by lanie love
“Are you alright, sir,” Collin asks me in mock concern.
He's getting a real kick out of this shit right now. I gave him her license plate number and had him start to find her twice already before coming to my senses and leaving it alone. I’d be a lying fool if I said I haven't been thinking about her since I let her drive away from me at Chains. Her popping up again has to be some kind of sign.
“Fine, Collin.”
I can't believe I just flirted with her in front of Allie. My beauty is her friend from college and a damn reporter for Strong Media, for fuck's sake. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why the fuck can’t I ever be attracted to women who are somehow not attached to something that could potentially destroy me.
I need to get laid… that's what's wrong with me. It's been too long since I had a girl tied up and fucked. Now, I'm just at the point of going fucking crazy, literally.
An angel with soft blonde hair flows through my mind as I walk to my office. Damn, just thinking of it being fisted in my hands is enough to get me going. The way it fell in soft waves around her shoulders did awful things to me just now and that little loose-fitting black halter top brought out her skin perfectly. Those eyes, I was drowning in them, and just the look of those lips mouthing that little comment about her kitten after she's off the clock made me uncomfortably hard. And was that a little southern drawl that came tumbling out of that mouth? Jesus.
How could a girl be so fucking adorably cute and sexy as hell at the same damn time? I swear if she'd been alone, I would have invited her up to the penthouse with me and be damned if I'd given her a chance to say no. And did I peg her for being too innocent the other day? I’m a damn fool. Perhaps she can prove useful to me after all. But she’s a reporter. This could get messy. I need to know more about her.
“Collin, do the background check on Miss Sage Turner.” I take a seat behind my desk. “And run that license plate.”
“Sir,” he says. “Might I suggest you take a different approach with Miss Turner?”
“Why would I do that?”
“It's just…” He pauses to clear his throat. “I know she was at the club, but she didn't strike me as one of your lady escort type friends. And now we know she’s a good friend of Miss Moore.”
“I realize that Collin, but how else am I supposed to find out what I need to know about her?”
“You could get to know her the old fashion way, sir.”
“You mean, pursue her?” I say the words with disdain. I've never had to pursue a woman, with the exception of Allie, and that didn't work out too well.
“I wouldn't call it pursuing. More like dating.” I stare at him, blinking a few times. “Or, you could just invite her over and talk to her.” He shrugs at me.
“That will be all,” I tell him when my phone rings to start my conference. “And Collin,” I call to him before he walks out the door. “Never mind the background check.”
“Very good, sir,” he nods and leaves the room.
****
Aaron Wade
“Hey, Baby,” I greet Allie with a kiss when she enters our apartment.
“Hey. Are the guys gone already?” She looks around making sure the coast is clear from my card game earlier.
“Yeah, they cleared out about fifteen minutes ago. Tuck won every hand of poker. We owe him our first-born son.” Her eyes go wide at my joke. “What?”
“Nothing,” she says, shaking her head. She starts to clear the living room of empty beer bottles, stray chip bags and pizza boxes left over from my game night.
“Something,” I say as I hold her close, forcing her to be still.
“Do you really want kids?”
“Hell yeah. I can't wait to see a few little Air's and Allie's running around all wild and unruly.”
“A few?” Her eyes are about ready to pop.
“Hmmm,” I say, rubbing my chin. “At least four, I think.” And like I knew it would, her mouth falls open. Damn, one of these days I’m going to have to say something that makes her do that when she’s closer to my junk.
“Yeah, easy for you to say,” she says. “You get to have most of the fun.”
“Oh, I'll make it fun for you, Baby.” I grab her ass cheeks with both hands, grinding my groin into hers. She laughs, swats my hands away, and carries on with her mission to the kitchen. Not letting that stop me, I come up behind her at the sink and nuzzle her neck. I am buzzed and horny as hell and my girl is not cooperating with me right now.
“Oh, my God!”
