His Secretive Lover (The Thorpe Brothers) (5 page)

As they talked about art and history, college and their favorite foods, Cricket came to realize that
Ryker Thorpe had so many facets to his complex personality.  He was a fascinating man.  She could honestly say she’d never met anyone more intelligent and well-educated than Ryker Thorpe, including her father which was saying a lot.  Her father might not have attended college or a university, but he could argue right along with the best of them about any subject.  He prided himself on reading as much as he could get his hands on, but the man sitting in her family room was much more well-read, able to converse on just about any subject.  He even knew about art, which wasn’t a topic most people excelled at. 

Of course, she didn’t go into much detail about her knowledge of art and art history, and she didn’t even touch on her ability to spot real versus fake diamonds, much less pick out the most flawless diamond in
any room at a glance.  No, all the skills that had been passed on by her mother and father would only lead to questions.  Questions she couldn’t answer.  Or at least
shouldn’t
answer.  The answers would raise too many other questions.

They’d finished the bottle of wine and Cricket smothered a yawn, not wanting him to see it because he’d probably get up and leave.  But this time, she couldn’t suppress it and he quickly
glanced at his watch, realizing how late it had gotten.  “I’d better let you get some sleep,” Ryker said, standing up. 

Cricket rose as well, feeling painfully disappointed that their time together was coming to an end. 
She wished she could think of something to make him stay, keep him talking to her.  But now that they were closer, her mind just fizzled out. 

“Well,” she started off, hiding her hands behind her back, feeling
as nervous and awkward as a sixteen year old on her first date all of a sudden.  “Um…thank you for bringing the wine.  It was exceptionally wonderful.”  There!  That was a good way to clear the air and say goodbye.  If she could just stay on this side of the coffee table, then she might not throw herself into his arms and beg him to kiss her goodnight. 

Ryker could see right through her attempts and he wasn’t going to allow her the chance.  He’d wanted to kiss her the moment he walked into this house and he wasn’t going to be able to do that if she stayed over there with the furniture in the way. 
“Walk me to the door,” he commanded, not waiting for her to respond but reaching out and easily taking her hand, leading her towards her front door. 

When they were standing there in the tiny foyer, Cricket’s hands still held in his, she stared straight ahead, looking only at his chest.  She couldn’t look at his eyes, nor his mouth.  If she looked at either, he would know how desperately she wanted to kiss him.  How much she wanted him to just pull her into his arms and ravish her. 

And how desperately she wished she were anyone else’s daughter.  Earlier today, she’d seen this man with The President of the United States.  She now knew he was a lawyer, which meant he was an officer of the courts – just one step away from the police.  A lawyer and a thief did not mix under any formula, she told herself firmly. 

“Goodnight,” she whispered
, trying to hide the nervousness and sadness from her voice and her eyes. 

Ryker wasn’t going to be dismissed so easily.  He knew that they both needed what was to come.  Bending lower, he put a finger under her chin, lifting her face so
she was looking at him.  There in her eyes, he saw what he was looking for.  The same need that was filling him. 

And that was all the permission he needed.  Bending lower, he took her lips in his, kissing her gently, slowly, teasing her into p
articipating with the kiss.  Cricket’s breath came out in a low, shocked hiss as she looked up at him.  But that only lasted for a fraction of a second before she lifted her mouth up again, silently asking him to continue kissing her.  She knew it was wrong, that this could never go anywhere, but for this one moment, this one kiss, she was going to enjoy the feelings, the surprise and the amazement of how lovely and crazy she felt in this man’s arms. 

She didn’t realize that her own arms had moved up his shoulders and were now wrapped around his neck or that her fingers were in his hair, feeling the surprisingly soft texture.  There was a moment’s spinning but then she felt the door on her back and realized that he’d spun them
around so that she was pressed against the door with his body pressing against hers.  She loved the way he felt, pressed her softness against him, gasping in shock and thrilling with the knowledge that she could do this to this strong, virile man.  His hands had been on her waist but she shivered when she felt those hands move upwards, wrapping around her rib cage and she silently begged him to move higher. 

