Ryker (The Powers That Be Book 4) Read online

“Not gonna chicken out, are you?” His eyes challenged me to turn him down as he stood.

  “No. Of course not.” He knew I was an athlete which meant if I was anything, I was as competitive as they came, so with a deep sigh, I followed him out of the training room.

  I’d stood outside the locker room while he’d changed and now here we were at O’Leary’s.

  As we waited for the waitress to bring our beers, I’d sat uncomfortably not knowing what to say, but Ryker sat back against the booth, one arm thrown over it lazily as he watched me fidgeting. Of course he wasn’t uneasy. As cool as he was, he’d probably feel right at home in a police line-up. And knowing him, he’d try to come off as the guilty party just to mess with them.

  I glanced around the place, nervously biting my lip before finally looking back at him and cleared my throat wanting to break what I thought was an awkward silence between us. “I was here just the other night with my roommate.”

  The waitress brought our beers and when he took a drink, I watched, captivated at how his Adam’s apple moved up and down the column of his neck. Then I reminded myself that he disgusted me and looked away.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah,” I answered, turning to gaze around the place some more as I took a drink.

  “You’re doing your student teaching.” It was a statement rather than a question.

  I turned back to him and nodded. “You’re doing yours too.” Another statement.

  He nodded and we sat in more silence as I played with the coaster the waitress had set down when she’d brought our drinks.

  Well, this was going swimmingly. I picked up my bottle and took another sip and setting it on the table replied, “As much as this has been an exceedingly stimulating exchange and all, I really do have things to do.”

  “I like you, Francesca.”

  I sat back against the booth kind of in shock because it wasn’t like we were chatting each other up. “You don’t even know me.”

  I watched as one side of his mouth went up. “Yeah, I kinda do. But I’d like to get to know you better.”

  Here came the blush again since I knew to what he was referring and since I now knew he could tell when I was blushing, I blushed even more. Ack.

  I licked my lips and shook my head looking down at the coaster I’d picked up again. “That was a mistake.”

  “You think so?”

  My head came up and I gave him a gimlet eye. “Well, yeah.”

  “Why?”

  “Why?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  I took another drink and moving my eyes to him saw his eyebrow go up.

  “Do I make you uncomfortable?” he asked.

  I huffed out a despondent laugh. “Yes.”

  He scrunched his face innocently, which was too cute, as he jerked his head back. “Really?”

  I let out another humorless chuckle in response to this while his prying eyes regarded me as I squirmed a bit in the booth, not wanting to explain. But then I thought, why not. It wasn’t like I was going to see him again. So taking a deep breath, I revealed practically all. “For two years I’ve, uh, watched you.” And seeing how he was giving me a that’s too creepy for words look I rushed to explain. “I saw you our sophomore year. I played basketball but when I hurt my knee I was done. That gave me time during practice when I was just sitting around watching to watch, um, other things.” I stared at the coaster, flipping it over in my hand a few times.

  “And?”

  God. I should’ve just kept my big mouth shut. I gazed up at him under my lashes only to see him still watching me intensely. I ignored him hoping he’d let it go and took another drink finishing off my beer setting the bottle on the table, looking anywhere but at him.

  “And, Francesca?”

  I glanced back at him only to see the waitress placing another beer in front of me. “Oh, thanks,” I said, looking up at her hoping she’d stick around and chat for a bit but she only smiled and nodded before walking away. I next downed half of my beer in several gulps hoping my stalling would make him move on to another topic.

  “Hey,” I heard him say quietly and saw him grin when I gave him a thoroughly innocent look as if I didn’t know what we were talking about. “Continue,” he ordered dipping his head toward me.

  Okay. The sooner I got this over with the quicker I could go home. “I’m a dreamer.” There. That ought to do it. But the annoyed head tilt he gave me made me continue. “Sharee, my best friend, gets mad because she says I dream too much, that I come up with scenarios that are unrealistic and I guess she’s right.” I shrugged.

