His Big Reveal: An Interracial BWWM Billionaire Romance (BWWM Alpha Males) (4 page)

He nodded enthusiastically. “I can help.” He went around to the back of the TV stand and pulled out the cords. “You have to pull them through here to get them to the TV.”

Ryan watched the boy cower when he realized he’d given him directions. He smiled. “You sure know a lot about this stuff, are you the IT guy around here?”

He shook his head with great exaggeration. “IT? No, I’m Tommy.”

Ryan held his hand out, “Nice to meet you Tommy, my name’s Ryan. We should be on first name basis since we’re working together, right?”

“Yup.” He stood and waited for his next task. “Did you bring all these for us?”

“I did.” He opened two of the boxes and shoved them onto the shelf, cords first. “Do these things connect in the front or the back?”

“You don’t have an Xbox? But you’re rich!”

He chuckled. “Even if I had one, I’d probably ask someone like you to hook it up for me.”

“Like me?”

“Yeah, a tech guy. They make loads of money and can do pretty much anything related to technology. I can admit when I’m beat.”

Tommy smiled. “Why did you buy this stuff for us?”

“You want the truth or the kid answer?”

“The truth. Momma says you should tell the truth even when it hurts to hear.”

“She sounds like a smart woman.”

“She’s the smartest!”

“Well I suppose all boys feel that way about their mothers, don’t we? I brought these because when I was your age there were no places like this for me and my mom. We slept on couches and the floor of friends which meant a lot of quiet time. So much quiet time and you know how hard it was to stay quiet all the time?”

“So hard. My dad gets mad when I make too much noise too.”

That broke Ryan’s heart but he knew saying so wouldn’t help the kid. “Sucks, man.”

“Yep.” He stared at Ryan for a long time before he returned to the task at hand. “You don’t have to connect the controllers, we can set them up to go wireless.”

“Jeez kid, you really
are
the tech guy.”

~

Miri stood outside the rec room and listened to Ryan and Tommy and she felt the ice around her heart start to melt. He was so good with Tommy, able to treat him like a kid while still giving him the respect of one man to another. It was a beautiful thing to witness and that, more than anything else, told her what kind of man he was. A man that gentle with a child would never raise his fists in anger or violence.

Her resolve towards Ryan had been weakening with every run to the coffee shop, every flirty text message and quick phone call. Seeing him boost Tommy’s confidence like that, well it had touched her in a place she wasn’t even sure existed any longer. “Hey boys, are you in here causing trouble?”

“Miri, look at all this cool stuff Ryan brought! He’s letting me help set it up.”

She saw the hero worship in his eyes. “Really?”

“No,” Ryan clarified. “What Tommy
means
to say is that I’m acting as his assistant because he’s the one who knows what to do here.”

She could’ve kissed Ryan at the proud look on Tommy’s face and the way he puffed his chest out. “Well keep up the good work and you just might earn your supper.” She left them to their work while she went in search of tables or desks for the computers.

An hour and a half later Miri was no closer to finding adequate space for the new computers and she’d been distracted by two new arrivals as well as a few strange men lurking outside the shelter. “Hey Amelia,” she called as the woman passed her office, “have you seen Ryan around?” She didn’t think he’d leave without saying goodbye, he seemed to be smitten with her.

Amelia smiled. “Yeah, he and Tommy and showing the kids how to use the new games. That man is perfect Miri, hang on to him.”

She rolled her eyes. “He’s not mine.”

“Not for a lack of trying.”

She wouldn’t let herself believe that until there was proof beyond friendly flirtation. “Says
you
, but the fact is he hasn’t asked me out or tried to see me , so really you’re just seeing things through those romance colored glasses you wear.”

“Actually I planned to ask you out before I left today,” Ryan appeared next to Amelia in the doorway.

Her golden brown eyes narrowed on both of them. “Why do I feel like I’ve been set up?”

Amelia donned a way too innocent look. “I would never do that to my closest friend and boss. Never,” she crossed her heart with one hand and held up the Girl Scout’s code with the other.

“That’s a tad too much,” Ryan whispered to Amelia and she dropped the Scout’s hand. “Better.”

