She gripped the top of the newspaper and wrenched downward, tearing it. “And what does sir count as appropriate?”
A surge of blood left my brain at full speed, heading directly to my groin. I bit back a groan. Athena calling me “sir” was right up there with my most coveted fantasies, even if she had laced it with barbed wit.
I folded the ruined paper and placed it on the table, then schooled my expression into a flat stare. “Covering your tits up would be a start,” I said coldly.
A flash of pain crossed her face, pain she quickly locked up tight. “Really, Ryker? Most men love my tits. It’s only you who seems to have a problem with them. Maybe you should examine that issue more closely.”
She blasted to her feet, flounced over to the spare bedroom, grabbed her suitcases, and wheeled them into her room. The door slammed behind her.
As I rubbed my sternum with a clenched fist, my eyes fell closed. It was going to be a long flight home.
6
Athena
Ryker arranged for a car to collect me from the airport on our arrival in New York and gave the driver strict instructions to deliver me straight to my parents’ house. Y’know, in case I couldn’t find my own way.
Thirteen hours we’d been holed up in a steel tube, albeit a very luxurious steel tube, the atmosphere thick and uncomfortable. Ryker had buried his head in his laptop for most of the journey while I just sat there, quietly seething and deeply hurt by his clear belief I was some slut who went around flashing my assets to all and sundry.
For Christ’s sake, I was, to all intents and purposes, still a virgin. At the age of twenty-four, I’d had sex once—once—and all because I couldn’t stomach the thought of being touched by a man who wasn’t the cruel bastard sitting opposite me wearing a deep frown of concentration on his handsome face.
Even when he’d put me in the jet-black limo, he’d barely looked at me—merely grunted, shut the door, and walked away without a backward glance to his own waiting vehicle.
The car coasted to a stop outside the mansion Elliot had purchased for my parents, and where we all still lived together. I kept expecting Elliot to get his own place, but he seemed perfectly content to remain here.
The house couldn’t be more removed from the home we’d grown up in. My parents loved it. Dad swam fifty laps every morning in the Olympic-sized swimming pool. Mom invited her friends over to the purpose-built yoga studio to contort their bodies into weird, unnatural positions.
To me, it was a monolith. If you were reading a book in the library, fetching a cup of coffee took fifteen minutes. By the time you returned to your book, the damn drink had gone cold.
I owned nothing of my own. Even the clothes on my back had been bought with the ridiculously generous allowance Elliot deposited in my bank account on a monthly basis. Despite graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in IT—a course Elliot also funded—I had no opportunity to use it. Every time I expressed a desire to get a job, Elliot dismissed me with a casual wave.
“You don’t need to work, Athena. Go shopping, have lunch with your friends. Play bridge with Mom.”
I loved my brother more than my own life, but sometimes his attitude drove me crazy. He thought he was doing the right thing, protecting me from the shit I heard my friends moaning about on a regular basis.
Urgh, is it Monday already?
Yay, hump day. Only two days until Friday.
My boss is a complete ass. I hate him.
I thought working for a woman would be great, but she’s a complete bitch.
Yet the more bored and dissatisfied I became, the urge to experience those things for myself increased. I wanted to curl up in bed on a Sunday evening dreading work the next day, like the majority of the population.
I wanted to find a purpose, a direction. To have goals. To succeed and fail.
I wanted my independence.
If only Elliot’s riches had come a few years later when I’d established myself as a woman with a career of my own. Because it had happened when I’d been seventeen, I allowed myself to drift, urged on by an overprotective brother and parents who assumed I was happy with the status quo. The six months I’d spent traveling only increased my determination to fight for my own identity, for my place in the world. Ryker’s blatant disapproval of me only solidified my conviction that things must change.
First, I’d get a job. And then an apartment, paid for with money I’d earned. It’d be hard, I accepted that. Especially in Manhattan. But people did it every day, right? They managed, and so would I.
I opened the front door only to be greeted by the expansive hallway—bigger than most New York apartments.