  “So you dreamed about me?” God. I used to think his smirks were kind of hot but now they just annoyed the piss out of me.

  “Yeah, Ryker, I did. That is until I found out what a gigolo you are.”

  He snorted out a laugh. “Gigolo?”

  I frowned. “Yeah. You know, dog, libertine, manwhore.”

  “I know what a gigolo is. But, baby, I’m a guy. Guys like sex. Lots of it. If there are women out there willing to give it up, not gonna turn it down.” He shrugged impenitently as he shook his head and pursed his lips in a matter of fact way.

  Ugh.

  “I guess not since you’ve probably slept with the entire female populace of Seattle.”

  “There are a few I haven’t pursued.” He winked and I was done.

  I scooted toward the end of my booth. “Well, this has been fun and all, but I need to go home.”

  He was up and on his feet faster than I could make it out, blocking me in the booth.

  “I need to go,” I snapped, glowering up at him.

  Putting his finger into the front waistband of my jeans he pulled me closer, bending his head and whispered, “Stay.” And then he kissed me.

  ~*~*~*~

  I was officially an idiot.

  After we’d kissed, Ryker had pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, thrown a couple twenties on the table, grabbed my hand and pulled me out of O’Leary’s to the parking lot. After we made out against his car for a while, he’d talked me into following him to his house which hadn’t taken much convincing.

  Shit. Idiot.

  Now we were in his bedroom.

  In his bed.

  Making out hardcore.

  Coats on the floor. Shoes thrown wherever.

  His hard body on top of mine felt like heaven as he ground his hips into me and God help me but I wanted him badly. So when he sat up, pulling me up with him to remove my shirt, I didn’t resist. I also didn’t make a fuss when he unhooked my bra, slowly slipping the straps down my arms and pulling it off.

  “Fucking beautiful,” he murmured before laying me back and taking one of my nipples into his mouth and sucking hard.

  “Oh, God,” I moaned then he moved to my other breast, giving it the same attention which made my back bow up off the bed as I dug my fingers into his shoulders.

  He sat back on his knees and his hands went to my jeans unbuttoning them and sliding them and my panties down my legs, his eyes practically luminescent as he looked down at my exposed body.

  “You’re stunning, Francesca,” he muttered as he took me in.

  But he was the stunning one, his hair mussed from my fingers tangling in it, the scruff on his chin making him appear even more dangerous than I knew he already was. And I so knew this wasn’t smart. Knew I was only going to get my heart broken. I mean, yeah, he’d said he liked me but I’m sure he “liked” a lot of women. But did that stop me? Hell no.

  Nope, stupid me sat up and tugged at the hem of his t-shirt pulling it up and over his head then keeping my eyes on all the ink on his chest and the abs that looked chiseled into his abdomen, my hands slid down to his jeans to unbutton them. Slipping a hand inside, I wrapped it around his hard cock making him groan which made me smirk (for a change) at having made him feel good.

  “You like my cock don’t you, baby. Like I said, starving,” he said, his voice deep and gravelly. Before I could argue, he suddenly grab
bed the outsides of my thighs pulling my bottom half up off the bed which made me release my hold on him as I my top half fell back onto the bed then his face moved between my legs and his mouth was on me.

  “Ryker!” I screamed because his mouth was exactly where I needed it making it impossible for me to control all the moaning I was doing as he sucked and licked, flicked his tongue, taking me so high I swear I was seeing stars.

  “That’s it. Come on my face. Soak my chin, baby.”

  Oh, my God.

  That was all it took and I was there, shouting out my climax as my knees clamped against the sides of his head. Damn.

  I was breathing heavily, tremors still zinging through my body, when he let me go and stood at the side of the bed looking intensely down at me. He cupped his chin as if in thought and I didn’t know what he was doing until I watched as he moved his straightened pointer finger up his chin and to his mouth where I watched him suck my juices off of it. Whoa.

  “Sweetest I’ve ever tasted,” he remarked, giving me a look that burned right through me before he bent to pull off his jeans and boxer briefs.

