Reckless Abandon (The Cave Series Book 1)

by Teri Kay

  After the first night, I was doing fairly well. I was tied for fourth place with three other players. A few guys that I know from the tour were going out to one of the bars for drinks and invited me along. Since Ella was having a baking night with her aunt, I figured I was good for a few. Three hours later, a few became a few too many. I could feel the anger I'd been keeping inside over the situation with Ryann rising in me. It made my blood start to boil. Ryann didn’t trust me enough to tell me her real job. She didn’t have the guts to even call me and explain. All I got was some stupid text. I needed to see her. We needed to figure things out.

  Making my way through the lobby of the Bellagio, I headed toward the taxi pick up. I knew I was way too drunk to drive. But I wasn’t too drunk to see G quickly rushing inside hotel. He had a hot red-head that he was escorting with him. As they got closer to me, my heart stopped. Butterfly tattoos. Ryann. My fucking butterfly was with him. What the fuck? The day she ends it with me she’s running off with him. I wanted to stop her, but being as drunk as I was, I didn’t think it was a smart idea. Instead, I sent her a pretty bad drunk text.

  Me- I see u. wht r u doing wit G? Didt tak u long too mov on.

  I needed to get the hell out of there. Grabbing a taxi, I made my way to The Cave, hoping Rose would know what the hell was going on. Between what I just saw and the warm night air, I was sobering up real quick.

  I walked into Damon’s office before I went out the bar. “Hey, man,” I said as I sat down on the couch.

  “Bro, you and Ryann need to figure the shit out. First she doesn’t show up on the 4th, and now tonight she just fucking disappears. What did you do to her?” he yelled.

  “Well she’s at the Bellagio with G,” I answered coldly. “I saw her with him after I left the bar with a few of my poker buddies. I haven’t spoken to her since the 4th either, so I'm just as lost as you are, man. Did you ask Rose what happened?”

  “She told me she had no idea what happened.”

  “Rose is lying. She always knows what’s going on with Ryann.” I storm out of the office and make my way to the main bar.

  “Rose. Break time. Now.” I didn’t give her a choice but to come with me when I grabbed her arm and dragged her to the back with me.

  We make our way out back so that no one else would hear. Neither she nor I needed the problems that could come with all this. “Don’t bullshit me, Rose. I’m not Damon. What the hell happened here tonight? And why is Ryann at the Bellagio with G?”

  “She’s where?” Rose asked, shocked.

  “I saw her in the lobby of the Bellagio with G as I was leaving to come here. She was still in her schoolgirl costume. What the hell happened here tonight?”

  “Vanessa came up and asked her if she would do a private groom dance for a bachelor party, and being her job, she agreed.” I did everything to hold back my scowl. “Then G came to the bar looking for her. I didn’t think he found her. Next thing I know, I see Ryann running to the back, and before I could go check on her, Lucas was at my bar.”

  “Wait. Ex-husband, Lucas? What was he doing here?” Worry starts to take over learning Ryann's ex had been in the club.

  “Nathan, he was the groom. Ryann was asked to do a dance for her ex,” Rose said trying not to cry.

  “Did you try and call her?” I asked.

  “Of course I did. Her purse and phone are here so calling her did no good. Since her car and everything was still here, I assumed she had found you. But I guess she found G instead. At least we know she’s safe. G would never let anything happen to her.”

  Knowing Ryann was with G, I didn't like it. He was the one who was there when she needed someone. I should've been there, not at the bar. It should have been my arms that she ran into. But would have that made it worse for her? All I could do was hope that she was smart enough to know who he really was, and to still believe in what we had.

  The next morning, I woke up to see that all hell had broken loose on social media. There was a TMZ photographer in the lobby of the Bellagio the night before. The tournament I was playing in had a few celebrity players. Oh, this was not good. The headline read:

  NFL Playboy Richard Grovanski’s New Stripper Squeeze

  There was a full picture of them both. Ryann had a wig and contacts on but her tattoos were completely exposed.

