Ryder

by Ali Parker

  “Got it, boss.”

  “Good. Now get the hell out of my office. I’ve got work to do.”

  Slowly, Cayden rose to his feet all too aware of Sophie doing the same just a few bare inches away. Despite his best intentions, his thoughts rolled back to his fantasy of her and the knowledge that they would be spending the next few days in very close proximity only added fuel to the fire.

  He leaned even closer to whisper under his breath. “You know, this trip isn’t going to be cheap. With the company footing the bill, it might earn us some brownie points with the boss if we try and reduce some of the cost." Cayden wasn't quite looking at her, but he still saw her gray eyes narrow in suspicion.

  “Oh yeah? And how do you propose we, uh, ‘reduce the cost’ as you put it?”

  “Well, share a room. It makes sense. Hotels aren't cheap." He looked up at her just in time to see the bright pink blush heat her cheeks.

  “I would rather sleep in a cardboard box on the street.” Sophie growled at him under her breath before turning and leaving the office. Cayden followed, walking slower as his thoughts churned. They would have the entire weekend alone together. Who knows what could happen?

  He wasn't aware of the devilish grin that curled up at one corner of his lips as he walked back to his desk.

  Chapter 3

  Sophie

  Sophie kicked her heel restlessly as she looked around the busy terminal of JFK airport. There was still a good bit of time before her flight which left her with nothing to do but think about her upcoming trip to D.C. and her unfortunate choice in travel companion.

  It sure as hell wasn’t a choice, thank you very much. Sophie nodded to herself. Damn right it wasn’t. What was Harry trying to prove, anyway? Throwing them together like this. It wasn't fair that she had been saddled with Cayden for the trip. She'd be more than happy to work solo.

  She hated to admit it, even to herself, but the thought of spending the weekend alone with him made nerves erupt like a thousand butterflies inside her. It didn’t help that he was sexy as hell and the sight of his perfect dimples sent her body into overdrive.

  “I can control my own body.” She whispered to herself, trying desperately to make herself believe it, “I’m a grown ass woman.”

  The jangling ringtone of her phone reached her and Sophie sighed in relief. A distraction. Exactly what she needed. She fished her cell out of her oversized travel tote and nearly grinned when she saw Blair’s name on the caller id.

  "Just who I wanted to talk to," Sophie said in a rush as she answered the call and held the phone to her ear.

  “Good,” Blair said on the other line, “because you are exactly who I wanted to talk to. Hence the me calling you bit.” Sophie could practically see Blair’s eyes roll across the phone line.

  Sophie bit back a smile, “So, what’s going on?”

  “What’s going on is that you are about to go to Washington D.C. for the weekend and I couldn’t let you go without wishing you good luck first.”

  “Thanks, I’m going to need it to get through the next few days with Ray–.”

  "No, Soph, that's not what I'm talking about although to be honest you could use a little luck in that department too, that's another conversation entirely."

  “Then what are you talking about Blair?” Sophie shook her head in confusion.

  "The riots!" Her friend huffed in exasperation, "Have you not seen the news this morning? Things are getting tense in D.C. There have been several attacks and the weekend is only going to make things crazier. I’m worried about you.”

  "Well, don't be. I've faced worse things than a couple of protests. Wars. Mafia. You know, perilous situations. I think I’ll be okay.” Now, if only she could make it through the weekend with Cayden as easily as she did an active war zone. She had a feeling dealing with Cayden Ray was going to be a hell of a lot trickier.

  "Listen, Soph, it might not be a bad idea for you to stick with Cayden while you cover your stories." Blair started, but Sophie barely let her finish before she was arguing against it.

  “Uh uh. Not going to happen. I don’t want to spend any more time with the man than I absolutely have to. I don’t know what Harry was thinking–.”

  “I’m pretty sure he was thinking that a little healthy competition between us would help the better journalist rise to the top, so to speak.”

  Sophie squeaked in surprise at the sudden intrusion into her conversation and nearly dropped her phone as she turned back to see Cayden’s smirking face staring back at her.

