I go along with him as he takes me to a group of men who all wear expensive tux’s like I do, only most of them seem uncomfortable in them. They fidget as I come up to them. One calls out, “Hey, it’s Ryker Crawford!”
A laugh erupts out of me as I had no idea I could command that much excitement from a group of guys. “It’s nice to see you know about me.”
They seem in awe now and converge on me in a circle, fencing me in and keeping me from getting to the gorgeous creature perched on the edge of her chair at Damien’s table.
She just can’t be his date!
I’m trying to give this group my full attention but can’t seem to focus on them as I’m so focused on the woman who’s looking sad and lonely. Damien is still on his damn phone and I watch her as she gives him longing looks then looks away when he doesn’t notice her at all.
One of the guys asks me a question about my plan to go to Mars, so I have to answer him. “Yes, I want to be on the first mission. It’s my dream to see the red planet and tame it for future Martians.”
The men laugh a little and I see the woman place her hand on Damien’s arm. He looks at her hand then gets up and walks away. Shaking his head at her.
I find the way he’s treating her, appalling and excuse myself to go talk to the woman, now that she’s alone. I make sure Damien is all the way out of the gazebo before I get to her. I pick up a couple of drinks from the bar and go to her. “Hello, gorgeous.”
She looks up and stares at me. “Who me?”
I place the drink on the table in front of her. “Mind if I sit down and introduce myself to you?”
“I’m nobody,” she says. “I’m here with Damien Markov.”
“I’m sure you’re somebody. No one is a nobody. And I don’t see Damien around. Are you supposed to be on a date with him?”
“He and I are a couple,” she says, shocking me.
“For how long?” I ask as I reach out and twirl a tendril of her silky hair. “I knew it would feel this soft. You are a rare beauty, Gia Flynn.”
“How do you know my name?” she asks with surprise.
“Oh, I have my ways. When one sees such a beautiful woman, one finds things out about her. Your name was first on the list. And now that I know you, I have more I’d love to know about you. Like why you’re sitting here, being ignored by any man.” I take a seat, even though she’s not offered one.
“Damien’s busy with a call from an old friend he met with today. I suppose it’s quite important.” She takes a drink and I reach out and touch her arm.
“Since he’s so busy, would you care to take a walk with me? Touring the zoo in the twinkling lights looks fun. But I don’t want to do it alone,” I tell her as I stand and pull her up with me.
“Damien should be back soon,” she says as I tuck her hand into the crook of my arm.
“I’m sure he will. And he can wait on you, when he gets back. Don’t worry, I’ll explain things to him when I return you to him. If you want to be returned to him, that is.”
Her giggle sends chills through me. “You’re funny. And your name is?”
“I am Ryker Crawford of Apollo…”
“Oh, I know who you are. Apollo Engineering was a company I was going to see about interning with before I met Damien,” she says. “I’m sorry about your grandfather. His mission to see Mars populated is what started that company. He was a true revolutionary man. The space community misses him, dearly.”
I smile with her sweet sentiment. “Why didn’t you still apply for an internship? Meeting Damien shouldn’t have ended your career.”
“No, it shouldn’t have,” she says as her brows furrow. “But it did. I moved away to Russia with him. I thought I’d work for his company. You see, I designed a capsule with enough nutrients to keep a human body nourished for days at a time. It would be useful…”
I cut her off as I know what it would be useful for, “…Moving people and animals to Mars.”
She stops and nods as she smiles, broadly. “Yes! But I haven’t made one for animals yet. Each animal has different needs. I was going to work on that and develop them for each kind of animal. That way, they would be ready for when the first mission takes off.”
“What stopped you?” I ask as she seems brilliant.
“Damien,” she says and her smile fades away. “I sold the patent to him. He has his own people working on doing that. They’ve yet to come up with anything as good as I did for humans. I’d love the chance to work on the project but he likes me to be available to him.”
“Not to be nosy, but available for what?” I ask, wondering if Damien Markov is keeping this woman as his sex slave. She’s far too smart to allow that to happen to her.
“Just be available. Not exactly in a sexual way. Just be around when he comes around. Which isn’t a lot, anymore,” she mumbles.
“Where are you from, Gia?” I ask as I move us along. I’d love nothing more than to hide her away from the man all night long.
“Nebraska, Blue Hill, Nebraska, to be exact. My father was a farmer,” she says as we stop in front of a cage that supposed to have a bear in it but he seems to be sleeping.
“He was a farmer?” I ask as I move us along to the next exhibit.
“Since I got with Damien, there’s no need for him to farm his land. Damien gives my family more money than they know what to do with. Dad’s land is just sitting there. He keeps it fertilized but that’s all,” she says then points to the back of an enclosure. “See, that?”
I squint to make out the shape of the animal she’s pointing at. “What is it?”
“A lemur,” she says. “Can you imagine a day when these creatures will be on a new planet?”
“I can and do, all the time,” I say. “It’s my dream to go on the first mission. I suppose you’ll be accompanying Damien on his first mission.”
“I don’t know about that.” She walks away from me to the next cage.
Getting back to her side, I take her hand and tuck it back into the crook of my arm. “And why don’t you know about that?”