  It was early but I called Cristina. “Hey. I have two questions,” I said.

  “Good morning to you too, dear brother. I may have two answers,” she laughed.

  “Ryann’s ex-husband works for the same school district as her, correct?”

  “Yeah at the high school. Why?”

  “He was one of Ryann’s clients last night.”

  “Oh, my God.”

  “Right? It was his bachelor party of all things. Next, how many of the teachers at school know about her butterfly tattoos?”

  “Most. Ryann’s proud of them,” my sister answered.

  “Shit. Her problems are much bigger than you knowing who she is.”

  “Nathan, what are you talking about?”

  “Check out TMZ,” I responded before ending the call.

  I got to the Bellagio early to see if I could find out which room belonged to G, but of course there was no one there registered to that name. Not surprising.

  I'd be tied up in the tournament for the next twelve hours and there wasn't anywhere I wanted to be less. I sent her text before I started playing.

  Me- Butterfly- I’ve seen the news. Do not shut me out. Can we please talk tonight?

  I went into the poker room and did my best to concentrate on my game. As much I wanted to go be with Ryann and be her support, I couldn’t blow a half-million dollar online poker deal. By lunch break, I was anxious to check to see if she'd gotten back to me. Pulling out my phone, my shoulders slumped when there was nothing from Ryann, but there was a message from Damon.

  Damon- Ryann came by to get her purse and car. She’s a mess dude. I gave her a couple days off.

  Me- Thanks man.

  The rest of the day went by smoothly. I continued to do well in the tournament even though it was the last place I wanted to be. By the time the night was over, I was tied for second with some actor I'd never heard of. I pulled my phone out to call and say goodnight to Ella and noticed a text message.

  Ryann- K

  Oh, thank fuck. At least I knew I wouldn’t get the door slammed in my face. I Facetimed Ella and told her I couldn’t wait to get her back to my house tomorrow so she'd better enjoy her last night with Aunt Cristina and Jackson. I jumped on my Harley and raced to Ryann’s as quickly as I could ride.

  Thirty minutes later, I pulled into Ryann’s driveway. When she opened the door I could see her eyes were red and puffy, a dead giveaway that she'd been crying. As soon as she saw me, she threw her arms around my neck and held on for dear life. As I carefully lifted her up, she threw her legs around my waist and I carried her into the living room.

  “I’m so sorry, Nathan,” she whispered into my neck. She sniffled and started to cry again.

  “Shhhh…its okay, butterfly. We'll work this out.” But as I said that, I started to wonder what are we were working out. Were we working out the fact that she couldn’t tell me about her job, or that she broke up with me over text, or that she spent the night with G? Could I forgive her if she had sex with G?

  I held her in my arms for a few minutes as she continued to cry. As much as I wanted to know everything, Ryann would tell me when she was ready. The coconut from her hair began to invade my senses. Her scent was so damn intoxicating. I was addicted to this woman. Was it too early to say I was falling in love with her?

  “Ryann, we need to talk. Too much has happened in the last few weeks to just sit here and brush things under the rug,” I told her.

  “I know,” she said quietly. “I’m not even sure what to say or where to begin.”

  “Okay. Well, how about at the beginning.” She nodded in agreement.

  Over the next hour, Ryann expla
ined to me that she and Lucas were both teachers with almost equal income, so there was no extra support from the divorce. As a result, she found herself struggling financially over the past year, and the only solution was moving home. Until Rose suggested she start dancing.

  “I still don’t understand why you didn’t think you could trust me with this, Ryann,” I said bluntly.

  “Embarrassment mainly. But also fear. If anyone found out who I was, I’d lose everything. And we're still so new. When I met you, you were the poker player in the background who had a private booth at a strip club. I mean c’mon, Nathan,” she said coming off slightly judgmental.

  “Touché,” I responded.

  “And then when I found out that you were Jackson’s amazing Uncle Nate and Cristina was your sister, I felt like someone ripped the rug out from underneath me. Everything came crashing down around me. I think your sister is an amazing woman, I do, but that lady can gossip,” she continued.

