Authors: Connie Lafortune
“Gage, I want you,” she whispers, and her hand gets tangled in my hair. Gage must be her boyfriend. God, it would be so easy to take advantage of her and satisfy my own needs at the same time, but I won’t force myself on her. Eventually, she’ll come to me. Willingly. They all do.
The noble thing to do would be to let her know it’s me, but I never said I was perfect. So I grab her hip, rather roughly, and grind my length against her tight little ass. And when she moans, I come undone. “Would you like
me
to fuck you, precious?”
Why do I find it so amusing to watch her stumble out of bed, taking the covers along with her?
“I—I’m sorry. I thought you were Gage,” she says. I chuckle. Poor girl. She doesn’t know if she should look at my hard-on or the dragon tattoo wrapped around my torso. “You’re only wearing boxer-briefs.”
In a heartbeat, I’m out of bed and towering over her. It’s adorable the way she holds up her hands to stop me. So, I purposely lean my chest against them. They’re trembling and very, very cold. I place my nice warm hands on top of hers and lean in to whisper in her ear. “I usually sleep in the nude, precious. And if I had been, your panties would be on the floor right now and I’d be inside your tight little pussy.” She gasps when I spin her around, her back to my front, and glide my hand down her flat stomach. When my fingers slip inside her pajama bottoms, her head lolls against my chest and she fucking moans.
Lyra… Wants… Me.
Lyra
When his warm hand glides down my quivering belly, I lose all self-control. My mind screams at him to stop, but my body’s aching for him to continue. I blame it on the damn erotic dream I was having about Gage being inside of me. It felt so real. But he’s not Gage and I can’t let this happen. “Ryker, stop! Please don’t touch me,” I scream, scrambling to get away from him.
My mouth goes dry when I spin around to face him. His hair’s a tousled, sexy mess. Thanks to me, no doubt. And his boxer-briefs are straining against his raging hard-on. He’s holding his hands out to the side with a wicked grin stretched across his shameless face. “I’m not the one who started this, precious.”
What’s wrong with me? Somehow, someway, I need to get the hell out of here. “When will I be able to go home?”
“Unfortunately, you’ll be stuck here with me for quite some time. So we might as well make the best of it.”
What the what? Why does that give me a sinking feeling? “Could you be a little more specific?”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he’s trying to brush me off. With his back to me, he sits on the edge of the bed and tugs on his jeans. “Are you serious, Lyra? I’ve already risked my neck saving you the first time, you want me to do it again? Not happening. You’ll go home when I’m damned ready to take you. Got it?”
I feel like someone just sucked all the air out of me. Like a deflated balloon. There’s no way I can get out of here on my own. I have no clue where I am. Dammit!
“I’m going downstairs to make breakfast. You can stay here and pout, or you may join me. The choice is yours, precious.” That nickname is truly getting annoying.
I desperately want to change into something other than pajamas. So I take a quick peek inside his closet. I’m totally speechless when I see my clothes hanging next to his. And when I open the dresser, my clothes are neatly folded in the two bottom drawers. This is too freaky to wrap my head around. Not only did the man save my life, it looks like he’s moved me into his home. Permanently.
As I get dressed, I can hear Ryker talking to Cody. I’ve noticed he uses a different tone with the dog. Firm. Commanding but gentle. Almost loving. I’ve only known this man for a few days now, but I’m beginning to think he has many layers. I just hope that I can get the hell out of here before peeling back every single one.
His eyes rake over every inch of me when I walk into the kitchen. It makes me feel naughty and dirty. Especially since I can still feel the touch of his hand sliding down my belly.
“Good, I see you’ve found your clothes. Now come and eat your breakfast, precious.” Argh, I have to nip this in the bud.
“My name’s Lyra Harper. Not ‘precious’. Please call me by my real name. Thank you.” Ryker gives me the evil eye, with his brows pinched together. I don’t know if I want to slap him or kiss him. What the hell has gotten into me? I love Gage. We’ve been together for years and he’s the very air I breathe. So why does this infuriating man make me feel this way? God only knows and I’m barely speaking to him at the moment.