  And holy hell. His hard sculpted body was truly something to behold.

  He got a condom out of the nightstand and put it on, and was now standing in all his gorgeous nudity looking down at me as if trying to figure out what to do with me, the whole while stroking his huge length which sent another spasm through my body. Good lord.

  “Spread your legs for me, baby,” he finally said putting a knee to the bed. I did as I was told and watched him move his body over mine, leaning down on his forearm at the side of my head as he ran his other hand up my throat then grasping my chin with his fingers he leaned down to kiss me hard and wet and deep. “Can’t wait to be inside you again,” he growled as he pulled back and looped his arm behind my knee then drew his hips back and plunged inside me roughly making me cry out.

  His strokes were strong, forceful, pounding, and from the moment he started moving I felt everything building again. Fast. Oh my. And before I knew it, I was coming again.

  “Yeah. Just like that, Francesca. Love feeling you pulsing around me, gripping me tight. So fuckin’ starved for my cock.”

  I was about to protest again (because I may have been starved for his body but he did not have to keep bringing it up) when I lost him due to his flipping me over onto my belly, and drawing my hips up with his rough hands, he sank inside deep before I could even catch my breath.

  “So fuckin’ wet,” he growled as he slammed inside, his hips now pistoning against my bottom.

  I buried my face in the sheets, my hands clenching them as mewls of pleasure escaped from my throat but suddenly I let out a yelp because he’d smacked my butt.

  What in the world?

  “Told you I was gonna spank you for bein’ a bad girl,” he ground out before striking me again.

  “Oh… God,” I moaned because, damn it, that was hot.

  “Knew you’d get off on this,” he uttered, giving me one last spank.

  And he was so right. Wow.

  He rubbed his hand over my bottom a couple times as if to soothe me before sliding it up the middle of my back where he wrapped my hair in his hand and tugged my head back. His mouth was then right at my ear where he prompted, “Tell me I’m right.” He didn’t wait for my answer as he slammed his hard length inside, burying himself deep. When I still didn’t answer, could only pant, he jerked his hips back before thrusting in so hard he bottomed out at my cervix.

  “Oh, my God!” I cried.

  “Tell me,” he demanded as he pulled out then slammed back in again.

  “Yes! Yes! You’re right!” I yelled out as another orgasm blasted through me. Holy Jesus.

  “Fuck!” he roared as he came, driving in several times, his hips slapping against my bottom until his movements stopped and he planted himself deep resting his forehead on the back of my shoulder, his heavy breaths puffing against my skin.

  We stayed that way for several minutes before he released my hair and snaked his hand around where he gripped my chin with his fingers, turning my face to his then leaned in to kiss me hard.

  “Be right back,” he said against my lips. He let my chin go but kissed my shoulder as he withdrew then he was gone.

  I was content to stay put because my entire body felt like it was boneless and I was trembling like crazy. When he came back, I felt him push his hands underneath me, then turning me he picked me up, cradling me in his strong arms.

  “Are you cold?” he asked as I continued shivering.

  “N-no,” I answered through rattling teeth. Jeez.

  I saw the amusement in his eyes before he whispered, “See you’re worn out.” He kissed my forehead before pulling back the bedcovers and laying me in his bed. After turning out the lamp on the nightstand, he got in beside me, pulling me into his arms where I buried my face in his neck as he held me tightly.

  And now the doubt set in.

  What had I been thinking? I mean, don’t get me wrong. The sex had been magnificent. Spectacular. But now I was terrified because I knew I’d just become another of the many women he had on rotation in his bed night after night.

  And this bothered me a great deal because I’d known exactly what I was getting myself into.

  Dumb.

  But I wasn’t going to go into this blind so I blurted, “What happens now?”

  I tensed up when I heard him sigh. “Well, we close our eyes then this thing called sleep overtakes us. It’s a normal condition where the body…”

  I snorted softly. “You know what I mean, Ryker.”

  He moved back a bit and looked down at me. I could only see the outline of his face but knew he probably had that damned smirk on his face.

