“You always were a smart girl.” He replies smugly. “I’ll be back a week from today. Nine p.m. sharp. Not a minute later. Am I making myself clear?”
“Crystal.”
With that, he turns and casually saunters out of my office. I stand there, motionless until I stop hearing the receding footsteps. I fall back into my chair, releasing the breath I didn’t know I was holding.
4 years ago…
When I walk into my apartment, it’s pitch black. The door was locked and it is quiet as a mouse, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that she is here. I tug at my tie, loosening it as I walk straight toward my bedroom. The darkness is cut by the dim flickering light that peeks from underneath the door. My lips spread into a smile as my hand finds the doorknob. I notice the scattered candles as I walk in, they create a warm golden glow that relieves some of the darkness in the room. My attention is pulled to the goddess that is sitting on the edge of my bed. Her golden eyes are shining in the candle light and fixed on me. My eyes greedily roam across her perfect body that is wrapped like a perfect present in some delicate lacy lingerie. Her long legs are crossed and look even longer with the kind of mile-high stilettos she knows I love for her to wear. Images of those legs around my neck while I feast on the most intimate part of her flash through my brain and I start to feel confined inside my pants.
“You’ve kept me waiting, Mr. Hardwick.” She croons.
Fuck if she isn’t the sexiest creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“Oh, believe me, Lady Kingsley. If I had known what was waiting for me, I’d have been home hours ago.”
I remove my tie and start to undo my buttons as I make my way over to her.
“What do you have there?”
I know she’s referring to the small gift bag in my hand, but I decide to have a little fun.
“Where?”
“In your hand.” She replies with an adorable grin.
“Oh, this?” I say as I dangle it in front of her. “This might be part of the reason I was a little later than I wanted to be.”
She reaches for it and I pull it back. With my free hand, I anchor her chin between my thumb and index finger. The pouty look on her face tugs at the corners of my mouth. I lean in and gently press my lips on hers. “Happy anniversary, baby,” I whisper against her lips.
She throws her arms around my neck and pulls me into another kiss. I happily oblige. When it comes to Mikaela, I am always like a starving man. Willing to lie, beg and steal for even a crumb of her time. After a moment she pulls back and peers into my eyes.
“Happy anniversary.” She croaks.
“Can I unwrap my present now?” I ask her as I wiggle my eyebrows.
“Me first!” she says with a smirk as she reaches for the gift bag once more.
This time, I let her have it. The best thing about giving Mikaela a present is watching her open it. She’s like a little kid on Christmas morning, so eager to see what is inside that she doesn’t waste time by finding the best way to open a package. Nope, my girl starts ripping into it like a savage animal rips into its prey. And it is fucking adorable to watch. She has made short work of the wrapping paper and gasps as she opens the box.
“Oh, Eric.” She whispers as she lifts the delicate necklace from the box.
I take the necklace from Mik and move behind her on the bed to put it on.
“It’s spectacular.” She tells me as she fingers the diamond studded key pendant. “Thank you, babe.”
“It’s pretty, sure. But spectacular? No, spectacular takes on a whole new meaning once one knows you.”
“You have a silver tongue, counselor.” She says with a chuckle.
I kiss the top of her head. “Hush woman, I am just stating facts.”
“Awe you lurve me.”
I can’t see her face, but I know she’s rolling her eyes as she says those words.
“You’re spectacular, and I love you.”
She turns to face me.
“I love you more.”
“Inconceivable.” I reply.
She grins at my reference to her favorite movie.
“You have not opened you present yet.” She says suggestively as she runs her hand across my abdomen.
“Don’t mind if I do.” I tell her as I pick her up by the waist and deposit her onto my bed.
She giggles. “Not me, silly.”
“Oh baby, I beg to differ. You are most definitely the best present I will ever have.”
I hungrily crush my mouth on hers and she eagerly returns my oral assault. I pull at the string tied around her neck so I can have better access and find that I have an unexpected added bonus of freeing her magnificent breasts. I lean in and take her swollen bosoms in my hands, guiding the tight rosy bud into my mouth. She moans and that glorious sound has my cock stirring to attention. My phone starts to ring, and the ringtone indicates who it is without having to look. We jump off of each other in a flash and sit up straight. It’s as effective as a bucket of ice-water. I choose to ignore the call, but I know that will not get him off my back. My best friend is nothing if not tenacious. I groan loudly as I pull my cell from my pocket and throw it across the room. It starts ringing again before it hits the floor.
Fuck.
We both fall back onto the bed and I pull her toward me. She rests her head on my chest. We lay there for a bit, not speaking while we wait for the phone to stop ringing. “We can’t keep doing this Mik. Maybe we should tell Mika about us.?”
I can feel her heart rate accelerate. “Breathe, baby.” I tell her as I brush my lips across her temple.
“He won’t be happy.” She says weakly.
“I suspect that he mostly will be pissed about us hiding it for two years, my love.”
Mikaela takes a deep breath. “You’re right. He should know. I am tired of sneaking around. We are in love, we should not have to hide that.”
“We shouldn’t.”
“No time like the present. Let’s go and get this over with.”