  “So why end things with a text? We could have talked about it. Tried to figure it out together.” I asked.

  “Because I was humiliated. What am I supposed to say when I meet your parents? Why yes I was Jackson’s teacher and your son’s stripper girlfriend,” she blurted out.

  I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at her. She was so cute when she was frustrated. “Ryann, really?” She just shrugged. “Okay. I don’t like it, but I guess I understand. Rose told me what happened with Lucas. Are you alright?”

  “No. But I will be I guess. Now that was mortifying. I went running out of the club, ran straight into G and he got me out of there. Nathan, I know you saw me. I got your text and Damon told me. I’m so sorry.”

  “Ryann, I’m only going to ask you this once, so please tell me the fucking truth. Did you have sex with Richard Grovanski?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Why?”

  “You Nathan. Us. We're the reason I didn’t sleep with Rich.”

  That was all I needed to hear. My lips landed exactly where they had been dying to be since the moment I walked through her door. That pouting bottom lip had been begging to be kissed. Her mouth opened to mine without hesitation. Our tongues greedily reached out for one another like we were fighting for the last drop of water. Our teeth crashed together as we fought to deepen the kiss that we'd both been craving so deeply.

  Reluctantly, I pulled away from her mouth. “Ryann, I need you to promise that you won’t run from me…from us…again. Shit’s about to get worse before it gets better, but, butterfly, I will be your rock. I want to be the arms you find when you’re scared or upset,” I told her gently.

  Ryann put her head back on my shoulder. “It’s bad isn’t it? What the hell was I thinking going to the Bellagio with G?”

  “You were thinking you needed to get the hell away from Lucas and a really bad situation. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. I should have been at the club and not at a bar getting drunk and being pissed off,” I said kissing the top of her head.

  “Stop, Nathan. I did this. Not you. I broke it off with you. I ran off with G. Now the consequences are mine.”

  “Ours, butterfly. The consequences are ours.” I pulled Ryann up off the couch. “C’mon let’s go do something.”

  “Nathan, it’s late and don’t you have to finish a tournament tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but this is something that I need to do.” I used the tone of voice that I knew would have Ryann doing whatever I wanted her to do. She got this wicked little smile each time I took control.

  I handed Ryann her helmet and we took off on my bike. As we sped out of town, I could feel her tits pressed hard against my back each time I went around a corner. The harder she squeezed the more my dick grew. She noticed that I had to keep adjusting my junk. It was becoming a painful thirty-minute ride.

  We pulled up to our rock in the middle of the desert. I knew this was the perfect time and place to do exactly what I'd been dreaming about since the first day I had Ryann on the back of my bike. When I stopped, she climbed off the back, but I stayed right where I was.

  “Aren’t you getting off?” she asked, slightly puzzled.

  I crooked my finger at her. It’d been less than a week since I’d tasted my girl. Less than a week since I'd been inside my beautiful woman. I was craving her like a fat kid craves cake. I wanted to make sure that Ryann knew she was mine and I no longer planned on sharing her with anyone.

  I moved my ass to the back seat. “Get on,” I told. She moved to climb on like she was going to drive my bike. Hadn’t thought of that, but it would be sexy as hell.

  “Other way, butterfly. Face me.” Embarrassment flooded her face. The pink color she turned when she blushed made her so fucking cute.

  She got on my bike facing me, and instantly my lips were on hers. Ryann moved her hands under my t-shirt and ran her nails across my chest. I made quick work of her shirt and tore it off her body. Pushing her bra down to expose her perfectly huge tits, my mouth moved down her chest and found its way to her already erect nipples. I continued to suck, letting out a loud pop every time I let one go.

  Getting off the bike, I had Ryann swing her legs over to one side. I pulled her jeans down around her ankles, and moved her sexy little G-string to the side. “You're so sexy naked here in the moonlight, butterfly. I can see how wet you are. You're fucking glistening,” I said to her, then slid two fingers in her soaking pussy.

