The heat of his body disappeared seconds before he helped me stand. My knees were so weak I was afraid I’d topple over.
“Hold on to this.” He placed my hands on what felt like the back of the sofa. I dug my nails into the material to ensure I wouldn’t lose my balance. Thank goodness I did. The second his fingers moved down my spine I practically convulsed. Swiping my hair to side, he kissed the crook of my neck.
“You are so sexy,” he whispered, grasping my behind. “I want you like this.” The damp warmth of his lips touched my shoulders as he starting kissing down my back. His hands followed the same path, pausing at my hips. He pulled them back toward him, urging my legs apart. I bent forward, pressing my fingers into the couch so hard I assumed they turned white.
Gathering my hair in his hand, he pulled it, forcing my head to tilt back. I knew what was coming next but was too spent and overstimulated to fully prepare myself.
I cried out his name in a breathless rush as he swiftly and unabashedly thrust into my body. I had no idea how I was able to stand as his pace increased in speed and intensity. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he surrounded me.
“Amelia,” he moaned, kissing the shell of my ear.
I became more attuned to my deepest desires upon hearing the unfiltered yearning in his voice. He was possessing me in every way possible, dominating all my senses, and I welcomed it with ease.
Another deep groan escaped his lips, bringing me to the edge. His feverish movements and low, sexy sounds coupled with the unbelievable sensations coursing through my body triggered an intense orgasm. My legs locked in place as wave after wave consumed me. My hands slipped forward. Alastair grabbed my hips and pushed into me so deep and hard I orgasmed again with him. Shaking and gasping for breath, I let him turn me and sagged against him when he banded his arms around me.
Not saying a word, he removed the tie from my eyes. I squinted against the dim light until he came into focus. A tsunami of emotions washed over me as I looked into his clear, unveiled eyes.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded, still trying to catch my breath. He grinned, nuzzling into my neck. “Thought I’d give you a preview of what’s to come for your birthday on Thursday.”
“I’m going to need a week to recover if that was only a preview.”
The frantic ringing of the doorbell drowned the sound of his gorgeous, throaty laugh. We looked at one another.
“Are you expecting anyone?” I asked.
Loud pounding on the door made us both stiffen. He let me go, putting on his pants. I scrambled for my own clothes, dressing quickly before following him to the front door. The bell rang again and again.
Alastair opened the door, revealing a soaked and crying Stephanie.
“Lia,” she whimpered, rushing in and hugging me. “I didn’t know where else to go. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
I held my best friend as she quivered and sobbed. Alastair and I exchanged concerned glances.
“It’s okay,” I said. “What’s wrong?”
She pulled away, heaving and unable to speak. Mascara ran down her cheeks in thick, black rivers.
“Come inside, Stephanie,” Alastair said. “Let’s get you dried off before you catch pneumonia.”
“No,” she yelled. “I can’t. Lia.” She looked at me, her eyes wide and terrified. “I’m pregnant.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Stephanie’s hand shook as she raised the mug and sipped tea. She was a mess, both physically and emotionally. At least she’d calmed down enough to change out of her soaking wet clothes into something dry.
“Your fiancé makes awesome tea.”
“The perks of dating an Englishman.”
“I’m an asshole,” she said, raising her ice blue eyes to meet mine. “I shouldn’t have said all that stuff last night.”
I waved my hand. “We’re like sisters. We say stupid shit to each other, fight, don’t talk and then make up. It’s all part of the deal.”
“Yeah but—” she searched for the words “—I always go for the low blow. Sorry.”
I reached across the table and patted her hand. As hurt as I still was, she didn’t need me to be salty. She needed a supportive ear, not a grudge. “So, I’ll pick you up at eight tomorrow morning. We’ll go to the doctor, get the blood test and see what happens.”
“Ugh. I hope the home pregnancy test was wrong.” She looked guilty. “Was that mean to say? I’m so not ready for this.”
I smiled. “Everything will work out. Either way, at least you’ll know.”
“Thanks, Meyers,” she grumbled. “How were you so calm when you went through this with Nathan?”
I stiffened. The horrid memory of when I’d told him I thought I was pregnant washed through me. Stephanie’s eyes widened.
“Are you okay? You’re squeezing the life out of that napkin.”
Looking down, I was surprised to see I had the cloth in a death grip. I dropped it. “I’m fine.”
“That’s a hefty serving of bullshit right there.”
“It’s old news, Steph.”
“Okay. Fair enough.” She sipped her tea. “I should get home.”
As she stood up and approached for the conciliatory hug, I couldn’t help but feel that our friendship was still fractured. I loved this girl to pieces and knew, deep down, that our bond was far stronger than any fight but this whole situation felt different. She’d been hiding a relationship from me. Not that she had to tell me every single detail of her life but this was unlike her. I knew about every date, good or bad, she ever went on when we lived in Orlando. I’d been in Glasgow for six weeks and had no clue she was dating Brent Garrison. No clue at all.
Alastair looked up from a file of documents he’d been sifting through on the couch when we walked into the living room. His hair had that disheveled look it gets from constantly running his hands through it in frustration.