“Why don’t you tell her where you plan to take her,” Amelia prompted before she returned to the reception area.

Ryan chuckled and entered her office, instantly making it appear much smaller than it already was. “That’s a pretty good friend you’ve got there.”

“Yeah she’s alright, but I will kill her.”

“Don’t kill her before Saturday or we’ll miss out on the carnival. For our date.”

A smile that illuminated her face spread slowly. “Really? You don’t strike me as a carnival kind of guy.”

“Are you kidding? I love the carnival. The food, the rides and the games, it’s like I never grew up!”

When he said things like that and his face shone with amusement, Miri knew she would have to fight falling for him. “In that case, I would love to be your chaperone at the carnival.”

“Date.”

“Right,” she said trying to hold back her smile.

If life got better than sugary sweet cotton candy in one hand and a sexy woman with golden brown eyes, Ryan wasn’t sure how. They’d arrived at the carnival and he immediately sought out a cotton candy maker and chose pink to match her shirt and her lips. “You have to taste this,” he told her and pressed some to her lips before she could refuse. “Good, right?”

Miri’s eyes connected with his at the same time his fingers touched her lips. A jolt of electricity coursed through her, starting at her lips and working down to her center. She snaked a tongue out to grab the cotton candy, boldly swiping his finger in the process. “Yep. Delicious.”

Ryan groaned at the feel of her soft tongue on his flesh. “Next time I’ll feed you that bite with my mouth.”

Miri cracked up laughing and licked her lips. “Try it and see what happens.”

He slung an arm over her shoulder and leaned in close. “In that case I might just steal one.” His mouth found her jawline right by her ear and she shivered. “Oh look, the Tilt-A-Whirl!”

“If you lose that cotton candy on me Ryan, there will be no more dates for you. Or kisses.”

“Don’t worry, Miri, this stomach is made of steel.” He guided her up into one of the cars and snuggled her close. It was nice being with her like this and she seemed genuinely happy to be with him at a carnival.

“I’m not worried because I get to choose the next ride.”

He didn’t get a chance to respond because the ride began and it took everything he had to keep his lunch and the cotton candy from making a reappearance. When the ride finally slowed he whispered in her ear. “So what’s the next ride?”

Their lips were close enough that one small move and they’d be touching. Miri closed the distance and pressed her lips to his, letting her tongue swipe along the seam of his mouth until he opened. A few swipes of her tongue and she pulled back. “We’re hitting The Zipper next.”

He groaned again. “You already scrambled my brain with that kiss, so maybe we can get on the Ferris wheel?”

“It’s a tiny cage and you’ll probably have to keep me close, for safety purposes.”

“Oh, well if I’m doing it to protect you then sure. Why not?” He liked the idea of protecting her.

“Come on you goofball.”

Ryan suffered through The Zipper, Gravity Drop, Himalayan and even the kiddie swings before he called a halt to their day at the carnival. He did try to win her a stuffed animal but to his great embarrassment, she won a giant purple penguin and gave it to him. “You know I should feel threatened by I don’t. Not at all.” He tossed the penguin in the backseat and closed the door, baking Miri up against it. “What I feel is that you should be rewarded. Greatly.” He moved in closer and closer until his lips brushed hers over and over, and she had to hold on to him to stay upright. He licked her bottom lip and nipped at her top lip before his tongue took over, caressing the inside of her lush mouth until all she could do was succumb to the sensations.

Miri let her hands roam his wide expansive back and down to his tapered waist to cup his firm ass. She moaned into his mouth and moved her hands forward, caressing his chest and abs, rolling her hips against him. “Ryan,” she panted and leaned her head back.

He took advantage of her position and placed open mouth kisses down her neck and shoulder. He sank his teeth into that spot where her shoulder and neck met and she cried out. “Damn you taste good.”

Miri licked up the side of his neck. “Mmm, you too.” She relished the feel of his hands and mouth on her but a child’s squeal brought her out of her lust fogged haze. “Stop. Ryan, stop.”

“I’m sorry”

She cut him off. “We can’t do this, not out here where we’ll traumatize poor unsuspecting children.”