  “Soph? Sophie? What was that? It sounded like a duck getting strangled. Is everything okay?” Blair was still talking in a rush in her ear.

  "Yeah, Blair. I'm all right," Sophie said, trying to moderate her voice. "Listen, I've got to go. Don't worry about me, alright? I'll be good, I promise."

  "I hope not," Cayden said under his breath but more than loud enough for her to catch the words. Sophie grit her teeth as Blair bid her a quick goodbye before ending the call. She forced her gaze to meet his, fighting the urge to blush and shout and sigh all at the same time.

  "Do you make it a habit of sneaking up on people, Ray?"

  "Just you." He said with a casual shrug and a wicked grin that made her want to scream as he dropped into the seat next to her. He slid her a sideways look. "I guess you're just special."

  “Uh huh. Real special.”

  "I mean it, Sophie," Cayden said, his voice dropping an octave and gaining a husky tone that made it suddenly hard to breathe. Why did airports have to be so damn hot? "You are special. Different than any woman I've met."

  Sophie snorted, missing the undercurrent of honest confusion edging his words, "Right, Ray, the only reason I'm different than any woman you've met is because I'm the only one who's ever turned you down before."

  “That’s not true!” He protested, holding up one hand and pretending to count on his fingers, “I’ve been turned down…at least three times before.”

  “Wow. A whole three times.” Sophie said, looking at anywhere but him. It was so much harder to be around him when he was like this. Laid back and joking with her. Arrogant, self-centered, being a general asshole. She’d take that any day. Asshole Cayden was a whole hell of a lot easier to resist. “That must have been so hard for you.”

  An expression of mock grief fell across his handsome features as he nodded solemnly, “It really was.” Cayden leaned forward suddenly, "Hey, why don't we grab a few drinks when we land in D.C. We're not going to be able to start working until tomorrow anyway. You know, just as co-workers."

  “Co-workers, huh?" Sophie repeated, for the briefest moment considering his offer. But she was afraid that if she had any alcohol, her inhibitions would fly straight out of the window and that would be the end of her resolve to stay away from Cayden Ray. “I–.” She had just opened her mouth to turn him down when the crackled voice spoke over the intercom.

  “Now boarding flight J-three-fourteen for Washington D.C.”

  “That’s us. Better get going.” Sophie said hastily, grabbing her bag and heading for the line that was forming in front of the gate number. It wasn't long before they were filing in, the flight attendant scanning their tickets before directing them to board and Sophie heaved a sigh of relief that she and Cayden were seated at opposite ends of the plane. Something about that man's presence addled her brains, made her think things she really, really shouldn't.

  But no matter how much she told herself not to, as the engines hummed to life and the plane took off down the runway, her thoughts turned back to him. Cayden Ray. It would be a mistake. A huge mistake. Off the charts mistake. But she also knew that giving in to him would open her up to a whole new world of pleasure. A world she’d never experienced before.

  She was a twenty-eight-year-old virgin, but that still didn't stop her from imagining just how much pleasure Cayden could give her, on a physical level at least. But what about emotionally? An inner voice asked, ruining her fantasy. Because she knew the
truth about that too. For Cayden, it would just be another conquest. Nothing more than a casual hook up. But what about for her?

  Sophie's thoughts turned to her ex-fiancé, Peter. The reason why they'd broken up had been because he couldn't handle a nonsexual relationship, at least according to him. She was pretty sure he was just a run of the mill cheating jack ass, but still, the doubt remained. Maybe she should just let go for once in her life. Let herself take what she wanted.

  In the back of her mind, in the deepest, darkest, dampest corners, she knew she wanted Cayden Ray as much as he wanted her. She had always believed she just hadn’t met the right man to share that part of herself with, even after dating Peter for nearly two years. But what would the cost be? Sophie had a feeling it would be far more than she was willing to pay.

