I wanted to jump in and defend myself because I had done a lot too, but the truth was, without Talia everything wouldn’t be as efficiently done.
“She’s busy. Exhausted.”
Poppy’s gaze narrowed on me. “Are you sure that’s all it is?”
“Are you sure it isn’t?” I wouldn’t take her shit just because she was sleeping with my brother. Poppy was entitled to her opinion, but she was mistaken if she thought I would answer to her.
“Five minutes,” Talia said when she returned. “We’ll have flat and sparkling water, and wine for whoever wants to pair it with the food options.” She looked at each of us for confirmation, and then back down at her screen, unaware, or not caring she hadn’t even offered up a greeting.
“Good to see you too, Talia.”
She looked at me with a blank look that shocked the hell out of me. “Hello, Luke. Poppy. Blake.” She gave each of us a long look, devoid of all emotion as she spoke our names. “Now we’ll get three choices for everything, rank your favorites and Luke and I will be the tie-breaker if that becomes necessary.” All business she was, eyes hardly ever leaving her tablet.
“Does that say mashed potato bar and…a slider station?” Poppy’s excitement had her near vibrating.
Talia unleashed her first genuine smile all night. “And they have vegan and vegetarian options too.”
“That,” Poppy said. “I want both of those, babe. You can decide on the proteins since I’m being a potato dictator.” She batted her lashes and my brother crumped like a cheap suit.
“Okay. You can choose the starters, you have good taste in starters.” His words were pointed and she smiled wide as a blush stained her cheeks. Again, Talia was completely unaware.
The first plates came out, three tiny salad plates for each of us. Blake chose Caesar’s and garden salad.
“That was easy enough. Next is the main course, and remember there are a dozen vegetarians on your invite list.” And so it went, for more than an hour, dishes coming out while Talia ran us through it all like a drill sergeant. Like a wedding planner, instead of the best friend of the bride. She didn’t look happy, not unhappy for her friend, just not happy in the general sense of the word. She looked overworked and tired. Still, hot as hell.
“Do we need dessert if we’re having wedding cake?”
Talia shrugged. “You don’t need any of it. This is your wedding Blake, what do you want to do for dessert?”
Blake blinked like it was a novel idea to him. “Lava cakes. They’re delicious, decadent and go great with scotch.”
Talia jotted it down, and disappeared again without a word. “Okay, tell me I’m imagining things,” Poppy said as she watched her friend rush off.
A few minutes later she returned. “They can do it, but we’ll have to wait so I told them to bring it out last.”
“Perfect. Thank you so much Talia. This is all fantastic,” Poppy enthused.
“My pleasure.” Her words were right, but her face said pleasure was the last thing she was feeling. “These are the forms for the slider station and mashed potato bar, just check off what you want for each.”
“What do you want,” Poppy shot back, trying to pull her friend back from wherever she’d retreated to.
“This place is great, so I’m sure whatever you choose will be okay.” Poppy wasn’t appeased, and I finally got to see Talia in action, full assistant and best friend mode. “This is your wedding day, Poppy, to the man you love. The father of your child, who you will be breastfeeding and burning like a million calories a day, pick what you want.”
“Fine, I just thought we would do this together.”
Talia held in her sigh, but I saw the way her chest expanded subtly. “We are doing this together, Poppy. In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve already narrowed it down to what I knew you’d like.” Then tension was back as Talia’s spine straightened like a rod, her hand slowly reached for the water and she took one small sip. “You know your guests better than I do, both of you. Excuse me.” Talia dashed off again.
“Babe, why don’t you relax a bit?” Blake spoke softly to Poppy, but she wasn’t in the mood to be consoled.
“No! She’s my best friend, and we’re supposed to do this together! She’s barely looked at any of us, or said anything that wasn’t wedding related!” She turned to me again. “What did you do?”
“Me? Maybe you should aim that accusation right in a mirror, Poppy.”
