by V. T. Do
Outside of Wyatt’s office, on the far right, there was a small circular desk. An attractive man sat there. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with short chestnut hair styled like someone vacationing in the Hamptons, fair skin, and straight white teeth. He was classically handsome with his all-American boy good looks. He looked up when he heard our footsteps. “Mr. James. I thought you left for the day. Is there something you need?”
Wyatt shook his head. “Emery, I want you to meet my assistant, Cody. Cody, this is Emery, my girlfriend.”
Cody got up from his desk so quickly I was surprised the chair didn’t fall over in his haste. He stood in front of me, holding out his hand. “Miss Caldwell. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I shook his hand. “Please, call me Emery.”
Cody looked like I had just asked him to jump out the window. He looked at Wyatt, before shaking his head. “That won’t do, Miss Caldwell.”
“It won’t?” He reminded me a little of my grandpa’s former assistant, Leonard Gray, a highly respectable man in his own right. Though Leonard always called me Emery. I wondered how long it would take to get Cody to call me Emery.
I must have spaced out a little, because when I focused my attention back on Cody, he was in the middle of a sentence. “Like I said, if there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you.” I gave him a small smile. That seemed to appease him.
“Cody, you should take the rest of the night off. I’m just going to show Emery my office, and then we’ll be off.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
As soon as the door closed to Wyatt’s office, I found myself pushed up against the door with his lips on mine. I kissed him back, just as urgently, just as desperately. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close, needing to be in his space as much as possible. If I could, I’d burrow myself into his skin and never leave.
“God, I missed you,” Wyatt whispered against my lips.
“I missed you,” I said, even though I had just seen him that morning. I missed him when I was at school, when I was eating lunch, and I’d missed him when I was dealing with the headache that was Ethan.
Wyatt took advantage of my open mouth and thrust his tongue inside. I loved the feel of it, loved how he kissed me as if it was the first time. I sucked on his tongue and was rewarded with his groan, my favorite sound in the world.
There was just something incredibly sexy about a man who looked like he did, invincible and strong, and was still affected by me.
Wyatt wrapped his arms around my waist and picked me up, then he was on the move. I didn’t care where he took me, as long as he didn’t stop kissing me like that. And he didn’t. He kissed me until I couldn’t think, could barely function, before setting me down on his desk.
Wyatt spread my legs and moved in between them. I wrapped them around his lean waist, as he moved his lips down to my neck, sucking on the skin there. If there was one thing I’d learned about Wyatt, it was how much he seemed to need to mark me. And I wouldn’t stop him. Just the thought of seeing his mark on my skin sometime later aroused me more than I dared to admit.
“Wyatt,” I moaned when he cupped my breast.
He squeezed, and I almost lost it then and there. “I need you, Emery.”
“I know,” I said. “I need you too.” My confession made me sound vulnerable, while Wyatt’s confession made him sound sexy. What a confusing contradiction. I didn’t want to be the vulnerable one in this relationship.
I looked down. I hadn’t paid much attention earlier to what he was wearing, but now I saw he had on a dark-gray suit today. I wondered if there was any color he didn’t wear well. My insides turned to mush when I caught sight of the dark-purple button-down he wore underneath the jacket, which did amazing things to those devastating eyes of his.
And right now, those eyes were bright with lust as he took me in. “I love your coat,” he told me, unzipping it and pushing it off my shoulders. He let it fall to the floor. “It reminds me of Little Red Riding Hood.”
“Does that make you the Big Bad Wolf?” I asked, cupping his jaw and feeling the day-old stubble there as it tickled my palm.
He shot me an endearing smile that just about melted my heart. “Funny. I was thinking the exact same thing. I might have you for dinner. You know how addicted I’ve become to the taste of you.”
My thighs clenched at the promise in his voice. “Okay,” I said on a sigh. The man really loved giving me oral. He had his mouth between my legs at least once a day. If he was addicted to the taste of me, I was addicted to his mouth.
He grabbed the shirt I wore and lifted it up to my collarbone. Then he unhooked the front clasp of my bra, and my breasts were free from the confinement and bared to his gaze. He grabbed one in his hand before pulling my nipple between his fingers. I felt the sensation all the way down to my belly.
“Look at you. Look at how perfect you are.”
I placed my hands behind me on his desk, arching back and letting him touch me however he wanted, needed. I wasn’t going to stop him. His grin was lascivious as his hands moved down to my waist. I sucked in a sharp breath as he slowly made his way to the waistband of my jeans, then to the button.
His eyes stayed on mine as he unbuttoned it, then pulled the zipper down. I didn’t say anything as his hand moved inside my jeans, then my panties. I let out a low hiss when I felt his fingers on my clit. He moved in closer and kissed me, before bending down and taking an aching nipple between his lips.
“You’re so wet. You’re always ready for me, aren’t you?”
“Wyatt,” I begged. I wanted more. And the man was the very definition of slow burn.
He looked up, his lips still around me, and winked. He added a bite. I shifted, moving one hand up and running my fingers through his hair. Then the doorknob rattled, and I screamed, jumping off of the desk like it was on fire.
