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2
RYKER
The morning sun filters through the curtains, casting a soft, warm glow across the unfamiliar room. I lie in bed, the sheets tangled around me, wrapped in the afterglow of a night filled with temptations I never should have caved to. But I did. I couldn’t seem to help myself.
Beside me, Lily stirs, her features softened by the tender light, reminding me of what intrigued me about her in the first place. She’s so sweet, so nice, so intriguing… and maybe that’s why I broke the mission.Notthat I want to think about the mission right now.
Finally, she opens her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, a silent acknowledgment of all that unexpectedly transpired last night. I turn my head to face her, my gaze tracing the delicate contours of her face. The lovely face that immediately captivated me last night, knocking me off kilter completely, stirring my heart in ways I wasn’t expecting.
“Good morning,” I murmur, my voice a low sleepy rumble.
Lily stretches and yawns, her movements carrying a sense of comfort and familiarity. A little cat like, if you ask me. “Morning,” she replies, her voice carrying a similar sleepy edge.
With a sense of curiosity and anticipation, I prop myself up on one elbow, my gaze fixed on her. “So, what’s on the agenda for today then? I bet you have a busy day ahead.”
She looks at me, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and genuine affection. “Well, I’m going to head home to see my father first. Then, I thought I’d swing by the mall, maybe do a little shopping. Nothing too exciting. Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering if there’s any space in your day for me.”
Surprise widens her Bambi like eyes. “You want to spend more time with me?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I offer her a one shouldered shrug. “We had a good time, right?”
“Well, you don’t seem like the ‘stay for breakfast’ kind of guy.”
“I don’t think you know everything about me,” I tease as I tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Maybe you should take the time to knowme, not who you think you’ve seen online.” Lily looks a little offended, which isn’t what I intended. “Anyway, I have a feeling that our paths will cross again sooner than you think. You haven’t seen the last of me.”
The words hold a promise, and I hope Lily gets that. This isn’t just a fleeting moment, but the beginning of something more – a journey that has only just begun.
“I like the sound of that,” she gasps. “More time with Ryker Hawthorne. Who would have ever thought it? I think that’s something I can definitely get on board with.”
Guilt tugs at my heart strings. If only she knew what I was really doing. But I don’t want to think about that right now. I want to focus on Lily’s lips, I want to kiss them as much as I can before I’m forced to get the hell out of here and on with my day.
* * *
I set myself this mission.It shouldn’t have been so hard to follow, but I fucked it up. The closer my Dodge Viper gets me to home, the more aware of that I become. I told myself that this would be a straightforward objective that held the potential to reshape the delicate balance of power in the world of organized crime, especially for me. It was going to put me on top. Right on top.
All I needed to do was use last night to capture Lily Crowe to force her father to start doing things differently. Alistair Crowe can’t stay at the top of this city forever…
I wasn’t expecting to have so much fun talking to Lily. I didn’t think anyone could get under my skin like she did. I certainly wasn’t really thinking as we fell into bed together…
But I’m not going to let that throw me off. I can still do this. I can still capture Lily. It might be a little more complicated now. But hey, after getting to know her a little bit, maybe she will even be on board with what I need to do. She might get it.
She talked a little about her father this morning, but I didn’t push things to see what her relationship is like with him. But Alistair Crowe is a horrible guy. She can’treallylike him, can she? I’m sure we can sort things out once she’s spent some time with me.
The sleek lines of my sports car glisten under the dim morning lights as I pull up to the imposing mansion that my crew affectionately refer to as “our lair.” The air is thick with the scent of power and secrecy, a fortress that stands as a testament to the influence we wield in the underworld. Power that Iwillexpand, no matter what.
As the engine’s purr fades to silence, I step out of the car, my senses immediately catching the undercurrent of tension that seems to linger in the air. Maddox, my trusted right-hand man, approaches with a nod of acknowledgment. His presence is a reassuring constant, a reminder that in the world I navigate, loyalty is paramount.
“Boss,” he greets, his voice a low rumble that mirrors the seriousness of our operations. “We’ve got some updates on the target.”
I nod, the mission resurfacing in my thoughts like an unwelcome guest. I don’t know what I want to do about Lily now. I definitely feel very different about everything. Last night, instinct ignited between us, a primal attraction that defied explanation – the kind that left me yearning for her even as I grappled with the consequences of my mission.
It makes me wonder if the unthinkable has happened. What if she is my mate? I’ve not spent years searching for the one I’m bonded to or anything, so I don’t know what I’m seeking out exactly, but that feltdifferent, and I don’t know why.
“How did it go?” Maddox’s voice drags me back to the present moment.
“Yeah, good. I…” I need to respond evasively so he doesn’t pick up on these new found feelings circling around me. “I saw her. The target.” I swallow hard. “I don’t think she’s going to be too hard for us to capture. I think once we make our move, Alistair will be caught in a corner…”