“Lukas,” Blake said, his tone a warning.
“Really Blake?” I stared at my older brother, my father figure, boss and protector for most of my life, right now looking at me with hell in his eyes. All because of a woman. “Tell you what, handle the wedding your damn self.” I didn’t need to stick around for this nonsense. Talia was ignoring everyone, and all of a sudden I’m the asshole? No thanks, I’d rather be anywhere but here.
* * *
“This is a surprise.” It was more than a surprise, given the cold shoulder Talia had reserved for me lately, I figured I wouldn’t see her around the office again.
“You’re the only one who can stop by for a quickie?” She stood there, leaning against the door with her hands behind her back, turning the lock inside the knob.
“I never said that.” If she wanted to show up for a quick fuck, that was fine by me.
“Good.” Talia kicked off red stilettos that were at least three inches tall as her hand snaked behind her back, tugging on the zipper of her dress. “Because I’ve got twenty minutes before my next appointment.”
Something was going on here, something I should be concerned about, but when she revealed a sheer black bra that showed off hard pink nipples all I could think about was getting another taste of her. The dress pulled down more, revealing matching panties that showed off the red strip of hair covering her sex. “Fuck.”
“Exactly.” She was so sexy, and she had no idea, standing there tempting me. Teasing me. Torturing me. “Should I start without you,” she purred as her hand disappeared into her panties, fingers moving through slick heat. My cock hardened and I was on her, kissing her ferociously until she sank into me. The weight of her body was perfect, just the pressure I needed to know I wasn’t alone in this insanity.
She speared her hands through my hair and I lifted her, smiling against her mouth when she wrapped her legs around me. The desk was where I wanted to take her last time she was here, but, as usual, we were too eager for each other to make it all the way over there. “Luke,” she hissed when I laid her down.
“I can’t hear you.” She huffed out a laugh and said my name again as I dropped to my knees, tearing the tiny panties at her hip and licking at her until she nearly choked me with strength of her orgasm.
“Oh, Luke! Yes!”
I chuckled against her and pulled more aftershocks from her as I kissed my way up her body. “That’s much better, but I think we can do better still.”
“This is your office,” she whispered.
“I’m aware. Let’s test out the soundproofing,” I told her and slid deep until we were completely intertwined, bodies fused too closely to ever separate. But she felt too good. Too hot and too tight. Too fucking good. I couldn’t control myself, and the truth was, I wouldn’t even if I could have. Being inside Talia felt too damn good. I was addicted to her, to her sex and the sounds she made while I gave her pleasure.
“Luke,” she warned, but it was unnecessary, I felt every shiver and tremor that shot through her. Pulsing flutters squeezed my cock, faster and faster until her pounding orgasm shot through her and triggered my own. “Luke,” she said again on a loud huff, panting to get much needed oxygen to her brain and lungs.
“Good quickie?”
She chuckled. “Amazing quickie. Thank you.” She pulled me close and kissed me long and hard, giving me so much tongue I was starting to grow hard again. Sucking my tongue and teasing me. I thought I might die as her pussy grew wet again, just from kissing me. When I pulled back, Talia lay there
for a few moments with a lazy, sleepy smile on her face.
“I think that’s my line.”
“Nope, it’s definitely mine.” She smiled, only wincing slightly as I pulled out of her core. “And now I have a meeting to get to so, thanks again. I’ll talk to you soon.”
I blinked at her retreating form, disappearing into my executive bathroom to clean up. When she returned a few minutes later, she was all put together again minus the panties in my pocket.
“Payback. I didn’t realize it until just now. That’s what this is.”
She blinked innocently. “That was not my intention, which is why I told you I had someplace to be. Soon.”
“Right.” She was lying right to my face, but calling her out on it wouldn’t make the situation better. Hell, I didn’t know what the situation was, never mind how to make it better.
“I don’t have time for this. I’ll see you around, Luke.” She left without another word, which serves me right for doing the same thing to her.
