“I need cuffs,” I told him. I didn’t want to shoot the shit with him. I wanted to get this over then go back to avoiding him. It was for the best.
Ryan dug around and produced the hand cuffs I needed. I lifted my hand, palm up, silently asking for them. He shook his head then bent at the knees to handle the guy I had shot.
While Ryan turned him over on his stomach I kept my gun raised. There were ten of these men with weapons. I had taken down one so we were still looking at nine.
“Anybody have anything?” I asked.
“Negative,” both Mace and Cade said.
Out of my peripheral vision I noticed that Ryan had the guy thrown over his shoulder. He nodded his head to the back of the house. I trailed behind Ryan, keeping my eyes and ears peeled.
There was on awkward air to Ryan and me. I wouldn’t look in his eyes and I was obviously being short with him. He had to know after three months of silence that what we did that night was a one-time thing.
A shot rang in the air followed by another behind me. Ryan and I ran around one side of the house to dodge the oncoming bullets. Ryan threw down the guy and laid him up against the wall. I peeked my head around the corner and was greeted to a bullet in the house right next to my head.
Damn, these men can’t aim!
I spun around aimed my gun in the direction of the shots and pulled my trigger three times. Two men fell out from behind a tree, groaning. I loved this! I was going to have to come out with the guys more often, if I could talk them into it.
I have always been an adrenaline junkie, but this, being out in the field…It was a whole different feeling. The rush of taking one down. Although this wasn’t my first time it felt like it, considering I hadn’t done it in six months.
“Holy shit,” I heard behind me.
Ryan was standing behind me, hands on his hips with a look of pride, awe, and lust in his eyes. Eyes that were no longer sky blue, but smoky gray, like a storm cloud. The last time I had seen that color he was balls deep in my pussy.
That look instantly damped my lace panties. I had Ryan once and I had thought it would curb my appetite from him, but it only made the hunger stronger. I knew the way his cock twitched violently when he was close to coming. Knowing that only made me want him more.
As if I was being pulled, I began to walk the short distance to him. My head screamed at me to stop, begged me to. But I couldn’t. I felt as if there was a magnetic charge, forcing me to him. From the dark glint in his eyes, Ryan felt it too.
I reached Ryan and placed my hands on his hips. I needed some kind of contact, something to anchor me to this moment. Ryan lifted his hand, fitting it to my cheek. He put his thumb under my jaw and lifted my face. My breathing was heaving, causing my pebbled nipples to rasp against his hard, muscled chest. Our bodies molded together and I could feel his hard cock twitch against my stomach. Just as Ryan had bent his head Mace and Cade came running toward us.
I stepped away, putting much needed distance between Ryan and me. I could feel the lusty haze being cleared and wanted to punch myself for being so close to Ryan. For almost kissing him. For allowing myself to feel. Stupid, stupid girl! My mind screamed at me.
“You guys okay?” Mace asked, looking back and forth between Ryan and me. As far as I knew nobody knew about what happened. I wanted it to stay that way.
“Heard gun shots,” Cade rumbled.
I pointed in the direction of the tree where the other men had been shot. Cade jogged over to them and put them in handcuffs. I peeked at Ryan from under my lashes and noticed he was staring at me with open curiosity.
I didn’t have any answers I could give him. Had I been any other woman, I would be all over Ryan. I would have already established a relationship with him. But I wasn’t normal, far from it. I couldn’t give Ryan the life that he would eventually want.
I was finally home from a long day at work. I had poured myself a glass of wine and I was so ready to relax with a good book.
I knew that I would never find love for myself so I read other people’s love stories. It was nice to put my life on the back burner and delve into a good love story.
I had just cracked open my latest book when my phone rang. I groaned. I knew who it would be and I certainly didn’t want to talk to him.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Report,” he barked.
“Nothing new today, sir. I’ve gone through every piece of paper in that building and there is nothing to report.” I gulped the rest of my wine and walked to the kitchen to get more. I needed the liquid courage to get through this phone call.
“I’ve found out why you’ve been there for six months and haven’t gotten any closer to closing this,” Boss grumbled.
“And why is that?” I inquired. I wanted to get the hell of the phone and read before I had to head to bed so I was cutting straight to the point.
“Because the answers aren’t within that office, but Ryan Lukas Huntley sure could give you the answers.”
My wine spewed out of my mouth and all over my coffee table. What the hell did Ryan have to do with any of this? Ah, fuck. If he did have something to do with it then I was going to have to cuddle up to him.
“So what does Ryan have to do with this?” I choked out. I was trying to catch my breath after choking on my wine.
“Ex-girlfriend of his. He was with her for a few years. He tried getting her clean, but had no luck. That ex will lead you to everything you need to know.”
“So basically you’re telling me that I need to get close to him?” I hoped like hell that this was just one big joke. I couldn’t get close to Ryan. That would not end well…
“Yes Lot, that’s what I’m telling you,” Boss said and I wanted to scream at him, but I knew that wasn’t an option. Boss would kick my ass if I yelled him.
“Yes sir. I’ll get on it tomorrow,” I told him in an aggravated tone then hung the phone up. I set it down beside me on the couch and flopped my head back.