* * *
I hardly ever feel nervous. I nearly never dread any situation. But this time, I know that I am in the wrong. Even though we technically are not doing anything wrong, the fact that we’ve been hiding it makes it wrong. And honestly, I am not sure why we’ve kept it from him this long. At first, I was waiting for Mik to be ready. But then it just became our normal. I think that the more time went by, the harder it became for us to come forward. It isn’t the first time we have discussed telling Mika, and a few times we have even been close. It just never really seemed to work out. We are headed to a bar that is one of Mika’s favorite spots. The Spade is like a giant buffet for him. He does love the ladies. He’s never been shy about that. I squeeze her hand as we exit the cab and flash her a reassuring smile. When I open the door, we are greeted by music and the murmur of low voices. The smell of alcohol, sweat, and cloying perfume hangs in the air as we make our way through the sea of people who want to be seen. It isn’t long before we spot Mika sitting at a table with some blonde draped over him. My mouth instantly turns dry. I look over at Mikaela who looks positively annoyed. She isn’t exactly a fan of Mika’s loose lifestyle or any of the gold digging bimbo’s he likes to entertain. Mika Kingsley is my best friend and I love the man like a brother. I believe with every fiber of my being that he would die before harming a hair on his sister’s head. But that is the only female he gives two fucks about. To Mika, women are walking pleasure machines that are to be used once and discarded. I think that Mik is the only person on the planet that thinks that he will find love one day. And while I would love nothing more than for him to find someone to share his life with, I think he’s too jaded for that. Mikaela marches ahead of me, arms folded. She reaches the table and gives the girl hanging onto her brother the once over. Mika looks up at her amused, waiting for what is going to come out of her mouth.
“Hello.” She says sweetly.
The blonde looks up with an uninterested look on her face.
> “Hello there,” Mika says stoically.
My goddess ignores her brother and directs her attention to tonight’s catch. “Ivy League and I have some family business to discuss. If you would please make your way to the bar, get yourself a drink on pretty boy’s tab, that would be great, thanks.”
Mika’s brow goes up to his hairline, clearly intrigued by how this is going to play out. The blonde doesn’t budge and puffs up. “And why would I do that? Anything you have to say to him, you can say in front of me. Right babe?” she says with unfounded confidence.
I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. Mikaela scoffs before she turns to me to shoot me a “is this broad for real?” look.
“Listen, um I am guessing Brandi with an i? The grown-ups need to talk here. Scram.” Mikaela says eerily calm.
“Now you listen to me, Bitch, and you listen to me good. I—.”
“Did you just call my sister a bitch?” Mika interrupts.
The blonde’s eyes widen some as she stutters her way through a half assed apology.
“Goodnight.” Mika says simply.
She stares at him in shock, not quite sure if she can believe what she has just heard.
“Are you serious?”
“Deadly.”
“Do you have any idea who I am?” she exclaims perturbed.
“I honestly don’t ever remember your name. But you disrespected my sister, and I need you to get the fuck away from me.”
My inner attorney wants to settle this with minimal damage. So, I step forward with a smile on my face. “Ma’am, Mr. Kingsley and his sister have some things to discuss. Why don’t I escort you outside and grab you a cab? I will make sure it is taken care of, off course.” I say as kindly as I can muster up.
“Fuck this.” She hisses. “And fuck you, Kingsley.” She says as she rises to her feet and picks up her purse.
I force myself not to laugh at her pathetic pretense of leaving with her dignity, especially since her behavior was clearly undignified when we approached. I motion for her to lead the way, but she surprises me by refusing.
“I am good. I don’t need an escort. I don’t want to be where I am not wanted.” She says her voice laced with venom.
She storms off and disappears into the crowd. Mikaela and I both slide on either side of the booth.
“Why are you already drinking this early?” Lady Kingsley demands.
Mika rolls his eyes and pulls out his cell. He types something and places the phone flat on the table sliding it up some, so that we can all see. Yet another article condemning the Kingsley name. It seems that some people insist on comparing Mika to his dirt bag father, even years after nobody has heard from him.
“Fuck what people say.” Mikaela says fiercely.
“Yes, the people that are important, they know that you are nothing like your sperm donor.” I chime in.
“You know what I love about you two?” Mika announces, tongue clearly thickened by the alcohol.
“What’s that.” Mikaela asks with a grin.
“The two of you are the only people in the world that I can trust. The only two people that would never lie to me.”
Her eyes snap over to mine and I know she feels the same stab in her chest that I do.
“I see we caught you after a few drinks.” I say, trying to lighten the mood.
“No, no. I mean it. I know that you two would never betray me. The two of you have my back. Always have, always will. And I will have yours. No questions asked.”
“I know you do man, we love you.”
Mika throws his arm around me and pulls me toward him.
“You know when I knew for sure that I could trust you?” he says pointing at nothing in particular.
“What’s that?” I reply, not without amusement in my tone.
“I asked you to help me protect my sister, and you always have. You’ve always protected her like a brother, and I cannot thank you enough for that.”
I feel like I have just been punched to the gut. Mikaela searches my face again, and her gold irises connect with my silver ones. We converse in silence, realizing that right now, is probably not the time.