Ryker had to mentally shake himself.  This woman was so soft and sexy, all he wanted to do was continue kissing her just like this.  He
tried to stop, but then her hand touched his cheek and he was lost once again.  Lifting her up, his hands moved down to her hips, pulling her legs so they were wrapped around his waist.

Cricket
couldn’t believe what was happening.  Surely she wasn’t doing this, she thought when he lifted his head up.  Then the urge to touch his skin was overwhelming so she moved her hand out of his hair.  Her fingers touched his hard jawline, riveted with the texture.  It was rougher than she’d expected, more fascinating and hot to the touch.  She didn’t realize she was gasping for air or that her chest was heaving against his.  All she knew was that her fingertips were on fire from the simple gesture against his skin.  And then she really got lost.  His hands were rough as he lifted her higher, his mouth ravaging hers and she needed more!  It wasn’t enough and she shifted her body, her head falling backwards when she felt that hardness…no, it wasn’t on her stomach any longer it was…just….perfect!  She thought that her eyes might be rolling back in her head with the waves of pleasure washing over her again and again but even that wasn’t enough.  Everything felt so good, every time he moved his hand, every place his hard, demanding lips touched just made her ache a little bit more.  She’d never experienced anything like his touch or his kiss and she wanted so much more. 

Ryker pulled his head back and stared down into her eyes.  “Cricket, if we don’t stop right now, I’m going to carry you up those stairs behind me and make love to you.”  He watched, so turned on just by the look in her eyes that he was having trouble forming the words.  “Do you understand me?” he demanded when she continued to look back up at him with that sultry look in her pretty, green eyes.  Damn!  He wanted this woman with an almost painful need.  He couldn’t believe things had gotten so out of hand so quickly.  He’d meant to gently kiss her goodnight and then head out.  How had it reached the point where he was rock hard and silently begging her to give him permission to continue?

His words slowly broke through her haze of desire and Cricket gasped when she realized the position she was in.  “Oh goodness!” she exclaimed and disentangled herself from him.

“Wait!  Cricket don’t…” and he groaned as her hips shifted against him.  Cricket knew exactly what he was dealing with because she felt it to
o.  That crazy, almost painful desire when she moved against his erection shot through her as well.  She froze, her body not wanting to do anything that would cause that feeling to happen again.  And yet….maybe if she….

“Cricket!” he groaned, closing his eyes and shaking his head.  “You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you?” he asked, a slight smile on those lips that Cricket now knew could deliver so much pleasure.  How
could a man that looked this stern and serious know how to kiss like that? 

“Sorry,” she whispered, her fingers gripping his shoulders so she wouldn’t move like that again.  “How do I get down without…” she couldn’t say the words and knew her face was flaming red now. 

“Hold onto me,” he told her and moved closer, his hands grabbing onto her hips.  With great finesse, he lifted her up and set her down onto the floor once again.  “There,” he growled, but his hands didn’t move away from her and his body pressed against her one more time. “I’ve got to go,” he said with that sexy, husky voice.  He didn’t leave.  His body pressed hers against the door again, his lips finding hers and kissing her again.  It was slower this time, sensuous but still got her a little higher on the crazy-for-Ryker scale. 

She moaned and her arms moved back up around his neck and she arched into his body, wanting that pleasure back, needing more. 

“I have to go,” he said again, but his mouth moved against her neck, making her shiver with delight when he found a spot at the base where seemingly all of her nerve endings zipped to attention, sparking that need even higher. 

She pulled back
slightly, surprised.  “You have to go,” she whispered, but her fingers remained in his hair and her body was still moving against his

“I’m going to leave now,” he said and gritted his teeth.  He actually did it this time, pulling back and bracing his arms against the wooden door behind her.  “Thank you for tonight,” he said and touched her cheek with his rough finger. 

She sighed, practically melting against the door behind her.  Her fingers were clumsy, barely able to function but she finally was able to find the doorknob.  She twisted, didn’t get it the first time and tried again.  This time, she was able to turn the knob and open the door.  She almost forgot to stop leaning against it but, as she practically tripped over her feet when the door pushed her body out of the way, she figured out that she needed to move. 

