All Shook Up

by Ashley Bostock

  He drank his first beer quickly, and started in on the second one, ready to roll up his sleeves and do some work. Only he couldn’t focus. There was something not quite right and she wasn’t telling him what and it continued to gnaw at him. He couldn’t stand it.

  He took another swig of his beer and stood from his desk. He needed to let it go. Jillian was an adult. If she wanted to tell him something, she would. If not, then why should he dwell on it. If this were a business situation, Cole would address the issue without being wishy-washy. It was always best to address things head on. He was the type who would dwell on something, making himself go crazy, until the issue went away.

  He made it to the edge of his office where he met Jillian at the threshold wearing nothing but one of his white dress shirts. The sleeves fell past her hands and the bottom skimmed mid-thigh. Her lips were bright pink and her hair was down, covering her shoulders and she looked gorgeous. Absolutely breathtaking.

  “I thought you might want to join me in your bed,” she purred.

  He was momentarily taken aback as her attitude was a complete one-eighty from minutes ago when they’d been eating dinner. Maybe the sisters were fighting. The shift in her attitude made him well-aware of what he wanted though.

  Her.

  In his room.

  Stat.

  He lifted her off the floor, ignoring the warning in his head that something was still up the second her fingers flew through his hair and her mouth landed on his. She was always so full of passion and intensity when they were together and he loved it. He loved the feel of her slender body against his. He loved how she gave every piece of herself to him when they were making love.

  “You’re killing me baby,” he said between her wet, suckling kisses against his lips.

  He swallowed her whimpers as she ground against his body in a desperate hunger until he managed to get them both to his room, safe and unscathed. He tossed her on the bed in between his mass of pillows before he followed, holding himself above her. Jillian’s hands were already pulling at his loosened tie and buttons on his shirt, before his lips touched hers again.

  He wanted this. Permanently. This feeling of being wanted so badly by someone else that two hearts became one. He’d never experienced anything like it in his life and he was dying. She was making him live again and holy fuck, it was addictive.

  Especially when her hands stroked across his chest and down his stomach to his trousers where she expertly pulled his belt loose and unzipped him as if she didn’t have all night.

  “Slow down, baby. We’ve got all night,” he muttered between her devouring his mouth. He could feel his lip swollen from her sucking it and nibbling it as he grazed his tongue across it.

  “I want you. I want you so much,” Jillian said.

  His cock fell into her hand and she started to stroke him blindly, grabbing his balls and caressing the swollen crown, causing the skin along his dick to pull tight as hell against its hardness. Her hands were gentle but firm against him as were her continued kisses and it was all Cole could do to keep up.

  He pulled back to remove his shirt over her head and her small fingers were already there pulling open the buttons. The shirt pulled apart exposing her naked body. No panties. No bra. Just her perky little tits and her glistening pussy that he couldn’t—wouldn’t—ever get enough of.

  For a moment, he held her gaze. Not touching or kissing, merely taking her all in. He was reveling in this moment, savoring every touch, every bite and every taste as if it were his last meal. Committing every piece of tousled hair against her shoulder, every beauty mark that peppered her creamy white skin, every damn pulse flutter that sent him soaring, to his memory.

  The realization that she was the one, startled him. Yet, in an odd way, he was content with it. He knew it deep down. He just hadn’t dwelled on it too much. His dick bobbed against her opening, slicking her juices and that undid him. He slammed into her, never tearing his gaze from her eyes.

  She arched in delight and he bent her knees up, spreading her legs into the air as he kneeled across the bed and pounded into her with a ferocity that was mixed with physical and emotional need he didn’t know he was capable of. When she dug her nails into his ribs, he didn’t stop. He rolled his fingers along her exposed clit until her eyes flashed with fireworks and closed tight just as she started milking him with her orgasm.

  He refused to stop.

  Rubbing her clit made her squirm and writhe against his bed and a few times her hands reached out to his to pull him away. But he was stronger than her and he continued to flick her swollen bead until she was gasping for air, convulsing around him a second time. In turn, he spilled inside of her.

  He collapsed next to her on the bed, sweat dripping over his entire body. He could hear Jillian’s breathy gasps of air as she too, lay sated.

  “Now, are you gonna tell me what’s been bothering you all day?” he asked minutes later after they’d both caught their breath.

  “Nothing’s been bother—”

  “Don’t play games with me, Jillian. Especially, don’t fucking lie to me.”

  She let out a breath and turned to him. “Fine. I got offered a job today.”

  “Really?” he asked. Grateful it wasn’t something more serious but also…curious. It wouldn’t be bothering her unless she was considering taking it, he’d been in the business long enough to know that much. He stayed silent waiting for her to elaborate.

  “Really. You’ve heard of Party Panties?”

  He’d heard of Party Panties. With a name like that, how could he have not? “That’s who offered you the job? You’re not thinking of taking it, are you? It’s nothing like what you’re used to dealing with.”