I was going to have to go against everything I knew and get close to Ryan. For 16 years I had no one and it needed to stay that way, for the safety of others and myself. I guarded my heart for important reasons. Reasons that I kept to myself and always would. I couldn’t let Ryan penetrate those walls. I was just going to have to reinforce those walls in steel and make damn sure Ryan couldn’t get in.
I got off the couch in search of something to mop up my wine mess. When I was done cleaning up I contemplated reading. I really wanted to, but my head was pounding. I needed to get my sleep so I could prepare for the day ahead of me.
I stepped into my small room and stripped out of my clothes. I loved sleeping naked. It felt so freeing.
I slipped under my warm covers and sighed.
I loved my bed.
Unfortunately thoughts of Ryan once again filtered into my mind. The gray storm clouds that were his eyes when he was horny. The way his full lips turned into a smirk when I cried out in ecstasy. There was no point in denying the attraction between us. The sparks that flew when our eyes met. But I couldn’t act on that attraction again, as much as I wanted to. There was just something about Ryan. Something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. He was tender in one way, but rough in another sense. I didn’t know what it was, but I wanted to find out. I wanted to unravel his secrets and let him bare all to me.
I turned on my side, fluffed my pillow then turned my mind off. Shortly after closing my eyes, reality dimmed and I drifted into dreamland.
Chapter Two
Ryan
Sloane had been avoiding me for three months. Three long fucking months. But that shit was over today. I was not going to allow her to keep avoiding me. It had gone on longer than it needed.
That night we fucked was something else. As soon as I heard the front door shut behind her, rage had filled my insides. I had thought she had felt something. At the time I had thought I was reading too much into it.
I believed that Sloane’s attitude was an act. I
believed she was protecting herself. From what? I wasn’t sure, but I intended to find out. Those mysterious green eyes were hiding something and I wanted to know what it was.
It was the day after the shoot-out and I was currently in the elevator, going up to the office, hopefully Sloane was already in, but it was doubtful considering she was usually the last one in.
I strode out of the elevator, noticing the front desk was empty. Scrubbing a hand over my face, I groaned out loud in frustration.
Mace, seemingly having heard me, asked, “Problems, man?”
I removed my hand, noting him standing before me with his arms crossed over his chest. I caught a glimpse of the gold wedding band he was wearing on his finger. It still shocked me to this day to see him wearing it, I never thought he would have been one to settle down.
“You have no idea.” I mimicked his position, up against the front desk, where Sloane worked every day.
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with that intimate embrace I saw yesterday, would it?” His smirk grew larger, as if he had figured everything out.
“It may have a little to do with that,” I begrudgingly told him.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, man. The night of your wedding I took her back to my place and we drank. Little while later things got out of hand, one thing led to another, and we ended up screwing. She’s been avoiding me since,” I told him, surprisingly, the truth.
I had never been open about my sex life. There was never anything to tell. Fuck, come, leave. That was it. I didn’t stop to get numbers. Didn’t stop to cuddle. I only needed one thing from them, their pussy to come in. That may make me sound like a fucking douche-canoe, but I had been screwed over too many times to give a shit.
When I found the woman’s bed I wanted to occupy for the night I made it clear that it was only for the night. I made sure that whoever it was understood that I didn’t want anything more than a one-night stand. If they weren’t up for it then I would go onto the next. I didn’t need a clinger. I didn’t want a woman that thought she could make me fall in love. I had done that once and once was one too many times.
But Sloane…She made me think differently. I didn’t think I was going to fall in love with her, but I thought something could happen with us. The thought both thrilled and terrified me. I had been hurt enough. Sloane wasn’t the type of woman to hurt a man, but break him. She would tear him in two. There was no way to recover from a woman like Sloane.
“Shit, dude. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Mace asked, holding some hurt in his tone. He was my best friend, my brother. I knew that I could talk to him about anything, but I felt that Sloane was something I needed to figure out on my own.
“Don’t get upset. Sloane is something I needed to work out on my own.”
“Well it took long enough.” He laughed and shook his head.
“What took him long enough?” Sloane’s sweet, but slightly husky voice asked behind me.
“Getting here.” I turned around and my words were nearly trapped in my throat. Sloane was dressed to kill. She had on a black dress that hit just above the knee. The front showed enough cleavage to have my mouth watering, but was still considered professional. On her feet were sky-blue ‘fuck-me’ heels. Thoughts of those heels wrapped around my waist filled my head and I could feel my cock straining against my zipper.
“Oh, that’s odd. Is everything okay, Ryan?” She asked in a sugary sweet tone.
Why the hell is she acting so nice?
“Uhm…yeah, everything is fine,” I mumbled, scratching the back of my neck.
I glanced at Mace, silently asking him to leave us so I could talk to her. He nodded his head then kissed Sloane on the top of her head, causing me to growl.
I didn’t know why I growled. It was irrational, Mace had a wife that he loved dearly. I knew that he had no romantic feelings for Sloane, but he was always so protective of her.
“I’ll talk to you guys later,” he said then strolled back into his office at the end of the hall.