Now, we’re even I suppose.
Talia
“Perhaps it would be best if we wait for Ms. Masters to return.”
Theo Cardigan looked down the slope of his patrician nose at me, just in case his shitty attitude didn’t drill home his disdain for dealing with ‘the help’.
“That’s fine by me,” I told him and packed up the leather document holder I’d brought into the conference room. “Ms. Masters will return to the office in approximately two and a half months, I’ll pencil you in for then.”
“I’ll just give her a call myself,” he threatened.
“You do that, Mr. Cardigan.” It didn’t matter to me either way. I promised Poppy I’d hold down the fort in her absence, but I wasn’t about to beg some condescending jackass to listen to me in order to help his business. “Do you plan to do that now, or once you’ve left the building?”
He sputtered his outrage. “Your boss will be hearing from me young lady.”
“Yes, Mr. Cardigan.” I stood with my back pressed against the oversized door to keep it open. “Right this way,” I told him in a tone that said, ‘don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out’.”
He grumbled under his breath throughout the short trip down the long hall and all the while we waited for the elevator. “Good day, Ms. Breckenridge.”
Yeah and fuck you too, Theo. With him gone, I had an extra fifteen minutes to call back the event stager I’d hired to handle setting up the church and reception area for the wedding. She’d left a frantic message for me that I’d gotten seconds before Theo strolled inside with his expensive suit and well styled hair.
“Talia, it’s Ashley and we have a bit of a problem.” She outlined the broken floorboards, the cracked step from a recent storm and a rogue hornet’s nest found in the center of what was supposed to be the dance floor.
“Crap.” I circled back from the reception area to the main receptionist on the executive floor. “Vanessa I’m going to be out of office for the rest of the day, please reschedule anything on the schedule, and double up if you have to later this week so we don’t fall too far behind.”
Vanessa’s long pink nails flew over the keyboard as she wrote up notes while I spoke. “Got it. Is everything all right?” I didn’t make friends with many people in the office because I never planned on staying, but Vanessa was as sweet as she was beautiful.
“Yes. No. There are a few problems with the wedding venue, and I need to handle it myself.” Because there was no one else to do it. Blake and Poppy were taking ‘hands-off’ to a new level, and Luke only did what he was asked, or tasked with by someone else. “Can you get me the number of the best concrete repair person in the city, an exterminator and a landscaper as well. Ask them ahead of time if they can do last-minute work, and then forward me their information. Please,” I added because I wasn’t a tyrant.
“Uh, sure. Maybe you should give me the address so we don’t have to go back and forth.”
I smiled at her. “Thank you, Vanessa. Go home at five, no excuses,” I shot over my shoulder as I went to my office and changed from heels to sneakers, removing my blazer to leave my arms bare and grabbing all the crap that was now essential to my life. “See you tomorrow,” I told Vanessa as I stepped on the elevator.
Today was one of those days where all the technology that makes life so easy, smartphones and Bluetooth and calendar apps, messenger services and all that shit, became nothing but a nuisance. The phone hadn’t stopped ringing from the moment my ass settled behind the steering wheel, but I didn’t bother to look at it. Today’s priority was the wedding site, which we only had a few weeks to get it in order, or else the backup church in town and the hotel ballroom would have to suffice.
Ashley was frantic, but well put together when I arrived on site. “Oh Talia, I’m so sorry to interrupt your day, but everything seemed to happen at once.”
“It’s better to know now and deal with it, right?” She nodded nervously and stayed by my side while we dealt with contractor after contractor who showed up with a wide smile, eager for the rate hike for a rush job.
“So, everything will be ready by the end of the week?” I understood Ashley’s disbelief, being financially handicapped myself, it strained credulity to believe people would pay that much money for something as ridiculous as a wedding. But people with money were different, a lesson it seemed the universe was determined to drill into me at every opportunity.