“Whoa, ears, Baby,” I tell her, wincing in pain. I stick my finger in my ear to clear out the fresh blood coming from the eardrum she just ruptured.
“I'm sorry,” she says, amused as she turns in my arms and run her fingers along my ears. “You'll never believe who we ran into at The Ritz-Carlton.”
“Kent.”
“How did you know?”
“He lives there, Baby and since he didn’t want to bring his ass over here to play cards, I’m guessing he’s at home.”
“Oh, right,” she laughs.
“Well, let's see if you get this one right, smarty pants. Guess who has caught his eye?”
“I'll guess either Sage or Laura,” I say, because it sure as hell better not be her.
“It was Sage and it was the fourth of July with the sparks flying off those two. I was looking for the hose.”
“And you're happy about this?”
“Why wouldn't I be?”
“A certain boyfriend I keep hearing about named Jacob.”
“He’s all wrong for Sage. I mean, he’s okay, but he doesn’t give her that heat. You should have seen her with Kent. It was a sauna.”
“Kent doesn't have the best track record.”
“True. But we can't keep judging him for Jen and she's no peach herself.”
“That’s for damn sure.”
“I saw the way he looked at Sage,” she says. “Unless he turned into an Emmy winner overnight, he couldn't have been faking it that good.”
“Emmy winner?”
“It means he’s a very good actor.”
“Yeah, but couldn't you have said Oscar winner?”
“What difference does it make?”
“Why not go for the big gold guy?”
“You are such a movie award snooty falooty.”
“Have you been drinking, Baby,” I ask her and she laughs.
“I had a glass of wine a few hours ago. I'm not drunk. I'm just happy. I have you and my friends all here with me. I'm getting married to the man of my dreams and my best friend might one day be my sister in law if I’m any judge.”
I’m about to tell her to cool it with the whole wanting everyone to fall in love thing until I see her face fall.
“Baby, what is it?”
“I was just thinking about Brooke being my sister in law and seeing her with Kathleen at the Ivy the other day. I don’t think it will ever be the same between us. I miss her. Do you know how many hours we spent planning weddings for our Barbies?”
“I remember.”
“She was so happy that you and I were together before all this happened. She would totally be a Friendzilla if she wasn't so pissed at me.”
“I'm sorry, Baby. She's just worried about Mom and doesn't know how to handle it. I know she'll come around again once she realizes how wrong she is.”
“I hope so.”
“In the meantime, I want you to relax and have fun with your friends planning our wedding. How was the room at the Ritz?”
“The room was okay, but the location sucks. Sage and Laura didn’t approve, but that was before Sage saw Kent. I wonder if we can go on a double date with them?”
“But, Baby, they're not even dating.”
“Not yet,” she says, smiling. I can see the wheels turning in her pretty little head.
“Hold on, little miss matchmaker. I don't want you sticking your cute little nose in that.”
“I just want to nudge them a bit,” she sa
ys. “I think Kent and Sage might work. You should have seen them. My hair was starting to rise from the shock waves coming off them. It doesn’t even have to be a big nudge. I can just happen to call them both over.”
“No way in hell. He just got out of a messy situation with Jen. He doesn’t need another with Sage and this guy Jacob.”
“But she’s just not that into him.”
“Regardless, we are going to stay out of it, unless we are invited.”
“Is that an order, future husband,” she asks me.
“Yes, future wife, it is. Keep in mind that not too long ago, Kent and I were vying for your affection.”
“What? When? And where the hell was I?”
“Here, in that living room.” I point to it to remind her.
“Oh, that was just him being stupid,” she says with a wave of her hand.
“Did you ever tell Sage he was crushing on you since we were kids?”
“No, why would... Ohhh,” she says, realizing the potential for awkwardness.
“Yeah, ohhh. So, future wife, stay out of it.”
“But his infatuation for me is long gone.”
“Yeah, but it might seem a bit fishy you pushing Sage on him.”
“Fine,” she says. “I'll stay out of it and let whatever happens happen.”
