by Jenna Harte
“Only if you don’t climb in my lap on your own accord.”
When she didn’t move fast enough, he reached for her notebook.
She laughed and straddled his lap. “To think I thought you were reserved and stuffy.”
He feigned an expression of shock. “I thought I overwhelmed your senses with my manly air.”
She snorted. “Hardly. But when you first came here, you weren’t so enamored with me, either. You accused me of having a poor bedside manner.”
“Did I? All I remember is you standing on that stool, telling me what a louse I was, and I was hooked.”
Lexie grinned. “I thought it was when we were on the swing like this.”
“I nearly embarrassed myself. And, for the record, I have no complaints about your bedside manner. I’m in awe of how well you work with Oliver.”
“Thank you.”
His hands slid over hips pulling her more fully over his growing erection. “But, right now, Nurse Lexie, I’m the one that needs special treatment and only you can cure me.”
“Oh, dear.” She placed her hand on his forehead. “You do feel a little feverish. Tell me where it hurts.”
“How about I show you?” He grasped her hand and placed it between their bodies, over his already rock-hard erection.
“Oh, my. You’re swollen.” She unhooked his jeans. He groaned when one of her small expert hands massaged him, her thumb circling the rim. “Hmmm, it doesn’t seem to be working. The swelling isn’t going down.”
“It will eventually, if you don’t stop.” It still baffled him how fast his need consumed him, simply from her smile, from her touch. But he was done questioning it. Now all he wanted was to enjoy it.
“No, I think I need to try something more aggressive.” She slipped from his lap, moving beside him on her knees. She held his gaze as she bent forward over his lap. “Perhaps I can kiss it to make it better.” She wrapped her lips around him.
Good Christ. Her clever mouth worked him, bringing exquisite pleasure and torture at the same time. The pressure built until he thought he might split in two. He was teetering on the edge and couldn’t decide if he should stop her before he made a mess.
“I don’t know, Drake…” She stopped just when the decision was about to be made for him.
“Lexie…please … God, don’t stop.” His release sat on the edge, throbbing, painfully aching. He nearly took care of the deed himself; the need for release was so acute.
“I think we need more invasive measures.” She unhooked her shorts and dropped them with her lace panties to the porch. “Good thing we’re in the country. Only the crickets can see us.” She held out her hand, and he thanked God he thought to carry condoms when Lexie was in the vicinity. She straddled his lap, rolled on the condoms, and settled over him. Then she moved and there was nothing but her. No Carmichael Corporation. No Oliver. No Derrick. Only Lexie.
She was so small, so tight, he felt every nuance of her body as it gripped and slid over him, even through double condoms. He grasped her hips and guided her so he could fill her deeper and deeper. They moved together in a perfect dance, their rhythm in perfect time, becoming faster, deeper, more forceful as the pleasure built. He worried, as always with Lexie, he wouldn’t be able to hold off his release until she came, but then she threw her head back, her body tightened around him like a vise, and she called his name. Pleasure speared sharp, he bucked and emptied.
Chapter Seventeen
Lexie knew the minute she entered Oliver’s room it was going to be a rough day for him. He’d had such a great week prior, which she attributed to Drake. It warmed her heart Drake was willing to lose at cards or watch old movies with Oliver. They rarely talked, except about business, but they were together. Whether or not either of them admitted it, they enjoyed each other’s company.
But today, one look at Oliver and she knew it would be rough. He glowered at her as she entered the room, but winced when he turned away from her, a sure sign he was in pain.
“Good morning, Oliver.”
“Bah!”
“Did the bed bugs get you last night?”
“Has anyone told you you’re too damn perky in the morning?”
“Has anyone told you that you look like Gollum?”
That usually elicited a cackle and he’d take her hand and call her his Precious, but this time he glared at her.
“What’s wrong, Oliver? What do you need?”
“I need to die.”
Words like that struck terror in Lexie’s heart. It wasn’t that she’d never seen death. She’d been a nurse in the emergency room and had seen plenty of death, but she wasn’t ready to face Oliver’s death. It was inevitable, and yet, she’d feel guilty because he was her responsibility.
“That will happen soon enough. What do you need now? Are you in pain?”
He didn’t answer.
“Is this about Drake? About his leaving tomorrow?”
He rolled away from her again, groaning in pain as he did.
She’d hit a nerve. “Why not ask him to stay?”
“I can’t do that.” His voice was flat, as if he’d been defeated.
“Why not?”
He glanced over his shoulder at her.
“Oliver, I’m going to give you your shot in your backside if you don’t turn back and tell me what’s going on.”
“You’re mean.” With considerable effort, Oliver rolled onto his back.
“Yeah, well, it’s only because I like you. So, why can’t you ask Drake to stay?”
“He’s got work to do. A big meeting on Monday. His entire career rides on it.”
“So, ask him to come back after the meeting.”
Oliver shook his head. “If the meeting goes well, he’ll be too busy to come back. If it doesn’t go well, he’ll resent me and won’t want to come back.”
“I think you underestimate him.”
“I made him. I know exactly what he’s capable of.”
