Entranced (The ROGUES Billionaire #1) - Tracie Delaney Page 0,52

then, I felt like the annoying little sister he only tolerated. I sat outside Elliot’s bedroom with my ear pressed against the door, listening intently to you both talking about girls and boners, and I recall clearly thinking that it meant you actually had a bone in there.”

Ryker raised himself, eyebrow quirked. “An actual bone?” he asked, his low, sexy chuckle rumbling through his chest. “What the hell did you think happened when dicks weren’t hard?”

I hitched a shoulder. “I dunno. I guess I assumed the bone retracted somehow.”

Ryker rolled onto his back, holding his stomach. “Retracted?” His shoulders violently shook. “Oh, Athena, you’re priceless.”

I drowned in this moment of happiness, tattooed the memory on my brain—still unwilling to fully abandon my fear this could all be temporary.

I grinned. “I was nine, Ryker. Still believed in Santa Claus. In my innocence, anything was possible.”

“It’s still funny as fuck.”

I stuck out my tongue. Quick as anything, he sucked it into his mouth. What began as playful banter immediately grew serious. He rolled on top of me, his thighs pushing my legs apart. Bending his head, he traced the tip of his tongue around my right nipple. I arched, groaning.

“My bone is fully extended, ma’am,” he said, rubbing himself against me. “Ready to go again?”

17

Ryker

I woke to Athena’s hair tickling my chin. Moving carefully to avoid disturbing her, I raised on my elbow and watched her sleep. She appeared so incredibly peaceful, her long, thick lashes resting on her cheeks, her smooth, pale skin tinged pink.

A surge of love tightened my chest, almost as though, by finally submitting to my desires, I’d opened the floodgates to my heart. For so long, I’d fought my true feelings. I’d been cruel at times, dismissive at others, but it had all been a façade, a barrier that I hid behind—too afraid to peek over the wall in case my entire world collapsed.

As it still might. I’d not yet come up with an idea of how to square this with Elliot. It was an impossible battle to win. If push came to shove, and Elliot couldn’t reconcile his sister and his best friend being together, and if he forced me to choose, then I’d choose Athena. Yet I couldn’t imagine a life without my buddy, my wingman, the guy who’d invited me back to his house every night after school so I wouldn’t have return to an empty house and fend for myself while Mom worked her fingers to the bone to keep a roof over our heads.

And if we did fall out, what would that mean for ROGUES? We’d all had disagreements from time to time. We were driven, competitive, red-blooded alpha males with money to burn and permanent hard-ons. A constant state of calm was an impossible aspiration. But we’d never allowed an argument to get in the way of our combined goal: to make ROGUES the most successful company in the world.

Athena stirred, made the most adorable sound that had my cock standing at attention, then stretched. I should have let her wake without me reaching for her, but I couldn’t resist. I palmed her breast, kneading the soft mound, then twisted her nipple between my thumb and forefinger. She groaned and turned her head, then opened her eyes.

“Morning,” I said, leaning over her to swirl my tongue around the pebbled point.

She cupped the back of my head, pressing down while simultaneously arching her back.

I nibbled, softly at first, then harder. “Can we try nipple clamps?”

She laughed. “Firstly, I’m not sure what those are. And secondly, can I wake up first?”

“They’re clips that attach to your nipples to increase the sensation. And yes, you can. I thought we’d try them tonight.”

She squinted at me. “You’re very kinky.”

I chuckled. “It adds to the fun.” I grazed my knuckles over her soft cheek and added, “You can always say no. You know that, right?”

She captured my hand. “I know.”

I kissed her forehead. “Let’s shower, and then we can plan the day.”

The forehead I’d just kissed wrinkled. “You want us to spend the day together?”

“Yes,” I said, smoothing her wrinkles with my thumb. “It’s Saturday, and whereas I’d usually work, this weekend is different.”

She smiled coyly. “Because I’m here?”

“Precisely.” I threw back the bed covers, rolled her onto her side, and slapped her ass, drawing a yelp of surprise. “Shower. Now.”

“Yes, sir.”

My stomach flipped, and I groaned. I made a grab for her but, in a flash, she moved out of reach and jumped out of