Ray of New (Ray #6) Read online

  “Your cock is just big.”

  He released my hair and grabbed my neck instead, squeezing me gently as he quickened his pace.

  I felt the explosion between my legs. I gushed around his cock as my body soared into oblivion. The sensation was so exquisite that I couldn’t appreciate it enough. It was so profound that my mind couldn’t wrap around what I was experiencing. I gripped his wrist as his hand remained glued to my neck, screaming his name over and over.

  Ryker pressed his lips to my ear, his hot breaths loud. “So. Fucking. Good.” He released inside me with a moan, filling the condom as I finished my orgasm. His hand tightened on my neck until I could barely breathe, but I allowed it since I knew it would pass.

  When I finished, my arms were shaking from the adrenaline still in my body. His hand loosened on my throat, and I finally inhaled a deep breath.

  “Count.” He kept his softening dick inside me, waiting for the number he wanted to hear me say out loud.

  “Five…”

  He pulled out and walked into the bathroom to toss the used condom in the garbage.

  I collapsed on his sheets, more satisfied than I’d been in my entire life. No man had ever pleased me so thoroughly. My vibrator couldn’t compete with that experience. I wasn’t even sure if I should bother keeping it now that I’d been with Ryker.

  I wanted to fall asleep in his luxurious bed, but it was almost six and I needed to get ready for work anyway. I lost an entire night of sleep, but it was totally worth it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

  I got dressed in the clothes I arrived in and pulled on my panties even though they were still wet from earlier that evening. Instead of walking to my apartment, I would just fork over the cash to get a cab so I could avoid the walk of shame.

  I grabbed my purse just when Ryker stepped out of the bathroom. He pulled on his sweatpants and looked at my fully clothed figure. “Heading out?”

  “Yep. Unfortunately, I have work.”

  “Damn. Thought we could have another round.”

  I was thoroughly satisfied, but my thighs still tightened together in response. This man turned me into a puddle of hormones. “Maybe another time.”

  He walked me to the door, looking delicious in his shirtless state. His hair was messy from my fingers running through it, and he had a sleepy look in his eyes. I wondered what he looked like first thing in the morning, but I didn’t have to think for long. He was probably drop-dead gorgeous—like always.

  “Last night was phenomenal.” I hooked my arms around his neck and gave him a slow kiss. “You know how to show a woman a good time.”

  His arms wrapped around my waist, and he smiled against my lips. “And I didn’t even take you to dinner.”

  “Who needs dinner when you can skip straight to dessert?” I kissed him on the cheek before I walked through the open door. “I’ll see you around. I almost feel like I should leave a tip or something.”

  He leaned against the doorframe and chuckled. “You already tipped me good enough, sweetheart.”

  Before I blushed and jumped his bones again, I walked away. “Bye.”

  His deep voice followed me down the hallway. “Bye, Stone Cold.”

  ***

  I threw my clutch on the table before I dropped into the chair. “Stop whatever you guys are talking about. I have news—big news.”

  “Did you get a raise?” Jared asked.

  “Already?” Jenn asked. “Nah. Did you fix the garbage disposal in your apartment?”

  “No.” I rolled my eyes. “Bigger than that.”

  “Did Ryker make a move last night?” Madeline asked.

  “Bingo.” I pointed at Madeline. “He made a move, and I took the bait.” I told them the whole story, going into limited details about the sex. I didn’t feel awkward telling them about my personal life since I told them everything.

  “Wow.” Madeline shook her head in disbelief. “He sounds too good to be true.”

  “I know,” I said. “He’s absolutely perfect.”

  “Are you gonna break your rule?” Jenn asked.

  I never broke my rule—for any reason. It didn’t matter how handsome, charming, or nice he seemed. I made this oath years ago, and I was sticking to it. But after being with Ryker, my foundation had been shaken. “I’m thinking about it…”

  “Oh, damn,” Jenn said. “Then he must be really incredible in the sack.”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe.” I waved down the bartender and got a beer. “A few more times wouldn’t hurt, right? And he’d be down with it, I’m sure.”

