My mouth tightened. It looked like he didn’t care who he went to drink with. Not that he owed me anything. We'd kissed. Once. And I'd been the one to run away, to say there couldn't be anything else. It was a good thing he'd moved on to someone else, it would take his attention from me. I just hadn't thought it'd be so fast.
I rolled my eyes. Of course he'd found someone quick. Why did I expect from Rylan anything different than every other man I'd ever known? With his looks, his money, his charm… it shouldn't be a surprise that it had landed a replacement so easily.
I looked down at the tequila I'd intended to sip. After this shot, I could manage a beer or some wine, but I couldn't take any more hard liquor once this was gone. Fuck it. I tossed the shot back and pushed the glass back toward the bartender. I closed my eyes and let myself feel the burn of the alcohol sliding down my throat.
Still, I could hear her laughing. And then I heard her talk.
“Wow, look at that freak. How could they even let her in here? I mean, I get a couple extra piercings, but that hair? And check out what she's wearing.”
Time was suspended as her words floated around the noisy room. How many eyes had turned to me? A dozen? More?
“I am.” Rylan's tone was mild, but the two words held power. I sensed an undercurrent of something else.
I opened my eyes, braced myself, and turned to face the pair. Rylan's gaze was steady as it met mine.
“Rylan,” the blonde whined as she tugged on his arm. “I'm bored. Let's go to your room.”
He didn't even look at her as he spoke. “I told you before, we're not going to my room.”
“Why not?” The whine was more pronounced. “Because of her? Is that what you're into? Blue-haired Goth freaks?”
“Sammy,” Rylan snapped. “Shut the fuck up.”
My eyes widened as he walked toward me. He didn't take his eyes from me, not even when he had to shake her hand off of his arm. I waited. His gaze held me in place. He stopped before he touched me, but he was only a couple inches away, close enough that I could smell the fresh scent of soap mingled with… him.
“I know I'm probably being a glutton for punishment here, but would you please have a drink with me?”
I opened my mouth to say no, to repeat what I'd said before about this not being a good idea. Instead, I heard myself saying what I really wanted.
“Okay.”
Chapter Nine
I wasn't entirely sure when I made the decision to go to his room. It hadn't been when he'd bought us both a beer or when we'd talked tech while we sipped the alcohol. I knew we'd skirted any too-personal discussions, sticking with the basics like why we'd chosen our respective colleges or what had gotten us into our fields. They'd been questions that we could've easily found interview answers for, but they'd also been open enough that we could share a bit more if we wanted. He'd been surprisingly easy to talk to and I'd found myself, for once, having to remind myself not to share too much. If I'd been the kind of person who made a habit of lying to myself, I might've blamed the alcohol. I couldn’t. I'd known I was still in control of myself.
That hadn't made me feel any better about wanting to share a bit more about the real reasons I'd gone into computer science. It was more than the standard ‘I'd always wanted to help design programs to protect people.’ I kept quiet.
As I walked with him to the elevator, I wondered when exactly a drink had turned into a not-entirely-unexpected invitation I'd accepted without allowing too much thought. That wasn't like me at all. Something about this man messed with my instincts and it unnerved me, but not enough to stop where I knew this was going. I'd set myself on this road and I intended to see it through. I needed to.
It had been a simple enough moment, nothing anyone around us would've noticed. There had been longer and longer pauses between conversation and we'd both finished our beer within a few seconds of the other. Then we'd looked at each other and I'd seen the familiar flash of desire in his eyes. I'd waited for some sort of smooth line, but it hadn't come.
He'd straightened, turned, and said a single word, “Coming?”
There was a quiet authority in his voice, the kind some powerful men have. It was the kind of voice that set men like him apart from men who thought power made them important or made them real men. Rylan was the kind of man people followed because he was a good leader. He had power, but didn't covet it. He pushed his people to work hard because he worked hard. He didn't demand respect because he thought he deserved it, but carried himself with a confidence that said he knew he'd earned it.
It had been that confidence and authority that had drawn me to my feet. Usually, I liked my men submissive, pliant, but there was something about Rylan's quiet strength that made me go with him. Trust him. Besides, if he was half as good in bed as I suspected, I was in for an unforgettable night.
He leaned against the wall in the elevator, a couple feet away from me, not touching me, just watching, waiting. I was surprised he hadn't tried to kiss me again, but I was glad he hadn't. Not here. I didn't like being in elevators with just one or two people. Better too many people, giving me safety in numbers. I could cope if it was just for a short time and I wasn't being crowded, but if he tried to get too close, I would've had to move away and the mood would've been ruined.
Fortunately, the doors opened on his floor without incident and he motioned for me to follow. I'd expected the penthouse but, instead, he led me to a large, but not opulent, room. When he shut the door behind me and then turned toward me, I could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to decide what to do next.
I took off my shoes and wondered if I should initiate or wait for him to do it. Then he was walking toward me, a determined expression on his face. The ball was rolling.