“Feeling better?” he asked Stephanie.
“Yeah. Thanks. Sorry for interrupting your night.”
“No worries, love,” he said, standing up. “I’ll have Paxton drive you back to your flat.”
Stephanie turned to me and smiled before following him to the door. She really did have a gorgeous smile and it was great to see it make an appearance. I cleaned up the kitchen and went to the bedroom. It was after midnight and my body ached with exhaustion. The plush bedding felt so damn good as I sank into it with ease, closing my eyes.
“Stop lurking by the door and come in here, chief.” I smiled. I always knew when he was near, even without seeing him.
The mattress shifted from his weight as he sat. “Quite the night, wouldn’t you say?”
I gazed into his stunning emerald irises. “They always are.”
“I have some more work to finish before coming to bed. Don’t wait up for me.”
“Try not to stay up too late. This bed is way too lonely without you.”
The small, shy smile that melted my heart curled his mouth. I sat up and hugged him. He sighed into my embrace, nuzzling against my neck.
“What’s this for?”
“No reason.” I squeezed him tighter. “I just felt like it.”
“Lucky me.”
Resting my forehead to his, I couldn’t shake a sense of trepidation. Stephanie had touched on something I hadn’t allowed myself to think about in months.
“I’ve lost you to the depths of your mind again, haven’t I?” Alastair’s gentle question brought me back to the present.
“Do you ever wonder about us…having…” I paused, unable to control the tremor in my voice.
“I do,” he answered, seeming to know what I’d meant. His touch was comforting but unease shrouded his expression. “One thing at a time, Lia. Right now, I’m focused on marrying you and having you all to myself for a bit.”
I grinned. “You always have me all to yourself. In back offices, front hallways, kitchen tables, private planes, penthouse bedrooms, bubble baths, showers—”
“Take off your clothes,” he whispered on my lips.
“Again? I thought you had to finish—”
“I can do it on the plane.”
Who am I to argue with that?
* * *
An exorbitant amount of yelling came out of Julian’s office as I walked by on my way to the micro kitchen. For a fleeting second I thought maybe the salacious text had come back and bitten him in the ass.
The door flew open, sucking in a gulp of air and rustling my skirt.
“Lia. In here. I need you.” Julian shot me a pleading look, complete with a pout.
I rolled my eyes and walked in. Nobody else was in here which led me to believe he’d been shouting at random into the universe.
“My brother is on his way,” he said, pacing the office. “Take him to lunch. Show him the newsroom. Keep him out of my hair.”
“What?” I raised my eyebrows. “You have a brother?”
“Yes. And you have a sister. Now that we’ve bonded over siblings, will you keep him occupied?”
“I hate to break it you but I’m not your personal assistant.”
“But you are my executive producer and I need you.”
The wheels spun in my head. “Why me?”
“Sam is still salty about the non-penis event and Robbie has the personality of a diaper. You’re friendly, pretty and can hold a conversation. My brother and I aren’t what you would categorize as close but we’re similar in personality. You handle me just fine, so you’ll be able to handle him.”
Fantastic.
“I don’t have time to babysit your family, Julian.”
Throwing his head back in frustration, he continued to pace the room. “Is it the goddam questions I asked Garrison last week? Is that it? Are you still holding that over my head?”
“No. But now that you mention it.”
“Lia, come on. I’m a journalist. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t ask those questions. I admire your wanting to protect Holden but he’s a big boy. He can take care of himself. Besides, Holden World Media is about to make a huge announcement regarding the future of the company.” He folded his arms. “As I’m sure you already know.”
Mindful to keep a placid expression, I nodded. My head spun. I had no idea what he was talking about but didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
“I have to get back to work.” I left before giving him a chance to answer and went to my office. The phone was ringing, as usual. I answered with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.
“Amelia Grace. Why is it that one week has passed and you haven’t called me to tell me that you’re engaged?”
“Mom.” I sat with a thud. “I know, I’m sorry. Work has been busy and then…I meant to call you. I did.”
“The ladies are all asking me about a wedding date. Do you know what it’s like trying to bluff my way through that conversation? Not to mention the fact they’ve started whispering with each other that you’re pregnant and this is some kind of shot gun wedding.”
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered.
“The language.” The tone in her voice was brisk. “Are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Pregnant.”
“Oh my God, Mom. No. I’m not. Why all the hysterics?”
“This is a big deal. He’s a global celebrity. It’s spreading all over social media and the internet like wildfire. A day doesn’t go by when I don’t see your face on someone’s blog or that Facebook thing or whatever they’re called.”
“You’re on Facebook?”
“No. Annette is so she can stay in touch with Gary since he’s all the way in Seattle for college.”
“Why don’t you just set up a Google alert in my name so you can keep track that way?”
“There’s no need to give me any lip, Amelia.”
“Sorry.” I rubbed my temples. “It’s been a long week.”
“Whatever Alastair said when he called to get our blessing dazzled your father to no end. He can’t stop talking about him. We adore him, even though he dragged you to the other side of the planet to live with him.”
