Alluring Attraction: Book 1 of Illicit Illusions Series

by A. F. Zoelle

  “Come on, you know you want it,” Cesare tried to cajole Hunter, his body thrusting against the finger inside of him, trying to draw him in deeper.

  When Hunter withdrew his finger, he enjoyed the momentary flash of uncertainty that flitted across Cesare’s face. Hunter told himself that he should deny Cesare to prove a point, but his hand was already reaching over to the drawer under the counter to pull out a condom.

  Cesare backed up against the bathroom door as he invited, “Come show me what a man you are by fucking me against this door.”

  After he had put on the condom, Hunter pinned Cesare against the door with his larger frame. He growled, “Why should I do what you want?”

  “Because you want it, too,” Cesare confidently answered, before aggressively kissing Hunter in a silent plea to move things along. He nimbly wrapped his legs around Hunter’s waist, receiving a quick boost to help position him against the door.

  Sliding his cock into Cesare’s slick warmth with a pleased sigh, Hunter wasted no time in establishing a hard and fast rhythm. Cesare was writhing against the door as he enjoyed the show of strength and the feeling of Hunter pounding into him. He wrapped his arms around Hunter’s neck for support, tossing his head back as he shamelessly moaned.

  Unable to resist the temptation, Hunter leaned forward and licked up the curve of Cesare’s exposed neck. The flavor of Cesare’s cologne sent heat flaring through Hunter, filling him with a burning lust as he thrusted harder in search of even more pleasure.

  Cesare caught sight of their reflection in the mirror, which flooded him with even more desire as he got off on watching Hunter fuck him. It made him start jerking off, his whole body trembling from the overwhelming sensations that were rocketing through him with each thrust of Hunter’s hips. Even though Hunter was using enough force to make the door rattle in its frame, it didn’t stop Cesare from begging, “Harder!”

  Hooking his arms under Cesare, Hunter adjusted their position to allow him to hit even deeper with every thrust. He was rewarded with Cesare loudly crying out in ecstasy, which pushed Hunter closer to his end. Watching Cesare lost in his enjoyment was a truly beautiful sight.

  When he was getting close to his edge, Cesare desperately wanted to hear Hunter calling out his real name. He pleaded, “Say my name!”

  “No,” Hunter stubbornly refused, not willing to make the same mistake twice.

  “I want to hear you say it,” Cesare insisted, his body ceaselessly moving in sync with Hunter’s as they raced to their peaks.

  Hunter sounded more fierce when he repeated, “No.”

  Giving one of his most seductive looks, Cesare sensuously moaned, “Please, Hunter.”

  The sultry look combined with the sexual way Cesare said his name drew Hunter’s orgasm from him before he had even processed what had happened. His whole body shuddered with a satisfaction he never should have derived from such a simple thing.

  Feeling Hunter climax inside of him was enough to make Cesare come with a moan, his seed spilling all over his hand. They remained entangled, both breathing heavily from their efforts. Cesare’s tone was fond as he commented, “You really are a stubborn bastard.”

  “It’s not allowed,” Hunter angrily repeated for the second time that night.

  “There’s no cameras here,” Cesare reminded Hunter. “No one else would know but us.”

  Hunter’s voice was cold as he warned, “Don’t you ever use my name again.”

  Not the least bit intimidated, Cesare challenged with a bright fire in his golden eyes, “Why, because you like it too much?”

  Hunter was incredibly uncomfortable with how much he had enjoyed hearing Cesare moaning his name like that, but he refused to acknowledge it. Pulling out and helping Cesare down, Hunter replied, “It’s too dangerous.”

  The answer was unexpected, making Cesare burn with questions. He demanded, “For who?”

  Before Hunter could answer, they were interrupted by a knock. An attendant called out, “Lorenzo, your next client is waiting in the VIP lounge until you’re ready for him.”

  Ignoring the announcement, Cesare repeated to Hunter, “Too dangerous for who?”

  Unable to say the truth, Hunter flatly told him, “You need to go.”