  “He would,” Jared said without hesitation. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

  “What does this mean for Liam?” Madeline asked. “Since they’re friends and all.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t care. I don’t even see why he would know about it—unless Ryker is an idiot.”

  “He could be,” Jenn said. “Guys aren’t that pretty unless they’re stupid.”

  “True,” Madeline said. “Liam is really hot, but he seems a little empty-headed sometimes.”

  I ignored the disgusting comment but not the insult. “Yeah, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

  Chapter Seven

  Ryker

  That was one of the best lays I’d ever had.

  And that was saying something because I fucked Rae for months.

  Austen wasn’t ashamed of her sexuality, of her carnal desires. She played with her tits while I fucked her. She even touched her asshole a little bit when I fucked her from behind. She was wild and unbridled, exactly my kind of flavor.

  I wanted to fuck her again.

  I didn’t think of the repercussions of my actions until a few days later. I hoped she didn’t assume we were in some kind of relationship. She didn’t seem like the clingy type, but women were unpredictable sometimes. I wasn’t looking for commitment because I was never going to be in another relationship—ever. It was all meaningless fucking from here on out.

  When she didn’t contact me for a few days, it seemed like the hookup was pretty casual. Unless she was waiting for me to call her. But then again, she didn’t wait around for anyone, so if she wanted to talk, she would have made it happen.

  I went out to lunch with Liam, getting a burger at Mega Shake. I’d been to the one in Seattle as well, and the two locations looked exactly the same. We got our food and took a seat in one of the booths.

  “Anything happen with Madeline?”

  “Nah. I took her home the other night, and that was it.”

  I gave him an incredulous look. “What the hell are you doing? If you wait too long, you’re going to end up in the friend zone.”

  “I know what I’m doing, alright? I get pussy as much as you do.”

  I found that hard to believe. “If you don’t make your move soon, someone else will. Just keep that in mind.” When I didn’t go for Austen, she went out with some other guy. It didn’t seem like she’d slept with him, but there was no way for me to know.

  “Women are like wine. You’ve got to age them for a little bit.”

  I took a bite of my burger then washed it down with a drink of my soda.

  “Was my sister annoying?”

  I didn’t understand the question, so I just stared at him. She definitely wasn’t annoying during the five times I fucked her, not even a little bit. And even when we weren’t fucking, she was pretty cool. “Sorry?”

  “When you were distracting her at my folks’ place.”

  “Oh…she was fine. She’s pretty cool, actually.”

  “Yeah, she can be fun. We used to fight a lot when we were younger, but she turned out to be pretty awesome. I give her a hard time every once in a while, just to keep her grounded. Nothing worse than your sibling knowing you actually like them.”

  I chuckled. “That’s why you were dodging her calls? Just to keep her on her toes?”

  He shrugged. “I guess.”

  I laughed because it was ridiculous. “S
he’s got a great sense of humor, and she’s damn smart. She’s one of the coolest chicks I’ve ever met.” I grabbed a handful of fries and tossed them into my mouth.

  Liam stared at me, his expression slowly hardening.

  “What?”

  “You have a thing for my sister?”

  Did I just walk right into that? “Just because I think she’s cool, I must be into her?”

  “Well, every friend I’ve had has been into my sister. I’m used to it.”

  Did that mean he was cool with it? “Well, I’m not gay. Obviously, I think she’s cute.”

  “Does that mean you’re going to go for her?”

  He didn’t sound angry, which was strange. Rex wanted to murder me just for looking at Rae. “I don’t see myself dating her, if that’s what you’re asking. But I’m definitely attracted to her.” I would never tell Liam I hooked up with her. That was just an awkward conversation he didn’t want to have.

  “Good,” he said with obvious relief. He took an enormous bite of his hamburger then went straight for his milkshake. “Then I don’t need to warn you about her.”