“Goodnight, Cricket,” he said again and walked out into the cold night. 

Cricket hurried around the room, turning out all the lights as quickly as possible. Then she rushed to the back of her den – just in time to watch him step into his car.  When he had the door open and one foot inside, he hesitated and looked back at her house.  Cricket stared, biting her lip and praying that he would come back inside and finish what he’d started.  She didn’t have the courage to ask him herself, but every cell in her body was aching to find out what it would be like to make love with Ryker Thorpe. 

In the end, he shook his head and got into the driver’s seat.  A moment later, his powerful car drove down the street and Cricket sagged against the wall, so disappointed she thought she might actually cry. 

Instead, she picked up the two wine glasses and the empty bottle of wine, tossing the bottle into the recycling bin and placing the glasses into the sink before she moved upstairs.  Preparing for bed, she drug out her flannel nightgown and pulled it over her head, wishing that she was doing the complete opposite.  She actually blushed at all the thoughts that were racing through her mind as she brushed her teeth and washed her face.  She didn’t really want Ryker to come back.  She’d just met the guy today! 

She had to remind herself over and over again that this was the kind of man who dined with important people.  He wasn’t the man for her! 

Cricket woke the following morning feeling fresh and alive, and more excited to get to work than she had in a long time.  She hurried through her morning routine, eager to get to the office.  It had nothing at all to do with her job and everything to do with the idea of seeing Ryker as he walked into the building across the courtyard. 

She was ready for her early morning system shock. 

Cricket showered and dressed, putting extra effort into her appearance that morning.  She even chose a shorter than normal skirt and extra high heels, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit sexier.  The man was a genuine hottie, after all. 

All her admonishments of the night before were banished from her mind.  What harm could come from seeing the man?  She was just going to work and
, hopefully, he was going to work on his normal schedule.  So if they happened to see each other, that didn’t mean anything, she told herself.  It wasn’t a commitment, just an early morning adrenaline rush. 

She was grabbing her car keys and purse, checking her
lipstick in the mirror one more time when her cell phone rang. 

Cricket’s whole body cringed and she shook her head when she recognized the ring tone.  It wasn’t important, she told herself, determined to ignore it.  After several rings, it stopped, automatically going to voice mail.  When it finally stopped, she took a deep breath and was just about to step out into the crisp, morning air when t
he ringing started up once more. 

She looked at the phone, then shook her head.  No one would be calling her at this time of the morning other that those horrible political action calls for surveys.  Or it could be her father.  Either way, there was no way she was going to answer that call. 

Feeling free again, she grabbed her coat, tightening the belt around her waist and rushed out the door.  The cool morning air felt fresh and invigorating on her face and she smiled to the sunshine that was just starting to peek over the horizon.  Yes, it was going to be a good…

Her phone started ringing again!

“Darn him!”  She stopped on her tiny front porch and grabbed the phone out of her purse, flipping it open and answering it with an irritated, “Good morning, Father!”

The answering chuckle only set her nerves on edge. 

“Good morning, my beautiful daughter.  You’re looking exceptionally lovely this fine morning.  Is that an excited glow I see on your face or are you just thrilled to hear your old man’s voice?”

Cricket looked around, trying to find out where her father was hiding.  But she saw nothing and she should have known better.  If her father didn’t want to be seen, he wouldn’t be seen.  “Why are you up so early this morning?” she asked, glancing into the trees and the park across
the street, anywhere he might be hiding.  The man worked nights, was sometimes up all night so how was he still awake this early in the morning?

Her father chuckled softly at her question, obviously enjoying teasing his one and only daughter.  
“Who says I’m up early?  Perhaps I’m up late?”

Her steps froze as she walked to her car and she held her breath as she asked, “You didn’t do anything here in Chicago, did you Dad?”  She waited several seconds, bracing for his answer. 
They had an agreement!  “You promised,” she whispered, anxiety lacing her voice as she waited for him to either confirm or deny whether he had accomplished, or was about to tackle, a project within the metropolitan area of Chicago.  He might have agreed to leave this area free of his efforts while she lived here, but that was never a guarantee that he would follow through on his promise. 

