AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ryker seemed unfazed by Caleb's outburst, his expression remaining infuriatingly impassive. "Eli will be safe with hisrealfather," he said, his words like a punch to the gut. "You've done your part. Now it's time to step aside and let someone else take over."
Caleb's vision blurred with unshed tears, and he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. He'd known that this day would come eventually, but that didn't make it any easier to accept.
He glanced at Eli. He was still engrossed in his cartoon. Good. That was good.
Caleb forced himself to swallow the bitter lump of despair lodged in his throat.
He still had one last card to play.
"Wait," Caleb said, his voice barely more than a whisper. He looked back at Ryker, locking eyes with the older man, determination burning in his gaze. "I've got something else to offer."
Ryker's eyebrows rose, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "And what would that be?"
God, was he really going to make Caleb say it? "Me," Caleb stated, his heart hammering in his chest as he bargained with the man who held Eli's fate in his hands. "I can see it in your eyes, the way you've been looking at me."
Ryker's brow twitched. His annoyance felt like a victory to Caleb. "And what way is that?"
"You can't stop looking at my mouth." Caleb bared his teeth in a sardonic grin. "What exactly do you have in mind for it, big guy?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Ryker's face. In an instant, his expression hardened, covering that back up — but there was no denying the heat that smoldered behind those stormy gray eyes.
You didn't sleep with as many men as Caleb had without being able to tell when someone wanted you. Caleb felt a thrill of triumph mixed with trepidation as he pressed on. "Think about it," he murmured, his voice low and sultry despite the fear knotting in his stomach. "You could have me any way you want. I'd submit to you completely, let you take control."
In his past, he'd done things he hadn't wanted to. He'd learned to get through them by slipping into a fantasy, wrapping it around him like a cloak and letting himself disappear underneath. Now, with life and death stakes on the line, he used his fantasies as a weapon.
It wasn't exactly hard to do. Ryker was hot. Caleb may have wanted him to drop dead right that instant, but he still couldn't deny that. The older man was built, with the sort of salt-and-pepper daddy vibe that could pull every pretty young thing in a bar the instant he'd walk through the door.
Yeah, he wasn't the hardest guy to fantasize about. Caleb looked him up and down, drinking in the sight of him. He couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like to have Ryker's strong, commanding hands guiding him, pinning him down as the older man took his pleasure. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, an unexpected surge of desire pulsing through him.
Yeah, Ryker was his enemy, butwhatan enemy. Caleb couldn't deny the raw, primal appeal of the man standing before him.
Caleb was fucked up, he knew. But he lived in a fucked up world.
Ryker looked at him with a steely gaze. "You think I'd let you run away with the kid in exchange for a bit of ass?"
"If you were a crappy enough operative to take me up on that, you couldn't have found me in the first place," Caleb bit back. "I'm not asking for that."
"What are you asking for, exactly?
"Let me take the edge off. I can see you need it. In exchange… Let him have one last day before you take him. One. You can be here the whole time to make sure I don't run with him."
Caleb sucked in a breath. "Just let me give him one perfect day as a family to remember, before you take him. Just one."
There was a long pause as Ryker looked at him, those sharp eyes pinning him in place. Caleb swallowed, waiting to see how his ploy would land...
"Is that really what you want to offer, kid?" Ryker asked, his voice rough and gravelly, betraying his own arousal. "Because know this: I don't play nice."
Caleb's breath hitched as he soaked in the implications of Ryker's words. As much as he hated to admit it, there was a part of him that craved the brutal domination Ryker embodied, the feeling of being utterly conquered and controlled. When a big, strong man used him… Yeah, that was his shit.
Caleb's heart hammered in his chest like a caged animal as he leaned closer to Ryker, ensuring that Eli wouldn't overhear their conversation. He didn't want him to catch even a whiff of what they were discussing.
"Listen," Caleb whispered, his breath hot against Ryker's ear. "I'm good at what I do – really good. If you've read my file, you know that. You've never had anyone quite like me."
Ryker's eyes narrowed, but there was an unmistakable flicker of interest dancing within them. "Keep your mouth shut," he growled, even as the darkness in his eyes betrayed his arousal.
"Imagine it," Caleb continued, undeterred by the warning. As he spoke, he couldn't help but picture the two of them entwined together, their bodies slick with sweat and desire. "My lips on your neck, teasing you, tasting you. Working down your body, until I reach your hard, aching cock."
Ryker remained silent, but this close, it was impossible for him to hide the heat that raced through his frame at that.Nice try, Caleb thought, hiding a smirk.Caleb felt a twisted thrill at holding this power over the older man, even if it was just for a moment.