  Cesare could see from the stubborn set of Hunter’s jaw that there would be no further progress on the subject. “I guess there’s no rest for the wicked,” Cesare joked with a wink as he stepped away from Hunter. He quickly washed his hands, drawing the silence out between them to make Hunter more uncomfortable. “Looks like you get a reprieve for now.”

  Hunter rolled his eyes when Cesare blew him a kiss as he said in farewell, “I’ll see you soon, handsome. You better have a good answer for me then.”

  As much as Hunter wanted the last word, he stayed silent as Cesare left the bathroom. He remained motionless, still deeply disquieted by the slip he’d made earlier. Why had he done that? He normally was so careful about that kind of thing, but the pleasure had been so overwhelmingly good in that moment that he had barely been able to stop himself. It was an unforgivable lapse that Hunter was determined to never repeat. It made things feel too real between them, lent a false sense of intimacy to their coupling that was inappropriate.

  Even though he knew how important it was to enforce those boundaries, it didn’t change the fact that hearing Cesare saying his real name had been enough to draw Hunter’s orgasm the second time. It shouldn’t have happened, yet it undeniably did. Hunter was humiliated by it, all the more so because he knew Cesare was aware of exactly what he had done to him. He never wanted to hear his real name used while at Cole Corporation, but it had felt so good when Cesare daringly used it in such a sensuous manner. Why? It didn’t make any sense to Hunter that he should be so deeply affected by such a stupid thing.

  Hunter refused to let Cesare’s playfulness mess with his head. Cesare would never be anything more than a good fuck, so there was no point dwelling on the subject. After all, no matter how skilled Cesare was, Ryder was the only one who mattered to Hunter.

  Not wanting to think about such disturbing things, Hunter pushed the thoughts aside in favor of focusing on how amazing he felt after being with Cesare twice, in addition to taking Ryder earlier. As long as he concentrated on the physical satisfaction, he could ignore the uncomfortable questions that had been raised. Hunter continued to think about that as he left the Viewing Room bathroom and returned upstairs to his private room, to wait for his next client.

  It had been almost three weeks since the incident at Cole Corporation with Jake and everything had fallen back into a natural rhythm. Things between Ryder and Jake had marginally improved. They now treated each other with an icy civility rather than outright contempt. Jake hated that Ryder was spending more of his free time with Hunter, stealing away what little alone time they could, but it wasn’t worth fighting over, so he simmered in silent contempt.

  Ryder couldn’t help but feel that he and Hunter were doing everything in reverse: first the rivalry, then the sex, followed by the burgeoning relationship, and ultimately the friendship. Although they were growing to a new understanding, they were still quick to engage in competition with each other, because some things never changed.

  It was hard for them to meet up without the freedom of the brothel, but Hunter was good at finding opportunities to capitalize on. A group presentation project in their international business practicum class was rather fortuitous. Hunter told Christophe he was using it as an opportunity to try and persuade his wayward patron to return to the brothel. They made the most out of their stolen moments, tempering their enjoyment so as not to alert Ryder’s uncle and Kyle about what they were really doing behind his closed door.

  It gave new meaning to their joining. Ryder recognized that he was in danger of falling even deeper into Hunter, without the sterility of the brothel walls to enforce professional distance. He didn’t know what they were becoming, but things were changing between them. Being with Hunter, filled by Hun
ter, it was all utterly intoxicating to Ryder. It was never enough, despite his gratitude for the time they could find for each other.

  In hindsight, Ryder should have known that things were going too smoothly to continue as they were.

  On a Wednesday like any other, Ryder was filled with the relief of being done with class for the day. Ryder and Kyle were exiting their university building to start walking to the subway station, completely caught up in their conversation.

  Oblivious to the rest of the world, Ryder was surprised when he heard someone call out his name. He immediately wished that he had ignored it, rather than turning around to find the source. Christophe had exited his limo and shut the door, causing Ryder to jump, despite his attempts at remaining visibly unaffected by the man’s presence.

