Bastian kissed her again. “Where are you parked? I’ll walk you.”
“No need.” Riley pointed to her Mustang, parked a short distance from where they stood.
“Far enough,” Bastian noted, taking Riley’s arm and escorting her over. His smile was sun bright as he watched Riley settle into her car and drive away.
Riley had contemplated going home for a nap to reward herself for the good deed she’d done for Bastian Grovers. Instead, she headed back to the office, where she found an unexpected guest.
“Well, well! If it isn’t the man of the hour!” Riley grinned when Victor Lyne jumped from his seat and smiled bashfully.
“Sorry for hangin’ around in here, Riley.”
“Please, you know my office better than I do.” Riley took a seat behind her desk. “So, um, how was your vacation?”
Victor chewed his bottom lip and leaned forward to grab the stress ball of rubber bands from the desk. He tossed the ball back and forth yet offered no conversation.
Searching for a way to spark a discussion, Riley nodded toward the stress ball. “You’ve got great hands,” she sang, a pointed melody.
Vic looked up, with yet another bashful look on his rugged face. “Guess you heard.”
Riley tossed her lavender jacket on a nearby chair. “New York is, in many ways, like a small town. Word travels very fast.”
“Everything happened fast.” Vic seemed to groan while covering his face in his hands.
“People tend to move fast when it comes to acquiring someone who could be the next Jordan.”
Vic laughed at his boss’s summation. “I’m nowhere near that.”
Riley shrugged. “Some folks continue to hope.” She left her desk, tugging at the tight sleeves of her navy top. “Drink?”
“OJ.”
Riley decided to have one as well.
“I really came by to apologize,” Vic said while her back was turned.
“Apologize?” Riley’s surprise was clear, yet she retrieved the drinks with ease.
“Asher’s my agent, and he got me that tryout in Jersey.”
“And?” Riley challenged while handing Vic his juice. “You know, you don’t have to apologize for wanting to sign with a man who many consider the best agent in the business.”
“No, you don’t get it.” Vic grimaced, as though he’d lost his taste for the juice. “I’m talking about the way I got him.” He sighed when Riley fixed him with a blank stare. “Understandably, your name carried a lot of weight with the man. I happened to take advantage of that when I met him during all-star weekend in Vegas. Dropped your name, he told me to come see him, and…”
“The rest is history.” Riley raised her juice glass in toast.
“I’m really sorry I—”
Riley waved her hand. “I once got a tip on a story from a man who went to first grade with my mom—first grade.” She chuckled while thinking about it. “I reminded him of it, and he recalled that she was the girl who used to pour water into his galoshes.” She laughed along with Vic. “Point is, you use all your contacts—no matter how minute.”
“Thanks, Riley.” Vic’s dark features relaxed. “Knowing you’re cool with this’ll make it all easier when Asher comes and starts setting everything in motion.”
“Oh.” Riley focused on her glass. “When’s he coming out again?” she inquired, as if she’d simply forgotten.
Vic didn’t catch on to the act. “Should be any day now. I had no idea so much negotiating went into a contract.”
Riley swallowed around the lump rising in her throat. “Yeah, it’s a real demanding job.”
“Asher said he’d be here for at least three months.”
Riley downed the rest of the juice in one gulp.
Chapter 12
Riley rushed into her loft apartment, kicked the door shut and dropped the grocery bag on the first chair she approached. Leaning against the back of the hunter green and maroon sofa, she closed her eyes and wondered if she was winded from the seemingly brief walk from the corner market to her Manhattan loft. Perhaps it was because the little bundle was zapping her energy. Maybe it was because the little bundle’s father was waging war on her nerves and her independence.
Riley shook her head and refused to think about it. All she wanted was to fall into bed and shut out the world. Pushing off the sofa, she shed her dress and under things on her way through the comfortable yet elegant digs. In the bedroom, she slinked into an emerald satin robe.