  The rest of the flight passed by in a blur as she wrestled with herself, her logic warring with her desire but by the time the wheels landed in Washington D.C. she knew the answer. Cayden Ray was just too dangerous. Better to be safe than sorry.

  As soon as they landed, Sophie headed for the baggage claim to get her suitcase and hurried to catch a cab to the hotel the paper had set them up in, grateful that she avoided seeing Cayden again. She was worried he would destroy all the resolve she’d worked so hard on in the flight there.

  In the lobby of the hotel, she was just checking in to her room when the all too familiar voice stopped her cold in her tracks.

  “Hey, Sophie!”

  Slowly, reluctantly, she turned to face him.

  “Hey, you never answered my question.” Cayden’s words reached her, filling her with confusion.

  “What question, Ray?”

  "What do you say about those drinks?" The hope glimmering in his dark blue eyes was almost too much to resist. But she knew what she was there to do. And it wasn't to get shit faced with Cayden Ray, her biggest competitor. Slowly she shook her head watching his expression fall back into casual disinterest before she even opened her mouth.

  “Sorry, Ray, I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’ve got to get to work early tomorrow. I think I’m just going to go to my room and get some rest.”

  “Oh, it’s cool. Maybe some other time, then. We’re here all weekend.”

  "Well, goodnight, Ray," Sophie said as she turned away with a small wave, hating the knot of nerves he’d tied her into with just a few careless words.

  “Goodnight, Sophie.”

  Chapter 4

  Cayden

  Cayden took a long pull of the amber colored liquid, draining the last drop from the tumbler sitting on the bar in front of him before gesturing for another. He waited impatiently for the bartender to pour him another glass of bourbon before taking another deep drink. But not even the warmth of the liquor sweeping through him could dull the sharp edge off the frustration eating him up from the inside out.

  He’d been sitting at the bar of the hotel for over an hour trying to drink away the bad taste left in his mouth after Sophie’s reaction. He just didn’t get it. He didn’t understand. He could charm any woman, at least into an innocent drink if not into something slightly less innocent.

  Cayden smirked at the thought as he took another sip, but it fell as memories of Sophie surfaced. For years now he'd been trying to get her into bed. This weekend had seemed like the perfect chance to scratch the itch that had been plaguing him since the first time he saw her. They would be alone, no colleagues, no friends. Just them.

  He threw back another shot before giving a bitter grimace, at his dashed hopes of anything happening between them or the alcohol he wasn’t sure. The woman was infuriating, plain and simple.

  As Cayden drained his second drink, his cell phone rang, interrupting his thoughts for a moment but he nearly groaned as he glanced at the screen and saw who it was. It was his pops. With a slight feeling of guilt, he let it ring without answering.

  It wasn't the first time that week that he'd ignored a call from his dad, but their relationship was strained to say the least. He knew the old man was more than likely calling to rag on him some more about throwing away his dreams of being in the NFL so that he could write.

  Pops always said it like it was a bad thing, something dirty. My son is a writer. He writes. Like it was something to be ashamed of. Cayden had played football all through high school, even getting a sports scholarship to the University of Maryland. He’d always been good at playing the game, and even if he didn’t get as excited about it as his parents, he did love the perks. The notoriety. The cheerleaders. Any girl he wanted.

  But then it had happened. The first game of his sophomore year of college as the starting quarterback and he'd taken a bruising hit, torn his ACL. He'd been ready to give in then, to leave it all behind but he knew it was his folks’ dream for him to play pro. It always had been. Football was the only thing him, and his father ever could talk about. It was the only thing he’d ever known.

  Cayden sighed, nodding in thanks as the bartender brought him a new fresh drink. Midway into his second year, after months of grueling, agonizing physical therapy he was finally cleared to get back on the field. But he never played the same after that. He was slower, more cautious, and it had cost him more than a few plays.

  The spark had gone from the game. He was just there because he didn't know anything else. He'd always been the jock, the star football player. He didn't know how to be anything else. But still he played hard, he practiced hard. And exactly eight months after his first injury, he tore his ACL again.

