A sharp tug at the blanket yanked Ryan out of the fog of sleep. His head pounded, a dull, insistent ache, and the grogginess clung to him like a second skin. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut against the dim morning light filtering through the blinds.
"Get up."
The sharp bite in Sienna's voice sliced through the haze. Ryan cracked an eye open, just in time to see her standing over him, arms folded, her expression a mixture of impatience and barely restrained irritation.
"I said, get up." She deepened her words with another tug, nearly ripping the blanket off the bed.
Ryan exhaled through his nose, raking a hand down his face. "What the hell, Sienna?" His voice was raspy, his throat dry from whatever the hell he had downed last night.
She scoffed. "You dare to ask me that? After the stunt, you pulled at the auction?"
He sat up slowly, his body protesting the movement. A hangover wasn't the worst thing in the world, but paired with the frustration radiating off Sienna in waves, it was shaping up to be a miserable morning. He rolled his shoulders, trying to shake the stiffness from his limbs.
Sienna wasn't having it. She took a step closer, her manicured nails digging into her palms. "You embarrassed me, Ryan. Do you even realize how ridiculous you looked? Storming off like some dysfunctional idiot? What the hell was that?"
Ryan rubbed his eyes violently as he yawned. "I don't—" He stopped himself and sighed. "I don't know, alright? I had too much to drink, and I—"
"Oh, spare me." Sienna's eyes flashed. "You think blaming it on alcohol makes it better?"
Ryan let out a dry chuckle, his lips curling into something between fatigue and self-loathing. "Would you rather I say it was because of you?"
Sienna stilled. A slow smirk played on her lips, but there was nothing soft about it.
"Well, at least that would be the truth."
Ryan's eyes darkened, and he pushed himself up with a groan, the dull ache in his head pulsing in time with his frustration.
"What do you mean by that?"
Sienna arched a perfectly shaped brow, unbothered by his irritation. "Are you over Chloe?"
Ryan frowned. "What kind of question is that?"
"You tell me," she said, tilting her head. "Because last night? You looked like a man who still hasn't let go."
Ryan tensed, something unreadable flashing across his face. This was the second time she had brought up Chloe, and while he knew he wasn't over her, had he done anything to make Sienna think otherwise?
As if she could read his mind, Sienna continued.
"I saw you staring at her during her little altercation with Noah…when I was talking to you if I might add."
Ryan didn't say anything. He tried to recall the moment that happened and when he did, he realised he wasn't looking at Chloe, he just wanted Sienna to shut up so he could leave.
But she ended up leaving him….on the streets.
Sienna looked at Ryan, lost in his thoughts, she took his silence as confirmation.
A humourless laugh left her lips as she turned away, shaking her head. "Right. I should've known."
Ryan acted fast, closing the distance between them. His muscles ached, but his grip on her arm was firm, stopping her in her tracks. "It's not because of you, Si, or Chloe," he murmured, his voice dropping into something softer, something that sounded too much like a plea. "I love you, and you need to stop worrying about these things."
Sienna looked up at him, her lips parting slightly.
"And would you stop bringing up Chloe?" he continued, his hand tightening around her wrist. "She means nothing."
A flicker of doubt crossed her face, but Ryan didn't give her a chance to respond. He cupped her face, brushing his thumb over her cheek, his eyes locked on hers.
The tension between them shifted, morphing into something darker, something needy.
Sienna exhaled slowly, her anger visibly draining. "You need to take a shower," she muttered. "You stink."
Ryan smirked, but instead of letting her go, he pulled her closer, his lips grazing her ear. "And yet, you wouldn't have me any other way."
She shivered, her resistance crumbling as he kissed her, slow and deliberate.
Sienna pulled back, hesitation settling in her eyes. Ryan saw it. Felt it. And he couldn't have that. He couldn't lose Sienna, not now that everything was about to come crashing down for him because by the time Damien got him, he would have nothing left.
So he deepened the kiss, pressing her against the wall, his hands already working on the buttons of her blouse. She gasped against his mouth, but she didn't stop him.
She didn't push him away. If anything, it's all she wanted all along. For him to satisfy that burning need that she had.
Because no matter how much she doubted him sometimes, she could never quite resist him.
And that was exactly what Ryan was counting on.
His lips trailed down her throat, heat pooling between them as her breaths grew uneven. The silk of her blouse slid from her shoulders, exposing smooth skin to his touch. Ryan took his time, dragging his lips lower, savouring the way she trembled beneath him.
