by A. F. Zoelle
Narrowing his eyes in irritation as he shoved hard at Hunter’s chest to push him away, Ryder snapped, “I’m being serious, damn it!”
“So am I,” Hunter retorted, his tone finally reflecting it. “It’s none of your concern, so—“
“It is my concern!” Ryder interrupted to protest.
In that moment, Hunter realized that Ryder cared far too much about him, possibly because of some misguided understanding about their relationship. “No, it’s not,” Hunter coldly informed Ryder, surprised to see anger rather than defeat in his defiant green eyes.
“So you’re really there because you enjoy it?” Ryder asked, a note of hysteria creeping into his exasperation. He couldn’t stand the thought that Hunter was okay with being debased by so many people, for as long as he had, however long that had been.
Shrugging nonchalantly, Hunter insisted, “Pleasure is pleasure, regardless of what form it takes.”
“Oh, and if Jake showed up, you’d still find pleasure in that?” Ryder bitterly retorted, shocked by the ugly hint of jealousy he felt at his own words.
Shrugging the concern away, Hunter stated, “That can never happen, so the possibility is of no consequence to me.”
“What do you mean?” Ryder asked, confused by the assertion and disgusted by the weird sense of relief that flitted through him.
“He can’t afford me,” Hunter arrogantly replied.
Refusing to concede his point, Ryder insisted, “I’m sure that there are others that you can’t stand having to…”
Despite the severity of the situation, Hunter couldn’t help but be amused by Ryder’s inability to voice the vulgarity of reality. “Having to fuck,” Hunter finished the sentence, his smirk turning cruel.
“Why?” Ryder repeated, pleading with his eyes for an answer. He needed a reason, needed a way to make sense about the whole situation.
“I have my reasons,” Hunter flatly answered, wishing that Ryder would just accept it and move on to something else. “I don’t need you to understand or approve of them.”
Of all the reactions Hunter had expected, Ryder sitting up and embracing him was not one of them. Awkwardly sitting there and receiving the attention, Hunter softly sighed as he asked with some amount of resignation, “What are you doing?”
Saying nothing and holding Hunter that much tighter, Ryder hid his face against Hunter’s neck, struggling with the urge to try and make it better when he knew there was nothing he could do. “I don’t know,” Ryder mumbled, feeling ridiculous.
Against his better judgment, Hunter loosely wrapped one arm around Ryder’s waist as he stated, “You’re being ridiculous.”
“I noticed,” Ryder dryly replied. He still didn’t have any answers, which was upsetting. Hunter was skillfully dodging his attempts to find out more, making Ryder wonder what horrible truth he was trying so desperately to hide.
They stayed like that for a few moments, before Hunter used his free hand to make Ryder look up at him. Cradling Ryder’s cheek, Hunter softly told him, “You care, and you shouldn’t.”
Silently regarding Hunter and very conscious of the warm hand caressing him, Ryder asked, “Are you any different?”
Rather than confirming or denying, Hunter merely murmured, “You’re going to get me into trouble one of these days.” He then leaned forward to kiss Ryder with a surprising amount of tenderness.
For Hunter, it wasn’t a question of caring or emotions. Ryder had become a person that mattered to him, dangerous as that was. Even though Ryder didn’t have the same finesse that Cesare did, Hunter derived great satisfaction out of their time together. It was for that reason that Hunter wasn’t opposed to whatever it was that was developing between them. As long as Christophe remained ignorant of the situation, Hunter was confident that it would be fine.
Their kiss became an outlet for the needy passion that they shared. It didn’t matter that they were on a couch in the student union, in plain sight of anyone who stumbled upon them, because they were too caught up in each other.
Eventually Hunter started to push Ryder back down onto the couch, his impulses demanding more. Ryder offered no protests as Hunter resumed kissing his way down the path of his shirt buttons. He was working Ryder into a daze, immensely enjoying the process of demolishing his rival’s composure.
The sight of the hickey on Ryder’s hip went straight to Hunter’s cock as he made a pleased sound of satisfaction. Kissing it gently, Hunter was beyond pleased with himself. “Is this what you came to show me last night?” Hunter questioned, mouthing the words against the mark he had left.
