Chapter 3
Lily smiles up at me when I stroll into the office. Her normal beautiful straight blonde hair is curled and cascading to form around her petite face.
“Good morning,” she chirps. “You have a vanilla latte on your desk.”
My feet stop moving. “What’s the occasion?” I ask whimsically.
She giggles. “I stopped and grabbed myself one. Thought I’d be nice.”
“You’re spoiling me,” I titter.
Stepping into my office, I set my purse down and turn on my laptop. I glance to my planner hanging on my wall and smile. Eleven events are scheduled for the next month, most of them corporate events falling into the week. Except a few, and one of those I need to find out if Candice can cover me. It’s the weekend of Ryker’s championship fight and there isn’t a chance in hell I’ll miss it.
My phone chirps and I fish into my purse to retrieve it.
Ryker: Brian just called. I’ve got an event in Jacksonville in two weeks. You’re coming.
Me: Ask nicely. :)
Ryker: That was nice. I was smiling.
Me: That was a demand.
Ryker: Which is a nice way of asking you to come.
Me: I’ll have to think about it.
Ryker: You drive me fucking nuts.
Me: You love every bit of it.
Ryker: I miss the days you were innocent and easily swayed.
Me: It was your charm.
Ryker: You’re telling me I’m not charming anymore? I need to step up my shower fucks.
Me: You’re insatiable.
Ryker: You make me ravenous.
Me: You need to get back to work.
Ryker: I’m sweaty. Does it make you jealous it’s not because of you?
Me: I’m being satisfied by a cup of coffee. Are you jealous it’s not you?
Ryker: I turn you into liquid. Never jealous.
Me: LOL I love you.
“You two make me sick,” Candice deadpans, smiling at my office door.
“How do you know who I’m talking to?”
She rolls her eyes. “Clearly, you’ve never looked in the mirror when you handle anything Ryker. You’re all goofy smiles and small giggles, but the look of being on cloud nine is a dead giveaway.”
“Don’t be envious,” I quip.
“Oh, but I am.” She hands me a white envelope and nods to it. “First and second month’s payment.”
I sigh and reluctantly take it. She chose a price entirely too high for my liking, and I was prohibited from negotiating lower. Only higher. She’ll owe me for years and I hate it. In addition, she hired a moving company—one that comes in and boxes everything up, loads it, unloads it, and places it exactly where Her Highness chooses. She refuses to let me help, saying, “Why do all the work when men and women are hired to do it. They would be jobless if no one hired them.”
“When will all your things be moved in?” I ask, placing the envelope in my top drawer.
“I’ll be sleeping in my bed in my new house tonight. The rest will be delivered Thursday.”
“That’s good. Do you need any help?” I try again.
“Not a drop of it.” Her smile has always been pretty for as long as I can remember. She inherited it from her mother—always bright white with perfectly straight teeth when she beams.
“I need to ask of a favor.” I grab the Powell folder and hand it to her. “Could you take over this one for me? Everything is lined up, ordered, and scheduled. You’ll just need to confirm closer to time and then see if Jenny, the bride-to-be, wants you to go with her to pick up the dress.”
As I talk, she scans through the papers, flipping them one by one. Her eyes examine everything—up and down, left to right—quickly before closing it and smiling to me. “Gotcha covered. Can I be nosy and ask why?”
“It’s the weekend of Ryker’s championship fight. I can’t miss it.”
“Whitney Young—Miss I don’t like violence—dating an MMA fighter and even going to his fights. Never in my life would I have pictured it. I know I give you a hard time a lot, but you two look really good together.”
I grin. “You mean it?”
“Of course. Whitney, you glow around him.”
I laugh. “That’s so cliché.”
“Maybe it’s cliché because there are facts behind it?”
I ponder her thought. Pregnant women definitely glow, unique and beautiful. Is there a glow for happiness?
“I’ve got to get busy.” She taps the folder, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Want to do Nuckles for lunch? I’m sure Jay would love to see you.”
She beams. “I’ve missed him.”
She leaves, stepping out of my office and into hers adjacent to mine. She’s worked with me since I started the company, Young Eventions. I wanted so badly for her to partner with me, but she couldn’t afford even ten percent at the time. My parents spotted me the rest of the money and within the first year I was able to pay them back plus interest. But not without a fight. My dad refused the extra, so I gave my mother my begging puppy dog eyes. I won and she snuck it without Dad knowing.
However, even though Candice doesn’t own part of the business, I treat her like she does. She helped immensely to get me off the ground and moving along. Together we marketed and pushed hard for people to trust us enough to give us a chance. Now Young Eventions’ reputation is credible and sought out.
The moment Jay spots us being seated, a high-pitched shriek echoes through the restaurant and he rushes toward us, wrapping his arms around Candice’s neck.
