If it was possible to sink his dick even farther inside of Jane, he would. Ryder wanted to thrust his entire being into her, fuck himself so far into her, she’d feel him there for the rest of her life.
One last time.
Who had he been trying to kid?
How many nights had he fantasized about being inside of her again?
When he’d nabbed her before she went into the reception, he’d only planned on confronting her about her theft of Novateur’s designs. He didn’t know what had come over him. One minute he’d wanted to take her over his knee and punish her with fifty whacks to her bare ass and the next minute all his fury had morphed into a raging lust.
Slumped against him, drenched with sweat and her curly hair sticking to his chest, she was oblivious to how much power she held over him.
He shouldn’t have touched her. Because now that he’d gotten another taste, he only wanted more.
Which was a problem.
He needed to confront her about the theft of his designs.
But once she confirmed that she was responsible, would he still want her?
His gut said short of her being a serial murderer, and possibly even then, he’d always want Jane.
That didn’t mean he’d allow himself to have her.
Since seeing her photo in the trade magazine, he’d been under the belief that her innocence on Mackinac Island had all been an act in order to get him to lower his guard so that she could gain access to his laptop.
Yet tonight she radiated that same innocence. The more he thought about it, the more he realized it was possible he had jumped to conclusions.
After all, Ryder had been the one to approach Jane at the conference. If his father had sent her, wouldn’t he have chosen someone who fit Ryder’s…typical conquest? The women he slept with were experienced and obvious about that fact. Jane was the exact opposite.
She had no idea how beautiful she really was.
He caressed her back, drifting his fingers back and forth, and she shivered, goose bumps popping up on her skin. Maybe sensing the time to talk had finally come now that they’d temporarily satiated their lust, she pulled back from him.
He held the base of the condom as she lifted herself off his lap and stood, putting her glistening, swollen pussy at eye level. And just like that, his cock twitched, apparently not quite as satiated as it should be considering he’d come harder than he had in…well, ever. Guess that’s what happened when you didn’t have sex for more than a year.
After disposing of the condom in the wastebasket, he got back into his penguin suit, leaving his jacket and tie off while he cooled down, and Jane quickly dressed and perched those “sexy librarian” glasses on her nose.
Considering they’d just fucked like bunnies, things shouldn’t have been as awkward as they were between them. Ryder sat on the couch and patted the cushion in invitation for Jane to sit beside him.
Nibbling on her bottom lip and wringing her hands, she looked anxious as she joined him.
He wanted to hold her, soothe her nerves, put her head against his chest again, but as soon as he touched her, he’d lose control.
“Ryder—”
“How is it that you were able to disappear without a trace?” he asked at the same time she spoke.
Her brows crinkled in confusion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I searched for you after our night together,” he explained. Searched was an understatement. More like obsessively hunted for her. “No one who worked for the conference knew who you were or what company you worked for.”
“That’s because at the time, I technically didn’t work for McKay.” She squirmed and dropped her gaze to her lap. “I was an intern.”
“An intern,” he said, unable to keep the skepticism from his voice.
“Yes.”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes.
Was she lying? If so, why lie about that?
He rubbed his hand down his cheek, catching the scent of Jane’s pussy on his fingers. His cock swelled beneath his zipper. “My father sent an intern to the conference? He would never do that.” Sure, Ciara had been dating Finn at the time, but Keane wasn’t the type of person to do anyone—even his own kids—any favors.
Unless he got something in return.
So, what the hell would he get out of sending Jane to the conference?
Ryder couldn’t stop himself from thinking the worst.
She lifted her gaze. “Well, he did,” she said tightly. “In fact, he’s the one who offered me the internship in the first place. He took the initiative of calling Dean Lancaster—”
“Dean Lancaster? You mean Isaac Lancaster?” Not only was Isaac a friend of Ryder’s, but he was also his business partner in Novateur. “You went to Edison University?”
“Yes, I graduated from their business administration program. First in my class,” she said with pride. As well as she should. It was one of the top business schools in the country. “Do you know of him?”
What the hell? It was like he was playing “six degrees of Kevin Bacon,” only swapping out the movie star with Jane.
While he’d been looking for her, she’d been only one degree away from him the entire time. She was the daughter of Finn’s now-wife. Worked for Keane. And had graduated from the business school where both his business partners worked.
If only Jane had a name like Desdemona, he would’ve found her within days.
He shifted on the couch to give his hard-on some relief and inadvertently bumped his leg into hers. Heat shot to his groin, making his move for relief irrelevant. “You can say that. He’s one of my business partners.”
She gave him a little smile. “Oh. Weird. Small world.”
