Release (Iris Series)

by Lynn, Rebecca

He was so adorable. She hadn’t had a man ask her about where she was going since Brent, and even then it wasn’t nearly as intense as Jeremy.

  She smiled. “I’ll call her when I leave the Academy. Probably around seven. Anything else you’d like to know?”

  He glared at her. “No,” he said quietly.

  For some reason, she felt the need to touch his face. So, she did, laying her palm on his cheek, feeling its scruff. She could feel the burn marks on her mouth from it. It felt wonderful.

  He grabbed her wrist, and turned his mouth into her palm, then kissed his way up to the inside of her wrist, and took nibbles there.

  Her eyes began to glaze over again.

  “Until Tuesday, then. I’m looking forward to it, Ryann,” then he sank his teeth into the fleshy part of her palm below her thumb

  He released her wrist, then turned and went out the door, closing the door behind him.

  One second later, he tapped, and said through the door, “Lock up.”

  Flustered, she bolted and chained the door, and listened to him walk away.

  Chapter 12

  Ryann awoke in her new apartment, the muffled sounds of nature mixing with the sounds of the City that never sleeps. She realized after going to bed, that sleeping with the window open wasn’t going to work for her, at least not until she became an official city girl. Hearing constant sirens and garbage trucks didn’t contribute to a good night’s sleep. She eventually had to close the window and turn on a fan.

  However, that wasn’t the only reason for her sleep deprivation.

  Deciding to get up and go for a run, she quickly pulled on some yoga pants and sneakers, a sports bra and tank top, and headed out the door to take a jog along the West Side Highway starting at Chelsea Piers.

  She normally ran three times a week, peppering in days of doing pilates and yoga as well, and she found today of all days, she needed the time to decompress. To think.

  Because to make matters worse, last night she discovered more things about Jeremy that made their situation even more complicated.

  After he had left, she was too hyped up to keep unpacking. Knowing that the apartment complex kept the wifi on when new owners transitioned into their places, she was able to hook her laptop up and get on the old Google machine.

  Not being able to help herself, she began a search on Jeremy. What she discovered made the butterflies wreak havoc on her stomach. There were tons of photos of him, some were group shots of him with various people at exhibits, and she found one with his mom at the M Gallery when it opened three years earlier.

  But the most disconcerting ones were of him pictured with so many beautiful women. Photo after photo of him going to various social events, usually having to do with the art world in some way, with gorgeous elegant women on his arm.

  As if seeing him in those pictures wasn’t bad enough, the piece de resistance was what she discovered after that.

  The JQ Foundation, which funded the Manhattan Institute for Art and Design, turned out to be the James Quinn Foundation, named for Jeremy’s father. And the kicker was Jeremy’s grandfather, the first Jeremy Quinn, actually started the Institute.

  She was flummoxed. How did she not know any of this, and why the hell hadn’t Jeremy told her? She let go of a pent up breath, and was beginning her third mile, as she began circling back to her apartment.

  She knew why he hadn’t told her. He knew that she wouldn’t go out with him if she knew. And didn’t that just piss her off. Because as far as she was concerned, this made their conflict exponentially worse. What would it look like to have an intern in the instructor program seeing not only the Vice Chairperson of the board, but someone who was also part of the founding family of the Institute still funding it through their foundation?

  She couldn’t go out to dinner with him. And it killed her to even think that because she so badly wanted to go out with him. She wanted to see where this could go. She just plain wanted.

  But one of them had to be realistic, right? Someone had to be the mature one, and it looked like it was going to be her. He had willingly withheld the information from her, all because he basically wanted to get laid. That’s what it really boiled down to, as crude as it may have sounded. And that saddened her, angered her, and just made her tired of dealing with it. She didn’t want to go into this new job with a blot on her reputation.

  Her apartment building came into view, and she finally made it into the lobby, then headed up to her new fifth floor home. After she walked inside, she jumped into the shower, and let the water beat down on her. She needed to call him and tell him she wouldn’t be going out with him the next night. She didn’t want them to have this conversation at the Institute.