Lexie wished she could shake sense into the old man. “What if he wants to come back but doesn’t think you want him here? Maybe he needs to hear that you want him to stay.”
“He won’t believe me.”
“Believe what?” Drake stood in the doorway.
Lexie glanced at Drake and then back at her patient. “Oliver is having a tough morning.”
“You talk too much, Lexie.”
“And you don’t talk enough.” She put away her supplies. “I’ll just leave you two alone.”
“Wait.” Drake took her arm and guided her to the corner of the room. “Is he dying?” he whispered.
“Yes, although not today.” Lexie shook off her irritation at Oliver and held Drake’s hands. “But, you’re leaving tomorrow. This may be your last day with him. Make it count, Drake.”
He nodded and squeezed her hands. Lexie smiled encouragingly even as her heart broke. She knew Oliver wouldn’t ask Drake to stay and Drake wouldn’t be back. It wasn’t the way she wanted things to end, but they were both too pigheaded to do anything different.
Lexie left the room. Once she was gone, Drake turned his attention to his grandfather’s hard stare. “What?”
“You slept with her, didn’t you?”
Drake hoped he masked the “how did you know?” expression before Oliver noticed. He sat in the chair, extended his long legs, and rested his hands across his belly like he didn’t have a care in the world. Did it fool Oliver? Probably not. “What are you talking about?”
“You slept with Lexie. I don’t know when, but you did. It’s the only way to explain it.”
“Explain what?”
“Last week, you two could barely be in the same room. Now, you’re both downright chatty.”
“You’re delirious.”
“The way you look at her, Drake. I know that look. I may be old, but I remember what it was like to lust for a woman.”
Drake’s mind raced to find an answer that wasn’t lying but still got him off the hook.
“She’s good for you,” Oliver said.
Wait. Did Oliver support his affair with Lexie? Still, he didn’t want Oliver thinking he and Lexie were more than casual lovers. “No, she isn’t. We’re complete opposites and have absolutely nothing in common.”
“Opposites attract.”
“No, they don’t.” Although, in this case, it was a lie. He’d already suspected the fact that Lexie was his opposite was what attracted him to her. He liked that she said whatever the hell popped into her head and didn’t try to manipulate people. With Lexie, what you saw was what you got. It was refreshing even as it was irritating.
“You think she’s unattractive?”
“No, she’s beautiful.”
“She thinks she’s sexually unappealing.”
“How would you know what she thinks?” Was he dreaming? Drake couldn’t be talking about Lexie’s sexual appeal with his grandfather.
“She told me.”
“She told you she was sexually unappealing?”
“Not in those words, but that’s what she meant. She thinks because she’s short and outspoken, men don’t find her attractive. Is she right?”
“No, but that’s not our business.” Drake ran his hands through his hair, not wanting to have this conversation. Oliver was his grandfather, for God’s sake.
Oliver smiled. “Drake, if you were to meet someone you could love and who loved you back, would you walk away from Carmichael Corporation?”
Drake froze. In that moment, his world fell. He believed he’d made gains in his relationship with Oliver, but with that one question, Drake realized it was all a test to see how committed he was to the company and to the family. The pain served to remind him not to get his hopes up about a good relationship with his grandfather. Everything Oliver had done to help was to test him. Even worse, Oliver had enlisted Lexie’s help. Was it their plan to make him fall for her, to see what he’d do? That thought tore at him, and reminded him once again that people couldn’t be trusted.
Annoyance and temper flared at his grandfather’s scheme. He knew Oliver’s fondness for Lexie and decided to hurt him for his betrayal. “I did sleep with her, but it was nothing. Now it’s over and done. I’m one hundred percent dedicated to the business and the family. Nothing will distract me.”
Drake looked for the anger and disappointment he’d seen in his grandfather’s face since he was a child. It surprised him when he saw pity. All his life, Drake wanted to have Oliver’s acceptance. By re-affirming his commitment to the company, Drake hoped Oliver would be pleased but, like all his efforts over the years, nothing he did pleased the old man.
After meeting with Oliver, Drake’s anger stewed, making it difficult to focus on the task at hand—secure leadership of Carmichael Corporation. He balled up another piece of paper and tossed it aside where it landed in the piles of other discarded ideas.
“Things not going well?” Lexie stood in the doorway to the beau parlor.
Drake stiffened. He wasn’t going to let her distract him from his goal. Now he was back in control. “Just the same bull.”
“I don’t envy you. It sounds like an uphill battle.”
He whirled on her. “So now you’re an expert, huh? You think I can’t do it?”
Her eyes widened. “I think you can do whatever you want. It’s just that Oliver—”
“What about Oliver? What did he say to you?” he interrupted sharply. “What other plans did the two of you concoct?”
Her head drew back and her expression morphed from surprise to concern. But he wasn’t buying it.
“You think I should give in? Let all those people lose their jobs so I can secure my position? I won’t do it, Lexie. I’d expect you, of all people, would understand that. I’m not being sentimental. Yes, the company owes a lot to these people, but I believe there’s more profit if we manage it right. And if I pull this off, I’ll prove—”
“I think that’s wonderful. I just thought—”
“You thought wrong.” He turned his back on her.
