She rose onto her toes, bringing her ass higher. He ran his hands over each cheek, squeezing and earning more delicious sounds. He had to taste her one last time, and dropped to his knees, palming her ass as he spread her cheeks and slicked his tongue over her arousal.
“Oh God,” she said huskily, pushing her ass farther up in the air as he licked her again.
He rose to his feet, nestling his cock against her entrance. He put one hand on her shoulder, one on her waist, and drove into her with a single deep thrust, burying himself to the root.
“Oh, Justin—”
He stilled. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head, and it dropped between her shoulders. “No,” she panted out. “You just feel so good, I could come again.”
Just hearing her say that made his cock ache. “Come, baby. Come all over my cock.”
He began moving at a quicker pace. She was so tight, so wet, and she took him so deep, it wasn’t long before heat skated down his spine. He put one hand around her middle, using his fingers to send her skyrocketing at the same time as lights exploded behind his closed lids and he lost all control. Their pleasure-filled sounds hung in the air as their bodies slapped together, and his name sailed from her lips. “Justin—yes! Oh…Justin—” She clung to the desk, driving her hips back, meeting his every thrust as he pounded into her through the very last pulse of his powerful release.
He collapsed over her back, one arm around her waist, the other holding him up. “God, baby, you fucking own me.” He held her there, both of them trembling as he kissed her neck and whispered, “I love you.” He lifted his chest off her back, rubbing his hands along her body, massaging her arms, shoulders, hips, and thighs. Then he pressed a kiss to her lower back and said, “I need to see your face, sweetheart.”
He helped her up and gathered her in his arms. “I kind of lost my mind at the end. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No, and I know you never will.”
She wound her arms around his neck, and he felt himself getting lost in the love brimming in her eyes. He brushed his lips over hers and said, “What do think, heartbreaker?”
“Best Fourth ever.” She pressed her lips to his and said, “How will we ever top that next year, Mr. Wicked?”
“I don’t know, Ms. Mallery, but we’ll sure as hell have fun trying.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
THE NEXT FEW days passed in a blur of busy days, steamy nights, and I love yous. Justin had made plans for Chloe’s birthday dinner, and though he wouldn’t tell her where they were going, he’d said to plan for something fancy. She’d gone out for dinner and dress shopping with Madigan and Marly last night while Justin was at church, and she’d ended up buying two dresses. One for their dinner date and one for work. She’d also bought new sexy black lingerie made by Leather and Lace, which Marly had informed her was co-designed by Jace Stone and renowned fashion designer Jillian Braden.
Chloe stood by her office window thinking about the weekend. She’d been swamped with guilt and sadness when she’d ended the phone call with her mother, but after the hike with Justin, she knew she’d done the right thing, and in the days since, a great weight had lifted from her shoulders. She could finally move forward without fear of being yanked back to the craziness of her mother’s unstable life.
A text rolled in from Serena as she sat down at her desk. Can we do your birthday lunch at 12:30 instead of 12? Emery’s morning sickness has gotten worse. She should be ok by then.
Chloe’s thoughts drifted back to Great Island. Ever since she told Justin how she felt about having children, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. The advice she’d given Serena about taking her mother out of the equation when making life decisions had never been more valuable than when it came to her own future, and she finally felt free to heed it. Without her mother in the picture, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Her programs were running smoothly, and today Alan was going to give her his decision about funding the puppetry trial.
Another text bubble popped up from Serena, jarring Chloe from her thoughts. Since you’re not seeing Justin until dinner on your birthday, can we steal you for the whole afternoon? Girls’ day on the beach? A girls’ day on the beach sounded wonderful.
“Chloe?” Shelby called over the intercom.
Chloe sent a quick reply to Serena agreeing to the time and said, “Yes?”
“Reba Wicked is on line two for you.”
Reba had called Tuesday morning with follow-up questions about the facilities. It had sounded as if they were leaning toward moving Mike into the property. Chloe had made a point not to talk with Justin about his family’s decision. She didn’t want to put any pressure on them.
“Thanks, Shelby.” She picked up the phone. “Hi, Reba. How are you?”
“I’m doing great today, thank you. I’m calling to let you know that we’ve decided to move forward with the facility for Mike. I’ll be filling out the paperwork this week.”
“That’s wonderful. You won’t regret it.”
“We all feel very good about it. It will be strange not having him in the house, but it’s probably best that he has his freedom.”
“That seems very important to him.”
“I know, and I understand it, although that puts us one step closer to being empty nesters again,” Reba said with a sigh. “Mads is staying with us while she’s in town, but once she finds a place to live, that’ll be it.”
“You don’t sound like you’re looking forward to that.”
“Parenting is a funny thing, Chloe. When you raise children, you have days when you’re not sure how you’ll survive, and as they get older, you wonder how you’ll survive without them.” Her tone turned solemn and she said, “And then there are parents who survive their children, and you wonder how they manage.”
“I can’t imagine,” Chloe said softly.
“Hopefully you won’t ever have to. Lord knows if it were up to my son, he’d build you a perfect world in which hardships didn’t exist.”
Chloe felt herself smiling. “He is very protective of me, but he seems that way about everyone he’s close to.”