  After her shower, she went to her bedroom to get a robe, and noticed the message light blinking on her phone. She had a text. It had come in while she was in the shower.

  She looked at the phone, and her heartbeat tripped in her chest. Speak of the devil.

  JM: R u awake?

  She took a steadying breath. She couldn’t believe he was texting her. She typed back.

  RT: Yes.

  She sat there waiting for his response.

  Ping! her phone sounded.

  JM: I dreamt of u last night.

  She flopped on the bed and sighed, beginning to feel that familiar arousal curling through her. She looked up at the ceiling in her new bedroom. God, she wished she wasn’t so attracted to him. It would make this so much easier. She had to put a stop to this.

  Now.

  She texted him back.

  RT: We need to talk.

  She waited for his response. Her biggest problem, among others, was that she didn’t think she could trust him. Of course he came from a good family, and she knew he wasn’t a serial killer or anything, but it was her heart she didn’t trust him with.

  And given the photos she immersed herself in the night before, she wasn’t planning on being another wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am girl of his. Not to mention all of the other issues with him lying about his actual association with the Institute.

  At that moment, her phone jangled and she jumped. Not because it was ringing, but because of what it was playing. Paul Rodgers from Bad Company was rockin’ out in his gritty voice, singing to her that he felt like making love...feel like mak-in’ love to youuu...”

  She grabbed it and noticed it was Jeremy’s name that appeared. If she wasn’t so pissed off at him at the moment, she would be laughing.

  She took a deep breath, and answered.

  “Jeremy...What did you do to my phone?” she demanded.

  He chuckled, “You don’t like my ringtone? It’s true, you know. I do feel like makin’ love to you...every second of the day.” Pause. “That text sounded ominous.”

  She had to stay strong. She couldn’t play around with him, so she asked without preamble, “Why didn’t you tell me your family started the Institute, or that your family foundation continues to fund it?”

  There was a pause.

  “I didn’t realize that information was a necessary component to our situation.”

  “You didn’t think it was necessary for me to know that?”

  “Ryann, I can’t help it if my grandfather began the Institute, nor can I help it that years ago it was decided my father’s foundation would continue to fund it. All of these decisions were made way before I had any hand in them.”

  “Still, Jeremy, you didn’t tell me these things for a reason. And we both know what that reason was.”

  “The reason is this information doesn’t have anything to do with our relationship.”

  “Well, that’s where you’re wrong, on two counts. One, this information has everything to do with it, and two, we don’t have a relationship.” She paused, and said, “I won’t be meeting you for dinner tomorrow night. I think we need to limit our seeing each other to when we bump into one another at the Institute.”

  “Ryann, this is a non-issue, I promise you. I don’t have my hands i
n every day to day decision that is made at the Institute. I’m simply going to be on the board overseeing major decisions on the direction of it. I already told you when it comes time to decide on your hiring, an alternate will step in. So, the more you keep saying no, the more I’m going to keep saying yes.”

  “No, Jeremy. I mean it this time. We can’t do this. I mean, really. This was important for me to know! And the more I think about it, the more I realize I won’t be able to trust you. How can I, when it’s obvious you’re only going to tell me things that will further your agenda? Besides, if all you want is to get laid, you can just pick from your bevy of beauties who you seem to be in a million pictures with on the internet.”

  She huffed out a breath, because she was working herself up into a tizzy.

  “Ryann. I swear to God, if I was in your apartment right now, I’d put you over my knee,” he growled. “The only reason why you’re saying all of this is because you’re looking for an excuse. You’ve decided to let some search engine tell you who I am, rather than getting to know the real me. Is that really the way you want to do this, Ry? You want to give your fear that much power over you? Because that doesn’t seem too courageous or fair to me, and from what everyone has said about you, you’re the bravest most fair woman they know.”

