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Ryley’s stomach knotted and his cock remained uncomfortably hard long after Kallie left. It had been that way from the moment she said his name and he glanced up from the little blonde to see a crazy-haired woman dripping alcohol all over his expensive carpet. He was instantly transported straight back to where it all began. High school. His first ever sexual conquest. The only girl he’d ever loved and lost.
Kallie Smith had been there from the beginning, back when he developed that initial game, and he’d always assumed she’d be by his side forever. His girlfriend, coming with him on the ride of a lifetime. Not so. Somehow she’d slipped away, out of his reach and out of his life, and he hadn’t even noticed until it was too late to do anything about it.
Forget I came, she said. Yeah, right. How could he possibly forget Kallie Smith?
Her scent rose around him when he got up to hug her in an exciting mixture of flowers and citrus that was completely unrelated to his memories of her. A new perfume, obviously, which made sense given she’d been a teenage girl back then. He liked her new scent. It was subtle and sexy, and he had the feeling that if he got past her prickly business exterior and managed to get her into his bed, Kallie would be every bit as sexy as the promise of that perfume. The curves of her body, as he held her tight, seemed fuller and more pronounced than he remembered, and yet she fit into his embrace as if they had never been apart. It was hugely unsettling, to have that strange mix of familiar and unfamiliar, and for a moment he hadn’t been able to let her go even when he knew it crossed the line into awkward.
Frustration filled him. The need to growl out loud, or pound something with his fist, became almost overwhelming. He had to get to the gym and go a few rounds with the punching bag. It was his favorite way these days to let off steam, and added the benefit of keeping him in shape. But first... He bent and pushed a button located discreetly beneath the coffee table, waiting impatiently until his assistant returned. When Tania entered, she looked around as if expecting to find Kallie still there. It seemed to Ry’s critical gaze as if she was slightly disappointed when she realized he was now the only occupant in the room.
“Yeah, so she left.” His voice came out more belligerent than intended, and he immediately thought of Kal and what her reaction might be. Don’t be rude to your assistant. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Tania, can you pass the word to the philanthropic team that we’ll support the Impact program? Whatever they’re asking for, give it to them. Actually, double it.”
“Double it? Are you sure...um, I mean, yes, Ryley. I’ll get right onto it.”
“And...” He paused, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. It felt unusually tight and sore. Am I doing the right thing? Probably not, but when did that ever stop me? “Contact Kallie again for me. Please.” The platitude popped out, and when her eyebrows rose he realized he’d surprised her as much as himself. He continued in a rush of words. “Invite her to dinner with me next Saturday. We’ll take the chopper out to the Yarra Valley and I’ll show her the vineyard. In fact, reserve the restaurant. I want it to be intimate. Just the two of us.”
Why was Tania standing there staring at him as if he had two heads? “Well?”
“Sure. I’ll ask, but I can’t guarantee she’ll say yes.” Her tone sounded dubious, and it fanned his annoyance.
What the hell is wrong with everyone today? “Why wouldn’t she? I’m giving her the damn money she’s asked for. And the chance for a good dinner in a nice location. What’s to dislike about that?”
Tania bit her lip, as if trying not to laugh. He glared at her, not quite sure how to deal with this unusual defiance. “I’ll ask,” she said again. “Anything else?”
When he shook his head, Tania left, and Ry began to pace up and down the room, strangely unsettled. What the hell was Gavin playing at, saying something like that about the Jaxx Corporation? Moving in a new direction that didn’t fit with drug education? Fuck that. He trusted his directors, but this instance warranted a severe reprimand.
He had no desire to re-join the guests up on the deck, most of whom he didn’t even know. Maybe he could get that little blonde back again, or there was the model from two nights ago who’d been a pretty good lay. She was probably upstairs somewhere too, and would no doubt be willing to help him do something about this goddamn hard-on. For some reason, though, the thought didn’t appeal. Instead, all he could think about was Kallie and how good it would be to see her again.
How long would it take to catch up on each other’s lives? How long should he wait before it would be okay to undress her gorgeous body and lose himself in pleasure? Would her body welcome his as keenly as it did all those years ago? Would their joining feel familiar, like coming home? Or would the passage of time have changed them both to the point that it felt like being with someone completely new?
He groaned as thoughts of sex with Kallie sent his hard-on into overdrive. This was not going to go down on its own. He strode to the door and locked it, then unzipped quickly to take matters into his own hands.
Kallie. Oh, God, Kallie, you grumpy little witch. I can’t wait to introduce you to the delights of playing with a billionaire.
