He stands up again, wrapping me into his arms, and this time I let him.
“Don’t go,” he whispers into my hair, and I nearly melt at his vulnerability.
I pull away so I can look at him. “Okay, but you have a lot of explaining to do.”
“All I wanna talk about right now is how damn sexy you look in this dress.” He pushes me toward his desk. “But also how sexy you’ll look once I pull it off you.”
He reaches one of his rough hands up under my dress, quickly finding me wet and ready.
“No panties, Ms. Monroe?” He nibbles on my earlobe.
I shake my head, unable to speak with his hands on my body like this. I’ve been wanting him for weeks. And even though this wasn’t how I imagined our first time as a couple, right now I can’t bring myself to care.
He pushes me down, so I’m now bent over the hard wood of his desk, and from behind me I hear him undoing his pants.
Once he’s rid himself of his clothes, he puts a firm hand to my back and lifts my dress to my waist with his other. He reaches around to feel the slickness between my thighs, and thankfully he’s holding onto me or I’d fall over.
He grips my hips and in the next second he’s slamming into me, and I scream. Thankfully, no one is in the office tonight, although I’m not sure how much I’d care if they heard us.
He pulls at my hair, licking along my neck, and soon, we’re both spiraling out of control.
We both pant, trying to catch our breath, but then he’s quick to pull out of me and in the next instant, his boxers and pants are back on.
I reach for a tissue on his desk, attempting to clean myself up, but I need to go to the bathroom.
He struts back to me and pulls my dress over my hips before reaching for the bourbon next to his computer.
“I have to finish up, but I’ll have Edward take you home.”
And I don’t think I’ve ever felt so used in all my life. I was pissed the night he kicked me out of his penthouse, but this is different. I feel dirty and used, and I want nothing more than to go home and wash this evening off my body.
I walk out of his office, not caring that he’s talking to me still. I’ve never been so humiliated, and I’m scared I’ll break down if I look at him.
Fifteen
Ian
I squint my eyes open at the insistent pounding of my head. What the?
“Get up!” I jump at the sound of Nellie yelling at me, and then realize that she’s been smacking me in the back of the head.
“What the hell?” I look around, remembering that I passed out in my office last night.
Events from the night before resurface.
“Were you drinking?” She whacks me again, and it’s doing nothing to help the freaking headache I have.
“Is Maddison here?” I ask, ignoring her question.
“No, she called in sick, which is a little ironic after all the events that took place yesterday.”
I grab my keys, phone, and wallet out of my desk drawer and sprint to the parking garage, needing to get to her. I’ve never been to her apartment, and this wasn’t how I hoped to experience it for the first time, but that’s my own damn fault.
The drive across town takes forever. I look down at the clock in my car and see that it’s exactly nine in the morning, so it’s no wonder. I pull into her complex and have to wrack my brain to remember her building number. The night I brought her here, it was the last thing on my mind. I was just excited that she agreed to be with me, and now I’m worried that I’ve lost her forever.
Thankfully, all the buildings are different colors and I remember that hers was blue. I find an empty spot and shift into park. I hold my breath, knowing that I’m going to have a fight on my hands. Not that I can blame her. I fucked up, not her.
I find her door and quickly rap on the navy blue wood twice, waiting for her to respond. After what feels like forever, her sister pulls it open.
“Can I help you?” She’s full of attitude.
“Is, uh,” I scratch at the back of my head, “Maddison here?”
“She doesn’t want to see you, Ian.”
Apparently, she knows what I did to her sister last night. Not that I can blame Maddison for telling anyone. I messed up big time, and I deserve anything that gets thrown at me.
“Can you at least tell her I came by?”
A glare braces her face. “Fine.”
I leave the apartment building, not feeling any better than I did before I came. I need to make this right, but I have no idea how to do that.
“Wait!” I hear behind me, right before I make it to my car. I turn at the sound of Chloe’s voice.
“Yeah?” I’m not sure if I’m going to get lashed out on or if she’ll help me.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hate your guts right now for what you did to Maddie, but I know how she feels about you.”
“I really fucked up.”
“More than fucked up. She’d kill me if she knew I was telling you this, but she spent the entire night crying over you never showing up for your date and then the way you treated her afterward. I don’t know the whole story, but I can tell you this: if you want to win her back, you’ll have to make it big.”
The thought of my girl weeping over me just about brings me to my knees, but I can’t think about that yet.
She turns back toward their building.
“Hold up.” I run to catch up with her. “You know more about her than I do. What’s something I could do for her that would mean a lot?”
A small smile lights up her face, and I feel like I’ve won her sister over.
“She likes the pier.” At that she goes back inside, leaving me to think about what I need to do.
I head home to shower, knowing I look and smell like shit right now.
I let the scorching water cascade down my body, making me feel like somewhat more of a human after my drunken night. Thoughts of my gorgeous blonde filter through my mind, causing my dick to stiffen under my hand. I give in to my desires, wishing my hand was her warm pussy instead, but knowing this’ll have to do for now. I just hope like hell I didn’t screw everything up with her, that I’ll get another chance to be inside her sweet body again.