“Yes, all our children are. I’m not one to meddle in my kids’ lives, but I have never seen Justin happier, and I know that’s because of you. So I am going to meddle, just this once. He loves you, sweetheart, and the Wicked men are a passionate group. They tend to act first and think about consequences later. If he gets too protective and you feel smothered, I hope you’ll find a way to let him know so he can try to fix it. He’s got a really good heart, but even big, strong men can be scared of losing the things they love most.”
Chloe realized how much Reba must like them as a couple for her to trust Chloe with her motherly advice. “Don’t worry, Reba. I’m no pushover. I have no trouble speaking my mind.”
“I gathered as much. My boy could never be this happy with a woman who wasn’t every bit his equal, and then some. But as a mother, it doesn’t matter how old your kids get, the worrying never ends. I’d better let you go before I get myself in trouble by rambling on about him or how wonderful everyone thinks you are. Thank you again for being so patient with my questions the other day, sweetheart. I know we’re doing the right thing for Mike.”
Chloe had no sooner taken a breath after she ended the call than Alan walked into her office. She tried to read his expression, hoping he’d approved the funding for her program, but he had a half smile on his face that gave nothing away.
“Hi, Alan. I was just wrapping up a few things before coming to see you.”
“I was in your neck of the woods and thought I’d save you the walk down the hall.”
He walked around her desk and sat on the corner of it. She shifted in her seat, glad he was sitting and wouldn’t be encroaching any further into her personal space. His eyes swept over her desk and then briefly over her. Justin’s worries trickled through her mind, and she tucked her legs beneath her desk.
“
That’s a pretty new dress,” Alan said without a hint of innuendo. “It’s only appropriate that you’re wearing something new to celebrate the news that your trial program has been approved.”
“It has?” she exclaimed. “That’s fantastic. Thank you, Alan. I know this program will make a difference in the lives of our residents.”
He stood up and extended his hand. “Congratulations, Chloe. You’re doing great things here.” She rose and shook his hand. He put his other hand over hers and said, “With my support, there’s no limit to how far you can go.”
“Thank you for your vote of confidence,” she said as he released her hand. “It means the world to me.”
“I wish you’d consider attending that conference with me this weekend. It could be beneficial to your career.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t. It’s my birthday this weekend, and Justin has already made plans for us.”
“Justin Wicked?” he said with an air of distaste.
She held her head high and said, “Yes, Justin Wicked.”
His eyes narrowed. “I thought you said you weren’t dating him.”
“I wasn’t when you asked, but things have changed.”
“Have they? Or were you keeping the truth from me so I’d hire him to do the work on my patio? Because that would be very disappointing. We rely on each other, Chloe, working closely to achieve the things we both want. Trust is everything, don’t you agree?”
His accusatory tone made her feel defensive. “Of course. Why would I lie about something like that?”
“I don’t know, Chloe. Maybe I’m wrong and you just got tired of waiting. I thought we were on the same page that some things simply cannot be rushed.”
“I didn’t rush, Alan. I’ve known Justin for a long time, and quite frankly, it’s none of your business.”
“Chloe?” Shelby’s voice came through the intercom.
Glad for the interruption, Chloe said, “Yes, Shelby?”
“Is Alan still in your office? His wife is on the line, and she said it’s important.”
“Yes, he’s right here.”
“I’ll take it in my office,” Alan said sharply, and headed for the door.
“Thanks again for the approval on the project,” she called after him. She closed her office door and picked up her phone to call Justin, her happiness about the project pushing aside Alan’s bizarre comments.
“How’s my girl?”
“Fantastic. I got the funding for the puppetry program!”
“That’s awesome, babe. You deserve it. Have you told Mads yet?”
“No. Alan just left my office and I wanted to share the news with you first.”
“I’m so proud of you. I don’t like that Rogers guy, but I’m glad he did the right thing. He didn’t get touchy with you, did he?”
“No. I told you he was weird, but not like that. Although he did kind of get under my skin just now.”
“What did he do?” he asked with an edge to his voice.
“He brought up a conference in Boston this weekend that I’d opted out of, and when I said you’d made plans for us for my birthday, he basically asked if I’d lied about dating you so he’d hire Cape Stone to do his patio. I thought that was weird.”
“Real fucking weird,” Justin fumed. “Your personal life is none of his business, and you’re not a liar, Chloe. I don’t like him accusing you like that. I need to have a talk with him.”
“No, Justin, you don’t. I appreciate your support, but I didn’t just kowtow to him. I addressed it, and this is the first time he’s said anything like that. I can handle myself, and if he brings it up again, I’ll let him know in no uncertain terms that I don’t appreciate being accused of something I’d never do. Okay?”
“No, it’s not okay, but I get it, so I’ll back off.”
“Thank you,” she said sweetly. “I know you hate that.”
“Like a motherfucker.”
She smiled at his vehemence. “Well, we do have something to celebrate tonight since the funding came through, so maybe I can figure out a way to wash away all that irritation. I bought a few pieces of Leather and Lace lingerie while I was out with the girls last night. Maybe a fashion show would help ease your pain.”
