Ryan: Jagged Edge Series #8 (Alpha-Male Romance Suspense, Military)

by A. L Long

  Wondering if maybe the call had something to do with Nick’s predicament, I went back to my room to give Ryan a call. Taking my cell from the night stand, I dialed Ryan’s number that he so kindly entered into my phone and waited for him to answer. The minute I heard his voice, I knew something was terribly wrong. When I asked him where he was, he hesitated for a moment before he told me that he was at the hospital. Curious as to why he was there, I asked him what he was doing there. His only words were, “He’s gone.”

  In a trembling voice, I asked, “Who’s gone?”

  “My brother, Josh. He’s gone.”

  Tears began to fill my eyes as I heard my phone go dead. Grabbing my bag, barely able to think, I swiped the keys to Nick’s Lexus from the counter and headed out of the house. I couldn’t imagine what Ryan was going through. To lose someone so close to him, I knew he would be hurting. If for no other reason than that, I needed to be with him to offer my support. I knew I had to do at least that.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Ryan

  I hadn’t made it inside the hospital when Charlie called me. I really didn’t have any information on Josh other than he was gone. The minute I heard the nurse’s voice, the worst possible thought entered my mind. He could no longer fight and his body was finally at peace. It was only after I got to the nurses’ station and requested to see Josh one last time that she told me I couldn’t because he was no longer in the hospital. When she had said that, I thought they had taken him somewhere else. Little did I know that she was trying to tell me that he just left. He must have walked right out of his room unnoticed.

  When I hung up with Charlie, I knew she was thinking the worst about my brother. I must have sounded like an emotional wreck. Trying to call her back to explain what I had just found out, I found myself listening to her voice mail. If I knew Charlie and the kind heart she had, she would be on her way to the hospital to be with me. There was nothing I could do but continue trying to get in contact with her or wait until she showed up.

  As I waited for Charlie to show up, I tried to think of where Josh would go. I was pretty sure if he went to the apartment, he was already long gone and so was the money. And just like Charlie, he didn’t answer his phone either, nor did he answer the land line.

  At a total loss, I still had one more call I could make. “Peter, sorry to bother you, bro, but Josh up and left the hospital. Not sure where he might have gone, but we need to find him. He is sicker than hell.”

  “What do you mean he’s sicker than hell? Last I knew he got beat up pretty bad,” Peter replied.

  “They found out that he has some rare shit liver disease. He’s dying, bro, and now he’s MIA. I’ve got to find him,” I paused a moment before I asked, “I need you to do something for me. Can you check my apartment and see if by chance he might be there?” I must have sounded like a lunatic.

  “You got it,” Peter said before ending our call. I never had to worry about the guys having my back. We all did. One pact we made was to always be there for each other, and the way we did that was by leaving a set of keys to not only our homes, but our vehicles as well. They hung on a hook in Peter’s office in case of an emergency, and for me this was the mother lode of emergencies.

  ~****~

  While I was pacing the floor by the entrance door like a high schooler waiting for his date, Charlie finally walked through the automatic doors. Before I could explain that my brother wasn’t really gone in the sense that she might have thought, her arms were around me pulling be close to her small frame. Unwilling to let her go because it felt so good to have her body so close to mine, I knew it was time to explain.

  Holding her at arm’s length, I looked into her hopeless eyes, which were red and swollen from crying. I hoped that I could soothe her pain. Feeling remorse for not being able to explain, I pulled her close and said, “Charlie, everything is okay. I was mistaken. Josh is alive, but gone from the hospital. I only just found out myself.”

  “So, he isn’t dead?” she questioned, blowing out a breath of air that she was probably holding in from the minute she walked through the door.

  After explaining everything to Charlie, and letting her know about Josh’s condition, she understood why I might have thought he was gone. Just like my willingness to help her with keeping Nick safe, she was willing to help me find Josh. I thought it was very sweet of her, but there was no way that I could allow her to do that. She didn’t know the real reason he was in the hospital and for now it was something I couldn’t share with her. There was no way I would put her in harm’s way, no matter how close it would bring us together.

  ~****~

  Knowing that my effort to get in touch with Josh was a complete waste, I decided I needed to wait for him to call me with his whereabouts. Feeling like it was going to be a long wait, I offered to take Charlie out to a late breakfast. It was the least I could do considering the scare I put her through. Leaving her brother’s car parked in the hospital parking lot, we headed over to my car, which was only a few cars down from his. I held out my hand, hoping that she would take it as I led her to where my car was. Even though she was a little hesitant, I could tell by the expression drawn on her face that she wanted to. I didn’t have any ulterior motive in holding her hand, which I knew was running through her pretty head. All I really wanted to do was touch her again. Who was I fooling? I did have an ulterior motive.

