Alluring Attraction

by Zoelle, A. F.

  Struggling despite the pain in his shoulder, Jake argued in a pained voice, “It’s not true!”

  “No wonder you’re so upset that Ryder gets to enjoy the pleasure of my body,” Hunter continued with glee. “I should have known all that fighting was foreplay for you.”

  “As soon as you let me go, I’m going to make you regret this,” Jake threatened, even though his voice was strained with pain over the way Hunter had him pinned to the ground.

  Leaning over Jake’s shoulder, Hunter warned in a low voice, “This is your last warning. Do not to try and interfere with me, mutt. You will lose.”

  The promise of violence in the sensuous rumble of Hunter’s voice caused Jake to shiver with fear and an arousal he refused to recognize. “I’m not afraid of you!” Jake defiantly spat, wishing that Hunter would let him go.

  “You should be,” Hunter stated with a sinister laugh, before placing his lips right next to Jake’s ear, to whisper so softly there was no chance of the cameras detecting it, “especially if you continue harassing Ryder.”

  “And what could you possibly—?” Jake snapped, interrupting himself with a shout when he felt Hunter crack the bones in his wrists.

  “I am capable of hurting you in ways that you can’t even begin to imagine, mutt,” Hunter promised, pleased when the door opened and two men in suits entered. Only then did Hunter release Jake and roughly shove him to the floor as he looked up at the newcomers. “It took you long enough.”

  Both men bowed simultaneously and apologized, “Forgive us, President Dragon.”

  “Get this piece of shit out of my sight,” Hunter loftily commanded, waving in Jake’s general direction. “See that I am not troubled by his presence again.”

  “Yes, President Dragon,” they both affirmed as they bent down to pick Jake up off the floor. He couldn’t bite back the groan of pain when they hauled him to his feet, and worried that Hunter broken his wrist, or dislocated his shoulder.

  “I won’t forget this!” Jake yelled, trying to resist the men despite the pain it caused him.

  Rolling his eyes at the protest, Hunter condescendingly commented, “Good, then maybe there’s some hope for you after all.”

  It was incredibly gratifying, watching the security guards drag Jake out of the room. Hunter heaved a shaky sigh when the door shut behind them, leaving him alone. An overwhelming sense of relief came over him at having successfully avoided being intimate with Jake, but Hunter tried to curb it.

  Hunter knew that Christophe would appear soon. There were bound to be repercussions for his actions, but it was worth it. Then there was Ryder’s reaction to deal with later. Hunter wondered if Ryder was waiting downstairs to have it out with Jake.

  There were aspects of Ryder’s visit that Hunter still needed to process, on top of the drama with Jake, but he pushed those thoughts aside for a time when he would be able to properly deal with them.

  Before Hunter could go to pick up the towel he had cast aside, the door opened without warning. Christophe entered with a menacing air. Mentally steeling himself for yet another painful encounter, Hunter respectfully bowed his head, trying not to visibly tense as Christophe approached him. Hunter hated that without clothes, he couldn’t hide his physical discomfort. “Father,” Hunter greeted, not daring to look up at Christophe until he had permission.

  “You must be quite pleased with yourself,” Christophe commented in a tone of voice that frightened Hunter, as he forced himself to look up at his adoptive father. “That was a willful act, intentionally antagonizing him to the point of violence.”

  “As if I would let myself be defiled by such filth,” Hunter arrogantly replied, making a dangerous gamble as to which test Christophe had just tried to administer. “It’s hardly my fault that he’s an ill-trained mutt.”

  “You’re walking a fine line, boy,” Christophe warned. “You are getting dangerously close to displeasing me.”

  It felt like he was being let off the hook too easily. Hunter didn’t trust the nonchalant reaction. “Forgive me, Father,” Hunter said, although he didn’t meant it as an apology.

  “For which transgression?” Christophe asked, hoping to pin Hunter down.

  “Sir?” Hunter replied, realizing that his fears were close to being actualized.

  “Between that little stunt with the boy and Ryder, you have a lot you need to make up for,” Christophe answered, noticing the way Hunter’s muscles tensed when Ryder’s name was mentioned. “Luckily for you, Ryder seems to be far brighter than his so-called friend.”

