Entranced (The ROGUES Billionaire Series Book 1)

by Tracie Delaney

  She groaned louder. “I don’t think what happened to me is called sleep. I’d say more like passing out.”

  “I shouldn’t have kept you up so late. I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sorry in the least, but it felt like the gentlemanly thing to say.

  “No, you’re not,” Athena said, shielding her eyes from the sun.

  I laughed again, leaning in for a kiss. “Busted.” Standing, I held out my hand. “Let’s shower, fuck, eat, and then go for a walk. I hear the jungle surrounding this place is amazing.”

  An hour later, we slipped out the back of the property and onto a narrow path. The trees were dense, although slivers of sunlight shone through, illuminating our path. As we traveled deeper into the forest, silence hung in the air like a thick fog, and I could taste the moisture on my tongue. Without interference from civilization, the sounds of the jungle were amplified, from birdsong to the twigs breaking beneath our footsteps, and the breeze rustling the leaves.

  “Ah, the peace,” Athena whispered, as if speaking too loudly would break the spell.

  “I was just thinking the same thing,” I grinned down at her and waggled my eyebrows. “We’re completely alone.”

  “You’ve got that look on your face,” Athena said, squinting up at me.

  “What look?” I asked innocently.

  “The one that makes me feel as though I’m about to be devoured by a starving man.”

  I tongued my top teeth, desire building in my gut. “That’s because you’re my favorite thing to eat and, no matter how often I sample you, I’ll never have enough.”

  I pulled her in for a kiss, taking my time to savor the trace of mints on her tongue, lazily exploring every inch of her mouth, committing the sensations to memory. Her fingers dove into my hair, her body fitting perfectly to mine. I stepped into her, pushing her backward until her spine collided with the trunk of an enormous tree. I bent my knees and circled my hips, my now-erect cock lined up perfectly with her clit. The long, drawn-out groan she emitted told me I’d hit the spot.

  Lifting her skirt, I burrowed my hands underneath, my eager fingers finding the thin strip of lace that acted as a barrier to the prize beneath. I yanked hard, and the lace snapped as easily as a brittle twig. My knees hit the ground—fuck, I loved kneeling before my woman—and I parted her folds and delved inside, drilling my tongue into her. Her mouth tasted amazing, but the taste of her pussy sent me wild. I’d gone down on more women than I’d care to count, but not one of them tasted like she did. Sweet, succulent, and as addictive as any drug. I’d prefer to eat Athena than the juiciest steak or the rarest caviar.

  I knew she was close by the tight grip on my shoulders and the volume of her groans. With my tongue still inside her, I pinched her clit, sending her tumbling over the edge into an orgasm.

  “Ryker,” she mumbled, her fingernails digging through the thin cotton of my T-shirt.

  I held on to her ass, plundering inside her, drawing every last drop, swallowing her essence. Her legs quivered, and she sank to the ground. I eased her onto her back, yanked my shorts down to mid-thigh, and pushed inside her.

  “Ow.”

  I paused, rising on my elbows. “Did I hurt you?”

  She fidgeted beneath me, producing a twig. She tossed it aside. “Better.”

  I laughed. “The joys of fucking in the great outdoors.” I rolled over, pulling her on top.

  She glanced around, as if expecting someone to appear. “We’re definitely alone, right?”

  Sensing an opportunity to tease her, I smirked. “Probably, but just in case, let’s put on a great show.”

  I gripped her hips then lifted her and, withdrawing to the tip, I slammed into her before she had a chance to answer. Shoving up her T-shirt, I tugged down her bra cup and lifted my head, sucking her nipple into my mouth. Her nails clawed down my sides every time I thrust in hard, and she ground her pelvis, meeting me stroke for stroke.

  Sweat gathered at the back of my neck and across my forehead, partly from the muggy heat, but mostly because of her, my perfect woman.

  My balls drew up to my body, pressure building from within. I shifted, tilting her to exactly the right angle to brush against her clit.

  “Open your eyes,” I demanded.

  She obeyed, those amber irises almost entirely obscured by her pupils, reminding me of a total eclipse of the sun. I could drown in her eyes and die a happy man.

