32. Carina

CHAPTER 32

Carina

ONE WEEK UNTIL RYAN'S BIRTHDAY

A fter hearing another of Ryan's stories, I squeeze in close to him and put my head on his chest, looking up at him as we lay in bed.

"Wow, so if you were twenty, then when you and Alex had that lunch at John's, that would've made me five," I say.

"Shhh, I try not to think about our age difference."

"Why not, old man?" I ask with a big grin.

"That's exactly why." He laughs. "A fifteen-year difference is a big gap. I think even your mother is younger than me."

"No, don't be silly. She's not that young. My grandmother is younger than you, though. She's been twenty-nine for as long as I can remember."

"Can we talk about your mom?" he asks.

"Do we have to? She's someone I really don't want to talk about." I'm quiet as I try to come up with an excuse for her being at Alex's.

Did she follow me? If she did, then why?

"I just don't get it," I say. "Why was she at Alex's?"

"I thought you didn't want to talk about her."

"I don't," I say as my phone buzzes, and I see another call from my mother coming through. "But I think I need to. It's sad, but I don't think I can trust her. Correction, I know I can't trust her." I sigh and push her out of my mind.

"Well, before you completely push her out, you should know that she tried blackmailing me about a month ago."

"What?! Are you sure it was her?"

"Positive. She was trying to get me to pay her to not tell you I'm a billionaire. She recognized me from the newspaper."

"Just like Grandma. She said she recognized your picture in the paper but didn't say anything to me. I didn't think anyone read newspapers anymore. Maybe I need to start paying attention to those old rags."

"Don't, you're better off this way," he says with a laugh.

"So why do you think Alex felt that way about John's?"

"You'll have to ask him. I really don't know. I remember him talking about it that day, but I don't remember if he said why. I assumed he was just talking, and it didn't mean anything. You know, dreams you tell someone else that you never expect will happen."

He smiles sheepishly.

"What? What are you thinking about?"

"That's you. You're the dream I never expected to happen." He leans over and kisses me. "I used sometimes think I set myself up to fail with the whole masquerade thing. But here you are."

"It doesn't bother you how I ended up here? Because of Alex?"

"In the very near future, all I'm going to say is that my brother introduced me to the woman of my dreams."

I stare at him for a moment, trying to gauge if he's being sincere or not, and he is.

"I know it's probably not the norm for a man to say things like that. Maybe it's because I lost my mom at such a young age or because of how my father raised us. Whatever it is, it's why I knew I needed to be careful about what women I let into my life. I'm a romantic."

"And that's why you came up with the idea of a masquerade ball."

"Yes, it was the only way I could meet women without having to worry about them knowing who I am. On the day the will was read, my father also released a long statement declaring that not only was I single, but that I needed to get married in order for me not to lose my inheritance."

"No, he really did that to you? From the grave?"

Ryan nods. "From the grave. He's been dead for five years, and he's still running my life."

"That's a shame. Sounds like you owe a lot to your brother though. It sounds like he was always a good brother to you. Even when you were younger."

He nods his head. "Yes, until recently he was the best brother. Things got difficult and we lost our way after the will reading, but I still consider us very close. Even if he is mad at me."

"You haven't told me about that yet."

"Soon, I promise. All of this has been difficult to talk about. It's bringing up memories and feelings I haven't felt in a really long time."

He looks past me, into the distance, his mind elsewhere, before focusing back on me. The corners of his mouth tug upwards.

"Now that I think about it, it's funny that you say I owe a lot to my brother. I guess I could add you to that, too. Because even though his reason wasn't right, it still brought us together."

I slide to his side and lift up his t-shirt sleeve so I can kiss his bare shoulder, then his lips.

"There's still so much I want to tell you, just not tonight. There's always tomorrow. Tonight is our last night together for a few days. You're picking your grandmother up tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"Yes, I'll be picking her up and taking her home. So I won't be seeing you tomorrow night."

"You know, I have this thing called a car. I can drive you. We can pick her up together and then drive her to your home. I can help you carry in all her stuff. I'd like to help. And I want to meet her. She's important to you. So meeting her is important to me."

"Can't tomorrow," I say. "And that's not a me thing, that's a Grandma thing. She won't have all her makeup and everything for her to doll herself up, as she likes to say. She would be so upset to meet you and not feel 100% herself. Otherwise, I would love the company, and I would love for you to meet her. I know she would love to meet you, too. She's heard so much about you."

"Oh, she has? Only the good stuff, I hope." He grins.

I laugh. "Only the best stuff."

"I'm going to take a shower. Want to join me?" he asks as he climbs out of bed, his voice husky.

My heart pounds in my chest. I nod, suddenly very aware of how much I smell like the subway. I bite my lip and swallow nervously as he turns on the shower.

Ryan undresses me slowly. Peeling each layer of clothing off as he gently caresses my body. I enter the shower and let the warm water run over my skin as I watch him take his clothes off.

His shoulders ripple as he removes his shirt, exposing his perfect abs. I could stare at his stomach muscles all day, but once he's completely naked, my eyes shift down to his stiff cock.

Ryan enters the shower, and his hands immediately cup my face, pulling me up to his lips. His tongue slips against mine before he pulls away and smiles.

"Let's clean you up first," he says as a smile tugs at his lips.

He reaches for the soap and lathers it up in his hands. His strong hands move over my body as he bathes me. As the water rinses the soap from my skin, his mouth claims the spot. The combination of his smooth hands with the hunger of his lips makes me dizzy.

I wonder if he's secretly torturing me and getting back at me for teasing him about his age. But if this is my punishment, I'll keep doing the crime.

Once he's done with the soap, he kisses me hungrily. I hold onto his slick skin as the jets of the shower burst against us.

"This is one," he says as our eyes meet.

"One?"

"I've decided to keep count."

His lips slip over my neck and down my collarbone as his hands grasp my ass firmly. He lowers himself, kissing me as he goes, until he's kneeling in front of me.

Gingerly, he lifts my leg as his fingers move over my sex. He smiles slyly as I lean against the shower wall for support.

He kisses my inner thigh and then sucks where it meets the rest of my body. I giggle, and his eyes dart up before his lips move closer to my sex.

His tongue slips over my clit, and I moan. I reach for the wall, afraid I'm going to fall as my core throbs.

"Please, Ryan, I'm so close," I say.

He stands up, holding my thigh in his hand. Drops of water sliding down his face.

"This is still one," he says.

His cock presses against my entrance, teasing me at first. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pressing my breasts against him as he enters me.

I was so close before that feeling him inside me, pushes me over the edge. Chills shoot through my body as my orgasm crashes over me. Ryan holds me tight as my body writhes against him.

I throw my head back as I catch my breath, and Ryan kisses my throat before our mouths meet. I want more.

"Ready for two?" he asks.

"Yes."