by T. L Smith
He raises an eyebrow at me. “Fuck! That was fast,” he says, surprised.
“Does that affect you?”
He looks at me then shakes his head. “No. It makes me relieved that I won’t have someone coming over to try to destroy us. Well, apart from...” he trails off.
My eyebrows scrunch together and wait for him to finish but he doesn’t, so I say, “Apart from what?”
“Well, we got more photos.” My heartrate picks up. His hand holds onto my thigh keeping me in place. “Quinn’s looking into it, though. He’s the best at what he does. It’s why we have him.”
My head drops. “What were the photos of, exactly?”
He looks back to the television. My hand grips his thigh now, and he turns back to look at me. His teeth grit together as he answers me, “You and Stiles.”
I look at him like I don’t believe him. He pulls them from his pocket, showing me. He’s right. It’s Stiles and me kissing. And there’s some other where we’re doing more stuff than that. Looking up at him, his teeth are gritted and his hands are clenched to his side.
I crawl onto his lap, my hands threading through his hair as I look at him.
“You and I is all that matters now, right?”
He nods his head, pressing it into my neck and holding me to him. “You and I,” he says as I hold onto him. I can feel him between my legs as he hardens at my touch. I don’t mean to do it, yet somehow I do as I grind on him. Trying to cure that urge that holds me every time he’s near. His hands become fast as he reaches between us, freeing his cock then sliding my panties to the side, and he’s in me in a matter of seconds. I start moving, bouncing on him, as he pulls my hair to the side, biting at my neck. He grips my hair with his hands and pulls my head back, exposing my neck. He then licks it until he reaches between my breasts and pulls the buttons open, revealing my lace bra which he bites through to my nipple.
“Ryken...”
His hands drop to my hips, and he helps me move even faster. Faster and faster we move until we come together. “Fuck! I love you. Move in with me.”
I lay on his shoulder and don’t answer him. Because I never expected him to ask that so soon. We haven’t even decided on what we are. So far, we’re two people exploring each other, and can’t seem to stop doing it. I’m not sure I’m ready for what he wants.
“Barbie...” he pulls me back, brushing my hair back from my face, “... answer me?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ryken
She doesn’t answer me, and I have to lift her chin to look at me for an answer. I’m serious, I want her with me every day and forever. I want to wake up to her and have her there whenever I need her. Because I need her a lot, a whole fucking lot.
She goes to move off of me, but I hold her to me not letting her move until I get my answer from her sweet lips.
“No.”
I look at her, shocked.
“No,” she says this time more of a whisper. “I like where I live, it’s mine.”
“Mine could be yours as well.”
She shakes her head. Her hand waves around the small apartment she calls her own. “This is mine, and I’m happy here. At least for now.”
“You’ll consider it, though. Later on?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe, but no guarantees.”
“I can take that.” I lift her up and onto the bed. My cell rings with Quinn’s name coming up. I kiss her on the lips as I bring the cell to my ear. “Yes.”
“I’m out front of her shop, let me in.” I hang up and smile looking down at her as I get off of her. Pulling her skirt down her legs, her panties now destroyed, she smiles at me.
“Quinn’s coming up.”
She sits up, and does her shirt up, then stands, brushing her skirt down flat. Walking down, I see Quinn at the door, but next to him is someone I didn’t expect to see. Her hair is short and blonde, and she has the most significant scowl written all over her face.
“You brought company?” I ask him. He looks back to the girl, who’s possibly eighteen, and touches her shoulder. She shrugs him off as he points to the door. She steps in, scowls at me, then he follows. They follow me up the stairs to where Barbie’s waiting. When Barbie sees the girl, she gasps loudly, and the girl spits at her and tries to hit her, while Quinn pulls her back just in time.
“That bitch,” Quinn’s blonde screams.
I push Barbie behind me, while Quinn holds his girl tight. “You better get her under control, and tell her to never go for Barbie again, or I won’t be as nice as you, Quinn.”