  Christophe looked unbearably smug as he leaned against the limo in his three-piece black suit, his eyes assessing Ryder in a way that made his flesh crawl uncomfortably in memory of their last meeting.

  Exchanging a glance with Ryder, Kyle worriedly asked, “Who is that?”

  “The better question is why he’s never brought you to see me,” Christophe smoothly countered, sparking an indignant rage in Ryder.

  Standing between Kyle and Christophe, as if that somehow made a difference, Ryder warned, “Leave him out of this.”

  “Come with me, and maybe I’ll consider it,” Christophe offered as he walked over to them with a confidence that made Ryder deeply uncomfortable.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” Ryder spat, refusing to take his eyes off of Christophe for a second, fearful of what he might do in that single moment.

  Christophe leaned forward and whispered in a sensuous rumble next to Ryder’s ear, “I’ll make it worth your while.” He chuckled when it made Ryder shudder in response.

  As much as he wanted to refuse Christophe, Ryder was afraid of what would happen if he did. “I’m not interested in that,” Ryder snapped, vainly trying to hold his own.

  “Are you certain?” Christophe questioned, sounding as if he didn’t believe Ryder for a second. “It would not be in your best interests to decline my generous invitation, Ryder.”

  Feeling trapped, Ryder pointed at Kyle as he conceded, “Fine, but only so you leave him alone.”

  “Oh, I’m quite confident that he’s not the only reason you’re agreeing,” Christophe stated with an ominous chuckle that set Ryder’s nerves further on edge. Stepping aside and opening the limo door, Christophe chivalrously gestured for Ryder to get inside first.

  Hesitating for a moment, Ryder looked back at Kyle and said, “I’ll see you later.”

  “Where are you going?” Kyle asked, some of his fear revealing itself. He didn’t know who the imposing gentleman was, but there was something about him that made Kyle increasingly nervous, especially knowing that Ryder was about to go somewhere with him.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Ryder said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, before walking over to the waiting door. Sliding into the car as Kyle continued protesting, Ryder tried to clamp down on his panic when Christophe got in after him and slammed the door behind them.

  To say that Ryder felt uncomfortable in such close quarters with Christophe was an understatement. He was already regretting his decision to get in the car with the man, but it was too late for regrets. It was obvious that Christophe was up to something, yet Ryder had no choice but to wait for the man to reveal his true intentions.

  Christophe enjoyed seeing Ryder’s composure start to weaken, the longer the silence was prolonged between them. He watched as Ryder began to subtly fidget under the guise of straightening the fabric of his pants. Christophe didn’t miss the slight tremor in those slender fingers, betraying Ryder’s nervousness as the car began to drive.

  Deciding that Ryder was sufficiently unbalanced, Christophe stated, “You have no reason to fear me, boy.”

  “Funny, that’s not what you were trying to convince me of the last time we met,” Ryder bitterly retorted, glaring at Christophe for good measure.

  Chuckling in amusement, Christophe commented, “At least you’re bright enough to realize that.”

  Defensively crossing his arms over his chest, Ryder defiantly held Christophe’s gaze to try and prove that he was unaffected by the display of authority. “I don’t even know why you’re wasting your time with me,” Ryder said, trying to come off as disinterested as possible.

  “Because you’re a valued VIP of Cole Corporation. I don’t want to lose your patronage over a simple misunderstanding,” Christophe answered in a tone of voice that sent a shudder through Ryder.

  Trying to sound more confident than he felt, Ryder sneered, “What misunderstanding? I thought it was pretty fucking clear.”

  Not buying into Ryder’s bravado, Christophe shifted in the seat to better look down on him, the leather creaking under his large body. “Is it?” Christophe hummed, obviously not believing Ryder’s attempts at downplaying the reality of the situation. “Because it looks like you’re avoiding being with Hunter since you were forced to acknowledge him as Dragon, thanks to your ill-mannered friend’s visit.”

