20. Wade

The side of Ray's head pressed against the glass, her eyes closed and mouth parted. She'd fallen asleep approximately ten minutes into the hour-long drive, and rather than poke and prod, forcing her to talk to me, I'd let her relax. The next few days were going to be stressful and I didn't want to make it worse.

I reached across the center of the car and gently pushed a curl behind her ear. "Hey," I said quietly, and she stirred, her brow furrowing. Through barely-open eyes, she shot me a death glare. "Don't look at me like that. You can't sleep in here forever."

"Wake me up when we get there," she mumbled. Her eyes closed again as she nestled further into the window. That can't be comfortable.

"We are there, Ice Bunny," I chuckled. "Have you not noticed that the car isn't moving anymore?"

She sat up within a second, her eyes going wide and staring out the front window. A little trail of dried saliva clung to the right side of her face. "Shit. Sorry." She flipped down the sun visor and looked at herself in the mirror, scrubbing off the little flecks of drool. "Please tell me no one else is here yet."

I shook my head. "Chloe's on her way. Zane's here somewhere but he doesn't know we were coming this early, so I doubt we'll run into him. And the rest of my family and Dom's are arriving in a few hours."

She breathed a sigh of relief as she pushed the visor back up. "Thank God. I need to change."

What she was already wearing was just fine by me—dark-wash loose jeans and a maroon turtleneck sweater. Though it didn't exactly scream billionaire's girlfriend, it matched her and her personality far more than that title did. "You've got time."

I pushed the door open, the winter wind and snow whipping into the car as I stepped out. I tried not to get too excited by the sound she made as she sucked in air from the invasion of the cold.

"Come on," I cooed, leaning down into the open car. "It's warmer inside."

As we entered, I couldn't help but notice that Ray's input for decorating ideas toward Chloe's wedding were absolutely impeccable. Handmade vines of birch and cypress branches decorated every edge of the exterior of the lobby, while snow-dusted pine cones littered the large bouquets of caramel roses, chocolate Queen Anne's lace, and blue delphiniumplaced on stands scattered around the space, creating a pathway inside. Large, scarlet red dahlias tastefully intertwined within branches of white birch and dark green vines formed an archway over the glass doors. I knew Ray hadn't hand-picked everything nor had she chosen the design, but she'd done a damn good job of bringing my little sister's vision to life in the short amount of time she had.

"This place looks amazing," I said as we walked into the lobby. "You really did a great job. Thank you for helping Chloe out on such short notice."

"My pleasure," she answered. "I enjoyed it and I was happy to help." She offered me a warm smile then, giving me a tiny glimpse of hope that perhaps the icy exterior was melting just a little.

————

Ray sat on the massive bed, makeup done and high heels on, with a blanket covering her from neck to ankle as she stared intently at the screen of the monitor. I watched her from the corner of my eye in the mirror as I combed back my damp hair. "Everything okay?"

She nodded but didn't look away from it. "Yeah. Mom's having dinner."

"What's she having?"

Her thumb raised to her mouth, her teeth absent-mindedly biting down on the nail. "Tomato soup," she sighed. "Should've known when I left she'd be having a bad day."

I had no idea how the two were linked, and as much as I wanted to ask, we were expected downstairs five minutes ago. It was time to put our game faces on, and that meant time to pretend that everything was perfectly normal. "Ray," I said, turning from the mirror. I crossed the space between us and sat down next to her on the bed, gently coaxing the monitor from her fingers and lifting her chin to make her look at me. Her breath caught in her throat. "You've got your phone. If anything goes wrong, the caregiver will call you. But we need to get going."

Her glassy eyes made me want to tell her we could stay in the suite all night and stare at the camera, but I had more discipline than that. "Okay," she breathed, her red-painted lower lip jutting out. "Is it bad that I'm nervous?"

"No. I am too."

I took both of her hands in mine as I stood, pulling her up from the bed with me. The blanket pooled on the floor beneath her as I finally got my first look at what she'd be wearing to meet the family.

There was no way in hell I'd make it through the night without at least getting a semi.

