Fuck.

I paced back and forth in my study, staring at the computer screen. It was split into four, the images projected to it from cameras all over the outside of the house, and some of them inside it.

Riley walked down the hall on the screen, headed toward the bathroom, a towel tucked against her chest. Even in black and white, CCTV, she was gorgeous. Perfect.

And she had a history with the Crimson Riders.

She was jaded. Burned by some asshole who was part of their crew, and she truly believed that the gang would waste time and resources finding her.

Man, I knew those motherfuckers. They kept old debts, but against ex-girlfriends? Not for a fuck. These were hardened criminals. They were into smuggling, extortion, fraud, racketeering. After I’d left, everything had taken a turn for the worse.

I got out before the 1% club had turned truly vile.

But that wouldn’t matter to her.

The minute Riley realized I’d been a part of them, long ago, before I’d found my sanity, she’d jump to the worst conclusions. She’d leave, and that I couldn’t allow.

Like it or not, the Crimson Riders had marked her as part of my family now. A target they could use to exploit my weaknesses. I needed her here to protect her, to keep her safe, and Carly too. Which meant I had to lie to her.

Let her believe that this Crimson Rider drive-by was on her. That her ex, whoever the hell he was, was still interested.

I clenched my fist and pressed it onto my desk-pad, grinding my teeth so hard they squeaked.

It’s for her safety.

No. It was for Carly’s safety. Fuck, since when had I grown super protective over the nanny?

You know she’s more than that. Don’t try to front, asshole. You’re too far in already. You’re whipped.

I shoved the thoughts aside, ruthlessly, waited for her to enter the bathroom and snap the door shut behind herself. Watched as that sliver of light cut out. Finally, I exited the study and moved down the hall, making a beeline for my room.

All I had to do was keep myself under control, keep my mind clear and end the threat before it ended me. The sooner I did that, the sooner Riley could relax, and I could deal with all the weird shit happening between us.

The shit that should never have happened.

I strode past the bathroom, the patter of water from the shower drawing my attention. A tight moan, a soft gasp, slipped out from under the door. I stalled, mid-stride.

Don’t. Fucking. Do it.

“Oh god,” Riley said, softly. “Oh, Bryan.”

Fuuuck. Motherfucker. How am I supposed to deal with that?

I didn’t want to. I was the one pressing kisses to her forehead, touching her, wanting her, even though I fucking knew better. Even though the situation was dire. She’d crept under my skin, clouded my mind, and that was exactly why I couldn’t go in there.

Regardless, I crept closer, pressed my forehead to the door and listened, hard, my cock growing stiff in my pants.

Another moan. Gasping, breathless. She had to be close to coming.

“Oh, oh, oh, oh, fuck. Oh, Bryan, oh my god.” And there she went, over the edge, into the fucking sky on the back of a fantasy about me.

I clutched the doorjamb, my eyes rolling back in my head a little. I forced myself to focus again. Placed my hand on the doorknob, then turned it. It was unlocked.

I entered the bathroom.

Riley was flat against the shower wall, her back arched, one hand between her legs, which trembled and buckled inward. Water trickled down her chest, between her naked breasts and over the slope of her stomach.

Finally, she came down from her orgasm, opened her eyes.

She stared directly at me, but didn’t screech, didn’t even jump. She blinked. “Bry—Bryan?”

“I’m here,” I said.

“Oh my god.” Now, she did jump. She shut off the water and grabbed for the towel she’d slung over the door. “What are you doing in here?”

“You know what I’m doing in here,” I said and shut the bathroom door. “You know exactly what I’m doing in here.” Frustration coursed through me again. “You think I wouldn’t hear you? You were loud.”

“I thought you were in bed,” she said, and a blush crept down her throat. She glared at me, through the misted glass. “What the hell? Are you angry at me for masturbating?”

“You can’t tell me to back off in one breath, then come loud enough for me to hear you moaning my name in the next.”