  Her silence spoke volumes and Cole sat up, not liking where this was going. “What the fuck, Jillian? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “Because I’ve been thinking about it. It’s not a big deal. Yet, anyway. She gave me the gist of it and I told her I would call her and give her a final decision soon enough. Yeah, it would be a step down…”

  His mind raced. The betrayal across his chest, did not feel good. It’d been a long time since he’d let himself get emotionally attached to any woman and that distinct pain he felt, was a reminder of why he didn’t. Why casual dating was the way to go. That she was seriously considering taking another job from a competitor, was flabbergasting, to say the least. He’d almost allowed himself to be tricked into the idea that they had something here, beyond sex.

  She’d seemed happy at Lacie’s. She seemed like she was just as committed to the success of Lacie’s as he was, which was another reason he was so impressed with her. Then he thought of something else. “Why are you considering it? Are you not happy at Lacie’s?”

  “Cole,” she said in a sad voice. “Of course I’m happy at Lacie’s. It fits me. I enjoy what I do. I enjoy working with you. Most of my clients from The Peekeasy shop there now. I…wait, are you insinuating that you and I couldn’t have a relationship if I worked at Party Panties?”

  Cole stood from the bed, buckling his pants and throwing on his shirt. He hadn’t been thinking that, consciously anyway. Subconsciously though, crap. Maybe. How could he date someone that worked in direct competition of what he was all about? Deluxe Posh was all about women’s fashion. They continually strived to be the best at what they did and in some lines, they were the best.

  If she left Lacie’s what would happen to them? He could just see the tabloids now. Billionaire dating enemy. How long before Deluxe crumbles? Giving away the Ship. And the worst, Deluxe not so Deluxe after all.

  He clenched his jaw together and started to roll the sleeves up on his arms. Jillian stood on the bed in front of him. She wore his white button down shirt that was still wide open baring her delightfully beautiful breasts, curvy hips and delectable womanhood.

  “You’re not for real, are you? Me considering this will ruin our relationship?”

  “How could it not, Jillian? Do yo
u have any idea what the tabloids would say? What my business associates would say behind my back? I’d essentially be sleeping with the enemy.” His voice started to rise but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t like this. He didn’t enjoy the idea that she wasn’t in this endeavor with him, enough to give Party Panties—what kind of sleazy name was that anyway?—the time of day.

  “But you would know that I’m not your enemy,” she said almost in a whisper. “You didn’t care what anyone thought when you came into Lacie’s day in and day out pretending to be someone else.”

  “That wasn’t the same. And you know what, how would I?” Cole glared at her briefly before walking out of the bedroom, leaving Jillian alone to think about her new job offer.

  Once his car lift opened on ground level, Cole took off. Fuck. It had been going so great between them. He hadn’t felt this happy in a long time. Why did this have to happen? And she was thinking about it? What the hell? He drove around for hours trying to decipher where shit had gone wrong – trying to figure out if they could make it work.

  He checked his watch. It was late. He should try to get some sleep, but he’d rather be anywhere than at the penthouse with Jillian and her sister. There was nothing that could make the situation better.

  She could accept the job offer.

  Or stay with him.

  It was that simple. He couldn’t risk a reputation he’d built from the ground up just because the woman he was sleeping with was fantastic. Ugh. Why’d she have to be so great? Perfect in every way imaginable. Charming, funny, smart, down-to-earth and especially great in bed. He acknowledged the truth. If she weren’t all these wonderful things, then Lacie’s wouldn’t be thriving and neither would he.

  When he made it home just in time to see the small slivers of light bouncing off the glass panes of his lift from the windows in the foyer, he noticed immediately that the sisters were gone. Jillian’s pile of shoes she’d left in the foyer were no longer there and upon further inspection, all her things from his bathroom were gone as well.

  Perfect. What a great way to end the night.

  Too wired to even try to sleep, he knew that he was going to have to face the music because he was still working from Lacie’s upstairs loft. Lacie’s wasn’t open at this hour, so perhaps he could go inside and grab what he needed and head to his real office before she showed up. He laughed. Avoidance. Nice one, Cole. Real nice.

  Cole: See that you moved out.

  Did he expect her to answer this early? Was she too, awake like him? His answer was confirmed when he got a response a few seconds later.

  Jillian: You didn’t expect me to still be there, did you?

  Cole: Not sure what I expected from you.

  Jillian: Well, I expected more support than you gave me.

  Cole: Are you taking the job?

  Jillian: Is this an either-or question?

  Cole: ?

  What did she mean by that? Professionally, she couldn’t have both. He couldn’t be a part of her equation if she chose to go to Party Panties.

  Jillian: I take the job or I keep my job at Lacie’s. And keep you.

  Cole: You can’t have both.

  Jillian: And that’s the problem, isn’t it?

  Cole: Are we still referring to the job?

  Jillian: Nope. Your ultimatum: You and Lacie’s or no you and Party Panties.

  Cole: See above text. You can’t have both.

  Jillian: Whatever. I’ll let you know what I decide. In the meantime, I will find a new hire and keep running Lacie’s.

  Cole shook his head, hating this. Hating the way it made his chest feel.

  Cole: Thanks.

