Chapter 14
Ryker
I’m pretty sure that after how the evening went, there’s no way Ash will want to spend any time alone with me in the near future.
Who could blame her?
After all, we invaded her sanctuary, imprisoned her sister, and threatened Zoe with a gun. The fact that I’d gave Ash orgasm a few minutes earlier didn’t help my case at all.
But as I waited for her in her bedroom, something stirred inside me. Logic went out the window, and I acted on instinct.
I hadn’t planned on kissing her, caressing her, or other things. Everything went to hell the moment my lips touched her skin. I was lost forever.
Threatening Zoe wasn’t part of the plan either. That was all Eli.
Ash and Zoe Monroe are a mystery in many ways. Eli’s frustrated by the unfillable voids in their life that online information cannot bridge. They’re a challenge that tempts him. So, as soon as he heard about my plan to surprise Ash, he tweaked it a bit.
You could say he invited himself in. And then Theo joined in too. And there we were.
But I didn’t stop him for one reason only.
After Zoe hits Eli, he doesn’t stop smiling like he’s possessed.
Ash is beaming with pride. Her eyes shine like crazy. Looking at her, I’m constantly semi-hard. Even when I let her go, we remain in the same orbit, still not too far apart.
An hour after Zoe’s release, the boys have to go back to Feather. Eli, being Eli, doesn’t let up and whispers something in Zoe’s ear before leaving. As soon as he turns his back, she rewards him with a glass that flies right past his head. Eli retaliates with loud laughter.
Theo leaves with a more somber expression than usual. It surprises me a little, but my brother has been like this since his teenage years. He has his own shit to deal with, as we all do, but his confrontation with the past is fast approaching. I can feel it.
After they leave, I grab Ash’s hand and pull her toward the exit. As we pass, I wink at Zoe and tell her I’ll bring her back soon. Maybe I will, but I keep that to myself.
As quickly as possible, I lead her out of the apartment. Surprisingly, Ash doesn’t resist, doesn’t break free when I take her away for myself.
Self-doubt, which is strange for me, flashes through my mind.
I don’t want her to be with me just because it will keep me away from Zoe.
I’m not blind, and I notice how much she wants to protect her little sister.
I crush my doubts in the bud because, selfishly, I have no intention of letting that stop me.
The night is slowly ending as we arrive at Big Sur in my navy blue Audi R8. Ash doesn’t say a word the entire way, just watches the world outside the window. Every now and then, she glances in my direction and almost immediately turns her head away.
Elley Duhé’s song “Middle of the Night” flows from the player. The song fits so well, it almost makes me smile.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glance at the woman who, without even realizing it, is turning my life upside down.
Hell, I want to know every thought that absorbs her so much. I want to know everything about her, want to learn the most interesting lesson from her.
Patience, my mind reminds me.
I turn off the main road onto a less traveled one. We slow down a bit, but we still leave a cloud of dust behind us. After a moment, we’re almost at the edge of the cliff. I park and turn off the lights.
For a moment, I gaze at the tranquil water, its surface extending to the horizon. It calms me down. In this one place in the world, I allow myself to be without a mask, vulnerable.
“Where are we?” Ash whispers, and my eyes meet hers. She attempts to display her typical lack of interest, but a glint is in her green irises. The seemingly insignificant gesture of turning the silver ring on her thumb tells me she’s nervous.
“This is my place, Ash,” I start. “A place I escape to to catch my breath, get away from the world, think.”
“And what’s there to think about? We should end this game and this evening. Let’s part ways here and now, and go our separate ways.”
My breath catches in my lungs, and I feel like my heart stops for a moment. I can’t hear it beating, can’t feel it pumping blood through my veins. Something strange clenches my insides in an iron grip.
What are you doing to me?
Ash looks away from me, and it hurts more than I can admit. I grab her chin and turn her toward me. I let down my defenses and allow her to see the real me.
Even if just for a moment...
