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“Sure, no problem,” Riley said, and led them up the stairs to the second floor. “By the way, I invited some people for drinks after dinner. I hope you guys don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Sienna replied at the same time Jensen said, “I’d rather you didn’t.”
“It’s been a while since you’ve been to our neck of the woods and you’re very bad at staying in touch. There are some people who want to see you, so I told them they can come by to say hi. That’s all,” Riley said with a tone of finality even Jensen couldn’t argue.
The rooms that Riley had prepared for them were bigger than Sienna expected. She gladly settled into hers and closed the door in everyone’s face, yearning for some privacy, especially after being stuck with two moody guys during the long car ride.
It seemed to Sienna that lately she spent her time in two ways, one was in the shower and the other being transported from one place to another. After spending most of the morning on the plane, followed by the better part of the day in the car, she was desperate for a shower.
Warm water was a great medicine for contracted muscles caused by hours of sitting. It was as if she could feel the tension slip away when the relaxation set in. She moaned in pleasure, not caring if anyone might’ve heard and thought she was doing other things.
Sienna opened her suitcase with more reluctance than ever before because for once, she didn’t feel like being paraded around in a dress. After all the tiptoeing she had to do, all she wanted was to sit down and be comfortable. She didn’t want to worry about how to put her legs, in an off-chance that she might’ve flashed her underwear.
With delight, she discovered that Adrianna packed her a pair of not too formal but still classy black pants that she paired with a white blouse and pink jacket. It was perfect and it made her look more like herself than all the things she’d worn since they presented themselves at the Remington compound after the Ryder massacre.
Her body was a weapon, but now it wasn’t her only tool to wield. She had power, respect, and allies. Sienna wasn’t alone anymore, not in the ways that mattered. With the Lockwoods and the Carringtons on her side as well as other families, she might’ve been the most powerful Ryder ever. The thought was intoxicating and the power enticing, but it meant nothing while the Remingtons remained a threat.
Sienna frowned when the doorbell rang, her eyes going to the clock on the wall. It was too early for Riley’s guests to arrive since they didn’t even have dinner yet. Her stomach grumbled in response, making it clear that the only way to silence it was to eat something.
Leaving the room, she went to the ground floor and followed the sound of voices. She came into the dining room and when seeing Jensen, Riley, and Brian preparing a table, a big smile spread on her face. It wasn’t so much for the guys but more for the boxes of pizza that Brian held in his hands to give the other two space while they handled the plates, cutlery, and refreshments.
Similar to her, they were all wearing semi-casual outfits. Even Jensen was out of his Carrington suit with a dark navy sweater over his shirt and very expensive-looking jeans that perfectly fit his body. She had to force herself to tear her eyes away from him, but made a mistake of looking at Brian whose clothes were nice too, although not tailor-made like Jensen’s.
“You look beautiful,” Riley complimented her, giving her a lopsided smile.
Sienna thanked him, then fought a blush when he winked. Riley was flirting with her, and she was at a loss for words, suddenly finding herself to be timid. Jensen put a plate down rather forcefully, making her jump.
“Sorry,” he muttered, but didn’t meet her eyes.
“No worries,” Riley said with a smile, sounding completely unbothered. “You can sit with me, Sienna. I’d love to get to know you more.”
Expecting to sit next to Jensen, Sienna covered her surprise with a smile but didn’t fail to notice Jensen’s body tensing. His knuckles turned white when he gripped the fork and avoided her eyes.
An irrational annoyance toward Jensen built up in her and she decided to put all her attention on Riley. It was him who they were here to woo and get on board with the mission. Him and his parents, but as it proved to be the case with Miruna, the kids could have a certain amount of influence over the decisions of loyalty.
“I’ll be happy too,” Sienna said, making sure that her voice came across giddy.
After she sat, Riley pushed the chair to the table like a proper gentleman. There was an easy air around him, a light and joking energy that was so unlike Jensen’s.
“How is it possible that you and Jensen could ever be best friends? You’re so funny and charming, and he’s… well, he’s Jensen,” Sienna teased and touched Riley’s arm, running her finger in a seductive motion.
Riley tilted his head to the side, giving her an enchanting smile that reached all the way up to his warm brown eyes. Despite not being a fan of man buns, Sienna had to admit that he was rocking it. She suppressed a shiver at the sudden thought of how his goatee would feel rubbing against her clit. The heat spread over her neck and cheeks, but she forced herself not to look away from Riley, even though it was clear what her eyes would show.
“I might be the handsome one but believe me when I tell you that Jensen is funnier,” Riley said with a smirk. “It’s true that he has zero charm, but that can be compensated with money.”
Jensen snorted in the middle of taking a sip of his beer, causing it to run down his chin. He wiped it away with a napkin and curled his lips up in a smile.
“You’re crazy, man. Don’t go filling her head with nonsense,” Jensen told Riley, but the way his blue eyes darkened, Sienna could tell there was a warning in them. “Let’s leave the past in the past, shall we?”
“You came to the wrong place then,” Riley said and shook his head.
Sienna couldn’t believe how unaffected Riley was by Jensen’s warnings and threats. He must’ve gotten used to Jensen’s barking after all those years of being friends. As soon as the Carrington heir was out of earshot, she’d try to get as much information on him as possible. Riley held the key that would explain why Jensen acted like a moody jerk most of the time.
“They’re almost here,” Riley said after a glance at the clock.
He wiped his mouth and grabbed the empty pizza boxes. Brian stood up, collecting the plates and cutlery, while Jensen cleaned the table. Everything had been finished long before Sienna had the time to process what was happening and to help. The guys worked like a well-oiled machine, and it occurred to her that it might not have been the first time they did something like that.
It was clear the Thornes wanted Riley’s feet planted firmly on the ground. Since Jensen was his friend, it only made sense that he had to look after himself when at Riley’s house. They didn’t have any servants to boss around. It was quite refreshing.
