Obsessions

by Bryce Evans

  The control she had to use so she didn’t make a fool of herself boggled her mind. She wanted the man even though he irritated her every time he opened his mouth. London knew she had to control that hunger she felt for him. It was getting harder and harder each time he was around. But, today she needed to focus on getting her career back on track. Hiding in her room wasn’t going to find her a job or face her friends.

  * * * *

  Closing her eyes she prayed for strength, before blowing out her breath and making herself open the door. She was embarrassed at how she acted yesterday. An apology was the first order of business.

  London’s face turned red when her friends stopped talking as she entered the room.

  “Hey sweetie, how do you feel?” Zoey asked slowly approaching her. Donnie and Ryder were sitting at the table watching. Why were they looking at her like she was going to break in two? She must have really freaked them out yesterday.

  “Better.” London rasped out trying to show Zoey that she was okay. “Zoey, I…” Zoey lifted her hand to interrupt, but London shook her head, “No, Zoey let me get this out first. I need to apologize for yesterday. I kind of flipped out and took it out on you guys, but I’m better now. I don’t want you to worry about me. I always land on my feet, and I know I will find another job. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  Zoey looked shocked. “Is that what you think?” she asked pulling London over to the bar. “I know you can get another job, but you will never find one where you can call the shots. I need you. I’m not a programmer and I wouldn’t trust just anyone to come into my business. No one except you, London.”

  Ryder’s comment yesterday about Zoey needing her came into focus, and she wondered if something was wrong and Zoey really did need her help.

  “I trust you with my life. Now, I’ve been practicing this forever, and my speech was going to get you to quit your job and go into business with me. Ryder has contacts that can get us in the door to these companies, but it will be our product, that will get us the accounts. You make the programs, I will sell them, and together we will conduct the business side of it. This way you will be the one who controls the product. You won’t have to worry about anyone stealing your work. I have to admit that when you said you were resigning, I jumped for joy.” London arched her brow at Zoey’s statement. Wow, how am I supposed to take that?

  “Now, before you take that the wrong way, let me explain. I didn’t want it to happen the way it did, but I believe that you made the right decision. That job would have slowly killed you London. It would have stripped all the good out of you.” Tears began to slip down Zoey’s face, “I wasn’t going to sit back and watch them do that to you. I’m fighting for you London. You’re my best friend, and I’m offering you a business deal. Fifty-fifty split and we make the decisions together.”

  London could feel her heart pounding as Zoey made her proposal. Could she leave her dream behind? All she ever wanted to do was work for the Landon Company and live in New York. When she was sixteen years old, she had read an article about Pierce Landon, explaining how he started his company in his basement as a Programmer designing unheard of programs that rocked the computer world. Sure people like Bill Gates were more famous, but Pierce Landon designed his programs from a single idea to a billion dollar business. She wanted to be like him. Now she had no job and no prospects of getting one anytime soon.

  Jerking her out of her thoughts, Ryder spoke, “London, you will be competing with companies like Landon Computers. You will be on a team with someone you can trust. Your overhead will be small then you will grow. You wanted to be like Pierce? Well now, you can. Start over and watch how well you will do. We all have faith in you. You have a lot of people pulling for you. Hire the people you know who will support you and Zoey. Before you know it, you will be the owners of a Fortune 500 company. That’s how good you are, and I know my sister, and what she can do. She has helped pull some pretty good deals out for me. She’s a great closer.”

  London listened to the man who couldn’t stand her, make the best closing argument she had ever heard. “I think she learned how to close a big deal from her brother.”

  She needed to think about this. It all sounded good but could they do this together. Can I give up my dream? Come on London, you still have your dream. Now it will be just like Pierce Landon. He started in his basement. You and Zoey will probably start in a small one-room office. What’s the difference? Everyone was watching her as she pondered it.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  “What did you say?” Zoey asked looking at Ryder and Donnie then back at her for confirmation.