“I’m sorry about today. It all got out of hand. Never in my life—I would let none of my brothers hurt Zoe. I swear to you.”
Ash blinks, and she’s trying hard to keep her composure. “Then why did you do it?”
“Because you love danger. Because you get wet when you see a knife. You’re just like me!
I’m sure you’re not being completely honest with yourself about what turns you on.
At least not about the fact that danger turns you on sexually.
Ash, you’re not broken. You’re perfect. You’re perfect for me.
And I want you to be proud and confident. ”
Her parted lips tell me this isn’t the answer she expected. I give her a moment to let it sink in. Finally, she says, “Don’t ever do that again. I take it very personally. Any threat to Zoe is my own.”
I nod to show that I understand her.
You idiot! I scold myself in my mind. You think exactly the same thing about Aisling.
I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.
“So why did you bring me here?” She snaps me out of my thoughts.
My hand drops from her chin, against my wishes
I shrug.
Back at her house, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her yet. We could have talked in her bedroom—but I preferred to bring her here. To have her all to myself.
My obsession and greed are exceeding the limits I know.
“I want to talk about Charles Baker.”
“What about him?” she asks, rolling her eyes.
“We should join forces to find him. There’s no point in getting in each other’s way and fighting each other.”
Ash unbuckles her seatbelt and turns. “You want us to work together?”
“Sure. Why not?”
My gaze lingers on her lips, and I find myself unable to look away. They look so soft, tempting... Instinctively, I lick my lips, and her attention focuses on that motion. She holds her breath.
I love that this woman is as affected by me as I am by her.
“Your job is to kill him,” she guesses after a moment. “As far as I can tell, there’s a conflict of interest between us because we’re both trying to get to him first. How are we supposed to handle that when we find him?”
Thirty-one years of life have taught me that telling the truth often leads straight to the grave. My grave.
Telling Ash the truth, even though I don’t really know much about her, is risky. Not only for me, but also for my brothers. And for her as well.
Just because we’re attracted to each other doesn’t mean she’s with me.
Before I finish my thought, I ask her, “Does it matter which one of us slits his throat? Does it matter which one of us delivers the final blow?”
“And each of us gets our fee?” she asks.
“Why not?” I reply with a shrug.
“So you’ll help me find him and let me take the initiative and finish him. Am I right?”
I can see her distrust, and I’m not surprised. Despite the tension between us, we’re still two ruthless murderers, liars, and manipulators.
“If you let me watch, don’t see any problem with that.”
I don’t want to lie to her, but I can’t tell her the whole truth either. Later, I’ll worry about the fact that I have no intention of killing Charles. The key point is that he must be alive when I deliver him to the red room.
Ash crosses her arms and stares ahead. She analyzes my words and my proposal. It annoys me that I can’t guess her thoughts. Suddenly, she bursts out laughing, and I raise my eyebrows.
“What’s so funny?”
She shakes her head before saying, “You. I don’t know if you think I’m naive or just stupid. We’re both predators, and we both know we won’t give up our prey willingly.”
Her confession brings a small smile to my face. “Try me. I’m willing to give you this kill.”
“Fuck you! I’m the best, and not because anyone gave me their kill. Don’t give me that courtesy.”
Ash’s chest rises and falls rhythmically. Her anger is exciting, and now I’m no longer just semi-hard. My pants are getting too tight with my full erection.
The lightning bolts in her eyes, her parted lips... fuck.
“Are you afraid you’ll fall off your high horse when my knife pierces his throat? Are you afraid you’ll fall to second place?” Pure provocation on my part.
“I should kill you here and now and be done with you,” she hisses at me, and I respond with an even bigger smile. I can’t stop grinning. “I should wipe that smile off your face with blood—”
I can’t stop myself from lunging. She’s unique. With every passing moment, I become more certain that she’s my person, sent to me and to my doom.
Before she can react or even finish her sentence, I lean over the console, grab her under the arms, and pull her toward me. A surprised squeal escapes her throat.