It was impossible for Ryder to answer straightaway because of the way that Hunter was teasing the sensitive spot. His first attempt at a reply came out as a breathy moan and his second was a shaky gasp as Hunter lightly nipped at it, causing Ryder to arch up in pleasure despite the pain. “No,” Ryder denied, unable to elaborate because he didn’t trust his voice not to betray him.
“Or did you just want to see me?” Hunter continued, lightly blowing on the mark and watching as chills rose in response.
Shifting uncomfortably under the attention, Ryder growled low in his throat in protest. It wasn’t fair that Hunter could get answers when he wasn’t willing to give any himself. Steadfastly remaining mute on the subject, Ryder endured the skillful way that Hunter taunted him with his lips and tongue on the mark, which was coming to symbolize something more between them.
Amused by Ryder’s stubborn refusal to answer, Hunter pointed out, “Not answering me is the same thing as telling me, you know.”
As much as Ryder wanted to make a witty retort about how the same was true in reverse, Hunter was too cunning with his distraction tactics. Moving on from the mark, Hunter kissed and caressed his way along Ryder’s torso, languidly exploring while simultaneously demolishing his self-control. Hunter smirked at the way Ryder’s hips mindlessly thrust against him in search of more feeling. Although he was also leaving himself in a bad way once more, Hunter felt that it would be an effective punishment, so he continued working Ryder up into an almost frenzied state of arousal.
It was driving Ryder mad and he quietly keened in his displeasure, consumed by his blinding need for Hunter. Ryder’s hands were wandering over any part of Hunter he could touch, yet he was still desperate for more. It was times like these when Ryder wondered if it would ever be enough. There were too many clothes, too little time, and too awkward of circumstances for anything to really happen, but his logic was defeated by the hormonal haze that was dominating Ryder’s every sense, completely inundated by Hunter.
The sound of voices down the hall startled them both, causing Hunter to pull back from what he was doing to look down at the result. Ryder was flushed and panting, looking like they had been doing far more than simply fooling around, his emerald eyes dark with a desire that thrilled Hunter.
When Hunter attempted to stand up, Ryder grabbed his wrist and forcefully pulled him back down, ending up on top in the process. “You are not leaving me like this,” Ryder aggressively warned, too far gone to be shocked by his own behavior.
Although there was something deeply enticing about that dominating streak in Ryder that Hunter wanted to explore, he knew that now was not the time. Still, he couldn’t help responding with sexy arrogance, “Why not?”
Unable to resist the temptation to further make his point, Hunter took the opportunity to push them off the couch to the floor. Ryder made a noise of surprise as Hunter reasserted his position atop his rival. Hunter pinned him down and rocked his arousal against Ryder’s. “You do it to me all the time.”
“I—I do?” Ryder stuttered, swallowing hard at the undeniable evidence of Hunter’s claim.
“Mm-hmm,” Hunter confirmed as he stole a final kiss, indulging himself. Thrusting against Ryder’s hips one last time, Hunter moved quick enough to stand without being stopped. “Consider it your punishment for leaving yesterday.”
Jaw dropped in protest, Ryder could only make ina
rticulate sounds of disbelief as Hunter walked away with a final parting shot, “I wouldn’t recommend missing any more classes, either. You won’t enjoy that punishment nearly as much.…”
Ryder could only stare in shock as Hunter walked away. He sat up with a groan, thoroughly annoyed. Yet, there was an odd sense of resolution, a sense that it was going to be okay somehow. In a weird way, he almost felt relieved. Although he still had some reservations about it all, it seemed to feel slightly less stressful now.
Realizing that he needed to get control of himself before he was late for his next class, Ryder stood up and made an effort to calm his hormones before leaving the student union.
The last class of the day had come and gone without a hitch, although Ryder was overly aware of Hunter’s presence the whole time. When they were dismissed, Ryder hurriedly packed up and was unsurprised to find Hunter waiting for him outside of the classroom. “See, was that so hard?” Hunter teased as they walked toward the building’s exit.