  When her hand slipped into mine, I squeezed it gently as we headed to my car. Pulling my key fob from my front pocket, I clicked the unlock button while keeping an eye on the tail lights, which told me that the doors were now unlocked. Removing my hand from hers, which I regretted, I placed it on her lower back as I guided her to the passenger side of my Charger. Once she was safely inside, I rounded the car and got in myself. I could feel her eyes on me the entire time. My peripheral vision told me that she was indeed watching me. It may have been a bit cocky when I purposely slipped the key back inside my pocket all the while lifting my button-down shirt a little higher than I needed, but I knew it would get her attention. Knowing that my abs were my best feature, I knew as soon as I got inside the car that she noticed them by the expression on her face.

  ~****~

  Sitting across from her while she carefully ate her hamburger that seemed a little large for her to hold, I couldn’t help but watch her as she licked the excess ketchup from her lips. God, how I wished that it was my tongue gilding across those beautiful lips. The way she was devouring that hamburger, she had no idea that I was literally drooling over her to the point I could feel the strength of my erection consuming the small space provided by my tight jeans.

  Charlie’s glistening eyes met mine and I knew that I had been caught. If she only knew what I was thinking while taking in her beauty. The only thing that I could manage to do, was hand her a napkin so that she could use it to wipe the lush sweetness of her mouth instead of using her tongue. “The things you do with your tongue should be illegal.” I gave her one of my signature smiles as I spoke.

  “This has got to be one of the best hamburgers I have ever tasted,” she confessed before putting the last bite in her mouth.

  I had to laugh to myself. Never had I seen a woman wolf down a meal the way that she did. It was as though it was going to be her last meal and she wanted to make sure that she consumed every bite. “I can see that. You must have been very hungry.”

  “I wasn’t really, at least not until a few moments ago. It must have been the excitement.”

  When the waitress brought the check, I didn’t want this time with Charlie to end. Taking a chance that she would accept my offer, I went out on a limb and suggested that she allow me to take her sightseeing. I wasn’t sure how long she had actually been in Manhattan, but there was so much to see and I wanted to be the one to show her. It was also my way of getting my mind off of Josh.

  I couldn’t have been happier when she agreed to let me show her around and take her to the places that made New York so popular. As we headed b
ack to my car, my phone began to ring inside my pocket. I hoped it was Josh calling to let me know where he was. As I looked at the screen I was somewhat disappointed that Peter’s number appeared. Pressing the call accept icon, I held it to my ear as I assisted Charlie inside the car. “What’s up, bro?” I asked while walking to my side of the car.

  “I just left your apartment. There was no sign of Josh, but it looks like I might have missed him. Most of his stuff is gone,” Peter admitted.

  “Doesn’t surprise me. We need to talk, but it will have to wait until later. I’ve got more important things to do at the moment,” I mentioned, knowing there wouldn’t be much either one of us could do anyway.

  The first place that I wanted to take Charlie was to Corona Park in Queens. It was going to be the least busy place and it was always open. Heading in that direction, I caught myself looking over to Charlie several times during our ride to Queens. She reminded me of a small child the way she looked out the window thinking that she would be able to see the tops of the tall buildings as we passed them. I knew for a fact that you couldn’t. I did the same thing when I first arrived in the city almost two years ago. I almost bought a convertible, but then reality set in and I came to the conclusion that it wouldn’t be practical, especially since it would be parked most of the time in the parking garage, protected from the cold weather that New York City tends to have.

  My time alone with Charlie came to an end as I pulled up to the only parking spot I could find. I guess it wasn’t just me that had the idea to come to Corona Park today. Before I could assist Charlie out of the car, like the gentleman I was, she was up and out and taking in a panoramic view of the park. From where we were standing, I could barely see the top of the Unisphere globe. It was the main attraction of the park and what most tourists came to see. Shutting my door and locking the car, I looked over to find that Charlie was already en route towards the massive globe. Jogging, I was finally able to reach her and take hold of her hand before she got too far from me. Even though I knew she was pretty safe with me in the park, I didn’t want to risk some creep getting a piece of her. Corona Park was notorious for housing homeless people who had a problem keeping to themselves.

  Stopping her by tugging lightly on her hand, I smiled as I looked at her, “Hold up, baby. It isn’t going anywhere.”

  Giving me a smile to match my own, she said, “I know, but it is so amazing.”

  When we reached the globe, the water began to spray upward, rounding the sphere in a beautiful dance. I hadn’t ever seen that before in all the times that I had been here. I wondered what the display of the Earth looked like at night when all the lights were on. As we stood looking at the Unisphere globe, I felt something come over me. It was like I could feel the pride that surrounded the construction of this historical monument representing the journey into space. I think Charlie could feel the same thing. I could have sworn that her eyes began to water as she read the words on the plaque. Her emotions consumed me and made me want her more.

  About thirty minutes was all I could stand before my willpower to remain a gentleman left. Taking Charlie by the hand, I led her to the Queen’s Theatre. It was the only place where I knew we could be alone, unseen. As I swung open the door, the cool air didn’t even come close to suppressing the arousal that was slowly building the minute we left the small restaurant.

  Heading past the information desk, I was thankful that the attendant was busy with an older couple and unaware that we were walking toward the theatre. Even though the theatre was dark, I knew exactly where to go so we would be alone with no interruptions.