“You don’t know what I think!”
Drake was glad she was angry. It was easier to deal with anger on a woman.
“And while we’re at it,” he began, keeping his back to her, “your participation in Oliver’s little scheme isn’t going to work. From now on, we need to stay as far apart as possible. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t eat with us. It’s not right, anyway.”
“I beg your pardon! I work for your grandfather, and my job is to keep him happy and comfortable. If he wants me to eat meals with him, I’m going to do it. And no worries about staying away from you. I try to avoid jerks.”
“Right. Like good ol’ Bobby Lee and Danny boy.”
Drake didn’t need to look at her to know he could have slapped her and it wouldn’t have hurt as much as the words he’d thrown at her. Fortunately, instead of digging in, she left.
Drake sat with Oliver after dinner, trying to push away the guilt from lashing out at Lexie. He was angry at her, but he’d gone over the top. All he should have done was calmly end things. Instead, he’d purposefully hurt her.
“I’m leaving in the morning. It’ll give me a few days in the office before the meeting on Monday.”
They were finishing a game of rummy, but neither seemed particularly invested in it. It was more like they were going through the motions.
“I’m sorry I’ll miss it, but I know I’ll hear about it.” Oliver’s voice was bland, as if he had no real interest in Drake or the business.
Drake hoped for something more encouraging and kicked himself again for wanting validation from his grandfather. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to come back anytime soon.”
Oliver sighed. “I understand. You need to do what you need to do.”
Drake ground his teeth. “You set all this in motion.”
“Yes. You’re only doing what I raised you to do.”
If that was the case, why did Oliver still seem so disappointed?
“Do you remember your father?” Oliver asked, suddenly.
“A little.” Drake eyed Oliver with suspicion.
“I always thought he was a weak man. He liked people. He worried about them and his impact on them. It drove me crazy.”
“Yes, I know.”
“But he wasn’t weak. Lying here, watching you weigh people’s futures with your own, I realized your father was strong. He did the one thing you and Derrick never dared to do.”
“What was that?”
“Defy me.”
Drake’s mouth dropped. “What? You said he made a pitiful attempt at the business and then gave up and ran with his tail between his legs.”
Oliver smiled sadly. “History is always told by the winner, Drake. Remember that. The truth is, he made a good effort. He tried, just like you are, to balance the good of the company with the good of its people. But he couldn’t work with me, so he quit. We had quite a fight. He chose your mother, who I didn’t want for him. In the end, I think he had a good life. It was cut short, but I don’t think he had any regrets. Not like I do.”
Drake stared at his grandfather in disbelief. “Where are you going with all of this?”
“I don’t think you should go to New York. I think you should stay here, discover who you are, and find out what you can make with Lexie.”
“Why do you keep throwing her at me?” Drake tossed his cards on the table, stood, and paced the room. “I’m committed to the business. You don’t need to keep testing me.”
“Don’t you get it, boy? I don’t want you to live your life for the business. I don’t want you to get to the end of your life and wish you’d married someone else or played ball with your son or spoiled your grandchildren.”
Drake stopped pacing to stand at the end of Oliver’s bed. He regarded the sickly man laying before him who looked like his grandfather, but didn’t sound like him. “How can you expect me to be anything but what you raised me to be?”
“I can’t ex
pect anything. But I can hope and pray you’ll consider what I’ve been trying to tell you over the last two weeks. You have a heart, Drake. Find it. Find it before it’s too late.”
“Oliver, I can’t do that. I’ve worked too hard to walk away. Too many people are counting on me to make this work.”
Drake was used to seeing disappointment on his grandfather’s face. What he struggled with was Oliver’s disappointed expression resulting from Drake doing exactly what his grandfather had instilled in him to do. Why was Oliver changing the rules now? Or was this still part of a test? Drake shook his head. It didn’t matter. He was going to New York, saving the stores, and beating Derrick.
“If you’re going to go, at least take Lexie with you. She’s off for a few days and I want to give her something fun.”
“What? Why? I’m not coming back.”
“You don’t need to entertain her. Just escort her up and get her settled. I’ll arrange for a car, money, and tickets to shows. Lexie needs to know she’s a beautiful woman who deserves to be pampered and spoiled. She works hard and puts up with a lot from me, and you, I’m sure. She’s helped me accept what’s happening so I can die in peace. I owe her this. But since I can’t do it, I’m asking you to do it for me.”
Bad idea ran like a mantra through Drake’s mind. When would this test end? Not until Monday. Or until he or Derrick won.
“No. I’m not playing your game. Besides, she won’t want to go with me.”
“You’ll take her as my dying wish. Just fly her up with you and arrange for her return. I’ll take care of the rest.”
It’d been a long time since he’d heard his grandfather talk with such authority.
“Just a ride. Nothing more.”
Chapter Eighteen
Lexie didn’t want to be sitting on a plane, even a luxurious private one, hurling through the air toward New York. Her lack of enthusiasm wasn’t from the vertigo and feelings of nausea she experienced once the plane was airborne. No, she was managing the airsickness. It was Oliver’s dumb idea she go to New York with Drake that had her in a bad mood.
