What was it they said about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different outcome? Well, in that case, I’d gone crazy years ago because I’d never truly given up hope that one day, there’d be a catalyst, something that made Ryker see me through different eyes. To accept that I was the one for him. His soul mate. The other half of his heart.
Get a grip, Athena. You sound like a dick.
Mom caught sight of me and clasped a hand to her chest. “Oh, Athena, darling. You’re stunning,” she exclaimed, tottering over to greet me.
“I see I’m not the only one in ridiculous shoes, huh, Mom.” I accepted her warm embrace but ignored her effusive compliment. “And all for a simple dinner at home.” I gave her a look that spoke volumes.
“Oh, pfft,” she said. “If I can’t throw a party to welcome home my daughter after six months away, when can I?” She gripped my upper arms, standing back to admire me, the love in her eyes unmistakable. “I invited a few singletons tonight.” She winked. “You never know. You might meet my grandbaby’s father this evening.”
“Mom,” I said in a warning tone.
“Kidding,” she said.
Except she wasn’t. Despite her troubled past, my mother was an old romantic. She couldn’t wait for the day to come when a man swept me off my feet, married me, and got me pregnant as fast as possible.
Poor Mom. She wasn’t to know, and I wouldn’t cruelly dash her dreams. Elliot would have to be the one to provide the grandkids, because they wouldn’t be coming from me. I only wanted kids with one man, a man who didn’t want me, which meant I was destined to remain childless.
As my mind turned to Ryker, I scanned the formal living room, smiling and nodding at those whose eyes I caught. I found him propped up next to the fireplace, one hand cradling a glass of scotch, and the other clamped on a woman’s ass.
Bastard.
I dragged my gaze away before the scene burned my eyeballs, although I’d take blindness over sight right at this second. An acute ache bloomed within me, stealing my breath like a sharp frost on an icy morning in winter.
I headed straight for the pop-up bar. “Gin and tonic,” I said to the bartender. Jesus, Mom really had gone over the top. We could have fixed our own drinks, for Christ’s sake. “Make it a large one.”
“Coming right up,” he said with a wink. “Not enjoying the evening?”
I slipped onto a stool and propped my chin on my hand. “Is it that obvious?”
“Nah.” He chuckled. “I’m good at reading people, that’s all. No one else would have a clue you’d rather go play with the traffic.”
I laughed. “What’s your name?”
“Ben.”
I stuck out my hand. “Great to meet you, Ben. I’m Athena. Why don’t you pour yourself a drink, too? I hate drinking alone.”
“More than my job is worth, miss,” he replied, setting my G&T down on a napkin.
“Shame,” I said, knowing I was flirting yet unable to stop myself. I circled the rim of the glass with my fingertip. “Maybe later.”
“You’ll be busy later,” a rasping voice snapped next to my ear. Ryker clutched my arm, holding on tighter than was comfortable. “Your guests are waiting.”
I shrugged him off. “They’re not my guests. They’re Mom’s guests.”
“Get your ass off that chair and work the room,” Ryker bit out, his tone brooking no argument.
Except I wasn’t in the mood to obey.
“Or you’ll what?”
A nerve ticked in his jaw. “Trust me, you don’t want to find out.”
“Don’t you have a date to fondle?” Try as I might to remain nonchalant and keep the bitterness out of my tone, I failed miserably.
Ryker smirked. “So that’s your problem. Grow up, Athena. Your mom has put an enormous amount of effort into this evening. The least you can do is pretend to be grateful.”
He spun on his heel and marched across the room, leaving me feeling like a total bitch. Ryker always managed to get to me, even when I promised myself I wouldn’t let him. A harsh word here, a sharp glance there, and I always came off worse, no matter how much I tried to defend my corner.
I flashed a wavering smile at Ben, picked up my drink, and made a beeline for Sebastian. He always made me laugh, and I could do with someone to cheer me up.
