Alluring Attraction

by Zoelle, A. F.

  Hunter laughed at the startled yelp and accusing glare that resulted, amused by the flare of indignation in those spirited emerald eyes. “What?” Hunter asked with mock innocence.

  “You know what,” Ryder muttered with a scowl, blushing as Hunter also stood up in the tub. Ryder’s gaze was drawn to the prominent erection, which caused a fluttering thrill of nervousness in him.

  Noticing where Ryder’s attention was aimed, Hunter ran his fingers along it as he challenged, “Planning on doing something about it?”

  Unsure of what to do or say, Ryder flushed as he uncertainly said, “Um…”

  Knowing better than to pressure Ryder into anything, Hunter dismissed the issue as he got out of the tub first, helping his rival out of it before handing over a thick navy blue towel to dry off with, then using one himself. They returned to the bedroom together and Ryder held back a groan when he saw the time and realized that he should get dressed.

  Hunter took the opportunity to collect himself as he watched Ryder gather his clothes from where they were strewn about the room. Even though he thought it was a pity that Ryder had to get dressed, Hunter knew better than to object. He merely continued to observe the process, waiting for his body to calm itself. As much as he wanted to enjoy himself in Ryder’s presence, there was no sense in doing so when he knew that another patron was soon to arrive.

  Once Ryder was dressed, only then did he return to Hunter, looking up at him with a certain shyness that was becoming more and more endearing. It was too much fun for Hunter to exploit.

  There was always an element of awkwardness for Ryder when it came to parting, because he never quite knew what to say or how to handle it without sounding completely and utterly ridiculous. “So I’ll see you tomorrow?” Ryder asked, annoyed with himself for sounding hopeful.

  “As always,” Hunter replied, slowly and deeply kissing Ryder. It left Ryder flustered as he struggled against the feeling that was rising up inside of him in response. There was no time to think about it, because of the polite knock that interrupted them, causing them to both look at the door. “Until then.”

  “Yeah,” Ryder agreed before quickly departing.

  Ishi was waiting for Ryder on the other side of the door, with a beautiful smile, and he couldn’t help but return it as they walked to the elevator. Even though he wanted to distrust Ishi, there was something reassuring about the woman that put Ryder at ease. Doing a cursory check of his personal belongings as the elevator doors closed, Ryder realized that he had left his cell phone upstairs in the room and cursed quietly to himself.

  “Is something wrong, sir?” Ishi asked, making him blush in embarrassment.

  “I forgot my phone in the room,” Ryder mumbled, looking down at the marble elevator floor in embarrassment. “Would it be a problem for me to go grab it real quick?”

  Hiding a hint of a smile at Ryder’s choice of phrase, Ishi pushed a button to reverse the direction of the elevator. “Not at all,” Ishi conceded, smiling at him in reassurance.

  When the doors pinged open, Ryder was startled by the sound of the elevator phone ringing. When he looked at Ishi questioningly, she waved away his concern and said, “I’ll wait for you here.”

  Shrugging in response, Ryder knocked on the door before entering the suite, once again embraced by the enchanting incense as he closed the door behind him out of habit. Hunter was standing in the middle of the room with Ryder’s cell phone in his hands as he taunted, “Forget something?”

  Figuring that it must have fallen out of his back pocket when his pants were flung aside earlier, Ryder was relieved that it had been found. “Yeah,” Ryder answered, approaching Hunter to reclaim it.

  “Looks like the mutt was trying to find his master,” Hunter smugly informed Ryder, the caller ID showing four missed calls from Jake.

  Wondering what could have been so important to merit that many calls, Ryder felt a slight twinge of guilt over not answering sooner. Ryder growled, “I am not his master, and quit calling him that!”

  Laughing at Ryder’s exasperation, Hunter pointedly ignored the outstretched hand that was silently demanding the return of the phone. When Ryder tried to take it, Hunter used his height to his advantage and held it up and out of reach, earning him an annoyed glare. “Real mature,” Ryder muttered as he scowled.