————

The dark green, almost black fabric hugged every goddamn inch of her. I couldn't peel my eyes away as we rode down the glass elevator. The dress looked as though it was made to taunt me; everything from the long sleeves to the deep V-neck, the slit up one leg nearly to the top of her thigh, and the way it clung to her left absolutely nothing to the imagination. I knew what she looked like underneath—hadn't been able to stop thinking about it ever since I fucked her—and now it would be the only thing I'd be able to think about all evening.

"Stop staring," she mumbled. She pulled her tamed curls forward over her shoulder, hiding as much as she could with them. "If we were together, you wouldn't be looking at me like it's the first time you saw me."

"You couldn't have worn something looser to help me with that?" I asked, nudging her with my elbow as the elevator dinged for the lobby. I took her hand in mine, interlacing her fingers with my own as she stuck her tongue out at me.

Ray's nose scrunched. "You need to learn to control yourself?—"

"Honey! My goodness, it's been too long!"

My mother's wide smile was enough to set me on edge before we'd even left the elevator. Her arms wrapped around my neck, her ass keeping the doors from shutting no matter how many times they twitched to close. "Hey, Mom."

Ray's hand squeezed mine almost hard enough to break a bone.

Mom finally let go and stepped away from the doors, giving us room to exit before the elevator decided it had better things to do than wait around for us to get off. I dragged Ray out of the elevator, her anxiety palpable, and tucked her into my chest. "Mom, this is Ray. Ray, this is my lovely and overbearing mother, Arlie."

"Hi, Arlie, it's nice?—"

"Oh my goodness, Chloe's told me all about you." Oh God. How much did she run her mouth? "It's so nice to finally meet you, even if my son is an asshole with introductions."

My mother held out her hand for Ray and she took it, giving it a good, firm shake. "It's nice to meet you too," Ray chirped, her attitude shifting, the mask falling into place effortlessly. "Wade is definitely an asshole."

Mom laughed, a cocky little grin forming as she looked between the two of us. "I like her," she said to me. "You need a good woman to keep you humble."

I rolled my eyes and tugged Ray closer, leaning in to place a kiss against her temple. It felt easy, almost natural, and although I sensed a little bit of uneasiness from her, she fell right into it.

"Is Chloe here yet?" I asked.

"She's with Zane and Dominic in the ballroom. I"m just heading there now. Care to join?"

Shit. Zane was already making himself known. I'd hoped he would avoid the gathering this evening, but apparently it was as good an excuse as any to make me irritated.

"Sure."

We walked together through the lobby and toward the ballroom as Mom talked Ray's ear off about the first time she'd put me in a pair of skis. Through the glass doors, I could see horse-drawn carriages pulling up as more and more people arrived by the minute. The wedding was still a few days away, and tonight wasn't even an official gathering for God"s sake.

Security opened the double doors into the ballroom as we approached. The large, ornate space I'd designed was decorated to the nines. White hellebore laced with red holly was everywhere, hanging wisteria fell from the ceiling, and a far too large ice sculpture of an embracing couple sat in the corner. It was approaching tacky territory, but if it was what she wanted, then it was what she'd have.

A blazing fire burned in the massive fireplace on the opposite side of the room and standing near it was my sister and Zane, chatting with drinks in their hand. Behind Chloe was my father and her fiancé, Dominic, and as the room began to fill out, I wondered if Dominic's parents were already in attendance or if they'd be arriving later.

"I'll grab some drinks from the bar," Mom offered. "Ray, honey, what would you like?"

Ray's wide eyes looked directly into mine as we stopped. Panic. She didn't know what to ask for, didn't know if it would come across the wrong way. Anything is fine, I mouthed.

"A glass of red wine would be lovely," Ray said, the slightest bit of a tremble to her words as she started to calm down.

"There's a great Cabernet on the bar," I suggested. "Can you get her one of those?"

Mom nodded and scooted off toward the place she felt most at home. I looked back down to Ray, watching as she breathed in through her nose and out her mouth. She was nervous, and I couldn't blame her.

"Hey," I said, placing my hands on her cheeks and forcing her to look up at me. "Dom's parents aren't here yet. It's just my family. You'll be okay. Chloe knows what's going on, the arrangement we've agreed to, so it's just my mom and dad, Zane and Dominic. You've got this."