Twenty minutes later, we were all seated for dinner. I groaned. Mom had put me right across from Ryker and his stupid date, Lissie. What a dumbass name. I’d already decided to hate her—for no other reason than she had Ryker’s arm nestled around her shoulder—when she hit me with a friendly smile.
“We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Lissie. Thank you for inviting me to your homecoming party. I absolutely adore your dress. I wish I could pull off something as spectacular. Sadly, I don’t have a figure, or a face, as beautiful as yours.”
I returned her smile. Well played, Lissie. Well played.
“Thank you. And you’re very welcome. Any friend of Ryker’s is a friend of mine.”
Ryker made a sound remarkably like a snort.
“Sorry, Ryker, I didn’t catch that,” I said, my voice carrying enough sugar to turn the entire room diabetic. “What did you say?”
“Nothing important.” He picked up a bottle of white wine, glancing at the label, then at Lissie. “Would you like a drink, sweetheart? It’s a great vintage.”
“How do you two know each other?” I asked, ignoring the burning sensation in the pit of my stomach at the endearment he’d laid on her.
“Ryker saved me from an embarrassing situation at the grocery store a couple of days ago,” Lissie gazed up at him with adoration. “I went to pay for my items and realized I’d left my wallet at home. He came to the rescue.”
“Aww, would you look at that,” I said. “A regular superhero. We must get you a cape, Ryker.”
“I’m so glad you’re home, Athena,” Ryker drawled. “I’ve missed your grade-school banter.”
Lissie chuckled, completely missing the undertone. “You two are hilarious. Ryker said you were like a sister to him, given you’d grown up together and all.”
How I held back from yelling, well, in that case, it makes what we did incest, because he took my virginity when I was seventeen, I will never know. Luckily for me, I was saved from answering as the appetizers arrived.
Somehow, I made it through dinner, although swallowing was a challenge owing to the enormous lump lodged in my throat. Even drinking copious amounts of wine didn’t shift it. By the time the entrée plates were cleared away, I was ready to throw in the towel, make my excuses, and escape to my room, except Mom wouldn’t stand for that. I’d have to stick it out to the bitter end, but if I didn’t get a break from Ryker whispering sweet nothings in Lissie’s ear soon, I’d throw up all over the table.
“I’ll go help Dora with dessert,” I said to no one in particular.
The kitchen was rammed with the external catering staff Mom brought in to help Dora. I smiled to myself as I watched our housekeeper manage the food preparation like a military operation.
“Do you need any help?” I asked her.
She smiled. “All getting a bit too much, is it?”
“You know me too well, Dora.”
She hugged me. “He’s an idiot, but he’ll figure it out sooner or later.”
I gave her a wan smile. “And here I was thinking I hid it so well.”
“You do, sweetheart. But I’m an old woman, and with age comes wisdom.”
Dora asked me to lay out the dessert plates ready for the cheesecake. I’d almost finished when a movement to my left caught my eye. I turned to find Ryker leaning against the far wall, watching me, his tie loose, the top button of his shirt undone, revealing the smooth tanned skin of his throat.
My stomach flipped. God, I wanted to put my mouth on him.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you here, watching
me? It’s creepy.”
He smirked. “I’m just making sure that Lissie doesn’t come down with a sudden case of stomach ache or some such shit.”
My eyes widened. Fuck. He knows. Has he always known? No, he can’t know. He’s bluffing. Except… Ryker wasn’t the bluffing type. One look at his face told me I’d been caught out. Time to play dumb.
I painted on a bored expression. “I have no idea what you’re rambling on about, Ryker.” I sauntered over to the enormous fridge and removed a jug of cream, placing it on the counter next to the plates.
“No?” Pushing off the wall, he walked toward me, although stalked would be a better description. He gently tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, bringing me out in a rash of goose bumps. Bending down, he whispered, “I know, Athena. I’ve always known. Now let this be a fair warning. If Lissie gets sick, I’ll know exactly where to come looking for retribution.”
He flicked my earlobe, winked, then strolled away with his hands buried deep in his pockets.