Leaning back in my chair, I laughed. How I could I not? That’s her way; cushion with flattery and then jab with a sword at the end. “Dayna gave me a list of things you’d say. So far, you’re sticking to the same script you used when she moved to England for Andrew.”
A long, blustery sigh came through the receiver. “Someday when you have kids, you’ll understand.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“In case I can’t reach you tomorrow, happy birthday.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I love you.”
“You too.”
Now that I’d spoken to my family about the engagement I felt better. It felt more real. I also wanted to know what my charming Englishman said to my dad. I glanced at the clock on the computer monitor. It was almost one. I fished my cell phone out of my purse.
12:57pm Thank you x
12:59pm What for?
1:02pm Tell you later
1:03pm No hints?
1:04pm Nope. Go back to work
1:06pm Minx
1:09pm You love it
1:11pm x
“Lia.” Julian burst through the door. “Randy will be here in ten minutes. Fortunately for you, he can’t stay long.”
I zoned out while Julian continued to pepper me with compliments and praise. Keeping his brother occupied wasn’t that big of a deal. From the way Julian made it sound, Randy was only stopping by for a quick hello on his way to the airport. I had no idea why I was involved in any of this but whatever.
As promised, Randy Archer arrived ten minutes later. Much like Julian, he was tall with dark hair and carried himself with an air of self-importance. One Archer was a handful but two? I thanked my lucky stars they didn’t co-host the show.
“You are a stunner,” Randy exclaimed, grasping my hands. “Those tabloid photos do you no justice. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.”
His thick Scottish accent made each word sound more special than they actually were. Julian, for all his bluster about wanting to keep Randy out of his hair, stuck around while we toured the studio.
“I’ve seen this place a million times. My brother likes to show off where he informs the masses.”
“Where are you flying off to now?” Julian asked.
“China.”
I stood silently listening to the brothers wax poetic about their past visits to the Great Wall. Yet again, I was surprised at how little I knew about my news host’s activities outside of work.
Julian turned to me. “My brother owns a software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations.”
“That sounds exciting.” I smiled, not having a clue what he meant.
“It’s busy,” Randy said. “I’m never in one place longer than three weeks. The world is my office.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m off soon but before leaving I’d like to steal Jules for a few minutes. Thank you for humoring my brother about keeping me away from him and being so gracious.”
“No problem.” I turned on my heel and walked away but not before catching the scowl that crossed Julian’s lips. Sorry buddy. I tried.
Now that this mindless task was finished I did have some work to finalize before having lunch. Plus, I wanted a cupcake. I’d been craving one all day.
A box wrapped in that familiar Tiffany blue sat on the corner of my desk, all dressed up with a white ribbon. I grabbed it, revealing a small card underneath. I read the message and felt my heart flutter in my throat.
WEAR THIS TOMORROW SO YOU’RE NOT LATE
FOR A NIGHT YOU’LL NEVER FORGET.
YOURS, ALASTAIR X
Dizzy with anticipation, I opened the box. Insid
e sat a stunning vintage platinum watch, encrusted with diamonds. The delicate band glittered under the lights in my office. I was blown away, yet again, by this man I loved. I slid the watch onto my wrist, admiring how it sparkled. My stomach interrupted the gawking by reminding me that although diamonds were beautiful, cupcakes were edible.
Grabbing my coat, I scurried to the elevator and out into the brisk autumn sunshine. For the first time in days it wasn’t raining so more people were outside taking advantage of the nice weather.
The usual group of photographers lurked by the strip of cafes and restaurants near my building. I managed to slip inside one without being noticed and ordered a sandwich and yes, a cupcake. Excited about the prospect of food and confection, I bumped right into someone on the sidewalk when I left the cafe.
“Oh! I’m so—”
My voice caught. I looked up, coming eye to eye with Olivia Garrison. Words failed me. She stood with a bright smile on her face, like it was natural to bump into me on the streets of Glasgow. Unflustered by my lack of a greeting, her frosted pink glossy lips remained pulled back in a grin.
“Lia. How lovely to see you.”
Thank goodness my hands were occupied because I wanted nothing more than to strangle her. Or slap her. Or maybe just yank some hair from her perfect little pixie cut. “I don’t have time for this.” The uncivilized tone in my voice came as a shock to me. Olivia blinked, clearly stunned.
“I’m not going to start anything, Lia. After all, you did walk into me. I was just minding my own business.”
“Right. Sorry. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
I sidestepped around her but didn’t make it far. She called out after me, “I’d really like for us to talk.”
I spun around. “About what?”
She pulled her cream peacoat tighter around her body. “There’s been a misunderstanding over some things you think I said at my brother’s party last week. I want to clear the air.”
“Misunderstanding? I heard you, Olivia. I heard you say I’d never satisfy him and he’d get bored with me. I heard you say that you should be his fiancée. Nothing needs to be cleared up. Now if you don’t mind, I have to get back to work.”
Out the corner of my eye I noticed several photographers snapping away. Great. This was all I needed. A public cat fight documented for the world to see.
Effortless: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance Page 15