  How was he able to turn the tables on her so effortlessly? God, she was so torn. Now, she felt ashamed, because he was right in some respects. It wasn’t fair to not get to know the real him and to listen to gossip, but at the same time, he was the one in the wrong for not sharing the information at the beginning. She didn’t know if she could deal with all of the business with the Institute.

  And she wasn’t using this as an excuse. She wasn’t.

  Jeremy finally broke the silence, and said quietly, “Ryann, I could pick anyone, you’re right. But I don’t want anyone. I want you. Is that what you think this is only about? Me getting laid? God, why do you think so little of me? I do want you. I’m not going to act like I don’t, but you want me, too.”

  She was beginning to feel guilty about how she went about this. She let out a frustrated sigh, and it was mainly directed toward herself.

  “I don’t think little of you, Jeremy. I don’t. I just think there are too many cards stacked against us.”

  “Come to dinner with me tomorrow night. Please. We just need to talk this through face to face so I can convince you that you can trust me.”

  He was saying all of the right things, letting her know that she was different. But she was still determined to be cautious. She had to steel herself against the lust that seemed to grip her whenever he was around. It was amazing to her how much his nearness messed with her body and head.

  “Listen, I need to start getting ready for graduation. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know about dinner, ok?”

  “Ryann, -”

  “I’ve gotta go, Jeremy. I’ll call you tomorrow,” then she disconnected the call quickly before she changed her mind.

  She was so confused, because she wanted him so badly. He did seem like such a great guy. She just needed to work through the new information about who he was, and how that may affect her placement at the Institute.

  She wiped a frustrated tear that leaked from her eye. She needed to get her emotions in check. She didn’t want him to see her this way.

  She spent the next couple of hours trying not to think about him, but it was nearly impossible. The knock at the door pulled her out of her mental playback of the morning. She walked over to let Jonathan in.

  “Wow. You look great,” he said, standing in his light gray suit, and giving her a once over with his eyes.

  She had decided on a simple jersey wrap dress in a fresh springtime green that came to the knee, and had elbow length sleeves. She coupled it with her nude slingbacks, and put on her pearl choker and earrings. She left her hair down, full and wavy, flowing just past her shoulders.

  “Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself,” she smiled.

  He looked her in the eye. “So, did you stay up late last night?”

  She sighed, not wanting to talk about Jeremy. “No, Mr. White.” She shook her head and added with a slight smile, “Jeremy left shortly after you. In fact, I was in bed by nine. You were right. I was exhausted.”

  He put up his hand. “I was just asking.”

  “Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

  “Ryann, you may be the strongest woman I’ve ever met. You’ve had to overcome some pretty unbelievable obstacles, and you’ve done it with grace and determination.”

  “Thanks.” Pause. “Is there a question in there?”

  He paused, as if gauging if he should say anything. “No. Just an observation.”

  She smirked. “What’s your observation?”

  “I know men, Ryann. And I may be speaking out of turn here, but…it’s obvious Jeremy is very interested in you.” She had known Jonathan throughout her grieving period of Brent’s death, and she was pretty sure he knew that she hadn’t dated anyone since then. Or at least, she figured he had a good idea that she hadn’t.

  Her heart fluttered. “What makes you say that?”

  He ticked off on his fingers. “His showing up was a surprise, which was obvious. You only met him on Friday. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of you. And he was definitely sending ‘hands off’ vibes my way. He’s interested, Ry.”

  “Did he say something to you when I was in the kitchen?” Although she was thrilled by what Jonathan had just said, she was slightly alarmed that Jeremy would say something to him.

  Jonathan chuckled. “No. But I’m a man, and I can just tell.” Then he turned serious. “You deserve all of the happiness in the world, Ryann. I mean that with all of my heart. And if Jeremy can keep you smiling, as well as keep that very becoming blush on your face, then I’m all the happier. I mean that.”

