It looked like I was going back to New York.
Steppingonto the sidewalk in front of my apartment was like a shot to the chest, reminding me of things I’d rather leave behind. The skyrise in front of me didn’t give me the same excited feelings when I first bought my apartment here.
Those days were like a distant memory, back when I was still young and ambitious, willing to do nearly anything to work my way up the ladder at the law firm I was so eager to join.
But all those years of working so hard were flushed down the drain with just a single order.
One I couldn’t allow myself to follow.
Sighing, I shrugged my bag onto my shoulder and nodded at the new doorman, waving at the receptionist I flirted with when I first moved in. I’d never seen a front desk in an apartmentbuilding before. I still remember being awestruck at how fancy this place was. That was when I knew I’d made it.
“Mr. Lawson, I see you got our message,” she said, pushing up from her seat.
Discretion was key in a place like that, so it didn’t surprise me at all when she lowered her voice.
“I heard about your breakup with Ms. Davenport. We weren’t sure if you wanted her removed from the building?—”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll discuss things with her. Is she in?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
She nodded succinctly, then went back to work. So, Bianca was in and hadn’t bothered to find a new place yet. Well, that wasn’t entirely surprising. She did say she was moving back to London.
I hit the button for the twentieth floor, watching the lights blink as we climbed higher. There was once a time when I thought this stuffy elevator was taking me places. Now, all I could think about was getting back to my office with my things and my terrified secretary.
New York didn’t hold the same thrill it once did, and when the doors opened and I stepped out, I never felt so uncomfortable in my own skin. Was this really what I valued at one time in my life? How did I ever think that leaving Montana would get me what I wanted?
My father still hated me. My mother still stood up for him. But that was home, and coming out here had only proven to me that the world was much nastier than I ever realized.
Keys jingling in my hand, I tried to squash the screaming in my head, telling me to run as far away from this place as possible. I needed to get rid of this apartment and close the door on my relationship with Bianca once and for all.
But as I opened the door, that day came rushing back to me.
33
RYDER
Warm hands slidover my back in the early morning light. Rolling over, I let my lips wander over Bianca’s slim figure. Her smooth, buttery-soft skin was something that had always driven me wild. I never thought I would ever want a woman as refined as her, but the moment I met her on a trip in England, I knew my life would never be the same.
“Morning,” I rumbled, my voice rough from a hard night’s sleep.
Grinning against my lips, her hands wandered south, wrapping around my hard length. “Morning, love. Sleep well?”
She knew I had, and the way she jerked me just went to show how easily she could manipulate me into doing whatever she wanted. Just like she had last night when I was too tired, too fucking exhausted from my long workday for anything other than a night in.
But she got her way, and we ended up going to the latest restaurant opening. It should have been impossible to get in, but since our firm represented the owner, all it took was a phone call, and all her dreams came true.
And I fucking loved seeing that sparkle in her eyes when she got what she wanted.
“You know what would be brilliant?”
I hummed against her lips, having a pretty damn good idea of what I needed right now. “Let me guess. You want fries.”
Chuckling, she released my cock and smacked my chest. “A fry-up, Ryder. When are you going to learn?”
“I don’t speak Londonese.”