Chapter Four
Ryker
Now that Lyra’s feeling better, she’s fidgety. And I know it’s just a matter of time before she insists on going home. Unfortunately for her, that can never happen. Which means that sometime today, I’ll have to report her whereabouts to my boss, Hawk. He’s not going to be happy. In fact, he’ll chew me up and spit me out for doing what I did. But, what’s done is done. I’ll just have to placate him by reminding him who trained me to be the best. Then we’ll take it from there.
I’m still lost in my own head when I start rinsing off the breakfast dishes. When Lyra’s hand lands on my bicep, I recoil.
“I’m sorry. I—I can do that if you don’t mind. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.”
Hastily, I grab a towel to wipe my hands before walking away. “I’ll be in my office for the rest of the day. You can do whatever you’d like to occupy your time.” I point to the doors which are directly below the loft. “There’s a small library in that room and next to it is my gym. You have access to both if it’s something you think you’d enjoy. But do not go outside, Lyra. It wouldn’t be in your best interest to wander around out there alone.” I watch her worry her bottom lip before she focuses on Cody. “Believe me. You don’t want to go there. Make no mistake where her loyalties lie. You. Will. Lose.”
I can feel her eyes burning a hole in my back when I place my hand on the keypad of the office door. The door clicks under my touch as it recognizes my handprint. Normally, I would leave the door open but now that Lyra’s here, it needs to stay locked.
Once I step inside, I lock the door behind me. Then I flip a switch and watch all ten monitors come to life. And for what seems like the millionth time, I examine each and every one. When nothing appears out of the ordinary, I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s unlikely they’d be searching for Lyra way up here. Since she was lost and miles away from her destination. And it’s unfortunate that her courageous attempt robbed her of her freedom. But I’ll be damned if being in the wrong place at the wrong time will rob her of her life.
Well, I suppose there’s no time like the present. I might as well call Hawk and get it over with. Why postpone the inevitable? I’m just about to hang up when I hear, “What’s wrong, Dragon?” We never use our names in case our phone lines have been breached. Hence the tattoo.
“I have a dilemma and I’d like to know how you want me to proceed.” I take a deep breath and give him my report on what’s transpired over the last several days. He doesn’t interrupt me as I speak, but I can hear the clicking of his laptop keys in the background. I’m sure he’s checking the local news to see if they’ve already organized a search party. It’s only a matter of minutes before he discovers what I already know.
“‘Twenty-six-year-old Lyra Harper was reported missing on Wednesday, after she failed to arrive at her parents’ home for the holidays. She is 5’3”, weighs approximately 105 pounds, and has hazel eyes and blonde hair. Lyra was last seen driving a 2012 Honda Civic with dealer plates XX7867. If anyone has seen this vehicle or thinks they have seen Lyra, please contact your local police department’ blah, blah, blah. Do you have any fucking clue who her parents are, Dragon?”
“Grant Harper is a professor at NYU. His lectures in astronomy are known worldwide. Her mom, Vega, is a freelance writer who often writes articles for the New York Times. Yes, Hawk. I know who they are.”
“Then you need to eliminate her as soon as possible. It’s unfortunate, but necessary.”
“That’s not an option, Hawk.” Dammit! Hawk should know better than anyone that I was trained to eliminate the enemy—not an innocent girl.
“Listen to me! It’s a set up. It has to be. Think about it. The woman who’s recovering in your home looks just like your dead wife!”
“Don’t fucking go there, or I swear I will reach through this phone and pull your fucking heart out with my bare hands!”
“Dragon, your location has been breached. If you don’t take care of this little problem,
they
will destroy you.”
“Then so be it.” I’ll be waiting.
Lyra
The better part of my day is spent curled up in a comfy winged back chair in the library. With the essence of books surrounding me in their sweet embrace. Here, I’m in my element and I couldn’t be more content. This is where I plan on spending every waking minute until I’m able to go home. And the only reason I chose to put down the book I was reading was because my stomach ‘doth protest too much.’ I know—it’s a sad reference to Hamlet. My bad. When I make a mad dash out of the library, in my quest for sustenance, I smack right into what feels like a brick wall.
Large, warm hands suddenly wrap around my upper arms. Steadying me. While mine land on a very solid chest. Oh my. The steady beat of his heart picks up speed beneath my palms. When I open my eyes—which I hadn’t realized were closed—I’m met with a smoldering stare. My god, no man has ever made me feel so sensual with just one look.