  “Ryker,” she breathed. “I can’t hold on.”

  “Then don’t.” I reached between us and pinched her clit.

  She climaxed, her muscles pulsating along the length of my cock.

  “Ohhhh God.”

  “Christ, I love you,” I groaned. “So damned much.”

  Her response was obscured by the force of my orgasm. Spots danced before my eyes, and I could have sworn I almost blacked out. I held her close to me, our hearts hammering in tandem, our bodies slick with sweat.

  She raised herself slightly and rested her chin on her hands. “You were teasing, right? About being watched?”

  I chuckled. Brushing her hair out of her eyes, I reached up to steal a kiss. “Definitely teasing. The only person who’s ever going to see you come is me.”

  She kissed me, her soft lips fusing with mine until I wasn’t sure where I ended and she began.

  “I’m so lucky,” she murmured. “I dreamed for so long of belonging to you, and you belonging to me, but with every year that passed you got farther and farther away. In the end, it felt like an impossible fantasy, yet here we are.”

  My chest swelled with love. “I need to record all these ego boosts so when I’m feeling down, I can play them, and they’ll help reaffirm how awesome I am.”

  For a split second, she appeared shell-shocked. And then she slapped the heel of her hand into my shoulder.

  “You are such a jackass, Ryker Stone.”

  I tucked her hair behind both ears and kissed her. “You’re right. I am.”

  “Ryker, what’s this?”

  Athena appeared in the doorway to our bedroom holding a floor-length dress in a cherry-apple red—the deep tones of the chiffon contrasted beautifully with her dark hair, as I’d known it would when I’d selected it for this occasion. I’d placed it on the bed for her while she took a shower.

  “I thought we could eat at the hotel for dinner this evening. We’re only here for such a short time, and while I’d love to have you all to myself, the hotel chef is particularly renowned. Last year he made the list for the top ten chefs in the world.”

  “He did?”

  “So I’m reliably informed.”

  “Ooh, yummy.” She held the dress against her body. “This is beautiful, by the way. But you shouldn’t have. It must have cost a fortune.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Get dressed, Athena.”

  She saluted. “Sir, yes, sir.”

  I launched to my feet, chasing her into the bedroom.

  She darted around to the other side of the bed, holding the dress out in front of her like a shield. “Ryker, no,” she warned. “You’ll wrinkle this gorgeous dress.”

  “Like I care,” I said, prowling toward her.

  She squealed and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Tinkling laughter reached me through the thick wood. I chuckled in response. I may only be twenty-eight, but there had been many occasions in the past seven years—since ROGUES took off—that I’d felt much older than my years. Such was the cloak of responsibility of running a global company when I’d barely graduated from college weighing heavily upon me. Athena reminded me I was still a young man and that I shouldn’t take myself too seriously. She’d given me back my smile, stolen my heart, filled my life with riches far beyond those of the green bill variety.

  I returned to the living room and poured a glass of scotch. Standing at the back of the villa, facing the swimming pool, I buried a hand in my pants pocket and sipped my drink while watching the moonlight dance off the calm water, the speech I’d spent the last week preparing
running through my head. This was the right time. I could only hope Athena received it well.

  “Ta-da,” she said.

  I turned around slowly, and a slug of desire struck the pit of my stomach.

  The dress I’d chosen fit her like a second skin, the color a perfect contrast to Athena’s dark, wavy hair and lightly tanned skin. The off-the-shoulder design revealed toned shoulders, and the neckline dipped between her breasts, giving me a glimpse of perfect cleavage.

  I crooked a finger. “You’re stunning.”

  She glided toward me, the chiffon swishing around her ankles as she moved.

  I stroked a hand over my chin. “Something’s missing, though.”

  Her face fell. She smoothed her hands over her hips. “You don’t like it?”

  “I love it. But it needs…” I opened the drawer where I’d hidden the jewelry I’d bought to go along with the dress. Placing the box in my palm, I opened the lid.

  Athena gasped. She reached out, tentatively, her fingertips caressing the diamond-and-ruby necklace and matching earrings. “Ryker,” she breathed. “It’s too much.”

