Page 40 of Forbidden Pawn

June

I wake up in Ryker’s bed again, sensing his warmth next to me. Despite his distanced behavior a couple of days ago, this has become our routine now—dinners filled with subtle touches and lingering glances, always ending with us in bed, or on the couch, or at the kitchen counter. It’s like something switched inside of him ever since the Reid brothers showed up. He acted so distant before, but once they left, it seemed like he had forgotten about his former anger. He put his arm around me when he led me back into the house, a protective gesture that took me by surprise. It was like a spell had been broken.

And he seemed so worried about me. I still don’t know if it was because of the things the Reids told him, or whether there’s something else that I don’t know about. But I can’t deny that I like this change in his demeanor, even if it adds to my conflicted feelings for him. Feelings I should ignore, but it’s become harder to do so each day.

Every night, we end up here, in his bedroom, the room he was once so adamant about keeping off-limits. Now I’m practically living here, sharing his space.

However, today is the first time that I’m awake before him. Usually, he’s already out of bed by the time I open my eyes, preparing breakfast for us downstairs or locked up in his office.

Sleepily, I turn over, letting my eyes wander over his face. He looks so innocent like this, with his hair ruffled and his face relaxed, the tension he always carries with him nowhere in sight. In a moment like this, it’s easy to forget about the blood on his hands.

But, as much as it aches to remind myself of the harsh truth, I can’t forget who he is—and hat he did.

He’s the reason my father is gone. He is the man I swore to destroy. But now things are getting so complicated, and I don’t even have a lead. I’ve been too busy spending my days out in this beautiful garden, engaging in an innocent chat every time Ryker comes by to check on me and losing myself in his arms every single night, when my mind is all too eager to forget.

My hatred has dulled and replaced with something else. When I am with him, I feel a rush of warmth, a tender sense of security that threatens to lull my intentions. I shouldn’t even be here, lying next to him, wrapped up in a life I came to destroy.

Jack’s and Carter’s sudden visit only serves as a reminder that I’m running out of time. It was a surprise to see them, to say the least, and for a moment I worried that they might have come to pick me up and get me out of here. It’s not what we agreed upon beforehand, but maybe I can’t trust them as much as I’d hoped. Because I don’t know if what they told Ryker is actually true. Something about it felt off to me, but I can’t say why. And why would they depart from our plan? We never agreed on them showing up unannounced like this, and there was never any word about them getting involved in Ryker’s problems.

But whatever they’re planning, I have this sinking feeling that my window to bring Ryker down is shrinking. The closer I get to him, the more I lose sight of my purpose here. My plan was simple: Seduce him, gain his trust, get what I need, and leave him in ruins.

But now? Now I want to stay. I laugh with him over dinner, hiding in our private little world, forgetting who he is and starting to… no. That’s bullshit. I can’t be falling in love with him. No matter what, I can’t let myself go there.

I seduced him; I gained his trust—now it’s time to finally get what I need and leave him in ruins.

I take a quiet breath before I slip out of bed, reminding myself that none of this is real. This was never meant to be real.

Ryker is becoming careless around me, just as I suspected he would. After he’s letting me sleep in his bed, I can’t shake the feeling that there might be other things he’s becoming more lax about.

I can still feel him between my legs, the echoes of last night reverberating through my body as I move. My cheeks flush at the memory of how he carried me in here, the way he devoured my pussy like I was his last meal, making me come twice before stretching me with his girth. It’s amazing what he can still come up with, even after we’ve had sex so many times.

Too many times, I remind myself.

The pleasure was overwhelming, and it’s a feeling I’m not sure I’ll be able to replicate anywhere else. As much as I hate to admit it, I know I’ll miss him once all of this is over. The thought pierces through me, sending a wave of sadness I’m not ready to confront.

Determined to shake it off, I quietly sneak out of the bedroom, careful not to disturb him. My heart races as I tiptoe down the hallway, glancing toward his office. I stop dead in my tracks when I see the door ajar.

For a few moments, I just stand there like a pillar of salt, my mouth hanging open, as I consider my options. I have to go inside. This is my first—and maybe only—chance to do so.

I glance back at the bedroom door, trying to catch a sound. It’s dead silent. Ryker must still be sleeping, but I don’t know for how much longer.

I have to go inside. Now!

I slip inside, still moving on tiptoes, my pulse quickening with a mix of excitement and fear.

The room is featuring sleek, high-end furniture that complements the spacious room. A polished mahogany desksits under the window, mostly empty, with nothing but a tidy stack of paper and a designer paperweight on it. Large windows flood the room with natural light, enhancing the sophisticated atmosphere.

I snoop around hastily, scanning the shelves and the desk for anything useful, before I move over to the desk. I need to find something, anything, that could help me bring him down, and my heart races with excitement when I pull open the first drawer in his desk. I was afraid the drawers might be locked as well, but they are not. I rummage through the documents, silently cursing at myself for being so ill-prepared. At least I know what Ryker does, money laundering for criminals, and he uses real estate projects to do so.

That’s what he did to my father, who was a very successful real estate agent—“On my way to become a true mogul!” he used to say—before one of his projects got wrapped up with Ryker’s dealings and it all went downhill. My father got suspicious of the transactions and the way Ryker’s team pushed him into working with them, and started asking too many questions. So, they pulled out, literally disappeared into thin air, and all of my father’s investments were gone—as was the trust that people had in his company. It all died from there. We lost everything, and for my father, that included his will to live.He took his life a little over a year ago, shortly after my 21st birthday.

I swallow back tears as I continue to go through Ryker’s precious documents, searching for anything I could use to prove to the world that can not be trusted. I want to destroy his empire, just like he destroyed my father’s—no matter how much the idea may now hurt me. And I have to be fast before…

I’m just about to open the third drawer when I hear it.

Breathing. Behind my back.

I’m no longer alone.

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