He was a thief.  He obviously had a problem with ethics. 
She might love him dearly, but she was completely aware of his limitations.  If he were tempted by something here in Chicago, a silly promise to his daughter wouldn’t stop him.  

She walked to her car, unlocking the driver’s side door, all the while, looking out the corner of her eye to see if she could spot him somehow. 

“I haven’t touched a thing in the area in years, my dear.  How little faith you have in my promises,” he tut-tutted.  “But you still haven’t answered my question about why you are looking so spiffy.  Eager to get to your cold, boring office so you can type in numbers for the rest of the day?” he suggested with the touch of sarcasm that always accompanied his words about her chosen occupation.  “Or could that twinkle in your eye have something to do with the man who was in your house last night?” he demanded, his voice no longer as friendly as it was a moment ago. 

Cricket was about to start up her car but she stopped, worried now.  “You were here last night?  You saw…” she had been about to say Ryker’s name but stopped herself in time.  If her father didn’t know who the man was, Cricket wasn’t going to give him any hints. 

“I know what’s going on and you’d better steer clear of Ryker Thorpe,” he warned.  “The man isn’t stupid.  He’s one of the best lawyers in the country, Cricket.  He might not be law enforcement, but don’t cross him.  He’s one of them,” he said firmly, saying “them” as if were a four letter word that left a bad taste in his mouth.  Her father was very protective, had barely allowed her to date when she’d been younger.  No matter where they were in the world, her father had been against her dating.  It was only her mother’s calming influence that had enabled Cricket to go on dates as a teen.  Until she’d gone to college, she’d had very little freedom in the dating area.

Which was ironic.  Her mother and father had taught her all these illegal skills, showing her how to break into buildings, steal priceless pieces owned by another human being, but when it came to someone dating his little girl, her fath
er was as protective as a momma bear. 

She was shaking her head
at this latest invasion of her privacy, wanting to argue with her father, but she couldn’t find the words.  Possibly because he was right.  Ryker was dangerous.  She’d found out that Ryker was a lawyer yesterday and it had sent a dangerous thrill throughout her whole body.  “If you don’t do any jobs in Chicago, there’s no reason to be concerned,” she pointed out with what she considered irrefutable logic.  If the man didn’t do anything illegal, he shouldn’t be concerned about his daughter dating someone associated with the law. 

She could already sense that her fathe
r didn’t agree.  She could feel his anger and frustration coming through the atmosphere to her phone. 

“The man’s an expert at international law,” he stated as if she were being ridiculously stubborn and obtuse.  “That means his contacts aren’t just in Chicago, Cricket.  They’re everywhere.  The man travels half the year.  So not only does that mean he has connections at Interpol, but he
wouldn’t be good husband material for you.  You should be looking for a man who will be home with my grandbabies, helping you raise them.  Not off in some foreign country while you stay at home doing diaper duty.”

Cricket rolled her eyes. 
“Dad!  I just had a casual night with him.  He brought over wine.”

There was a long pause before her father finally said, “Cricket, I don’t know if you’re lying to yourself or to me, but either way, ditch him.  He’s dangerous.” 

With those words, he ended the call and Cricket leaned her head against the steering wheel, wishing that her parents were normal and that their chosen career path wasn’t so dangerous.  And that it didn’t interfere with her own life.

She started her car, thinking to ignore his command. 
She liked Ryker.  He was different from the other men she’d either dated or come into contact with over the years.  He was kind and sensitive without being wimpy, but also scary smart.  And he made her laugh at some of his observations.  Even better, he laughed with her!  Most men hadn’t understood her sense of humor.  She knew she was a little off to the left about some things.  But Ryker “got” her.  Last night, he’d chuckled when she’d told him stories about one thing or another and she’d enjoyed everything about him.  Even that scary, almost terrifying attraction she had towards the man. 

Goodness, and when he touched her!  She’d never experienced anything like that before!  She shivered just at the memory and she’d dreamed about him last night in the most erotic, embarrassing way! 