  “Warn me about her?” I couldn’t tell how he meant that. Was he warning me to stay away from her? Or was he warning her to stay away from me? With Rex, his opinions were perfectly clear. Liam’s view on his sister was completely different, probably because their parents were still in the picture. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Never mind. If you aren’t into her, then it really doesn’t matter.” He sipped his milkshake again. He covered his mouth when he couldn’t hold back a belch.

  The more he downplayed it, the more interested I became. “Liam, what do you mean? Does she have some kind of problem or something?”

  “No, she doesn’t have a problem,” he said quickly. “She just has this reputation for being a bit of a heartbreaker.”

  Heartbreaker?

  “I’ve never seen her with the same guy twice, and she flat out told my parents she was never getting married or having kids. I’m not sure what her philosophy is because I’ve never really talked about it with her, but she’s not the relationship kind of woman. She does her own thing.”

  When I looked back on our encounters, his description of her made sense. She hit on me and said exactly what she wanted. When she didn’t get it, she moved on. She was a sexual creature who loved the sex but not the emotion.

  It sounded too good to be true.

  “So if you’re looking for a relationship, steer clear.” He drank his milkshake again before he turned back to his food. Whenever he ate, he always made a mess and got crap all over his face.

  I normally told him about the stains, but this time, I didn’t bother. All I could think about was Austen and the fact that I just hit the jackpot. She and I were exactly the same—all sex and no commitment.

  It couldn’t be more perfect.

  ***

  I called her when I got home. “Hey, Stone Cold.”

  “Hey, Sexy.” A flirtatious tone was in her voice, the same one I heard when she left my apartment earlier that week. “What can I do for you?”

  “I want to take you out to dinner—and dessert.”

  “Right to the chase,” she said with a chuckle. “I like that.”

  And I really liked her.

  “But I’m gonna have to pass. Thanks for the offer.”

  The cold rejection swept over me like an ocean tide. I was so excited to talk to her, but our relationship flopped like we hadn’t just had incredible sex a few days ago. “Tomorrow night?”

  “I have plans.”

  “And the following night?” I was chasing her again even though I’d already been chasing her for weeks.

  “Let’s just say I’m busy for the indefinite future, Ryker. But I’m flattered. I’ll see you around, okay?”

  “Whoa, wait—”

  Click.

  Did she just hang up on me?

  I called her back and listened to it ring twice before she answered.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “Why are you blowing me off right now?” I couldn’t keep the anger out of my voice because it was uncontrollable. I’d never slept with a woman and then gotten this kind of reaction. I knew I was awesome in bed, so that wasn’t the problem.

  “I’m not blowing you off,” she said calmly. “I’m just not interested in dating you, Ryker. Obviously, I think you’re smoking hot and the sex is amazing, but that’s over. I don’t do back-to-backs. Not my thing.”

  Was this how I talked to countless women before Rae came along? Man, I was an ass. “I don’t want to date you either, Austen. But you bet your ass I want to fuck you again. And I know you want to fuck me. So let’s sit down and have a conversation about it.” She wounded my pride when she pushed me away, but that only made me want her more. The sex was too good for me to walk away without a fight. Why would I go out and pick up someone else when I could have amazing and meaningless sex with Austen?

  “A conversation about fucking, huh? I still don’t do back-to-backs.”

  Damn, Liam wasn’t kidding. She really was a hardass. “I got the impression we were friends. You can’t have dinner with a friend?”

  She sighed into the phone when she understood this pursuit wasn’t going to go away. “Yeah, sure. You want to meet at the Frog’s Tooth?”

  That wasn’t the best place for a date, but I suspected she did that on purpose. “I’ll see you at seven.”

  ***

  She walked inside in jean shorts and a blue tank top. The outfit was plain, but her body was so sexy she could rock anything and still look like a million bucks. Her hair was in a sleek ponytail, and she wore sandals.

  On top of her looking hot as hell, she always looked cute.