She set off for the kitchen, knowing sleep would be a long time coming without a fragrant mug of herbal tea. In the time it took for the water to simmer in the chrome kettle, Riley was again pondering her call to Asher. Not telling him about the baby now would agitate things more than they already were. Telling him now would only intensify his demands that she leave New York, thereby making it impossible for her to relieve her stress, which her doctor suggested she rid herself of.
Maybe several hours of sleep would help her to get a better handle on things. Satisfied that the idea was the best she had, Riley prepared the tea to take back to the bedroom. She was turning from the stove when she saw Asher leaning against the kitchen entryway. The mug almost slipped from her weak hand.
“Business,” he explained.
She leaned against the counter for support. “I heard.”
“So much for surprising you.” Asher pushed off the entryway and strolled slowly toward his wife.
Riley could scarcely hear over the pulse throbbing in her ears. “Believe me, I’m surprised.”
He was standing right before her then. “You always make a habit of leaving the paper three hours early?”
She stood blinking up into his probing light brown stare for almost half a minute before words came. “I, um…It’s been a long day.”
“I can tell,” he muttered, brushing his thumb along the corner of her eye and not caring for the weariness plaguing her gaze.
Riley felt her temples vibrate in anticipation of a lecture. “Asher—”
“Later,” he urged and took possession of her mouth seconds later.
Riley’s response was eager and immediate. Her lips weren’t the only energized part of her body as she met the force of his kiss. Of course, this was all to be expected. Her reaction to Asher was always eager and…immediate.
They kissed for the better part of three minutes before another layer was added to the pleasure.
Riley didn’t realize he’d unraveled the silken belt at her waist until she felt his fingertips strumming a tune along her hips and buttocks. This was all it took for her need for him to crest to a perfect pitch of arousal. Shamelessly, she rubbed against his lean, athletic frame. She wasn’t the least bit agitated when Asher murmured a little mmm hmm as if he knew all too well the response his touch would generate.
She could’ve cared less, of course. After all, she’d been craving his touch for over six weeks. She wanted whatever he’d give her. Riley moved to undo his trousers and whined when he stopped her.
“Asher you don’t have to—” she began when he started to kiss his way down her body, but her words caught on a throaty moan.
Asher was on his knees before her. His powerful hands gripped her bottom while simultaneously spreading her thighs to drive his tongue inside her.
The slow, moist lunges had Riley raking her hands across Asher’s head and gripping fistfuls of the worsted fabric of his olive-green suit coat.
“Yes…yes, Asher, that’s it….” The welcoming words as he invaded her with rotating thrusts brought her closer to the ripe thrill of orgasm.
Riley practically sobbed his name when his hold tightened about her dark thighs to prevent her from moving as he cherished the extra-sensitive patch of flesh above her sex. The maddening nibbles made her want to melt onto his tongue as it soothed the place his lips and teeth had ravished.
Easily, he drew both her long legs across his shoulders and supported her with an impressive show of strength. Once again, he took
her with his tongue. The relentless yet all-too-delicious stabs made her climax all too soon.
Riley was all but spent as she gripped the edge of the counter, yet her gaze was focused as she watched him rise to his feet. She kept looking for some sign that he’d noticed some change in her body, such as the narrowing of his eyes.
There was no such sign, and Riley put her most innocent look in place when he stood, towering over her.
“Don’t even try it,” he ordered, seeing right through the innocent display. “Sleep. No arguments.”
Riley couldn’t stifle the relieved sigh that fluttered past her lips. Happy to be bullied by him, she nuzzled her face into his neck when he carried her from the kitchen.
She dozed off during the brief trip from the kitchen to the bedroom yet stirred when she felt him settling her in the middle of the bed. She conked out again before he closed the bedroom door.
“Can’t be,” Riley breathed when she stared at the gold-encased bedside clock, which read 9:32 p.m. Sleep had worked its very real magic, and she woke refreshed and feeling as though she could get a sizable chunk of work out of the way.
