchen.

  As expected, Mom is waiting as if on tenterhooks.

  She breathes again when I enter the room, but I can feel the change in her. Whatever good will she’d been prepared to offer Hunter, it has been suspended until further notice.

  “Ray and I talked,” Mom says.

  I hold up a hand to stop her. “It’s fine.”

  “We don’t need the money,” she says, shaking her head. “He can wait. He can apply for the loan another time—”

  “Mom,” I interrupt firmly. “He doesn’t need to apply for another loan. Hunter’s set to invest. We’re good.”

  She shakes her head, shooting Hunter a dirty look. Her gaze drops to my hand in his, then she looks back at my face, her eyes pleading. “Now I need to talk to you.”

  I let go of Hunter’s hand and tell him I’ll be right back, then I follow Mom into the living room.

  “I think I may have put my cart behind the wrong horse,” she says in a rush. “But to be fair, there weren’t any good horses. You only like bad horses, so I just had to—Well, I guess I didn’t have to, I could have just let you figure it all out for yourself, but I couldn’t. I saw you heading straight for a train wreck and I had to try to stop it. Liking boys is one thing, I figured we’d have to deal with that eventually, but I panicked. I thought ‘Hunter might not be perfect, but there are worse boys she could like,’ and apparently, you were ready to! So, I thought maybe I should give Hunter a chance, but he’s a manipulator. I knew that. I—”

  I take her hand to get her attention. “Mo
m. Stop. I don’t know what you’re ranting about.”

  “I rescind my tentative approval of Hunter Maxwell,” she says, cutting to the chase.

  I shake my head, offering her a little smile. “Don’t do that.”

  “He’s a manipulative, spoiled jerk.”

  “Yes. A little bit. But he has a lot of great qualities, too. You’ll like him once you get to know him. And you’re going to get to know him, because he’s officially my boyfriend now.”

  This does nothing to reduce her horror. “Remember when we were joking around about me selling you to Hunter? That was a joke. I don’t want you to marry a mobster, either. Maybe I should be more careful about the jokes I make. I thought we were on the same page.”

  “You haven’t sold me to Hunter,” I assure her.

  Technically, I’ve sold myself.

  I don’t add that part.

  “You said he wasn’t your boyfriend. Now he is. I’m not an idiot, Riley. He’s holding this money over your head to get what he wants from you.”

  “No. I mean… kinda, but it’s not how you’re imagining it.”

  “It is. This is exactly the kind of thing I saw coming when he first started sending you gifts four years ago. I shouldn’t have let my guard down.”

  “Mom, stop. Please,” I say, pleading with my eyes. “I don’t need you to protect me, not from Hunter. It’s complicated and I don’t really want to explain why, I just want us all to start here. Let your impression of him be a good one. He’s not doing anything bad to me, I promise. He was just tired of being my boyfriend, but not really my boyfriend. Yes, he used giving Ray money as leverage, but it’s honestly not a big deal. And I’m not trapped in it. If I don’t like being his girlfriend, I can dump him. It doesn’t change anything between him and Ray. That is solid, it’s separate. There is no ongoing obligation on my end to keep that going.”

  That is a massive revision of the truth, but I can’t tell her I’m technically stripped of my ability to say no to Hunter until graduation if Ray takes the money. She’d never agree to it.

  Regarding me with enduring uncertainty, she says, “Are you sure?”