  I set the box on the coffee table and removed the necklace. “Nothing is too much for you. Turn around.”

  She did as I asked. I fitted the necklace and fastened the clasp, then handed her the earrings—not something I’d like to attempt to insert. She put them in, then met my gaze, waiting for my reaction. I traced my knuckles over her soft cheek, slowly inching down. I etched a line over her clavicle, across the top of her breasts, dipping into her cleavage.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world, and you’re mine. Have you any idea how it makes me feel to know I’m the only man who has ever been inside you, who’s explored every inch of your body with my hands, my tongue, my mouth? To know that I’m the one you waited for?”

  “No,” she whispered hoarsely. “Tell me.”

  “I feel like a giant, Athena, like I could conquer the world. Your love gives me so much power, I’m drunk on it. On you. My only regret? I waited far too long to tell you. I wasted too much time trying to deny my destiny, my soul mate. And it made me hellishly miserable.”

  Her eyes glistened, but I knew they were happy tears. I caught one as it clung to her lashes. “No crying. You’ll ruin your makeup.” I stuck out my arm. “Let’s go eat. I want to see if this chef lives up to the hype.”

  We took a short walk through the gardens to the main area of the hotel. I gave my name and room number to the maître d’. He scanned a list then gestured for us to follow. As I’d requested when I’d made the reservation, he stopped beside the most secluded booth in the restaurant.

  I ushered Athena to sit, then slid along the plush leather bench beside her. She gave me an odd look but didn’t question why I’d chosen to sit beside her.

  “A bottle of the 1959 Dom Perignon,” I said.

  “Certainly, sir.”

  The maître d’ backed away to place the champagne order with the sommelier.

  I glanced at the menu. “I’ve heard the crayfish isn’t to be missed, and the duck is excellent.” I closed it over and placed it on the table. “Shall I order two portions of each?”

  “Only if you’re extra hungry,” she replied with a teasing grin.

  “Okay, that’s one duck for me and the octopus for you.”

  She elbowed me in the ribs. “You’re such an asshole sometimes. You know I’d hate the octopus. Tentacles…” She shuddered. “No thank you.”

  The sommelier returned with the chilled champagne and poured two glasses. I picked up both glasses, handed one to Athena, then touched mine to hers.

  “To us.”

  “To us,” she repeated, taking a sip. “Delicious.”

  I waited for her to set the drink on the table, then captured her hands in mine. “I’ve been thinking.”

  “Uh-oh,” she said. “That usually means trouble.”

  I plowed on as though she hadn’t spoken, knowing if I didn’t, I’d probably lose my nerve and regret it later.

  “These last few weeks with you have been the happiest of my entire life. I never believed such deep joy existed. And since last weekend when we visited Mom, I’ve done a lot of soul searching about the future, about what I want for me, for ROGUES, for us. I had a long chat with Mom on the telephone a couple of days ago, and, in her inimitable way, she helped me put a lot of things into perspective.”

  My throat felt like sandpaper. I drank some champagne, adding much needed lubricant.

  “We might’ve only been dating for a short time, but I’ve loved you virtually my whole life. I know there will never be another woman for me. You’re it. You’re the one. I never should have put my love for Elliot above my feelings for you. When we tell him on Monday—after the Addison’s deal is signed—I have no idea how he’ll react, but one thing I do know. He’ll have to find a way to come to terms with it, because I’m not giving you up. For him. For anyone.”

  “And if he can’t accept that we’re together?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  I shrugged. “That’s his problem. I adore your brother. He’s my family, but you’re my heart. I can survive without family, but my heart is something I simply cannot live without.”

  I reached into the inside pocket of my jacket and produced a small black box. After talking to Mom, I’d known exactly what I wanted to do. I’d always swerved commitment, and my reaction at Mom’s when she mentioned weddings and kids had been the result of channeling the old me. But now, with Athena, I realized I no longer feared it. In fact, I welcomed it.