One arm went around my waist while the other grasped my chin. He held me firmly, but not so tightly that I felt like I couldn't pull away if I needed to. He didn't hesitate as his mouth came down on mine, which I found surprising considering how our last kiss had ended. But then his lips were moving, parting mine, and I put all thoughts aside and concentrated on now and the sensation of his tongue sliding across my bottom lip and then into my mouth.
I moved my hands between us, pushing up the fitted sweater he was wearing so I could get to his skin. His stomach muscles tensed as I ran my fingers along them. Damn. He was even more cut than I'd thought he was. I was suddenly very eager to see the rest of his body.
I pulled my mouth away from his. “Too many clothes.” I tugged at the hem of his shirt.
“I agree,” he said as he reached down to help. He pulled his shirt over his head, revealing washboard abs and a muscular chest that my fingers itched to touch.
I was still staring at him when he reached for my shirt. I jerked back, but smiled so the mood wasn't ruined. “I undress myself.”
He grinned and made a gesture with his hands as he gave a little bow. “Please do then.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled my shirt over my head.
“Slowly.”
I glared at Rylan as I reached behind me to unzip my skirt. “I don't do the whole striptease thing.”
“Pity,” he said mildly. “However you want it.”
It was odd, I thought as I stepped out of my skirt. He wasn't pushing what he wanted, but it still didn't sound like he was giving up control. The idea both frightened and thrilled me.
He let out a low whistle and, for a moment, I thought he was going to comment about my scars or even say something about my tattoos. But he didn't. There was admiration and lust in his eyes, but only the kind that made heat spread inside me.
He held out his hand. “Let's move this to the bedroom.”
I took his hand and let him lead me. As we walked, I enjoyed the view. Not only did I get to see the intricate artwork of a Celtic cross that ran the length of his spine and across his broad shoulders, there was also the way his firm ass moved beneath his tight black boxer-briefs as he walked. I could only imagine the way it would
look flexing as he pumped into me.
Fuck, he was hot.
His room was bigger than the one I'd gotten, but I was focused more on the bed itself. Then Rylan kicked off his underwear and I found myself distracted from everything except the thick, heavy cock that curved up from the dark curls at its base. I could tell he wasn't fully hard and my pussy throbbed at the thought of just how big he'd be when we finally got down to it.
He reached for my hand again, pulling me to him. One hand went to the back of my neck the other hand splayed across the middle of my back. I could feel the desire radiating from him even before we kissed and when our mouths came together, it was like a jolt of physical energy. I pushed my tongue between his lips and heard him growl, pleased.
I wasn't sure when he undid my bra, only that his hand was cupping my breast. I moaned as his thumb brushed over my nipple and then gasped when he rolled it between his fingers. His cock hardened against my stomach and I slid my hand down his back, running my fingers down the tattoo on his spine until I reached his ass. I ran my hand over the firm muscle, pulling him more tightly against me.
When I felt him start to lean us down onto the bed, a flare of panic went through me. I rotated my hip, maneuvering us so that we landed side-by-side. His hand slid down my ribcage to the waistband of my panties and his mouth broke away from mine to start a trail down my neck.
Little ripples of pleasure fanned across my skin as he kissed his way down to my breasts. He put pressure on my shoulder and I knew he wanted me on my back. I stiffened and felt him look up at me. With his eyes locked on mine, his tongue flicked across the tip of my nipple and it instantly hardened. As he took it between his lips, he pushed himself up on his knees so that our bodies weren't touching anymore. He lowered his head at an awkward angle and licked a stripe of flesh across the side of my breast. This time, when he pushed against my shoulder, I let myself be turned slightly. I wasn't flat on my back, but it was a far more submissive position than I'd ever let anyone else get me in. If he'd have tried to lay on me, I would've panicked, but he stayed where he was, only taking advantage of the access he had to my other breast.
While his mouth was busy on my breast, his hand slid down my stomach and beneath the waistband of my panties. I moaned as a finger slipped between my folds, brushing over the top of my clit before dropped down to slide inside me. I wasn't sure where I wanted to look, at the place where his lips were creating the most delicious suction or where his hand was moving beneath my underwear.
“Harder.” I dug my fingers into his hair. His teeth scraped across the sensitive flesh and I shivered. “Yes.”
He sat up, removing his hand from between my legs, and I pushed myself up onto my elbows. He held his hand out to me. “Taste yourself.”
I opened my mouth and took hold of his wrist, guiding his hand to my mouth. I sucked on it, cleaning off every last drop. I'd wanted to watch him while I did it because I liked seeing on a man's face when I had them completely under my control, but I was afraid of what I'd see on Rylan's face.
“My turn.”
I started to tell him that I had rules when it came to me performing oral, but to my surprise, he didn't even ask it. Instead, he climbed off the bed and moved between my legs.
I kept myself propped up so I could watch as he slid my panties off and lowered his face to my pussy.
“Fuck!” I cursed as he used his tongue with the same skill and enthusiasm he'd used on my mouth. He applied just the right amount of pressure as he moved over and around my clit before dropping down to slide his tongue into my pussy. I'd never felt the urge to close my eyes more than I did right now. The pressure inside me was almost too much, each pass of his tongue sending another wave of pleasure through me. My hands went to my breasts and I tugged at my nipples, letting the little jolts of pain mix until I shuddered and came.