She swept the glass door back and stepped out, now with the towel wrapped around her body. “Newsflash, jackass, I can do whatever I want.”

I bore down on her, pacing forward, took her by the arms and pressed her back against the shower door. “Can you? Is that the rule? Do whatever you want?”

“Yes,” she said, her lower lip quivering. Her gaze darted down to my mouth, and she licked her top lip, slowly.

“What were you fantasizing about?” I grunted. “What did you picture?”

“Bryan.”

“Yeah, I know that,” I replied, allowing a small, sharp grin through. “But what exactly was it? What do you want, Riley?”

She blew out a breath, through pursed lips.

“Tell me.”

“Me tied to your headboard, you eating me out from behind, fingering me, um.”

“What else?”

“Playing with my pussy, eating it, and then fingering my ass while you fuck me hard and fast.”

Jesus. The woman was a dream. A fucking dream.

“That’s what you fantasize about,” I said, matter-of-factly.

She lifted her chin, defiance sparking behind her eyes. “So? Everyone has their fantasies. I’m not embarrassed.”

“Good,” I said, “that’s real good, Riley, because I’m about to make all your fantasies come true.” I grabbed her around the waist, lifted her, and her legs wrapped around me, instantly. She was so fucking in sync with me, even though she didn’t want to be. She knew exactly how and when to move.

I walked her out of the bathroom, down the hall to my room, then dumped her on the bed, as quiet as I could be. I closed the door and locked it, the sound of the latch erotic in its own fucking right.

Riley was in a state of semi-shock on the bed, her eyes wide and her legs already open for me. She squirmed, watched my slow approach. I halted at the foot of the bed. “What did I tie you up with?” I asked.

“Belts.”

“Fucking hell, Riley.” That was a bit too dangerous for my liking. Instead, I strode over to my closet, ripped it open and brought out two silk ties—one red, the other deep navy blue. I walked over to her. “On all fours,” I commanded. “Lose the towel, show me that ass.”

She did as she was told.

Once again, it was like all our arguments, our thoughts, our issues, were on the back burner. Still there, but unimportant. There was only this moment, wanting each other, even though it might be the dumbest shit we’d ever done.

Riley waved her ass at me, and I thwacked it lightly with the tie. “Naughty,” I said, the smile carrying through into my tone. “I’m about to go fifty shades on that ass.”

She giggled, throatier than usual, her mirth clogged with desire.

I took her arms and lifted them up, tied them together at the wrists. A knot that was tight enough to hold her, but loose enough that she’d be able to pull free if it bothered her. I used the other tie to tie her to my left bed post, angling her ass to the right.

“There, is that what you pictured?”

“Yes,” she whispered, her ass jiggling.

“Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop,” I said, then dove toward her ass, her pussy. It was already sopping wet. Fucking dripping for me, and not from the shower. She was still wet from her orgasm earlier. I took her juices and smoothed them over her pussy with my tongue, down to her clit. I feasted on her, just fucking enjoyed every second of it.

Her pussy on my face was my fantasy. The flavor of it, the trembling of her body, the way she clenched around my tongue, when I flicked her clit with my thumb. Her pleasure was a drug for me.

“That’s it,” I growled. “You like that?”

“Don’t stop,” she whined, the headboard shaking slightly, as she repositioned herself. “It’s so good.”

“But not good enough,” I said, and dipped my thumb into her cunt, worked it back and forth, wetting it thoroughly. “Come on, baby, it’s time I give you what you deserve.”

“What is it?” she asked.

I brought my thumb out, gave her one last lick, wetting her thoroughly all over again, then positioned myself. I inserted my thumb into her asshole, slowly, and she bucked against me, whining at the sudden entry, at the flush of pleasure.

“Good?” Just to be sure.

She let out a wordless gargle as I reached around and toyed with her pink pearl again. She jerked her hips, pressing them back into me, grinding her wetness against the front of my suit pants.

I unzipped and let my cock flop out, slap against her ass. “More?”

“Pl-please,” she said.