How I do this in such a small space, no one knows and no one will ever know. If I want something as much as I want her right now, nothing will stand in my way.
Ash’s knees instinctively spread and fall onto mine.
There’s no way she didn’t notice that I’m hard and ready.
Her breathing quickens even more. “What are you doing, Ryker?” she asks, her words barely audible.
“What I should have done the first day I saw you, my Little Killer.”
I lean toward her and catch her plump upper lip with my teeth. I feel her warm breath on my lips and close my eyes. My hands find her thighs and massage them up and down.
After a minute, my tongue replaces my teeth and I lick the bitten spot, rewarding it. Once, twice. And then I do exactly the same with her lower lip.
My right hand wanders to her neck, where I feel how silky her skin is. My thumb traces her skin, a caress I can’t pull away from, lost in the urge to keep touching her. Her eyelids flutter closed as she surrenders to the intoxicating whirlwind of sensations.
I place delicate kisses on her jaw before moving lower. The skin on her neck smells like watermelon. I trace patterns with my nose, unable to get enough of the scent, and when I run my tongue over her, the game’s over.
Squeezing my hand tighter on her hip, I tilt her head back at the same time. With greedy kisses, I lick and nibble her gently, causing her to let out a quiet moan.
“Ryker,” she gasps, placing her hands on my shoulders.
I don’t know if she wants to push me away or pull me closer, but does she even know herself?
My lips move down to her collarbone and cleavage. Now we’re both horny and breathing heavily. The moment I slide my tongue under the fabric of her shirt and bra, she moans louder and moves her hips. Her hot spot rubs against my cock, which is painfully erect.
“I need you inside me. Let’s do it just this once,” Ash pants, moving her hips faster and faster, seeking relief.
Jesus Christ. My feelings are divided, making it difficult to choose a single path. My desire is for all of her, an enduring bond, not just a fleeting moment. Her words betray her intentions more than she’d prefer.
It’s not that I don’t want to fuck her. I want to fuck her so badly. It’s just that once isn’t enough for me, and I want everything: her body, her thoughts and dreams, her heart, her devotion, and her future.
“We have to stop, Ash.” With a pained tone, I push her head away.
“What? Why?” Her eyelids flutter, and confusion clouds her eyes. “You don’t want to?”
My laugh is bitter and I shake my head. “There’s nothing else I want more right now, don’t get me wrong. Want you so fucking badly... but not yet and not here. When I take your clothes off for the first time, I’ll need at least a weekend in bed with you to take my mouth off you.”
Her lips open, close, and open again, as if she wants to say something. After a moment, her words hit me. “Are you a virgin?”
I blink, not understanding her train of thought. “Is there anything wrong with that”
“No.” She shakes her head. “Nothing like that.”
A small smile escapes me. I’m thirty-one years old, and at this age, being a virgin would make me a real unicorn.
My fingers brush a strand of hair from her forehead and tuck it behind her ear.
“I was kidding, my Little Killer. I don’t want to fuck you in a hurry.
I want to have the time and opportunity to bring you to a dozen orgasms so that you writhe beneath me, moaning and begging for a little peace—”
“Fuck,” she whispers and rubs against me again.
I bite my lip, grab her hips, and hold her in place. “Don’t.”
“It’s not my fault your dirty mouth is doing something to my body.” She says this with an innocent look.
I lean a bit. “You haven’t seen anything yet, baby. Be patient.” I kiss the spot under her ear, which officially becomes my new favorite, and she pouts. “Let’s get back to Baker. Do we have a deal? Whichever one of us kills him, we work together?”
Ash turns her head and looks out the window. She bites her lower lip, considering my proposal. I’m prepared to continue persuading her when she looks, and then she nods. “Okay. On one condition.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll tell me about the Pact.”
The training I’ve had since childhood to keep a straight face is proving useful. Just like now. I don’t even blink when I hear what she expects of me.
I hope that when she hears the truth, I won’t lose her before I even have a chance to make her mine.