Alluring Attraction: Book 1 of Illicit Illusions Series

by A. F. Zoelle

  Starting off slow and shallow, Hunter grasped Ryder’s hips as he tested the limitations of how much pleasure could be endured. At first, Ryder was distracted by the awkward sensation, wondering how Hunter could find so much enjoyment out of their couplings. However, when Hunter canted Ryder’s hips and started thrusting deeper at a quickened pace, he got his answer. Exclaiming a surprised obscenity that made Hunter chuckle, Ryder groaned at the feeling as his body shuddered in response. Ryder desperately grasped at Hunter’s shoulders as he whimpered at the overload of pleasure.

  Kissing Ryder with a cocky laugh, Hunter murmured his delight in the reaction against his sensitive neck. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted this?” Hunter questioned as he continued his easy rhythm.

  It took a moment for the question to process in Ryder’s mind, but he still had enough wherewithal to tease, “Since I first beat you on a test?”

  “Third time,” Hunter corrected him with a smug noise as he changed angles.

  “Seriously?” Ryder laughed, although somehow he wasn’t surprised.

  “Mm,” Hunter confirmed as he deliberately thrust with each one of his points. “The first time I figured it was luck, the second surely must have been a fluke, and the third was infuriating enough to capture my attention.”

  “So because I was beat you,” Ryder tried to reason, breaking off with a groan when Hunter hit something new within him that made him squirm, “you wanted to do this with me?”

  “And so much more,” Hunter replied with a wicked smirk that sent shivers of lust through Ryder when their eyes met.

  When Ryder started to speak again, Hunter interrupted him with an insistent kiss. It worked, rendering Ryder incapable of speech for the immediate moment. Ryder gave up on words completely and surrendered himself to the experience, wrapping his legs around Hunter’s waist on instinct. The move pleased Hunter, who took the opportunity to readjust their positions to maximize the sensations for them both.

  Ryder’s eyes slid closed against his will. As much as Ryder wanted to continue watching Hunter, it was too much to handle. Everything was a haze of pleasure, making it harder to maintain his grip on anything other than the feeling of Hunter inside of him, bringing Ryder closer to an edge of pleasure that he had never crossed before. His body was moving on its own accord, thrusting hard to meet Hunter’s demanding pace, but it still wasn’t enough for Ryder.

  As much as Hunter enjoyed seeing Ryder blissed out beneath him, he wanted more than that from him. Shifting his balance, Hunter freed himself to reach between them and start stroking Ryder’s rigid length.

  It successfully refocused Ryder’s attention, his eyes snapping open as he wordlessly cried out in surprise. The feeling of Ryder’s muscles tightly clamping around him was damn near divine, but Hunter still wasn’t satisfied. “You’re forgetting something,” Hunter prompted him, slowly stroking Ryder at a torturous pace.

  When Hunter started to slow down his rhythm, Ryder groaned in frustration as he tried to force them back to the previous rhythm. “What?” Ryder groaned, more focused on the way that Hunter started to pull all the way out to the tip before sliding all the way back in at an agonizingly slow rate.

  Burying himself to the hilt inside once more, Hunter commanded, “Say my name, Ryder.” He reached between them and rubbed his thumb teasingly over the head of his rival’s cock.

  They were past the point of shame or denial and Ryder obeyed without thought, moaning “Hunter” over and over again. He was rewarded when Hunter started thrusting faster and harder. Ryder was reduced to fragmented gasps of Hunter’s name, his hands frantically moving along any part of heated flesh he could reach before finally tangling in Hunter’s hair.

  Hunter reveled in the feeling of Ryder holding onto him as if he were the only thing that mattered. His movements started to become erratic as he neared his peak, so Hunter started to stroke Ryder faster to ensure that he came first.

  As much as Ryder wanted the experience to last, he gave in to his body’s desires and came with a loud cry of “Hunter” as he did so.

  Thoroughly satisfied, Hunter allowed himself to climax, thrusting until he was completely spent before stilling.

  Ryder’s hands slid from Hunter’s hair to embrace him fully and the taller man didn’t pull away from the contact, which was in some ways more intimate to him than the act they had just performed. Kissing Ryder gently, Hunter withdrew and settled himself against his satiated rival.