“Hello,” I called out, not expecting a reply. I wasn’t disappointed. Even if my parents were at home, unless they were in the adjacent rooms off the hall, they had zero chance of hearing me.
Dropping my suitcase beside the winding staircase—one of three—I went in search of humanity. I happened upon Dora, our housekeeper, who squealed and enveloped me in the tightest hug.
“Miss Bancroft. When did you get back? Oh, your mom is going to be thrilled.”
I kissed her cheek. “Five minutes ago. Missed you, Dora. Where’s Mom?”
“She’s in the kitchen.”
“I’ll go say hi, then. See you later.”
I found Mom sitting at the enormous kitchen table, a large pot of coffee beside her, the clacking of her knitting needles echoing in the wide-open space.
“Not more holey sweaters,” I said, affection for her overwhelming me.
Mom’s head swiveled in my direction, and her mouth fell open. Then she tossed her knitting to one side—resulting, no doubt, in another dropped stitch she didn’t know how to pick up—and launched to her feet. Seconds later, I found myself enveloped in chiffon, and Mom’s favorite perfume invaded my nostrils. She smelled of home, of love, and only then did I realize how much I’d missed her.
“Oh, Athena, my darling girl.” She squeezed my upper arms, then performed a full-length body scan. “When did you get back? Is everything okay? Why didn’t you tell us you were coming? Does Elliot know you’re here? Why have you come home earlier than planned?”
I laughed. “Which question do you want me to answer first, Mom?”
She smiled, her hand cupping my cheek. “Take your pick.”
I covered her hand with my own. “I missed home. I missed you all.”
She hugged me again. “We missed you, too. So very much.”
I glanced around. “Is Dad here?”
She shook her head. “Out playing golf,” she said, following her comment with an eye roll. “Really, I’ll never understand that game. Where’s the fun in hitting a tiny ball around a field and then chasing after it?”
I grinned. Dad would perform an eye roll of his own if he heard her dissing his beloved golf.
“Beats me.”
Mom ushered me to the table and poured a large cup of coffee, adding a healthy dose of cream. “Wait until Elliot hears you’re home. He’s on his way back from a business meeting in Japan.”
An element of pride laced her tone when she spoke of Elliot’s achievements. I tried not to let envy consume me. I had no doubt Mom loved me, but I wanted her to be proud of me, too. To talk to her friends about her “clever” daughter who was “taking Manhattan by storm”.
I scoffed. Fat chance.
“He’s not arrived yet?” Realizing my mistake, I scrambled to cover my tracks. “I mean arrived. No yet. Just arrived.”
Luckily, Mom was used to my skittish ways, reading nothing into my slip of the tongue other than to chuckle.
“No. He was supposed to be back by now, but his flight was delayed.” She clapped her hands. “Oh, darling, this calls for a celebration. As soon as Elliot returns, I’ll arrange a dinner. Invite all the boys. They’ll be so thrilled to see you.”
I suppressed a smile. Six strapping twenty-eight-year-old men who could buy New York City several times over being described as
boys amused me. Then my smile fell. Ryker was one of the six. Considering how we’d left things only an hour ago, I wasn’t sure I could take another mental pummeling at Ryker’s hands. I needed to recharge my batteries first.
Mom clutched my hand, her thumb brushing over my knuckles. “I’ve missed you, my darling girl. Tell me, was traveling everything you hoped for and more? Did you maybe find a nice man to take care of you?”
I blinked slowly, disappointment weighing heavily in my chest. And there it is. Her comment strengthened my resolve to finally stand on my own two feet.
“Yes to the first question. No to the second. And I don’t need a man to take care of me. Which reminds me. When Dad and Elliot get home, I want to talk to you all. Together.”
Mom’s eyebrows squished together. “Should I be concerned?”
I grinned. “No, worry wart.”
“That’s all right then,” she said, a beam lighting up her face, smoothing the brief appearance of her troubled frown.
