To Whom it May Concern (The Hart Duet Book 1)

by J. S. Cooper

  There was a third guest. The table was set for three. The dinner was for three.

  I wasn’t there to eat dinner with Henry and Wade. I was the help there to serve them. My face burned. I’d assumed the meal was for me as well, though Wade hadn’t directly said that. But he hadn’t said there was someone else coming. He had deliberately let me believe I was going to be eating with him and Henry. All my warm feelings toward him vanished like smoke. Wade Hart was a jackass. I couldn’t believe that I’d actually thought he was a good guy. And to think I’d even been considering going down on him tonight. No way, Jose. His cock was coming nowhere near my mouth, and I was going nowhere near his bed. He could piss off. I was going to keep everything professional from here on out. I wasn’t going to be his plaything to just treat as he wanted. Jerk!

  “Savannah? Savannah, can you come here for a moment, please?” Wade called me from the dining room and I walked there slowly.

  “Can I help you, sir?” There was no smile on my face as I entered the room, and I knew my expression was surly.

  “Yes, we’d like some wine, please.” He looked over at Henry, who was just shaking his head. “Henry will have a glass of white.” And then he looked over to the woman on his right, a tall redhead with creamy pale skin and large blue eyes. She looked like a delicate flower, and I tried to ignore the jealousy that rushed through me. “And you, Etta, what would you like?”

  “Ooh, I’ll have a glass of red, please Wade.” She touched his arm lightly and batted her eyelids at him. She was wearing a tight black dress that hugged her figure in all the right places. “You know white does my head in.”

  “I’ll join you with a glass of red.” He looked over at me. “Did you get that, Savannah?”

  “Yes,” I mumbled. “I did.”

  “Did you get to tell your new friend you won’t be able to make it tonight?” Wade continued. “He understands you’re working, right?”

  “He doesn’t mind how late I am.” I smiled at him sweetly. “He’s ready for me at any time.” Which was a lie. I hadn’t even texted Gordon back as yet, but Wade didn’t have to know that.

  “Is there a reason why you’re not getting our drinks?” Wade raised an eyebrow and I glared at him furiously as I hurried out of the room.

  “I was just answering your question, asshole,” I muttered under my breath as I walked into the kitchen.

  Henry followed me out of the room. “Don’t let him bother you,” he said in a low voice.

  “He’s an asshole.” I shook my head as I stared at him. “He’s the one that asked me a question. It’s not like I was just standing there.”

  “I know.” Henry shook his head. “My brother is stupid.”

  “Who’s the woman? His date?”

  “Who is Henrietta?” He shook his head. “She’s just an old friend of his.”

  “A bed buddy?”

  “I don’t know.” He shook his head. “Maybe in the past. Not now.”

  “Really? Well, she sure looked like she wanted to get her paws on him.”

  “All the women want Wade.” Henry laughed. “Just ignore it.”

  “Oh, I don’t need to ignore it. I don’t care.”

  “You know if Wade is getting on your nerves, you can walk out and tell him to stuff it, right?”

  “It’s fine.” I shook my head. “I mean, he hasn’t really done anything to me. I’m his employee.”

  “You thought you were going to be a dinner guest, didn’t you?” Henry shook his head. “My brother is an ass.”

  “It’s fine.” I took a deep breath. “I already had a feeling that he was a jerk. I just need to remember that moving forward.”

  “Oh, Savannah.” Henry put a hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to accept everything Wade says and does.”

  “I know that.” I nodded, tears welling in my eyes. I turned away from Henry, embarrassed by the night’s turn of events. How had Wade been flirting with me just minutes ago and now he was back to treating me like the help?

  “Savannah.” Henry tilted my head up to look at him. “Are you crying?”

  “I’m not crying.” My lower lip trembled, and a tear rolled down my cheek. Henry reached his arms around me and pulled me into his arms and hugged me.

  “Ignore my brother, Savannah. He always goes too far when he’s trying to prove a point. I’m sorry.”

  “What point is he trying to prove?” I looked up at him, and Henry looked away guiltily.