Sienna's fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, her nails scratching lightly against his scalp. He groaned, the sound vibrating against her skin. She arched into him as he guided her backwards, pressing her into the mattress.
Her hands moved with urgency now, pushing his shirt up and over his head, her palms skimming across his toned abdomen.
He smirked against her collarbone. "Impatient, aren't we?"
She didn't answer—just reached for the waistband of his sweatpants, tugging them lower.
Ryan caught her wrists, pinning them above her head. "Slow down, sweetheart." His voice was a low rasp, filled with amusement and something darker. "I'm not done with you yet."
Sienna shivered, anticipation flashing in her eyes. She loved it when he took control when he reminded her just how easily he could unravel her.
He kissed her again, harder this time, all heat and frustration, tongues clashing as he pressed his body against hers. She moaned into his mouth, her legs wrapping around his waist, pulling him closer.
His hands roamed, fingers tracing over lace, teasing and taunting. Sienna writhed beneath him, a frustrated whimper escaping her lips. "Ryan…get to it."
He chuckled darkly, trailing his lips back up to her ear. "Patience, Si."
She cursed under her breath, but any protest was swallowed as he finally gave her what she wanted—what she needed.
Their movements were a mixture of urgency and familiarity, of something desperate and consuming.
Soft moans filled the space, the scent of sweat and perfume lingering in the air.
He moved above her. His lips grazed her neck, his hands gripping her hips just enough to keep her close.
To her, this was passion. To him, it was security.
He knew exactly how to play her, how to have her melting under his touch, how to keep her tangled in his web.
And Sienna? She let him.
Because no matter how many times they tore each other apart, she always came back to him.
And right now, that was all Ryan needed.
Minutes later, she lay against him, her hair messy and her breath loud. Her fingers traced patterns on his chest. Ryan let her stare at the ceiling with a blank expression, waiting for the right moment.
"Been to the office lately?"
"The office isn't for me Ryan and you know that."
He was disappointed, if she hadn't been trying to get him what he wanted then what had she been doing all this time?
"I went a couple of days ago though," she continued. "I went to see Chloe."
"For what?" He asked as he stroked her arm.
"I needed her to get some things straight."
"I see."
Ryan sniffed, unsatisfied by her answer.
"Can you believe she called me pathetic?good thing I set her right."
"What do you mean by that?" His voice was careful and measured, but Sienna didn't catch the shift in his tone.
She sighed dramatically, rolling onto her side to face him. "She was being a bitch, Ryan. She needed to be put in her place."
Ryan turned his head to look at her fully now, his gaze sharp, and his face carried a bit of concern. "Put in her place how?"
Sienna's lips curled into a slow, satisfied smirk. "I slapped her."
Ryan's body tensed. He hadn't expected that. His fingers, which had been stroking her arm absentmindedly, stopped completely.
"You what?" His voice was low, but the edge in it made her pause.
Sienna blinked. "Why do you sound so bothered?"
"I'm not." His response was too quick, too dismissive. He knew it, and so did she.
She pulled away slightly, propping herself up on one elbow to look at him directly. "You are bothered." Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"
Ryan shifted his expression into something neutral. "It's nothing." He forced his body to relax, resuming the slow strokes against her skin. "Forget I said anything."
Sienna studied him for a long moment, searching his face. Then, with a slow smirk, she settled back against him. "Anyway, don't worry," she murmured, dragging her nails lightly across his chest. "I'll help you with Dad. Just give me some more time."
Ryan exhaled, his jaw tightening. More time. He had been waiting, but patience wasn't his strong suit. Still, he nodded. "Alright."
She smiled, pressing a light kiss to his skin. "But there's something I want, too."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"It's been so long since we went out for dinner. I want us to go out. Just us."
He nodded slightly, his previous irritation momentarily fading. "Where do you want to go?"
She propped herself up, her eyes lighting up. "The Lucent Royale."
Ryan's smile changed to a frown, a slight one not easily noticeable.
The name was familiar, too familiar.
A high-end restaurant near CrossCrop Tower, deep in Damien's territory.
His supposed side of the city.
For some reason, that didn't sit well with him.
Ryan stared at the ceiling, his thoughts pulling him in different directions. Was it just the location? Or was it something else?
Sienna trailed her fingers along his chest, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Well?" she asked.
Ryan exhaled slowly, forcing a smirk. "Alright. If that's what you want."
Sienna grinned, kissing his jaw. "Good. It's going to be perfect, I'll make reservations.
But as she rested against him, Ryan's gaze remained locked on the ceiling, his mind still turning.
A dinner date on Damien's turf.
What could possibly go wrong?