“Thank you. Now come on. I'll clean this up in the morning. Let's get you showered and in bed and made love to.”
“I can use a lot of that.”
“Well, I'm your guy, Baby.”
****
I sigh as I lay in bed looking at Allie at her desk, frantically searching the Internet instead of sexing me up liked I planned when I brought her in here. She has on those damn sexy as hell glasses with the hot pink frames on, too. I make my dick bounce up and down, but she’s too distracted to notice. Not having a venue is driving her crazy.
“Baby, I don't understand why we just can't shoot over to Vegas and be done with it,” I say. I’m a second away from turning off the WIFI. Knowing her, she probably can hack her way around it.
“Shoot over to Vegas?” She frowns, looking up from the computer screen, given me her now-you're-in-the doghouse look. “Do you know how long I’ve been dreaming about my wedding day? I’m not about to chuck it all for some crappy Elvis impersonator shaking his hips while we say our vows.”
“I'm sorry,” I laugh. “I just hate seeing you stressed.”
“Well, that’s the downside of it,” she says. “I’m balling on a budget, so I just have to plan a little more, that’s all.”
“What budget?”
“My budget,” she says.
“How much more do you need?” I thought I put enough into the account.
“A lot,” she says, her happy wedding balloon quickly deflates. “There’s a lot to a wedding. Maybe we should go to Vegas.”
I frown. I never gave a shit about weddings so I don’t really know how much it all costs, but shit, she couldn't have run through the account so fast, especially when she didn't even book a venue.
“Baby, have you checked the account lately,” I ask her. “Maybe you got screwed over somewhere along the way.”
“Of course, I checked my account,” she says. “I just put my check in.”
I shake my head at her.
“I meant our account. The wedding account.”
“What?” Her nose scrunches up to keep her glasses on her face. I go over to her drawer and pull out the manila envelope.
“Our accounts,” I say, waving the envelope at her. “What did you think this was?”
“I don't know,” she shrugs and peeks inside to find her bank cards and checkbooks. “We have a wedding account?” She looks up at me and I raise my eyebrows at her when she looks at the amount. “One hundred thousand dollars?” Her eyes bug out of her head and it is quite amusing to see it. “One hundred thousand dollars just for the wedding?”
“Well, that was actually just for the venue,” I tease. “But hey, if you can pull it off…”
“Oh, my God.” She leaps into my arms and hugs me. “Wait, can we really afford—”
“Allie.” I stop her. “Do you remember what I said I'd do to you the next time you asked me that?”
“You wouldn't.” She screams in surprise when I toss her on the bed. I climb on top of her and start tickling. Her face turns red from laughing. She tries to push me off of her when I grab her arm, thrust it above her head and go full tickle on her armpit. I take both of her arms and hold them at the wrist to stop her counter attack.
“Say it,” I demand of her. She calms herself down from laughing enough to talk. She tries to struggle free, but I hold fast to her wrists. “Say it,” I demand again.
“You, Aaron Wade,” she starts. She feels me loosen my grip and tries to buck me off but I hold on tight to her again. I lean down and nuzzle her neck. She tries to shy away, but she can't move. “You, Aaron Wade,” she starts again. “Are an amazing man who just wants to give his fiancée...” I tickle her and she has a laughing fit again. “Okay… okay…” she breathes out, trying to calm herself. “You, Aaron Wade, are an amazing man who just wants to give me everything I want to make my dreams come true.”
“And?”
“And... And,” she breathes out. “I need to stop stressing and enjoy it.”
“Good,” I say. She lifts her head up and kisses me.
“I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you, Baby.” I kiss her neck. She gasps when I pull her black silk pajama top apart, unsnapping all of the buttons.
“Mmmm,” she moans when I suck her tit. She giggles as I kiss my way down between her legs. I tug her black silk pajama shorts off. Just the smell of her need for me nearly makes me come.