  “I’ve said too much.” He stepped back and sighed. “Just know that you can speak up, Savannah. I know you want to.” He looked around the kitchen. “Now how can I be helpful? Shall I take the glasses of wine inside?”

  “Do you mind?” I asked him softly, taking a deep breath. “That will give me time to get the appetizers ready.”

  “I don’t mind at all.” Henry touched my shoulder, his eyes crinkling as he smiled down at me. He looked so much like Wade in that moment that I felt my heart stop for a few seconds. “He’s not as horrible as he seems. I know that’s hard to believe, but trust me, somewhere deep in his heart, he’s a good guy.”

  “I’m not convinced he actually has one.” I deep breathe. “But you know what, I don’t care. This is just a job, and I need to remember that. I will just mark off the days on the calendar, and when my time is up, I’ll be out and I won’t be looking back.”

  “Is that so?” Wade’s deep voice made me jump as he walked into the kitchen. He surveyed my face, and his lips thinned. “We’ll talk later.” He turned around and walked back out of the kitchen. Henry just shook his head. I took a deep breath and flattened my skirt down.

  I didn’t know what the hell was going on and I didn’t care. I was done with Wade and his hot and cold games. I might be young and inexperienced, but I wasn’t looking for heartache and drama with a man who just wanted to mess with my head—no matter how good looking he was.

  I put the last dish into the dishwasher and closed the door. Finally, the night had come to an end. I’d spent the evening ignoring Wade, and I hadn’t made eye contact with him once. I was ready to go to bed, and I was going to sleep in as late as I wanted. No way was I waking up early to make him breakfast. I didn’t care what he expected. My stomach growled as I leaned back against the sink. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to eat yet.

  The meal had gone okay. The shrimp cocktail looked good, the mini quiches were frozen from a packet, and I’d bought a frozen lasagna and garlic bread and pretended I’d made them. I didn’t care if Wade knew or not. I walked to the fridge to make myself a sandwich when I heard footsteps walking into the kitchen.

  “You didn’t have to do the dishes tonight.”

  “It’s my job.” I didn’t bother turning around to face Wade.

  “I’m not a slave driver.”

  “Can I help you?” I grabbed some cheese from the fridge and a knife from the drawer.

  “I came to thank you for dinner.” He walked over to me. “Still hungry?”

  “Still?” I looked up at him angrily. “I haven’t gotten to eat yet.”

  “You haven’t?”

  “I’ve spent the evening serving you and your brother and friend.” I glared at him. “When did I have time to eat?”

  “I guess you should eat now, then.” He shrugged. “No homemade lasagna for you?”

  “No.” My lips thinned, and I turned away.

  “What about some Stouffers, then?” There was mirth in his voice. I willed myself not to react and confirm what he already knew.

  “I’m tired, Wade, am I still on the clock?”

  “No.”

  “Then leave me the hell alone,” I burst out. “I just want to eat and go to bed.”

  “Wow, ready for me already, huh?”

  “I’m not sleeping in your bed tonight, Wade.” I shook my head. “Last night was a mistake. I’m not interested in your games.” I rolled my eyes. “Why don’t you call Henrietta and tell her that you need a bed buddy tonight. I’m sure she’ll b
e happy for you to slide on in.”

  “Slide on in, huh?” He raised an eyebrow. “Such poetry.”

  “Whatever, Wade.”

  “Are you really this upset?” He shook his head. “Just because I had a female dinner guest?”

  “You know that’s not why I’m upset. You led me to believe that I was going to be the third guest at the dinner table. I thought I was cooking for the three of us.”

  “I’m sorry, did I say that?” He cocked his head to the side. “I didn’t realize I said you’d be a guest.”

  “Well, you didn’t say that exactly,” I mumbled. “I guess I just assumed.”

  “So then, that was on you.”

  “Okay, fine. It was my fault.”

  “Are you upset because you didn’t get to see your friend tonight?”

  “Oh, my god, enough already about Gordon.” I pushed past him. “I’m going to bed.”