  “Nathan, you make me feel so good,” she whispered.

  “There’s no one for miles. Scream my name, baby. I want to hear how good I make you feel,” I demanded.

  “Mmmm…you’re going to have to do more than that to make me scream, nuts,” Ryann giggled.

  “Oh, is that so?” I asked. I suddenly lifted her off my bike and bent her ass over the seat. Without her expecting it, I gave her a swift smack on her ass.

  “Nathan!” she screamed.

  “That’s more like it. I fucking love when you say my name.”

  “Nathan, fuck me now, baby.”

  “Anything you wish, butterfly.”

  Having Ryann laid out across my bike, with my cock pushing in and out of her sweet pussy was one of the best feelings ever. Her body was beautiful, her tits were amazing and her pussy literally felt like it was made for my dick.

  “Cum with me, Nathan. Cum with me, baby,” she shouted. With that, I lost myself completely inside of her.

  I pulled her up to face me. “That was beautiful, Ryann. But there was something different for me tonight,” I told her. I could feel her trying to wiggle out of my hold, something she did whenever she was getting uncomfortable. “Ah, ah, ah! What have I told you about trying to wiggle away from me?”

  “Well, different usually isn’t a good word,” she said with a worried look on her face.

  “But, you didn’t let me finish. Tonight, for me, wasn’t about making me feel good anymore, it was about making you feel good. Ryann, I've fallen for you. Hard. And every day I will fight to make you feel good.”

  Harder to Breathe

  Holy. Shit. TMZ. This couldn’t be happening. When I left with Rich the night before, I left all my things behind. I was so upset from having to dance for Lucas that my only thought was to get the hell out of there. After a few drinks, the thought never crossed mind that anyone would even be wondering where I was. But apparently it wasn’t too long until everyone found out where I was anyways. I completely forgot that Nathan’s tournament was at the Bellagio. And it fucking figured it would be a celebrity tournament with the paparazzi.

  Deciding not to look at my phone until I got home, I hit the Bluetooth in my car to call Rose. She had to keep me from seeing the mess I just made for myself.

  “Where the fuck have you been?” she screamed before I could even say hello.

  “Well, good morning to you to,” I responded.

  “Don’t even give me that shit. I see you have your phone back. Where are you?”

  “Meet me at my house in twenty,” I to
ld her.

  We both pulled up at the same time. I could see the angry look on her face, but also that look of concern only Rose could give me. Before we even made it through the front door, she pulled me into a hug so tight that I almost couldn’t breathe.

  “Is it that bad?” I asked.

  “You haven’t checked it out yet?”

  “No. I just got my phone back. Once Damon told me I was on TMZ, I didn’t want to look at anything until I got home.” I replied.

  “C’mon. Let’s go inside.” Shit.

  I let Roxy out, cleaned up her mess since she’d been locked for over twelve hours, and let Rose turn on the computer. All I could hope was that my Vaughn get-up disguised me enough that no one could recognize me. My jaw hit the ground when I saw the picture was sprawled all over the internet. Right there in full color were my beautiful butterfly tattoos. My tattoos are something that I'm proud of. I believed that my babies should be remembered and talked about, so I often showed them to people.

  I sat there stunned. If things weren’t bad before they were sure going to get bad now. Between Lucas and now the pictures, there was no going back to the Ryann I was before. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. The tears started to build in my eyes, my hands started to shake, it became hard to breathe. I could feel the anxiety attack coming on.

  “Go lay down. Now!” Rose demanded. “Give me your phone.”

  I did my best to calm down and listen to her. A few minutes later she brought me a Xanax and a bottle of water. Again, she knew me all too well.

  “Alright, let’s see what we have here,” she said as she started scrolling through my phone. “Missed calls from me, your mom, Lucas, and Nathan, and same for the text messages. I'm just going to delete all this social media crap.”

  “Anything that I need to hear? Nothing from Lucas please. I’ll deal with him later. What did Nathan say?”