My heart filled with love. I adored my mother, looked up to her enormously. She was my hero. She’d had a terrible life at the hands of my father—correction, sperm donor. The asshole didn’t deserve the term father—yet she’d come out the other side strong, resilient, amazing. Meeting the man I considered my real dad certainly helped. But Mom would have made it regardless.
“Let me text Elliot and ask him to come here when he lands in case he planned to go straight to the office,” Mom said, reaching for her phone. “I won’t tell him why, though. Let it be a surprise.”
Ninety minutes later, Mom and I had fully caught up when the sound of footsteps heading our way reached us. Then voices. Dad and Elliot. Perfect timing.
I stood, hands tucked in the back pockets of my jeans, weirdly nervous about seeing my brother in case he read the lies in my face, that he somehow knew I’d been in Japan working at the club. That Ryker, despite his assurances, had sold me out. But as Elliot entered the room and saw me, my anxiety melted away. His surprised expression was followed by complete joy.
“Athena,” he cried, striding toward me. I found myself wrapped in his arms, Dad soon joining in. After being hugged to within an inch of my life, I managed to extricate myself.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?” Elliot accused, his gaze narrowing.
“It was a last-minute decision,” I answered truthfully, although decision was pushing it.
Blackmailed into coming home more like it.
“Where have you flown in from?”
“Ja-Jakarta,” I said, catching myself just in time. “How was Japan?” When he raised his eyebrows in query, I added, “Mom told me.”
“Good,” he replied. “Ryker and I went to close out a business opportunity.”
My pulse stuttered at the mention of his name.
“Well, now Athena’s home, we must have a celebration dinner,” Mom said. “So, tell that boy, and the rest of them, to get their backsides over here by eight tonight.”
“I can’t,” Elliot said, his hand covering his mouth as he yawned. “Sebastian hasn’t arrived from London yet, and Ryker stayed behind in Japan, supposedly to complete a few minor details, and then he’s flying on to Paris for a couple days. He’s full of shit, though. He had a woman in his room. Flying back with me wasn’t top of his agenda.”
“Never mind,” Mom said with a shrug. “I’ll arrange it for when he’s back. I’ll text him.”
“Mom, don’t,” I groaned. “Let me settle in first.”
“How come you came home early, love?” Dad pressed a tender kiss to my temple.
“I missed everyone,” I said, reiterating my earlier assurances to Mom. “I enjoyed traveling, but there’s no place like home.” I touched his arm. “Can we all sit? I want to talk to you.”
Elliot flashed me one of his looks. “What about?”
“Sit down and you’ll find out, won’t you?”
He stuck out his tongue. I pulled a funny face. Elliot laughed, hugging me again.
“It’s great to have you back, brat. It’s sure been quiet around here without you.”
I suppressed a dart of annoyance at his teasing moniker, yet more evidence that he still saw me as his baby sister. Now wasn’t the time to call him on it, though.
“Gee thanks,” I drawled. “Talk about a backhanded compliment.”
Elliot’s eyes twinkled, and he winked.
I readied myself with a cleansing breath and sent up a silent prayer that the words didn’t come out in a jumble. “I appreciate everything you’ve all done and continue to do for me, but I’ve had a lot of time to think while I’ve been away. Things have got to change. I need a purpose, a focus, a direction to head in.” I settled my gaze on each of them in turn, ending with Elliot. “I want to find a job, an apartment. I want to spread my wings, find my independence. I’m done sitting around on my ass, sponging off my family.”
Elliot opened his mouth to respond.
I shook my head. “I mean it, bro. I need this, for my own sanity.”
“No one is pouring cold water on your ambitions, love,” Dad chimed in. “It’s admirable, and I’m proud of you, but have you any idea how expensive it is to rent an apartment in New York? And you’ll start on an entry-level salary, I presume. Why not take it one step at a time? Job first, save a little money, then move out.”