  “I’ll do it.”

  The squeal from Zoey and Donnie was earth shattering. Zoey grabbed her. They jumped up and down as her best friend screamed in her ear. She couldn’t grab her ears quick enough before Zoey released her. Then Donnie joined in and began jumping up and down with Zoey. He was throwing his hands in the air dancing in the small room.

  She grinned at the image of her two friends, Zoey and Donnie, dancing around in her kitchen and prayed that she was making the right decision. For some reason, it just felt right. The only one holding her back was herself. Today was a new day and she planned to change her life. Today, she would be leaving behind the pity party she was having in New York. If she was going to move soon then she had some packing to do and some changes to make.

  Ryder was over at the coffee pot pouring a cup of coffee. She needed to at least thank him for giving her the advice and for helping her out yesterday. She was embarrassed that he had seen her fall apart. Maybe she had judged him wrong. She hoped that they could at least be friends.

  Taking a deep breath she sat down on the stool. “Ryder…I need to apologize to you for how I acted yesterday. I never meant for you to see that. Hell, I never meant for it to happen. I just lost it and took it out on you and for that I’m very sorry.”

  Stifling a smile, Ryder pushed a cup of coffee toward her.

  “You have nothing to apologize for. I know what that job meant to you and I know that you would have never hurt me. At least not on purpose.”

  Laughing at his comment, London put some sugar in her coffee. “No I wouldn’t, not on purpose.”

  She couldn’t help to smile back at the man. What more could she ask for? She knew the exact moment that her heart opened a little for the man she could never have.

  Donnie came up and hugged her from behind. “I’m so proud of you. I knew you would make the right decision. Only one thing is wrong.”

  “What?” London whispered.

  “I need a job now too. Do you think you and Zoey could hire another person? I’m a hard worker and know how you work, plus I’m good for a good laugh or two.” She stared at Ryder as he paled at what Donnie was asking for.

  She stared at Ryder warily, knowing that Alpha City was a shifter town and she knew the rules since Zoey had trusted her with her secrets. However, Donnie didn’t and she knew that Ryder wouldn’t allow him to move to Alpha City. What happened next had her baffled.

  “I think that would be a great idea. Donnie already knows how you work and like he said he’s helped you before. This way you don’t have to train him.”

  To say she was shocked was an understatement, as her mouth flew open. What was he doing? Donnie wasn’t a shifter or a witch. Why was he letting a complete stranger come into his secret world? The chance he would be taking brought tears to her eyes. Was he doing this for her?

  Ryder continued to smile as Zoey came and stood beside her brother.

  “I think that would be a great idea. I already like Donnie and he would be a great addition to the business.”

  “Um…okay,” she answered, uncertain on what to say next.

  “I have an appointment this afternoon, but I will call the service we use for moving. They should have you both packed up and ready to go by tomorrow. The trucks can deliver your things and you both can fly back with us in the jet,” Ryder suggested.


  Even though it was sweet of him to offer, it almost felt like a command. She knew how dominant of a man Ryder could be, but why was he doing this for her, someone who he could barely tolerate? Whatever the reason she just needed to go with it, because leaving Donnie behind wasn’t happening.

  London nodded, but she looked at Zoey for some type of signal that Ryder was full of shit and the bomb was going to drop soon for believing him. Donnie was so excited that he kissed her on the cheek saying he needed to turn his resignation in and go pack his apartment up. The door slammed as he left the apartment jarring her out of her thoughts.

  “London, I need to go and make some calls. We will need more computers and while I’m here in New York, I can get the best. I will be back in an hour. Will you be okay while I’m gone?” Zoey asked but she looked back toward her brother then to her.

  “Sure,” she answered. What did Zoey think she was going to do? Attack her brother?

  “Great. I will be back in a few. Ryder, I will see you back here then.” Ryder smiled at his sister, and then opened up the newspaper he had brought with him.