"What if I fuck up?" she asked, her voice low enough to not be heard over the subtle, calming music. "I can't exactly reverse things I do or say."

"It'll be fine. Just follow my lead." I leaned down and pressed the quickest, smallest kiss against her lips, short enough that I wouldn't get overly excited. I just had to avoid looking below her neck for the rest of the night and we'd be golden.

Leading away from the entrance and toward my sister, I could feel every muscle in her body stiffen. I should have known this would be too much, too fast. I needed to make more of an effort going forward to introduce her to as many people one-on-one as I could. I shouldn't have put her in such a position to begin with and I should have known it wasn't a good idea?—

"Ray! Oh my God, I'm so happy you're here!"

Chloe snatched Ray from me, wrapping her arms around her as she giggled. Ray laughed, relaxing into her, and I wondered just how much time she and my sister had been spending together in order for her to be more comfortable in Chloe's arms than mine.

"You look lovely," Ray chimed, all smiles and giddiness as she pulled away.

She wasn't wrong. Chloe did indeed look beautiful standing there in a floor-length white gown, little crystals embellishing every inch of it. I wondered how many times over the next few days she'd be in a different style wedding dress.

"You really do," I added, grinning down at my little sister. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Dad, Dominic and Zane, approaching us from behind her.

"Thank you," Chloe giggled again, doing a little spin in place before grabbing her drink back from Dom. "This is Ray, Wade's… girlfriend. Ray, this is my fiancé, Dominic."

"So nice to finally meet you." Ray offered her hand to Dom, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in for a quick hug instead.

"You too," he chuckled. "Didn't think Wade would ever calm down, if I'm being honest."

Zane's eyes flicked between me and Ray. I could see the calculations going on behind them, could see how he was silently dissecting us down to our bare bones. He'd always been tall, just a hair above me, but with the way he looked at both of us, I felt as if I'd suddenly shrunk four feet.

"Not going to introduce me to your new plaything?" he purred, leaning closer as he sipped at his glass of amber liquid. "It's nice to see you, little brother."

"I was getting to you," I said.

Just then Mom approached with a couple of glasses of wine and one crystal glass of scotch. She passed Ray hers and handed the whiskey to me, side-eyeing my father as she wiggled into the circle we'd formed. Dad didn't do a great job of trying to hide his grimace.

"Ray," I said softly. "This is Zane, my sister's stepbrother."

Ray looked between the two of us, confusion furrowing her brow as she reached out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Zane. But… you're Chloe's stepbrother? I'm confused."

Zane took her hand in his ring-covered one and lifted it to his lips, placing a kiss against her knuckles. "I'm Wade's stepbrother, as well. He just doesn't like to acknowledge it."

"Oh, right," Ray laughed awkwardly as she discreetly wiped her hand on her dress. "I think he mentioned you."

"I did. Once," I said, the words flowing through gritted teeth. Mom glared at me.

"So, entertain me," Zane continued, his eyelids dropping as he looked Ray up and down as if she were a fucking feast. "Tell me how you met."

————

"You can sleep on the couch."

I tugged at the tie around my neck until it came loose as I stared at her. "Absolutely not. We're both adults, Ray. We can sleep in the same bed. It's big enough to keep a comfortable space between us."

Red bloomed across her face. She kicked off her heels, aiming one directly at me, but I dodged just in time to avoid getting stabbed in the gut by a stiletto. "I'm not sleeping in the same bed as you."

"I'm not going to let you sleep on the couch." I hung my jacket in the closet and unbuttoned the sleeves of my shirt before starting on the buttons at my neck. "Besides, my suitcase is there. It's veryheavy."

She crossed her arms over her chest, causing the deep V-neck to allow me more of a peek at what was beneath it before heading over to the couch and kicking my suitcase off with her bare foot. "You are a child."

Despite the irritation in her voice, I could see exactly where she was looking. Could feel her tense as I popped another button, and then another, until my shirt hung open and my chest was bare. "You really shouldn't be looking at a child like that, Ice Bunny."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not your bunny."

"Then don't stare at me like you want me."

"I could say the same to you," she hissed. "You couldn't keep your needy fucking glances to yourself all night. You're lucky I made it through without any hiccups."

