by MJ Carnal
Taming
The
Playboy
A Dickerman/
Moretti Novel
By MJ Carnal
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 by MJ Carnal, author. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding rights, contact the publisher.
Cover photo by Eric Wainwright, Wainwright Images, Portland, Oregon.
Cover Model: Alex Michael Turner, www.facebook.com/alexmichaelturner
Book cover by Dawn of Dark Dawn Creations
First Edition August 2013
The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked names and owners.
Dedication
For Mom, for always being my biggest fan.
For Alex, Eric and Bryson for making the book cover an adventure
&
For Levi, for kicking cancer’s ass
Prologue
Layla smiled up at Mark with tears in her eyes. She had been a Los Angeles resident for a total of two hours and already, her life had changed. Her sister was pregnant. “I’m going to be an aunt.”
Mark’s smile lit up his face. Things might be a little rocky between her sister and Mark, but Layla was convinced their love would weather any storm. She looked back at the ultrasound picture, wiped her tears, and handed the photo back to Mark.
Her skin tingled. Ryan West, all six foot four inches of pure gorgeous muscle and sex, sat only inches from her at the kitchen bar. The first time she had ever seen him, her heart did a back flip. The second time, and most memorable by far, he held her close during several slow dances at a wedding and she had stopped breathing. She fit in his arms like she had been made to be there. And a million thoughts and hot dreams later, here he sat, smiling at her, warming her belly and causing goose bumps to take over her arms.
The thoughts she had about him were crazy. Layla loved playing the field. She loved having fun and living life and not having to answer to anyone but herself. Relationships weren’t part of the routine for her. And they wouldn’t be now. But what she wouldn’t give to sink her teeth into this hunk of man just once. Was he light years out of her league? Absolutely but it didn’t matter. If he gave her the time of day, she would jump at the chance.
Layla glanced over at her luggage and back to the man that gave her butterflies. “Come on Ryan, be my hero and help me get my bags up to my room. Make yourself useful.”
Ryan winked at her, picking up her four suitcases and following her up the two flights of stairs that would take her to her new room. She walked in front of him and he couldn’t help but take in the view. Her long black hair hung down the middle of her back and looked like silk. Her arms were toned and covered in tattoos. She smelled like vanilla. He shook his head to clear his mind. She was off limits. Not only was this Mark’s soon to be sister in law, but she was not the typical kind of girl he slept with. She was strong and slightly aggressive. Maybe that is why his heart was beating like crazy behind his rib cage.
“Did you hear me?” She smiled at him.
Busted. “I’m sorry. No. What did you say?” He was embarrassed as he put the suitcases down.
She stood there with a smirk on her face. “So I hear you’re the playboy of the group. Would that be an accurate assumption since you weren’t even trying to hide the fact that you were just checking me out?”
Ryan laughed. She was fearless. He liked that. “I like the view. I’d like it better if you weren’t wearing so much.”
She pulled her tank top over her head and dropped it to the floor. “Better?”
Ryan sat down on the bed, crossed his ankles and laced his fingers together behind his head. “Getting there. What else you got?”
Layla unbuttoned her jeans and shimmied out of them. She was now wearing nothing but her black heels and a lace red bra and panty set. Ryan shifted on the bed trying to loosen his shorts that were quickly becoming too tight. She grinned knowing she was getting to him. “You doing ok there slick?”
Ryan’s hand went to the bulge in his pants. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone. That smart mouth was his undoing. “I am better than ok.”
She took two steps toward him. “If that’s the case, you have exactly one minute to prove to me why the girls fall at your feet.”
He launched himself from the bed. His mouth found hers and he moaned when she opened for him. The kiss was full of desperation. He yanked the lace aside and his fingers found her, hot and ready. Sliding two fingers inside her, he bent them forward and she almost came apart. “Holy shit.” She panted as her legs became weak.
“What’s the matter? Nobody able to find that spot before baby?” Ryan’s eyes were hooded and full of lust. He continued to pump into her, each stroke becoming slicker and more desperate.
Layla threw her arms around his neck to steady herself. Her breathing was erratic and her legs shook beneath her. She felt the orgasm building and it was more powerful than anything she had ever felt before. “I’m going to come.”
Ryan smiled and looked her in the eyes. “Isn’t that the whole point of this?” One more stroke and that was all it took. She came apart around his fingers. He pulled them out, licked them and his brain went wild. Her taste was amazing. He wanted her. And he wanted her now. “You convinced yet? Or do you need more?”
“Am I convinced? Yes. Do I want more? Hell yes.” Layla was out of breath. She yanked at his shirt, pulling it over his head and gasped. Ryan was muscle covered in muscle. His hard chest begged to be touched. She reached up and touched some of the tattoos on his arms. He hissed as she leaned forward and traced his nipple with her tongue.