Of course, there was eating that needed to be done, and Riley’s appetite now screamed to be satisfied. Her nostrils flared in response to the delicious aromas slipping into the room. She didn’t have long to wonder about them, thankfully. The door opened, and there was Asher, carrying in a tray practically overflowing with food.
Keeping her smile soft, Riley leaned back on her elbows and watched him. Who would believe the high-powered sports agent Asher Hudson would perform such humble tasks as bringing his wife dinner in bed, which he had prepared?
“What?” Asher queried when he noticed her smile.
Riley only shrugged. “I’m just not used to this.” She snuggled deeper under the covers, loving the feel of the crisp gold sheets against her bare skin.
Asher bit back the words that scrambled up his throat. He wanted to tell her she could have this every day if she’d come back with him.
“Quite a stash of food you got in there,” he observed instead. “Lotta healthy stuff. I thought you were the junk-food junkie of our dazzling duo.”
Riley sat up in bed. “Do you have something against a person trying to eat well?”
Asher unfolded a napkin and placed it on her lap. “Not a thing.” Silently, he admitted that advising her on her eating habits made him feel as if she, with her strong and independent self, might just need him.
“So what’s up with this health kick?” Asher passed Riley a deep ceramic plate loaded with a helping of the fragrant chicken fettuccine.
Riley accepted the teasing with ease. “Maybe I’ve just been craving all the cooking you’d do when you got to town on…business.”
His playful wince added an adorable element to his expression. “Sorry for not telling you sooner,” he said.
“How long has all this been in the works?” Riley reached for the Parmesan cheese.
Asher claimed his spot on the other side of the bed. “Met Vic about eight months after he went to work for you. I knew about him way before that, though. I followed his college career.” He shrugged. “I told him I was surprised, but that I understood why he didn’t want to pursue the pros further.”
Riley savored another bite of the flavorful chicken and creamy noodles. “And why would you understand that? Most agents can never understand money being a deterrent.”
“Not about the money for Vic.” Asher took a swallow from the Heineken beer bottle he’d set on the nightstand. “He’d seen too many of his boys caught up in ugly lifestyles that brought ’em down quick. Apparently, it scared him to think he could wind up like that.”
“Humph.” Riley’s warm eyes twinkled with mischief. “Most agents would say, ‘Ah, you’re better than that, kid. No way would you be that stupid. Now let’s go make a trillion.’”
Asher graced his wife with a dimpled grin, which turned into something more pensive. “I could never say that. Not when I understand so well where he’s coming from.”
Riley saw the unease darkening his fair features and wanted to ask more. She never had the chance.
“Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Where are you hiding all the junk?”
Laughing, Riley once again prepared to defend her improved eating habits. The phone interrupted their banter, and she looked at Asher. As they normally had so little time together, phone calls in the middle of dinner usually went unanswered.
“Take it,” he urged, with an encouraging smile. He took his plate, intending to grab a third helping, and appeared more than a little stunned when Riley held out her plate to request a refill as she picked up the phone.
Misha was on the other end of the line. “Look alive, girl. We’re being summoned to an eight o’clock breakfast meeting with the bigwigs at the paper.”
Riley halted her appraisal of the sleep pants hugging Asher’s hips and focused on her editor’s words. “Bigwigs?”
“Mmm…In the morning at Red Sun.”
“What about?” Riley swung her legs across the side of the bed.
“Hell if I know. Everybody’s lips are tighter than a banker’s ass. Guess we’ll just have to wait till the morning.”
“Asher’s here.”
Misha’s giggle was a mix of delight and naughtiness. “I’ll let you get back to bed then.”
“Wait. How’d you know I—”
“You’ve got Asher Hudson in your apartment. Where else would you be?”
“Good night,” Riley sang. Yet when the call ended, she chewed her thumbnail and pondered.
