Just One Kiss (Very Irresistible Bachelors Book 2)

by Layla Hagen

  “God, he’s hot,” one of them murmured. “I’m bagging him tonight.”

  “Is he single?”

  “Ryker? Please, he’s perpetually single. Why would he tie himself down? I mean, look at him. He can probably get a different woman every night.”

  I forced myself to go back to my seat after getting my drink and focused on the music. A ball of unease lodged in my chest. Ryker’s personal life was so easy and free. He was under constant pressure at his job, so he liked to let off steam in his down time. My life was different—planned to the minute. I loved it, and spending time with Avery was my favorite thing to do... but I couldn’t imagine Ryker wanting the same thing.

  These few days were different, because it was just the two of us, but what would happen at the end of the week, when my baby was back home? Ugh, why did I have to get negative? Geez, Heather, enjoy the moment.

  I stared into my orange cocktail, playing with the tiny umbrella that came with it, making myself a promise.

  I’d just enjoy this week, without any what-ifs. After all, I kept telling myself I didn’t want to jump in with both feet again, so why even consider what would happen at the end of the week?

  Looking up, I had my answer right there, on the stage, the second our gazes connected. I always felt so immensely happy when I was around Ryker, as if I was more aware of myself. He magnified every sensation. I hadn’t even known it was possible to feel this way.

  When the set finished, he jumped from the stage right in front of my table. I rose to my feet, grinning.

  “Well, if it’s not the most handsome performer tonight. And the most talented one too.”

  “I did my best. Wanted to impress my beautiful date.”

  “Oh, me?” I feigned surprise. He laughed, tugging at my hand, then kissing me right there in front of everyone. I gave in to him completely, and holy hell, in seconds my underwear felt on fire. Ryker didn’t know how to kiss any other way than smoking hot. “Do you want another drink?” he asked when we pulled apart. The two women I’d overheard earlier looked at us in shock. I tried not to look too smug but failed utterly and completely.

  “No, I’m good. What do you want?”

  “To kiss you some more.” His voice was a little gruff. I loved it.

  “Want to get out of here?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a familiar face. Hank Dawson—he was one of the best reporters in town and had left the competition to build his own news website. What was he doing here? He approached us when he noticed I was watching him.

  “Heather! Haven’t seen each other in a long time.”

  “Hank, hi. Ryker, this is Hank. A brilliant reporter.”

  “Ryker, you’re just the Wall Street man I was hoping to run into. I was wondering if we could chat a bit about the whole Pearman debacle?” Hank took out his phone, no doubt preparing to record. I stilled. Wait, what? He wanted to interview Ryker?

  “That won’t be necessary. Heather’s already got everything covered.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “Word gets around.” Hank placed his phone back in his pocket. What was going on? He’d come here just for that?

  “Ryker, if you change your mind, here is my card.”

  He stretched out his hand.

  “I won’t,” Ryker said in a clipped tone. “Heather, are you ready to go?”

  “Yes.” Draping an arm around my waist, he turned me in the general direction of the door, and we started to make our way through the crowd.

  “Hank just showing up here isn’t good,” I said.

  “It’s a hot topic, Heather.”

  “Hank came here specifically to interview you. He knew you were performing, and that means he’s already put solid work hours into this.”

  I shivered when we stepped outside. The temperature had dropped by a few degrees since I arrived two hours ago.

  “Don’t stress about it, Heather. Not right now, anyway.” He cupped the sides of my neck with his palms, splaying his fingers wide.

  “I don’t think I can stop.”

  He flashed me one of those panty-melting smiles. “Then I need to take your mind off it, don’t I?”

  “I guess you do.” I leaned into him, needing the heat of his body.

  “Are you cold, babe?”

  “A bit. It was warmer when I came.”

  “Here, take this.”

  He shrugged off his jacket, draping it around me. I was already wearing one, but his was so huge that I could just wrap it around me on top of everything I had on. But now he was only wearing a thin shirt.

  “Ryker, you’ll get sick.”

  “Nah, I never get sick. Besides, we’ll get in a car in a few minutes.”

  I cocked a brow, attempting to shrug out of his jacket. Ryker kept his arm firmly around my shoulders. His gaze was unrelenting.

  “You’re so stubborn,” I murmured. “Fine, I’m keeping the jacket.”

  “Right answer.”

  I was melting at his determination to keep me warm, but I didn’t share his confidence about being immune to sickness.

  We bought hot dogs from a stand near the bar and wolfed them down while we waited for our Uber. The second I slid inside the car, it hit me that I was going to Ryker’s place, and I became jittery. I had no idea why I was nervous. After all, he’d been to mine.

  Ryker lived in a gorgeous two-story apartment on the fifty-fourth floor of a Manhattan skyscraper. The master bedroom was on the second floor, the living room and a guest bedroom on the first level. It was exactly what I’d imagined his bachelor pad to look like.

  Modern art paintings were hanging on the pristine white walls. The furniture was in shades of black and dark brown. And the view... oh, the view.

  “Ryker this is beautiful,” I murmured. The city looked so different from up here, magical somehow. It was dark already, but I could imagine that this place was flooded with light during the day.

