Ryker Crawford is a new billionaire who’s taken over the CEO position of his dearly departed grandfather’s company, Apollo Engineering.

Gia Flynn is a young woman who’s a talented engineer. She’s been lying dormant for three years as she’s become the girlfriend of space engineering magnate, Damian Markov.

When Ryker lays eyes on her at a fundraiser, he finds her boyfriend ignoring her as he pays attention to his cell phone instead of the young, dark haired beauty.

Can Ryker lure the brilliant woman away from the Russian Billionaire?

Part 1 - The Spotlight

RYKER

Flames explode out of the bottom of the new rocket boosters that Ian has developed. Applause spontaneously begins as we all watch the large screen at the front of the meeting room. We’re one step closer to making getting to Mars a reality.

Apollo Engineering was started by my grandfather ten years ago. He passed away a little over a year ago, cancer took him from us, before he could see his dream of becoming one of the first settlers of Mars, come true. He’s turned that dream over to me.

“Ryker, tell me what you think,” Ian says as we all sit back down after watching the video he recorded when he tested the rocket booster in Cape Canaveral.

“I think you’re a genius. But what else is new?” I ask, drawing chuckles from the other board members. “My one question is, when can you get this into production? With fifty ships to build, we need to get at least one of them done within the next three years, so we can test before sending people off to outer space in the things.”

“Here’s where you’re going to decide to give me a monster bonus, Ryker,” he says with a smile. “I’ve got the approval to produce these things in Russia. The government is willing to let us use their facilities in exchange for the technology. It’s a fair trade, I think. But what matters is what you think, Ryker.”

“The Russian government, huh? I’ll have to consider that. There’s a fundraiser tonight. I might be able to pick the brains of some of the privately owned Russian space exploration companies’ top guns, to see how much they would trust their government with their own technologies. So, I can get back to you on that soon, Ian.” I look around the board table. “Does anyone have anything they’d like to add to Ian’s presentation?”

Sandy looks at me as she says, “I’d like to know why he wants to use a Russian facility to build the boosters when we have facilities here in the U.S. that could be used.”

I turn to Ian to allow him to answer that. “Ian?”

“They’d make us pay. I know the company has plenty of money but why pay when we can get them made for free?” he asks, raising a good point.

“The money goes into our economy, though,” Sandy retorts.

I raise my hand to stop any further arguing. “Let me talk to some people first, before we go into this. It may not be a thing we need to argue over at all. If that’s all, we can adjourn this meeting.”

With everyone nodding, I get up and take my briefcase with me to my office. Ted comes to my side as we all leave the boardroom. “Mr. Crawford, I think you should know there will be some very big names in our industry at this fundraiser. Damien Markov, the CEO of Markov Global, is in town. He’s sure to be there. You should pick his brain. His family has been in space exploration since the Russians sent Laika on Sputnik 2. He’s a natural born leader in our field.”

“I’ll make sure to introduce myself to the man. Thanks, Ted.” I leave the young man to go into my office to find Bridget leaning over my desk.

“Is the meeting over already, Mr. Crawford?” she asks me, as she straightens up and smooths out her knee length, pencil skirt.

I close the door behind me, locking it. My tie is constricting me, so I take it off after I place my briefcase of the chair next to the door. Her smile is sexy and smooth. That cherry red lipstick is about to leave glossy marks all over my desktop.

“Please remove those documents from the desk, Bridget. I have an urgent need that you, as my personal assistant, need to help me with.” I pop the button on my pants and watch her push the papers into a drawer then lean over my desk.

Her thigh is silky as I run my hand up one of them to push her skirt up. Pressing my cock to her ass, I lean over her and tie my tie around her eyes. My cock is pulsing as I push the other side of her skirt up. Moving her panties to one side, I hesitate for only a moment as I look at how creamy her ass is.

The sound of the buzzer of my intercom has me jerking my head up. “Mr. Crawford, a Mr. Markov is here and requests a meeting with you. He says it won’t take long,” the receptionist, interrupts my plans.

With a sigh, I step back, put myself away and pull my tie off Bridget’s eyes. “I guess I’ll be seeking your services another time. How about you take off for lunch now? I was going to let you go afterward, anyway. Take the rest of the day off. I have to get out of here early to get ready for the fundraiser.”

“I could go with you, Mr. Crawford,” she says as she smooths out her skirt. “If you’d like me to.”

“My dear, Bridget,” I say as I put my tie back on. “That would have pictures of us taken together. People would think we were on a date. You know I don’t date members of my staff.” I tap the button to reply to the receptionist. “I’ll send Bridget out to escort him to my office, shortly, Veronica.”

With a nod, she makes her way to the door. “I’ll bring him to you, sir.”

“Thank you,” I say then take a seat in my chair and think about stock prices, the tyranny in Afghanistan, and orphaned children, in an effort to get my cock to go back down. It’s never a good idea to meet someone for the first time with a hard-on, after all.

The things my mind conjures up help ease my situation and I find the door opening and Bridget gesturing for a tall, muscular man to enter my office. “Mr. Markov, Mr. Crawford.”

“Thank you, Bridget,” I say as I get up to shake the man’s hand. “You may go now.”

The blonde man with piercing blue eyes, the color of ice, is a large man. Only slightly smaller than myself. Our hands meet in a firm shake as we size one another up. “You must work out,” he says.

“I do and it seems you do to,” I say as I release his hand. “Have a seat, Mr. Markov.”

“Call me, Damien,” he says as he takes a seat.

I go around my desk to take mine and say, “Then you must call me, Ryker.”

“Good, I abhor formalities, Ryker. I am here because I saw a little thing on the internet about new boosters your company was testing in Cape Canaveral.”

“Wow!” I say, stunned. “That’s top secret. Did you say you saw it on the internet?” I pull out my laptop out of one of the drawers and open it. “Where might I find this?”

He pulls the computer to him and taps in something then turns it back to me and I see the same damn video that we just watched in the boardroom. “This is where I found it.”

I see the video has been up for one day and that lets me know Ian’s either leaked it or he’s been hacked. One can never tell with these things and it’s not worth the time to interrogate Ian about it. It’s out, that’s a fact.

“So, why are you here, Damien?” I ask as I put the laptop away.

“I’d like to offer my production company’s services, of course. I can offer you a great deal for us to produce them. It will only cost you information.” He taps the desk with long fingers as he eyes me.

“Russia certainly wants every tidbit of information it can get its hands on, doesn’t it?” I ask him as he sits back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I am not Russia, Ryker. I am one man with one company and I want to get to Mars just as badly as you do. It’s been my dream for a while now. I want to start a new life on a new world and your rocket boosters can help me get closer to that reality.”

Drumming my fingers on the desk, I ask, “What’s your deal, Damien?”

“We will produce your boosters in exchange for the technology that you used to make them. That means…”

I interrupt him. “I know what that means. You want to be listed on the copyright. Your company and mine will be the only two to use the boosters.”

“That’s right. So, what do you say to such an awesome deal?” he asks as he smiles, revealing very white and perfect teeth.

“I say, I have a board that has to make that decision together. I will tell you that we have an offer exactly like yours, though. And already one of our board members has expressed concern.”

“If you allow me to approach the board, I assure you, I will get their approval. I can be a very forceful man when I need to be, Ryker,” he tells me and I feel a bit like he’s threatening me.

“How long will you be in Florida, Damien?”

“Two weeks. So, let’s not waste time.” He gets up to leave, abruptly. “I have a lunch appointment. Will I see you at the fundraiser tonight?”

“I’m going,” I say as I get up to escort him out. “And I’ll talk to the engineer who invented the boosters. It is him who has been approached with the other offer.”

“Let me leave you with one thought, Ryker. If it’s my government who made the offer, you need to know this. They share their technology with all Russian companies.”

With a nod, I open the door and lead him to the elevator. “It was nice to meet you and I look forward to seeing you this evening.”

With a nod, he gets on the elevator and I find myself wondering what I should do.

What can I do?

GIA

“Yes, mother, we’re in the states. We’re in Orlando, there’s a fundraiser tonight. I’m at the spa, being pampered right now. My feet are soaking in a gooey substance and my face is covered in mud. Damien is spoiling me again.”

“Are you going to be able to come to Nebraska for a visit?” she asks.

I hem haw around, as I say, “I’m not sure. Damien said our stay is only two weeks. He’s got some new thing he really wants from another company. I foresee him spending the majority of his time here, in Orlando.”

“What about you, Gia?” she asks. “You could come for a visit on your own, couldn’t you?”

I know I can’t. Damien would never let me go. But she’d hate to hear me say that. “I’ll see. He needs my help, Mom.”

“Oh, good,” she says, enthusiastically. “It’s nice to hear he’s letting you use your brain again. You were such a talented engineer. What are you helping him with?”

“Um, well, it’s top secret,” I say as I’m not helping him do anything. He doesn’t let me. But Mom sounds so happy, I can’t let her down.

“Top secret! Wow! A Russian top secret project, how exciting for you, sweetie,” she says as I see Damien come into the spa.

“Gotta go, Mom,” I say. “I’ll talk to you later in the week.”

“You do that, Gia. We all miss you. Your sisters, your father, and I all would love to see you. It’s been a couple of years, you know.”

“I know, Mom,” I say as Damien comes my way. “I have to go. Love you.” I end the call and put my cell in the pocket of the white robe the spa puts their clients in.

“They say you have two more hours. I am going to lunch with a comrade from back home. An old school pal. You will go back to our suite when you’re finished here and put on the dress I had hung in the closet for you. I’ve instructed the woman at the front desk on how I want your hair done. Be ready by eight,” he snaps at me.

“Eight? You won’t be back from lunch until tonight?” I ask as that’s insane.

“I am catching up with my old friend, Gia. I don’t know how long that will take me. You will be fine. I’m going to take my tux with me, so I can get ready.”

“Where? Where are you going to get ready at?” I ask as he’s making no sense.

“The hotel room where I am meeting my old friend. Have no worries. I will be at the room at eight to get you. Be ready.” He spins around with nothing else and leaves me.

I watch him walk away from me. Damien is tall and built like a brick house. His light blue eyes seem to see right through a person. He’s handsome and commands respect. And he’s mine. My boyfriend of three years.

I was fresh out of MIT when I met him at a space fair in Washington. It was about the idea of going to Mars in the future. He sought me out when he found a project I had made. It was a capsule with nutrients enough to sustain a human body for three days. An invaluable thing for the long journey to the planet.

He thought I was a genius and his company bought my patent and they will be the ones who will sell the capsules when space travel begins. It’s odd to me how he thought I was so smart but once we really got together, he had me stop working and devote myself to him.

At first, I was so enthralled the magnificent man wanted me to be at his beck and call, that I gave myself to him, entirely. It was a novel, the man wanted me around him all the time. He showered me with gifts and attention.

His attention in the last year or so has been lax. He’s always on his phone. He leaves me at home on his vast estate, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, when he goes to his office. I used to go with him but he started leaving me behind and that became a trend.

He only brought me with him to the U.S. because I’m not a Russian citizen and I have to leave from time to time. I thought, by now, he’d have asked me to marry him. But that’s never been discussed between us.

I overheard him and his father talking once, in Russian, that Damien should marry a Russian woman. His father told him that he could keep me as a mistress. Damien didn’t say anything back to his father. I have no idea if that’s a thing he thinks I will allow or not.

I wouldn’t, though!

If he was to go that far then I would definitely leave him. Even though he has helped my parents, financially, since he took me with him to Russia. He’s even made sure my twin sisters and their husbands are taken care of.

He bought them homes, cars, and puts money in an account for them all. They want for nothing. If I left him, they’d lose it all. I don’t want that.

He’s not mean, abusive, or anything like that. Just neglectful. I don’t think that being neglected is a reason to end a relationship. Especially one that affects my whole family.

“Time to wash this stuff off and do your hair and makeup, Miss Flynn,” the attendant tells me.

I watch her as she pulls my feet out of the gel and wipes them off then slips on a set of thin slippers. At least once a month, Damien makes sure I’m completely pampered. He’s not neglectful in that way.

I drive an expensive car, wear expensive clothes, and have tons of jewelry. I have all the money that I want. He’s a wealthy man and has no problem spending money on me or my family. It’s his time, he’s stingy with.

But this old friend of his has managed to get an abundance of his time for some reason. I’m lucky to get ten minutes with the man before we go to bed.

He does pay attention to me in bed. He always has. Only, this last year, he’s changed. It’s pretty much wham, bam, thank you ma’am, now. No soft words, and no exciting lust-filled nights, either. Just plain old, roll over and let him hurry up, sex.

His dream of going to Mars is his reason for the change in him. He’s in a rush to get there. There is a small fact about Mars that I have a problem with. I don’t want to go, not that he’s invited me.

He’s never asked me, even once, if I wanted to go with him. I’m unsure if he just expects I will or if he doesn’t even want me to go with him. He and I haven’t talked much, lately.

He tells me what he wants and I do it. Like tonight, for instance, he has to have me at this boring fundraiser. I did tell him I’d rather not go and he said I must. He said it looks bad for him to go to such things alone.

All I know, is I’m not looking forward to staring into the crowd as he ignores me. I know it’ll happen that way. It always does.

RYKER

The place is packed as I enter the gazebo of the Central Florida Zoo. Only the wealthiest people were invited. Thanks to my grandfather, I joined that list of the elite a couple of years ago. I’m one of the youngest men here. At thirty, I’m a baby, compared to most of the people here.