  “I’d like to hook up with you again, Francesca. That what you mean?”

  I swallowed roughly, knowing exactly what he was saying which, of course, hadn’t been what I’d meant at all or what I’d wanted to hear. And now my feelings were hurt because even though it was ridiculous, I desperately wanted him to want me as much as I wanted him but I saw that just wasn’t going to happen.

  So I nodded then he folded himself around me holding me tightly.

  For me, my entire world had changed.

  For him, he’d added another notch to his bedpost.

  6—Face Off

  I left Ryker’s in the middle of the night after we’d gone another delicious but heartbreaking round since I knew it was the last time I’d be with him. Afterward, he’d enfolded me in his arms, kissed me sweetly and drifted off. I’d waited until I was sure he was asleep before slipping out of his hold, getting dressed and leaving.

  I thanked the Almighty that Sharee wasn’t awake when I got home and after getting into bed, I lay there staring at my ceiling for an ungodly amount of time, my stomach twisted in knots at knowing Ryker and I were finished.

  I figured I could talk to Sharee and Gladys about it to see if I had other alternatives that might make things work out with us, but I knew Ree would only say, “You’re getting laid. Go with it,” and Gladys would probably tell me to enjoy it while it lasted, which were both basically the same thing. I wondered if I could do that, just sleep with Ryker not expecting anything to come from it then move on when it ended, but decided there was no way that would work for me. I was a relationship type of gal, a one-man woman, and knowing he was sleeping with other women was a huge turnoff and something I wouldn’t do (even though I’d now done it twice).

  Besides, I liked him way too much and knew I’d only hurt worse if I continued seeing him.

  I choked out a soft sob deciding I had to be finished with it all. I felt I deserved so much more and if Ryker Powers couldn’t give me what I wanted, I had no choice but to move on. So once again I was faced with a more than depressing romantic future when I realized he wouldn’t be part of it.

  And that hurt my heart.

  ~*~*~*~

  The next morning I got up in a better mood than what I thought I
would, excited for my second day of coaching. I dressed in jeans and the Montlake Elementary t-shirt and zippered hoodie Coach Gilbert had given me yesterday, smiling as I laced up my tennis shoes because I couldn’t wait to get in there and have some fun with the kids. Maybe we’d get out the parachute today if Coach G approved, but knowing him he’d probably make us use it as a life net to catch kids while he had them jump from the bleacher tops.

  I felt even better when the first class came in and I chuckled at all their smiling faces.

  “Hi, Coach Man-ja-jelly!” the first graders cried which had me cracking up at their mispronunciation of my last name.

  “It’s pronounced Man-ja-nell-ee,” I heard a deep voice say and I spun to see Ryker standing there with a shit-eating grin on his face.

  What the hell was he doing here? And be still my heart because he looked so damned good. Shit!

  “Surprise,” he said flippantly, still grinning then spun a basketball on his pointer finger making the kids race over to where he was to give him their oohhs and aahhs.

  Shit again.

  I turned back to Coach G when he shouted, “All right! Give me five laps!” then watched as the little ones took off, some colliding with each other while others complained loudly to Coach G that kids were cutting corners of the gym floor.

  “You just happy to see me or is that a whistle in your pocket?” Ryker said from behind.

  I’m sure I don’t have to describe the look on my face as I turned to face him.

  “What’re you doing here?” I asked with a scowl.

  He shrugged. “It’s where I was assigned.”

  “But you weren’t here yesterday!”

  “Had a meet.”

  Oh, yeah. Double shit.

  I walked over to Coach G who was in the middle of the gym floor watching the kids run as he drank coffee from a travel mug. “Coach? Um, I thought maybe we could get the parachute out?”

  “Sorry, kid. Ryker here wants to play some basketball. We’ve already set up the six-foot goals.”

  I glared back at Ryker whose mouth twitched at the corner. Ass.

  “Oh, okay. You know, I played basketball at Hallervan. I’m sure I can show them a few things.”