Glaring half-heartedly at Hunter, Ryder sounded particularly arrogant as he questioned, “So what’s my reward?”
Raising an eyebrow at the forwardness of the request, Hunter pressed closer to Ryder than was strictly necessary to murmur, “What makes you think there’s a reward?”
Stiffening slightly at the deliberate way that Hunter was pressing against him, Ryder looked over his shoulder as he pointed out, “Since you were discussing a punishment, I assumed there would be some sort of reward.”
Chuckling quietly, Hunter asked, “What sort of reward were you hoping for that made you behave so well in class, hmm?”
Shuddering at the tone of voice and the proximity to his ear, Ryder pushed Hunter back so that he could keep walking. Before Ryder could answer, Hunter continued, “Why don’t you stop by tonight and I’ll show you?”
Blushing at the implications, Ryder looked at Hunter, less than surprised to see a confidently perverse expression on his face. “And if I don’t?” Ryder challenged.
“You will,” Hunter knowingly predicted, fully aware that Ryder wouldn’t be able to stay away after their encounter in the student union earlier that afternoon.
Ryder wanted to object to the claim, but he knew that no matter what he said, Hunter wouldn’t believe him. Then again, Ryder wasn’t sure that he would believe himself either. Instead of defending himself, Ryder readjusted his backpack over his shoulder and continued walking toward the exit, Hunter falling into step beside him.
Once they were outside, Hunter couldn’t resist provoking Ryder with a smug “I’ll see you later tonight.”
“You’re impossible,” Ryder muttered, but there was the faintest hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
Stepping out of the flow of departing students, Hunter taunted, “So?”
Rolling his eyes, Ryder automatically followed Hunter and muttered, “It’s merely a statement of fact.”
“You say it as if it’s a problem,” Hunter continued arguing.
Ryder glared up at Hunter, but was once again disarmed by the playfully teasing gaze of his rival. “Maybe it is,” Ryder argued, getting caught up in Hunter’s pace yet again.
Standing closer to Ryder, Hunter pressed against him and murmured low in his ear, “Only because we’re out in the open and not alone.”
It was a sobering reminder, causing Ryder to reflexively check out their surroundings, relieved to realize that no one was paying them the slightest bit of attention. He instinctively looked for his friends, but he knew that Derrick had lab, Jake was at work, and Kyle and Emily were on a date. There was no one else he needed to worry about seeing them in a more private moment. “What exactly are you suggesting?” Ryder questioned, returning his gaze back to Hunter.
Hunter had also taken the occasion to look around, his eyes narrowing when he saw who was waiting for him at the corner. There was no way to miss the handsome Italian man, who was getting all sorts of stares and whispers as he leaned against a lamp pole, evidently waiting for someone. Although Cesare was dressed in nothing more than a white cashmere sweater and tight jeans, his good looks captured the attention of anyone who caught sight of him. Even though Hunter was troubled by Cesare’s appearance, he still appreciated how stunningly handsome he was.
Mentally swearing when Cesare flirtatiously winked in his direction, Hunter murmured to Ryder before walking away, “Stop by tonight and find out.”
Confused by Hunter’s sudden departure, Ryder watched him leave, finally noticing the gorgeous man that was waiting on the corner. Furrowing his eyebrows as he watched from a distance, Ryder was troubled by the overly familiar way Cesare greeted Hunter. It made Ryder burn with curiosity about who the handsome man was, even as he felt an ugly flare of jealousy when he wondered how they knew each other. As he watched them talk, his heart hurt thinking about Hunter being with the beautiful stranger, even though Ryder knew he had no right to feel that way.
When Hunter left with the handsome man, Ryder had to curb his irrational urge to follow them to find out what was happening between them. It wasn’t Ryder’s place, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to know more—even though he suspected that he wouldn’t like what he discovered.
Taking a deep breath and talking himself out of being stupid, Ryder turned and began to walk home in the opposite direction.
Hunter didn’t know how Cesare had found him, but it was deeply troubling to see the Italian waiting for him. It was forbidden for Hunter to meet with other Cole Corporation employees outside of the brothel, so he was troubled by Cesare’s unexplained appearance. Worried about the consequences of Christophe finding out, Hunter sounded irritated as he demanded, “What the hell are you doing here, Lorenzo?”