Everything he said made so much sense and, of course, I’d thought about all of that. But right now, the desire to live on my own was a huge motivation for me.
“I hear you, Dad. I understand it depends on what I can earn. But those are my intentions.”
“Can I speak now?” Elliot asked, a smug smirk curling the corners of his mouth. “Because I have a solution.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “You do?”
“Yes,” he said. “You have a degree in IT. We have a vacancy in our IT support team.” He threw his hands out to the side. “Voila.”
Mom beamed. Dad nodded. I groaned.
“Elliot, it’s hardly being self-sufficient if I’m gifted a job at my brother’s company.”
“Who said anything about gifting?” Elliot asked. “You haven’t met the head of IT yet. He’s a hard taskmaster. And you’d be starting at the bottom. At least take it on a trial basis. If it doesn’t work out, then fine.”
I sighed. “Elliot…”
“I promise not to interfere. If he thinks you’re shit, he can fire your ass. If you do something wrong, I’d expect him to pull you up, exactly as he would with any other employee. No special favors. Guaranteed.”
I narrowed my eyes. What he said made a lot of sense. I could gain some experience at ROGUES which would stand me in good stead for my next role. Use it as a stepping-stone. It didn’t mean I had to stay there for my entire career.
“No special treatment,” I repeated. “And that includes salary.”
“Agreed,” he said.
I considered his offer. There were lots of downsides, but there was also an upside. If Ryker saw me behaving responsibly, contributing to the success of the company, working hard, then maybe, just maybe, he might begin to see me in a different light. It could be the breakthrough I’d been hoping for.
“I want an official employment contract, same as every other employee.”
Elliot shrugged. “Of course.”
I stuck out my hand. “Then, big brother, you have a deal.”
“Oh, this is wonderful,” Mom said, unable to keep the happiness out of her voice, or off her face. She was positively glowing. “Both my children conquering the world.”
“Hardly,” I declared, although hearing that note of pride warmed my insides.
“Speak for yourself.” Elliot grinned, playfully bumping my shoulder. “I’ll ask HR to draw up the contract and get it rubber-stamped by the board. I don’t normally do that for junior positions, obviously, but these are special circumstances.”
A shot of anxiety flooded my bloodstream. “Do you think they’ll agree?”
Elliot
looked at me as if I’d grown horns. “Why wouldn’t they?”
“No reason,” I muttered.
Except there was a reason—a gigantic one.
Ryker.
7
Ryker
“Thanks, Patricia.” I swiped my calendar for the day from her outstretched hand.
“Welcome back,” she said. “How was Paris?”
“Fine.” I scanned down the page. “Can you move the meeting at four to next week?”
“Edwin won’t be happy,” she replied, referring to the sales director of a software company that had been trying to get me to attend a meeting for months. The product looked like it had promise, but it wasn’t my priority right now.
I glanced up. “Is this the face of someone who cares what Edwin thinks?”
She chuckled. “That’s the face of someone who doesn’t care what anyone thinks.”
I grinned and winked. Patricia had worked for me for five years, and over that time we’d developed a great working relationship. I relied on her enormously.
Pushing open the door to my office, I immediately spied breakfast waiting for me. Overnight oats, a skinny omelet wrap, and a flat white.
“Thanks, Patricia,” I threw over my shoulder.
“Welcome,” she called back.
I closed the door, set down my briefcase, and hung up my coat by the door. Two days spent holed up in my apartment had left me restless, and I was anxious to start the day. Despite working until midnight last night, I still had sixty-five emails awaiting my attention from our London office which had been open for business while I slept.
Patricia had already marked the most urgent ones. I tore my wrap in half and devoured it while replying. I’d almost finished when a brief knock at the door interrupted me and Elliot entered.
“Morning.” He flopped onto the chair opposite mine and swiped the other half of my wrap.
I snatched it back. “Get your own.”
“I’ve had my own.” He shot me an impish grin. “Still hungry.”
Entranced (The ROGUES Billionaire Series Book 1) Page 6