I rest one hand against the tile of the shower, while pumping my dick at full force with the other. My head rests next to it and while images of my girl flash through my mind, I come within minutes. I throw my head back in a groan. God, I fucking miss that woman.
Once I’m out of the shower, I wrap a towel around my waist and hear my phone going off from the kitchen. My feet are still wet and I almost wipe out on the tile floor, but I’m anxious to see if it’s Maddison calling. I don’t know why the hell I’d think that, but I let myself believe for a moment that there’s a chance she’s already forgiven me.
Once I reach the kitchen, I see that it’s my sister, not Maddison. Disappointment floods me, but I shake it off and answer her call. We’re close, but it’s kind of strange that she’s calling.
“Hey, sis,” I answer.
“Have you talked to Seth?” Forget pleasantries, we’re going straight to our estranged brother.
I take a seat on one of the stools around my bar.
“Jesus Christ,” I mumble as I run a hand through my wet hair. “Yeah, he showed up at the office last night. Shit. Did he come to your house?”
I should have warned her last night that he was back. Instead I was too pissed to do anything but get drunk off my stupid ass and then screw shit up with my girlfriend.
I hear her sigh heavily into the line. “Bro, you have got to get off this macho high horse you’re on. I’m a big girl and can take care of myself, and I’m not scared of my brother.” I can practically hear her rolling her eyes through the phone.
I know Seth isn’t dangerous, but I remember how upset she was when Dad died and he took off. He screwed us all over… dropping off the face of the earth.
“You have enough stress in your life without hi
m showing up on your doorstep unannounced.”
“He did come by after he saw you.”
“Goddamn it. Does Mom know he’s back?”
“I told him not to show up at her house without calling first, but God knows if he actually listened.”
I’m hoping like hell he had enough decency to think of how our mother would feel having him around again.
“Sis, I gotta go.”
“Ian, don’t do anything stupid!” she hollers right before I end the call. I love my little sister, but she’ll try talking me out of this until her face is blue if I let her.
I need to go back to the office to get a few things done before the weekend, but my family will always come before my job. I quickly dress in a pair of dark-washed jeans and a gray polo shirt. I grab my keys and I’m out the door. I need to keep my cool, like Bri said, so thankfully it’s a good drive from here to my mom’s house. She’s finally gotten to a good place after losing Dad and has learned to accept the fact that one of her sons wanted nothing to do with her all of a sudden. I wanted to kill him for the shit he put her through, but I didn’t want her to lose both of us after losing the love of her life. I’d never forgive myself for doing what Seth did.
Once I finally reach my childhood home, I see the familiar black Porsche parked in the driveway. My grip on the steering wheel tightens, and it’s truly a miracle that I don’t pull it off the dash. I take deep breaths, trying to calm myself, until I see my mother pull the curtains of the front window back. I refuse to cause her more problems, because she’s been through enough in this lifetime.
Sixteen
Maddison
“I love you, but it’s time to get up.” Chloe yanks my blanket off me and I shoot her a glare. If looks could kill, my sister would be on the floor.
“I don’t wanna.” I moan into my pillow. “Give me one more day, and I’ll be ready to face the world again.” I turn so I’m facing the back of the couch. I’m sure her and my brother-in-law are getting sick of me taking up half their apartment all day long.
“Not happening.” The next thing I know, I’m on my back on the floor.
“You’re a bitch.” I groan, flipping her the bird.
“You have work tomorrow. I want your ass out of my hair.” I know she’s only half serious, but she’s right. I need to work so I can get my own place, but the thought of facing Ian in less than twenty-four hours makes me want to puke. I’m not ready for that.
“Have you even checked your phone?” My sassy sister rests her hand on her hip. I love her, but she’s driving me crazy right now.
The night I left Ian at the office, I came home and had a cry fest to Chloe until I wore myself out. My phone has remained in my purse since, and I have no desire to look at it even now. I’m sure as soon as I fire it up, I’ll be bombarded with message after message. Or worse. What if he hasn’t tried to reach me? Maybe I was all wrong about what I thought we had.
“That’s what I thought,” she responds to my non answer. “You need to take a shower. You’re starting to smell like a corpse.”
She dodges the pillow I attempt to throw at her head.
“If you don’t get up, I’m setting Tay on your ass.”
I reluctantly pull myself off the floor, knowing she’s not lying. My niece will jump on me like a damn trampoline.
I’d never admit it to Chloe, but I feel a million times better after showering and putting a little makeup on my face. I have nowhere to go, but at least I don’t smell like garbage anymore… or a corpse, as my loving sister put it so nicely.
I decide that I should probably look at my phone, and sure enough, I have twenty texts and ten missed calls from Ian and around the same from Greta. I feel like the worst best friend in the world for practically falling off the face of the planet.
The most recent text from Ian is from this morning. Simple, but sweet, and brings tears to my eyes again. I thought I’d done enough of that to last a lifetime, but apparently, I was wrong.