“I don’t want to leave our planet. I’d like nothing more than to help people and animals to get there, though. You know, like the ground crew.” She looks up at a sleeping Eagle in its huge nest. “Eagles flying in a red sky, how cool, huh?”
“We do need people here to make it all happen. It’s admirable of you to want to help people get there. I want to be there. I want to have one of the first children born on the planet,” I tell her and find her smiling.
“So, where is Mrs. Crawford?”
“There’s not one,” I say. “There won’t be one, here on Earth. I’m waiting to meet a woman on Mars. It’s there I want to make my life. It’s there I want to raise a family.”
“And you’ll leave all your wealth to who, here on Earth?” she asks as she peers into a dark cage and jumps back when an owl swoops out at us, screeching to let us know he dislikes being disturbed.
I find her in my arms and hold her tight as I look down at her sweet face. “I don’t know. I’ve never even thought about it. I suppose I could donate it to a deserving charity or several of them.”
“You’re very generous,” she says as she moves out of my arms. “Sorry for jumping into you like that.”
“Not a problem,” I say then take her hand again. “I didn’t mind at all. So, tell me more about yourself. Are you a scientist?”
“No, I’m an engineer. I graduated from MIT.” She looks away like that’s not a huge deal.
“Why would you be wasting away in Russia as Damien Markov’s toy? You’re much too talented to do that. I’d like to offer you a position with Apollo Engineering,” I say, without hesitation.
“My only idea, I’ve sold to Damien’s company. What good could I even do for your company?” she asks me as she looks away, shaking her head. “I’ve wasted my chances.”
Stopping her, I turn her to face me, leaving my hands on her narrow shoulders. “Gia, you said you don’t p
lan on going to Mars. Damien is going to go. So, what’s your plan when he leaves you here, all alone?”
She seems to be thinking about this for the first time ever. “Um, I guess I don’t know. I kind of thought he’d make sure I was taken care of.”
“Is that all you want out of life?” I ask her as she doesn’t seem the type to be so shallow. “To be taken care of?”
“No,” she says then looks down. “Oh, I don’t know what it is I want, Ryker.”
“There you are,” Damien says as he walks up behind us. “Are you trying to steal my girl away, Ryker?” He laughs with a deep sound, as if that could never happen.
I let Gia go and she steps around me and goes to him. “He was keeping me company while you were busy, Damien. Do you know this man?”
Damien looks at her with surprise. “Oh, he didn’t tell you about the business deal we discussed at his office earlier today? I thought that was why he came to introduce himself to you.” His ice colored eyes dart to mine. “Why else would he take someone else’s woman off?”
With a chuckle, I say, “I was on my way to talk to you when I was ambushed by a pack of engineers, trying to pick my brain. I saw you leave, just as I got free. It was my intention to tell Gia why I had made my way to her. But we got to talking about other things, like how wonderful she is, smart she is, and talented she is. I could go on and on, obviously.”
“And taken she is,” he adds. “Perhaps I could join you two on your little walk?”
Gia holds tight to his arm as she senses his jealousy. “Please do, Damien. It’s nice to know you want to do business with Ryker. He seems to be a nice man and a generous one too. Much like yourself.”
I watch her smooth his rumpled feathers, expertly. She must be used to him getting pissed when anyone wants her attention. Not that he does!
GIA
Damien’s pulse is rapid as I hold his hand. He’s never had to see me with another man’s hands on me. It seems to be doing something to him. Maybe he’ll see he should pay more attention to me or someone might swoop in and take me away from him.
“Which one of you would care to tell me about this deal?” I ask. “Or is it top secret?”
“You don’t need to worry yourself with it, my darling,” Damien says then kisses the top of my head.
“I don’t see why she can’t know,” Ryker says. “You see my company has developed a highly effective rocket booster. Damien would like to manufacture it. All he wants in trade for his work, is to have rights to it.”
“Not exclusive,” I say as I look at him, worried Damien will make a deal with him the way he did with me not truly understanding I would never get to work on my project again. “You’ll keep your rights too, won’t you?”
“What does that matter to you, Gia?” Damien asks me. “This is none of your concern.”
I’ve pissed him off by asking something and I don’t care. “Look, I just don’t want him to lose something that’s so important. The way I did.”
“You know, in light of you and she being a couple,” Ryker says as he turns to continue our stroll through the zoo. “Couldn’t you, at the very least, let her work on the other capsules for the animals? She said your people haven’t come up with anything yet. We really could use that sooner rather than later, you know. You have a diamond there, Damien. You seem to be covering her with dirt, though.”
Damien starts to walk too, taking me up next to Ryker who looks at me from the corner of his eye as Damien says, “Gia has no reason to lift a finger. I take excellent care of her and her family. Has she explained to you all I do for them?”
“Yes, she has. You’ve taken care of their finances. Given them more money than they know what to do with. But aren’t you going to be going to Mars?” Ryker asks, making Damien sneer.
His pulse goes insane as he says, “So what if I am?”
“She’ll be left here, alone. Those who have grown dependent on you would be left with no idea how to take care of themselves. What you see as a service, I see as a disservice.” Ryker stops and takes my other hand. “What do you think, Gia?”
