“Y’know, when I was about nine, I remember you and Elliot coming home one day after school. You were being all secretive, and I was desperate to be included in your inner circle, but you guys always shut me out. Elliot and I are close now, but back then, I felt like the annoying little sister he only tolerated. I sat outside Elliot’s bedroom with my ear pressed against the door, listening intently to you both talking about girls and boners, and I recall clearly thinking that it meant you actually had a bone in there.”
Ryker raised himself, eyebrow quirked. “An actual bone?” he asked, his low, sexy chuckle rumbling through his chest. “What the hell did you think happened when dicks weren’t hard?”
I hitched a shoulder. “I dunno. I guess I assumed the bone retracted somehow.”
Ryker rolled onto his back, holding his stomach. “Retracted?” His shoulders violently shook. “Oh, Athena, you’re priceless.”
I drowned in this moment of happiness, tattooed the memory on my brain—still unwilling to fully abandon my fear this could all be temporary.
I grinned. “I was nine, Ryker. Still believed in Santa Claus. In my innocence, anything was possible.”
“It’s still funny as fuck.”
I stuck out my tongue. Quick as anything, he sucked it into his mouth. What began as playful banter immediately grew serious. He rolled on top of me, his thighs pushing my legs apart. Bending his head, he traced the tip of his tongue around my right nipple. I arched, groaning.
“My bone is fully extended, ma’am,” he said, rubbing himself against me. “Ready to go again?”
17
Ryker
I woke to Athena’s hair tickling my chin. Moving carefully to avoid disturbing her, I raised on my elbow and watched her sleep. She appeared so incredibly peaceful, her long, thick lashes resting on her cheeks, her smooth, pale skin tinged pink.
A surge of love tightened my chest, almost as though, by finally submitting to my desires, I’d opened the floodgates to my heart. For so long, I’d fought my true feelings. I’d been cruel at times, dismissive at others, but it had all been a façade, a barrier that I hid behind—too afraid to peek over the wall in case my entire world collapsed.
As it still might. I’d not yet come up with an idea of how to square this with Elliot. It was an impossible battle to win. If push came to shove, and Elliot couldn’t reconcile his sister and his best friend being together, and if he forced me to choose, then I’d choose Athena. Yet I couldn’t imagine a life without my buddy, my wingman, the guy who’d invited me back to his house every night after school so I wouldn’t have return to an empty house and fend for myself while Mom worked her fingers to the bone to keep a roof over our heads.
And if we did fall out, what would that mean for ROGUES? We’d all had disagreements from time to time. We were driven, competitive, red-blooded alpha males with money to burn and permanent hard-ons. A constant state of calm was an impossible aspiration. But we’d never allowed an argument to get in the way of our combined goal: to make ROGUES the most successful company in the world.
Athena stirred, made the most adorable sound that had my cock standing at attention, then stretched. I should have let her wake without me reaching for her, but I couldn’t resist. I palmed her breast, kneading the soft mound, then twisted her nipple between my thumb and forefinger. She groaned and turned her head, then opened her eyes.
“Morning,” I said, leaning over her to swirl my tongue around the pebbled point.
She cupped the back of my head, pressing down while simultaneously arching her back.
I nibbled, softly at first, then harder. “Can we try nipple clamps?”
She laughed. “Firstly, I’m not sure what those are. And secondly, can I wake up first?”
“They’re clips that attach to your nipples to increase the sensation. And yes, you can. I thought we’d try them tonight.”
She squinted at me. “You’re very kinky.”
I chuckled. “It adds to the fun.” I grazed my knuckles over her soft cheek and added, “You can always say no. You know that, right?”
She captured my hand. “I know.”
I kissed her forehead. “Let’s shower, and then we can plan the day.”
The forehead I’d just kissed wrinkled. “You want us to spend the day together?”
“Yes,” I said, smoothing her wrinkles with my thumb. “It’s Saturday, and whereas I’d usually work, this weekend is different.”
She smiled coyly. “Because I’m here?”