  The agony had blinded him. It had felt like his whole leg had just gone up in flames. His parents told him it was just part of the game. They'd said that injuries were typical. And he went through another painful round of surgery and physical therapy. Cayden also realized something else then. Playing for the NFL had always been his parents’ dream, not his.

  Eventually he recovered, regained his strength. The worst day of his life up until that point had been the day he told his parents he was quitting football. They’d sat there, giving him a blank stare, silence ringing loud and sharp in the air.

  He remembered pop’s baffled question. So, what are you going to do instead? And he also remembered the way the old man’s expression morphed from confusion to disbelief to disgust when he told them he had enrolled in English and journalism courses. He wanted to be a writer. They weren’t exactly close after that, but Cayden realized they never really had been. He’d been living out their dreams for him like a good little boy, but they’d never truly been his dreams.

  He’d graduated with his degree in Journalism and had gotten a position at the World News through one of his professors. It had caused a rift between him and his parents, but he truly loved to write. He loved to get to the bottom of the story, to uncover the truth and share it with the rest of the world. That was his dream.

  Cayden loved his job, and as he took another sip of the bourbon in front of him, a wave of confidence rolled through him. That senior writing position was all but his. He knew that Harry had just sent them on this ‘job’ to make it look fair for Sophie, but as much as he respected her as a journalist, there was just no way she would get the job over him. He’d worked damned hard for the newspaper. He deserved that promotion more than anyone else.

  The buzz of his cell phone ringing drew his attention once more, and he automatically moved to turn it off, thinking it was another call from his dad but stopped as he caught the name on the caller ID.

  With a grin spreading across his face, he answered the phone and held it to his ear.

  “Brad! Hey man, what’s up?” Cayden said jovially. Brad Doyle was one of his closest friends and worked in the editorial department of the newspaper. He was also always good for a laugh. “I’m glad you called.”

  "Really? I was sure you'd be busy if you know what I mean." Cayden rolled his eyes good naturedly at the innuendo in his friend's voice.

  “Sorry to tell you, I am not busy at all at the moment. Just sitting at the hotel bar solo, I'm afraid." />
  “Bummer,” Brad said, commiserating, “That’s sad, man. You’re in D.C. There’s tons of hot chicks and the company’s footing the bill. You’re wasting a golden opportunity.”

  Cayden shook his head. “Well, there is this one…”

  “That’s what I’m talking about.”

  “You know her. She works with us at the paper–.”

  "Aw, come on, Ray. Sophie? Sophie Stone? Really? How you can still be hung up on her is beyond me.” Brad interrupted. “She is not your type.”

  “What do you mean, not my type?” Cayden demanded, “She gorgeous, smart, a damn good journalist–.”

  “Yeah, and she’s never going to sleep with you. Which is kind of your thing.”

  “What do you mean, my thing?”

  “This conversation is getting repetitive, bro,” Brad huffed, “I have it on pretty good authority that Sophie isn’t going to just jump into bed with any bloke who offers. Or any bloke at all, if you know what I mean.”

  “What, she…is she into girls?” Cayden asked, the alcohol starting to muddle his thoughts. “That would explain why she’s immune to my charms.”

  “No, you idiot. She was engaged, remember?” Brad said, and Cayden could hear his friend’s frustration across the line, “I overheard Sophie and that hot photographer–.”

  “Blair.” Cayden interrupted to correct.

  "Right, well I overheard Sophie and Blair talking about her ex, and I heard Sophie say that she’s still a virgin, and that’s why they broke it off. Something about her ex having to find satisfaction elsewhere.”

  Brad was still talking, but his words had triggered something deep inside Cayden, and he couldn't focus on what his friend was saying.

  “Yo, Cay, are you still there?” Brad said, interrupting the visions that were suddenly dancing through his head.

  "Yeah, um, I got to go. Talk to you later." Cayden didn't give Brad a chance to say anything else before hanging up the line, his thoughts entirely focused on one thing and one thing only. Sophie Stone was a virgin.