Ian: Just wanted you to know I’m thinking of you.
I don’t bother reading the others because I know they’re all apologies. Can I forgive him? I don’t know. I want to, but I’m afraid that he would think it’s okay to treat me that way when he’s having a rough time. I will not turn into my mother and let a man treat me like shit. I hate that the arrival of his brother set him off that much. I have no idea what happened between the pair to make him that angry, because instead of talking to me about it, he got drunk off his ass and then used me for sex. If someone else had been around, would he have done that to them, what he did me? I shake the thought out of my mind… refusing to let myself go down that road. He knows I don’t share, and I have to trust him. Although, after I’ve refused to speak to him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s fed his hunger somewhere else.
God. I have to stop.
I’m still staring at his text when my phone vibrates with an incoming call in my hand, and I toss it to the floor because it scares the shit out of me.
I flip it over, seeing that it’s him. Am I ready to talk to him? No, but I need to get this over with. Rip it off like a Band-Aid, so to speak.
I hit the accept button as I slip a pair of shoes on, not wanting to have this conversation around prying ears.
“Hello?” I say, just above a whisper.
“Thank God. Gorgeous, I’m so fucking sorry.”
I run down the stairs in the apartment building, pushing the door open to go outside.
“Can I see you?” he asks when I don’t respond.
“I don’t know, Ian. I’ll be at work tomorrow.”
“Will you meet me at the pier at seven tonight?”
I loved Navy Pier growing up, but I’ve never told him that before. I suppose it’s a given since we live in the city.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Please, Maddie. If you never want to see me again after tonight, I’ll leave you alone. Just give me this.”
The use of my nickname causes my throat to clog with emotion.
I throw my head back in frustration. Even if I don’t want to see him again, I have to keep my job.
“All right.” I have no idea what will come of me agreeing to this. I’m risking a lot by giving into him so easily.
“Thank you.” I hear the relief in his voice, and it makes me want to come apart again.
“You hurt me,” I whisper into the phone, starting to lose my resolve.
“I know.” He doesn’t apologize again, and I think he knows that saying it isn’t enough.
“I’ll see you tonight,” I say, before ending the call.
I’ll admit, I want to see him. I’ve missed him like crazy, but I’m scared that he has the power to destroy me more than he already has.
Seventeen
Maddison
I arrive at the pier ten minutes before seven, seeking out the bench Ian told me to meet him at. The thought of losing him makes the tears burn the back of my eyes again. I can’t go there yet. As much as he hurt me the other night… twice, I still can’t bear the idea of not having him in my life.
“Hey.” I look up at the sound of his voice, noticing the day-old scruff that covers his face. His hair isn’t styled like it normally is, and his eyes tell me he hasn’t slept well.
“Hey.” I move to one end of the bench so he can take the other.
We both sit facing the river, watching the cruise boats run up and down the city, carrying passengers to their destination. I’ve always loved the hustle and bustle of the city, but this was always the best place to be when I needed to find my calm.
As we’re both staring ahead, lost in thought, he pulls me out of my head. “Do you think you could ever forgive me?”
I turn to look at him, wanting to touch him so bad, but refrain. A bird lands near my feet, grabbing my attention, and I watch as he nibbles on a leaf.
“Tell me about your brother,” I say, ignoring his question.
He runs a calloused hand
through his hair, sighing heavily. I know this is a sore subject, but I need to know what was so important, that he couldn’t show up for our first date.
“He’s an asshole.”
I move closer to him, needing to feel his touch, even if only our elbows rub against each other. I nudge his side, when he doesn’t continue.
“When our father died, he just took off. He didn’t even stay for the funeral. Bri and I were left to pick up all the pieces.”
I don’t understand how someone could just up and leave their family, especially when they were grieving like I’m sure they all were.
“Where did he go?” I search his face as he gazes ahead.
He shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine. We have no clue where he went. We’ve only heard from him a couple times, but last time I talked to him, I told him never to show his face around our mother again.”
“Has she seen him?”
He scratches at his eyebrow, seeming to be buying himself sometime.
“Yeah. I went to her house the other day and he was there. I was going to go inside, but decided against it and left.”
I don’t push any further, seeing that this is a touchy subject for him.
We settle into a comfortable silence and then he grabs my hand, his touch shooting electric shocks through me. I’ve read about this in plenty of books, but never thought it really happened.
“I’ve made a lot of shit decisions in my life, but what I did to you the other night was by far the worst.”
I lean my head onto the back of the bench. “You humiliated me.” I say the words only loud enough for him to hear me over the chirping birds and the water swaying to and fro in front of us.
“I didn’t think. When Seth left the office, I got lost in the bottle, and let that take over my head. I swear to you, I never intended to hurt you.”
The words get clogged in my throat. “You can’t treat me like that every time something goes wrong. Hank has always been awful to my mom, and I don’t want to turn into her.”
Her Arrogant Boss (The Wright Kind of Wrong Book 1) Page 7