My knees trembled, and I grabbed the edge of the counter to steady myself. What did I have to do to convince him I’d changed, that I was no longer a jealous child, but a grown woman?
I’d thought myself so clever, assumed he’d been unaware, but I was no match for Ryker Stone.
9
Athena
I woke on Monday morning with a mouth like sawdust and an ache in my chest that wouldn’t abate. The sight of Ryker leaving the party on Saturday night with his arm wrapped around Lissie had been a special kind of torture all its own. For two nights straight, my imagination had conjured unwanted images of the two of them in bed together, the aberration playing on a continuous loop for hours on end, leaving me cranky and exhausted.
Maybe she’d be The One. At least that way I might finally be able to accept he wasn’t the man for me, and move on. Except deep within my soul, I didn’t believe that. If there was nothing between us, why were we so drawn to sniping at each other at every given opportunity? If Ryker truly felt nothing for me, then he wouldn’t be so easily riled.
I’d done the grown-up thing and extricated myself from the situation by going traveling, but even then, the fates had conspired against me. And who was I to ignore Cupid? Maybe the time had come for me and Ryker to give the flickering attraction a chance to burn brightly?
All I had to do was convince him.
Far easier said than done.
When I got downstairs, Elliot had already left for the office. Dad offered me a ride, but I refused. The subway would give me much needed alone time. I’d barely had a moment to myself all weekend.
I heaved a sigh and rubbed at my sternum. I had to get away from all this. I needed space. Despite my determination to make it on my own, maybe I should ask Elliot for a loan, enough for a deposit on a small apartment? He could take the money out of my salary each month over a period of time. I vowed to speak to him about it when the time was right.
The elevator opened on my floor. I waited for it to empty then peered around the corner, half expecting to find Ryker waiting for me, arms crossed, a disapproving frown on his face. He might have waited years to tell me he’d known all about my childish behavior with his dates, but now he had, I found it hard to believe he’d just let it go. I breathed a sigh of relief when my fears were unfounded.
Keeping my head down, I walked quickly to my office. I sidled over to my desk, murmuring a few good mornings. As soon as I sat, I lowered my chair a few inches which made the screen act as a kind of camouflage. Better. Maybe if he did swing by, he’d think I wasn’t there, affording me a few days of blessed relief.
“Athena.”
I groaned. So much for camouflage.
I lifted my head and, doing a terrific impression of a meerkat, peeked over the top of the monitor to find Ryker standing by the door to Aaron’s office, fiddling with his cufflinks. The man was too goddamn sexy for his own good. His beauty took my breath away. The dark-blue Tom Ford suit he’d chosen this morning showed off how fit and firm his body was. He’d paired it with a crisp white shirt and light-blue tie. Around his tanned wrist was a Breitling watch with a silver strap. My gaze fell to his long, slim fingers. I’d always had a fascination with Ryker’s hands, especially as I had intimate knowledge about what he could do with them.
“Yes,” I forced out through a tight throat.
He crooked his finger, beckoning me, then pivoted and went into the office. Scrambling to my feet, I glanced around at my coworkers to see if they’d noticed the exchange. Thankfully, as it wasn’t yet nine, most of the desks were empty, and those people that had arrived early didn’t seem to think there was anything odd in being summoned by the boss.
Dread curled in my stomach, and my knees wobbled as I followed him, my heart thumping at a thousand miles an hour, waiting for him to broach the subject of Saturday night.
He closed the door then walked over to the coffee machine set up in the corner—all the senior managers had one—and poured himself a drink. He didn’t offer me one, nor did he look at, or speak to me. Fine. Let him play his power games. I fiddled with the hem of my jacket, but in the end, impatience won out.
“If this is about what I did, I’m sorry, okay.”
He turned his head slowly until our eyes connected. He sipped his coffee, setting it on Aaron’s desk.
“I have a meeting with a prospective future business partner in a new venture ROGUES might undertake. I want you to accompany me.”
“Why?” I asked, stunned. I’d been certain he’d called me in here for a dressing down over what I’d done to his dates years earlier.