  “All you have to do is take it,” Hunter teased, holding it so high that Ryder had to press closer in an attempt to try and get it. Hunter wrapped his free arm around Ryder’s waist in the process and held him close, all while keeping the phone further out of reach.

  “Come on,” Ryder growled, still futilely trying to make a grab for it, “knock it off!”

  “As you wish,” Hunter murmured in the same beautiful low tone that had made Ryder climax only a few minutes before. Even though he was annoyed, it caused Ryder to shiver and he didn’t resist Hunter’s playful kiss.

  Hunter took the opportunity to return the phone to Ryder’s back pocket, copping a feel in the process. Just before he pulled his hand free, Hunter impishly flipped the small settings switch and it vibrated, causing Ryder to startle at the sensation with a noise of surprise.

  Ryder was the picture of desire as he looked up at Hunter, who couldn’t help but wish that they had more time.

  “Now there’s an idea,” Hunter realized, his blue eyes alight with perverse pleasure that instantly had Ryder on full alert.

  Before Ryder could ask what Hunter was talking about, there was another knock on the door. Feeling guilty that Ishi had to come get him again, Ryder hurriedly said good-bye to Hunter again before opening the door with an apology, “Sorry to keep you—”

  The sentiment died before Ryder could finish expressing it. It wasn’t Ishi standing on the other side, but Jake.

  Ryder’s eyes went wide and his breath caught in his throat as he realized that he had been caught, exposing Hunter in the process.

  His worst fear was realized when Jake venomously said with a glare, “I fucking knew it.”

  When Ryder opened the door of the opium den room at Cole Corporation and saw Jake standing in front of him with an accusatory glare, his first instinct was to try and shut the door on his friend. Unfortunately, Jake was too fast and stopped Ryder from succeeding. Still blocking the doorway despite his failure to shut Jake out, Ryder realized that there was a woman standing there that he had never seen before. “Where’s Ishi?” Ryder demanded of the startled woman, shocked by the anger in his own voice.

  “She was called away,” the woman answered, looking completely confused. “Sir, you’re not supposed to still be here.”

  “He isn’t supposed to be here at all,” Ryder growled, glancing at Jake out of the corner of his eye. Ryder felt his anxiety spike further when he realized that his friend was staring hatefully at Hunter, who was standing behind him at a distance.

  Before things could escalate further, the elevator doors pinged open once more and Ishi stepped out, a rare expression of irritation on her otherwise normally composed face. “What’s going on here?” she loudly demanded, infuriated by what she saw. She had been called downstairs to handle a troublesome guest at the front desk only to find that he had already been led upstairs to meet with Hunter. Ishi knew that Jake had previously failed the financial requirements to hire President Dragon, so she couldn’t understand how things had transpired to this point. She was irritated by the breach in protocol, since it was well-established that Dragon was her sole responsibility.

  “I paid, and he won’t leave,” Jake explained with a nod in Ryder’s direction as he looked over at the Japanese woman he had seen every time he had visited.

  “Sir, I’m sorry to say that there’s been a mistake. You cannot—” Ishi started to explain before the other woman dared to interrupt.

  “Ishi, there seems to be a misunderstanding,” the woman timidly tried to placate her.

  As she nodded in agreement, Ishi’s voice was still hard with disapproval as she elaborated, “The misunderstanding is t
hat you are not supposed to be up here with him. You will escort this guest back downstairs, and I will deal with this one accordingly, understood?”

  Shaking her head with a worried look, the woman felt torn in her loyalties. “My orders are from Master,” she explained, knowing that Christophe’s orders took precedence over anything from Ishi. “He said that it was okay to make this exception since Mr. Yardley is an associate of Mr. Carter, a VIP we wouldn’t want to disappoint.”

  The information was a slap in the face to both Ishi and Hunter, and they shared a look through the open door. Ishi felt her heart drop at Hunter’s look of indignant anger, which he was struggling to control. She knew that there was no way that either one of them could defy Christophe, but the look of desperation on Ryder’s face made her want to do anything within her power to stop what was happening. Figuring that she needed to buy some time, Ishi ordered, “Regardless, you will escort this guest elsewhere until President Dragon has had proper time to—”

  The woman immediately interjected, “Master said that was an unnecessary waste of time.”