  Chapter 15

  “I guess I need to start packing,” London said, quickly walking away from Ryder and into her bedroom.

  His kindness, musky scent, and the electricity she felt for him was driving her crazy. The things she was thinking were unbelievable. One day they hated each other, and the next day he was sweet to her. It all confused her, so leaving him in the kitchen was the best idea.

  Yep, flee while you can you coward. All she needed to do was get her things packed so the movers could take them. The furniture came with the place, and what little she did buy, could be left or thrown away. It was shit anyway. She couldn’t afford anything better.

  Pulling her suitcase down from the closet, London placed it on the bed, thinking hard. She needed to take a breather. Sitting down, her mind wandered over everything that had occurred. She lost her job and now had a new one where she was going to be the boss. Smiling at the thought of being her own boss and producing a product that they could use to compete against companies like Landon was mind-boggling. She would love to see the look on Tracy and Roxie’s face when they found out that it was her that came out the winner.

  For now, London needed an answer. The only way to find it out was to go ask. London got up from the bed and walked into her kitchen. Ryder was sitting at her table talking low to someone on the phone. His eyes seemed to see inside her, as she watched him end his conversation and put his phone down on the table.

  “Do you need help with something?” Ryder asked getting up from the stool he had been sitting on.

  “Yes. I need a question answered.”

  “What is it?” he asked, smiling.

  “Why are you allowing Donnie to move to Alpha City? He isn’t a shifter or a wizard.” London asked. This would bug her until she found out the reason.

  “No, he is not like me or you, but he has some Panther in him. I don’t even know if he knows it, but he will when he gets to Alpha City. Kayden Lynn has seen the background on Donnie and when his family was traced, a name that Kayden knew came up. It was someone that wasn’t in his family but another Panther family. I can smell it on him now. Not a full breed but enough to allow him to live in Alpha City.

  “You had Donnie investigated too.” She couldn’t control her anger. The man was a piece of work. “Why did you have Donnie investigated? He had nothing to do with Zoey.”

  “Yes, I had him investigated.” Ryder sounded pissed now too, but the look on his face was hot as hell. She wanted him with every breath she took. This is what he did to her. One minute he could be hot and then cold. But you started it girl. She hated when she was wrong.

  London got up in Ryder’s space as she planted her finger in his chest. “You had no right, Ryder. No right at all. Zoey just met Donnie. Why would you have him investigated?”

  He moved quickly, grabbing her finger in his hand as he guided her up against the wall. She gasped as her back hit it. Before she knew what was coming, his lips came down on top of hers catching her off guard. The man didn’t waste any time. Her heart was bouncing around like a ping-pong ball as the man searched every part of her mouth. His taste was absolutely infectious and she couldn’t get enough of it.

  His mouth sizzled as he continued to devour her. She was melting in front of him. Her body felt like it was burning up. She had never felt this much pleasure before. They moved like wild animals as they rubbed against each other. Her nipples tightened when his hand rubbed then squeezed them. He used just enough pressure to make her gasp. Then when she thought she was going to combust from the friction from his finger, he grabbed her hair jerking it back. He held her head still then took what he wanted.

  No one had ever manhandled her like this before. She would never allow someone to take that much control from her normally, but she loved every moment of it. This wasn’t any man. This was the shifter from her dreams, the one that didn’t care if she liked it or not. The one she didn’t want to like, but couldn’t stop the raw feelings she was having for him.

  She sucked in a sharp breath, as her legs finally gave out. He caught her before she could fall to the ground, pulling her up with ease so that her legs wrapped around his waist. His gaze was confident and hooded as he looked at her flushed face.

  “Please,” she said, shakily. London didn’t care that she sounded so desperate. Her mind couldn’t comprehend anything sensible at the moment. She only wanted Ryder and if that meant begging, then she would beg. She decided she would worry about the consequences later.

  “Don’t worry, baby, I will give you everything you need.”