When I took over my grandfather’s job as CEO of Apollo Engineering, I gained a massive amount of money as well. The responsibility is high and the anxiety I can get at times is hard to handle. Hence, my need for a personal assistant who can handle all my personal needs.

Bridget was sent to me by one of the other board members when he saw me struggling in the early days. I was a mess and he sent the woman to my office with a note that said she was my assistant and I could use her anyway I needed to. He added at the very end, even sexually.

She was fine with the arrangement and I use her about three times a week to ease my frustration level. It’s great. No commitment, no drama, no worries!

I have women I mess around with. One night stands, mostly. I don’t like getting too close to anyone. I plan on leaving this planet as soon as I can. Getting attached to someone here would be dumb.

My plan is to find someone and settle down after I reach Mars. That way, I can be part of populating that planet. It fills me with a surge of energy to think about being such a huge part of the beginning of a new place for humans to reside.

Who knows, maybe one of my kids will end up as the king of Mars? I have no idea how we’re going to rule that planet. But I like the idea of kings and queens. I’m old fashioned that way.

The gazebo is lit with white Christmas lights and I see a monkey is in a nearby cage. The zoo is special to me. They have a breeding program and plan on sending some of their animals to Mars too. It’s going to be so exciting!

“That’s Rufus,” a woman in a long white gown tells me as she walks up and hands me a flute of Champagne. “He’s one of our ideal Columbus monkeys. It’s his sperm we’re collecting and keeping for the mission to Mars. It will be some of his descendants that make Mars their home.”

“And I suppose the retrieval and storing of that sperm requires money,” I say as she nods and sips the bubbly liquid.

“Lots of it.” She slips her arm through mine. “I’m Claudette, a breeding scientist, here at the zoo. Let me show you some more of our prime animals, Mr. Crawford.”

“And just how do you know who I am?” I ask her as this is my first function of any kind since I took on the CEO position.

She produces a pamphlet from a pocket on her dress. Along with several other wealthy men, my picture is there with my name and what company I represent. Underneath my picture is Damien Markov’s. “We were all given these to make sure you each had five-star treatment.”

“I see. And where can I find this man?” I ask as I point to Damien’s picture.

“Mr. Markov is sitting at a table over here. Come on, I’ll show you to his table.” She takes me with her, heading through the crowd. “He’s brought a woman with him. She introduced herself as Gia Flynn, so you’ll know who’s with him. I suppose you two have business dealings.”

“We might,” I say then see him sitting at a table, talking on his phone. “I’ll take it from here, Claudette. You don’t have to worry about my donation, it will be a great one.”

With a smile, she leaves me and I look back at the table to find a young woman with dark hair, held up in a loose bun with shiny tendrils falling out of it, sitting down at the table with Damien and he’s not paying one bit of attention to the rare beauty who seems to be in the middle of a spotlight.

Nursing a drink in her hand, she looks at the floor then glances around the place. She seems to be lost. And it’s a shame that she’s being ignored like that.

Her skin is a pale creamy color that her pink lips accent perfectly. I watch her take another drink and wish I were the glass that touches her sweet lips. She can’t be Damien’s date. He’s not even looking at her at all!

But why would she sit at a table with him if she isn’t here with him? Why would she be fine with being ignored? Why am I standing here when I can go talk to her?

I move one foot in front of the other and make my way across the floor, only to be stopped by Gary from Sim Corp. “Ryker, great to see you here,” he says as he shakes my hand and claps my back. “Come here, I have some men I’d like you to meet. I brought my team of engineers tonight. I know they’d love to pick that enormous brain you have.”

I go along with him as he takes me to a group of men who all wear expensive tux’s like I do, only most of them seem uncomfortable in them. They fidget as I come up to them. One calls out, “Hey, it’s Ryker Crawford!”

A laugh erupts out of me as I had no idea I could command that much excitement from a group of guys. “It’s nice to see you know about me.”

They seem in awe now and converge on me in a circle, fencing me in and keeping me from getting to the gorgeous creature perched on the edge of her chair at Damien’s table.

She just can’t be his date!

I’m trying to give this group my full attention but can’t seem to focus on them as I’m so focused on the woman who’s looking sad and lonely. Damien is still on his damn phone and I watch her as she gives him longing looks then looks away when he doesn’t notice her at all.

One of the guys asks me a question about my plan to go to Mars, so I have to answer him. “Yes, I want to be on the first mission. It’s my dream to see the red planet and tame it for future Martians.”

The men laugh a little and I see the woman place her hand on Damien’s arm. He looks at her hand then gets up and walks away. Shaking his head at her.

I find the way he’s treating her, appalling and excuse myself to go talk to the woman, now that she’s alone. I make sure Damien is all the way out of the gazebo before I get to her. I pick up a couple of drinks from the bar and go to her. “Hello, gorgeous.”

She looks up and stares at me. “Who me?”

I place the drink on the table in front of her. “Mind if I sit down and introduce myself to you?”

“I’m nobody,” she says. “I’m here with Damien Markov.”

“I’m sure you’re somebody. No one is a nobody. And I don’t see Damien around. Are you supposed to be on a date with him?”

“He and I are a couple,” she says, shocking me.

“For how long?” I ask as I reach out and twirl a tendril of her silky hair. “I knew it would feel this soft. You are a rare beauty, Gia Flynn.”

“How do you know my name?” she asks with surprise.

“Oh, I have my ways. When one sees such a beautiful woman, one finds things out about her. Your name was first on the list. And now that I know you, I have more I’d love to know about you. Like why you’re sitting here, being ignored by any man.” I take a seat, even though she’s not offered one.

“Damien’s busy with a call from an old friend he met with today. I suppose it’s quite important.” She takes a drink and I reach out and touch her arm.

“Since he’s so busy, would you care to take a walk with me? Touring the zoo in the twinkling lights looks fun. But I don’t want to do it alone,” I tell her as I stand and pull her up with me.

“Damien should be back soon,” she says as I tuck her hand into the crook of my arm.

“I’m sure he will. And he can wait on you, when he gets back. Don’t worry, I’ll explain things to him when I return you to him. If you want to be returned to him, that is.”

Her giggle sends chills through me. “You’re funny. And your name is?”

“I am Ryker Crawford of Apollo…”

“Oh, I know who you are. Apollo Engineering was a company I was going to see about interning with before I met Damien,” she says. “I’m sorry about your grandfather. His mission to see Mars populated is what started that company. He was a true revolutionary man. The space community misses him, dearly.”

I smile with her sweet sentiment. “Why didn’t you still apply for an internship? Meeting Damien shouldn’t have ended your career.”

“No, it shouldn’t have,” she says as her brows furrow. “But it did. I moved away to Russia with him. I thought I’d work for his company. You see, I designed a capsule with enough nutrients to keep a human body nourished for days at a time. It would be useful…”

I cut her off as I know what it would be useful for, “…Moving people and animals to Mars.”

She stops and nods as she smiles, broadly. “Yes! But I haven’t made one for animals yet. Each animal has different needs. I was going to work on that and develop them for each kind of animal. That way, they would be ready for when the first mission takes off.”

“What stopped you?” I ask as she seems brilliant.

“Damien,” she says and her smile fades away. “I sold the patent to him. He has his own people working on doing that. They’ve yet to come up with anything as good as I did for humans. I’d love the chance to work on the project but he likes me to be available to him.”

“Not to be nosy, but available for what?” I ask, wondering if Damien Markov is keeping this woman as his sex slave. She’s far too smart to allow that to happen to her.

“Just be available. Not exactly in a sexual way. Just be around when he comes around. Which isn’t a lot, anymore,” she mumbles.

“Where are you from, Gia?” I ask as I move us along. I’d love nothing more than to hide her away from the man all night long.

“Nebraska, Blue Hill, Nebraska, to be exact. My father was a farmer,” she says as we stop in front of a cage that supposed to have a bear in it but he seems to be sleeping.

“He was a farmer?” I ask as I move us along to the next exhibit.

“Since I got with Damien, there’s no need for him to farm his land. Damien gives my family more money than they know what to do with. Dad’s land is just sitting there. He keeps it fertilized but that’s all,” she says then points to the back of an enclosure. “See, that?”

I squint to make out the shape of the animal she’s pointing at. “What is it?”

“A lemur,” she says. “Can you imagine a day when these creatures will be on a new planet?”

“I can and do, all the time,” I say. “It’s my dream to go on the first mission. I suppose you’ll be accompanying Damien on his first mission.”

“I don’t know about that.” She walks away from me to the next cage.

Getting back to her side, I take her hand and tuck it back into the crook of my arm. “And why don’t you know about that?”

“I don’t want to leave our planet. I’d like nothing more than to help people and animals to get there, though. You know, like the ground crew.” She looks up at a sleeping Eagle in its huge nest. “Eagles flying in a red sky, how cool, huh?”

“We do need people here to make it all happen. It’s admirable of you to want to help people get there. I want to be there. I want to have one of the first children born on the planet,” I tell her and find her smiling.

“So, where is Mrs. Crawford?”

“There’s not one,” I say. “There won’t be one, here on Earth. I’m waiting to meet a woman on Mars. It’s there I want to make my life. It’s there I want to raise a family.”

“And you’ll leave all your wealth to who, here on Earth?” she asks as she peers into a dark cage and jumps back when an owl swoops out at us, screeching to let us know he dislikes being disturbed.

I find her in my arms and hold her tight as I look down at her sweet face. “I don’t know. I’ve never even thought about it. I suppose I could donate it to a deserving charity or several of them.”

“You’re very generous,” she says as she moves out of my arms. “Sorry for jumping into you like that.”

“Not a problem,” I say then take her hand again. “I didn’t mind at all. So, tell me more about yourself. Are you a scientist?”

“No, I’m an engineer. I graduated from MIT.” She looks away like that’s not a huge deal.

“Why would you be wasting away in Russia as Damien Markov’s toy? You’re much too talented to do that. I’d like to offer you a position with Apollo Engineering,” I say, without hesitation.

“My only idea, I’ve sold to Damien’s company. What good could I even do for your company?” she asks me as she looks away, shaking her head. “I’ve wasted my chances.”

Stopping her, I turn her to face me, leaving my hands on her narrow shoulders. “Gia, you said you don’t plan on going to Mars. Damien is going to go. So, what’s your plan when he leaves you here, all alone?”

She seems to be thinking about this for the first time ever. “Um, I guess I don’t know. I kind of thought he’d make sure I was taken care of.”

“Is that all you want out of life?” I ask her as she doesn’t seem the type to be so shallow. “To be taken care of?”

“No,” she says then looks down. “Oh, I don’t know what it is I want, Ryker.”

“There you are,” Damien says as he walks up behind us. “Are you trying to steal my girl away, Ryker?” He laughs with a deep sound, as if that could never happen.

I let Gia go and she steps around me and goes to him. “He was keeping me company while you were busy, Damien. Do you know this man?”

Damien looks at her with surprise. “Oh, he didn’t tell you about the business deal we discussed at his office earlier today? I thought that was why he came to introduce himself to you.” His ice colored eyes dart to mine. “Why else would he take someone else’s woman off?”

With a chuckle, I say, “I was on my way to talk to you when I was ambushed by a pack of engineers, trying to pick my brain. I saw you leave, just as I got free. It was my intention to tell Gia why I had made my way to her. But we got to talking about other things, like how wonderful she is, smart she is, and talented she is. I could go on and on, obviously.”

“And taken she is,” he adds. “Perhaps I could join you two on your little walk?”

Gia holds tight to his arm as she senses his jealousy. “Please do, Damien. It’s nice to know you want to do business with Ryker. He seems to be a nice man and a generous one too. Much like yourself.”

I watch her smooth his rumpled feathers, expertly. She must be used to him getting pissed when anyone wants her attention. Not that he does!

GIA

Damien’s pulse is rapid as I hold his hand. He’s never had to see me with another man’s hands on me. It seems to be doing something to him. Maybe he’ll see he should pay more attention to me or someone might swoop in and take me away from him.

“Which one of you would care to tell me about this deal?” I ask. “Or is it top secret?”

“You don’t need to worry yourself with it, my darling,” Damien says then kisses the top of my head.

“I don’t see why she can’t know,” Ryker says. “You see my company has developed a highly effective rocket booster. Damien would like to manufacture it. All he wants in trade for his work, is to have rights to it.”

“Not exclusive,” I say as I look at him, worried Damien will make a deal with him the way he did with me not truly understanding I would never get to work on my project again. “You’ll keep your rights too, won’t you?”

“What does that matter to you, Gia?” Damien asks me. “This is none of your concern.”

I’ve pissed him off by asking something and I don’t care. “Look, I just don’t want him to lose something that’s so important. The way I did.”

“You know, in light of you and she being a couple,” Ryker says as he turns to continue our stroll through the zoo. “Couldn’t you, at the very least, let her work on the other capsules for the animals? She said your people haven’t come up with anything yet. We really could use that sooner rather than later, you know. You have a diamond there, Damien. You seem to be covering her with dirt, though.”

Damien starts to walk too, taking me up next to Ryker who looks at me from the corner of his eye as Damien says, “Gia has no reason to lift a finger. I take excellent care of her and her family. Has she explained to you all I do for them?”

“Yes, she has. You’ve taken care of their finances. Given them more money than they know what to do with. But aren’t you going to be going to Mars?” Ryker asks, making Damien sneer.

His pulse goes insane as he says, “So what if I am?”

“She’ll be left here, alone. Those who have grown dependent on you would be left with no idea how to take care of themselves. What you see as a service, I see as a disservice.” Ryker stops and takes my other hand. “What do you think, Gia?”