  “That does not mean he strictly prohibited it,” Ishi countered. No sooner had the words left her mouth than the elevator phone rang again, ripping away her one shred of hope, because she knew that there was only one person who would be on the other end of the line—the man responsible for this mess. “He is not to enter until I return, understood?”

  There were no specific orders from Christophe to counter delaying, so the woman meekly agreed, “Yes, Ishi.”

  As soon as Ishi left, the fight between the friends resumed with more heat than before. “Why are you protecting him?” Jake snarled, glaring accusingly at Ryder.

  “Why are you here at all?” Ryder countered, his knuckles completely white from the angry way he was grabbing the door. He couldn’t see Hunter’s reaction behind him, and could only guess what thoughts were going through Hunter’s mind. He had a sudden fear that Hunter would think he had set the whole thing up, the four missed phone calls from earlier only lending evidence to fuel such suspicions.

  Ryder was terrified that this incident could shatter the tentative trust that had been building between himself and Hunter, but he tried not to let it upset him too much. Ryder knew he could explain himself, if only he could get Hunter to listen later.

  “Because you wouldn’t stop seeing him,” Jake cruelly replied, narrowing his eyes over his anger at Ryder’s betrayal.

  “Like I need your fucking permission?” Ryder snapped, losing his grip on his emotions in his fear. Everything in Ryder was screaming that he needed to put a stop to things, but he had no idea how he was going to be able to do that successfully. “I can do whatever the hell I want, Jake!”

  “And whoever the hell you want, apparently,” Jake insulted with a sneer.

  It both hurt and further enraged Ryder all at once. “It’s none of your damn business anyway!” Ryder exclaimed, his voice rising with his heightened emotions.

  “You’re my friend,” Jake said, as if that somehow sufficiently explained everything.

  “So that instantly makes it your business?” Ryder scoffed. “Besides, if you really were my friend, you would leave it alone!”

  “It’s too late for that,” Jake stated in a serious tone.

  Ryder knew that he needed to clamp down on his emotions if he wanted to win the battle, so he took a calming breath before warning in a threatening tone, “You need to leave.”

  “Or else?” Jake challenged, honestly surprised by the viciousness of Ryder’s demeanor.

  “I will never forgive you,” Ryder swore, the immediate weight of his words heavy even on Jake.

  “I’m not the one that needs forgiving,” Jake argued, refusing to concede his point.

  “What, and I am?” Ryder incredulously demanded. He received a pointed look for his efforts and Ryder indignantly scoffed. “You can’t possibly be serious!”

  The lack of understanding pissed Jake off even more. “You fucking betrayed all of us, Ryder!” Jake shouted, finally lashing out with some of his anger.

  “I did not!” Ryder heatedly denied, grateful that he had the comfort of Kyle’s support to fall back on in the moment. “You’re the only one with a fucking problem. Derrick doesn’t have a problem with it, and neither do Kyle or Emily! Just because you’re pissed off about whatever, it doesn’t give you a reason to take it out on Hunter!”

  “Oh, I’ll take it out on him, alright,” Jake retorted in a cruelly perverse tone of voice that made Ryder shudder in disgust.

  “I won’t let you!” Ryder defensively protested, trying to think of anything he could do to prevent the inevitable from happening.

  Although the woman was at a complete loss as to what was going on, she felt that it was her duty to inform Ryder, “Sir, as this guest has already paid, you cannot extend your time with President Dragon. However, if you would like to wait—”

  As he gave the woman the most withering of stares, some dark part of Ryder was pleased when she shrank back and stopped speaking mid-sentence. Satisfied by her silence, Ryder returned his gaze to Jake as his mind raced to figure out any solution to what was undoubtedly going to turn into a disastrous situation. “Why are you doing this?” Ryder asked in a restrained tone, knowing that he had to get his emotions under control. However, it was hard to do when Ryder had no idea how Hunter, who was still silently standing behind him, had reacted.