  Sighing in contentment, Ryder closed his eyes and nuzzled against Hunter. He felt beyond good, as if nothing could trouble him. They said nothing as they rested, merely basking in their afterglow.

  After a near sleepless night, Ryder felt himself drifting in his exhaustion. He tried to fight it, but it was a losing battle, and Ryder slipped into slumber.

  Hunter could hear the evening out of Ryder’s breathing as he fell into a light doze, and he allowed himself a small smile. Propping himself up on his elbow to look down at Ryder without disturbing him, Hunter brushed a stray hair off of his face. Ryder looked at peace, with the faintest trace of a smile on his face while he slept. Hunter felt incredibly satisfied with himself, indulging in a rare moment of genuine pleasure.

  He lingered in the moment, then got out of bed to head to the bathroom. Taking care of himself first, Hunter returned to the bedroom with a warm washcloth to tend to Ryder. Although Ryder flinched in his sleep with a soft groan of protest, he didn’t wake up as Hunter gently wiped him clean. When Hunter moved the cloth lower, he was amused by the way Ryder’s body instinctively arched into the touch, but he did nothing more than clean him.

  There was no reason for Hunter to leave yet, since going to Cole Corporation so early would only alert Christophe. Ryder’s home was actually closer to Cole Corporation than the school, so Hunter didn’t see any harm in staying. Since Ryder was already asleep, Hunter decided that he might as well capitalize on the opportunity to get some extra rest himself.

  Retrieving his phone from his bag, Hunter set the alarm and placed it on the nightstand. Only then did Hunter pull back the blankets from underneath Ryder and get back into bed. Sliding closer to Ryder and wrapping an arm around him, Hunter loved how his rival relaxed against him. Hunter kissed the side of Ryder’s neck, causing the slumbering man to make a soft sound of happiness in response.

  Laying there and being pressed so close to one another without any expectations or demands that needed to be met was a novel experience for Hunter. Despite the small bed, it was surprisingly comfortable, allowing Hunter to eventually follow Ryder into sleep.

  Ryder slowly came back to awareness, languidly stretching as he burrowed closer to the warmth surrounding him. He stubbornly clung to the remnants of sleep that were starting to elude him.

  Ryder opened his green eyes. “Mmm?” Ryder hummed through a yawn, his mind still foggy with sleep. His body started responding before his mind was capable of catching up, luxuriated in Hunter’s sensual petting, gradually becoming aroused and awake.

  “It’s 2:37,” Hunter informed Ryder, in the hopes of speeding up the waking up process.

  “Do you have to leave?” Ryder asked, unable to hide the note of disappointment in his voice.

  “Eventually,” Hunter replied.

  The answer pleased Ryder, and he straddled himself over Hunter, boldly kissing him as the last vestiges of sleep fled from his mind. Hunter slid his hands into Ryder’s dark hair, bringing him down closer to deepen the kiss. Hunter couldn’t help but indulge himself with Ryder. Not only did he allow Ryder to take certain liberties he would deny anyone else—Hunter even encouraged it. Hunter’s instincts told him that he couldn’t continue to do so without some sort of repercussion, but he had already decided that Ryder was worth it.

  Eventually, Ryder moved down and started kissing Hunter’s neck, sending a shiver through the brunette. But there were still a few things that needed to be taken care of before he left.

  “Ryder,” Hunter said. When Ryder stopp
ed and sat up to look down at Hunter, he continued, “I need you to stay away from Cole Corporation for a while.”

  “Is that what this is about?” Ryder defensively asked, feeling something twist painfully inside of him at the implication.

  “No, this has nothing to do with that,” Hunter firmly insisted, further confounding Ryder. “It never has.”

  “Then what?” Ryder prompted, somewhat appeased, yet still confused.

  Reaching up and caressing Ryder’s cheek, Hunter reassured him, “This is because I want it.” Hunter recognized that Ryder might feel used because of what had just happened. “This is because I want you, Ryder. I want you on my terms, not his.”

  The sincerity of Hunter’s words disarmed Ryder’s anger, but he was still confused. He leaned into Hunter’s caress, even though there was still more to be discussed. “Tell me why,” Ryder finally requested.