  I opened the box, revealing a ten-carat diamond set in a platinum band. I’d have bought a fifty-carat diamond, but Athena wasn’t a flashy girl. Even at ten-carats, I was pushing it.

  “I know this is the part where I’m supposed to get down on one knee, and I will, later, in the privacy of our villa where I can truly show you how much I love and adore and respect you. But for now, Athena Bancroft, will you marry me?”

  She raised a trembling hand to her face, clamping it across her mouth. Her eyes darted between the ring, nestled in black velvet, and me.

  “Oh, Ryker. I love you.”

  I grinned. “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes, Christ, yes. A thousand times, yes.”

  She flung her arms around me, hugging me so tightly I could barely breathe. My lips found her ear, her neck, eventually her mouth. See, this was the reason I’d reserved a booth.

  We broke apart, and this time, I couldn’t stop her tears from falling. I clasped her hand, drawing it toward me, and slipped the ring onto the third finger. She stared at it for a few moments.

  “I’d like to say I’ll never take it off, but when we return to America, I’ll have to. Until we tell Elliot.”

  I didn’t like the idea of her removing a ring I’d only just put on her finger, but I understood her reasoning. “It won’t be for long.”

  She twisted it, an enigmatic smile curving her lips. “Not for long.”

  21

  Athena

  I walked through the door to my office with a spring in my step, even though I’d barely had three hours sleep since Ryker and I returned from Mexico after the best weekend of my life. I set an Americano—with an extra shot—on my desk and flopped onto my chair.

  “Morning,” I said brightly. “Good weekend?”

  “Not as good as you, clearly,” Claire, my coworker and best friend at work, commented. “Talk about the cat that didn’t just end up with their own cream, but everyone else’s, too. Fess up.”

  I schooled my expression into nonchalance. “No particular reason.”

  “Bullshit,” she said. “Your eyes are sparkling, you’re grinning like an idiot, and…” She peered closer. “You’ve got a tan. Someone’s been whisked away for a dirty weekend.”

  “No, I haven’t,” I denied, hoping I didn’t blush while cursing the lazy Sunday morning Ryker and I had spent at the pool. “It’s makeup.”

  Claire snort
ed. “Then I need to get me some of that, especially with all the hours I’ve been pulling lately. Still, the extra money sure comes in useful during the holidays.”

  Her phone rang, saving me from further interrogation. I logged on to my computer but already knew today wouldn’t be productive. Ryker and I had agreed that if the Addison’s deal was signed before the end of the workday, he’d call me to his office and we’d tell Elliot there. If the deal went past five p.m., he’d ask Elliot to come to his penthouse where we’d both be waiting.

  Was I nervous? You bet your ass. Elliot might be easygoing most of the time, but he had a fearsome temper and was also fiercely protective of me. It stemmed back to years ago when our birth father was still in the picture. I didn’t remember him at all, but Elliot did and, from the snippets of information I’d gleaned over the years, he’d shielded me from seeing too much on several occasions, oftentimes hiding me in a closet until the beatings stopped. Even though Mom was ecstatically happy now, Elliot still carried those scars, and they translated into encasing me in cotton wool.

  And his sister getting it on with his best friend definitely counted as a breach of the walls he’d built to protect me from getting hurt.

  I touched a hand to my chest. I’d hung my engagement ring on a chain around my neck and buried it beneath my shirt, but just being able to touch it slowed my skittering pulse. Everything would be fine. Ryker and I weren’t simply fooling around. I’d explain how happy he made me, and how in love we were, and even if it took Elliot a little while, he’d come around in the end.

  My phone buzzed with a message. Big R. I sniggered. I’d changed the contact details in my phone’s address book from Ryker to Big R in case anyone happened to see a message come in and wonder why Ryker was contacting me. When I’d told him, he puffed his chest out and stated it was an accurate description. We’d laughed for a good five minutes.

  I miss you.

  My heart clenched. I tapped out a response. I miss you, too. What r u doing?

  On a con call listening to lawyers talk. I’m bored.

  I chuckled. Time for a teasing response. How about I come up there, crawl under your desk, unzip you, and we can talk about the first thing that comes up. I added a winking emoji.