2 and a half years ago…
I can feel the warmth of his breath tickle my ear as he leans in and tells me with a low growl; “Let’s get out of here…I need to feel you.”
Shivers run down my spine as his words blanket me. I glance over at Mika, who is talking to some business associate across the room. He immediately turns and looks at me. Our twinection game is real. I feel like he can read my thoughts and although I usually relish the fact that we can practically read each other’s minds, right now I really don’t want him to. Because my mind is consumed with thoughts of naked sweaty bodies and tangled limbs. Specifically, Eric Hardwick’s naked body intertwined with mine.
“We can’t…” I whisper. “They will notice we are gone.”
He smirks. “Who is they? Because I don’t give a flying fuck about they.”
I roll my eyes. “You know I meant Mika.”
Eric’s grey eyes are stormy as they peer into mine.
“You can leave your brother to me. But you better prepare yourself, because one way or another, you will be beneath me, on top of me, and my mouth will have covered every inch of your magnificent body before the night is out.”
His mouth might as well have been directly on the most private part of me, because just those words have the heat pooling between my thighs. Even if I wanted to resist—which I don’t—it would be futile. I am putty in this man’s masterfully skilled hands. And as much as he seems to be wanting me right now, I want him even more. I bite my lip and nod my head.
“I’ll meet you at my place in twenty.” He tells me.
I nod once and my gaze settles on my twin brother. He seems to be in deep conversation, so I take advantage and slip out. I head straight for the elevator and press the button. I bite my lip as I fish the executive key that allows me to call for the elevator faster, out of my purse. The button on the operational panel lights up. I am relieved when the doors immediately slide open after pressing the call button. But just as I think I’ve made my undetected getaway, I hear my name being called behind me. For a split second, I consider pretending that I didn’t hear him.
“Mikaela.” He repeats more urgently.
Fuck.
I know that I cannot pretend I didn’t hear him. So, I watch the metal doors slide to a close and I sigh, before forcing a smile and turning around to face my brother. “Yes, Ivy League?”
He rolls his eyes at the nickname I know he hates to love.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yeah…I’m not feeling so good. I thought I would head on home.”
Mika cocks his head and strides towards me with purpose. “You okay? What’s wrong with you?”
His tone is urgent and demanding. I immediately feel a heavy knot inside my belly, I have been lying to him for a long time, and I hate it. I’m literally riddled with guilt.
This is what I get for lying. I begrudgingly think to myself.
“I am fine really, just…lady problems.”
Mika’s nose wrinkles.
Bingo.
“Okay, I don’t need to hear anything else. Call me when you get home.”
I nod. “I will, I promise.” I tell him as I step on the tips of my toes to peck his cheek.
I press the button once more and the doors slide back open moments later. I muster up a smile and Mika watches me until the doors shut. I back up against the cool glass of the elevator wall and absentmindedly stare at the sign that states the maximum capacity. The elevator indicates it is stopping just a few floors down. I frown, because besides the guests at the party and security down on the ground floor, the building is empty, and unless you have a key, you have to be escorted. I take a step forward and my heart rate accelerates as the squeaky brakes squeeze the elevator wires. My eyes are fixed on the doors as they slide open. Before I can blink, my back is pressed against the
cool elevator glass wall. I should be scared, but I recognize the arms around me, the firm but gentle way he holds me.
“I didn’t want to wait.” He growls.
He leans down and captures my mouth with his as his hands slide down and urge me to wrap my legs around him. My body obeys him without question. My hands fist into his unruly locks and I pull him closer against me. His kiss is greedy, passionate and I respond in kind. Tongues are intertwined, our impatience apparent by the clashing of teeth.
“I need to feel you, baby.” He tells me as he slides a finger through my swollen folds.
The feeling is mutual. Even after all this time, I want him more than I want my next breath.
“Then take me.” I demand.
I don’t have to ask twice, he slides my panties aside and sinks into me. I gasp as his engorged flesh fills me to the hilt and he doesn’t take it slow. This isn’t lovemaking. This right here is the fulfillment of our primal need for each other. This here is a good old fashion fuck. He slams into me, showing no mercy and I welcome each punishing stroke. I am consumed by the fullness, both between my legs and inside my chest. Because even right now during this epitome of carnality I am filled with utter adoration for this man. This man that makes me feel smart, funny, and so fucking desirable. There is nothing more incredible than a man who is in tune with your needs. Eric always seems to know when I need him to be sweet and take his time, or when I need him to be like he is right now. I roll my hips, meeting him thrust for delicious thrust. And it isn’t long before I can feel the tightness build deep inside my core. I can feel my walls clenching the length of him as the spasms shudder through my body. It pulls him over the edge and with a few final fierce strokes he follows me as he gasps my name. In total contrast of what just happened, he kisses me with a tenderness that literally makes me weak in the knees. Eric gently lowers me to the ground and it’s only now that I realize that he’s used a key to stop the elevator from being called. I can feel myself flush when I realize that it didn’t even occur to me that someone might call this elevator. I pull the skirt of my dress down as the elevator starts to descend.
Reclaiming Tomorrow: Kingsley Series Book 3 Page 5