  “To show you what a worthless whore he is,” Jake cruelly replied, fearing Ryder was actually going to hit him for the comment.

  Ryder’s rage was practically palpable and if it weren’t for the fact that lunging at Jake would leave the door open to invasion, he probably would have followed through with his impulse to pummel some sense into his friend. “Don’t you ever call him that again,” Ryder warned in a dangerous tone that sent a shiver of fear through Jake, along with the deadly serious expression on his friend’s face.

  Jake sneered, “I suppose he makes enough money here that he’s not worthless to them.”

  “I will make you regret this,” Ryder threatened, too worked up to be shocked by the level of hatred he felt for his friend. “Every single word, every single—”

  “What are you getting so pissed for?” Jake taunted, not taking Ryder’s threat seriously since he was pretty sure he could take his friend in a fight if it came down to it. “He gets fucked for money, which makes him a whore by definition.”

  There was no argument that Ryder could make against that point and he hated that he couldn’t argue his way out on a technicality. “I can’t believe you,” Ryder said with disgust, looking at Jake as if he was just seeing him for what he truly was.

  For the first time since the whole incident started, Hunter spoke up, “Is it really such a surprise for you to discover that the mutt is a fucking idiot?” It had taken him that long to compose himself, to construct his plan of attack, all while being mindful of the cameras. Since the moment the other attendant had said it was an order from Christophe, Hunter had known that it was a test from his adoptive father. He didn’t know if Christophe was testing Ryder’s loyalty, or punishing Hunter for their interactions. Hunter knew that he had to tread very carefully or face the harshest of consequences. “He’s too stupid to understand that—”

  “Yo, don’t fucking talk about me like I’m not here!” Jake yelled, his attention immediately refocused on his most hated person. “Besides, I paid for you, so you don’t get to disrespect me like that, asshole!”

  “Your time hasn’t started yet,” Hunter pointed out with evident disdain. “And might I remind you that you’re on my turf here?”

  There was something ominous about the statement, which planted the first seed of doubt in Jake’s mind. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jake demanded, arrogantly crossing his arms as he defiantly glared at Hunter.

  Confidently sauntering over, Hunter stood behind Ryder with a smug smirk that further incensed Jake. Hunter could feel Ryder trembling with rage, a
nd although he wanted to comfort him, Hunter instead took his rage out on Jake for causing the situation in the first place. “You play by my rules here, mutt,” Hunter informed him before moving Ryder’s hand off of the door and slamming it in Jake’s face, with great satisfaction.

  Ryder immediately turned around to face Hunter, who hit the door hard enough with his hand to make it rattle in the frame, caging his rival in place. Mistaking the action for anger, Ryder missed Hunter’s true intention—to further enrage Jake. Hunter knew that the more emotional Jake became, the easier it would be to play upon his distraction. There was no way that Hunter was going to let someone like Jake get the best of him.

  Ryder started to explain in a hushed tone, “I promise I didn’t have anything to do with—“

  Silencing Ryder with a brutal kiss, Hunter took great satisfaction in the noise his action earned him. It was a harsh and punishing kiss, giving Ryder an outlet for his aggressions that he gladly accepted with a little growl of his own. Jake’s shouts were forgotten, even as he banged on the door, demanding entrance. When they breathlessly parted, neither acknowledged Jake’s fury.

  They looked at each other for a long moment, but Ryder couldn’t discern the hidden meaning in those brilliant blue eyes. There were so many things that Ryder felt like he should say, but everything was a jumbled mess. He could only softly apologize, “I’m sorry, I—”

  Leaning forward and placing his lips on Ryder’s neck, Hunter kissed the fluttering pulse point as he murmured, “I know.” Even if Ryder had plotted with Jake—something that Hunter highly doubted—there was no way that the mutt could have gotten past security without Christophe’s permission. There was a reason Christophe had let the disruptive man up, but Hunter refused to let himself be played in such a manner. After all, there was more than one way to win that kind of fight, and Hunter was determined to have his victory.