“Lyra, is something wrong?” The moment he speaks, our connection is broken.
Shaking my head, I try pushing him away. When he finally lets go, I walk around him and into the kitchen. “I was going to grab a bite to eat. Would you like something?”
I pretend I’m busy gathering a few things out of the fridge, but I’m really watching him out of the corner of my eye. Ryker’s staring at me as he runs his hands through that glorious head of hair.
“Thanks, but I’ll grab something later.” What—no snappy comeback? No ‘Thanks but no thanks, precious’? I glance up just in time to watch him stride into the gym, slamming the door behind him. And men claim that women are moody? Not!
After I devour a hearty sandwich, I decide to head upstairs. Now that I have some alone time, I’d like to go through all of my belongings. I’m disappointed once I realize the only items Ryker was able to salvage were my clothes. All of my personal possessions that were in my overnight back are missing. I suppose I should be grateful he thought to bring anything at all.
I’m sitting on the bed feeling sorry for myself when Ryker saunters up the stairs. His body is slick with sweat from what must have been one hell of a workout. And his six pack appears even more pronounced by that remarkable V-shaped muscle which disappears inside the waistband of his shorts. They ride low on his hips and give his fire breathing dragon a life of its own. Before even acknowledging me, he scrubs his face with a towel draped around his neck. And I’m speechless when he catches me gawking at him for the second time in twenty-four hours.
He’s changed since he went into his office this morning. And his unwavering gaze makes me uneasy. “What’s wrong?” I ask. “Do you—”
He cuts me off immediately. “Lyra, meet me downstairs in twenty minutes. We need to talk and you’re not going to like what I have to tell you.”
What the hell? Now, I have a million and one questions. My mind’s spinning out of control as he grabs his clothes and heads downstairs. I’ll give him his damn twenty minutes and then he’ll answer every, single, one of my questions.
I’m sitting on the couch when he finally walks out of the bathroom. Exactly twenty minutes later. If nothing else, he’s punctual. He’s wearing faded jeans and a black T-shirt that hugs his body like a second skin. And once again, he’s barefoot. I’ve yet to see him wear any kind of footwear. Strange. Once he’s seated he rests his leg on the opposite thigh. Ryker looks apprehensive when he finally glances up at me.
“I’m going to be as blunt as possible, Lyra. You’re going to have a lot of questions that I can’t answer right now.” I’m on pins and needles, waiting for him to continue. “Because I chose to save your life that day, you belong to me now. In due course, your family will come to believe you perished up on the mountain. Do you understand what that means, precious? You will never be able to see your family, your friends or your boyfriend. Ever again. So consider this the first day of the rest of your life.”
What? Is this some kind of sick joke? He can’t be serious! Can he? Unless he wants to keep me for his own nefarious reasons? Without hesitating, I jump off the couch and hurl myself in his direction. Scratching, punching and biting to no avail. Until all I can feel is a tiny little prick in my neck and his warm breath as he whispers, “Sleep, precious. Sleep.”
Chapter Five
Ryker
It hadn’t been my intention to sedate her. But I had the syringe ready to go, just in case. And I’m grateful I did. Now, it’s been almost two hours since I gave her the Ketamine. The date rape drug of choice. Which is one of the easiest drugs to get out on the street. I know for certain this vial is not dangerous because I got it from Hawk. So, I’ve just been sitting here, waiting for her to wake up. And once she does, I’m sure there will be hell to pay. Lyra might appear small and fragile, but I know she’s a little hellcat.
Just when I decide to make sure she’s still breathing, she stirs. So I lean forward, with my elbows on my knees. Since my eyes have already adjusted to the darkness of the room, I focus on her.
Waiting.
Watching.
Anticipating.
The light of the moon is peeking through the curtains, illuminating her small frame. When a strangled moan escapes her parted lips, Lyra instantly touches the spot where I sedated her. And after her eyes have adjusted to the darkness, they hatefully lock onto mine. “You won’t get away with this, Mr. Steel. As soon as the weather clears, my family will find me. You can bet your life on it.”
You see, hope is a funny thing. When it’s snatched away from us, we give up. We accept it, without question. So I won’t tell Lyra that Hawk’s already destroyed any evidence as to her whereabouts. Hell, what kind of monster would I be if I took away her only chance at revenge?