Wyatt laughed, and I shot him a dark look while trying to pull my clothes together. It wasn’t until I pulled my shirt down that I realized the door was locked.
“It’s probably Cole. That bastard has impeccable timing, like always,” Wyatt said dryly.
He planted a chaste kiss on my cheek and walked over to the door. When he opened it, sure enough, Cole was standing there. He looked surprised to see me. My face couldn’t be any more red. “Emery, I didn’t know you were here. Did I just hear you scream?”
I was wrong. My face could get redder. I feigned being too busy to answer him by picking up my coat and avoiding his eyes.
He caught on. “Oh. I interrupted, didn’t I?”
A quick one, that man. I wanted to roll my eyes. Wyatt laughed. And if I wasn’t trying to hide my face from Cole, I would glare at Wyatt.
“What do you want?” Wyatt asked, shifting uncomfortably.
“Just wanted to see if you want to grab dinner.”
Wyatt looked at me. “Are you hungry?”
I smiled. “Yeah, I could eat.”
“Sweet,” Cole said. “Let’s go to Black’s.”
“Black’s?” I asked.
“A new pub that just opened a block from here.”
Wyatt shook his head. “Go there and find us a table. We’ll meet you there in five minutes.”
I didn’t miss the meaning in his voice, and neither did Cole. He laughed. “Just five minutes?” he asked.
I could kill both of them.
Wyatt pointed out the door. “Go.”
Cole left without another word. But not before I caught his look of amusement. I was not going to be able to face that man after this.
“Wyatt,” I gritted out.
He didn’t answer. He strode with purpose over to where I stood. And then I was once again seated on his desk, my coat thrown on the floor in a mass of red. “This will have to be quick, baby.”
I lost my protest when he pushed me backward until I was lying flat, my legs hanging off the edge. It was rather impressive how quickly he got my j
eans and underwear off.
And then I was naked from the waist down, with Wyatt’s fingers inside of me, moving quickly. I cried out every time he pushed them back in, until I was on the verge of an orgasm. He didn’t let me come. He undid his pants and grabbed a condom from his pocket before pulling out his hard penis. I watched as he gave himself a few strokes, pre-cum dripping from the tip. I licked my lips.
Wyatt shot me a pained smiled, then tore open the condom with his teeth and sheathed himself. He grabbed my legs and spread them wide, before moving forward and thrusting inside of me.
I came on the second thrust, already on edge from before. All the while Wyatt kept moving, in and out, in and out.
It was too much. My second orgasm hit within a few seconds from the first, and I wasn’t sure if I could take anymore. I bent my legs and placed my foot on the desk, trying to find ways to ease the pressure, but nothing worked. And then Wyatt came. He trembled, and his pace slowed and then stopped. He rested himself on top of me, bracing his weight on his forearms.
“Better?” I asked.
He smiled. “It gets better every time.” He pushed a strand of hair back from my face. “Are you okay? Was I too rough?”
Maybe, but I liked it. I came twice, so I really couldn’t complain.
“Is it like this with everyone?” I asked, since I couldn’t imagine anyone needing this as much I as did. How did anyone ever get anything done?
He shrugged. “Sex can be good with anyone. But it’s hard to find someone you have really great chemistry with. I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels it.”
I smiled. “Well, you’re quickly turning me into a sex addict.”
Wyatt stood up and helped me off the desk. I searched the ground for my jeans and found them a few feet from the desk, along with my underwear. Wyatt leaned against the desk as he watched me dress.
“Good,” he said.
I smiled, my movements a little awkward under his gaze. When I was done, he grabbed my coat from the floor and helped me put it on.
“Where’s your jacket?” I asked. He nodded toward the door. I didn’t even remember him taking it off.
We held hands on our way down to the lobby. The security guards at the front bid us good night, and I was relieved to find the one from earlier was gone.
Wyatt nodded, and we walked out. “Did you drive here?” he asked.
I nodded to my car. Wyatt walked over to it and opened the driver’s side door for me. “All right. We can take your car home tonight.”
I liked the sound of that. Going home with him tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Emery’s Adventures
Wyatt
It wasn’t until after dinner that night, when we were in bed, that Emery finally told me why she had come to the office in the first place.
She was naked in my arms, her cold hands on my stomach as she drew undistinguishable shapes on my skin. I never wanted her to stop touching me.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Why are you sorry?”
“That you had to deal with that asshole by yourself.” And he was an asshole—I knew that from only a glance at his social media accounts. “Aren’t you glad I canceled your date with him?” I asked on a grin.
She smiled back at me. “You tricked me into going out with you. You know you could have just asked like a normal person.”
“Nah, you would have said no.”
She laughed, because we both knew that was true.
She turned to me, her fingers pausing in their movements for a quick second, before she picked up where she had left off. “He was mad that he missed his chance at dating a Caldwell,” she said, and her voice sounded off.
I knew she’d had problems letting people into her life because she was afraid they might take advantage of the Caldwell name. And now that was confirmed with Ethan’s actions and words. Like I said, he was an asshole.