  “Because that bastard is far too interested in you,” Hunter truthfully answered. “If you stop coming now, it won’t seem suspicious. It’ll look like you’re too disgusted by the mutt’s actions to return.”

  “No, it’ll look like Christophe won by successfully intimidating me,” Ryder argued, crossing his arms over his chest as he scowled down at Hunter. “I have to prove that I’m not afraid of him.”

  “You should be,” Hunter warned, sending a chill through Ryder at the unwavering certainty in his voice. “Look, I’m not saying that you can never come back, but for the time being—”

  “I won’t let him have that victory,” Ryder stubbornly refused, not willing to concede the point.

  Softly sighing, Hunter tried to clamp down on his frustration. He could see where Ryder was coming from, but Hunter still needed his cooperation. “Let him think that he has it,” Hunter explained, “and then he’ll lose interest in you faster.”

  “How do you figure?” Ryder questioned, failing to understand Hunter’s leap in logic.

  “Because if he thinks you were so easily scared off, you aren’t worth his attention,” Hunter clarified. “Even if you come back afterward, he’ll think you’re weak-willed, but—”

  “That’s horrible!” Ryder protested, completely indignant over Hunter’s casual way of addressing the subject.

  “It’s better than the alternative!” Hunter snapped, losing some of his composure.

  The word “alternative” reminded Ryder of Christophe’s proposal for an “alternative solution” by employing him at the brothel, which quieted his immediate reaction. “It’s not like I would do that,” Ryder muttered, his cheeks heating up in his embarrassment, mistakenly assuming that Christophe had told Hunter about the proposal.

  “What?” Hunter questioned, feeling like he missed something vital.

  “It’s not like he can force me to work there,” Ryder heatedly argued, embarrassed.

  The information hit Hunter with a sickening sensation, and he failed to hide his anger as he demanded, “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Realizing that he had said too much, Ryder tried to play it off. “Nothing—”

  “You don’t get to say something like that, then act like it’s nothing, damn it!” Hunter sharply told Ryder, his control slipping.

  “It’s never going to happen, so what difference does it make?” Ryder shot back, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under Hunter’s gaze.

  Sitting up to face Ryder, Hunter was terse as he asked, “Are you trying to tell me that he offered you a job at Cole Corporation?” When Ryder tried to look away, Hunter prevented him from doing so. “Answer me!”

  Ryder couldn’t bring himself to answer directly, so he settled for, “I told him no.”

  A burst of chaotic emotions flashed through Hunter at the revelation, and he struggled to not visibly react. Does that bastard’s depravity know no bounds? Hunter bitterly wondered. “And you have to ask me why I don’t want you around him?” Hunter asked in a pained tone.

  There was no defense that Ryder could offer, but he felt the need to defend himself all the same. “I still think it’s a mistake to avoid him,” Ryder muttered.

  “Promise me,” Hunter demanded, unwilling to relent.

  “For how long?” Ryder finally asked with defeat in his voice.

  “A month?” Hunter guessed, unsure of how long it would take for Christophe to lose interest. “Maybe longer, I don’t know.”

  Ryder’s scowl deepened as he tried not to get more upset by the request. Even though knew it was probably stemming from Hunter’s concern for him, it was still frustrating. “When will you know?” Ryder asked.

  “I’ll tell you,” Hunter replied, trusting that he knew his adoptive father well enough to see the signs.

  “I don’t like it.”

  “I don’t need you to like it, I need you to promise,” Hunter flatly told Ryder.

  Leaning forward and resting his head on Hunter’s shoulder, Ryder sighed heavily as he closed his eyes. “I hate him,” Ryder muttered, trying not to despair.

  Wrapping his arms around Ryder, Hunter held him close and tried not to be bothered by the way he was trembling. “You and everyone else,” Hunter replied bitterly.

  “Don’t make me wait too long, okay?” Ryder hesitantly agreed. Part of him was relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with Christophe any more than he already had.

  “Thank you,” Hunter murmured as he softly kissed the side of Ryder’s neck in appreciation. He hated asking it of Ryder, especially since he was essentially punishing himself as well, but it had to be done to keep him safe from Christophe.

  Ryder shyly looked away as he mumbled, “I don’t want to stop seeing you, though.”

  Running the back of his fingers along the accompanying blush, Hunter pointed out, “I never said anything about that, did I?”