  I felt him come up behind me, touching my arm, resting his chin in the crook of my neck.

  “I’m glad you like it. I don’t plan to let you out very soon.”

  “Oh, and what do you have in mind to make that happen?”

  “I have a few ideas.” He moved his mouth up my neck, teasing the sensitive skin with his lips. When I felt the tip of his tongue, I shuddered. If there was a better feeling than being wrapped in this man, I didn’t want to know it.

  “Do you want a drink?” he asked.

  “Yes. First things first. You should drink tea.”

  He looked perplexed. “Why?”

  “Preemptive measure against a cold.”

  “Babe, I’m fine.”

  “I want to make sure you’re fine tomorrow too.”

  His gaze softened. “Okay.”

  Adrenaline pumped in my veins. When I was with him, I was able to let go in a way I never had, and just have fun.

  And my belly? A crazy number of butterflies roamed around. I’d almost pushed the incident with Hank out of my mind.

  “You ever work from home?” I asked him.

  “Rarely.”

  “If I lived here, I think I’d never leave. But I can work from anywhere.”

  “You always wanted to be a reporter?”

  “I’ve always wanted to write. Well, books, but you know, I got this job and sort of put everything else on the backburner.”

  “You should try it,” he said with a smile that was contagious. What was it about him that made it so easy not just to voice my dream, but also imagine what it would take to go after it?

  ***

  Ryker

  “How long have you lived here?” she asked while we were waiting for the water to boil in the kitchen. I hadn’t even known I had tea, but Heather found everything in one of the drawers.

  “Two years. Lived further away before, but I wanted to cut the commute as short as possible.”

  “Is this one of Hunte
r’s buildings?”

  “No. They don’t do too many residential projects. I just saw an advertisement for this. After checking it out, I came back with my siblings and Hunter to get their opinion.”

  “You do everything as a group, huh?”

  “A lot of things, yeah. I just trust them, so I know they’ll tell it to me straight.”

  “What do they say about me?”

  “That you’re just what I need.”

  “And what do you think?”

  “They’re right, as usual.”

  She smiled brilliantly. “I like a man who’s not afraid to admit others are right too.”

  I chuckled, taking the cup of tea she handed me. We went to the couch, and I pressed a button to open the doors of the dresser where the TV was hidden.

  “Wow. You have one of those fancy TV sets. It’s like a home cinema.”

  “It’s pretty great, yeah. Want to watch something? Here’s the remote.”

  “Ha! Don’t give me control of that, or you might regret it.”

  “Have at it.” I watched her flick through channels, but I could tell she was still worried about the run-in at the bar.

  I pulled her into my lap. She yelped, letting go of the remote.

  “I can feel you stressing,” I said.

  “I don’t know how to stop.”

  “I do.”

  I ran my fingers from her ankle to her inner thigh, feeling her muscles tighten with tension—but a different kind than before, which was my goal. When I reached the hem of her skirt, she grinned, turning around and straddling me.

  I’d gotten used to being on my own in the apartment, but I wanted this woman here, with me, and I’d never had this impulse before: to want to do everything together, even something as simple as watching TV or talking. It was the first time I was experiencing this, and I wanted to explore every facet of it with Heather.

  We barely slept that night, but I figured we could just sleep in the next morning, since I didn’t have to go to work too early. Except I woke up to a thunderstorm. They weren’t common in April, so the sound startled me out of a deep sleep.

  “Morning.” Heather stood in the doorway of the bedroom, hair damp, wearing my robe. Fuck, she looked good wearing that, walking barefoot around my apartment. I wanted her to feel at home here.

  “Morning. Want to grab breakfast across the street? I have some time before I need to be in the office,” I said.

  “I don’t know. Not really get-out-of-the-house kind of weather.”

  I wiggled my eyebrows. “Are you talking dirty to me?”

  “Nah, just pointing out that staying indoors is a great idea.”

  “I agree. I just have one request.”

  “What?”

  I made a “come here” motion with my finger, and when she was close enough, I undid the tie of her robe. I pulled her closer, until her breasts were right in front of me. I captured one with my mouth, twirling my tongue around the nipple. Heather moaned, tugging at my hair, pressing herself into me. I loved how easily she responded to me. I ran my fingers up her inner thigh slowly, savoring every inch of soft skin I touched. I’d never tire of exploring her, of finding new ways to turn her on, to bring her pleasure. Her skin turned to goose bumps as I touched her further up. I smiled against her breast. Heather groaned, taking a step back, carefully tying the belt again.

  I grabbed her by the waist, pulling her closer, until she toppled on the bed.

  She shrieked with laughter.

  “What are you doing?” she asked in between fits of laughter.

  “Having my way with you.”

  “Oh, I see. By all means, don’t let me deter you.”

  “So you’re surrendering, just like that?”

  She batted her eyelashes, pulling me closer.

  “No. I’m going to use it as a negotiation point later on.”

  “I see.”

  “I’m redefining the parameters of staying inside. Let’s stay in bed.”

  She flashed a wide smile, throwing herself on her back before turning on one side and shoving a pillow under her head.