  Ryann swallowed. “Thank you, Jon,” then she looked away. “I don’t even know if anything is going to happen with him,” she mumbled.

  “You’ve been through a lot, Ry. Don’t let him rush you. If he’s worth it, he’ll wait until you’re ready. But know this, if he hurts you, I’ll be here for you if you need anything. Apartment 7C. Just come on up. I hope no matter what, that we can always be friends. I truly value our relationship.”

  Ryann put her hand in Jonathan’s, feeling so content and happy in that moment to have the friendship of this wonderful man.

  “Thank you so much for your friendship. You’ve been wonderful to me these last couple of years. I value our relationship, too.” Then she switched gears, and said with a raised eyebrow, “And since we’re talking about relationships, I couldn’t help but notice a little…friction…between you and Ayanna last night.”

  His jaw tightened, and then he smiled, squeezing her hand before releasing it. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

  “Listen,” Ryann said, “I know she can come on a little strong. But she’s been my best friend for years. There’s a depth to her that many don’t get a chance to see. Don’t judge her too harshly.”

  Ryann smiled, watching him process what she’d just said.

  “If she has depth to her at all, then maybe she should change her approach,” he said dryly.

  Ryann gave him a quirky smile. “Apparently her approach didn’t impress you.”

  He looked at her. “Let’s just say that, at the moment, you being her best friend is the best thing she has going for her,” he said raising his eyebrow sarcastically.

  She liked Jonathan, but she immediately jumped to Ayanna’s defense. “That’s not true at all. You don’t know her. Trust me on this. She’s had to overcome quite a few obstacles herself. Given the fact that I’m friends with both of you, I’m sure you’ll see her again, and I don’t want there to be problems if we all bump into each other.”

  As soon as her defense of Ayanna left her mouth, she immediately thought of Jeremy. Was she doing the same thing to him, that Jonathan was doing to Ayanna? The thought made her
feel a little sick.

  He smirked. “Don’t worry. I can handle it,” then under his breath, “and her, if need be.”

  Oh well, Ryann thought. They were adults. She’d let them duke it out.

  They smiled at each other, then Jonathan said, “Alright, enough of this love fest. Let’s get out of here.”

  The next several hours were spent familiarizing Ryann with the subway stops, and arriving to the Academy, making sure all of the students were ready for this first big milestone in their lives.

  By the time the ceremony was over, and the faculty and families were enjoying some refreshments in the hall outside the auditorium, it was already past six, and she was supposed to meet Ayanna at seven. She texted her to give her a heads up that she would be leaving soon. After that, she needed to start saying her goodbyes so she could head out and meet up with her. They had agreed to go to a wine bar in Ryann’s new neighborhood a block or so from her apartment complex.

  She sought out Jonathan, and walked over to say goodbye.

  “Hey,” she said when she found him.

  “Hey, yourself.” He stepped away from the family with whom he was talking.

  “I’m gonna start saying my goodbyes, then get going. Thanks for showing me how to get here today. What are you doing tonight? Do you have any plans?”

  “I’m actually meeting up with someone later,” he said vaguely.

  “Oh, ok.” He didn’t elaborate, so she didn’t ask. “Well, if I need a cup of sugar, I know where to go,” she smiled.

  “That’s that sweet white stuff, right?” he smiled back, and bumped shoulders with her.

  She laughed, then said, “Alright, let me start getting out of here. I’ll see you around the complex.”

  “Not unless I see you first,” he winked.

  She spent the next 15 or 20 minutes saying her goodbyes to students and faculty, feeling a nostalgia grab hold of her knowing that this would be the last time she would see most of them. Eventually, she hopped on the subway to meet Ayanna.

  She met up with her on 20th Street, just outside the popular wine bar “By the Glass.” Ayanna looked great as always, her silky black hair like a rainfall down her back, a gold silk fitted tank top, which made her latte colored skin glow, and cream colored skinny jeans, with a pair of strappy metallic high heeled sandals.