He kept his mouth on me, coaxing me higher until I called out his name, and only then did he sit back, a pleased expression on his face.
I looked down at him, still trying to catch my breath. “Please tell me you have a condom.”
He grinned and reached over to grab his pants. He stood and rolled the condom on, stroking himself a few times before moving to stand between my legs. I shook my head and rolled onto my knees. I smiled at him and crooked my finger.
“Let me do the work this time.”
For a moment, I thought he would protest as he looked at me with an almost curious expression, but then he climbed onto the bed and laid on his back. I straddled his waist and ran my eyes over the beautiful body stretched out in front of me. He was like a sculpted masterpiece. Except statues were rarely made with full erections, and none as impressive as this one.
I raised myself up and moved into position. My eyelids fluttered as I slowly lowered myself onto him and I fought to keep my eyes from closing. He felt amazing, stretching every bit of me as he entered me inch by inch. His hands grabbed onto my hips, fingers digging in until it drew a half-pained sound from me. I risked a glance down and saw Rylan's eyes dark with desire, but there was no malice there, nothing that said he'd go past the point where a little hurt turned things even more intense.
I ran my hands up my sides, watching him watch me. He swore as I rolled my nipples between my fingers and then it was my turn to curse as one of his hands slid around my waist until his thumb rubbed my clit.
“Fuck, Rylan!” I pinched my nipple and then dropped one hand to his stomach, his muscles twitching against my palm as he began to raise his hips to meet my downward motions.
“Come again.” His voice was strained. “One more time.”
I was getting there, pleasure coursing through me as his cock dragged across all those sensitive parts of me. His thumb didn't miss a single stroke, each pass pushing me closer. I clenched my muscles and he groaned, the hand on my hip flexing. I began to ride him faster and he matched my pace instinctively, our bodies moving together in a dance so familiar it was if we'd done this a thousand times before. I tried not to think about that as he tried to move himself into a sitting position. I used both of my hands to push him back down and then to give myself leverage to slam down on him, shoving him deeper and further than anyone had been in a long time, and it had never felt this good.
I exploded without warning, my body shaking and tightening around Rylan until he swore and I felt his cock pulse inside me. I dropped down onto him, grinding, holding him there until I'd wrung out the last possible drop of pleasure and he was calling out my name.
“Fuck,” I said breathlessly as I rolled off of him.
“That about sums it up.” Rylan chuckled, a low sexual kind of laugh that made me think of dark, sensual things.
He reached over me and I immediately rolled further away and sat up. Little tingles of pleasure were still running across my skin, but it was time for me to go.
“Didn't mean to startle you,” he said as he propped himself up on an elbow. “I was just going to pull the blankets over us. Didn't want you getting cold.”
“I'm fine,” I said as I climbed off of the bed.
“You don't have to go anywhere,” he said, his face unreadable. “You can stay here tonight. No questions asked, no strings attached.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I need to get back to my room.”
He gave me another of those looks that made me feel like he was seeing deep inside me, and then he nodded. “All right.” He sat up and reached for his pants. “I'll walk you to your room.”
“I'm in the same building,” I said as I pulled on my underwear. “It's not like this was a date and you need to walk me to the door.”
“Still,” he said as he dressed. “It's polite.”
“Don't worry about it.” I finished first and started out of the bedroom. The sex had been amazing, but I needed to get out of there. Away from him. I didn't do the whole post-sex thing. “I'll see you around.”
Like I'd hoped, he didn't follow me as I left the room and headed for the elevator. If I could jus
t focus on the sex and the two great orgasms I'd had, I be able to get a good night's sleep tonight. I just had to stop remembering the way he'd looked at me or how, each time I'd rebuffed a movement that would've given him control, I'd felt like he was filing it away for future analysis. I didn't want him to think this was anything more than what it was. A convention hook-up.
Nothing else.
Chapter Ten
I didn't see Rylan again at the convention and I wasn't sure if that was how things worked out or if he was intentionally avoiding me. I was fine either way. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he hadn't seen our encounter as some random moment of weakness or a need that had to be met. Did he see it as something more?
I didn't sleep well back in my own bed Sunday night and when I woke Monday morning, it showed. I had dark circles under my eyes and every inch of me looked as tired as I felt.
I was still in my pajamas and on my second cup of coffee when someone knocked at my door.
“Who is it?” I called as I walked over to it.
“Special delivery.” A man's voice replied. “Certified letter you need to sign for.”
I looked through the peep hole and saw a short, stocky, middle-aged man wearing a uniform. I wasn't stupid. That didn't necessarily mean anything. He was holding a thin, legal-sized envelope and an electronic signing pad.
“Who's it from?”
He glanced at the envelope. “Archer Enterprises.”
My eyes widened. Had my night of fun screwed me over with them? Still, I wasn't about to throw open the door. I undid the dead-bolt and the extra lock, but kept the chain lock in place. I put my foot at the base of the door and shifted my weight so that, if the man tried to force his way inside, I'd have the leverage to shove the door back. Not that violent crime happened often here, but I wasn't going to take any chances.