by Kailin Gow
She looked up at me and smiled. I never tired of seeing that glorious smile. She made me melt every time. Wearing a frilly white summer dress with tiny pink and yellow flowers, she was the epitome of freshness and sunshine. The skirt of her dress was pulled up to the top of her thighs as she got a little sun.
“Ah,” she said as she brought her hand over her brow to shade her eyes from the sun. “It got too hot in town and I thought I’d just come back to hang out here. Is that okay?”
“That’s great,” I said. “I’ve told you a dozen times. You’re welcome to spend as much time here as you like. But I have some guys coming in to install new windows and it could get noisy and messy.”
“Really?” she said, squinting up at me. “Why change them? Those windows look fine.”
“The previous owner told me they were crap,” I said, uncomfortable with having to lie to her. “He said the cooler winter nights get really frigid and the windows aren’t up to snuff. I thought I’d get a head start and change them right away while the weather is still nice.”
“Oh.” She looked at me with a grin. “It’s not as if you’re in Minnesota, or something. But… okay.”
With no further argument to offer, I shrugged. “How about going for a leisurely hike in the mountains while the guys work? The wind has picked up a bit and we should get a nice sea breeze.”
“Sure,” she said as she got up. “Let me go get changed.”
I watched her go inside and thought of the security company that I had also called. In addition to the bulletproof windows and concrete reinforcements, I was planning on getting a new high-tech security system put in.
A part of me wanted to tell her all about it. I wanted to let her know of the possible danger that she was in. But, then again, I didn’t want to freak her out about it.
Selfishly, I had to admit that I didn’t want her to get scared off and stop coming around. I liked having her with me. No, I loved having her with me. All the time.
For now, anyways, the best thing to do was to ensure her safety while keeping her sane… and keeping her close.
Chapter 16
Dante Black/Parker James
I reluctantly woke up from the erotic dream I was having. It was so good, I didn’t want it to end, but as I slowly became conscious of what was happening around me, I realized that reality was even better than the dream.
Summer was down underneath the covers, taking me into her mouth and doing spectacular things with her tongue.
For a long moment I just lay there, enjoying every sensation her mouth brought me. But then, I squirmed, and my toes curled up and a deep throated groan escaped me as I dug my fingertips into her hair.
“I thought you’d never wake up,” she said between delicious licks of my cock.
“Hmm,” I groaned. “This is so good. I may never want to get up. I want to stay in bed all day with you.”
She chuckled as she took me in, deeper and deeper, and as she continued to work on me, I knew that I was about to erupt.
“Oh, yes,” I said, gripping her hair tighter and pushing her face into my crotch. “Oh, yes!”
“Good morning,” she said after leaving me a moment to recuperate.
“It certainly is,” I said. “Damn. What a great wake up call.”
She gave my cock a final little kiss and got out of bed. I lay there, reflecting on my growing relationship with her as she headed off to the shower.
We never fought. We never argued. We didn’t even disagree about anything. It was harmony from morning to night.
It was easy, and enjoyable and I just wanted more.
I’d quickly become accustomed to this new way of life with her. Just about every day, we’d had a lazy morning in bed, making love, making out, making plans.
Once Ace was out of the house, we’d get up and walk around naked, enjoying the light breeze that rolled in from the sea.
I joined her in the shower and my cock came to life again. As the hot water rolled down my back, I pinned her to the wall and slowly made love to her, bringing her to her own sweet orgasm.
“I’m heading out to take a look at the progress at the new headquarters,” I called to Summer as I got out of the shower and toweled off. “We’ve hired a new Head of Operations. Do you feel like coming?”
“Sure,” she said.
I headed into the kitchen to start the coffee machine and make breakfast.
“What smells so delicious?” she said as she came in wearing only her white boxers. I gulped. Damn, she was the sexiest woman I’ve ever fucked.
“I made us some fresh waffles and over there,” I said as I pointed to the bowl of fruit. “We have some sliced up strawberries and bananas and a little bit of whipped cream.
“You know, you really are spoiling me too much,” she said with a shy grin. “I’m going to get too used to all this.”
“Good,” I said as I came to her and planted a quick kiss on her nose as I grabbed her large round breasts, rolling her nipples with my thumbs. “I like spoiling you.”
Summer moaned. “I like it too.”
It was a perfect morning and I wanted there to be so many more just like it. We headed out to the deck for breakfast, enjoying the sun before it became too hot.
“So, you’re cool with coming to the headquarters,” I said as I finished off my waffle.
“Yeah,” she said. “I’d like to see what this new building of yours looks like. You made it sound so out of this world special the last time you tried to describe it to me.”
“It is,” I said with growing enthusiasm. “You’ll see. And we could go grab lunch afterward,” I added.
“Sounds nice.” She trotted off to the bedroom. “Give me a minute to get ready.”
She came out of the bedroom a few minutes later wearing white slacks and a black knit halter top. Her hair was pulled up into a casual, messy bun and her only make-up was a swipe of red lipstick. She looked classy and beautiful.