“Precisely.” I threw back the bed covers, rolled her onto her side, and slapped her ass, drawing a yelp of surprise. “Shower. Now.”
“Yes, sir.”
My stomach flipped, and I groaned. I made a grab for her but, in a flash, she moved out of reach and jumped out of bed. She wagged her finger at me.
“Gotta be quicker than that.”
I moved fast, launching to my feet. She ran, but not swiftly enough. I swept her up into my arms, her giggles warming every inch of me. Ambling into the large bathroom off my bedroom, I flicked on the shower. Without waiting for it to warm up, I stepped into the stall, the cold water drawing a scream from Athena.
“Ryker!” She wriggled in my arms. “It’s freezing.”
I let her down, wrapping my arms around her. “I’ll warm you up.”
My lips connected with hers, and by the time we came up for air, steam filled the bathroom. I lifted her. She automatically hooked her legs around my waist, giving me the perfect angle to ease inside, slowly, carefully, conscious we’d had a lot of sex in the last twelve hours.
“I won’t break,” she whispered in my ear.
“Damn,” I muttered. “You’re fucking perfect.”
Athena appeared in the kitchen wearing one of my shirts, the tails grazing her thighs.
I pointed at the breakfast bar. “Sit. Breakfast won’t be long.”
She slipped onto a stool and rested her chin on her hands. “Whatcha cooking there, sex god?”
I grinned. “You know the way to a man’s heart.”
She returned my smile and let out a contented sigh. “I could watch you all day.”
“You’re very good for my ego.” I tipped scrambled egg onto two plates and added a side of bacon and a slice of toast. “Here.”
She picked up her fork and scooped up the eggs. “These are yummy,” she said.
“Don’t sound so surprised. Eggs are the least of my culinary skills. My mother taught me how to take care of myself. I wasn’t always rich.”
Athena nodded sagely, and her eyes glazed over. “I remember.”
I clipped her under the chin. I didn’t want her to be sad or to feel sorry for me. I might have had a tough childhood, with just Mom and me, but at least I hadn’t suffered the mental torture of watching my father beat up my mother, like Elliot had. One blessed relief was that Athena had no memories of her bastard of a birth father. And besides all the early challenges, my upbringing made me hungrier, more determined to better myself. “We made it, Thea. It’s all good.”
She broke into an enormous grin. “You haven’t called me that in years.”
“You hated it as I recall.”
“Secretly, I loved it.” She touched my hand. “I love it.”
“You used to give me terrible grief. ‘My name is Athena, idiot’,” I mimicked.
She giggled. “I was such a brat.”
“Still are at times,” I said, earning a sharp poke in the ribs for my trouble.
“Careful.”
My response was delayed by the ringing of my cell phone. I glanced at the screen.
“Who’s that?” Athena asked.
“The other woman in my life. Hi, Mom.” I grinned at Athena’s momentary outrageous expression that quickly fell away when she realized the identity of the caller.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
I bit into a piece of toast. “What’s up?”
“Nothing at all. I just wondered if you had any plans for today.”
I glanced over at Athena. I definitely had plans. Not the kind I’d share with my mother, though.
“Some, why?”
“Oh, it’s not important.”
“Mom,” I said in a warning tone. “Spill.”
“Well, I’m heading off on a cruise on Tuesday, which means I’ll be away for Christmas, and I rather wanted to see you before I left.”
My eyebrows shot up. “And when did you decide all this?”
“Only a few days ago. It was Portia’s idea.”
Portia… my mother’s best friend and a very bad influence—in a very good way. Portia brought Mom out of herself, encouraged her to do things she wouldn’t normally. Portia put the ‘F’ in ‘Fun’.
“I guess I can drive up this morning,” I said, watching Athena’s face fall.
“That would be wonderful. I miss my boy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hardly a boy.”
“You’ll always be my baby.”
“Jesus, Mother. Dial it back. I’m just having breakfast. I’ll leave shortly.”