The girl stops moving and calms down in his hands.
Barbie steps around me and offers a weak smile to the girl. “I never meant to hose you down. You know I didn’t have a choice,” Barbie says, confusing me.
“You know her?”
Barbie looks at me surprised. “She was there when I was. Scott made me clean her. She tackled me to the ground, and Scott knocked her out,” she says. Barbie steps around me, and I keep her to me, because if this girl thinks she can touch what’s mine, she’s delusional. That will never happen.
“You aren’t here to become friends,” I say, looking at the girl then to Quinn, who nods his head. “Now tell me, who the fuck sent that shit?”
He passes me a piece of paper, and all that’s on it is a phone number. “It’s untraceable, but it’s still an active number. Ring it and try to see if they’ll answer. So far that’s all we’ve found.” I take the number and push it into my pocket.
Barbie steps forward, offering her hand to the girl who’s now standing behind Quinn. “I’m Saskia.”
She looks to Barbie like she’s crazy. She may be, considering she’s stepping forward to a girl that wanted to hurt her just seconds ago. Quinn pushes her forward, so she steps in front and looks toward her.
“I don’t like you.” Saskia drops her hand. “But I’m willing to try. Better than only having him next to me all day.” She looks to Quinn then back to Barbie. “I’m Sabrina,” she finally says. Barbie has a ghost of a smile on her face as she looks at her then steps next to me, her small hands gripping onto my arm.
“Boss, you have that meeting tomorrow.” Quinn gives me a pointed look.
“You’ll attend?”
He nods his head then places his hand back on Sabrina. Barbie offers them a small wave as I walk them out and lock the door behind them. Walking back into her small area, I see she’s already in bed with one of my shirts on and curled up into a ball to view the rest of the television program we were watching earlier.
“We’re a thing now, aren’t we?” she asks as I undress and climb in behind her, spooning her.
“Fucking oath, we are. You’re mine.” I pull her closer to me.
“And you’re mine...”
I growl in her ear and bite her earlobe. She laughs then hits me away. Can you die of happiness? Because I sure as shit want to right now. Barbie is it for me, and I can never dream of replacing her. No one comes close to how I feel when we’re together. “Now I just have to get a baby in that belly, and a ring on that finger.”
She doesn’t respond or even move. She seems to go stock still. Pulling her so she’s facing me she tries to hide her fear, but I see it.
“What’s wrong?”
She looks down, and I kiss her nose. “I’m not sure I want children.”
That little statement comes as a shock.
Don’t most woman want to have children?
“Well, we won’t have children then.”
She looks up to me. “Do you want kids?” I shrug, unsure of what to answer. I guess I always thought it would happen. It’s what we do, have children to leave things to. Who would I leave my businesses to? “If you don’t, I don’t. As long as I have you.”
She smiles at me then it falls from her lips. “We still aren’t going to be moving fast. I like staying here. I like having my space right now. It got taken from me once, and I don’t want it retaken,” she says in a small voice
.
“I would never take it from you.”
She turns back around and pulls my hand over hers, threading her fingers with mine. It’s how she falls asleep, very fast, leaving me with thoughts racing through my mind.
SHE’S UP AND GONE BEFORE I even get up. I felt her wake up and kiss me then she was gone. It’s perfect. So much fucking perfect right now that I’m afraid to get up and leave this fucking bed in case something goes wrong. But I have to because I have everyone coming to my house today. To a house that was once my father’s and is now mine. Well, no, I still have to make it my own. That’s going to be hard when everything in that place reminds me of him.
Pulling open the bag that I brought up last night, I quickly get dressed and walk down the stairs to where I know she’ll be. Saskia works harder than most people I know. She lives and breathes this place. I can see her love for it every time she talks about it. When I get down there, it’s not her standing behind the desk, it’s Stiles’ sister.