Why would his father call Isaac to hire an intern? And more importantly, why hadn’t Isaac mentioned that Keane had called him?
“Did Keane hire you before or after your mother started dating Finn?” he asked, resting his arm on the top of the couch, his hand only inches from the back of her neck. His fingers itched to play with her hair and feel her skin beneath his fingers again.
Her gaze darted away from his and then back again. “After. But I didn’t know they were dating when he hired me.”
“Your mother hadn’t told you?”
She smoothed her fingers over her dress. “We’re…not close.”
He didn’t know why he was surprised by that information. He’d already known that Ciara refused to publicly acknowledge Jane as her daughter. “I see.”
She tapped her foot on the floor. “I’m sure you do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s my understanding you don’t want anything to do with your family,” she said accusingly.
“And you have a problem with that?” He bristled.
She pressed her lips together, pausing before responding. “Your father is one of the most compassionate, decent men I know. I don’t understand why you’d willingly choose to abandon him and your brother.”
Jane was either naïve or had a different definition of decency if she believed Keane was a decent man.
He didn’t want to fight with her, but hell if she thought she could judge Ryder for getting away from his father and McKay Industries. “You don’t know the first thing about Keane or my relationship with him.”
She jumped up from the couch. “I know he’s taken me under his wing and given me an opportunity I’d never have gotten anywhere else.”
He harrumphed, knowing exactly what opportunity his father could provide a beautiful young woman like Jane. He just didn’t know Keane’s end game. Yet. “As an intern?”
Her jaw tightened. “I’m no longer an intern. I’m now VP of innovation.”
Of course she was. All she had to do was steal Novateur’s designs to get there.
“Vice president, huh? That’s quite the leap in such a short time.”
She folded her arms, her eyes narrowing. “What are you implying?”
“You must have done something to deserve such a swift promotion.”
Her jaw dropped. “Oh my God. You think I’m sleeping with him.”
What? He shuddered in revulsion. “Hell no.”
The thought of anyone—especially his father—touching her turned his mouth sour.
Jane softened a bit, dropping her arms to her side. “Then what? Because it’s clear to me that you don’t believe I got the position because of my work ethic.”
He let out a snort. “Ethics. That’s rich coming from you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest as all signs of her softening instantly disappeared. “Excuse me?”
“My father doesn’t believe in work ethic. He believes in doing everything he can to get what he wants, even if it means committing a crime along the way.”
Okay, now she was pissed. Standing rigid, it was as if her spine had elongated and she’d grown a couple inches taller right before him. Her eyes blazed with fire, and suddenly she looked every bit the businesswoman she purported herself to be.
If her ire wasn’t directed at him, he’d totally be turned on by her right now.
Oh hell, who was he kidding? It didn’t matter that she was mad at him.
She was sexy as fuck like this.
“First of all,” she said, pacing back and forth, “I’ve never once observed anyone at McKay acting outside of the professional boundaries. Even your father. And secondly, I would never work for anyone who believed the way to get ahead was through a criminal act.”
He had to give it to her. She was very convincing. Either she was innocent or a seasoned liar. His gut was telling him it was the former. Well, maybe it wasn’t his gut so much as his cock.
But still. He had to get to the truth.
He stood up from the couch and stalked toward her. “So you’re denying it.”
She stopped pacing and frowned. “Denying what?”
“My computer showed that someone made copies of my restaurant automation design files the night I met you. And then suddenly you’re VP of the division of McKay that’s implementing those designs? Come on, surely you’ve done your research. How many companies in this country design smart kitchens for restaurants that utilize mechanical arms and conveyor belts in lieu of people?”
Less than a handful and none of them as successful as Novateur.
At the wrinkle of her brows, he continued. “Tell me, Jane, why should I believe that you weren’t the one who stole them?”
She threw her arms up in the air. “Because I’m telling you the truth, damn it! I didn’t steal your designs. Up until now, I had no idea you even owned a restaurant automation business.”
Standing in front of her, he searched her face for the evidence she was lying. “You went from intern to VP in a year. How? What reason would Keane have to give you such a high position at his company?”
She glanced at the door and took a breath, her shoulders rising and falling. “I worked hard to get the promotion, but that’s not the only reason he gave it to me.” She bit her lip as she twisted her fingers together. “I needed money. Security. He didn’t want me to worry.”
“Worry about what?”
A long silence followed as Jane seemed to grapple with something. She walked away from him, moving closer to the door. Every second seemed like a minute as he waited for her to speak. Once she reached the door, she hung her head, and for a moment, he thought she was going to leave without answering.
She swirled around and faced him. “Taking care of my son. Maddox.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “Ryder…he’s yours.”