  Hunter’s mind raced, wondering what would possibly make Christophe say such a thing, and he got a sinking feeling that something had happened while he was otherwise engaged with Jake. A question was on the tip of his tongue, but Hunter smothered the urge, knowing that any interest he expressed would just be further evidence for Christophe.

  The silence led Christophe to continue goading, “I would be more upset if it weren’t for the fact that I can understand your infatuation with the boy.”

  “Oh?” Hunter asked in a neutral tone, knowing that remaining completely silent would also be to his detriment. Despite his projected ambivalence, Hunter’s heart was hammering in nervousness over what Christophe was alluding to.

  “Don’t misunderstand me,” Christophe warned as he reached out and brushed the place just above Hunter’s hip where Ryder’s mark had been. It made Hunter feel nauseous, his hatred for his adoptive father all the more potent. “If you ever do something like that outside of these walls again, I will not be so lenient with my punishment. You will suffer far worse than the indignation of that pathetic excuse for an existence that was hauled out of here.”

  Hunter’s skin crawled with the need to be away from those large, probing fingers, and he valiantly fought against his instinct to physically react. “And if I said that was my punishment to Ryder for leaving in such a disgraceful manner yesterday and incentive for him to return tonight?” Hunter questioned, knowing that was his only shot at potentially excusing the hickey in Christophe’s eyes.

  “Never again,” Christophe warned a final time, before slowly sliding his hand up Hunter’s torso to wrap around his delicate throat, as he had previously done to Ryder. Christophe relished the feeling of Hunter swallowing hard in response, darkly pleased by the feeling of his adopted son’s pulsing spike in fear. “Or do you need another reminder about what happens when you disobey your master?”

  “No, sir,” Hunter demurely murmured, trying not to panic. He knew what that threat meant, and it wasn’t something Hunter ever wanted to endure again. Hunter burned with humiliation, hating how powerless he was.

  “Good boy,” Christophe patronizingly praised him, relinquishing his grip on Hunter’s throat to pat him on the cheek. “Oh, and Ryder has been warned as well.”

  Although Christophe had casually thrown out the statement, Hunter’s blood ran cold at the potential meaning behind those words. “I’m sure that will be sufficient,” Hunter blandly stated, even though he was fuming with rage. What sort of warning had Christophe given Ryder? Anything Hunter could think of was beyond terrible. He could only hope that Ryder was okay after whatever punishment Christophe had inflicted upon him.

  Chuckling darkly, Christophe commented, “Perhaps, but I know I will enjoy that punishment a great deal if he dares to disobey me.”

  Hunter didn’t know what it meant, but he could well imagine the potential implications. He was overcome with a sudden need to see Ryder, to reassure himself that he was okay. However, Hunter knew that under no certain circumstances could he see or contact Ryder tonight. It would have to wait until their shared classes tomorrow, a place where Christophe had yet to install successful spies to report back on Hunter’s behavior.

  Realizing that he had yet to respond, Hunter bowed his head respectfully once more as he murmured, “As you say, Father.”

  Smirking cruelly, Christophe warned, “You would do well to remember what happens when you disappoint me, boy.”
He then walked out, leaving Hunter alone.

  Refusing to show his physical relief at Christophe’s departure for fear of his adoptive father reviewing the security footage, Hunter exhaled slowly. It felt like he had gotten off too lightly in punishment. Not only had Hunter blatantly disobeyed, he had assaulted a paying customer, no matter how disgusting a patron they were. There had been no threats of revoking privileges to see his younger brother, which wasn’t like Christophe.

  What’s he playing at? Hunter wondered as he finally allowed himself to retreat to the shower in his personal room. He wanted to wash any trace of Jake and Christophe’s touch from his skin, because he couldn’t tolerate the disgusting feelings any longer.

  It was obvious to Hunter that Christophe was up to something, but the only thing he knew was that it probably had something to do with Ryder. It made Hunter nervous and incredibly uncomfortable to think of Christophe taking an interest in Ryder. It was dangerous, especially since Christophe had stated that he understood Hunter’s supposed “infatuation” with Ryder. That comment didn’t sit well with Hunter at all. What kind of an interest had Christophe taken in Ryder?