“See you then, sweetheart. Drive carefully on the freeway.”
I cut the call. Picking up my coffee, I sipped at it, glancing at Athena over the rim. She’d stopped eating, instead choosing to push eggs around her plate.
“How’s your mom?” she asked, a dull sound to her voice. “I haven’t seen her in years.”
I grazed the back of my finger along her jawline. “She’s well, as you’ll find out when you come see her with me today.”
Her eyes widened. “You want me to come?”
I arched an eyebrow. “Oh, darling, I definitely want you to come. Over and over again.”
A red flush crept over her cheeks. “I… um...”
Laughing, I leaned over and kissed her. “Yes, I want you to accompany me to visit my mother.”
“But… but… how will we explain… us?”
“With the truth,” I replied.
Athena nibbled her lip. “What about Elliot? She won’t tell him, will she?”
“I don’t think my mother and Elliot are besties, darling.”
She slapped her palm against my shoulder. “Ryker! Be serious.”
I chuckled. “Stop worrying. For one thing, she lives in Connecticut, so is hardly likely to swing by unexpectedly while Elliot happens to be visiting and then decide her first words are going to be to blurt about us. And secondly, my mother is one of the most discreet people I know. When ROGUES made it big, the press were all over us.”
“I remember,” she said. “It was a crazy time.”
“Very. And yet there isn’t one quote anywhere from my mother. She’s never spoken a single word to the press, and she never discusses me or my business even with Portia who is her closest friend. I trust her implicitly. She’ll be thrilled, that’s all. Like any mother, she just wants her only child to be happy.”
Athena gave me a coy smile. “I make you happy?”
I captured her lips in a brief kiss. “Ecstatic. My only regret is that I didn’t give in to the inevitable earlier. Think of all the sex we could have had by now.”
“You have a one-track mind.”
“You have no idea.” I smiled wolfishly. “But you will.”
“I can’t wait,” she whispered, gazing up at me from beneath her long, dark lashes.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I groaned. “We need to get on the road soon, and while I’m far from averse to a quickie, I’m in a savoring mood.”
I stood and cleared our plates, stacking them in the dishwasher.
“Shit,” Athena exclaimed.
I turned around, hoping she hadn’t remembered some urgent errand. I wanted us to spend the weekend together, not apart. “What’s the matter?”
She tugged on my shirttails. “Unless this is suitable attire for visiting your mother, which I doubt, I don’t have anything to wear. And if I go home, there’s the possibility I’ll run into questions.” She slapped her thigh. “I knew I should have gotten my own place.”
“Is that all. Jeez.” Picking up my cell, I dialed Patricia. She answered after a single ring, even though it was Saturday. If she ever tried to leave me or ROGUES, I’d chain her to the desk. “Patricia, sorry to bother you on the weekend.”
“No you’re not,” she said. “You’ve bothered me six weekends out of the last eight.”
Fuck. I owe this woman a raise.
“What do you need, Ryker?”
“Clothes,” I said. “More precisely, a pair of skinny jeans in a size four, regular length, a sweater in the same size, one with a decent neckline, and a warm coat. Oh, and sneakers. Actually, make it heels.” I glanced over at Athena to find her staring at me with incredulity. “Size seven.”
“What about underwear?”
“Yes, that, too. Hang on.” I muted the call. “What bra size are you?” I asked Athena.
“Ryker, for god’s sake. I can buy my own clothes.”
I sighed, ready for battle, then remembered her lingerie was on my bedroom floor. I left her standing in the kitchen and returned to the bedroom. I picked it up and found the label. “Patricia, you there?”
“Yes, waiting with bated breath.”
I chuckled. “Thirty-two C. Oh, and can you add nightwear to the list. Something—”
“Sexy,” she said, cutting me off. “Got it. When do you need it all by?”
“Thirty minutes ago.”
“Fine. I’ll call Hermione Granger and borrow her time turner.”
“I knew you’d find a way.” I grinned even though she couldn’t see me. “See you Monday.”