"You'relucky I made it through without a goddamn erection," I shot back. "You knew damn well what you would do to me wearing that. You can't pretend that you didn't." I tugged my shirt out from where it was tucked in, letting it hang loose around my body as I took a step toward her. The little squeak that came from her lips made my cock twitch and press against the zipper of my slacks. "You wanted me to want you."

In truth, I was incredibly proud of her for getting through the evening without a single hitch, but I couldn't very well say that.

"You wanted me to be frustrated," I continued. I tugged my belt free from its clasp with one hand, half for my own sanity and half to get a rise out of her. "You wanted those looks from me. You wanted me fucking feral for you."

"So what if I did?" she breathed, the words barely more than a whisper as she struggled to keep her eyes off my belt. "It doesn't mean anything. It can'tmean anything." Her chest rose and fell as she stared me down.

I took another step, closing the distance between our bodies until we were nearly touching. "Why?"

"Because that's not what either of us want. Not really." She swallowed, her throat bobbing, and fuck I wanted nothing more than to fill it. But there was something else there too, something lurking beneath the surface, something I didn't dare to acknowledge. She wasn't wrong, but it feltwrong to deny it.

"Tell me not to kiss you, then."

She stopped breathing.

"Tell me you don't want this," I said. I lifted one hand to her cheek, cradling it gently, and grabbed her around the waist with my other hand, pulling her into my chest. "Just tell me no, Ray, and I'll stop. I know how much you love to say it to me."

Her fingers wrapped around the edges of my collar.

"So go ahead and say it."

Her lips parted and I fully expected to hear the word "no" come from her mouth but it didn't.

"I'll make it easier," I whispered. I dragged my thumb along her lower lip, pulling the skin to the side and smearing her lipstick. So fucking pretty. "If you want me, tell me so. Say yes."

"Yes."

Thank God.

Her lips crashed into mine before I could make a move, stealing the air from my lungs. She tugged me down to her height with my shirt, and a moment later it was gone, long forgotten on the floor. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to tear the dress she wore to shreds, but that would mean never seeing her in it again which I was simply not at all okay with. I wanted her to wear it every day. I wanted her to wear it forever, to never leave my fucking bed, to never be more than arm"s reach from me.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled between kisses, and as I freed up her mouth to venture to her neck instead, the words came easier. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm fighting it."

"You want it," I breathed. I sucked at the skin beneath her ear, in the little hollow there that I knew made her squirm last time. Her body writhed in my grasp, her hips pressing against mine, and I swear I felt lightheaded for a split second as the blood rushed to my cock. "You want me."

"I want you." Her nails pressed into the skin of my chest, hard and needing. "Wade, please."

I led her backward toward the bed, my fingers fumbling for the zipper of her dress. Just the way her voice sounded was enough to drive me insane. I'd follow it anywhere, especially when she begged like that.

"Where is the…?" I asked, breathy and desperate as I realized I wasn't going to find the zipper.

"It doesn't have one." I let her go for a second, the distance feeling like too much, and fought with myself to not grab her back. Instead, I laid down on the bed and watched as she clumsily grabbed the neckline of her dress and forced her arms out of the sleeves, her breasts bare.

My mouth watered.

She slid the fabric down to her hips, pushing it over the crest, and damnshe wasn't wearing underwear. Not a fucking thing beneath that dress.

"Christ," I breathed, my legs giving out, my ass hitting the mattress. I was grateful she hadn't told me before we'd left the room earlier or I wouldn't have been able to function around my family. "Come here," I rasped, and the way her wild eyes met mine reminded me of a deer in headlights. "Come here."

Slowly, she climbed onto the bed, sinking down beside me. Her skin felt like velvet beneath my fingertips, each little blonde hair standing on end, every nerve ending firing. I kissed, nipped, and licked at the skin of her breasts, dragging myself ever closer to her nipple, and cherished the way she shuddered as I finally took it in my mouth.

"You make it too easy to want you," she whined, the end of her words ending in a gasp as I bit down gently. "Fuck, yes."

I didn't care about the ache in my cock, didn't care about how much I wanted to sink myself inside of her. Not when she spoke to me like that, not when she moaned against the top of my head, not when her hips slid back and forth against my slacks in a desperate search for friction. All I cared about was her, the sounds she made, the pleasure she received. She wanted me, and that was enough to send me over the edge on its own.