“Omigod, I’ve missed your pretty face.” He leans back and runs his hands down her arms. “I’m sorry to hear about your granddaddy.”
Her smile is both happy and wretched. “Thanks.”
He hugs me and kisses my cheek. “The usual?”
We agree and he scurries off.
Candice looks around the fancy little restaurant and inhales. “Damn, I’ve missed being home.”
Jay bounds back to our table, placing our drinks in front of us. “Other than the passing of your granddaddy, how was Arizona?”
Candice titters. “The weather was temperamental and there weren’t any good-looking men. You and I would die there.”
He laughs. “I’ll take your word and steer clear from there.” He looks up to me and frowns. “Where’s the man of my dreams?”
“He’s at the gym,” I reply.
He fans himself. “Do you think he’d get upset if I stood in the corner and watched him?”
“Only if you’re masturbating,” Candice quips with a burst of laughter.
“Candice!” I scold weakly through my own laugh.
“I guess count me out then.” Jay winks and hurries off for our food.
“You have no filter.” I giggle.
“Have I ever?”
“You’ve gotten more brazen,” I tell her.
“I think you’ve turned into a prude since I’ve been gone,” she says.
“Maybe I’ve sobered up from the Candice-high I’ve been on for over a decade?”
“Impossible. I’m not easily abstained from.” She grins.
“Two Whitney specials, heart attack in a wrap, for two special ladies in my life,” Jay croons setting our plates down.
As we eat, he comes to our table often, between tending to his other customers, and catches up some more with Candice. And although they talk about everything, his highlight subject is my boyfriend. It feels awkward listening to someone gush profusely over the guy I’m dating. I’ve never had a boyfriend everyone deems so irresistible. I mean, my boyfriends have been good-looking but never drooled over.
Thank goodness I’m not a raging, jealous manic.
Since moving in with Ryker, he doesn’t pressure me to come to the gym to run anymore because we live in a safe neighborhood and he knows all the neighbors. Even with that, he still familiarized himself with my route “just in case.”
He’s my protective bulldog.
But after listening to Jay and Candice gush about my man, I got off work, changed, and headed off to RingSide to soak in the sight of him and allow him to be my escape for the day.
With his championship fight approaching, he spends the majority of his time at the gym. More so now than ever.
As I step into the gym, I immediately feel the vibe is…well, it’s not as intense. He’s standing by the heavy bag with Flynn flanking his side. The moment his eyes find me, he smirks and then strides my way. I drop my bag on the bench just as he approaches and tiptoe, kissing his jaw.
“Good news. Candice is taking over the sweet sixteen the weekend of your event and the Powell wedding the weekend of your championship fight. I’m all yours both times.”
His right dimple emerges as his eyes glimmer with satisfaction. “I like you being with me. You make me look good.”
I tilt my head to get a better look at him. “I mean, you did ask nicely,” I jest.
He kisses me softly. “I did.”
He looks over my head when the locker room door squeaks. “Because of your soft side, my training has been interrupted. Carter showed up.” His tone is twisted with annoyed warmth. It’s an odd contradiction.
I turn when he releases my waist. Carter’s sporting a white t-shirt with a pair of gym shorts, just standing there unsure what to do.
“You’re working out with him?” I ask Ryker, keeping my sights set on Carter.
He chuckles. “He’s been watching me for the last hour. I think he’ll have fun.”
“You’re going to kill him.” I sigh.
He squeezes my side compelling me to look at him. “I remember being inexperienced and unsure. Don’t worry. I’ll kill him gently.”
I laugh and pat his chest. “I like you playing nice.”
He places a kiss on the side of my head. “Your smile makes me do shit.”
Just like he did with me the first time I dared to step foot into his ring, Ryker warms Carter up with stretches and several minutes of jumping rope. Afterward, Ryker walks through the same speech about how important a wrap is to protect your hands and wrists before centering Carter in the ring with a pair of black punching gloves.
Carter shifts on his feet. I’ve never witnessed someone so happy to be terrified, and I can’t help but giggle inwardly. Ryker holds up two pads and instructs him to punch them like he means it. Carter nods and does as he’s told.
Several long seconds of him slamming into the pads pass by before Ryker stops it. I’ve got my earbuds in but I’ve not turned any music on. Instead I’m enthralled with what I’m witnessing. He educates Carter about the techniques of throwing proper punches that won’t injure you.
The size difference between the two men is profound. Ryker is taller by several inches, his biceps seemingly the same size as Carter’s waist. Carter’s skinny with long, lanky legs, but he’s still cut and it would show if he’d work out regularly.
I watch in awe as Ryker’s muscular arms flex, his tattoos hypnotizing me. Images of his naked skin standing before me cloud the picture of him in the ring. His eyes become dark and greedy, lusty and heated while gazing at me. One touch is gentle and loving. Then the next is erotically rough as he loses himself with passion. He grunts as he rocks into me, the smell of his skin intoxicating as he presses his body against mine. The pleasure he gives me when he—
“Whit!” he barks, melting the bed and our naked bodies away.