  “I can do that. I’m glad you don’t have a cold.”

  “Told you I never get sick.”

  “Well, since we’re staying indoors, I can make us some breakfast.”

  “That can wait.”

  She gave me a shrewd smile, narrowing her eyes. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re enjoying this.”

  I reached for her, cupping her cheek. I wasn’t sure how to put everything into words. How much I liked what we had.

  “I like having you here.” In an instant, I pulled her underneath me. Her eyes widened, but her mouth tilted up at the corners.

  “Heather, I like spending time with you more than anything else. No matter what we do, I always think about you. You’re always on my mind.”

  “Does that scare you?”

  “No. Because I know I’m exactly where I need to be.”

  Her eyes widened, as if she hadn’t expected this. I hadn’t really expected it either, but it was exactly how I felt, and I wanted her to know it.

  I moved my mouth on her jaw until my lips hovered just over hers. Lowering a hand between us, I went straight for the belt, undoing it, letting the robe fall to the sides, running my mouth downward in a straight path. I’d been clamoring for this skin-on-skin since I woke up. I took my time, touching every curve with my fingers before running my mouth over them too. Her skin turned to goose bumps. When I kissed a straight line between her breasts, she opened her legs wider. I was already rock-hard, but this one gesture just drove me insane.

  She looked down at me while I was teasing her navel, running my tongue around it before dragging the tip of my nose down her pubis. She dug her fingers in the mattress, pulling at the sheet. I could feel her hold her breath in anticipation of me going even lower. I moved up instead. She groaned in protest.

  “You’re cheating,” she whispered when I was face-to-face with her again.

  “Thought you didn’t want to play along.”

  She narrowed her eyes.

  “I didn’t say that. Just thought we should get breakfast first.”

  “And what’s the verdict?” I asked in between kissing her shoulder.

  “That you’re at peak performance even on an empty stomach.”

  “I love how easily I can win you over.”

  “Hey, I’m a tough negotiator, but I accept a good argument when I get one.”

  “And promising to make you come is a good argument?”

  “The best one.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  She grinned. “Please do.”

  I tickled her, and she just dissolved into laughter. This felt so incredibly powerful. The way she gave in to me more every time. She was exploring this with me, each of us going at our own pace. But the one thing she didn’t know yet was that I had big plans for us this week.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Heather

  Ryker somehow talked me into staying with him the whole week. I didn’t even remember how that came about, but safe to say, the man was very persuasive. I’d worked out of his apartment, except for a morning I went into headquarters to talk to Danielle about Hank. She was just as in the dark as I was and advised me to forget about it and focus on my article.

  “Damn, how did this week go by so fast?” I asked Ryker on Sunday evening.

  “Time flies when you’re in great company,” he said. We were in his master bathroom, each at a sink. He’d just finished shaving and was now applying aftershave. I was pulling my hair into a ponytail.

  I grinned in the mirror, elbowing him lightly. “You’re a bit too full of yourself, you know that right, Flirt?”

  “You mean I don’t deserve the moniker?”

  “Hmm... I don’t know. I think I need some time to make up my mind.”

  I lowered my eyes to the sink, washing my hands carefully. We hadn’t spoken about what would happen once the we
ek came to an end. I had to pick up Avery from JFK in two hours, and then what?

  “Well, why don’t I convince you some more over dinner. Steaks?”

  “Oh, I can’t. I’m picking up Avery soon.”

  I phrased it as neutrally as possible, not wanting him to think I had any expectations. I was still washing my hands under the warm stream of water, though there wasn’t any soap left. When Ryker turned off the tap, I snapped my gaze up, wincing when I met his eyes in the mirror. It was hard and focused, determined.

  “We’re picking Avery up.” He came right next to me, bringing one hand to my face, tilting my head up, watching me, his eyes unwavering.

  “I didn’t... I didn’t want to assume,” I whispered.

  “Heather, this wasn’t just a week of fun for me. I want to be part of your life. Avery’s life.”

  I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to, but I didn’t. I wanted to listen to this man forever.

  “You mean it?” I whispered. Damn, why did I have to sound so insecure? I was a grown woman, and I’d come through even when life had thrown huge curveballs my way.

  He whirled me around, cupping my cheek, looking straight at me, as if the eye contact through the mirror wasn’t enough and he wanted the real deal.

  “Fuck, yes, I mean it. What we’re doing here means a lot to me, Heather. I know it’s not what either of us was expecting, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real. It fucking is—the most real thing that’s ever happened to me—the best. You’re mine, Heather.”

  I was speechless. I had no idea what to say back. My whole body was vibrating with awareness, with the need to be even closer to him. I tugged at his shirt, bringing him an inch closer. I caught a glimpse of his smile before he kissed me so hard that I had to grip the sink for support with one hand. I wrapped the other one in his shirt, not particularly caring that I was wrinkling it. I just wanted him to feel how much his words meant to me, how desperately I wanted this to work even though I was still terrified I might end up brokenhearted.

  Ryker’s kiss was feral. He bit my tongue lightly before exploring me further. He was kissing me as if he wanted to claim me right here, right now, and I wanted nothing more than to surrender.