I cut the call and strolled into the kitchen, whistling. Athena hit me with what I liked to call her ‘Power Glare’.
“What?” I asked, holding my hands out to the side, palms up.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Thanks, darling.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“I know.” I wrapped my arms around her waist. “Don’t sweat it. You can pay me back by letting me use the nipple clamps on you tonight, and maybe one or two other delights.”
She tried hard to keep a straight face but failed miserably. Laughing, she shoved at my chest.
“You’re a bad man, Ryker Stone.”
“Yet you love me anyway.”
She stood on tiptoes and kissed my lips. “I do.”
Patricia worked miracles, and an hour after my call, Athena’s clothes were delivered. We left a short time after, riding the elevator down to the garage beneath my building. I gestured to the row of vehicles.
“Which one do you fancy?”
Athena glanced at the cars, then to me, then flicked back to the cars. “Why so many? You take the limo to work every day.”
I shrugged. “Gotta spend my cash somehow. And now I’ve got you to spoil.” Pulling her into my side, I kissed her temple. “Pick one.”
She walked the line, trailing her fingertips over the hoods of each one. I stood off to one side, watching her with warmth in my heart and a smile on my face. She stopped next to my newest toy, one that had only been delivered a couple of weeks ago.
“What’s this one called?”
“That’s a Bugatti La Voiture Noire. I took delivery of her recently. Haven’t had chance to drive her yet.”
“Her?”
“Of course. She’s beautiful, sleek, and has curves in all the right places.”
She shook her head. “Men and their obsession with cars. I’ve never understood it. Elliot is the same.”
I fetched the keys from the cabinet where they were stored and unlocked the car. “Get in.”
She slipped inside and closed the door. I joined her.
“Wow,” she said, running her hand over the leather. “This must have cost you a fortune.”
“List price is almost thirteen million, but because they’re so rare, I paid twenty.”
She stared at me, mouth agape. “Twenty million dollars?”
“Yes.”
>
“Oh my god. That’s insane. Don’t you feel guilty when half the world is starving?”
“No. I gave one hundred million dollars to charity this year and I’ll do the same next year and the year after. I’m fully aware of the responsibilities I have, but that doesn’t mean I should feel guilty about spoiling myself. And I don’t.”
“Jesus. Those are some crazy numbers.”
I frowned. “You act as if you’re surprised about how rich we all are. You’re Elliot’s sister. How can you not be clued in?”
She hitched a shoulder. “I’ve never asked or paid attention. It’s not my business. He’s always taken care of me and Mom and Dad, but it’s not like he gives me access to his bank statements, and nor should he.”
“That’s fair, I guess. Well, we are. All of us. It’s no big deal.”
She peered at me. I sensed a deep question brewing.
“Isn’t it strange for you, though? I mean, after growing up with nothing to suddenly have so much of everything?”
I started the engine and drove onto the street, the engine purring beneath the hood. I was already itching to put my foot down, but I’d have to wait until I got out of the city to really open her up. At least the dusting of snow we’d had earlier in the week had melted, and, while freezing, the sky was a deep blue, without a cloud in sight.
“It was at first, of course. But now, I honestly can’t say I think about it. I make sure I enjoy the luxuries money brings, but I equally work hard and set myself challenging goals, otherwise it all becomes a little pointless. The best part for me is being able to take care of Mom. Bringing up a headstrong boy alone when you have to work three jobs just to make ends meet must have been an almost impossible ask, and certainly a thankless task. That’s what brings me the most joy—knowing my mother never has to worry about where the next dime is coming from ever again.”
Athena emitted a soft sigh. “You’re a special kind of man, Ryker Stone. When I have a son, that’s exactly how I want him to turn out.”
I glanced sideways, then turned my attention back to the road. Manhattan streets weren’t the kind you wanted to take your eyes off for too long, and if anyone scratched my new baby, I wouldn’t be held responsible for my actions.
Entranced (The ROGUES Billionaire Series Book 1) Page 14