Completely unfazed by Hunter’s anger, Cesare pushed off of the lamp pole as he replied, “I honestly thought you’d be happier to see me.”
“You’re not allowed to be here,” Hunter reminded Cesare, standing his ground when the man closed the distance between them.
Pressing closer to Hunter, Cesare looked up at him with hungry eyes as he teased, “So you’re actually happy I’m here, but you’re worried that Daddy might catch us.”
Christophe discovering their meeting was a major concern for Hunter, but right now he was more worried that Ryder was probably still watching them. Hunter frowned at Cesare as he said, “You would be too if you knew what kind of punishments he has for breaking the rules.”
“I told you before, I don’t give a fuck about rules,” Cesare reiterated to Hunter, a sentiment he often expressed. When Hunter didn’t say anything further, Cesare gave him a charming smile. “Wow, I’m impressed. You’re not denying that you’re glad I’m here.”
In truth, Hunter was always pleased to see Cesare, because it meant he was going to enjoy some of the best sex of his life. However, there was no way he was going to admit that to Cesare. He stubbornly insisted, “You shouldn’t be here.”
Grinning when Hunter once again failed to refute the truth, Cesare told him, “Relax, I have permission to be here right now. Master wants to see you and Ishi couldn’t make it, so I volunteered to come get you.” Cesare gestured for Hunter to follow him as they rounded the corner to where the stretch limo was waiting for them. “You should be grateful it’s me and not Jenna.”
While Courtney, who went by Secretary Jenna at Cole Corporation, was tolerable, her over-the-top personality made her a difficult person to be around sometimes. She also was quite taken with Jake, who had become her regular client, which was an automatic black mark against her in Hunter’s book. Courtney was also a little too good at reading Hunter, although Cesare seemed to share that same ability to an almost dangerous degree.
Hunter got into the limo after Cesare, feeling relieved that Ryder hadn’t witnessed anything more than talking. He could only imagine the fallout he would have had to deal with if Cesare had kissed him in greeting. “What does that bastard want now?” Hunter asked in agitation, knowing that no good could come of being summon
ed from school by Christophe.
“Apparently he wants to talk to you,” Cesare answered with a shrug. “Ishi didn’t give me any details.”
Realizing that Christophe probably wanted to discuss Ryder, Hunter merely grunted in acknowledgement. It was a conversation that he didn’t want to have, especially since Christophe’s growing interest in Ryder was becoming increasingly troubling.
When Hunter didn’t say anything further, Cesare inquired, “So who was the little hottie you were with?”
“No one that you need to concern yourself with,” Hunter told him, sounding far sharper than he intended.
Humming with interest, Cesare looked over at Hunter with curiosity, clearly able to discern his irritation from his normally calm countenance. “He’s a pretty little thing, isn’t he?” Cesare continued, blatantly ignoring Hunter’s attempt at diverting the conversation. “I wouldn’t mind if he paid me a visit….”
“He won’t,” Hunter all but snarled, his possessiveness flaring at the thought of Ryder being with anyone else.
“Planning to keep him all to yourself?” Cesare playfully teased, noticing the way Hunter immediately tensed up further. “Oh, my god, you are, aren’t you? He comes to Cole Corporation?”
Realizing that things were going in a potentially dangerous direction, Hunter growled, “Enough!”
Completely nonplussed, Cesare continued jesting, “Come on, you know a threesome between us would be heaven on earth.”
“It’s not up for discussion,” Hunter coldly informed him, even as he had to resist losing himself in a very tempting fantasy of being together with Cesare and Ryder. The thought of the three of them together made his cock stir with interest, but Hunter knew it would never become a reality.
Impishly straddling Hunter’s lap, Cesare looked down at him with an utterly seductive expression as he murmured, “I can make a very persuasive argument.” When Hunter gave the man a pointed glare, Cesare laughed before leaning down to steal a kiss. “Are you going to try and tell me that this isn’t allowed, or are we going to make the most of our stolen moment?”