  Feeling a slight tug on my hand, I heard Charlie ask in a low voice, “Ryan, where are we going?”

  “The one place I know we won’t be seen,” I assured her.

  I wasn’t sure if she was ready for what I had planned, but soon I was going to find out. If I had to guess, she was on the same page given the fact that she didn’t resist my efforts to lead her there. Entering the dark hallway behind the stage, I began trying the numerous doors, hoping that one of them would be open. I knew we were in a ‘no entrance’ zone and no one would be coming this way. Coming to the end of the hallway, one of the dressing rooms wasn’t locked and we were able to enter. Taking my phone from my pocket, I brought it to life and switched on the flashlight. Searching the room, I came upon a lamp next to the vanity. Reaching under the stained shade, I turned it on. It gave off just enough light that I could see Charlie standing next to the door.

  Walking over to her, I placed my hand on her flushed cheek and lowered my lips to hers. At first, there was a slight hesitation, but once I dipped my tongue inside the warmth of her mouth, her tongue began to dance with mine. I could feel the vibration of small whimpers escape as I continued my play. Charlie’s arms wrapped around my neck, allowing me to kiss her even deeper. Trailing my hands down her back, I found her butt and cupped her firm cheeks. Just the feel of her this close was making my cock jump with excitement. When I lifted her by the waist, her legs enveloped mine as I carried her over to the small couch that was pushed up against the wall.

  Even though this wasn’t the way that I imagined our reunion would be, it really didn’t matter because all I knew was that I needed her and my cock longed to be deep inside her. Placing her gently on the couch, I took a moment to absorb her beauty. Her eyes fluttered shut as I traced the outline of her lips before I swept inside her warmth. Her tongue mingled with mine and our exploration of each other began. Charlie’s body told me she was eager for my touch. Slipping my hand underneath her thin t-shirt, I worked it upward until I reached her firm breast. Lowering the cup of her bra, I could feel the warmth and softness of her breast as I fondled the pea-sized bud between my fingers. Bracing my body above hers with the other hand, I managed to find the clasp of her bra. “God, how I loved the person that created front clasps on bras,” I smiled to myself. Just the feel of her skin under my touch left me needing more. All I wanted was to consume the beauty that was hidden beneath the thin material. With one leg planted on the floor and the other bent between her legs, I grasped the hem of her t-shirt and in one movement pushed it upward, freeing her shirt and her bra from her body at the same time. When her luscious breasts came into view, they were as I remembered, only more beautiful.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” I whispered as I lowered my lips to the small bud, nuzzling her breast as I savagely began licking and sucking the tip. Charlie’s moans of pleasure sounded and it triggered my cock to become increasingly more uncomfortable locked away in my jeans. I moved back slightly, resting my upper leg on my butt while gliding my hand down her silky skin, stopping purposely at the waistband of her shorts. With one flick of my wrist the button was undone and the zipper began sliding down as I moved my hand beneath her pretty yellow panties. I could feel the soft curls of her pubic hair as I worked my hand further down. At first I was unable to get where I needed with the restriction of her shorts, and then her butt lifted from the couch, allowing me to easily remove her shorts and take her panties with them.

  With her body completely displayed before me, she was even more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. Lowering my body, I trailed light kisses down her body to the apex of her sex. Her womanly scent overflowed as I moved to her folds, which were wet with desire. Lapping up her sweet honey, I could feel her hips move, keeping in rhythm to my play. Something intense flared through my body, reacting to her moans of satisfaction as her body gave way. Exposing my own desire for her, I freed my cock from its confines, encased it with latex, and slowly entered her with gentle, even thrusts. I could feel her body light with pleasure as it clenched around me, coaxing me towards my own release. What had taken me so long to find was finally delivered, sending my body in an upward spiral to heaven and back. Never was I going to let her go again.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Charlie

  When we left Corona Park, there was only silence in the car. I couldn’t believe that I let what happened at Queens Thea
tre happen. Although it was exciting, it was also very risky and I should have stopped it. We had only started getting to know each other and things were moving too fast. Not to mention that we could have been caught. More importantly than that, I wondered what Ryan thought of me, giving myself to him so freely. There was no way he could know that I hadn’t been with anyone since he left. Thing were so different back then. We were two kids trying to find each other and having sex was more like a task, at least for me. I was clumsy, to say the least. Inexperienced and unable to feel what he wanted. It was more important to do it than it was to actually feel it.

  As we walked back to Ryan’s car, my phone began to vibrate in my bag. I had turned the ringer off once we entered the theater, mostly because I didn’t want anyone to know we had snuck past the front desk attendant. Pulling it from my bag, I found it was Nick calling. Not sure why he would be calling, I swiped the phone icon and said, “Hello.”

  “Charlie, where are you?” he asked, seeming like he had been running and was out of breath.

  “Ryan and I are just leaving Corona Park. What’s going on, Nick?” I asked hesitantly. I was afraid that something bad might have happened.