One Night With My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 4

Annika's POV

"I have a private room upstairs. Come with me and let me introduce you to my world," he offers again.

Ryan's hand is still stretched out, waiting for mine to grab onto it.

And what do I do in that moment? I stare at his hand like it's the first piece to an intricate puzzle.

Teenage me would have jumped into Ryan's arms, as soon as he uttered that proposition, and let him do whatever he pleased with me. But adult me was trying so hard to be responsible.

Ryan is my brother's best friend and business partner. That automatically makes him off-limits.

If it later comes out that the girl he slept with at a b**m club was his best friend's little sister, I don't think his reaction will be positive.

I chew nervously on my bottom lip and Ryan must have read the conflict waging on my face because he redraws his hand.

"You don't have to do anything that you don't want to."

I want to. I want it so badly that if I don't do it, the regret might just be too much for me to bear.

I take in a deep breath and smile at him. "Ok. Show me your world."

I reach for his hand at his side and Ryan finishes the movement by enclosing my entire palm in his. He gives me his own little smile in return. "Thought you were never going to say yes," he says with a laugh. "What changed your mind?"

Decided that this might be the only chance for me to fulfil my longest fantasy. But of course, I don't say that. Instead, I shrug and say, "You talked a good game. Besides, it's just a night."

A night that will be mine to keep forever no matter what happens next.

"Yeah. It's just tonight." Ryan's grip tightens around my hand as he says this. "So we'd better get started."

I grab my bag off my chair as Ryan starts leading us towards the stairs. He takes the stairs two at a time and I'm struggling to keep up with him.

"Slow down," I say with a laugh.

I have never seen this excited side of Ryan before. Didn't even know it existed until today.

Ryan stops in the middle of the stairs, turns around, and looks down at me, where I'm standing two steps below him.

He takes my bag from my hand and places it on his shoulder.

My brow arches in confusion, but my unvoiced question is answered a second later when Ryan picks me up as if I weigh nothing and carries me bridal-style.

I quickly wrap my hands tightly around his neck, scared of getting dropped.

"I can walk," I protest weakly, already going limp in his hold.

"And I can just as easily carry you," he counters.

I press my face against his shoulder, partly to hide the smile that settles over my lips and also because it just felt surreal to be in his arms.

All too soon, we're stopping in front of a black door and Ryan shifts me in his arms, using one hand to hold onto me while the other digs around in his pocket.

He retrieves a card from his pocket and swipes it across the lock. The door lets out a single beep and unlocks.

Ryan takes us in and uses his foot to kick the door shut, blocking out the hallway light and immersing us in darkness.

It doesn't last for long as he flips a switch by the door that has light flooding into the room.

Ryan lets me back onto my feet and I have to stop myself from letting out a sigh of disappointment.

When Ryan told me that he had a private room upstairs, I kind of expected to be met with wall bars, a ceiling suspension beam, or even a spanking bench. I mean, the room is above a b**m club.

None of those things are here though.

The room is simple. The walls are painted in a deep slate grey. There isn't much furniture in the room. The seamless black vinyl bed is pressed against one side of the wall.

I avoid the bed, moving away from it. I'm more than ready to climb Ryan but all of a sudden, my liquid courage has disappeared.

So, I focus on giving myself a tour of the room.

There's a faux-leather chair facing the foot of the bed. A simple, dark-colored wooden cabinet with doors is pushed flat against the opposite wall. I'm talking about a three-foot cabinet and it makes me wonder what exactly could be in it.

Aside from the cabinet, there is also a huge ass mirror mounted against the wall. I tilt my head to the side as I ponder over what the purpose of the mirror could be.

I feel Ryan's presence before I hear him. Ryan wraps an arm around my waist, his front completely pressed against me.

"You've been staring around the room since you got here. I don't think the room needs to get that much attention," he breathes against my hair.

I turn around in his hold and press my palms against his chest.

That is when I realize that Ryan has done away with his suit jacket as well as unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, causing his chest to peek out of that little space.

I press my palm against his chest over his white shirt, feeling the hardness of his muscles.

"Then what do you think deserves my attention," I tease. My hands are moving over his chest on their own accord, getting a feel of his body.

Ryan's eyes are dark and that's all the warning that I get before he cups my face and pulls me into a kiss.

It starts slow and simple.

Ryan's tongue swipes across my closed lips and I moan as I open my mouth, giving him access.

Ryan's hand around my waist is the only thing holding me up as Ryan unravels me with just a simple kiss.

His tongue presses against mine and I moan. I wrap my tongue around his as well and it becomes a battle.

When Ryan pulls away from the kiss, my eyes flutter open slowly to find Ryan staring at my face intensely.

"Can you take the mask off?" He asks.