“Bad news?” Asher had returned with helping number three and took note of her expression.
Riley shared the highlights of the call while devouring the heaping dish of fettuccine. For a time, Asher was speechless, looking on as his slim, nude wife wolfed down the food.
“Sounds mysterious. Keep me posted?” Asher watched her nod and then hooked a thumb over his shoulder as he returned to the bed. “If it won’t put you out too much, I was thinkin’ about working out of the study.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” Riley said through a mouthful of noodles. She shook her head in an eager manner. Already it felt so good to have him there—to have him near. “I hardly work out of there, so I’m not sure what supplies you’ll need.”
Asher nodded while feasting on his third helping of fettuccine. “I’ll check it out. Don’t think I’ll need much. I don’t plan on spending much time in there, either.”
“Oh?”
“Gotta keep an eye on the reps in Jersey. Make sure they don’t try to screw the kid.”
Riley set aside her plate. “Are you sure he’s ready for this, Asher?”
“More than,” he replied, without hesitation. “Besides, he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
“Still.” Riley scooted close and tapped her fingers on his thigh. “Good heads go surprisingly airy when dollar signs are involved. Just watch out for him, okay?”
Asher set aside his plate and turned to cup Riley’s face in his wide palms. “I’ll treat him like he’s my very own—which he actually is.”
The way he said it, sounding every bit the overprotective father, had Riley opening her mouth to tell him the news that would forever change their lives. Instead of talking, however, she covered her mouth and bolted from the bed.
Asher left after her. His handsome face was alive with surprise and horror as he watched her vomit into the toilet. When she was done, he helped her to her feet. Once he’d cleaned her up, he carried her back to the bed.
“Are you staying?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“I’ll be up pretty late.” Asher helped her into a T-shirt. “Probably fall asleep in the study.”
Riley’s mouth curved into a pout. “Because I heaved up your dinner? Smell like vomit?” She almost cried.
“Shh…” Asher wanted to laugh, but he could see the despair in her eyes. “Shh…You don’t smell like vomit. You smel
l good enough to eat.” He nuzzled his nose beneath her ear and then trailed his mouth along her jaw. “You taste even better.” Softly, he thrust his tongue past her parted lips.
“I’m sorry, anyway.”
“No more apologies.” He brushed her nose with his. “I know you enjoyed it. You just overdid it. Only so much you can fit in this little space, you know?”
With his hand resting on her tummy, Riley made an effort to speak again, but Asher stopped her.
“Rest now. No more talking, no more phones.” With that said, he pulled the cord from the handset. “You have an early meeting, and you need sleep.”
“Asher—”
“Trust me, love. I intend to collect on all my good deeds from today.”
He plied her with another sweet kiss. Riley was moaning in seconds. The tingling arrived next, frenzied and maddening. Admirably, she cast it from her mind, knowing the desire would go unsated.
As expected, Asher ended the kiss and finished tucking Riley into bed. When she closed her eyes, he let the concern return to his face.
Red Sun was a Japanese-owned café that served breakfast specialties from around the world. Misha arrived early and focused on heading into the already crowded and lavish establishment to meet with the heads of Cache Media. She was tugging on the cuff of her gray silk blouse when she spotted an old acquaintance.
“Well, well, Red Sun does cater to some sophisticated tastes,” she said in greeting to Talib Mason.
“Sophisticated and exquisite,” Talib replied in a tone and with a look that said he wasn’t referring to his appetite.
Silently, Misha ordered herself not to let her lashes flutter in response to his voice. The regal British accent only added to the man’s provocative appeal. For an instant, she let herself recall the memory of hearing her name swirling in his mouth.
“So I see the rumors are true.” She closed a bit of the distance between them. “I take it your presence out here has to do with one of my fact-checkers.”
Talib’s deep-set and slightly slanted eyes were focused solely on Misha. “Keeping tabs on me?”
Hudsons Crossing Page 11