“You’re right, I got carried away. I’m sorry.”

She smacked his chest. “Will you stop apologizing? I’m asking one simple question Ryan. Your place? Or mine?”

Ryan growled and practically shoved her into the car and fastened her seatbelt. He slid into the driver's seat, turned the ignition and looked over at Miri. “I’m about five miles from here.”

“Then why are we not moving?”

“Damn woman is going to kill me with lust,” he muttered and broke at least a dozen traffic laws before skidding to a stop in front of the sprawling three-story ranch house on the outskirts of Arlo.

~

There must be something in the air
, Miri thought as she slid out of Ryan’s sporty little car and caught a glimpse of his enormous home. “How many people live here with you?”

He laughed and threaded his fingers through hers, pulling her along to the front door. “Just me in the big house. But my housekeeper and cook, she lives in a smaller house further back on the property. She needs privacy when her children visit.” He quickly unlocked the door and ushered her inside. “Come on.”

“If it’s alright with you, we can do the tour later.” She felt the smile he gave her all the way to her toes. Damn the man was a potent blend of masculine alpha and sweetheart.

“More than alright. Drink?”

His voice was rough, thick with lust and her body responded. “No Ryan, I just want you. Right now.”

He scooped her into his arms and carried her up the stairs as quickly as his body would allow. He groaned and squeezed her firm, plump ass when she licked his neck and sucked his earlobe. “Miri if you don’t stop we might not make it to the bed.”

“I’m okay with that.” She laughed and licked his neck again.

He kicked open his bedroom door and then shut, stalked to the bed and slid Miri down his hard, aching body. “You little minx,” he groaned when she tossed the pink t-shirt at his face.

“I’m just helping the process,” she laughed and kicked off her shoes. She felt the weight of his stare and decided to be bold and enjoy this night with him, whatever it is. Her pink bra went sailing in the air and he caught it on his finger. “You can do the rest.”

Ryan wasted no time, leaning over her body and taking her mouth in another explosive kiss that had her writhing underneath him. The kiss was hard and hot and he lost himself in the kiss until he felt her small, delicate hand wrap around his erection. He hissed out, “Miri.”

“Yes,” she moaned into his ear and squealed when he yanked her pants and thong off.

He stood above her and looked his fill of her body, firm and brown and curvy as hell. Her sex was swollen and glistening with her arousal. “I need to taste you,” he said and was on his knees running his tongue between her lips before she could register his words. Her cries spurred him on and he licked and sucked her until her body squirmed and quivered under him.

“Ryan. Oh god, Ryan!” When he looked at her through eyes so dark they were practically black with her juices all over his face, she felt her orgasm draw closer. “I need you.” She pushed him up and helped remove his pants. He worked the buttons on his shirt while she took him in her mouth.

“Miri I love your sweet mouth wrapped around my cock, but right now I can’t take it. Lie back and open up for me, baby.”

She did as he instructed and felt herself grow wetter at his command. She spread her legs and ran a finger through her moisture. “Like this?”

“Just like that,” he said on a rough grunt as he climbed her body. “Your pussy is so sweet,” he groaned and slid into her in one hard thrust. The sound of her gasping made him impossibly harder. She was so hot and wet and tight he wasn’t sure he had the control to last very long.

“Ryan, yes.” Her hips swirled in rhythm with his and too soon her body was drawn taut in preparation for that maximum pleasure. And then she was crashing, wave after wave washed over her as Ryan continued pumping into her. Her body squeezed and pulled him deeper, he hammered harder and harder, prolonging her orgasm until her screams were little more than incoherent sounds of pleasure. “Ryan,” she moaned his name over and over until her breathing returned to normal.

Ryan felt his balls tighten as his orgasm built and rolled up his body from his feet. It came first I slow waves and then ever faster ones that shook his entire body. “Miri,” he grunted and sped up, thrusting harder and harder while she continued to convulse around him. Finally, sweet heaven finally, he stilled and emptied himself into her hot, willing body. Stars swam around his eyes and he collapsed on top of her.