  The whole thing made Hunter want to punch something to alleviate the pressure building up inside of him. He could only hope that his next client was in the mood for something rough, because Hunter had a lot of aggression that needed an outlet. All of Hunter’s rage, humiliation, and uncertainty were begging to be let loose, but he couldn’t allow them to manifest in anything other than a willing patron.

  Thinking about such things was accomplishing nothing other than upsetting Hunter further, so he forcibly pushed the thoughts from his mind as he finally found sanctuary in his private shower. Instead of dwelling on thoughts of Christophe’s plotting or Jake’s attempts at shaking his resolve, Hunter did something he rarely allowed himself to do: he submersed himself in memories of Ryder for a shameful moment of comfort that he was desperately in need of. It felt like weakness—hell, it was weakness, of the most humiliating kind—but in the safety of his solitude, Hunter allowed himself to think about how it had felt to embrace Ryder from behind in the bath. It was a moment that had brought him such a rare moment of peace.

  It was too dangerous to remember the embrace in bed with Ryder, which had moved Hunter’s heart in ways he couldn’t acknowledge.

  Although Ryder had contemplated staying at Cole Corporation to confront Jake, he decided against it. They had already caused enough problems for one night, plus Ryder wanted to get as far away from Christophe as humanly possible. He was still deeply disturbed by his encounter with the older man, which was almost enough to distract Ryder from the Jake situation. Almost.

  The only other option was to return home, but the thought of being trapped inside with only his thoughts was daunting. However, after aimlessly wandering for a while, Ryder’s exhaustion ultimately won out, and he returned to the apartment he shared with his uncle and cousin. Taking off his shoes in the entry alcove, Ryder listened for any trace of his relatives, and heard none. He then gave in to the urge to slam the door as hard as he could, swearing loudly when it still wasn’t enough to calm the firestorm of emotions within him.

  Ryder stood in the middle of the entranceway, trembling with the force of his rage when he heard hurried footsteps approaching. Bracing himself for a conversation that he wasn’t ready to have, Ryder mentally cursed when Kyle appeared, his wide eyes full of worry.

  “What happened?” Kyle asked in a bewildered tone as he tried to assess the situation. Everything had been fine when he had left earlier, thus it was a complete shock to see Ryder in such a state. Normally, Ryder was always so calm and collected, so to see him that worked up was shocking.

  “I wasn’t aware that you were home,” Ryder quietly replied, rather than answering the question. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  “What happened?” Kyle repeated, still stunned at Ryder’s demeanor.

  Ryder could only stare at Kyle, as if that action alone could somehow convey the horrible night. He felt a strange fear that verbally relating the events would make them real, that it would actually mean Jake was with Hunter right now. If Ryder thought about what they might be doing, he would need to do far more than slam a door to appease his rage.

  Ryder could only manage to shake his head, unable to relate the horrors of the evening.

  Kyle implored, “Ryder, please tell me.”

  As tempting as it was to unleash his pent-up anger, Ryder gruffly refused, “I can’t.” Jake had been friends with Kyle since high school, and Ryder had naturally become part of that group when he moved in with his cousin. Ryder didn’t want his problems to impact Kyle’s friendship with Jake. “Not right now.”

  “Did you fight with Hunter?” Kyle guessed, trying not to take it personally when Ryder walked away from him.

  “No,” Ryder tersely answered as he headed to the kitchen.

  Kyle followed him in the hopes of getting an answer, nervously watching as Ryder got a glass of water with hands that were noticeably shaking. “About Hunter?” Kyle hesitantly asked, noticing that Ryder’s fingers tightened around the glass. “With Jake?”

  Looking down at the kitchen floor as he leaned against the counter, Ryder held off replying. His silence was an obvious answer, but Ryder took a steady breath before requesting, “Can we please talk about this later? I can’t do this right now.”

  “I’m always willing to listen,” Kyle reassured him.

  Giving Kyle a small smile, Ryder thanked him. “I appreciate it.”

  They remained in silence for a short time as Kyle struggled to come up with an excuse to stay in Ryder’s presence a little longer, to make sure that he was okay.

  Ryder was the first to break the silence as he inquired, “How was Emily?” He would do anything to keep his mind off of what was happening, even if it meant asking questions he didn’t give a damn about the answers to at the moment.

  “She’s a little stressed over a presentation that she has to give next week, but other than that she’s fine,” Kyle answered, recognizing Ryder’s attempt to change the subject. “She says hi, by the way. You really should come out with us sometime.”

  “Maybe next time,” Ryder replied, knowing that it was important to Kyle.

  The calm moment was interrupted by a loud knock on the door, causing Ryder to immediately tense, suspecting who was on the other side. “Don’t answer it,” Ryder told Kyle, downing the rest of his water and setting aside the empty glass before he gave in to the temptation to break it.

  “Damn it, Ryder! I know you’re in there!” Jake yelled as he started pounding on the door, oblivious to the neighbors. “Come out here and face me!”

  Kyle looked at Ryder in astonishment, wondering what exactly had happened earlier in the evening to change things so drastically. “Maybe I should tell him you’re not home?” Kyle meekly suggested.

  Before Ryder could reject the idea, the door was slammed open with a loud thud. Ryder cursed again as he realized that he forgotten to lock the door behind him when Kyle had distracted him.

  “What, are you too ashamed to face me?” Jake yelled, reviving Ryder’s anger.

  Storming to the entranceway where Jake was waiting, Ryder coldly ordered, “Get. Out.”

  “No!” Jake defiantly shouted as he slammed the door shut behind him to prove a point.

  “Get the fuck out of my apartment!” Ryder commanded, his voice rising in anger.

  Rolling his eyes, Jake pointed out, “It’s not your apartment, it’s your uncle’s.”

  “It doesn’t matter whose apartment it is,” Ryder seethed, “I want you to get the fuck out of here!”

  Kyle realized things were getting out of hand, and he wanted to avoid the neighbors calling the cops. He walked over to the feuding friends and tried to intervene. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but—”

  “Why don’t you tell him, Ryder?” Jake goaded with a sneer.

  “Leave him out of it!” Ryder snapped, his hand
s tightening into fists.

  Ignoring Ryder, Jake told Kyle, “Ryder’s been betraying all of us by fucking Hunter! That filthy fucking whore!”

  “Jake!” Kyle exclaimed in shock, his brown eyes wide in disbelief. “How can you say that about Hunter?”

  “Because I caught these two assholes—”

  Slamming Jake against the nearest wall and causing him to flinch in pain, Ryder hissed, “Shut the fuck up and leave!”

  Jake shoved himself off the wall to break Ryder’s grasp on him. “No!” Jake refused, resisting the urge to hold his shoulder. “Why the hell should I listen to you when you fuck him?”

  “Who I fuck is of no concern to you!” Ryder adamantly yelled.

  “It is when it’s him!” Jake shot back, his disgust evident in his tone and expression.

  Ryder asked, “Why? What difference does it make? How does that have any impact on you?”

  “Because you’re supposed to be my goddamn friend and you’re fucking my worst enemy!” Jake yelled.

  Ryder was still unclear over the origins of the animosity between the two men, but it wasn’t about that at the moment. “But if you’re my friend, you should support me—”

  “Not when it’s him!” Jake vehemently objected. “Out of everyone in that damn building, why did you have to choose him?”

  “Why do I have to justify my decisions to you?” Ryder continued arguing, refusing to back down.

  “I would at least understand if you were doing it to humiliate him,” Jake said, his voice finally lowering. “Or if you were using it as an opportunity to punish him for being such a dick to all of us or something! At least that would make sense to me!”

  Although Kyle had largely been silent since the fight had started, he couldn’t help himself from interjecting, “Jake, that’s terrible! How could you even suggest such a thing?”

  “Because I refuse to believe that Ryder’s going to see that bastard because he enjoys it,” Jake told Kyle, sounding anguished. “That’s too disgusting!”