I swirled my tongue around her hardened nipple and grasped her other breast with my hand, kneading it with my fingers, rolling the bud between my thumb and forefinger. Every gasp, every cry, every movement of her hips had my head swimming with need. Need to please her. Need to devour her. Need to keep her as my own.

"Wade," she mewled, pressing down harder against my slacks. "Please."

"Say what you want," I said around the curve of her breast. "Tell me, baby."

"I need you." Her fingers sunk into my hair, fisting the strands as she tugged me backward so she could look down at me. Every single inch of her face looked pristine except the little bit of lipstick I'd smudged. "I need you," she repeated.

"You need me to what?"

She scowled at me as a chuckle escaped my lips. I loved seeing her like this. Frustrated, angry, horny, desperate. "Touch me," she pleaded. "I need you to touch me."

"Ray," I said, dragging my free hand down her back and tweaking her nipple playfully. "I am touching you."

The glare she leveled at me was too much to bear. I laughed as I wrapped my arm around her, flipping her over within a second. I savored the little shriek that escaped her, the wide-eyed expression on her face before spreading her legs. I reached down to release the button on my slacks, aching for more space for my cock, and gave her a wry little smirk when my hand felt warm and damp.

"I'm going to need to have these dry-cleaned now."

The blush that spread across her cheeks reached down her neck and across her collarbones. "Sorry, not sorry," she mumbled with a wicked smile.

Pushing my slacks down my legs, I breathed a sigh of relief at one less layer pressing down on me. "It's okay," I chuckled. I shifted her higher on the bed as I hovered over her, hooking her legs over mine so she couldn't close them, and leaned down to her ear. "I'll just explain that the woman in my bed was far too greedy to wait for me to touch her and just couldn't help herself. I'm sure they'll get a kick out of that."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, darling, I absolutely would." I snaked my hand down between our bodies, gliding my fingers through her slickness, memorizing the way her body shook and her back arched. "Do you know how fucking sexy you looked when you did that? How hard you made me as your clit rubbed against my pants?"

I slowly circled her entrance with the tip of my finger, teasing her, winding her up even more.

"I'd tell anyone that listened," I continued. Her hips bucked, a silent plea for more, but I didn't give her the satisfaction just yet. "Claim you as my fucking own."

A breath left her lungs in the form of a little cry as I finally pushed two fingers in, curling them up and going deep enough to hit my knuckles against her skin.

"Yes," she moaned.

"Yes?" I chuckled. I found her clit with my thumb, circled it as I slowly began to move my fingers in and out. "That's what you want, Ray? You want me to tell everyone how good of a girl you are for me?"

"If it means you won't stop, then yes, that's what I want," she whimpered, her back arching further, her breasts dragging against my chest.

"I won't stop." Her walls trembled around my fingers as I found the little pad of roughness inside and pressed against it, ensuring each thrust hit true. Feeling her like this was enough to make me wild. The warmth, the ease, the way she welcomed me so desperately. She was my nectar and I was starving. "I'll never fucking stop, baby."

Her nails pressed into my back and made me seethe, but I bit through it. I could feel her walls cave in, could barely move my fingers, and as she gasped for breath and her body shook, I watched in fucking awe while she came undone beneath me. Every muscle twitching then relaxing, every sound a cry of pleasure. She looked beautiful, drunk off my fingers. Drunk off of me.

"That's it baby, come for me," I growled. I stilled inside of her and pressed my lips to hers, breathing into her, reminding her to catch her breath. She kissed me lazily, every movement slowed, even her tongue barely working against mine.

I dragged my fingers out from her and lifted them to her lips.

"Taste yourself, baby."

She didn't hesitate. Her lips wrapped around my fingers, pulling them in. Every lash of her tongue made me ache more, made me want to take what I wanted, but it wasn't about me, even if she was humming her approval.

"I'm never going to be able to stop thinking about this," I said. "Your mouth feels like paradise. I'd never want to leave if you let me in."

Her answering giggle was enough to tell me I'd fully broken down her walls again. She made a pop soundas she let go of my fingers, her breathing steady, her eyes soft. "Maybe I will."