“Don’t worry about him.” I pulled her tighter to me. Sometimes I just wanted to attach myself permanently to her side, so that I could always be there to protect her. The thought that she might be hurt over what that asshole had said sent a wave of anger down my spine. “He’s not capable of loving anyone but himself. The fact that he was so transparent about it means he really believes no one would say no to him. What you do now is live the best life you can and forget about him.”
She leaned back to look at me. “I always hated the fact that my family is so prominent. There is safety in ambiguity, and I wanted that so badly. I wanted to be in a place where no one knows my name and I’m not always looking over my shoulder for some unknown danger.”
“Do you always feel... unsafe?” The thought that she might have lived most of her life being cautious because she was afraid made me feel uneasy. That wasn’t a way to live.
“Sometimes. Just when I’m in a crowded place and I don’t know most of the people there. I make up for it in other ways. You should have met me in high school. Joey called me reckless.”
It was all starting to make sense. A sudden thought brought a frown to my face. “Do you not care if you get hurt?”
“I do,” she said with conviction. “I do. I just don’t think about it until after.”
“After?” I would probably regret asking this later.
“Yeah. You know, after the event. Like one time, Joey got mad at me because I tried to save a dog in the middle of a...” She mumbled the last part, so I wasn’t sure what she said.
“Come again?”
“Never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything.” She was avoiding my eyes. Her gaze was now directed at my chin. I cupped her jaw and tilted her head back so she’d look at me.
“No, I want to know.”
“You won’t overreact?”
“Why would I overreact?”
“Joey did.”
I played with her hair while a thousand scenarios ran through my head. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear everything. “Tell me.”
“In a middle of a, uh... shoot-out.”
I didn’t react. I didn’t want to show any outward reaction, but inside I was trying to process what she had said. A part of me couldn’t believe it. I was sure I had heard her right, but how could that be?
“It wasn’t, you know, a full-on shoot-out. I mean, whatever you’re picturing in your head right now is probably worse than what it actually was.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” I said quietly.
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you!”
“No, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place.”
“I survived, didn’t I?” She tried to move away. I held her against me, not wanting her to put any distance between us. I had the sudden urge to tie her to my bed. She might call me crazy.
“How were you even in a place where a shoot-out happened?”
“We were in Joey’s old neighborhood. Her mom’s house. It was a drug deal gone wrong.”
“And you did all that to save a dog?”
“It wasn’t just a dog. It was Joey’s dog.”
“How old were you?”
“Fifteen.”
I let loose some pretty colorful language. Cole would be impressed.
“Come on, Wyatt. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Where’s the dog now?” I asked.
Emery looked away. “Well, she died two years after.”
“Are you telling me you risked your life to save an old dog?”
“Yes, and I would do it again.” Her lips pursed together stubbornly, as if daring me to contradict her.
I shook my head, my teeth clenched. She shouldn’t have said that. The fact that she thought that wasn’t a big deal was a big deal. “Emery. You’re not going to talk for the next hour, okay?” She opened her mouth, but I shot her a warning look. She got the message, and closed her mouth. “For one hour, while I try to calm down.”
“Okay, but can I just say one last thing?”
“Is it about another one of your adventures?” I
asked sarcastically.
“No, I learned my lesson. I’m never telling you anything like that again.” I stood up and walked to my closet. “Where are you going?”
I didn’t answer, but when I came back, I showed her what was in my hand.
“A scarf? Are you cold?”
Rolling my eyes, I climbed back into bed and ushered her to the middle before she could say anything. I grabbed her wrists and pulled them up to the headboard, tying her hands to the metal bars. She was too shocked to do anything at first, and when she finally snapped out of it, it was too late. I had her tied to my bed.
“Wyatt, what are you doing?”
“Keeping you in bed.”
It was her turn to roll her eyes. She wasn’t afraid, which was good. I didn’t want her to be afraid of me. I knew my size was intimidating. “Is this really necessary?”
“With the way I’m feeling? Absolutely.”
“If you want to try some sort of kinky sex, can’t you at least tell me about it first?”
I raised my eyebrows. Her face was flushed, and I bet if I had my hands between her legs, I’d find her wet.
“Do you want me to take you while you’re tied up?”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing?”
That wasn’t an answer. I shook my head. She looked disappointed. I tried to hide my smile by turning my face to the side. The blanket still covered her beautiful naked body from my view, but it had fallen down enough that I could see a hint of one nipple.
“What did you want to say?” I asked gruffly. I was getting hard just looking at her. And this wasn’t what I planned tonight.
“I forgot.”
“Emery.”
“What? It’s not my fault you distracted me.”
I lay back down on the bed, covering my eyes with my arm. She poked my side with her foot. I ignored her, trying to think of anything else aside from the beautiful, willing woman I had tied up in my bed.
“What am I supposed to do for the next hour if I’m not allowed to talk?” She tapped me harder with her foot when I didn’t respond. “Wyatt.”
It wasn’t working. I was still hard. I should go take care of that. I shouldn’t have gotten back into bed.