  “It has nothing to do with that,” Ryder dismissively told Christophe, struggling not to let his mind slip back to that horrible night at Cole Corporation with Jake.

  “Then what?” Christophe prompted, trying to get a reaction out of Ryder.

  Refusing to play the game, Ryder responded, “Look, it doesn’t matter, okay?”

  “Oh, but it does,” Christophe disagreed, leaning forward with interest as he assessed Ryder, the busy streets passing by in a blur as the limo continued to drive.

  “Maybe to you,” Ryder shot back, resisting the urge to lean away from Christophe. “Did it ever occur to you that I got in trouble for so many sudden expenses?”

  Christophe couldn’t suppress his smirk as Ryder walked right into his trap. “Which is exactly why I’m here today,” Christophe smoothly told Ryder, sounding overly pleased with himself.

  “What are you talking about?” Ryder snapped, dread forming in his stomach.

  “I’m offering you time with Dragon, free of charge,” Christophe explained, sounding suspiciously benevolent. “Of course, if you’ve given up on him, I will allow you to choose someone else.”

  There was some niggling doubt in Ryder that made him feel increasingly anxious. “What’s the catch?” Ryder demanded.

  “So cynical,” Christophe teased, although he silently approved of Ryder’s wariness. “I simply wanted to remind you of the pleasures my boy can provide you with, and failing that, show you that any of my employees can do the same.”

  “I’m not interested,” Ryder instantly rejected, fearing that there was too much at risk to agree to such a seemingly good deal.

  “Being afraid to take the opportunity and being uninterested in it are two very separate things,” Christophe pointed out, causing Ryder to scowl. “It would be unwise to reject such a generous invitation when I’m offering you not only my boy, but an alternative as well.”

  There was something about the way that Christophe said “offering” that made Ryder’s skin crawl in revulsion. The feeling only got worse as Christophe reached out and stroked Ryder’s cheek, making the spacious limo suddenly seem far too small.

  “Unless of course you’d rather have me train you myself,” Christophe continued, laughing at Ryder’s visible disgust. When Ryder tried to pull away, Christophe tightened his grip and used the momentum to yank him even closer to him. “I’m not about to let you go, boy.”

  Ryder’s eyes were wide with fear as he tried to clamp down on the rising panic inside of him, desperate to get away from the older man’s touch. Ryder struggled to get away, composure be damned. Shoving hard at Christophe’s broad chest, successfully creating some distance between them, Ryder growled, “Knock it off!”

  Christophe merely laughed, not taking offense. If anything, he was amused. “I do so enjoy your spirit,” Christophe replied, making Ryder feel further
indignation. “I really wish you would reconsider working for me. I could put it to better uses.”

  “I will never work for you,” Ryder growled, hatefully glaring at Christophe, all sense of decorum abandoned.

  “Oh?” Christophe questioned with a malicious smile that sent a shiver of fear through Ryder. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Trust me, I have ways to convince you.”

  The perverseness of the statement was already more than Ryder was comfortable with, so he kept quiet on the subject. His discomfort was visibly obvious, which caused Christophe to heartily laugh.

  “You put up a good front, boy,” Christophe complimented Ryder, patronizingly patting his cheek. “I’ll give you that much.”

  Rather than replying, Ryder sat quietly and tried to figure out what Christophe was planning, even as the older man warned, “The fun is only just beginning.”

  Thank you for reading Alluring Attraction. I love hearing from readers, so if you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

  COMING FEBRUARY 2019

  NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER

  Will Ryder and Hunter defy everything to be together?

  Hunter works at a high-class brothel as a male prostitute. For Ryder, being with Hunter as a client has become an addictive pleasure. What started as curiosity is now a dominating need for each other.

  When friends and family become too interested in their relationship, Hunter is determined to protect his life as a sex worker—and his feelings for Ryder—at any cost, as they cannot resist their emotions. They will risk everything with secret liaisons outside the brothel, and each stolen moment brings them closer.

  Can Ryder and Hunter survive the threats to their happiness?