“I don’t do relationships. I am not looking for anything. This is a one time thing. You ok with that?” Ryan kissed her neck, her jaw and then tugged her ear with his teeth.
She fumbled with the button on his shorts. When it came loose, she shoved his boxers and shorts down together and licked her lips as she ran her hand up and down his hard length. “Yes. Once. I don’t want a boyfriend. Never have.”
He climbed off of her and pulled a condom from his wallet. She watched as he rolled it down his erection. He was sex on legs and he knew it. She shivered remembering the orgasm he had given her only minutes prior. “Hurry,” she pulled him on top of her and he entered her slowly. She bit her lip as they started to move together in perfect unison.
Chapter 1
Ryan pulled his shirt over his head and wrapped his towel around his neck. His ten mile run did little to clear his head. His muscles ached but nothing compared to the ache in his chest where his heart beat its betrayal. Pulling a bottle of water from the refrigerator, he opened the cap and chugged the entire thing. Her memory haunted him.
He ran his hand through his sweaty, dark hair and threw his Red Sox cap onto his desk. He knew this was nonsense. His days of partying with multiple women were his trademark. There was never just one that stuck with him. He growled as he sat down at his desk. “This is ridiculous,” he mumbled to himself.
It was simple. He lived by three rules. The first and most important rule, never get attached. The second rule, work hard but play harder. And the third, one night stands meant one night. He didn’t do relationships. That was plain and simple. The only commitments he made were to his family and to his group of friends. If you didn’t fit into one of those groups, Ryan West was not a permanent fixture in your life.
“I know that look.” Kevin Merck threw his
towel at Ryan. “And I have never seen that look on your face before. Who is she?”
Ryan looked up at his coworker and laughed. “You have lost your mind, dude. There isn’t a woman in this world that could make me have a look.”
“It happens to the best of us, man.” Kevin laughed as he sorted the mail into stacks.
“It doesn’t happen to me. That is a well known fact. Did you forget who you are talking to?”
“Give me a break, West. I haven’t seen you hit a club or a chick in months.” Ryan shrugged and picked up his mail. “Here. Enjoy.” Kevin threw a magazine on his desk and left the office.
Ryan held the August edition of Los Angeles Confidential Magazine and smiled. Staring back at him from the front cover was a picture of him, taken during a photo shoot a few months prior. He chuckled as he read the article.
Ryan West had moved to Los Angeles at the age of eleven. After his diagnosis of Leukemia, his parents felt that they should leave the suburbs of Boston for a more holistic approach to a cure. He had spent the first six months of his time in Los Angeles visiting healers, having acupuncture and massage and becoming more ill. When the doctors gave his family the grim news that the Leukemia was not responding, he underwent chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. His life had been turned upside down. A whole year had been lost to aggressive treatments and after spending his sixth grade year in a hospital bed, he vowed to never take life for granted.
Completely bald and with a battered body, Ryan took the halls of Beverly Vista Middle school by storm. His first day of school, he met a very outspoken Mark Moretti, a very wild Caleb Allen and very reserved Rich Dickerman and became a permanent fixture of what the teachers called the Moretti Brothers. He excelled at sports and academics and even at a young age, his focus on healthy living never wavered. His zest for life was matched only by his love of the opposite sex. He made a pact with his friends that they would live the high life together, promising to maintain bachelor status for life. It seemed like such a simple idea to a young mind.
Ryan attended UCLA on a baseball scholarship and set his sites on the major leagues and the Boston Red Sox. His sophomore year began with a health scare that required five rounds of chemotherapy and marked the end of his college career. Being unable to play baseball, his scholarship was dissolved and Ryan spent the remainder of what would have been his UCLA days, living with Caleb and Mark and studying physical therapy at the local community college. He had made a career out of physical fitness and had become one of the most popular trainers in LA.
Los Angeles Confidential had asked to interview him when they learned of some of his famous clients and the difference Ryan was making through his non profit foundation, Save LA Youth. The reporter had taken one look at him and fallen hard. His pictures scattered the pages of the article and adorned the front page.
The cell phone rang and startled him. “Ryan West.”
Mark’s voice yelled through the phone. “How is my favorite celebrity today? Just picked up my copy of the magazine. Why didn’t you tell us you got the cover? I walked right off the curb when I saw your ugly mug staring back at me.”
Ryan laughed. “I hope you twisted your ankle.”
“Is that any way to talk to the man who has four tables reserved at Foxtail tonight at 8:00? Dinner and drinks on me and Sophie. We will see you there.” Mark hung up without waiting for a response.
“You have plans tonight Kev?” Ryan yelled out into the gym. “Dinner and Drinks tonight at 8. I need a new wingman.”
Tonight, he would get her out of his system. Tonight he would cuddle up to a warm body and remind himself that he was a playboy. It was now or never. Ryan scrubbed his hand down his face. He hoped she wouldn’t be there.