My eyes go wide as Damien’s hand squeezes mine. His hand is hot and I know he’s about to blow a gasket. So, I ease my hand out of Ryker’s and smile. “I think this conversation is taxing, to say the least. Damien is a man I can count on.”

“And who needs any more than that?” Damien asks then starts walking again. “No need to worry over Gia, Ryker. She will have my portion of my family’s wealth when I leave. She can dole it out to her family as she likes.”

“No want to take her to Mars with you, Damien?” Ryker asks and I find myself looking at Damien to see what the hell he says about that.

“She’s much too fragile to go to Mars. She’s allergic to everything and fights with anemia. Her family also has a history of mental illness which would block her from going anyway,” Damien says and I am shocked.

“What are you talking about? My family has no such history!”

“But they do,” Damien says. “You have an aunt no one talks about. She was institutionalized when she was twelve.”

My jaw drops as I stare at him. This man must’ve done some extensive research into my family’s background to come up with this. And for what?

“You and I will discuss this later,” I snap then spin around and run away from them both.

I’ve never been more humiliated!

“Gia, where are you going?” Damien shouts.

“I can’t understand why he’s with me if he has no future where I’m in it.” And everything is spinning in my head. He was all about me for the first year and a half. Suddenly, he became distant and forgetful where I was concerned. And I bet it has everything to do with finding out I can never go to Mars with him.

Not that I was ever going to go. He’d know that if he ever bothered to talk to me about it. Instead, he played detective to see if I was worthy of going in the first place. He’s impossible and I have no idea why I’m staying with him.

A hand on my shoulder stops me and spins me back around. “Hey.”

I find Ryker is the one who came to stop me and look around him to see Damien is nowhere in sight. “Where’d he go?”

“He made a phone call and walked away. Don’t let that shit about your aunt get to you, Gia. We all have a squirrel or two in our family trees,” he says then grins at me. “I have five in mine.”

His silly grin makes me laugh, despite my anger at Damien. “I’m sorry for how I’m acting. I really am. I wasn’t this person.”

“Let me guess,” he says as he takes my hand. “Before Damien Markov.”

“Yes,” I confess. “I was different before him. I was strong willed and sure of myself and now I’m neither of those things.”

“Well, damn!” he says as he pulls me along with him. “And those are great things to be. What made you change?”

I find him taking us to one of the bars and ordering something pink and fruity then he hands it to me. “Thank you. And I don’t know why I changed. I don’t want to blame Damien. It was me who changed. He never tried to change me. It just happened, somehow.”

“He’s overbearing,” Ryker says as he picks up a Scotch and takes me with him to a table.

I nod. “I agree.”

“Do you love him?” he asks me and I freeze.

“We don’t use that term. We never have.” I sip the delicious drink. “Yummy. How did you know I’d like it?”

“It’s got strawberry liquor in it and cream, what chic wouldn’t?” He moves his hand over my cheek and his smile is devastating.

Ryker is taller than Damien by about an inch. His shoulders are a little wider but his build is a touch smaller. His jaw is rugged and he keeps a five o’clock shadow going, making him look darkly handsome.

“You’re thoughtful,” I tell him as I watch his plump lips form another heartbreakingly beautiful smile.

“Sometimes I am. I’m not a saint. I have my bad points too,” he says then licks his lips, picking up every last drop of the Scotch he’s just drank.

“And they are?” I ask as I have to think something bad about this perfect man who’s paying so much attention to me.

My body trembles as he leans in very close and whispers in my ear, “I have a penchant for corrupting gorgeous, smart, talented women, like yourself.” I go wet as his lips touch the place just behind my ear. “Have you ever fucked around behind Damien’s back?”

Jerking my head back, I hiss at him, “No! Ryker! I’m not that kind of woman!”

Sitting back, he grins at me with a sexy stare. His dark eyes penetrate mine as he licks his lips once again. “Pity.”

My heart is racing and my body is shaking. “Ryker!”

“Say it again, Gia,” he says under his breath. “Say my name, baby.”

I hate the fact I’m on fire and he has me this way in mere seconds. “Where’s the nice man I was talking to? Do you suffer from split personality?”

He shakes his head, sending his dark waves dancing around his face. “Nah, I have a naughty side, that’s all. I can be a little naughty and a little nice, can’t I, Gia?” He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees and jerks his head toward one side of the gazebo. “You’re in need of some attention and I can give it to you. Damien has no future plans for you. Dump him. Or don’t. That’s up to you. I want you, either way. And you need me, baby.”

“Ryker, you’re being too forward,” I say as I look around to see if anyone can hear what he’s saying.

“I know. It’s a byproduct of being so damn smart. I’m quick to act. I’ll be in that private bathroom, if you care to join me.” I watch him get up and stroll to a door just off the wood floor. He leaves it ajar and I find my body is trying to get up and follow him.

Holding myself back, I take the rest of my drink down in one gulp to douse the fire he’s started inside me. I look around for Damien and don’t see him anywhere.

With the realization that Damien will leave me all he has and I will one day be without him anyway. I get up and walk across the floor to let Ryker do to me what he wants. Because I want it too. I want it more than I’ve wanted anything.

My heels click as I cross the wood floor. My ass shakes as I feel radiant and confident. That gorgeous man wants me. He hardly knows me and he wants me. It’s been a few weeks since Damien’s touched me. I am ripe for the picking.

My hand hovers near the door knob. My body breaks into a sweat. My mind stills as I touch the door knob.

“Let’s go, Gia,” Damien’s voice comes from behind me. “I’ve made my donation and I have plans for later on tonight. I need to get you back to the hotel suite.”

“What?” I ask as he takes my hand and pulls me away with him.

He hurries away with me in tow as I look over my shoulder and see Ryker walking out of the bathroom. He must’ve heard Damien talking to me. He eyes me as he knew I was coming to him.

I turn back around and run a little to keep up with Damien as he says, “My old friend is having a crisis of sorts. I need to go and see if I can be of help.”

“Take me with you,” I say. “I might be able to help. What’s the crisis? Women problems? I can help.”

“No, you can’t. My friend is shy. Very shy.” He waves at a waiting cab and we get inside of it.

He moves me all the way over, sliding his body with mine to get me on the other side of the bench seat. I look at him as he slides back to the other side of the car. I feel cold and somewhat ashamed of what I was about to do.

“Damien, don’t leave me. Please, don’t leave me alone for the night.” My hands knot in my lap as I can’t stand the thought of being alone.

“You’ll be fine. You can drink the wine I’ve had delivered and eat the cheeses and fruits I’ve told room service to bring to you too. Order a movie on the television. You’ll be fine. I should be back before the morning.”

I feel deflated and look out the back window to see Ryker walking into the street. “Just leave me here then. I’d rather be here than in our room, alone.”

His eyes narrow as he turns his head to look at me. “Gia, that man is a whore. The woman who took me to his office was his slut. Is that what you want? To be a notch on his extremely notched bedpost? I thought you were better than that?”

“How do you know it’s Ryker I want to see?” I ask him as his glare turns into a smile, an evil one.

“Do you think I don’t know you were about to walk into that bathroom he’d gone into? Do you think I didn’t see that exchange between you two when he kissed your neck? Do you think I don’t know what will happen if I let you out of this car?”

“Please take me back to the hotel and stay with me then. I need to feel like I’m one with another person, Damien. I feel alone. Look what I nearly did.” I glance back again and find Ryker is no longer in the street, waiting to see if I’ll get out of this cab and go to him.

Why would he wait for me?

Damien’s right about him. I know he is. It’s possible, if I wasn’t so damn lonely, that I would see right through him and not want a thing to do with the man.

Ryker is exactly like Damien. He’s leaving this planet on the first ride out of here. He’s going to make his life on Mars. I have no place in either of the men’s lives.

Yet, Damien promises to leave me his wealth. That money will make sure my family is taken care of for the rest of their lives and then some. Once he leaves, I can move on as a rich woman. I can find a man to love me then.

Now is not my time, I suppose. Damien is taking care of me. For that I should be grateful. And not be thinking about giving my body to another man.

Tears fill my eyes as I look at Damien. “I’m sorry. That was wrong of me. I felt hurt by what you said about finding things out about me that you’ve never even told me before. And I feel so lonely. You’ve taken your attention away from me.”

“I give you all you need and more. I am leaving you everything I have and this is how I am thanked?” he asks as he looks at me with sadness in his blue eyes.

“I know,” I look down and shake my head. “I’ll shut up.”

He looks out the window as he sighs. “I wish I could feel more for you, Gia. I do. The fact is, I need you here with me now. I know I can’t make you any promises about always being with you. I won’t be. But you will have my money to keep you warm. I’m merely asking for your faithfulness while I’m still here. That’s all. I just need you to be my companion.”

I nod. “I can do that.”

But I don’t feel like I am his companion. I don’t feel like I should be here for him just so me and my family can keep his money. But I don’t know what else to do.

The cab pulls up to the hotel and Damien looks at me. “Go on. I’ll be up when I get done.”

Sliding out of the cab, I walk into the hotel. From what I’ve heard, it could be ten years or more before they begin taking people to Mars. For ten years, I could be stuck in this life.

Money certainly has taken hold of my life.

Stopping to watch the cab with Damien in it pull away, I find my heart heavy and turn back around to go into the lobby. My head hung low as I make my way to the elevator.

“Miss Flynn?” I hear one of the desk clerks call out. “Can you come here, ma’am?”

Looking up, I walk over to the counter. “Yes?”

The young man slides a card to me. His hand covers it. “Mr. Markov isn’t coming in, is he?”

“No,” I say as I look over my shoulder again. “Not until later, he said.”

“Okay, I was instructed to give this to you, only if he wasn’t with you.” He slides his hand off the card and I see his cheeks go pink. “And you have nothing to worry about, Miss Flynn. We’re a discreet bunch of people here.”

I nod and take the card then walk to the elevator. My heart is thumping as I squish the thing in my hand, balling it up. I have a feeling I know what it is and I don’t want the temptation.

In the elevator, I think about what I’d be giving up by messing Damien over. What I’d lose for my family. And it’s just not worth it.

As I leave the elevator, I toss the waded card in the trashcan, just outside of it. “Thanks, Ryker, but no thanks.”

All the way to our suite, I think about his dark good looks. His dancing eyes, his kissable lips. And I know I will never allow myself to taste his kiss or feel his intimate touch.

Opening the door to our room, I feel a warm breeze move over my face. It brings to mind how his hot breath would feel as he kisses my body all over. His hands would bring heat to my skin as he grazes them all over me.

Pulling my clothes off as I go into the room, I find the bottle of wine and retreat to the bathroom. A bath is in order. A nice, long, hot bath might help me to forget about the handsome man who wants me.

Something has to help!

RYKER

“I thought you hated him, Ryker?” Ian says as I address the board about letting Damien’s company make our boosters.

“I hate the way he treats his woman. But this is business. I did my research and if we let the Russian government make them, they can and most likely will, give our technology to all companies in Russia who make these kinds of things. If Damien makes them, only his company and ours will have this booster.”

“Should I even try to talk about using an American company?” Sandy asks.

I smile at her. “What do you have for us? Anything near this good?”

“No, but Steel Corp will make them for only ten million each,” she says, knowing there’s no way in hell I’ll pay that over nearly free.

With a shake of my head, I look at Ian. “We can take a vote if you like.”

“No,” he says as he admits defeat. “The fact is, I didn’t know the Russians could do that. It would put us nowhere near the lead in the race for Mars. Go with Markov Global. It makes the most sense.”

“It does,” I say and have to smile. “Meeting dismissed!”

Making my way to my office, I open the door to find Bridget sitting in my chair. She jumps up as I come in and I laugh.

“Sorry, sir.”

“Not a problem. Get Damien Markov on the phone. I have great news for him and I feel a celebration coming on,” I tell her as I toss my briefcase on the chair by the door and head to my private bathroom.

It’s quite likely Damien will bring Gia to dinner when I invite him to meet me, so I can tell him the good news. I know I should bring a date and I have no idea who I should bring on such short notice.

When I walk back into the office I see Bridget has the phone in her hand. “Mr. Markov is waiting on the line for you, sir.”

“Good,” I say as I walk over and take the phone out of her hand.

“Should I leave, Mr. Crawford?”

Shaking my head, I point at the chair for her to take a seat. She does as I say, “Hello, Damien. How’s your day going?”

“It’s alright. Are you about to make it better?” he asks.

I want to ask how Gia is doing but I know that’ll piss him off, so I just say, “I can try. How’d you like to meet me for dinner at The Capital Grille at eight tonight? I’m bringing a date, so bring Gia along, if you’d like.”

“I don’t like to mix her into my business,” he says, making me mad in an instant.

I chill, though. I want him to bring her. I’ve been thinking about her nonstop since I left my number with the front desk and she never called it. I know she was going to come into that bathroom two nights ago, I heard her outside the door.

“Tonight, business will be short and celebrating will be long,” I say as I watch Bridget fidget in her seat.

“I will see if she cares to come with me,” he says and I find that’s not enough for me.

“Reservations have to be made,” I say. “Is she around? Ask her if she wants to come.”

“You said you’re bringing a date too, right?” he asks.

“I am,” I say and my eyes settle on Bridget. “I’ll be bringing my personal assistant, Bridget. You’ve met her.”

With a laugh, he says, “Her? Okay, I’ll bring Gia. We will see you there at eight. Is it formal?”

“Yes, see you at eight,” I say and end the call with so much cheeriness, it’s slipping into insane proportions.

“You’re bringing me?” she asks as she looks at me with wide dark eyes.