I couldn't stop my answering groan at the possibility. "You can't do that," I chuckled. "I'll just get my hopes up."

"That's not a bad thing," was her reply.

The little smile she gave me was enough to set my pulse racing. I wanted this with her, all of it. I'd take any version, but this one, this soppy little mess, was my favorite.

"Are you going to fuck me now or do I need to ask?"

I grinned. "You don't need to ask."

————

Ray had barely caught her breath when her sweat-covered body collapsed against my chest. "I can't," she rasped, her voice whiny. "I'm too tired. I can't."

I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Nearly four in the morning, and she had to be up at eight. Even though we both knew the consequences, we'd thrown it to the wayside, because it was as if nothing was enough. No matter how many times I'd made her climax, no matter how many times she'd emptied my cock, she was insatiable, and so was I. We were dead to the world, but she still wanted more, and I was a pleaser.

I grabbed her by the hips and bucked mine, fucking her with the last few drops of energy I had. It was enough, just barely, to pull one more orgasm from her and then I was spent, my cock too raw and sore to move. I would never be able to get enough of the sounds she made every time.

"I think I get it," she mumbled, her head buried in the hollow of my chest between my ribs as her trembling body slowly calmed down. "Why your bunnies obsess over you. If this is how you are with them?—"

"It's not," I cut her off. Her muscles stilled within a second. "I am not like this with them."

That wasn't a lie. I'd never gone this long, never been so intensely desperate for a woman to the point where nothing felt like enough. I'd lost count of how many times I'd brought her to climax, but somewhere after the sixth, I'd had to carry her to the bathroom just so she could pee because her legs had given out. It was adorable.

But I wasn't ready to dive deeper into my mind to figure out the why. I knew what it was, could feel it lingering near the surface, and in truth, it scared the living shit out of me. There was a reason I didn't give anyone this much of myself.

"What do you mean?" she asked, the words so soft, so tired. She lifted her leg, her foot dragging along my calf, and I couldn't help but wince as it skated over the scars.

"Not now," I whispered. I trailed my fingers up and down her slick spine, hoping that the exhaustion from our evening was enough to send her to sleep before she asked me more questions, harder questions. "You need sleep, Ray. Do you want to shower now or in the morning?"

"I don't want to shower," she replied. She picked her head up, resting her chin on my chest so she could look me in the eyes. I didn't have the heart to tell her it hurt. "I don't want to do anything. I just want to stay here with you. Is that bad?"

Pushing a stray curl behind her ear, I dragged my fingers across her cheek, memorized the little smile she gave me. This was Ray with her walls down, this was Ray without a hint of animosity. I wanted to bottle it and keep it for myself forever, and that fucking terrified me.

I shook my head. "I love it when you're like this," I whispered. The words fell out too easily before I could think twice, but thankfully, sleepy-Ray didn't find it angering. "Makes me think you need a new nickname."

The little snort she gave set my pulse racing for the millionth time. I had to be at risk of a heart attack at this point. "God, not another one."

Flattening my palm against her back, I held her to me and flipped us, gently placing her down on the soft sheets as she giggled. "Yes, another one," I laughed, pressing a kiss to her lips, her cheek, her jaw, "because you're right. You're not a bunny."

Her head tilted back, burying itself in the soft cotton and offering me her neck. I gladly took it, claiming every inch I could get my lips and teeth on.

"A nickname that matches this version of you," I whispered. "Needy, insatiable, fucking ravenous."

"You made me like this," she breathed, every little moan and whimper daring me to go another round, but I knew neither of us could take it.

"Ray…" I said, dragging my hand up the side of her body as my lips found her ear. "We made each other like this."

A shiver coursed through her, pushing her hips up into mine. We can't. Not again.

"I want you," she begged.

"You've wanted me all night long." My cock, limp and practically beaten to a pulp, still managed to twitch at her plea. "And I've wanted you all night. But neither of us can take another round, little Raven."

Her answering giggle made my chest ache. "Raven? Is that what you've decided on?"

My lips curled up into a smile as I looked down at her. I wanted this. I wanted her.

"I think it's as good a name as any." I pressed my lips to hers, once, twice, three times. "Ravenous Raven."