“Yep. Problem solved. Crisis averted.” By the time the guys had come to inspect, gave quotes and finish estimates, the sun had slid behind the horizon and the area was mostly black since none of the lights had been strung yet. “Call if anything else comes up,” I told her and slid into my car, exhausted with at least an hour of driving ahead of me.
Yep, what a glamorous life I had.
As I got off the pitch black two-lane road and back on the high way, I listened to my messages. Eight were from Poppy who’d gotten an irate call from Theo, so I called her back first.
“What the hell, Talia? Theo said you were rude and not very helpful.” I ignored my annoyance and tamped it down, reminding myself this was her business. Her family legacy.
“I wasn’t rude, he just didn’t want to deal with your assistant, and he made it known from the beginning. He threatened to call you despite being informed you were on medical leave, so I told him to do it.”
“Dammit, Tal, he owns fifty sporting goods and apparel across the country, and he’s interested in our new line.”
Shit, I nearly got hit by a motorcyclist with his lights off, barreling down the interstate at one hundred miles an hour. “Then maybe you should have found someone actually capable of doing this job in your absence.” Dealing with assholes like him only reminded me of how far I was in over my head.
“You can do this, hell you have been doing it.”
“Poppy, be serious, I’m your assistant and they all know that. Rich pricks like that don’t want to make deals with a glorified secretary. Which is why my providing him with information was deemed rude and useless.” The angrier I got the heavier my foot became on the pedal until I was inching towards ninety miles an hour. “Do I need to reschedule with him?”
“No,” she sighed. “He’s insisting I handle the meeting.” Which she should have done in the first place, though I didn’t say as much.
“I offered that too, when you returned from medical leave.” I’m sure he failed to mention that as well. “Anything else?”
“We missed you at dinner last week.”
“I had something else to do.” We’d never been so disconnected, and I didn’t know how to feel about it, or what to do about it other than retreat.
“Is this about Luke?”
“If it was about Luke, what would skipping out on a few hours at dinner do?” He was mostly useless anyway. Okay that wasn’t fair, he wasn’t useless, but his job as CFO meant he didn’t have as much time as an assistant. “I had a lot of work, and then other plans, no big d
eal.”
“You never miss dinner.” She was right, I’d always made it a priority, because I was always so excited to spend time with Maple and Poppy at the end of the week. But with more people around, it didn’t have the same intimate feel, and it wasn’t like I wanted to spill the secrets of my life in front of strangers.
“It was one dinner Poppy, and you had your whole family there.”
“Not my whole family,” she said with a hint of a sniffle. “What’s going on, Talia?”
I shrugged even though she couldn’t see me. “Nothing other than work.”
“Bullshit. You’re still mad about the Luke thing, I know it.”
“I have to go, Poppy.”
“No, you don’t,” she argued. “You just don’t want to talk about this, but we need to. Shit is different between us, weird and I don’t like it.”
“You have other things to worry about right now, namely taking it easy for that kid. I’m helping by doing a job I’m not qualified for, and that means we can’t hang out the way we used to. Now I really have to go,” I told her as I pulled onto the shoulder.
“But we’re not done yet.”
“Poppy, the cops have pulled me over. I have to go.” I ended the call and grabbed my license and registration before the uniformed officer tapped on my window.
This day just kept getting better.
Luke
“What the hell is an engagement shower?”
Blake leaned in and whispered as guests started to filter into the restaurant Talia had rented out for the evening.
“Apparently it’s a celebration of modern love, blending an engagement party with a baby shower. So, people can give two people free stuff for their kid.” It sounded like a total scam to me, but people were showing up with brightly wrapped gifts, so what the hell did I know?
“We could have bought all this stuff, and then the nursery could have been done, but Poppy wants to see all the gifts first to see ‘what calls to her’.” Blake’s eyes rolled telling me being in love hadn’t changed him as much as I thought. “Things going to be civil between you and Poppy tonight?”
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