  “But how can we see each other when you’re always at Cole Corporation?” Ryder asked, not seeing how it would be feasible.

  Tenderly kissing Ryder, Hunter promised, “I’ll take care of it.”

  “How?”

  “I have my ways,” Hunter teased with another kiss, before taking the opportunity to roll Ryder back onto the bed. It freed him to get up, causing Ryder to make a disgruntled noise as Hunter walked over to his clothes.

  Ryder watched, deriving pleasure from the mere sight of Hunter’s body. “Do you work every day?” Ryder asked.

  Glancing over his shoulder at Ryder as he slid on his underwear, Hunter replied, “I’m there every day, but I only work when someone shows up that requests me.”

  “Oh” was all Ryder could say.

  When Hunter was completely dressed, he walked back over to Ryder to sit down next to him on the bed. “It’s not a permanent thing,” Hunter reassured him.

  “You working there, or me not being allowed to go see you?” Ryder questioned somewhat petulantly.

  “Both,” Hunter replied, meaning it more than Ryder could ever know. He was determined to be free of Christophe’s control, but he still needed more time before his plans could be put into action.

  Ryder started to respond, but his words failed him. He didn’t realize that his eyes were silently pleading with Hunter for something more to hold onto, but Hunter could see it just below the surface. Kissing Ryder good-bye, Hunter rewarded him for his confession by admitting, “I wouldn’t risk everything if I didn’t think this was worth it.”

  Ryder’s eyes went wide in disbelief at what Hunter had just professed. He found it a little hard to breathe, looking at the genuine emotion in those normally reserved blue eyes. “Hunter…” Ryder whispered, but there was nothing else he could say.

  It didn’t matter how many times Ryder said his name, Hunter never got tired of hearing it. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Hunter said in farewell, not the least bit surprised when Ryder stole one more kiss.

  Ryder knew that he should walk Hunter out, but he could only silently watch him leave. His head was a mess, torn between being despondent over knowing where Hunter was heading, but at the same time, the confe
ssions had stirred something deep inside of him. Even though it was complicated, Ryder tried to focus on the warmth of Hunter’s sincerity as he lay down again. He knew that he should probably get up and take a shower, but it was so much easier to let sleep take him once more.

  After the amazing afternoon Hunter had experienced with Ryder, the last thing he wanted to do was leave to go work at Cole Corporation. Knowing that he no longer had Ryder’s visits to look forward to made it even more arduous than before, but Hunter didn’t have any choice. It was the only way he could protect Ryder from Christophe’s growing interests.

  Since he didn’t have a client immediately, Hunter used his free time to do homework. Once that was finished, he allowed himself the rare pleasure of indulging in memories of finally experiencing Ryder’s body to the fullest. Rather than feeling victorious over claiming Ryder at long last, Hunter was surprised by the closeness between them that afternoon. The tenderness of their joining was something Hunter hadn’t been able to enjoy at Cole Corporation. Being with Ryder in his room had been about so much more than physical pleasure. When he thought about the contentment he experienced while holding Ryder afterward and falling asleep, Hunter could tell something inside of him had shifted when it came to his rival. Hunter knew it was dangerous, that being with Ryder was making him start to feel things, but he couldn’t stop wanting another chance to lose himself in Ryder’s embrace.

  When Ishi informed Hunter that he was supposed to go to the Viewing Room to perform for one of Cesare’s clients, his good day suddenly got a lot better. Now that Ryder couldn’t come visit Cole Corporation, Cesare was the best pleasure the brothel had to offer Hunter. This particular client was a voyeur who got off on watching from behind the two-way mirrored glass as Cesare dominated Hunter’s desires. As much as Hunter enjoyed threesomes with Cesare and a client, it was even better when it was the two of them alone together.

  Hunter hurriedly got ready before making his way down to the Viewing Room to wait for Cesare. He sat on the large bed in a silver satin robe, eagerly anticipating what was about to happen. As much as Hunter liked being the one in control, he didn’t mind surrendering to Cesare now and then. Cesare was masterful in the way he could manipulate Hunter’s body for maximum enjoyment. Thinking about their previous pairings when Cesare had been the one taking the lead caused Hunter’s cock to harden in anticipation.