We made our way to the newly finished building that was so impressive. The large, rounded structure had an entrance that was completely made of glass.
“It’s amazing how this came out,” Summer said as she marveled at the unusual and original appearance of the large building.
Entering the enormous lobby, she looked up to the ceiling that was tiled with a myriad of colored glass, throwing a rainbow of colors flickering everywhere.
We were greeted by a security guard who smiled and nodded as he recognized me.
“Good to see you this morning, Mr. James.”
I nodded and smiled as we walked on to take the glass encased elevator that gave us a 360 view of the lobby and ground floor facilities as we climbed to the fifth floor.
The new Head of Operations was waiting for us when we got off the elevator.
“Mr. James.”
“Good morning.” I turned to Summer. “I wanted to introduce you two. Summer, this is Francis Knowles who will have a load of responsibility as this thing gets off the ground here at TechUp. Running the American branch is going to be quite a task.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Summer.”
“We were expecting that shipment of supplies from BHT,” I said. “Has it come in?”
“Not yet, sir but it shouldn’t be long.”
“Good,” I said. “And the automated assembly. Is everything running smoothly?”
“We had a bit of a glitch yesterday, but that mechanic that you hired got right on it, found the adjustment that needed to be made and everything is running as it should now.”
“Good,” I said again. “Glad to hear it. Well,” I went on. “Well, I’m going to show Summer a bit more of the facilities and then we’re heading off to lunch.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Summer said with a friendly smile.
Francis smiled and nodded. “Same here.”
I led Summer to my office. One portion of the windows gave me a view of the mountains in the distant and a glimpse of the ocean. But when I went to th
e left, I had a perfect bird’s eye view of the facilities below thanks to the glassed ceiling.
“Wow,” Summer said. “You really went all out.”
“It might seem frivolous to have such an extravagant office, but this really is the place where I want quiet and peace when I need to think things through.”
“And what’s in here?” she said as she put her hand to a doorknob.
“It’s a full bathroom,” I said as she opened the door.
All in deep blue, the room was like a cocoon that instantly calmed me when the stress of running the company became overwhelming.
“This is really beautiful,” she said as she looked at the tiled room. “Mind if I go in to freshen up a bit?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“Hey, Parker,” Ace called from the doorway to my office.
“Yeah.”
“I thought I heard your voice.” He looked around. “Who were you talking to?”
“Summer. She’s in the bathroom”
“Oh. I need to talk to you.”
“Is it urgent?” I said.
He shrugged.
“We were about to head out to grab some lunch. Why don’t you join us?”
“Cool. Where are you guys going?”
“That Italian place I told you about,” I said. “La Noche Luna.”
“Great,” Ace said. “I just have to go over something with Francis and I’m out of here. I’m starving. I’ll meet you guys there.”
“Okay. See you then,” I said.
He left just as Summer came out of the bathroom.
“I think that’s the closest thing to a spa that I’ve ever seen in an office.”
“That’s the idea,” I said with a grin. “Ready to go?”
“Yep.”
We headed out with Summer pointing to various points of interest in the original architecture of the building. I was proud of the building, proud of the ingenuity that went into making it so out of the ordinary. The original architecture went hand in hand with the mindset of TechUp: think outside the box, then make it happen.
We got into my car and I took the scenic route to get to the restaurant.
“It smells fantastic in here,” Summer said as we were brought to a table with a view of the rocky shoreline.
Only a handful of tables were occupied before the real lunch hour rush arrived.
I ordered a bottle of wine, then looked at the menu. I hope you don’t mind,” I said as I perused the options. “Ace will be coming to join us as soon as he’s finished with Francis.”
“Ah,” she said with a smile. “The ever elusive Ace.”
Since hooking up with her, the timing had always been such that they never had meals together and never actually met face to face. They were like ships in the night that were just vaguely aware of the other’s existence. I think Ace purposely tried to not be there to give me the privacy with Summer. Good kid.
“Well,” I said. “It’s about time you two officially meet.”
“Do you think maybe he’s been deliberately avoiding me?” Summer said.
“No,” I said. “If anything, he may have just wanted to respect my privacy… giving us plenty of time home alone.”
Grasping her hand, I leaned into kiss her. “He knows how I love spending time with you.”
“That’s very considerate of him,” she said. “Most roommates in that sort of situation only exacerbate the problem… the lack of privacy.”
“Oh,” I said, looking over her shoulder. “And here he comes. He’s a little uneasy around pretty girls, so don’t be surprised if he’s a little… you know… awkward.”
“Sure,” she said with an understanding grin.
Ace sauntered over to our table and pulled back the chair beside me. “Hey,” he said flippantly. “Have you guys ordered yet?”
“No,” I said. “We were waiting for you. You know, this is almost a special occasion. The first time that you two actually meet face to face.”
Ace smiled. “Carol, right?” he said with a teasing grin.
“Smart ass,” I said as I slapped his arm with the back of my hand. “Summer, this is my roommate, my right arm, my nagging little adoptive brother in a sense… Ace.”