  She heard the control in his voice and knew she didn’t have enough strength to stop what was happening. Her body didn’t want to stop. She only wanted more pleasure. His mouth covered hers and everything around her faded away. Listening to her own desperate moans as he continued to plunder her mouth and rub his erection against her.

  It shocked her that she was actually going to have sex with him, but not enough to stop what was happening. She couldn’t stop. She needed this, and Ryder Malone was the man to give it to her.

  Ryder began unbuttoning her shirt until he finally just ripped it open. London gasped as the buttons flew across the floor. Pulling her bra down, Ryder gazed at her breasts then glanced up into her eyes. She could see the lust and hunger in them. Then a small smile touched the edge of his lips.

  “Fucking beautiful. I knew they would look like this,” Ryder said satisfaction evident in his voice. He kept his gaze on hers as he bent down and latched onto her breast. Ryder licked then sucked her nipple harder then switched to the other one.

  “Do you know what you do to me?” he asked, licking the tip of her nipple then biting down hard enough for the pain to register then soothing it with a lick of his tongue.

  She couldn’t answer. All she could do was watch as Ryder continued to torture the little bud then suck it into his mouth. She whimpered as he sucked harder.

  London could feel an orgasm closing in. Her body shivered just from the little attention he was giving it, and her eyes rolled back when he grabbed her hips and pushed his erection against her. The orgasm shot up through her body so fast that London was surprised at how her body reacted to him, as she grabbed hold of his shoulders. Most of the men she had been with weren’t into foreplay, but Ryder looked like he was just getting started.

  London slowly opened her eyes as Ryder carried her into her bedroom. She became fully alert when she heard the bedroom door close. Lying her across her bed, she watched as he slowly began to take his shirt off. Before she could say anything, he looked toward the bedroom door, then closed his eyes and pulled his shirt back down.

  “Go to the bathroom, London. Zoey’s walking up the stairs.”

  London felt her heart fall at the thought of being caught by her best friend. Ryder didn’t say anymore, he just walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. London’s heart raced
at the guilt of what she did with Ryder. The fantasy she was living out finally smacked her across the face. All he wanted was an easy lay. He didn’t even say anything to her before he walked out of her bedroom.

  She must be crazy. What the hell are you doing anyway? Damn, London, what would’ve happen, if your best friend caught you? She would hate you and then where would you be.

  London felt the shame of her actions as she jumped up and ran into the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she could feel the wetness as the evidence of her orgasm rolled down between her legs. London knew that shifters could smell when someone was aroused. Turning on the shower, London took off her clothes and climbed under the water. She scrubbed her skin until she was a pretty shade of red. Then she sat down hard on the shower floor, shaking her head at how she acted.

  Desperate and needy were two words that popped up in her brain. She lost her head for a few minutes there, which was the only excuse she had. Tears began to fall from her face, and she chastised herself for being so weak. She just needed to get laid. Then she wouldn’t want him so much. At least that was what she was telling herself.

  Ryder was way out of her league. He was a shifter and she was a witch and not even a good witch at that. She hoped he didn’t say anything to her about this little episode. Hopefully, it would never be brought up again.

  London turned the shower off. She deserved to be treated better than what Ryder was giving her. She needed a man who wanted her and wasn’t afraid to show it when others were around. She needed someone who she didn’t have any emotional ties with. Zoey was her best friend and it would be a disaster if she found out. Getting out, London grabbed a towel then dried off. She knew she had a limited time to get packed and she didn’t want Zoey to think something was wrong.

  London opened the bathroom door. Finding it clear, she ran in, grabbed some blue jeans and a t-shirt, and put them on. Shaking away the feeling of rejection, London began packing her clothes into the suitcases. She promised that she wouldn’t allow herself to be alone with Ryder anymore or allow him to play with her emotions. She was moving to a new city and a new job. Never again would a man use her or control her, especially Ryder Malone.