  She found me sitting in a booth and walked over to join me, her hips swaying as she walked. She slid into the booth beside me and didn’t waste any time waving down a waitress and ordering a Long Island Iced Tea.

  When I looked at her, I couldn’t stop thinking about how sexy she looked underneath me. My cock still remembered exactly how her pussy felt, even through the condom. Every kiss and every touch were explosive. This woman knew her way around the bedroom as much as I did. “I like your hair.” I would love to grab her by the ponytail and force her face into my lap, shoving my entire length down the back of her throat.

  This woman must have read my mind because she smiled and said, “I’m sure you do.” She took a long sip of her iced tea and didn’t cringe at the liquor. “So, here I am. Fire away.” She leaned against the back of the booth and stared me down like an executive in the boardroom. She had a natural feistiness to her that just made me more desperate to fuck her again.

  “Why don’t you do back-to-backs?”

  “I don’t like it,” she said immediately. “The more time you spend with someone, the more likely a connection forms. And once that connection is there, the sex is less meaningless. And when that happens, the sex goes to shit.”

  I used to feel that way until I fell headfirst for Rae. Then the sex turned explosive. “I don’t agree, but I see what you mean.”

  “So it’s nothing personal, Ryker. You really are the best sex I’ve ever had. I just don’t want to go down that road with you.”

  “What road?”

  “You know, we start hooking up, and then feelings start to happen… I’m not looking for that.”

  “What a coincidence,” I said with a smile. “Neither am I. Looks like we’re on the same page.”

  “Perhaps.” She sipped her drink again.

  She was always honest, so I thought that would be the best tactic to get what I wanted. “You’re one of the best lays I’ve ever had. Honestly, I don’t want to stop. I could go out and find another woman, but I’d just be thinking about you anyway. So, how about we set something up?”

  “Like what?” she asked. “A booty call?”

  “Exactly. Only sex—no strings attached.”

  “Hmm…” She crossed
her arms over her chest and leaned back against the seat. “I don’t know.”

  She didn’t know? After I made her come five times in one night, she wasn’t sure? Was she playing games with me? Playing hard to get? “What’s your hesitance?”

  “People say that all the time—no strings attached. But it always gets messy. It always gets complicated. I don’t think two people can have sex over and over and not feel something. I really wouldn’t want to put you in that situation and hurt you.”

  I grinned because her concern was hilarious. “I think you’re awesome, Austen. But I’m not gonna fall for you. You can count on that.”

  “You sound awfully confident.” She cocked her head to the side, and she stared me down.

  “Are you confident you won’t fall for me?”

  “Absolutely.” She spoke without hesitation, like she already knew her answer before I even asked the question.

  “If we both feel that way, there shouldn’t be any problems.” I drank my beer as I watched her, wishing we could have this conversation while my cock was impaled deep inside her.

  She sipped her Long Island Iced Tea a few times as she considered the offer. She licked her lips then pressed them together, her eyes gaze turned out the window to the world beyond. “I’m not saying I’m agreeing to this, but if I were, what would the ground rules be?”

  “Whatever you want them to be.” I couldn’t care less what parameters she wanted to have.

  “Then we aren’t exclusive.”

  A tinge of jealousy ripped through me out of nowhere. I could ask her to come over, but she could already be booked up for the night with some other guy. I wasn’t a big fan of that, even though I wasn’t sure why. “That’s fine with me. But you might want to reconsider it.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “If we’re sleeping with other people, we have to keep using protection. I prefer to fuck without a rubber. Monogamy has its perks.”

  She held my look with her lips pressed tightly together. “I don’t do monogamy.”

  I felt like I was talking to myself—but with a vagina. Her need for freedom and lack of commitment mirrored my own philosophy. She was an independent woman who didn’t need a man for anything. She had an impressive job, education, and a great head on her shoulders. She was beautiful and refused to settle for anything less than what she deserved. How could any man win over a woman who didn’t need anyone but herself?