She offered him her hand which he reluctantly took to gently shake it. “Nice to meet you,” she said.
“Same here,” he said, quickly releasing her hand to pick up the menu. “I have a hankering for a nice cheesy lasagna. How about you guys?”
I shot an apologetic glance at Summer and shrugged.
Unfazed by Ace’s cool reception, she smiled and picked up her menu. “Lasagna sounds good,” she said. “I think I’ll try it, too.”
The waiter came around to bring the wine and take our orders.
“We’ll have two lasagnas,” I said, pointing my fingers at Ace and Summer. “And I’ll have the linguini carbonara.”
He nodded as he made a mental note of our order and poured wine into each of our glasses.
“You’re awfully young to have so much responsibility,” Summer said, trying to ease into a conversation with Ace.
Without looking up at her, he shrugged. “I’m a quick learner.”
I wanted to kick him under the table for being so rude. What the hell was wrong with him?
“Truth is,” I said, “I taught him everything he knows.”
He glanced up at me as he took a sip of wine. “I think I taught you a few handy things, too.”
“Like what?” Summer said, once again trying to engage him.
When he didn’t answer, I glared at him and he turned on the charm.
“I have a way with computers,” he said, looking directly at her. “I have an understanding that runs deep… almost as if I were a robot. I just see something, and I immediately understand what it means, what it can do, what it can’t.”
“So, you just have that natural intuition when it comes to this sort of thing,” Summer said.
I could see that she was doing her best to be friendly and open with Ace, while he was forcing himself to be only moderately polite.
The tension became palpable by the time our plates arrived.
“Oh,” Summer said as she took a bite. “This is divine. What kind of cheese do they put in this? Romano? Provolone?”
Ace just shrugged as he took another bite. “It’s cheese” he grumbled.
Damn it! I bit my tongue as I once again glared at him.
“You’ll have to excuse Ace,” I finally said. I had to do something to ease the tension. “As I mentioned earlier, his time around lovely women is limited. He tends to let his nerves get the best of him.”
He shot a pleasant enough smile at Summer. “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve spent too much time with computers and not enough with women. I don’t mean any offense.”
She smiled at him.
What a warm hearted and understanding person she was. She clearly had no hard feelings for Ace. All she saw was a very young and inexperienced man who didn’t know how to converse like an adult.
“Oh, my God,” Summer softly let out as she looked clear across the room to the man who had just entered the restaurant.
The tall, lean but muscular man wore a dark baseball cap and kept his sunglasses on.
I looked to Summer. “What is it? Who is that?”
As her eyes remained on the newcomer at the door, I caught Ace’s persistent stare.
“What?” I mouthed silently.
He simply and inexplicably gestured toward Summer with a tip of his head.
Confused and frustrated by his attitude, I shrugged and turned my attention to the newcomer who was now coming our way.
“Well, well, well,” the tall man said. “Fancy seeing you here.”
I looked at Summer then back up at the man who seemed determined to keep his identity a secret.
“Incognito again, Rob?” Summer said. “I thought you said you liked being spotted by your fans.”
Rob? Rob Raven?
Shit!
I immediately tensed up as I shot a glance at Ace. Despite being a huge fan, he, too, was now on guard.
“You know how it is,” Rob said as he pulled off his sunglasses and looked at Summer. “Fans tend to cause a scene when they see me. I have more respect for this establishment than that.”
“Right,” Summer said with a grin.
“Mind if I join you guys?” Rob said, pulling a chair out before we could answer him. “I hate eating alone.”
“Sure,” Summer said as she glanced at me.
I forced a smile and nodded at Rob, though I was far from happy with the situation. I shot a glance at Ace and saw that he was unhappy with Rob’s intrusion as well.
“How’s the lasagna?” Rob said to Ace.
“Good,” Ace grunted, refusing to elaborate as he took another bite.
“It really is good, Rob,” Summer said, trying so hard to keep the atmosphere light and friendly. “The cheese is fantastic, and the sauce is really good.”
“Not too spicy?” Rob said. “You know how I don’t like food that’s too spicy.”
“No,” she said, reassuring him. “It’s not too spicy.”
Ace glared sidelong at him, his scrutinizing gaze looking Rob up and down.
I knew what he was thinking; the same thing that I was thinking… Did Stanley send him over to check on us?
But as Rob ordered his lasagna and accepted a glass of wine, it became more and more clear that he didn’t recognize either of us. That, or he didn’t remember seeing us at the show.
For the most part, he kept his eyes on Summer. While it was a relief to find that he had no interest in knowing who Ace or I were, it was disconcerting to see just how intent he was on Summer.
“You guys from around here?” Rob said as his lasagna arrived.
“We just settled in a while ago,” Ace said.
“Malibu sure is a cool place to live,” Rob went on. “There’s always something to do out here. If you don’t like to swim, you can surf. If you don’t like to surf, you can walk along the beach. If you don’t like the beach, you can head to the mountains. And then if you want to get a little bit of shopping in… well…”
“Yes,” I said politely. “We’ve been keeping pretty busy since we’ve been here.”