Miri couldn’t get enough of Ryan. She took advantage of his fatigue, squeezing her muscles around him until he shivered. “No stay for a minute,” she said when he tried to move. “I like the feel of you on top of me, still inside me.”

“Sweetheart, you’re making me hard again.”

She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear. “That’s okay, I’ll be on top this time.” He laughed and it rumbled through her body. Miri squealed when he quickly reverse their positions without breaking their connection.

“Do your best, honey.”

And she did. Two more times before they both passed out.

~

“I have to attend a fundraiser next month for the shelter and I’d like you to be my date.” Miri bit her lip, her breath held while she waited for Ryan to answer.

Ryan lay beside her stroking the soft pixie cut of her silky brown hair trying to figure out what to say. His mouth opened to say,
of course I’ll be your date
, but he couldn’t guarantee it. She still had no clue who he was, not really, and if he didn’t tell her before the fundraiser she would find out in the worst possible way.

Miri stiffened. “Obviously it was a bad idea to ask. Don’t worry about it, I get it.” In fact she didn’t get it at all. She thought they’d been working toward something but obviously a few weeks of hot sweaty sex was
just
a few weeks of hot sweaty sex.
Dammit.
She lifted up out of the warmth of his arms and scooted to the edge of the bed. “Look Ryan, it's fine. I’ll just get going.”

He cringed at the stiff formality in her voice. He’d done that, put that chill in her voice. “I drove you here.”

She scrambled around his big room picking up her hastily discarded clothes in a ball in her arms. “Can you just call a cab, then? They’ll be here by the time I get my clothes back on.” Never had she felt so cheap after such a spectacular sexual experience. Not even when she’d overheard her boyfriend telling his buddies that he could finally dump her now that she’d put out.
An idiot, that’s what I am. An idiot who will never learn her lesson.
She snuck into the en suite bathroom to clean herself up. She emerged fifteen minutes later and let out a sigh of relief that Ryan had disappeared somewhere in the giant house. Sneaking downstairs she spotted her purse and her jacket, grabbed them and slipped out the door where a cab waited. She eyed the cab with a hint of disappointment but forced herself not to look back and see if Ryan had any regrets.
Of course not, he got exactly what he wanted.
“Well Miri, when you’re right, you’re right.”

Ryan watched her disappear into the cab that took her away from the cabin, away from him. He should have given her an answer. He should have agreed to be her date and worked up the courage, between now and the end of the week, to tell her who he really is. Instead he’d humiliated her and cheapened what, for him, had been an extraordinary experience that he wouldn’t forget for the rest of his days. “I am a world class idiot.”

There was no way Miri would ever forgive him now, even once she found out who he was. But he had to try. He would try everything because finding Miri had been a miracle. She was a special woman worthy of a man much better than him, he knew that, but he was a selfish bastard and wanted her for himself. He would prove to her that he was the right man for her.

Even if he had to piss her off to do it. He smiled and picked up the phone. “Yes Delia, I need six dozen flowers. Anything but roses.” He smiled into the phone as he placed the order. He would romance the hell out of her.

Ryan spent most of the weekend after Miri’s swift exit, wallowing in a hell of his own making. He had no one to blame but himself, which Casey was happy to tell him when he’d called and begged for her help. She’d shown up with cronuts and coffee, so he put up with a certain level of abuse. “You are a fucking idiot, Ryan.”

He looked at Casey, looking unusually casual in dark jeans, motorcycle boots and a plain black sweater. It was out of character for her but he knew better than to say anything. Yet. “Yeah well, tell me something I don’t know.”

She glowered at him across the small bistro style table in his kitchen. “You might have just fucked things up for good, you know that don’t you?”

He nodded dejectedly. “I was going to accept her invitation and find a time to tell her but I got caught up in my mind, with the lie of omission and how devastated she would be when she found out I lied.” His head fell to his chest and a frustrated hand ran through his blonde locks.

“So you decided that sleeping with her and then freezing like a moron when she asked you out was a better way to end things?”

“Dammit Casey you know I wasn’t trying to end things!”

“And yet,” she trailed off, leaving him to fill in the blanks on his own.

“I know.”