  “What about the cheese?”

  “You can put it away,” I snapped.

  I stormed out of the kitchen, down the corridor, and into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I walked into the shower, pulling my clothes off and dropping them on the bathroom floor. I stepped in and let the water pour down on me. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. As the tension seeped out of me, a poem started forming in my mind.

  “You look at me like you think I know,

  I look at you like I’m ready to blow,

  You make me so mad, you make me want to scream,

  But you’re my boss, and I’m not your queen,

  I thought you were special,

  Someone I’d want to get to know

  I thought you were sexy,

  I thought we could grow,

  But you’re just an asshole,

  A king without a crown,

  And I’m just your maid,

  And I’m not about to go down.”

  I laughed at my last line. “So classy, Savannah,” I mumbled to myself as I stepped out of the shower. “What did you think was going to happen, anyway? You don’t even know him.”

  I grabbed a towel and headed back into the bedroom, then froze in my tracks. “What are you doing in here?”

  Wade was sitting on the edge of my bed, his jacket off and the top buttons of his shirt undone.

  “I came to apologize.”

  “Really, now?” I raised an eyebrow, not moving. “Go on, then.”

  “I’m sorry about tonight. I should have had you join us. It was rude of me.” He leaned back in my bed. “I didn’t mean to upset you or disrespect you.”

  “Well, you did.”

  “I know.” He nodded. “You have to admit, this is a complicated situation.”

  “Oh?”

  “We should have kept it completely professional.” He jumped up off of the bed. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

  “Well, you did.”

  “I shouldn’t have had you sleeping in my bed last night.”

  “Again, you did.”

  “I shouldn’t have touched you.” He stopped in front of me.

  “You know my response.”

  “I shouldn’t have slipped my finger inside of you.” He touched my bare shoulder.

  “Wait, what?” I frowned. “You didn’t do that.”

  “Not yet.” He pressed his lips against mine and kissed me hard. As he did that his hand slipped under my towel and between my legs. His tongue found its way into my mouth, and I melted against him, loving the warm taste of whiskey on his lips. I felt his finger stroke me then gasped as he slid it inside. He growled against my lips as I pressed against him, my legs weak. The feel of his finger inside of me made me tremble. As much as I wanted to push him away, I couldn’t. The taste of him was like a drug, and his finger was doing things to me that I didn’t want to stop.

  “Oops.” His eyes twinkled as he pulled away from me.

  “Don’t oops me,” I muttered as he continued fingering me.

  “You know what else I shouldn’t have done?” He pulled his finger out of me and pulled me into his arms, his finger running through my hair.

  “What?” I gazed up at him, my heart racing. “Actually, don’t answer that. If you think one half-assed apology is going to make me slip back into your bed, then you’re out of your mind.”

  “I don’t think that.” He took my hand and began to gently back me up toward the bed. “I was moving too fast for you. I want to show you that I’m sorry.”

  “Okay. Well, I’m not going to say apology accepted, but rather pending.”

  “Pending?” He grinned as he took another step toward me and I took another step closer to the bed.

  “Yeah.” I sniffed. “I’m still deciding whether or not to accept it.”

  “Well, let me apologize to you in another way.”

  The back of my legs bumped the mattress, and I shivered, exquisitely conscious of the fact that I was in nothing but a towel. “What other way?”

  “I never should have made you come with my tongue.” He winked and pushed me onto the bed.

  “Wade!” I gasped, my face blushing. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

  “You’re not?” He ripped the towel off me, his pupils dilating as he took in my naked body. I lay there, surprised that I wasn’t more self-conscious as he gazed down at me. He got onto the bed next to me. “Let me apologize to you in another way, Savannah. Don’t you want me to?” He grazed my stomach with his fingers then moved his hand up to stroke my nipple, never taking his eyes off mine. “Can I kiss you?”