“Do you mind?” I look at her and think she’s surprised.

“No! Not at all. I just thought dates weren’t a thing you wanted to do with me.” She gets up and paces a little. “You see, here’s the thing, well, how do I say this?”

“Just spit it out, please,” I say, feeling a bit annoyed.

“I have a girlfriend now.”

“Huh?” I ask as I’m more than stunned. “You’re a lesbian?”

“Bi,’ she says. “And my girlfriend is jealous. She doesn’t know just how much I assist you. I tell her I’m on birth control to keep my monthlies in check.”

“You’re bi-sexual and you have a girlfriend?” I ask again, in disbelief.

“Yes, Mr. Crawford,” she says as she looks a bit nervous.

“For tonight, it’s Ryker. And only for tonight. Is this girlfriend going to be anywhere near that restaurant tonight?”

“No, she works at a bar. As long as I’m home by two in the morning, she’ll be none the wiser.” She offers me a weak smile. “But, no sex. If you get me home too late to take a shower, she’ll know and boy will there be hell to pay. That woman loves my ass.”

“Noted,” I say as I didn’t plan on doing much with her anyway. “Can I ask you something, Bridget?”

“Of course,” she says as she stops her fidgeting and pacing.

“Do you like it when I fuck you?”

“Of course!” She fans herself. “Your great, sir!”

“But you’d rather be with a woman. Are you with any other men?”

Shaking her head, she says, “For the last five years, it’s been strictly women. And then you, when I was hired for you.”

I feel more than a bit sick as she gets nothing out of it and now I can see that as clear as the nose on my face. I don’t want to tell her she’s no longer going to be needed for my frustration releasing any longer. I need her to go with me to the meeting. But it is over.

How blind am I?

GIA

“He’s bringing her?” I ask as Damien tells me we’re going to meet Ryker and the woman he said was Ryker’s personal assistant and his slut.

“Yes, so you will get to see the man for who he truly is. I hope this will settle you about him. Talking in your sleep, has me knowing that you think about him,” he tells me, shocking me.

“What? Why are you just now telling me that I’ve talked about him in my sleep?” I ask as I cringe at the memory of the steamy dreams I’ve had every time my eyes close.

“What did you want me to say to you, Gia? Hey, what’s up with you screaming obscenities that end with that man’s name on your lips? You bitch about not getting enough sex, but you seem to be getting plenty, in your dreams.” His light eyes hold mine as he looks at me like he’s caught me in a lie or something.

“I can’t help my dreams,” I say as I go to look in the closet for something nice to wear. “Should I go to get my hair and makeup done, Damien?”

“Why, you want to look nice for your dream lover, Gia? Of course, by all means, please go use my money to pretty yourself up for the man who would use you and toss you away like he does all the rest.”

I ignore him and go to the closet. “Red or blue?” I ask him as I hold out a couple of dresses.”

“Black should work,” he says as he walks past me to pull a tux out of the closet. His face is near mine, his cheek, nearly touches mine. “Like your soul.”

“Damn it, Damien!” I toss the dresses to the floor and hurry to the bathroom. “I can’t help my damn dreams!”

“But you can stop thinking about the man. You can think about me and what I’ve done and will do for you. You could think about pleasing me, sexually, instead of him.”

I spin around and glare at him. “You’re never here! How could I even do that?”

“Are you telling me that you’ve forgotten how to be spontaneous? Are you telling me, you’ve forgotten how easy I am to please? You don’t try, Gia. You never try anymore.”

“Because you ignore me, almost entirely,” I shout at him.

“Shouting at me, is not a thing I allow. You know this. So, lower your voice when you speak to me,” he says as he begins to pull his clothes off in front of me. “I am here now. There are hours before we must leave. Are your hair and makeup more important than pleasing your man?”

I tremble with how I’m going back and forth with what I should do. Damien’s right about Ryker. The man is bringing his tramp to dinner. And the man who takes care of me is open to sex right now.

So why do I feel torn about what to do?

Part 2 - The Target

RYKER

Waiting in the bar area for Damien and Gia to show up at the restaurant, I feel the air stir as the door opens. A chill runs through me as I turn back to find them entering the dimly lit room. “They’re here, Bridget.”

We get up to meet them as the hostess leads them to us. “Your guests have arrived, Mr. Crawford. Would you like to be seated at your table now?”

“Yes, please,” I tell her and reach out for Gia’s hand first.

She places it in mine. “Ryker, how are you doing this evening?”

“Better now,” I say then leave a kiss on top of her hand. I let her hand go and nod in gesture to my date. “This is Bridget. Bridget, this is Gia Flynn. You’ve met Mr. Markov.”

“Of course,” Bridget says as she lightly shakes Gia’s hand and then I find Damien giving her a hug.

“Nice to see you again, Bridget,” he says. “Please call me Damien.”

“I will,” she says as he lets her go.

He shakes my hand with a quick movement. “Ryker.”

“Damien,” I say then extend my arm toward our waiting hostess. “Shall we?” Placing my hand at the small of Bridget’s back, escorting her out of the bar.

“This is a very lovely restaurant,” Gia says as we walk through the entry way to cross from the bar to the restaurant. “Thank you for inviting us, Ryker.”

“Thank you for coming, Gia. I was worried Damien was going to leave you at the hotel,” I say as I look at her, over my shoulder. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“You, as well, Ryker,” she says and gives me a smile.

Turning to look back in front of me, I feel my heart beat a bit faster. The woman certainly does more for me than I can recall feeling for anyone else. Too bad she’s wrapped herself around that man.

The black dress, she’s wearing, holds her body in a way that makes every curvy stand out. The neckline is deep, separating her perky breasts. There’s no way she has a bra on, underneath it.

It has me wondering if she has any panties on as the dress is tight and I think I’d see the lines of them if she did. The thought of how available she might be right now has my cock stirring.

I’m thankful to get to our table, so I can hide my reaction from them all. Holding out a chair for Bridget, I help her to take the seat then take my own. Damien holds out a chair for Gia and leaves a kiss on top of her head after she sits down.

I watch the act too closely and he catches my grim look. “Ryker, should we order Champagne?”

With a nod to our hostess, I say, “Have our waiter bring a bottle when he comes to us.”

Curtly, she nods and leaves us. I can’t stop looking at Gia. Her hair is down, flowing in dark waves over her nearly bare shoulders. The dress has short sleeves that hang at the very edges of her shoulders. The length is short and her red heels are high. I can picture one of her legs wrapped around me as I push her against a wall.

“I can’t wait to hear what you have to say, Ryker,” Gia says as she looks at me then gestures to Bridget. “How long have you two been seeing one another?”

Bridget looks at me with the same expression a deer gets when headlights hit it. “You answer that one, please.”

With a chuckle, I say, “She’s been with me only a few weeks after I took over the CEO position. But dating is new to us.”

Bridget sighs and looks at Gia. “Very new.”

“First date?” Gia asks as she looks at us.

Bridget nods and I find Damien smiling. “Good for you, Ryker. Making an honest women out of her.”

I don’t even care what he means by that as I look at Gia and find the red lipstick looks great on her plump lips. She used a silver eyeshadow along with blacks to make a smoky eye. “Tell me, Gia, are you going to go see your family while you’re here?”

“We don’t have time for that,” Damien answers for her.

I watch her look down with a frown on her gorgeous face. “No time?” I ask. “I can send you on my private jet, if you’d like.”

She looks up at Damien with hope. “Can I do that?”

His jaw tightens then he looks at me. “That would be nice of you. But it’s not necessary.”

“When was the last time you saw them, Gia?” I ask her.

“Two years,” she says and that just pisses me off.

Letting it go, for now, I see our waiter coming with the bottle of champagne and four flutes. “Here we go,” I say as he places the glasses on the table.

“I am Devin, I will be your server this evening. Your Champagne is on the house tonight, as we’ve been informed we have not one but two very talented men at this table tonight. I’d like to welcome you both, Mr. Markov and Mr. Crawford, to our fine establishment, this evening. I’m on the list for the Mars population program, you two are a couple of heroes in my book.” He pops the bottle open and fills our glasses.

“I am hoping Mr. Crawford here, has some great news for me, this evening that will get us that much closer to getting there,” Damien says.

I hold up my glass and say, “Devin, you might like to stay for this, it’s a momentous occasion, after all.” I turn my eyes to Damien. “Apollo Engineering has decided to accept Markov Global’s proposal to manufacture our new rocket boosters.”

Damien’s smile is huge as he lifts his glass and clinks it to mine. “That is something to drink to, Ryker. You will be happy with our work, I promise you.”

The ladies join us in clinking the flutes of golden bubbly and then we all drink to the new deal. Gia’s eyes rest on me and she gives me a smile. “So, you will be coming to Russia to visit then?”

“My engineer, Ian and I will be coming,” I tell her. “Along with a few others.”

Gia’s eyes move to Bridget. “You as well, Bridget?”

Bridget’s hand flies to her throat. “Oh! I doubt that.”

Damien is quick to say, “You should bring her, Ryker. The nights get cold in Russia. I’d hate for you to sleep alone.”

Gia looks away as if the thought bothers her, which I love. So, I test those jealous waters a bit. Putting my arm around Bridget, I lean in close. “Maybe you should come.”

The way Gia’s head snaps back to look at me with wide eyes has me nearly laughing. She watches, closely as Bridget fidgets, not knowing what to say. “If you need me, sir.”

I tense at her reaction. She’s not getting that I need her to play a part. And Gia’s eyes narrow, telling me she’s getting wise to my ploy. There’s a dancefloor not too far away, where some other couples are dancing. “Dance with me, Bridget.” I get up and take her hand, leading her out to the dancefloor, away from them, so we can talk.

When I turn back to take her in my arms, I see Damien leaving Gia alone at the table as he has his phone to his ear and is walking away to make a call.

“I don’t want to explain everything, Bridget. I need you to pretend we’re more than we are. And leave the ‘Sir’ out of things, please. Just go along with anything I say. I won’t be taking you to Russia when we go. But you act as if you will be going with me. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” she says. “You like her, don’t you?”

“I’m not about to answer that question, Bridget. Now, please leave me and go to the restroom, so I can take the opportunity to have words with Gia, alone.” I let her go and she nods as she leaves me on the dancefloor.

Making my way back to Gia, I find her looking up at me when I get to the table, alone. “You seemed to have lost someone,” she says.

“As have you,” I sit down and run my finger around the rim of the glass in front of me. “Did you get the message I left for you the other night?”

Her smile lets me know she did. “No.”

Pink fills her cheeks as I say, “Lies are easily read on your beautiful face, Gia. Why didn’t you call me?”

She meets my gaze. “I knew what you wanted.”

“So, again, I am asking you why didn’t you call me?” I grin at her. “You were about to meet me in that bathroom.”

“But I didn’t and the man, who has done so much for me, got me out of there, so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. I’m quite thankful for that. I’m not interested in becoming a notch on your bedpost, Ryker.” She picks up her drink and I notice the slightest tremble of her hand.

Getting up, I walk over to her and pull her chair back. “Dance with me.”

“That’s a bad idea,” she says but then Damien walks up behind her. I had seen him coming and made my move on purpose.

“Nonsense,” he says. “Dance with him, my darling. I trust you.”

Gia eyes him as she gets up. “As you wish, Damien.”

He winks at her as I take her hand in mine and lead her away from him. “I promise I won’t bite, unless you ask me to,” I whisper as we get to the dancefloor.

She gasps as I jerk her body into my arms, making sure our bodies touch, so she can feel my desire for her.

GIA

I gasp as Ryker pulls me so close to him, I can feel his bulge pressing against me. “Ryker!”

“Say it again, Gia,” he whispers as he nuzzles my neck.

“Stop that!” I hiss at him as I look back to find Damien on the phone, not looking at us at all. I thought he’d be staring a hole in me but I was wrong.

Our little spat at the hotel turned into a hot bit of passion, he must feel he’s adequately fulfilled my needs. But he’s wrong. Ryker brings out needs in me only he can fill.

Pulling his head back, he looks at me as we sway back and forth to the slow song. “If you don’t want to become a notch on my bedpost, as you said earlier, what would you like to become?”

“I don’t know why you’d bother asking me that question. You told me you were going to Mars and that’s where you’d be getting serious with a woman. You know I’m not going, so what the hell does it matter what I want?” I ask him as he smiles at me and I hate how attractive I find him.

“I’d just like to know,” he says then spins us around. “Humor me, will you?”

I decide to scare the man off. “I want you to fall in love with me, Ryker. I want you to marry me and forget about going to Mars. Stay here with me, forever. Leave that dream behind you.”

He chuckles then says, “You don’t expect much, do you? Have you asked that of Damien?”

“Why would I?” I ask. “He hasn’t asked me what it is I want.”

“You know, Gia. The Russians may not be going to allow people with imperfect backgrounds to go to Mars, but America holds no such regulations. You could go with me.” His dark eyes glisten as he looks at me and waits for what I’ll say next.

“You and me, Ryker. Like a team?” I ask, as if I’m really contemplating going with him.

“Something like that,” he says then we spin around again. “So, what would you think about doing that? I mean, he’d be gone on the first ship out of here. I could wait for you to get to me.”

“You seem like you’re being serious,” I say with a laugh. “Ryker, you know I can’t do that.”

“You can,” he says. “Those things Damien said about you, don’t make you unable to go. You should think about it.”

“Let’s just pretend for a moment that I’d do that. You and I get to Mars where Damien is and then what?” I ask as he spins us again.

“What will he care?” he asks as he smiles, wickedly. “He’ll have left you behind.”

“With all of his money,” I say as he seems to have forgotten about that.

“Money?” He shakes his head. “You are worth more than that. Why do you insist on thinking more about the financial gains that come with Damien than anything else? You’re brilliant and Mars could use a mind like yours.”

“And it will get it. But from Earth. I can make things for the people and animals here that I couldn’t up there. Don’t you see the big picture? There won’t be labs to work in. Plants to manufacture things in, won’t be available there. Everything will have to be shipped in. With the money he leaves me, I will be able to help the beings that go to Mars. I will be able to make the things that will make life there, better.”

One of his dark brows cock up. “I never thought about that.”

“I have,” I say and find him slowing the dance.

“You are very smart.” He licks his lips as he looks at me. “That’s very attractive.”

“Ryker, I know that woman you’ve brought with you is your personal assistant and your lover. I have no idea what you want with me, other than a quick roll in the hay. But I have my plan and I’m sticking with it. Damien is part of that plan.”

“I could be the same thing for you. Only better.” He looks at me as if that’s really a thing I might consider.

“I don’t trust you. I trust Damien,” I say then find the song has ended and yet he still sways with me as if music is playing. “We should take our seats, Ryker.”

Reluctantly, he lets me go. “Perhaps, if you’d just allow me to have a taste of you, then I could get you out of my head, Gia.”

I laugh as we walk back toward the table where our dates are waiting on us. “I’m afraid you’ll have to figure out another way to get me out of your head, Ryker.”

I too have to figure out a way to get him out of my head. Having sex with him will only plant him in my head that much deeper. And I can’t have that!

RYKER

As our waiter takes the order, I find Damien’s dominance over Gia infuriating. “No, you won’t have the shrimp. Gia. Bring her the filet mignon and broccoli, no butter or cheese, steamed only. She can have a small amount of whole grain rice as well. She’s had too much alcohol tonight, so bring her water. I’ll have a lobster, baked potato, loaded with everything, a steak kabob on the side and a Long Island Iced Tea.”

I don’t say a word as Gia looks down. Then the waiter looks at me and I gesture to Bridget. “Go ahead, Bridget.”

She rattles off what she wants and I can’t stop looking at Gia and how she’s fidgeting in her seat. After telling the waiter what I want, I find Damien pulling his cell out, yet again, the fifth time already, and holding up a finger as he gets up and walks away from the table.

“Will that be all?” the waiter asks us.

“No,” I say. “Gia, order whatever the hell you really want to. It’s not as if Damien will be paying any damn attention to what you’re brought, anyway.”

She smiles at me. “Do you really think so?”

“I do,” I say as I look at her and see her eyes brighten up. “Get what you want.”

“Okay, the shrimp and a loaded baked potato and a glass of white wine, please. I hate broccoli.” She smiles as she looks at the waiter.

He nods and off he goes. I watch her face begin to glow. “You should learn how to tell him to shut the hell up, Gia,” I tell her then lean over to Bridget. “Can you leave us alone?”

“I need to powder my nose again,” she says as she gets up and leaves.

“I should learn how to do that,” Gia says then I find her looking out the door to the balcony.

“Would you like to check that out?” I ask as I get up to take her outside. “It’s nice out, tonight.”

“I should wait for Damien,” she says and I pull her chair out anyway.

“You’d be waiting all night,” I say as I take her hand and tuck it into the crook of my arm. “And I’d like to get a breath of fresh air myself.”

“You have a lot to say about Damien but you too are neglecting your date, Ryker.”

“I have danced with her once,” I say, in my defense. “And she’s not really into me. I can tell.”

“So can I,” she whispers as she leans in close. “What’s the real deal between you two?”

“Kiss me and I’ll tell you all you want to know,” I tell her as I open the French doors to the balcony, finding no one else on it.

She bats my chest, lightly as she giggles. “Why are you so silly?”

“Why are you so beautiful and smart in all the right ways, save one?” I ask her as I close the door behind us and move her to the railing. Leaning her back against it, I wrap my arms around her. “You feel perfect like this.”

“But you need to let me go. This isn’t okay, Ryker,” she says as she pushes at my chest.

“I’m not doing anything I wasn’t doing on that dancefloor, Gia. The more I’m around you, the more I find fascinating about you. You have to know that Damien is messing around.”

She stops pushing me as she looks into my eyes. “What makes you say that?”

“Who the hell does he talk to on the phone that much?” I ask her as she looks to one side of me.

She pushes my chest hard. “Here he comes!”

I step back and watch him open the door. “There you two are. Dinner is served and we need to eat and get out of here.”

“What’s the rush?” I ask him as we make our way to the door, my hand on the small of her back.

He looks at where my hand is as we pass him. “I have to get to my friend. Another crisis, I’m afraid.”

I don’t say a word as we go back to our table but one thought is floating into my brain. Gia will be alone in their hotel room!

“Too bad,” I say. “I had planned on having a long evening. But I understand. Friends take precedence.”

“Over everyone, it seems,” Gia says as she takes the seat he holds out for her.

I sit in my chair and elbow Bridget, gently. “Seems we should hurry, Damien has things to do.”

“Okay.” She leans over and whispers, “I can take a cab home.”

“That would be best, wouldn’t it?” I ask her and she nods her answer.

With her off my plate, I can focus on getting Gia alone. Pulling my phone out, I discreetly tap in a message to my secretary, telling her to get me a suite at the same hotel they’re staying at.

Gia seems pissed as she stabs a piece of shrimp. “Will you be gone all night long again?”

“I might. Why?” he asks her as he barely looks her way. And just like I thought, he doesn’t notice she doesn’t have the meal he ordered for her.

“No reason. A girl just likes to know when her boyfriend will be coming home, that’s all,” she says and stabs another shrimp. It’s plain to see, she’s pretending the shrimps are him.

“If I told you an approximate time, I’d be lying. You don’t want me to lie to you, do you?” he asks her and I see my secretary has replied back that she got me a suite and I can check in when I get there.

I smile as I put my cell back in my pocket and ask, “If you’re in a hurry, Damien, I can have my driver drop Gia off. It’s not a problem. I can also get you one of our private cars to take you where ever it is you’re going.”

I have a million dollars that says he won’t take the car I’m offering him!

He hesitates as he was about to eat a forkful of lobster. “Are you taking Bridget home with you for the night?”

“Yes,” I lie. “We could drop Gia off before we go back to my place. I promised Bridget she could stay the night with me.”

“Sure, you can give Gia a ride to the hotel,” he says then takes the bite.

“And should I call my service about getting you a car?” I ask and watch his head shake.

“I’ll take a cab. Don’t worry about me,” he says as he gestures to Gia. “Just drop her off for me. That’ll be enough. What time should I be at your office tomorrow to get to the paperwork on our deal?”

“Whenever you’d like to. The earlier the better,” I tell him as I watch Gia becoming angrier with him.

He’s oblivious to it or doesn’t give a shit. The latter I bet.

“I’ll shoot by the suite in the morning and change my clothes then be there about nine thirty. Will that be fine?” he asks as he doesn’t realize he’s just told us that he’ll be spending the night with his friend instead of Gia.

She got it too and is looking at her plate like she wants to pick it up and throw it. “Shoot by the suite?” she asks between gritted teeth.

He looks at her and then down at her plate, finding five shrimp tails and three uneaten shrimp, and her half-eaten baked potato. His eyes roam to the glass of white wine instead of water and his cheeks go red. “When did you change your order?”

“When you left the table,” she meets his icy stare and the two have a silent war, using only their eyes. He wins when she averts hers.

“Please see that she has no more alcohol. It gives her a headache in the morning if she does,” he says as he looks at me. “She forgets that so easily.”

“It happened once,” she says then takes a long drink from the glass.

“And you’d have that happen again?” he asks as he glances sideways at her. “Foolish of you, don’t you think?”

Her eyes roll to one side as she sighs and places her napkin over her plate. It’s plain to see she’s lost her appetite. And who could blame her?

GIA

Standing outside of the restaurant, I watch Damien get into a cab while we wait for Ryker’s driver to bring the car to us. He doesn’t even bother to wave goodbye, he just gets on his phone as the cab pulls away.

“Have you met this friend of his?” Ryker asks as another cab pulls up and I watch Bridget get into the backseat. Ryker hands the driver some money and waves at Bridget as she leaves.

“I thought you were taking her home with you,” I say as a black BMW pulls up and Ryker opens the back door.

“Get in and I’ll explain why I lied to Damien,” he says as he pulls my hand to make me move.

“But I don’t understand and I don’t think being alone with you is a good idea, either.”

He slides in beside me and closes the door. “We aren’t alone. The diver is here.”

“Where to, sir?” the driver asks.

“The four seasons,” he answers and leans back, laying his arm along the back of the seat. “I took a room there for the night. The long drive back to Sebastian isn’t a thing I’m up for tonight.”

“Sebastien?” I ask. “You don’t live in Orlando?”

“No, my estate is on the coast. You should come for a visit. Oh, and Damien too, of course.” He smiles at me and I find it to be sexy with a side of contriving.

“And you lied to Damien, why?” I ask him as I move over a bit.

It does no good as he moves too. “So, he’d let me take you home.”

His hand moves over my knee and I shiver with how it fills me with heat. “And you wanted to because?”

“Because I want to be with you for a while longer. I enjoy your company, Gia. And I’d like to pick your brain some more. I bet you’re full of ideas. I need ideas and you have them. Get it?” He chuckles. “You have other things I need too but you seem not to be interested in that. Yet, anyway.”

“I really don’t have any more ideas. I’m afraid to disappoint you.”

His hand moves off my knee to stroke my cheek. “You can’t disappoint me.”

“Ryker, you need to keep your hands to yourself.” I take his hand away from my face and place it on his leg. “You seem to forget your place.”

With a groan, he looks away from me. “Why couldn’t I have met you first?”

“It doesn’t even matter.” I turn a bit to lean more on the door, so his leg isn’t touching mine. It’s making little zaps of lightning go through me and is very unnerving. I don’t know why that’s happening.

“I don’t know why you’re saying that. If I would’ve met you first, then I know I’d have you talked into going to Mars with me by now. You and I would make some nice looking kids, Gia.”

Heat fills my cheeks at his words. “Ryker, stop!”

“No,” he touches my cheek and I look at him. “We would. You should think about that. You and I, populating a new world.”

In his dark eyes, I see excitement. I never see that in Damien’s. I only see determination in his icy eyes. And Damien’s touch has never stirred me the way Ryker’s does.

“Well, I’m not going.” I turn away from him and look out the window.

The hotel is just ahead and the driver slows to turn into the parking area. I feel Ryker, staring at me. When we stop, he takes my hand and pulls me with him, out of the car. “Come with me to check in. I want a room near yours.”

“That’s not going to matter. I’m not coming to it,” I let him know.

“Oh, but you will. You see, I have things to offer you that Damien won’t.”

My body goes electric as my mind flies to what he could offer me that Damien won’t. But my mouth flies open, “I don’t care for anything you have to offer.”

“You will,” he says as he tugs me along.

The desk clerk looks at me with a grin. “Miss Flynn. Is your evening going well?”

“Sure,” I say as Ryker won’t let my hand go.

“I want a room near hers. I have a reservation,” Ryker tells him.

The clerk looks at me and grins even more. “Okay, and the reservation is under?”

“Ryker Crawford.” He gives my hand a squeeze.

He’s more than excited and I hate the fact I’m going to ruin his little party idea. I really do hate it. I’d love to see what he has to offer me. I would. But I can’t do that. I can’t cheat on Damien.

Just as he finishes signing the paper, his phone rings and he takes it out as he accepts the keycard the clerk gives him. Pulling me along, he smiles as he answers the call, “Hello, what do you have for me?”

I hear nothing as he pulls me onto the elevator. “You can let my hand go, Ryker,” I whisper, after we’re on the thing and I’m trapped with him and couldn’t go anywhere if I wanted to.”

He shakes his head as he talks on the phone, “Fantastic. Take them to my place. My staff knows what to do. And thanks for doing that so quickly, Stella.” He looks at me with a huge smile. “Don’t you want to know who I’m talking about, Gia?”

“It’s not my business.” I look away from him.

He takes my chin and pulls my face back. “Don’t you care at all?”

“No,” I say and watch the elevator doors open. “Come on.”

We walk out of the elevator and he pulls me to his door. “Well, I wouldn’t tell you, even if you did ask me. It’s a secret. Just make plans to spend tomorrow night at my place in Sebastien. And Damien too.”

“Of course,” I say as he opens his door and pulls me inside his room.

“This is a nice suite,” he says as he pulls me along and I stop him.

“I’m going to go to my room. The one I share with Damien.”

“Why are you so faithful to that man? He isn’t to you.” He looks me dead in the eyes, testing me, I’m sure.

“You don’t know that.” I twist my hand until he lets it go.

He’s in front of me, getting between me and the door before I can make it out. “Wait, I’m going to order us a bottle of wine. I really do want to talk to you.”

“I can’t have anything else to drink,” I say as I huff.

“Because the master told you not to?” he asks as he picks up the phone in the room. “One bottle of red wine and two glasses please. Make it the best you have.”

I’m angry he’s said such a thing and glare at him. “No, not because Damien told me not to. Because I don’t want to get tipsy around you.”

“Don’t trust yourself, huh?” he asks as he takes off his jacket then his tie. I watch him unbutton the top few buttons and stop breathing. “I have to ask this, as it’s been biting at my mind since you walked into the bar tonight. Do you have on any panties?”

“Ryker!”

“What? I have to know. It’s killing me not to know.” He kicks off his shoes then sits on the bed and takes off his black socks. “So, do you think people on Mars will feel the same thing when they have sex that we do on Earth? I’m dying to feel that. The gravity is different, so the sex has to feel different too.”

“Is your mind always in the gutter?” I ask with a laugh.

A knock at the door signals the wine is here and I should be going. But I sit on the edge of the bed, instead. Not really knowing why, but I just don’t get up.

Ryker answers the door and thanks the man for the things then closes the door and locks it. I watch the way he moves with fluid motions, taking the wine and glasses to the small table. He opens the wine then I see him taking his shirt off.

Averting my eyes, I find my body burning. “I should leave. You want to get comfortable. I’ll leave you to that.”

“I do want to get comfortable. I’ve been in monkey-suits all day.” His pants drop, leaving him in loose boxers and I can’t breathe any more.

His body is tan and toned and hot as hell. “You know, Ryker. You won’t have any trouble finding yourself a woman on Mars. You’ll be fine.”

Walking into the bathroom, he comes back with a fluffy white robe on and tosses another one to me. “Get comfortable with me, Gia.”

Shaking my head, I get up and go sit on the small sofa in the corner of the room. “I don’t think so, Ryker.”

He laughs as he goes to pour the wine into the glasses and comes to sit right next to me, instead of across from me on the other sofa. “Here you go, Gia. I was talking to some of my food engineers today and they told me it would be great to get to work with you.”

“I’m going back to Russia with Damien.”

“I know that. I’m only asking you to brainstorm with them about some ideas they have. Damien will be at the office too. You can come with him, get a consulting fee from my company and help out the space program. Please.” He looks at me like a little kid, asking for a lollipop.

“If Damien says, I can then I will.”

His cute face turns hard in an instant. “I hate that, Gia. I fucking hate that!”

“What?”

“You can make your own decisions. You just don’t. Do you want to do this or not? It’s as simple as that. Don’t tell me a fucking thing about Damien. Tell me if you want to do it or not!”

His face is red and I can’t believe how mad he is over what I’ve said. “I want to. You don’t seem to understand. Damien doesn’t like me in his business.”

“This doesn’t have a thing to do with him. This is a consulting deal between you and Apollo Engineering. You want it or not?” He gets up and when he does, his robe opens and he takes it off, tossing it on the other sofa. “That thing’s too hot.”

“I think your temper has made it that way, not the robe. I can’t answer you right now about if I’ll do that or not. I have to talk to Damien about it.”

“Then take out your phone and call him.” He goes to get my clutch purse off the bed and brings it to me.

“Pushy much?” I take my purse and pull out my cell.

“Pushed around much?” he counters. “And, for the record, you calling him is even pissing me off. You shouldn’t have to ask him if you can use your fucking brain.”

I stop trying to get my phone out as what he’s saying resonates in my head. “I shouldn’t, should I? I’ll do it, Ryker. And thanks.”

His sigh is over the top and the next thing I know, he has me in his arms and is hugging me. “Finally!”

RYKER

After breaking through to her, I find her eyes are beginning to open to what she’s allowed to happen to her, so I dig in and forge ahead. “Go to your room, change out of that tight dress, get comfortable in whatever you want and come back, so we can talk.”

She looks at me for the longest time before she says, “Promise me you won’t make any moves on me.”

“Not unless you ask me to,” I say as I raise my two fingers. “Scouts honor.”

She gets up and walks to the door then turns back to me. “Were you even a scout?”

Shaking my head, I laugh and watch her leave my room. Gia is beautiful inside and out. Her mind is being wasted and I find that the worst kind of negligence. She was given a gift for the world, and it’s being squashed because of one man and her willingness to do whatever he says to.

After fifteen minutes, I get worried that she’s not coming back and get up to go bang on her door. As I open the door, I find her with her little fist raised to knock. “Oh, there you are. I was about to come get you.”

She rolls her eyes as she comes in. “I had to use the bathroom.”

“Okay, too much information,” I say with a chuckle.

I put the robe back on, so she doesn’t have to be distracted by my body while we talk. But she’s distracting the shit out of me with a cute pajama set with teddy bears all over it. It’s silky and looks soft and I want to run my hands all over her body but I won’t.

Sitting down across from her on the opposite sofa, I lean up and push her glass of wine to her. “Here you go, Gia. Now tell me how you came up with this nutrient packed capsule of yours.”

She picks up the glass and takes a sip. “It’s not mine anymore.” I watch her go into another place in her head and want to stop her from doing that.

“Ignore that fact. Just tell me how you went about making that. It’s a great idea, you know. I want to know what made you think it up.” I take a drink of my wine and see her face change with her thoughts.

She’s so delicate, mentally speaking. I would blame Damien for it all, only she has her part in it too. She allows it.

He’s not a mean man. He’s not threatening to her. He is overbearing but she could handle him if she wanted to. There’s not a doubt in my mind. She’s handling me and I’m hard to handle!

“It all started when I read a paper on nutrition and how our bodies need certain things. Supplements can keep us going when food can’t be ingested,” she says.

“And having enough food for the trip and when we first get there is going to be hard to do for such a high number of people,” I add.

“Yes, exactly.” She sips her wine and looks at me with wide eyes. “If a person consumes normal foods every fourth day, the supplement can be taken three times, every eight hours, for three days and no negative effects were found. I need to do more testing and where animals are concerned there’s all the testing to do. And we need this for animals too. If I could just work on the project, I know I could get it done.”

“Okay, so you sold the rights to that particular supplement to Markov Global. Are there slight changes you could make in a new product that would allow us to get another patent? We could make it in a pill form or even a powdered form that could be added to water. It’s not the exact same and we could leave your name out of the patent, to make sure you couldn’t get sued over it.”

Her chest rises and falls, rapidly as she looks excited. “We could do this in secret?”

“We could. No one needs to know that you and I are working together on this. And you would get the money paid to you under consulting, instead of engineering.”

Her eyes go back and forth as she thinks about what I’m offering her. “I could stay in Russia and work with you online.”

“If you wanted to.” I take a drink and think about how to word the next thing. “As a consultant, I could have you flown in once a month to consult with my company. Put you up in a nice hotel, you know, the usual we do for all of our consultants.”

Her cheeks go pink as she gets excited. “I could do that, couldn’t I? I have to leave Russia several times a year anyway. And Damien will never marry me to make me a citizen. I could come here to consult. And I could bring new ideas too.” Then her face falls. “He’d want my new ideas, Ryker. I know he would.”

“Our information has to be kept secret. You will be under a contract not to talk about anything we talk about in our consultations with you. Especially anyone in the space industry. Surely, he’d understand that.”

“And surely, he won’t want me to do this,” she says then takes a drink. “Thanks for the opportunity but I can’t.”

Getting up, I slam my glass on the table between us and go to her, taking her by the shoulders, pulling the glass out of her hand, and making her get up. “You need to see something.”

I take her to the bathroom and stand in front of the long mirror. “What are you doing?” she asks as she looks at me in the mirror.

“Don’t look at me. Watch yourself. Watch your reactions. Answer this question. Do you want to use your brain?”

“Of course,” she says but her eyes go to mine in the reflection of us.

“Look into your own eyes, Gia. Do you want to make a difference in this world, using the brain you were given to do such a thing?”

“I do,” she says as she looks into her eyes.

“Gia, do you think anyone has the right to ask you not to help others with your brain?”

I catch her eyes falling away. “No.”

“Look at yourself!”

Her eyes dart back to meet her reflection. “Why do I look like that?”

“I think it’s because you’ve made an idea in your head that you have to be weak where Damien is concerned. His hold on you, with the money he’s giving your family, is making you give into him. I don’t even think he wants you to give into every little thing he asks of you. You do it on your own.”

“Do you really think so?” she asks me as she turns around.

“I do. And I think you need to practice doing what you want to.” My hand moves up her arm, over her shoulder, and I take the back of her neck, holding her still. Her eyes dart back and forth as I hold her steady and ease my lips toward hers. “Do you want this?”

She looks at me with wide eyes as our mouths are so close, we’re exchanging breaths. “Not while I’m still with him, I don’t. I’m not that type of person.”

I back away and let her go as she’s told me what I needed to hear. She does want me. She just has to make a decision. And I can help her make it.

GIA

His touch is amazing. He is amazing. And I am in a relationship that I know is going to end.

Yes, it’s going to end with me having a lot of money but it is going to end!

“Why are you bothering with me, Ryker?” I ask him as we stand toe to toe in his bathroom.

“Because I see inside of you. I see a scared woman who needs to stop being afraid. I know I have a lot of money and my family has always been wealthy, since before I was born. But money isn’t everything.”

“It brings security,” I say as I search his dark eyes for more.

He steps back, and I feel the absence of his energy. He takes my hand and leads me back to the sofa but he stops and leads me over to the bed. I hesitate as he sits down, pulling me to stand between his legs. Then I move in between them as he looks at me on my level.

“If your family saw you this way, would they still want you to continue what you’re doing?”

“You know I’ve stayed away from them, just so they wouldn’t see me like this, don’t you?” I ask him as he moves his hands up and down my arms.

He nods and I look down. “What would they say to you, if they knew?”

“They’d tell me to stop. They’d tell me they could handle things on their own. But I want to give them more. I have an opportunity most never get.”

He touches my chin and smiles at me. “Gia, you were given an opportunity most never get when you got that brilliant mind. I want to see you use it. I bet that’s a real thing of beauty.”

I can see myself falling for this man. This man who sees in me something no one else has. But this man, who is sitting on this bed, wants more than to see me work my mind. He wants me to work my body for him too.

“If I consult for you, do you promise to stop chasing after me?”

“No,” he says, bluntly.

I smile with his honesty. “I see.”

“But I will keep our work connection, professional. If you want me to.” He grins and tickles my chin.

“It would be very nice to be treated professionally again. It’s been three years. I’ve missed it.” I run my hands through his dark waves and knew they’d be this soft. “For the record, I find you attractive.”

“And you love me,” he says then chuckles.

“You love me,” I say with a giggle. “But I am with another man and I’m…”

“Not a cheater,” he interrupts me. “I got it. I’m just happy you’re going to work with me. I’ll try not to dance around when you tell Damien about it.”

“Yes, please try to contain that joy.” I step back away from him as he’s just too comfortable to be with. “I should go to bed. Apparently, I’ll need to be using my brain the remainder of my time here.”

“That you will, Gia.” When I turn to walk away, I feel a slap on my ass and spin around as I gasp. “I had to. It was right there. I promise to behave at work.”

Shaking my finger at him, I back away to the door and give him a wave before I leave. “Good night, rogue.”

“Good night, ravenous. I’ll see you in my dreams.”

My heart stops as I think about the dreams I’ve been having about him and they’re sure to be glorious tonight. I hope Damien doesn’t come back tonight. I can relish the dreams, for once.

Leaving his room, I make my way across the hallway and go inside the room to find Damien watching the door. “And where have you been?” He holds up my cell phone then drops it on the bed.

Well fuck!

RYKER

The air is fresh and I’ve never felt more enthusiastic than I do today. I got up at the crack of dawn and went to work out at the gym. I keep a suit there, just in case of overnight stays in town and am striding into my office, ready to see Gia and start this thing with her.

I can’t wait to see her in action. I know she has to be even more gorgeous when her brain is firing those neurons, creating great ideas, and forging the future.

A temp is at my receptionist’s desk and I wave a hello to her and stride on by then turn around. “I’m expecting a Mr. Markov and a Miss Flynn soon. Send them in as soon as they get here, please.”

“Yes, sir.” She makes a note of the names and I walk into my office with a grin on my face that won’t go away.

I see Bridget, waiting in my office and am reminded that I need to make her useful elsewhere. “Good morning, Bridget.”

“How’d it go, Mr. Crawford?” she asks as she pulls my chair out and stands behind it.

“Well. I’d like to ask you about something and I need you to be honest with me.” I take the seat and find her trying to sit on my lap. “No, no.” I gesture to the seat on the other side of the desk.

She looks a little bewildered as it is Friday and we do usually start the day with a bit of play but not today, or ever again. Now that I know she’s not into it at all and only doing it because she’s paid to.

“Honest about what, sir?” she asks as she takes a seat.

“What would you like to do with your professional life?” I ask her and see her mind go blank.

“This.”

“No,” I say. “You see, this is no longer an option.”

“Is it because I’m bi?” she asks with a frown.

“No, it’s because I have a conscience and I don’t want this to go on any longer. I’m not going to fire you. I want to know what else you’d like to do here.”

“I can type, I guess. I could do that. You don’t like the way I…”

I hold up my hand to stop her. “It’s not that. I promise you. So, you can type. I can put you into data entry. I’ll make the call and you can get over there today and start. It’ll be the same pay and everything. Okay?”

“Well, yes, sir. I guess so. Are you sure you no longer need my services?” She looks at me with a blank expression. “Did that Gia woman become your girlfriend?”

“No, it’s not about her. It is and it isn’t. Anyway, get your butt down to the third floor and ask for Cindy. She’ll get you going.” I pick up the phone as she leaves my office and find her turning around.

“Thanks, Mr. Crawford. You really are a good guy.”

I give her a thumbs up and make the call to our data entry department. “Cindy, I’m sending my personal assistant, Bridget, to you. Put her to work in your department. Her pay will stay the same, so don’t bother with payroll. Treat her well, please.”

After a promise that she will, I hang up and find my intercom buzzing. “Mr. Markov to see you, sir.”

“Send him in.” I jump up and go to open my door and great them. When I open it, I only see Damien. “Where’s Gia?”

“Not coming. You and I need to set some ground rules.” He moves past me and walks into my office as I stand, stunned.

I close the door and go to sit down as he’s already planted his ass in a chair. “Is she okay?”

“Why in the hell would you think it’s okay to have her in your hotel room?” he asks me.

“We were talking business,” I say, as it’s true.

“In her pajamas?” He looks at me, like he’s looking right through me.

“It was late.” I take my seat and square my shoulders. “She and I had a consulting deal and I’m holding her to her word.”

“No, you aren’t,” he says and squares his shoulders too. “She’s not going to be involved in this thing we have going on, any longer.”

“Tonight, I wanted you two to come out to my estate. I wanted you to spend the night,” I tell him as he shakes his head.

“No, that will not be happening.”

“I’m having my lawyer meet us out there. He’s from Sebastien, where my home is located. That’s why I set it up out there. It’s necessary, Damien.”

“I know you want her. Okay? I know this. And I’m no fool. You think just because I am going to Mars and she isn’t that I should have no problem letting her go. Well, I do have a problem with it.”

“Look, I’m going to Mars too and I get your point. You want a companion while you’re here. The thing is, Gia’s smart. She can really be a help to the future of space travel. Let her use her brain, Damien. That’s all I’m asking.”

“You want to fuck her!” he shouts.

I stop and think about what the hell to say to that. It’s true, after all.

“She’s very committed to you,” is all I can come up with.

“I can’t trust you to be professional with her,” he says and gives me a look that tells me, I might not win this battle.

“I will. I promised her that. I want to see her use that talented brain of hers. I swear that I want that more than anything else from her.” I look straight into his eyes, so he knows I’m telling him the truth.

“I tell you what, Ryker, we will go out to your place for the night. If I can see you treat her professionally, I will reconsider letting her consult for you. If you flirt at all, I will not allow her to work with you.”

Standing up as his words have pissed me off, I say, “Allow her? You don’t own her!”

“I pretty much do. Can you act professional or not?”

“I can and will. We will all ride out to my place together. I’ve hired a limo for the trip,” I tell him and watch his eyes glow.

“You best have your own woman, Ryker. Mine is no longer an option.”

“Don’t worry about me. Now, would you like to go and see the prototype that was tested?”

He gets up and follows me out. I have to admit, I’ve never felt more tested than he’s making me feel. And I pretty much hate it!

GIA

The car ride out to Ryker’s is deathly quiet. I sit next to Damien while Ryker sits across from us and looks everywhere but at me. “So, you said you have guests at your home, Ryker?” I ask as he’s been way too quiet with me.

“Yes,” is his one word response.

I knew Damien was going to tell him that I couldn’t take the consulting job, as we fought like cats and dogs over that last night when he caught me coming into our suite. But I didn’t know he’d be this mad at me over that.

“Are they nice people?” I ask, just to get him to talk to me more.

“I hope so,” he says. “I don’t know them.”

“Then why did you invite them?” I ask as he’s very nervous and acting so oddly.

“I have my reasons,” he says then opens the mini fridge and pulls out a beer. “Beer, buddy?” He holds one out to Damien, who shakes his head.

Ryker close the fridge without offering me a thing. “I’d like one, Ryker,” I tell him.

He looks at Damien, instead of me but he doesn’t say a word. Damien nods and Ryker hands a beer to him and he hands it to me. I take it and get the feeling Damien told Ryker some shit about leaving me alone.

Sitting back, and taking a long drink of the beer as I look out the window at the sun setting, I wonder if I like that he did that or hate it.

It’s bad enough he refused to let me take the job but now he’s gone and made Ryker afraid to speak to me. So, I push it further and keep talking to Ryker. “Were you mad when Damien told you I couldn’t work for you?”

“Hell no!” he says, way too fast.

“Really?” I ask as I know he had to be. “I told him you’d be mad.”

“Nope. He’s the boss, Gia. He’s your boss.” He takes a long drink and I know it’s to keep him from saying what he really feels.

I look at him and keep looking at him and find there’s no way he’ll look at me. Then I find Damien’s hand on my leg. “Leave him alone, Gia.”

I shut my mouth and want to knock the shit out of them both. “This is stupid,” I say then down my beer. “Can I have another, Ryker?”

“If Damien says you can,” he tells me as he finishes his too and holds out his hand for my empty bottle. “I’ll throw that away for you.”

I lean forward and hand him the empty bottle and graze his fingers as I do. “Can I have another, Damien?”

“No,” he says and I sit back with a pout on my lips. I catch Ryker barely glimpsing at me and he doesn’t get himself another beer, either.

Solidarity, I suppose.

The rest of the ride is made in silence as Damien texts someone and Ryker stares out the window and I stare at him. I will find out what happened between them. If it kills us all, I will find out!

The smell of the ocean comes through the air conditioning vents and I find we’re turning and following the shoreline. After a while, we make another turn and go into a gate. When we pull up, the outside is all lit up and palm trees blow in the constant breeze. “Here we are,” Ryker says as we pull to a stop in front of the large house.

It’s nowhere near as huge as the mansion Damien and his family live in but it’s big. Another limo is in the driveway and I find myself feeling a little anxious about meeting more new people.

With the way, Damien is acting, I pray no handsome, charming men are here. He seems to hate that kind of man!

“You guys can get out first,” Ryker says and Damien hurries to get out, holding my hand, and keeping me close to him, for a change.

He must really be worried about Ryker stealing me away. I wonder what the hell they said to each other this morning.

A happy dog comes running around the corner with his tail wagging and looking happy. “Toby!” Ryker says as he holds out his arms for the large Yellow Lab.

The dog runs right past him, coming straight to me. I smile as I pet him. “Are you named, Toby? Hello, big boy.” I scratch behind his ears as he licks me and paws at me for more of my attention.

I can see the exchange of looks between Damien and Ryker then Ryker says, “Come on, boy. Leave that nice lady alone.”

“I don’t mind. I love dogs. It’s been forever since I’ve seen the one I had to leave behind when I moved away with Damien. Lady’s a Brittany Spaniel and I missed her so much at first.”

The front door opens and I look at it to find a white dog with brown spots hauling ass out of it. “She heard your voice, sweetie.”

I look up and see my mother standing in Ryker’s front door. “Mom?” the Brittany Spaniel jumps up and down at my feet. “Lady?”

“Surprise,” Ryker says, “I flew your whole family in for the weekend.”

“What the fuck?” Damien says.

“Oh, my God!” I scream as I pick up my dog and run to hug my mother. Tears are stinging my eyes as I collide with her and hug her and the dog. “I can’t believe you did this, Ryker! Thank you!”

I can hear Damien as he says, “Yeah, thanks a lot, Ryker.” Sarcasm isn’t a thing a Russian man hides well.

Damien can be pissed but I’m not going to let that get in the way of enjoying the weekend with my family and my dog!

My twin sisters come out and join our hug then I hear my daddy say, “Leave a few kisses and hugs for your old man, sissy.”

Mom and my sisters, Fancy and Nancy, let me go and I put Lady down and go to my dad. He takes me in his arms and I find myself bawling like a baby as he hugs me and whispers in my ear, “It’s been too long, string bean.”

And I know it has. Two years is far too long to stay away from those you love and who love you too. When Daddy lets me go, I find myself turning around and through the tears I see two hulking men standing behind me.

I move so quick, he doesn’t have a chance to get away from me. Throwing my arms around Ryker, I say, “Thank you, Ryker. You’ve made me happier than I’ve been in forever!”

I kiss his cheek and then I see Damien’s face as I wipe away my tears. And I know there will be hell to pay for this.

Part 3 - The Abandoned

RYKER

Gia’s lit up like a firework, yet Damien still doesn’t pay a bit of attention to her as she sits between her mother and father, stroking the spaniel on her lap. She’s smiling bigger than I’ve seen her smile. Damien frowns as he taps at his cell, ignoring everyone.

“Apollo Engineering, huh?” Gia’s sister, Nancy, asks me. “Are you planning on going to Mars, Ryker?”

After placing my dirty martini on the coffee table that separates the twin burgundy leather sofas in the main living area, I answer her, “I will be going to Mars. I wanted to be on the first mission my company sends but lately I’ve been thinking about taking a later mission. Your sister has spoken to me about being of use from Earth. I’m beginning to see I might be of more use on the ground, in the beginning anyway.”

Nancy’s identical twin sister, Fancy, takes over the conversation that Damien has taken a sudden interest in. He’s put his phone down and everything! “Our little sister has influenced the likes of you, Ryker?” Fancy asks me with a surprised expression.

“She has. She’s a genius, you know,” I tell her and find Damien getting up from the chair at the far end of the large room, to take a martini off the tray full of them my cook delivered to us while we wait for dinner to be prepared.

“Genius is a bit more than she is. I have six, verified geniuses I employ at Markov Global,” Damien says as he sits on the opposite end of the sofa I’m sitting on.

Fancy and Nancy have taken places on the bar stools at the bar to one side of the living area. With a quick glance across the table, I notice Gia is completely in another world with her dog and parents. She’s paying no attention to us what so ever.

“Would you two consider yourselves to be in competition to see who can get to Mars first?” Nancy asks then sips her martini, peering over the edge of the glass at me.

With a nod in Damien’s direction, I say, “We all are competitive. You have to be in the space industry. But we’re helping one another as well.”

“And I thought we’d be on Mars around the same time,” Damien says then looks at me. “I don’t see why you’d let a female change your mind about being on the first mission. The first people there will be the hierarchy of the new world, Ryker. I thought you and I were like-minded in that respect. Don’t you want to secure a position of power on the planet?”

“I do,” I tell him and find him seeming a bit prickly. “But I think I’d like to be sure the missions have everything they need to build on Mars too. I may have more work to do here before I leave Earth.”

His icy eyes level in mine. “Are you sure it’s merely for the space travelers you are thinking about and not a woman who will be left behind?”

“It’s only because I want it to work on Mars. I don’t want the missions to fail because of a lack of support from Earth. And on that topic, I’d like to add that Gia would make an excellent scientist to have on the ground. Since you have no intention of using her gifts at your company, you should allow her to join mine,” I say and watch Damien’s face go red.

“This is not the time to discuss business, Ryker. Gia can do as she pleases, once I leave. But she will be a wealthy woman and working won’t be a thing she needs to do,” Damien says and I see Nancy looking worried.

“Ryker, I’m sure our sister will do what she feels is right,” Nancy says as she looks from me to Damien. “Damien makes sure we’re all taken care of, after all. He’s a generous man who loves our sister with all his heart. He’d take her with him to Mars if she’d go.”

“Oh,” I say as I look at Damien. “You didn’t tell them about their faulty DNA?”

“Faulty?” Fancy asks.

And with the word, DNA, said, Gia and her parents look up and join the discussion. “There’s no need to talk about that,” Gia says then puts the dog down and smooths out her black skirt, a nervous habit I can see she has now. “Ryker, you’re playing dirty. You need to stop.”

Looking down like a scolded child, I know she’s right. “I apologize. I’ll check on how much longer dinner will be.” Getting up, I find Fancy’s hand on my arm as I pass by her and her sister.

“We have children, Ryker. What about our DNA?” she asks me.

I look at Gia, instead of answering her sister. “I will leave that up to you to share or not, Gia.” Then I leave the room and feel a weight on my shoulders for some reason.

Maybe it’s because of how Damien won’t let Gia do what’s best for herself. Maybe I feel like I should be doing more to stop the man from squashing her. But she is the one who allows it. And now that I can see how her family is about the man, I am beginning to understand it a lot better. They all are depending on him. Their financial security is all on Gia’s back and I find that unfair.

Instead of going to the kitchen, I sit at the dining table in the dark and empty formal dining room. Placing my head in my hands, I find myself feeling desperate. I desperately want Gia to find her true self and I might be pushing too hard at her to do that but I don’t know any other way to get her to see what she’s doing to herself.

The click-clack of high heels echoes through the hallway and into the room comes Gia, her eyes are searching and I know she’s looking for me. “Ryker, there you are. I have to make this quick as Damien has excused himself to freshen up.”

Getting up, I meet her in the middle of the room and place my hand on her arm. Just to touch her sends millions of tiny sparks through my body. The way her eyes move to where my hand is, tells me she feels something too. “Gia, you look lovely. I’ve wanted to tell you that. I looked forward to meeting with you this morning and when Damien came alone and gave me the news that he wouldn’t let you work for me, I nearly came unglued.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. See, he was in the hotel room when I left your room and we had a hellacious argument. He gave me the chance to walk away from him last night. He told me I could leave him and go to your room and he’d never bother with me again.”

“You should’ve done that,” I say as I move my hand up her arm until I find her soft cheek and stroke it.

She leans into my touch then looks up at me with shining eyes. “But I didn’t. I have more responsibilities than most. My entire family relies on Damien. And I do respect the man.”

My lips quiver as they ache to touch hers. Her body is close to mine and heat fills me. Taking her hand, I take her with me to go to one of the spare bedrooms on the first floor. “Can we be alone for a little while?” I ask her as I tug her along with me.

“No,” she pulls up short, stopping me. “Ryker, you have to stop this. I’m not about to go anywhere private with you. Damien and I are on shaky ground. Did you hear what I just told you?”

“I did.” I turn around to face her and see a shadow moving down the hallway. Letting her hand go, I whisper, “Someone is coming.”

She steps back and says, “So, when is dinner going to be ready? Daddy has to take his medication soon. He needs to eat.”

“Clever,” I whisper. “Soon. Come with me to the kitchen and let’s get a definite time on that. We can grab him something to eat if it’ll be much longer.”

“Ryker,” Damien calls out as he comes into the dining room. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”

Great!

GIA

“I came to find out how much longer dinner will be, Damien!” I snap as he’s made me mad with his accusing tone. “And I can talk to Ryker if I want to.”

His eyes pierce me as he says, “That is all you two can do. You do recall our conversation last night, don’t you, Gia?”

Ryker huffs and turns away from us. “I’m going to the kitchen if you two care to come.”

I follow behind him and Damien takes my hand to slow my hasty retreat. “Surely, you understand why I feel I can’t trust you two together. We did talk about this,” he whispers in my ear. “You are a treasure to me. I do not wish to lose you.”

“You won’t.”

Looking ahead, I see Ryker turning a corner and a light comes on. “This place is like a maze,” Damien says. “So many twists and turns.”

“It is easy to get lost in here. Keep your phone with you at all times, so you can call me if you find yourself lost in my home.” He looks over his shoulder at me. “Or take your dog with you, she’ll make sure you find your way back.”

“Thanks for bringing my family to me, Ryker. Too bad the kids had school and had to stay home with their fathers, instead of coming. Maybe my next trip back to the states will have me seeing them too,” I say as I miss the little rug-rats.

He pushes a door open and we’re in a bustling, huge kitchen. “Connie, when will you be serving the first course?”

“Fifteen minutes,” a woman near the back of the kitchen shouts out over the noise of the ten or so people who are working like crazy.

“You keep this much kitchen staff?” I ask as it seems a bit much.

Ryker smiles as he turns to look at me. “This isn’t my staff. This is the staff from Per Se in New York. I flew them in for the weekend to cater to us all.”

“That must’ve cost you a fortune, Ryker,” I gasp.

One of the women working at a table nearby says, “It did.”

My heart swells with all he did just for me to get to spend the weekend with my family. I want to give him a hug but Damien has a death grip on my hand.

“It’s a shame we won’t get to spend more than one night here, Ryker. You really should’ve spoken to me about it. I have to be back in Orlando first thing in the morning,” Damien says, crushing me.

Ryker gestures for us to leave the kitchen, leading us back through the maze to get to the living area my family is in. “Gia isn’t a part of any of your business. She can stay here and see her family. I’ll send you back in the limo if you want.”

Damien’s grip tightens to the point I have to let him know he’s hurting me. “Ow,” I hiss at him as I shake my hand.

He eases his grip then says, “Would you want to do that, Gia? Would you want to stay here, without me?”

With a shrug, I say, “I’ll be alone in the hotel most of the time anyway. I can stay here and bunk with my sisters. Like a slumber party. It’ll be fun. You go ahead if you have business to see to. Although, with it being the weekend, I don’t see who you’re going to meet with.”

“That’s not the kind of business I was talking about,” Damien says as we enter the living area. “My friend was feeling worried with me leaving town.”

“So, you want to go back for this friend?” I ask him then pull him with me to a remote corner of the large room, so everyone doesn’t hear us talking. “This friend keeps taking precedence over me for some reason. Damien, is this friend of yours a woman?”

When he glances to the side, I have my answer and walk around him, angrier than I’ve been in quite some time. He grabs me by my arm, pulling me back. “It’s nothing you can imagine, I promise you.”

Glaring at his hand on my arm, I jerk out of his firm grasp. “Then what the hell is it?”

He looks down as he whispers, “She’s the mother of my only child.”

It feels like a brick wall has caved in on me. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. He has a child!

“You and I need to talk, alone, Damien,” I say then turn away from him and see Ryker, talking to my sisters. As I walk to him, Damien follows me closely. “Ryker, we’re going to our room to freshen up. You all feel free to start eating without us. We’ll catch up.”

Ryker stands up and looks me over. “Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything? Medicine of some sort?”

Shaking my head, I walk away from him. “No, I just need to freshen up, that’s all.”

I can feel his eyes on me as Damien and I leave the room. Neither of us say a word until we’re in the guestroom and he closes the door behind us. “Now you can understand things better, Gia.”

I hold up my hand to stop him from going any further. “How old is this child?”

“Two,” he says and I stumble to sit on the bed.

“That means you were with someone when we first got together,” I say as I think about the timeline. “And you’ve been hiding this for three years. Why?” I look up to find him looking worried. The man never looks worried!

“I have my reasons for hiding this from everyone. You see, my family would never allow her in their midst. She was a common prostitute. I had hired her for the night. I knew the chance I was taking when I did it. It was two days before I met you, Gia. It was a horrible mistake and I will pay for it forever. I don’t take care of her for her sake but for my son’s I do.” He sits on the bed next to me and runs his hands over the tops of his legs.

“They are from Russia, right?” I ask as I’m not sure how much of what he told me about this old friend is true.

“They are. I keep them in a small home not far from our estate. At home, I have to keep my visits limited to the night hours when most people are sleeping,” he tells me and now I know why I’d wake up so many nights to find him gone. He’d tell me he couldn’t sleep and went to work early but he lied about that, I see now.

“In Orlando, you can go to them more often,” I say. “And you have spent the majority of your time with them since we’ve been here. I get why you can’t tell your family but I don’t understand why you couldn’t tell me. She happened before us. I can understand that. I’m not a monster. I’d have accepted the fact you had a child and I would’ve encouraged you to know and care for the kid.”

“I just thought it would be best if no one knew about her and the boy. I have more I should tell you, so it doesn’t hurt you when the time comes.”

I hold up my hand to stop him, I know what he’s going to say, so I say it first, “The reason you aren’t taking me to Mars is because you will be taking them.”

“Yes,” he says, sending me into a spasm of pain. “But I need you with me until that day comes. Otherwise, my family will be on me to marry a Russian woman, the way they were all over me to do before I met you.”

“I am merely a distraction for your family. I get it now.”

“And you will be greatly rewarded, Gia. I take care of you very well, do I not? And your family, as well. I am giving you a future of wealth. And all I am asking is for you to stay with me until I leave for Mars, taking my little secret family with me.”

“This is beyond hard to take, Damien. Do you have sex with this woman?” I look at him to try to see the truth in his eyes.

“Once a week,” he tells me and I double over with a pain in my gut. “It would be cruel to leave her sexually frustrated. Don’t you agree? I don’t love her. But I am going to have her in my life forever. I will not see another man raise my son. Surely, you can understand that, Gia. I take good care of her but I take excellent care of you.”

“Damien, this is too much for me to handle. I can’t…”

His hands on my shoulders, stop the words from coming out as he pushes me back on the bed and kisses me with a hot passion. I press my hands against his wide chest to make him get off me but he won’t.

When his mouth leaves mine, his hot breath on my face makes me feel even sicker than I did before. “I love you, Gia. I will marry you. I will make you a Markov by name. I will give you all you want. Just allow me to keep my little family, my love. Please, I am begging you.”

“You never had any intention of taking me to Mars,” I say as I glare at him.

“You never had any intention of going,” he says with a cocked brow. “Don’t act like you did. And I cannot leave my son behind. And children need their mothers, Gia. What else would you have me do?”

“Marry her,” I say. “Make a respectable woman out of her. For your son’s sake, do that.”

He shakes his head but he still won’t let me up. “I cannot do that in Russia. She is a known prostitute. My family would cut me off without a cent if they knew of her and the child. I’d be thrown out of the company too. I have no idea how to be poor. I have no idea how I’d make a life for us. I just need your help for a while longer. I foresee the first mission leaving within five years. After that, you will be free to do what you want. Until then, I need you to be with me.”

All I can do is stare at the man I’ve been with for three long years and all I see is a stranger in front of me. What the hell am I supposed to do?

RYKER

With dinner over and the hour growing late, I find everyone retreating to their bedrooms to get some sleep. More than once, I’ve caught Gia looking at me with a forlorn expression. She hasn’t been the same since she and Damien went off to their room for nearly an hour. It’s doubtful they were in the room doing anything physically stimulating!

Heading to my bedroom at the opposite end of the house from the guestrooms, I overhear Gia say, “I have to let Lady out to use the bathroom. I’ll be back inside in just a bit, Damien.”

“Okay, I’m going to take a shower anyway,” he says and then I hear the sound of the door closing.

Heading back to the entrance room, I find Gia with her dog, Lady, just like I expected to. “Hey,” I say as I step in front of her and open the door.

She nods and walks out with the dog who runs off to sniff around. “You should be in bed, don’t you think?” she asks me as she leans on a palm tree near the front door.

“I think you look troubled, Gia. I think I wouldn’t catch a wink of sleep if I did go to bed. Tell me your troubles, doll,” I say with a chuckle then lean against the tree too. Our shoulders are nearly touching and I can feel her energy from here.

“On the upside, I will be staying the weekend here. And thank you again for that, Ryker. Really, thank you,” her eyes convey to me more than her words. She is thankful.

“And how did you accomplish that feat?” I ask. “How did you get Damien to decide to stay? Or dare I ask?”

She giggles and a blush fills her cheeks, turning them a light shade of pink. “He’s not staying. He will be going back to Orlando to hang with his old friend. But I got his approval to stay here. And a stern order to watch myself with you. You, my friend, are not to be trusted. Can you imagine him thinking that about you?”

“Me?” I ask with a high pitch to my voice as I press my hand against my chest and give her a devilish grin. “Oh, you can trust me.”

Her eyes hold mine for a long moment then she looks away. “I bet I can.”

The sense she has a lot on her mind is a thing that has me asking more, “So, why the long face?”

She touches her face as she answers, “Is it that obvious?”

“To me it is,” I tell her then take her hand away from her face and hold it. “You should talk about it.”

“It’s not my story to tell,” she says then looks away again.

“Did he tell you something that upset you?” I watch her closely and see her eye twitch. That answers my question but I wait to see what her response will be.

“Sometimes things happen that are out of our control. And sometimes we find ourselves in situations that benefit all while being painful for some. Do you understand what I’m saying, Ryker?” She looks at me with the need to be understood.

“You are the one who’s being caused that pain,” I say and she nods.

“But I’m okay with that. It means more to me that a certain person has someone in their life. My part in it is a bit like a martyr but I’m okay with that.” She looks at her hand, the one I am holding and adds, “Damien told me he loved me. He told me he’d marry me.” Her eyes move to mine. “What do you think about that, Ryker? The man will definitely be leaving on the first ship out of here but he wants to leave me here, carrying his name and fortune. I have but one, very simple, task.”

“And that is?” I ask her as she doesn’t look very happy about things.

“I am never to get pregnant by him and I am to remain faithful and a dutiful wife. In return, I will have myself and my entire family taken care of, forever. A cheap price to pay for such a grand thing. Don’t you think?”

“You don’t want me to tell you what I think about that.” I let her hand go and walk around the tree to come up behind her. My hand at her waist, I whisper in her ear, “And did you tell him that you loved him?” My lips graze her ear and she shivers.

“I don’t lie,” she says with a sigh.

“So, the man knows you don’t love him and yet he still asked you to marry him. That’s unusual, isn’t it, Gia?” I ask as I move my arms around to encircle her and draw her back to me. The shadows hide me, so even if anyone looks out a window, no one will see me, holding her.

She doesn’t try to get out of my hold and leans her head back to rest on my chest. “Unusual and complicated, as well, Ryker. It seems I am to live my life in limbo until a way to get to Mars is found and Damien leaves this world to go to another.”

“Seems kind of unfair,” I say then venture so far as to leave a kiss on her neck. “Seems like you should get more.”

“I’m getting plenty. I’m getting more than most have, for our deal. And that’s exactly what it is. It’s a deal and nothing more than that. But I will have to keep up the appearance of being a happy couple, a doting wife, a vision of what his family wants.”

“I could give you more, Gia. I want to give you more,” I whisper as I kiss along the length of her neck. She reaches back to run her hand through my hair as she sighs.

“Ryker, were I a lesser woman, I would give into you in a heartbeat. I hold my family close to my heart. And you are a playboy with one thing on your mind. Once you’ve had me, you will lose interest and I will have lost everything. If it wasn’t for my family, I might risk it. You seem to push all the right buttons. Your touch is like fire on my flesh. Your lips feel sinfully sweet as you move them over my neck. And I am sure to fall head over heels in love with you, while you will have your taste of me. All too soon, you’ll be moving on to the next delicious female who catches your attention.”

Her idea of me pisses me off and I pull away from her. Staying in the shadows, I hiss, “Your assessment of my character isn’t a thing I like.”

“Am I wrong, Ryker?” she asks as she looks up at the night sky, full of bright and twinkling stars. “You too will leave this world and I will be right here. Am I to pine away for you when you go? At least I can honestly say, Damien’s leaving me to go to Mars won’t hurt that badly. If I allowed you to get as close as you’d like, I have a feeling your leaving would devastate me.”

“You act as if you can’t go. You can. I’ve told you, I will take you. Why do you have to be so stubborn about it?” I ask her as she’s making me furious.

“You are the one who is being stubborn. It’s you who is trying to force something. I’ve made my pact and I will stand by it.” She turns and looks at me. “That’s the kind of person I am, Ryker. If I tell you I will do something, then I will.”

“Tell me you won’t marry him,” I say as I reach out for her to come into the darkness with me. The tips of our fingers touch, I maneuver them up until I have a solid hold on her hand and pull her to me. Holding her close as I lean against the wall to stay hidden from prying eyes, I find it hard to stop myself. “I want to kiss you, Gia. I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”