“The thought of you in leather and lace has just obliterated my ability to think of anything else. The only pain I’ll be feeling is driving home with a hard-on.”
“I promise to ease all your pains and kiss all your boo-boos better.”
“Just kiss?” His words were laden with lust.
“Kiss, lick, suck…”
“Shit, Chloe, you’d better be in your car in five minutes, or I’m coming over there to christen your desk.”
She heated up at that idea.
“I need to call Mads. Then I’ll meet you at home.” In her most seductive voice, she said, “Race you to the bedroom, Mr. Wicked?”
He chuckled. “We never make it to the bedroom.”
“I know…”
CHLOE SURE KNEW how to take Justin’s mind off things. She had done such a good job of distracting Justin last night, he’d forgotten about her conversation with Alan until breakfast this morning. When he’d brought it up, she’d brushed it off as no big deal, but it was almost noon and Justin had been at Cape Stone working all morning, and it was still grating on his nerves.
“The guy is fucking with us,” Blaine said when he strode into Justin’s office.
Justin looked up from the contract he was reviewing and said, “Rogers again?”
Their guys had been making good headway on his patio, but last week Alan Rogers had called to make a significant design change. Their guys had been forced to rip out the work they’d done and start over.
Blaine nodded and sank into the chair across from Justin.
Justin ground out a curse. “I told you I didn’t like the guy. He’s a sniveling prick.”
“No shit, Maverick. You also said he was Chloe’s boss and that we should suck it up and make it happen.”
“That still holds true. What does he want now?”
“To change the stone. All of it.”
“He is definitely fucking with us. He got miffed when he found out Chloe was my old lady.”
Blaine leaned forward, elbows on knees, leveling a serious stare on Justin. “Something we need to take care of?”
He shook his head and said, “Chloe handled it.”
“You good with that?”
“No, I’m not good with that,” Justin snapped. “But I’m also not a dick. Rogers hasn’t crossed any lines. I can’t hang him by his balls for asking her a question or giving me and Tank shitty looks. Chloe says she can handle him. I’ll give her the space to do it, but if he crosses a line, I’ll kill him.”
“Okay. So what do you want to do about our issue?”
Justin narrowed his eyes, thinking about wringing Alan’s neck.
Blaine shook his head. “Let me rephrase that. What do you want to do about it that will keep you out of jail?”
“He thinks he’s got us bent over a barrel because of Chloe. Let’s show the pompous prick that we own his ass. Charge him for the stone we tore out and leave it on his property. Tell him we can’t restock it without risking chips and cracks. If he wants us to haul it away, then charge him for that, too. But let him know we can’t get to that for another week. Let’s let him feel the pain of these changes. If that doesn’t put a stop to him jerking our chain, I will.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Blaine looked at his watch and said, “Do you know why Mads wants to have lunch with us?”
“She’s been helping me with something for Chloe’s birthday. I figured it was about that and didn’t think to ask.”
“When is she getting here?”
“Right now,” their sister said as she breezed into the office wearing a bikini top and cutoffs. She plunked her pink helmet and her beach bag on Justin’s desk and said, “What’s going on? Are you in a rush for lunch?”
“I ju
st want to get out of here and blow off some steam.” Blaine pushed to his feet as Marly came through the doors in her bikini top and shorts.
“Hi, guys. I hope you don’t mind that Mads invited me to tag along.” Marly set a large purse on the chair and fanned her face. “Boy, it’s hot out there.”
Blaine raked his eyes down her body and said, “It just got a hell of a lot hotter in here.”
Marly smirked. “Thanks, big guy.”
“Hi, Marly.” Justin glowered at Madigan and said, “Where’s your shirt? You shouldn’t be riding around topless.”
“It’s a bazillion degrees out there,” Madigan said.
“Shirt, Mads,” Justin said. “Now.”
“God!” Madigan grabbed her bag from the desk and said, “Why don’t you yell at Marly? It’s not like guys don’t see me on the beach like this.”
“Marly doesn’t drive something with only two wheels. On the beach you’re supposed to be wearing a bathing suit, but you don’t need to distract drivers on the road and end up getting hit by some asshole who’s paying more attention to your body than to driving.”
“I’ve got my shirt.” Marly pulled a shirt from her bag.
Blaine put his hand over hers and said, “No need to put your shirt on, Mar. I’m about to turn up the heat in here even more.” He whipped off his shirt, flashing an arrogant grin.
“Real suave, bro,” Justin said with a shake of his head.
Marly’s eyes were locked on Blaine’s abs. “He might not be suave, but the view is greatly appreciated.”
“This is not happening.” Madigan stepped between them and put her hands on her hips, glaring at Blaine. “Put your shirt on before you end up in the supply room with Marly.”
Blaine looked over Madigan’s head at Marly and said, “What do you say? Up for a little inventory?”
“I usually like a guy to buy me a drink first,” Marly countered.
Madigan tipped her face up to the ceiling and sighed dramatically. “Please make it stop.”
“You mean you didn’t invite Marly to lunch with us so we could hook up?” Blaine teased.
A Little Bit Wicked (The Wickeds Page 34