  I nodded in response, not trusting myself to speak and as his lips met mine, filling me with a warm glow that I never wanted to end. His lips left mine and kissed down my body, his tongue tracing the valley between my breasts and then farther. He kissed down my stomach then pushed my thighs apart before lowering his mouth directly on my heat. I cried out as he took my clit into his mouth, sucking on it with such sweet intensity that desire bloomed in my very core. He licked me and teased me, and my fingers gripped the sheets as the tip of his tongue flicked against me.

  “Ohhhh!” I cried out as his tongue slipped inside of me. I could barely control myself as his tongue fucked me, his hands gripping the side of my body. My body was made of fire, and I never wanted it extinguished. My thighs tightened around his face as his tongue slipped in and out of me, lightly teasing my clit as it moved back and forth. I could feel how wet I was against his lips, and I didn’t even care. I just wanted to come. I needed to come. Everything was forgiven and forgotten. If he could make me feel like this, what did I care if he wanted me to cook for him?

  Suddenly he moved up. “I need to see your face,” he growled. “I need to see your face when you come.” He lay down flat and pulled me onto him. “Sit on my face.”

  “What?” My eyes widened as his fingers played with my breasts.

  “I want you to ride my face. I want you to grind your juicy pussy lips against me, I want to fuck you with my tongue, and I want to see your face as you come on me.”

  “Wade,” I licked my lips nervously. “I don’t know. I ...”

  “Shh.” He pulled me up and shifted me down and before I knew it, my pussy was directly above his face. He pushed my hips down and once again his lips found my core. I grabbed a hold of the headboard and moved back and forth on his face, crying out as his tongue flicked my clit and his beard teased my thighs. He pulled my hips down more and his tongue entered me, feeling even deeper than it had before. I cried out as I gyrated on his face and I could see him looking up at me, a dark intensity in his eyes. He ate me out as if his life depended on it. An orgasm began to swell deep within me. His tongue seemed to move deeper and deeper, tapping something inside of me.

  I screamed. The pleasure was almost too much. I moved even faster on his face, and then my orgasm hit, powerful and hard. I rocked back and forth as he continued to lap me off. When the waves subsided, I rolled off of him and looked over at his grinning face, slick with my juices.

  “You tasted be
tter than that dinner did, that’s for sure.” He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. I could taste myself on him, but I didn’t care. “You’re so fucking hot, Savannah. I want to be inside of you so badly right now,” he groaned.

  I reached my hand down to his pants and ran my fingers along his hard erection. His hand grabbed mine and pulled it away. “If you continue doing that, tonight is going to go very differently.”

  “How’s that?” I pressed my fingers harder against his cock.

  “Savannah,” his voice was a low growl, “I’m sorry about earlier. I’ll try not to be as much of an ass as I was tonight.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah.” He then rolled off the bed and stood up. “I think my apology will be accepted now, yeah?” He looked down at me and licked his lips. “I hurt your feelings earlier, but now I’ve made you come. I think that more than makes up for you getting upset at having to do your job.”

  My jaw dropped at his words. He started chuckling, and I grew furious. This man really was playing with me, in more ways than one.

  “Night, Savannah. I have to go and call Henry now. I’ll see you at breakfast.” And with that, he was out of the door.

  I rolled over so that my face was pressed into the pillow and screamed into it. What had just happened? I was totally in over my head.

  I grabbed my phone and texted Lucy;

  Savannah: You up?

  Lucy: Yup, why? How was your night?

  Savannah: Guess ...

  Lucy: Well, seeing as you’re texting me, I’m guessing you didn’t give up your V-card.

  Savannah: No, I didn’t, though I did orgasm.

  Lucy: OMG, what? Tell me more! Now.

  Savannah: Wade went down on me.

  Lucy: OMG! No way.

  Savannah: Yeah! :P

  Lucy: So you had fun?

  Savannah: His tongue felt amazing. Sorry for TMI.

  Lucy: Girl, it’s me. There is no such thing as too much information. Tell me more. Did you return the favor?

  Savannah: Nah. He went down on me to apologize.

  Lucy: Uh oh, apologize for what?

  Savannah: Well, let’s just say I wasn’t invited to the dinner. I was the help.