My eyes go wide as Damien’s hand squeezes mine. His hand is hot and I know he’s about to blow a gasket. So, I ease my hand out of Ryker’s and smile. “I think this conversation is taxing, to say the least. Damien is a man I can count on.”
“And who needs any more than that?” Damien asks then starts walking again. “No need to worry over Gia, Ryker. She will have my portion of my family’s wealth when I leave. She can dole it out to her family as she likes.”
“No want to take her to Mars with you, Damien?” Ryker asks and I find myself looking at Damien to see what the hell he says about that.
“She’s much too fragile to go to Mars. She’s allergic to everything and fights with anemia. Her family also has a history of mental illness which would block her from going anyway,” Damien says and I am shocked.
“What are you talking about? My family has no such history!”
“But they do,” Damien says. “You have an aunt no one talks about. She was institutionalized when she was twelve.”
My jaw drops as I stare at him. This man must’ve done some extensive research into my family’s background to come up with this. And for what?
“You and I will discuss this later,” I snap then spin around and run away from them both.
I’ve never been more humiliated!
“Gia, where are you going?” Damien shouts.
“I can’t understand why he’s with me if he has no future where I’m in it.” And everything is spinning in my head. He was all about me for the first year and a half. Suddenly, he became distant and forgetful where I was concerned. And I bet it has everything to do with finding out I can never go to Mars with him.
Not that I was ever going to go. He’d know that if he ever bothered to talk to me about it. Instead, he played detective to see if I was worthy of going in the first place. He’s impossible and I have no idea why I’m staying with him.
A hand on my shoulder stops me and spins me back around. “Hey.”
I find Ryker is the one who came to stop me and look around him to see Damien is nowhere in sight. “Where’d he go?”
“He made a phone call and walked away. Don’t let that shit about your aunt get to you, Gia. We all have a squirrel or two in our family trees,” he says then grins at me. “I have five in mine.”
His silly grin makes me laugh, despite my anger at Damien. “I’m sorry for how I’m acting. I really am. I wasn’t this person.”
“Let me guess,” he says as he takes my hand. “Before Damien Markov.”
“Yes,” I confess. “I was different before him. I was strong willed and sure of myself and now I’m neither of those things.”
“Well, damn!” he says as he pulls me along with him. “And those are great things to be. What made you change?”
I find him taking us to one of the bars and ordering something pink and fruity then he hands it to me. “Thank you. And I don’t know why I changed. I don’t want to blame Damien. It was me who changed. He never tried to change me. It just happened, somehow.”
“He’s overbearing,” Ryker says as he picks up a Scotch and takes me with him to a table.
I nod. “I agree.”
“Do you love him?” he asks me and I freeze.
“We don’t use that term. We never have.” I sip the delicious drink. “Yummy. How did you know I’d like it?”
“It’s got strawberry liquor in it and cream, what chic wouldn’t?” He moves his hand over my cheek and his smile is devastating.
Ryker is taller than Damien by about an inch. His shoulders are a little wider but his build is a touch smaller. His jaw is rugged and he keeps a five o’clock shadow going, making him look darkly handsome.
“You’re thoughtful,” I tell him as I watch his plump lips form another heartbreakingly beautiful smile.
“Sometimes I am. I’m not a saint. I have my bad points too,” he says then l
icks his lips, picking up every last drop of the Scotch he’s just drank.
“And they are?” I ask as I have to think something bad about this perfect man who’s paying so much attention to me.
My body trembles as he leans in very close and whispers in my ear, “I have a penchant for corrupting gorgeous, smart, talented women, like yourself.” I go wet as his lips touch the place just behind my ear. “Have you ever fucked around behind Damien’s back?”
Jerking my head back, I hiss at him, “No! Ryker! I’m not that kind of woman!”
Sitting back, he grins at me with a sexy stare. His dark eyes penetrate mine as he licks his lips once again. “Pity.”
My heart is racing and my body is shaking. “Ryker!”
“Say it again, Gia,” he says under his breath. “Say my name, baby.”
I hate the fact I’m on fire and he has me this way in mere seconds. “Where’s the nice man I was talking to? Do you suffer from split personality?”
He shakes his head, sending his dark waves dancing around his face. “Nah, I have a naughty side, that’s all. I can be a little naughty and a little nice, can’t I, Gia?” He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees and jerks his head toward one side of the gazebo. “You’re in need of some attention and I can give it to you. Damien has no future plans for you. Dump him. Or don’t. That’s up to you. I want you, either way. And you need me, baby.”
“Ryker, you’re being too forward,” I say as I look around to see if anyone can hear what he’s saying.
“I know. It’s a byproduct of being so damn smart. I’m quick to act. I’ll be in that private bathroom, if you care to join me.” I watch him get up and stroll to a door just off the wood floor. He leaves it ajar and I find my body is trying to get up and follow him.
Holding myself back, I take the rest of my drink down in one gulp to douse the fire he’s started inside me. I look around for Damien and don’t see him anywhere.
Rockstar Untamed: A Single Dad Virgin Romance Page 102