I looked back at Sloane and noticed she was fidgeting nervously. I couldn’t help but grin. Who knew she could get nervous? She was usually so calm and collected.
“We need to talk.” I took a stand at the front of her desk so she was forced to look at me.
“Yes, I suppose we do,” she sighed and finally looked me in the eyes.
“You decide that you’re tired of avoiding me?”
“What? No…I mean I wasn’t avoiding you,” she stammered then bit her lip.
“Don’t lie to me, Sloane.” I moved to stand before her and titled her chin up. Her dark green eyes were wide, searching mine to see if I was pissed.
“Look,” she huffed out a pent up breath, “I don’t ever do stuff like that. I was embarrassed with myself so I ran. I didn’t want you to think I was that type of girl.”
She sure as fuck didn’t act embarrassed when she slid her dress off for me. Or when she took my cock in her mouth. She was a brazen woman so I didn’t believe for a second that she was embarrassed by her actions. I would let her have her lie, for now. She was obviously hiding something from me for a reason.
“You can make it up to me with dinner at my place, okay?” My tone suggested that there was no other answer than yes.
She raised her eyebrows, seemingly shocked with my dinner offer, “Well…I guess. I’m not doing anything.” She smiled largely.
“Good. Come over at 7,” I bent my head, moved close to her mouth then moved to her cheek last minute. I heard a rough breath escape her lips, making me grin.
She could try and run from me, but she wouldn’t get far. Something about Sloane made me want to be around her. Whether it be fucking, cuddling, or just hanging out. Her personality drew you in and didn’t let you go. There was also a hint of vulnerability hidden somewhere deep within those dark, green eyes. Vulnerability that made me want to cuddle her, hug her, and to be tender. I wasn’t a tender person. I was rough, but Sloane brought out a tender side in me that I wasn’t aware I had.
I pulled away from Sloane and caught a hint of vanilla and chocolate wafting off her. It was the single most erotic smell, which made me want to turn her around and fuck her against her desk.
Mace would kick my ass.
“I’ll text you the address in a little while,” I gave her a chin lift then walked down the hall to my office. I spotted Cade’s open office door as I was walking by. Peering in, I noted that Cade was at his desk, papers scattered everywhere. He looked up at me and shook his head. He must have heard my conversation with Sloane.
Oh well, I thought to myself as I passed his door.
I was back at my place and awaiting Sloane’s arrival. I had some baked spaghetti in the oven along with some toasted garlic bread. I had texted my address to Sloane right before leaving work earlier. We had agreed for her to meet me here at 7, but it was now closing in on 8 and her presence was still absent.
I searched my fridge for some much needed alcohol. I was worried Sloane had stood me up. But I couldn’t understand why I was worried. I had never cared for a woman. Not since my ex. Why would I start to care now? I mean, I knew Sloane was different. She wasn’t my usual type. So why was I so interested in her?
I finally found a beer in the back of my fridge, much to my relief. I had popped the top and taken a swig when I heard my buzzer ring. I set my beer down and answered the intercom, hoping like hell it was Sloane.
“Can I come up?” She asked, almost timidly.
“Sure, come on up.” I buzzed her up then went about pouring her a glass of wine.
A few seconds later I heard a light knock on the door. I noticed my palms beginning to sweat and it frustrated me. I never got nervous around women.
When I opened the door Sloane gave me a gentle, if not, shy smile. She was being coy, and I couldn’t figure out why. I had already buried myself deep insider her so there wasn’t a point in being coy with me.
She had changed out of h
er dress and traded it for khaki shorts, a blue tank-top, and some sandals on her feet. Her dark hair was flowing down her back in a mass of waves. Her makeup was smoky, but still light. She looked fucking gorgeous.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” She smiled a brilliant smile. All perfect white, straight teeth. She enjoyed my reaction to her.
“Oh yeah, sorry. Come in.” I stepped aside and opened the door wider, allowing her enough room to enter.
“Something smells good.” She looked around my house as if she was expecting it to have changed since being here last.
“Dinner. It should be done now,” I headed in the direction of the kitchen and vaguely heard the light tap of Sloane’s sandals.
“What are we having?” She plopped her round ass down at my island while waiting for her question to be answered.
It was quite surreal to have her back here. She had ran out so fast then avoided me at all costs for three months so this was the last place I had expected to see her. I liked having her here though. Her bubbly personality. Her vanilla and chocolate scent trailing and curling around me. Her company was nice.
Instead of answering her verbally I took the bread out of the oven and let her see what we were eating. She smiled sweetly when I set it down. I grinned back at her and turned back to the oven to get the spaghetti out. By the time I had turned around with the pan Sloane was already nibbling on the bread.
“Hungry much?” I asked.
“Oh…Sorry,” her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment, “I haven’t eaten much today.” She dipped her head and let her hair fall like a veil around her face. She was beautiful, not glaringly so, but true natural beauty.
“No, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
She waved her hand, ignoring my apology. “What can I do to help with dinner?” She stood up and placed her hands on her hips.
“You can sit your sweet ass down and drink the wine I poured you before it gets warm.” I raised my eyebrow, daring her to argue. I had always loved a good fight.
The Missing Pieces Page 3