She turns and smiles at me. “She’ll be out soon.”
I nod my head and walk over to sit down.
“You really fuck up her life, don’t you?” I look back up to her, shocked that she uttered those words to me.
Who the fuck is she? Oh, that’s right Stiles’ sister. Of course, she’s going to hate me.
“Excuse me?” I question, standing.
She waves a hand at me. “Don’t act like I’m talking gibberish...” she pauses looking at me, “... you know what I mean. But lucky for you, she loves you, or this could be awkward.” I want to tell her it’s already awkward, but before I say a word, Barbie walks out. She straightens her skirt with her hands, looks up at both of us and smiles. That smile makes my heart pitter-patter. She gives me butterflies. This sexy blonde that I now call my own is walking toward me like I’m all she sees. The things that does to me are indescribable.
“You met,” Barbie says, smiling. I take her in my arms, pulling her to me. She giggles like a schoolgirl or a girl in love. I can’t tell the difference. She should hate me, for all the things I’ve put her through. She should detest me. I’m glad she doesn’t. I’m so happy she’s standing right here right now, in my arms. It’s the way it should always be. It’s how we should have always been. It’s how we were meant to be.
“We have.” Becca smiles at me and nods her head to Barbie.
“That makes me happy, Becca’s the best. I’m not sure where I would be without her.” I look up to Becca, who’s now smirking at me.
“You’d be exactly where you are today,” I say reassuringly. “Come to my place? I have a meeting, but we could play after?” I whisper into her ear. “I want you in my house, in my room, and on my bed.” She turns around, wrapping her hands around my neck, then she leans up and kisses me on the lips and offers me the largest of smiles. Fuck, how I love those smiles, each one is made for me.
“I was planning to spend the day with you anyway. I just have to finish up some things.” Becca hands Saskia her bag as we walk out the door. “I like your car. Did I tell you that yesterday?” I throw her the keys, and she looks at them confused. “What am I meant to do with these?”
I shrug my shoulders. “It’s yours.”
Her eyes go wide, and her head starts to shake. “No. No, you can’t give me a car.” She’s holding the keys out like they may bite her.
“I can, and I just did.”
She shakes her head again. “You can’t give a girl a car that you’ve only just started seeing. That’s insane.”
I laugh at her. “I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you. I know you, and I’m giving this car to you. So take it.”
She looks up at me, now smiling from my words. “You loved me from the moment you saw me?”
“That’s all you got from this conversation? Not that the car is yours?”
She smiles harder. “I think I loved you from then, too. How’s that possible?”
Walking around to her, so we are closer, I press her ass back into the car and kiss her lips. With each kiss, a word falls from my lips. “Because...” kiss “we,” kiss “were,” kiss, “meant,” kiss, “to,” kiss, “be.” She giggles again, and I slam my lips down on hers stealing all of her.
She pushes me off and smiles. “You’re not giving me a car.”
“By the end of the day, it will be in your name. You can leave it here if you want.” She shakes her head as I push off of her, and open the passenger side door getting in, making her walk around to the driver’s seat, and slowly she slides in.
“I really like this car, but you can’t buy me. You know that, right? Just because you did once, doesn’t mean you can again?” I laugh, remembering that perfect time in my life, when I had her under me, and I didn’t understand those feelings she provoked in me.
“I never plan to buy you. I plan to keep you and keep you happy for the rest of our lives.” She starts the car, and when she takes off, she doesn’t go slow. She speeds off as fast as she can around the corners, and when I look at her, I see the most beautiful girl in the entire fucking world, who’s now mine. And I’m never letting her go. I’d die before that happened.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Saskia
He gave me his car, his shiny red car. I’m going to give it back, but I’m sure as shit enjoying driving it for now. It’s one of the most beautiful cars I’ve ever driven. Pulling up to his house, cars are lined up everywhere. The last time I was here, I cut my feet open in his room. Now I’m back and this time with him by my side, and not as some sort of third wheel or a sordid hidden object.