  “Louie said there is a hold up. The distributor for the beams had a fallout with the company that manufactures the beams and right now, they aren’t fulfilling the rest of our order.”

  “Fuck.” Zander’s call was adding insult to injury.

  “Yeah, my sentiments exactly. Actually, I think I said, ‘Motherfuck.’ Anyway, he plans to continue with what they have on hand, and hopefully they’ll come to terms soon enough, or the worst-case scenario is that they switch orders to another manufacturer. Only problem with that situation is that The Francesca Project will be put on hold for weeks until they get the new beams in.”

  “So it’s completely out of our control?” Cole asked, as he pounded his head on his desk.

  “Completely,” Zander said.

  “Don’t you know anyone that can step up?”

  “Dude, I design building plans. I have some names of a few people, but Louie is fully capable and we need to let him sort this out. Neither you or I, or any of the guys for that matter, have the time to deal with this. Which is why Louie is handling everything and not us.”

  “When it rains, it pours.”

  “I know. Always does, my friend. What else is pouring on you?” Zander asked.

  “Jillian.”

  “Trouble in paradise?” Zander didn’t know that Jillian and Cole had started getting involved, but Zander’s sarcasm was spot on.

  “She got a job offer from Party Panties, another lingerie company. She’s considering it.” He put emphasis on the word considering.

  “That happens. People take jobs all the time.”

  “She’s been spending her nights in my bed since last Friday.” Cole informed him. “Every single night.”

  “That’s a problem. I thought you didn’t mix business with pleasure?”

  “This is a great example of why I never have. Needless to say, she is no longer in my bed and it’s not because I don’t want her there. I very much want her there,” Cole admitted.

  “So come up with something great to get her to stay on board.” Zander offered, as if it were that easy.

  “Like what? More money?”

  “I don’t know. Figure something out. Figure out why she’s considering leaving and make it worth her while to stay.”

  Cole leaned back in his chair. “That’s not a bad idea,” Cole said.

  “No shit. I can’t believe your intelligent ass couldn’t figure that one out.”

  “Blow me. Meet me at the gym tonight?” Cole asked. He needed a stress reliever.

  “Can’t. Got a game tonight.”

  “It’s poker. Miss it,” Cole said.

  “Can’t.”

  “Can’t or won’t?” Cole asked.

  “Both. I’ll let you know if I hear any more from Louie.”

  “Does this have anything to do with that female that beat you the other day? What was her name?” Cole heckled him.

  Zander scoffed on the other end. “It’s Jade and it’s not like I lose to her all the time. I barely know her. She’s only been to a handful of games and I’ve lost to her twice.”

  “Twice?” Cole whistled. “That’s two too many for a guy who doesn’t like to lose.”

  “Thanks for the reminder. Which is why it’s important that I go tonight and make sure I win.”

  Cole chuckled. It seemed that he wasn’t the only guy who was in a heap over a female. “Later, Zan.”

  “Later.”

  Cole leaned back in his chair, and entwined his hands behind his head. The million-dollar question was what did Jillian want? With him? With Lacie’s? He needed to make her an offer she couldn’t refuse like Zander suggested. That is, if he still wanted her in his bed.

  He did.

  So, what was that?

  It was gutting him to think she was going to end their relationship. If she wanted to quit Lacie’s and work at any other job, he wouldn’t be giving her an ultimatum. It wouldn’t matter. Mostly. There were probably a few positions out there that would look bad on his business image.

  Since it was in the lingerie business and a direct competitor of Lacie’s, he couldn’t see how a relationship between them could work. Hell, even The Peekeasy would have been iffy had things been different. Maybe not. Since The Peekeasy was a small boutique store and not a franchise like Party Panties, it wouldn’t have been huge competit
ion.

  He was grasping at straws.

  All day, he sat at his desk trying to figure out what would make Jillian happy.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Except for business, Jillian had avoided Cole for the past five days. She was angry. Angry with him, angry at Willow Jackson for bringing her this fantastic deal. Mostly, she was angry with herself for not giving Cole the entire truth.

  That was eating at her most of all.

  She should have been straightforward with him and told him exactly what Willow was offering her. Part of her dream. Had she not beaten around the bush and avoided this pertinent information when Cole had zeroed in on her behavior last week, he would know what was bothering her.

  That she wanted to be with Cole. That she wanted to own her own store. Not that she wanted to go to Party Panties necessarily, but it was part of her dream. No, she hadn’t built Party Panties from the ground up like she had The Peekeasy and no, it wasn’t technically ‘her baby’ but she would grow to love it. She would treat it like it were all those things. Maybe over time, she could even enhance it. Start slow and turn it into a five-star boutique over time.

  If only she’d been honest with Cole and told him what she wanted, maybe she wouldn’t be crying herself to sleep at night. Maybe they could have a future where her dream was equally as important as Lacie’s was to him. Why hadn’t she just told him that she wanted him and her own store? How hard would that have been? Why had she acted so stubborn? Being stubborn had gotten her nowhere. In fact, it had gotten her alone.