“Enjoy this too, Baby,” I tell her as I go to work on her clit.
“Oh God, Aaron, yes.” She screams my name over and over as she comes. I take my time, licking up every drop of her. “My turn,” she says as she flips me over to have her way with me now.
“Jesus, Baby,” I laugh
.
Chapter Ten
Hollywood, California
Strong Studios
Sage Turner
I walk into work, hoping to get through this Monday without seeing Adrian Finch. He’s been acting weird ever since finding me out at that damn club. But as luck would have it, I need him to sign off on an assignment. His co-producer needs his okay to go ahead with a story we’ve been working on. I make my way down the hall to his office. I take a deep, calming breath, open the door, and walk in.
I find him busy typing away at his computer. His hair is slicked back and his shirt is unbuttoned at the collar with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
“Good morning, Mr. Finch.” Hearing my voice, he abruptly stops typing and looks up at me. His eyes look almost haunted. I stand there, for what seems like a lifetime, as he fiercely stares me down. He eye-fucks me for so long it makes me fidget.
“I just need a signature on some paperwork.” My stomach turns completely sour at the sight of him licking his lips while his eyes slowly roam up and down my body. I hold the paperwork out to him. Without a word he takes the paperwork, signs, and thrusts it back at me. I take it by the very edge so as not to mistakenly touch his hand.
I get the hell out of there, relieved that he hasn’t mentioned anything about our encounter. I wonder if he is worried now that I know he’s into BDSM. I guess since he figures I’m into it too, there isn't much to worry about. Maybe that's how it works. Are we in some organization? Was there some oath I was supposed to take to keep it all secret?
****
Finally, my day comes to an end. As I leave the building, I’m approached by a familiar face and I smile at him in greeting.
“Good evening, Miss Turner. He says with a tight smile and a nod of his head.
“Nice to see you again. Collin, Right?” This city just gets smaller and smaller.
“Yes, Ma’am. Patrick Collin.”
�
��How are you?”
“Fine, Ma'am. Mr. Wade has asked if he could have a word with you. He would like me to escort you to his home office.”
Not giving me a chance to decline, he guides me to a waiting shiny black car and helps me into the back seat. Good Lord, I try not to drool as the seat caresses my skin. Collin doesn't say another word to me as we make the twenty-minute drive from Hollywood to Downtown. And he stays silent still as he helps me out of the car and escorts me to the elevator. My mind goes crazy thinking of why the gorgeous God wants to meet here, in his apartment no less. Alone.
This might not be the best idea.
I turn to Collin in protest, but the elevator pings our arrival. I’m led to a large living area where a woman stands in wait for us. He introduces her as his wife and Mr. Wade's housekeeper. She smiles brightly at me and asks if I would like something to eat or drink. After I politely decline her offer, Collin guides me through to what I assume is his boss's office and opens the door. There he is, half sitting, half leaning casually on the edge of his huge executive cherry wood finished desk, wearing a tailored suit that looks like it was painted on. His legs are crossed at the ankles and his hands are laced in front of him almost like he had no doubts that I’d come.
“Mr. Wade, Miss Turner to see you,” Collin says, as he steps aside giving me room to enter.
“Thank you and have my office email me the paperwork I requested. Make sure we're not disturbed,” Mr. Wade says. Collin nods and exits the office, closing the door behind him.
****
The Ritz Carlton, Downtown Los Angeles
Kent Wade’s Apartment
Kent Wade
“Please, have a seat, Miss Turner,” I direct her to a chair in front of my desk. I keep her waiting while I get the file that Janet just faxed over. Still, I can’t help but check her out. She looks quite fuckable in that tight blouse and miniskirt. My dick jumps to attention as I see the nipples of perfectly round perky breasts peek out at me. “Before I start, I would like for you to sign this Non-Disclosure Agreement. It's just to ensure that both you and I are protected. I don't want the conversation we’re about to have to ever leave this office or end up on the nightly news.”