He arched an eyebrow. “Because I said so.”
I shook my head. “Ryker, stop playing games. I know this is about Saturday night.”
“It’s about a member of my IT support team coming to a meeting in case I have trouble with my laptop.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
His forehead creased. “Excuse me?”
“Just get it over with, okay? I can’t stand the anticipation. Tell me you think I’m a complete and utter bitch for something I did years ago when I was young and stupid. Berate me for behaving so recklessly, for being so awful to your dates. But for the love of all that’s holy, don’t pretend this is about IT support. You’re perfectly capable of rebooting your own machine.”
“The meeting is at ten. We leave in five minutes. Fetch your things and meet me in the lobby.”
Bastard… hadn’t he heard a word I said?
He picked up his coffee and strode off, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open.
With no option other than to obey, especially as I refused to give him any ammunition to tell Elliot that I was being difficult or insubordinate, I crossed over to my desk, grabbed my purse, and returned to the bank of elevators I’d only stepped out of a few minutes ago. It took ages for one to arrive, which was unsurprising, given the early hour. People were still arriving for work.
I rode down to the lobby, my palms prickling with simmering rage. He had no right to treat me like this. Was a little professionalism on his part too much to ask?
“You’re late,” Ryker bit out before I’d taken one step out of the elevator.
Yes, it seems a touch of professionalism is too much to ask.
“It’s nine o’clock in the morning. The elevators are crammed,” I retorted.
“Yet I managed to get here on time,” he bit back, spinning on his heel.
Several arriving employees dodged out of his way. If they hadn’t, I swore he’d have knocked them over.
I jogged to catch up to him, my blood at boiling point. The second the driver closed the door to the limo, trapping us inside, I turned on him.
“Okay, that’s enough. This stops now, Ryker. Whatever your problem is with me, I do not deserve to be treated like your personal whipping post when we’re at work. If you want to behave like a gigantic asshole outside of the office, be my guest. It’s your default settin
g anyway. But when we’re in a professional environment, cut the goddamn shit. Got it?”
My heart raced, and my palms slicked with sweat. I hated conflict. It always left me with a terrible sense of unease. I caught the gaze of Ryker’s driver staring at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes crinkled around the edges, clearly amused by the whole affair.
Ryker pressed a button on the center console that separated our seats. A dark privacy screen activated, separating the front from the back of the car. When it clicked into place, he shifted in his seat, his eyes as cold as two lumps of ice.
“If you want to play the professional card, Athena, then maybe don’t pick an argument where you behave completely unprofessionally in front of my driver. Trust me, by the time we return to the office, swathes of the company will be aware of our disagreement. I don’t like my staff gossiping about me, yet now you’ve put me in that unenviable position.”
My face burned. I scrabbled around for a suitable response that didn’t involve a groveling apology—that wouldn’t materialize until he, too, said sorry for being a complete bastard. In the end, I remained quiet, staring stonily ahead, and praying for this misery to be over with as quickly as possible.
During the entire journey, the atmosphere inside the cabin of Ryker’s limo grew thicker and more uncomfortable, at least from my point of view. I began to perspire, sweat gathering at the nape of my neck and between my breasts. Ryker appeared completely unruffled and unaffected. He sat casually, legs crossed, and tapped away on his phone, continuing to ignore me.
“Does Aaron know I’m here?” I asked, the thought suddenly occurring to me.
“Yes,” Ryker responded without lifting his head.
We didn’t exchange another word. The car finally drew to a halt outside a large glass-fronted building. I unbuckled my belt and climbed out. Ryker joined me on the sidewalk, then strode inside.
“Charles,” I heard him say. “Good to see you.”
I hung back, unsure what part I should play in all of this. Should I remain quiet and speak only when spoken to? Or would I be expected to take a more active role? One thing was certain. Ryker’s bullshit excuse of needing an IT techie didn’t wash.
Entranced (The ROGUES Billionaire Series Book 1) Page 8