“They’re early,” Ryken says.
We get out and see Cane and Quinn straight away. They look to be in a heated discussion on the steps but shake their heads at each other as we walk up. Ryken’s hand touches the small part of my back as we make our way up and past his friends. The door is open, and he walks straight in. Sabrina’s there and seated on a sofa by herself, while some of the guys I recognize sit across from her, staring at her. The leader, the one that spoke most when they took me, looks at me and smirks. He looks past me, and I feel him before I see him—Ryken sits down next to me, his hand on my thigh and leans in and whispers in my ear, “Why don’t you go up to the room?” I shake my head. He doesn’t argue, just keeps his hand where it is and looks around.
“Why are we here, Ryken?” This comes from the guy sitting across from us, his name is Michael from what I remember.
“Michael, do you have better plans?” Ryken says, laughing.
Michael’s lips twitch. “Yes, actually I do, I could be nose deep in pussy right now.” He winks at me then sits back further.
“I’m not afraid to punch you out again if you wink at my woman,” Ryken says in his most serious voice, the air turning frigid. His hand stays on my thigh, and he squeezes it before he moves. Quinn and Cane walk in. Cane sits next to me, while Quinn stands behind Sabrina. She visibly relaxes with him being near. It’s quite surprising not to see her attacking anyone.
“Boss.”
We all look to a man who’s younger than me. And I’m probably one of the youngest here, apart from Sabrina. He scratches his head then looks at Michael and then to Ryken, and he has a vest on the same as Michael. “Are we here about the threats on your woman?”
Ryken’s eyes go dark as he inclines his head, and everyone seems to go quiet.
“We had a letter sent to us as well. Along with a photo of us putting your girl in the van.” Ryken’s hand tightens on my leg, and I manage to squeal as his fingers dig in harder than he obviously intended because as soon as he realizes what he’s doing, he lifts his hand.
Ryken stands, pulls out his cell, and looks around. “Does anyone here want to admit to anything? I may consider killing you faster if you confess right now?” Ryken asks, looking around.
Not a peep is heard, so he shrugs his shoulders and presses call. We all sit there confused, until....
It’s a phone, and it’s ringing right next to me. Eve
ryone seems to turn at that exact moment, and all eyes come to me, or should I say the person sitting next to me. Something cold touches my neck before I have a chance to turn around and see who it is. But his voice I recognize straight away when he speaks.
“You dumb fuck.”
Cane?
My eyes go wide, and Ryken looks to him, shocked. Out of everyone here, I’m guessing Cane never came across his radar. Not once.
Voices are raised, and people start moving.
My heart goes into overdrive, I’m not sure what’s going on. Ryken’s nostrils flare in anger, his fists clench, and his knuckles turn white. Everything seems to go in slow motion.
How is this my life?
How am I the person that ends up in these situations?
I don’t ask for this. I don’t bring them on myself. They just seem to happen. All the damn time.
My eyes lock onto Ryken.
Is it him?
Is he a curse on me?
He can’t be, though, because he’s everything I want when it’s just the two of us. We are perfect together. A sonata of two perfect souls coming together to form a movement within a symphony.
Ryken Lord is it for me. I kind of knew that the moment I met him. I just forgot to tell myself I could have him and that I could be happy.
And now, it could all be ripped away from me, and I didn’t even see it coming. I thought Ryken would handle everything. Keep me safe. But by the look on his face, he had no idea this was Cane. No one did. Obviously.
Why would he do that?
Why would he send photos of me to everyone to stay clear?
Have I hurt him, and I wasn’t aware of it?
I’m so confused my head hurts.
“Saskia,” Cane says my name.
Ryken steps forward and stops suddenly. Something sharp hits my neck, and it’s ice cold. Ryken’s eyes go wild, his eyebrows draw together, and he’s so tense I can see his muscles vibrating with absolute rage.