I blink realizing I was entirely lost in the daydream. Heat creeps to my cheeks.
He doesn’t say a word but a knowing smile sweeps across his lips.
“What?” I gather the courage to call out.
“You know what,” he says with a laugh.
How the hell would he know what I was thinking of? And as if he was reading my mind, “Your eyes,” he answers and then flashes a megawatt smile.
I roll my eyes and focus on the black LED numbering on the display, embarrassed to look at him. I can feel the crimson creeping all over my body, my hands trembling as I grab my phone and finally fill my ears with music.
I left the gym before him but as I push through the door, Ryker is whipping his truck into the garage. He’s grinning like the devil springing up the stairs into the house. He clutches my hand as he walks past me and yanks me in behind him. His strides are quick as he tugs me into our en-suite and spins my body, placing my back to the little partition wall beside the shower.
His eyes are holding me prisoner as he bends, leveling his face to mine, and reaches behind me to turn on the water.
“Tell me what we were doing?” he says, his voice deep and low.
He gets a thrill out of playing chase. I’m highly aroused by it. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
His extraordinary blues darken and his jaw muscles flex as he pulls my tank top over my head. He trails his heated tongue along my neck, and a sigh escapes me.
“I can taste the lie on you, Whit,” he growls so huskily my knees wobble. Sliding his hands down my sides, he tucks his thumbs under my waistband and squeezes my hips. With his gaze on my lips, he says, “I love knowing it’s me.”
A warning growl stops me in my tracks as I reach out to touch his chest.
His eyes are so dark and heated, homed in on me. “Not until you tell me.”
“You…” I start, glancing innocently from under my lashes and trailing a finger up his hard stomach. “This…” I state reaching his chest. I splay my palms heavily against his muscles. “Was sweaty…” I drag my hands over his shoulders, down his arms, and squeeze his biceps. “These were flexing…” I tiptoe and nip his bottom lip, pulling on it. “These were all over me.”
His eyes flare with heat and desire. He takes a step back. “Take off the rest of your clothes.” The order is incredibly sexy and I do as I’m told. I step out of my pants and glance up to him. “Strip me,” he says thickly.
Slowly, I start with his shirt and tug it over his head before moving to his shorts. His gaze remains fixed on me. The second the fabric falls to his feet, he spreads his hand across my stomach and guides me backward into the shower. Warm water spills over my hair and down my body when he places my back against the cool wall.
Dragging his tongue from the dip of my neck to the bottom of my chin, nibbling here and there, he leans back and meets my eyes. Again, he trails his hands down my sides, rounds my hips, and grips my ass.
“What were we doing?”
I’m so turned on. “You were making love to me.”
“Where?” he gruffs, dipping his fingers into me.
I gasp, dropping my head back to rest on the shower wall.
“Where?” he repeats with more urgency.
“I-I don’t know…” I pant, riding his hand.
A low, husky chuckle rumbles from his throat. His eyes are dangerously darker as he sinks into me slowly until I’m full with him. I suck in a sharp breath. He exhales, dropping his head to my ear. He grips my leg around his waist and drives upward in slow, delicious, and torturous thrusts intent on turning me into a frantic mess.
It’s working. “Please,” I pant.
He grins devilishly. “Please what, Whit?”
Instead of answering him, I fist his wet hair and bring his mouth to mine, kissing him sloppily. As usual, he controls the pace and keeps it slower, teasing me with a smile against my lips.
“Baby, please,” I plea, dropping my head back to the wall again and squeezing my eyes shut.
He shifts and then shoves deeper into me, picking up the pace. His thrusts are powerful, slamming my back against the wall. My muscles begin to tighten. He nips my neck as I paw at his back and his hair, panting and gasping when my orgasm begins to sear through my body.
I jerk his mouth to mine as heat erupts throughout my entire body. The wet sounds of our bodies, pushing and pulling under the spray of water, tangle with my sighs and his hisses. Erotic bolts of lightning scurry over my already sensitive skin and I lose it completely.
His mouth is on mine, catching my moans. With one hand on my ass, he quickly grips the back of my neck and impales me so incredibly I rip my mouth from his and cry out.
“Fucking hell,” he grits, surging forward before barreling into his own release.
He rests his forehead against my shoulder, breathing heavily for several sated moments before I’m forced to stand on my own two wobbly feet.
He grazes a kiss along my lips. “I love being your distraction.” He chuckles. “You might want to learn to control your hormones out in public, though. Dead giveaway.”
I smack his chest. “You conceited ass.”
He beams. “That’s no way to talk to the man of your dreams.”