****
Ryan stepped into Foxtail right on time. His jeans hung low on his hips, showing off his narrow waist. His red shirt hugged his shoulders and his muscles rippled underneath. His dark hair stuck up on top, like he had just gotten out of bed and his brown eyes sparkled when he smiled. He turned heads everywhere he went. He spent more nights than he could count bedding his female admirers and had a black book full of midnight calls he could count on.
Spotting his friends in the corner, Ryan waved. He ordered a beer and took a seat next to Mark. Surveying the table, he took in all the smiling faces. When his gaze landed on Layla, he had to swallow around the lump in his throat. This was going to be a long night.
“Congrats brother. We had no idea we were in the company of a VIP.”
“Bite me Moretti.” Ryan took a long pull of his beer. “I have been telling you assholes for years that I am a legend.”
“And he’s humble.” Layla smiled and held up her beer as his friends laughed. “I might need a personal trainer since I now live in the land of the beautiful.”
“Lay, you don’t need the kind of help Ryan can give you.” Mark put his arm around his soon to be sister in law.
Ryan felt an overwhelming urge to growl. His lips formed a straight line and his eyes narrowed. The green eyed monster had reared its ugly head and had taken a seat in Ryan’s lap. Clearing his throat, Ryan looked at Layla. “I will help you anytime. I’m in the gym until six everyday and then can be wherever you need me, whenever you need me.”
“That almost sounded like a come on. And seriously, Ryan, you cannot get near my sister. I won’t let that happen.” Sophie sipped her water and rubbed her slightly rounded, pregnant belly.
“I hope it’s a come on. This man has turned into a monk. I don’t think he has gotten laid in weeks.” Kevin chuckled.
Everyone looked up at Ryan. Layla’s jaw dropped. “Oh give me a break. My conquests are legendary. And don’t worry, I am getting back in the game tonight. The waitress will be screaming my name in about an hour.” Ryan winked at her as she dropped off some shots. She smiled back and batted her eyelashes his way.
“What’s with the vow of celibacy?” Mark laughed.
Layla made eye contact with Ryan and blushed. Their secret was safe for now. But he knew they could never make that mistake again. He would never settle down. He lived life to the fullest and that did not include being tied down to one person. He guessed Layla was different. Her love of adventure and family made her the perfect woman, for someone else. She loved children and had dedicated her life to being an interpreter for hearing disabled youth. He would not have children. He had watched his parents go through his illness with heavy hearts and a broken bank account. He would not pass his genes down to another person.
The conversation turned to the article and his dedication to the youth of LA. His program had provided free healthcare to the less fortunate. He worked side by side with the same doctors that had saved his life nearly seventeen years before. Countless people worked tirelessly to make sure the underprivileged had preventative health screenings and if cancer was detected, Ryan made sure he was available as a resource during treatment. Layla had listened and held her breath as she heard the story of his Leukemia. Her face had paled as she heard about the diagnosis and the difficult time his family had during treatment. She had winked at him when he made eye contact and watched him when he wasn’t looking.
After more shots than Ryan could count and a belly full of terrible food, he stood and made his way to the back of the club. His mind had stayed focused on Layla all evening. He had watched her mouth as she spoke and her tongue as she licked her lips. Her dark eyes had met his a few times and held. His temperature had risen and his pants had become tight. When he couldn’t breathe, he excused himself to go splash some cold water on his face. It hadn’t helped. His brain was in overdrive. It had been nearly eight weeks since the encounter in Layla’s room and there had been no one since. His reputation for a new woman every night had gone out the window with one touch of her skin. It was time to move on. He took a deep breath and headed to the door.
As he walked down the dark hallway, gentle hands grabbed his shirt and pressed him against the wall. With total abandon, Layla’s lips
crashed against his and her tongue begged for entry. He moaned into her mouth and parted his lips. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and her tongue thrust into his mouth. She pulled his bottom lip with her teeth and when he tried to move, he found himself plastered against the wall once more.
“Layla,” He breathed. His breath was shallow and his heart pounded against his rib cage. “What are you doing?”
“I want you. Right now. No more games.” She pulled him from the wall and into the door marked ‘employees only’. She turned the lock on the door and pulled her shirt over her head. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She rubbed her body over his jeans and moaned. Unbuttoning his jeans, she whispered. “Let’s do this.”
“Shit yeah,” Ryan moaned.
She pulled his shirt over his head and he lifted her skirt to her waist. He pushed aside her black silk thong and his fingers drove into her with abandon. She gasped and gripped his shoulders. Her mouth crashed to his lips and their tongues tangled in an urgent dance. His fingers pulsed inside her, bending slightly and pushing on the place deep inside her that set her on fire. Her orgasm ripped from her without warning, soaking his fingers and she slumped against him.