Unfortunately, as she drove through the streets of Chicago that were quickly filling up with other commuters, she knew that her father was right.  Besides, why waste time enjoying the man’s company only to discover that he’s a real jerk later on?  It would just put her parents in jeopardy.  Men always put on a good front initially but once the newness of a relationship wore off, the real person came out.  She couldn’t risk her parents’ future incarceration simply because she thought a man was sexy and funny. 

That thought caused another to pop into her head and she
used the voice activated phone on her steering wheel to call her father back.  When her father picked up, she asked, “Dad, if you’re nervous about getting caught, does that mean there’s evidence against you?” she asked, suddenly worried.

“Of course not,” he growled, his pride in his work wounded.  “You know me and your mother better than that.”
  The man considered himself a professional and she had to admit that there hadn’t ever been any evidence the police in any country which could connect him to a theft. 

So his comments didn’t make sense. 
“So why are you so worried about me seeing a lawyer socially?” she asked, still not convinced. 

There was a hesitation on the other end of the line before her father said,
“You know that this man is more than a social acquaintance, Cricket.  Don’t insult me like that.”

She shook her head and tried to steer the conversation back to the original subject.  “Well, why are you so afraid of this man?” 

“Because I don’t know everything Interpol has on me or your mother, my dear,” he said with strained patience.  “They might have our faces, although I doubt it.  Or they might know we are connected.  You know how it is, Cricket.  We’ve been extremely successful in our careers,” he said, that inappropriate pride coming through in his voice once again.  “And I doubt  your mother or I have made any mistakes, but we’re not perfect.”

Despite the seriousness of the topic, she had to laugh.  “Okay, Dad.”  She
pressed the button on her steering wheel that would disconnect the call and worked her way through the traffic but instead of going straight to the office, which would put her on an intercept course with Ryker at the time they normally walked into the office each morning, she pulled into a coffee shop.  Since she couldn’t get her daily zing with Ryker’s ice blue eyes, she’d treat herself to a special cup of coffee. 

Ten minutes later
, as she strolled out of the café once again, she knew that the coffee definitely didn’t have the same impact on her senses as knowing that Ryker Thorpe was watching her walk into her building.  She set her newly acquired and over-priced coffee in the cup holder and meandered her way through traffic to her office, depressed and irritated, the ever present desire to have a normal life creeping up on her. 

She couldn’t believe how depressed she felt at the idea of not seeing the man.  But she told herself over and over that she was being ridiculous.  She had spent one night in the man’s company.  It wasn’t like she’d fallen in love with him! 

All throughout her childhood, she’d just wanted to be normal, to have friends she knew she could see each day in school.  But because of her parents’ careers, there were years when she hadn’t even been in an official school.  Thankfully, her parents pushed her harder than any teacher might.  Besides all the skills they’d acquired over the years, they also taught her math, reading and writing.  The science part came naturally to her because of all the skills she’d been taught by her parents.  She understood chemistry because she’d learned to break into buildings.  She had in-depth computer skills because she’d been taught to hack into any computer system or security system. 

She sighed and pulled into the parking lot, angry with her parents for such a crazy upbringing.  She might have seen the world, but she’d hated every moment of it.  When she’d finally gone off to college and formed friendships with her college buddies, she’d thought she’d died and gone to heaven.  That had been her first taste at normalcy.  Her first freedom from the constant worry about her parents getting caught.  It had been wonderful. 

And now their chosen occupation was interfering in her life once again.  But this felt more harsh than all the other times. 

She
went through the motions of work, but she didn’t really put much effort into it.  She might not like her work, but at least before she would take pride in doing the data entry exceptionally well.  Today, and for the next three days when she wouldn’t allow herself to see Ryker, she thought she genuinely hated her job.  If she stared longingly out the window in the hopes of getting a peek at the strong, tall man striding out the office doors towards the parking garage, that certainly couldn’t be a crime in her father’s world, could it?

It had been bad when she’d had to leave her friends, but for some reason she didn’t quite understand, not seeing Ryker every morning felt significantly worse. 

By Friday evening, she was exhausted and depressed, feeling angry and resentful at her father for…everything.  She walked into her tiny but wonderfully, legally obtained and owned house, dumping her purse and walking straight up the stairs to her bedroom where she flopped backwards onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling.