“Agreed,” he said. I gathered the plates. As I put them in the sink, he held my sides. “Come into the office with me for a few hours.”
My heart beat faster. The night before, I’d lost the ability to think, but outside, on the street, holding his hand would be easy. I took a deep breath. Hopefully, I would figure out how to focus on him, too, or in the end, he’d be tired of me, just like Bob had been.
My hands trembled. “Why?”
He hugged my waist. “You can schedule wedding stuff, and if I need your help, you’ll be at arm’s reach. Then when we’re done, we can do something fun together.”
He made work sound like a date. I turned and faced him. He had such faith in me that I wasn’t sure how to respond. “No one at work knows about us.”
He cupped my butt. “We won’t cause a scandal. And besides, no one’s there.”
I would do anything to feel as powerful as he thought I was. “Okay, I’ll come.”
He tightened his hold on me. “Let’s see that happen here first, before we go.”
Fair enough. My body was warm and ready for him. I would devote myself to him. And no one would know if we were a few minutes late. So I kissed him until he led me back to the bedroom.
Arman
The meeting with the inventors’ parents to discuss their concerns was good though repetitive and mostly involved hand-holding. I backed up everything Kendal had promised, as she was in charge of keeping our creators happy, and they understood she spoke for the company. I ended by answering simple questions and shaking hands.
The four families were nervous due to the amount of money we were discussing. My initial buyout was a million dollars, to be split four ways. That alone would change their lives. But if things went as I anticipated, the incoming royalties would set them up for life. Three of the mothers were in tears at the end of the meeting.
Once they left the conference room, I saw Maddie on the phone, discussing florals. She had her computer open and a huge smile on her face as she mentioned cymbidium orchids, yellow tulips, and cushion pompon. She made my life brighter, and I hoped with time, she would feel the same about me.
My phone rang, and I recognized my brother’s number. “Cyrus, how are you?”
In the background, a hospital speaker mentioned a patient’s name, and then my brother said, “Awful.”
Normally, Cyrus took weekends off unless he was on call, but my gut told me this wasn’t about work. I glanced at Maddie and then asked my brother, “Tell me what’s up?”
“For six weeks, I’ve called Leah every day to talk.” I heard a door close over the phone. “And she agreed to meet with me last night.”
Progress. Cyrus intended to be a good father, and Leah had shaken the unflappable, serious one in the family. He’d probably written the list of everything he’d need to discuss with her. “That’s great.”
“No. This morning, we met.” His voice was flat. “And then she left without a word.”
“She showed up but then stonewalled you?” The woman I’d met once had seemed nice enough. I asked, “Why?”
“Melissa showed up first and sat down to apologize about the dancing competition. Leah got the wrong idea and just backed out.”
His voice was grave, as if someone had died. I held the phone closer to my face. “I thought you weren’t dating her.”
He sighed like he was in pain. “I’m not. I ended our competition plans so I could focus on Leah and my son.”
My brother was always laser focused on what he wanted, and he hated surprises. As I talked to him, I saw Maddie switch the pictures on her screen to wedding arches, and for one second, I imagined her in a white dress, walking toward me on the beach. I blinked, and the image was gone.
I said, “You’re going to have to explain that one.”
“I ran into Joel. He told me Maddie is going to plan a wedding for them.”
“Yes. That’s true.”
“Did Mom put you up to this?”
I smiled at my pragmatic brother. Will he ever understand the needs of the heart?
“No, it was actually Joel and Kendal. She wanted her mother to be there on her big day, and Mom loves Maddie’s taste.”
“At least she has you to fuss over these days. So, are you two, like, official now?”
I froze. I hadn’t expected that one. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I should have touched her at all, but I wasn’t about to discuss sex. I kept my voice down. “I’m all in. I don’t know that she is yet.”
“Has she ever told you anything about her married life?”
My muscles tensed. I wasn’t usually the one who was grilled, as I was the oldest. “No. I don’t want to push her.”
“Well, there’s potential for drama there too. A lot of my patients have years of stress, and it absolutely affects the body. I often recommend seeing a therapist. You should get her story before you commit.”
If I pushed Maddie, she would leave. I had to hold on and hope she trusted me with her secrets. I sat up straighter. “I’m not going to push her.”
“Don’t pin your hopes and dreams on someone who might never love you back.”
His words stung. He’d found my weakness and exploited it. I flinched. “Then why are you pursuing Leah? Only because she had your child?”
I regretted my words. Cyrus was generally a great brother. He laughed, and the sound helped my shoulders relax.
He said, “So you’re saying I shouldn’t give out heart advice these days.”
I nodded, though I knew he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, you might specialize in that muscle, but there is a lot about the heart that neither of us knows.”
“Fair enough,” he said. Maddie had hung up her phone, and my muscles twitched to get up and take her to lunch. My brother continued. “Well, Mom will always swoop in for you to fix it all if you fuck up too much with Maddie.”
He was stressed. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be swearing.
I stood to go. “I don’t need that either. Talk to you later.”
“You too. Thanks for listening.”
At the door, I saw Maddie closing her computer, but I stayed in my office. “Listening is easy. It’s figuring out what to do and waiting for the right time that’s hard.”
“Agreed,” Cyrus said.
The truth was, I wasn’t sure about Maddie, because she was closed off, but I wouldn’t tackle that issue just then. We’d have to see if she ever opened up.
Arman
The air smelled sweeter outside my office than in, despite the expensive air-conditioning system. Of course, I knew it wasn’t the purified air that had the delicious smell. It was all Maddie. My body grew harder near her as I remembered how glorious she’d been, writhing on top of me as her hair flew in every direction.
I blinked. She stood in front of me, pointing to the door. “My daughter called. She and Roxanne want to know if we’ll be there for lunch.”
Real life had struck back. I checked for my wallet and phone and then headed to the door to hold it for her. “Sure. I finished. Thanks for coming with me.”
She passed me. “Monday morning, I’ll be late, as I’m meeting Kendal to tour five potential spaces for the wedding.”
The elevator came, and we were alone. We’d sworn no one in the office would ever know about us, so I didn’t try to hold her hand in case security was watching, but I probably smiled too big. “Sounds like you’re enjoying the project too.”
She gazed up at me, and her goodness beamed out of her skin in an ethereal glow. “I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed party planning. Isn’t that funny, how you can forget something you were good at if you don’t ever get to do it? I remember when I was young and thought I’d have an event-planning business. Isn’t that silly, how things work out?”
She said it with a wry smile, and I could tell she didn’t really think it was funny. He life had not turned out the way she had hoped it would… yet.
The doors opened, and I said, “I’d support you if you
followed your dreams.”
No one was near us except the security guards behind a desk we passed. She stayed in step with me. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m going to see how I do with Kendal’s big day first.”
I held the door for her as we headed out. ““Well, you know I would back you if you asked me to.”
Her face went white. We made it to the street corner, and she stared ahead and not at me. “I already ask too much.”
I took her hand and squeezed it. When the light turned for pedestrians, we continued. “No. When I was eighteen, I wanted to prove myself and not be treated as a trillionaire Norouzi. I tried to work under a fake name…”
Her eyebrow quirked up. “Yeah?”
I would tell her this story that I hardly told anyone. “No one wanted to do business with Arman Nolty.”
She shook her head. “I doubt that.”
I winked at her. “No, it’s true. Banks didn’t want to lend to me. Joel had warned me. He remembered a life before he was a Norouzi in a way I’d never experienced. I eventually gave in and used my name.”
We were almost at Central Park. She said, “You’d never blend. You’re too wonderful. What did Joel say to get you to accept your position?”
The trees made Maddie’s nearness more palpable. I ignored the beat of my heart as I said, “He told me basically to accept the gifts I was born to and use them for good. So that’s what I try to do.”
She playfully tickled my belly. “Well, my dad said you were the prince of sin and you’d be my ruin.”
Maddie’s dad had told me to never go near her unless I intended to be converted. I’d told him I didn’t mind if she kept her religion, but that answer hadn’t persuaded him. I only said, “I remember your dad.”
She tugged me to walk faster. “He clearly didn’t understand that sin has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with character.”
We made it to our building and headed inside. “So, you’re comparing me to Thor?”
She laughed, which made her more beautiful. The doors of the elevator opened, and she said, “First, I haven’t seen a movie like that in years, and no, I didn’t mention anything to do with Thor. And let’s be honest—I never understood why he was your favorite superhero when there are way cooler ones.”
“Son of a king. I might not be royal, but he was closer to me in spirit.” I hit the button to her floor. “And now, it’s time for you to catch up on all the movies you missed.”
“Perfect.” She bounced on her feet. “Why do you think I’m sticking around? You have all the apps.”
I laughed at that idea. When we were children and certain movies were banned in her house, I’d shown them to her. As the doors opened, I said, “We’ll watch them in order so you can appreciate each one.”
She winked at me. “You’re on.”
The door opened, and my mother stood there, beaming like she’d won some prize. Aurora’s blond hair was in a bun.
“Nice to see you so happy, Mom,” I said.
I closed the door behind us as Maddie asked her daughter, “What happened at the rehearsal?”
“We’re all still learning our lines. I’m terrified of dancing as the gypsy, but at least I don’t have all those lines.”
My mother put her arms around her. “Why are you terrified? You were terrific.”
Aurora blushed, looking like her mother as she stared at both of us. “Dancing was more my mom’s thing than mine, but until the play, I’d never really tried. I’m assuming everyone must have been worse if I was the one chosen, but that doesn’t make me any good.”
Maddie stepped away from me. “You downplay yourself, Aurora. You’ve enjoyed dancing all your life.”
Mother and daughter shared a moment of silence. Then Aurora said, “I was never allowed to learn.”
My mother poured tea for everyone, and I sat down. Maddie took the seat next to me. “I’ll get you a private tutor,” my mother said.
Maddie shook her head. “You don’t have to.”
My mother said, “I do. It’s my reward to my sweet girl for putting herself out there. And I’d like your permission to take Aurora to Broadway tonight so she can see Hamilton.”
I wasn’t sure if this was her plan for me to have time alone with Maddie or not, but knowing I had more time alone with Maddie gave me hope. I would do anything for her and Aurora.
Aurora pouted. ”Please, Mom?”
Maddie gazed at me and then nodded. “That sounds fun.”
My mom said, “And we’d like to go after lunch to get ourselves ready and have a girls’ day.”
I sipped my tea and waited. If Maddie thought this was too much, I would ask my mother to stop.
But Maddie just shrugged. “Sure.”
Aurora hugged my mom. “Thanks, Roxanne.”
I handed Maddie the tea my mother had poured for her. She said, “Your mom and my daughter are close.”
Maddie had no idea how much I wanted to be part of their lives. My mother might, but I kept that to myself and only whispered, “You and Aurora are both easy to like.”
“Thanks, Arman.” Maddie kissed my cheek.
My mother and Aurora brought trays of kebabs and rice to the table. I would need the sustenance to figure out how to show Maddie that I was hers.
Chapter Thirteen
Arman
The second my mother and Aurora left the house, I wrapped my arms around Maddie. She smelled floral and fantastic, as if she’d snuck away and freshened up just for me. We waved goodbye, but my body grew hard. It had been too long since I’d had her.
I traced her hips. “Want to stay here or head up to my place?”
She sighed and let my hands brush against her. “Yours. If my daughter ever walked in on us…”
I interrupted her with a kiss. She tasted like the lemon cake my mother had served us. I cupped her ass with my hands.
When our lips needed a break, she said, “I thought you wanted to watch a movie.”
I traced her pant hem. “Well, if that’s all you want to do, we can do that too.”
She giggled and held me close. “You’re direct now. It’s cute.”
I lowered my head to kiss her again. She fluttered her eyelashes. “I figured out what I wanted.”
We were less than an inch apart. The air smelled of her. “That’s good.”
Our lips met, and I forgot the rest of the world. She tugged at my shirt. I tossed it and helped her out of hers. She took off her pants. “For the first time in my life, I have a chance to be happy.”
I unbuckled my pants. “So you’re happy with me?”
Her hands cupped my growing, hard dick. “You’re the best.”
I needed her. I’d thought I would seduce her slowly, but I couldn’t keep my hands to myself. She went to her knees in her living room and licked my cock. She didn’t have to. I was already hard as a rock for her.
This wasn’t just sex for me. Maddie was the one. I joined her and sucked on her nipple till it was perky and hard, like a pebble. Maddie was beautiful when she was naked and at ease. My heart stirred, and I moved onto the other to give it equal attention.
She sighed. Her face pinkened, and her pleasure made me ache to fill her. I urged her to move backward, and she did. I tasted her skin on my way down, and she filled me. The hunger inside me was only quenched by her.
As my tongue found her center, she arched. It was adorable how she fought her orgasm and moaned my name. Soon, she closed her eyes and let go. Past the flap of her womanhood, I found her clit and drove her onward till she rocked.
As I slowed, she came back to me and whispered between sighs, “You go on top.”
The previous night, I hadn’t pushed, and I wouldn’t now either. I would do whatever she wanted. I tugged on the condom and readied myself, holding back for a second in case she changed her mind. Maddie squeezed my ass, and I followed her directions as she led my cock inside her. She sighed when I fully went in, and for a split second, s
he tensed.
I refused to move, and she soon settled and relaxed. I set the rhythm and watched her lose control. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
Soon, I sped up inside her and exploded, and she orgasmed for a third time. The second after that, I held her tight. Maddie was the love of my life, and I never wanted anyone else, ever.
Arman
Minutes later, Maddie wiggled out of my arms and grabbed her clothes from the area rug beside us. She tugged her shirt on as she made a dash for the bathroom. I assumed our time was over. I was already growing hard for her again, but I played along and got dressed.
She came out. “Let’s go to your place now.”
Good. I cleaned up fast and met her at the door. She put her shoes on and reached for the door. A neighbor passed at that moment, and she slammed it shut, trembling. “Do you think anyone might see us?”
I kissed the back of her head. I’d made sure she had fun earlier, but she seemed tense. I hugged her hip. “Are you sure you want to go to my place?”
She sucked in her bottom lip and turned to stare at me. “My daughter has a key here.”
I put my shoes on. “I think Aurora approves of me.”
Her face reddened. She took my hand and reached for the door again. “She does, but let’s go.”
No one was in the hall as we left. She locked the door, her face glowing. I reached for her waist. “I can’t get enough of you, beautiful.”
“Beautiful?” Her eyes narrowed. She pressed the elevator button. “I tried my hardest to put on makeup every day for the office.”
I laughed as we stepped inside and then cupped her ass. “Yet you’re more confident without it. You’re sexy as hell.”
Her lips thinned. “Let’s not swear.”
For a moment, I wondered if I’d said ass out loud. I gulped and realized I hadn’t. “Is ‘hell’ a swear now?”
The door to the penthouse opened. She avoided my gaze. “It…” We stepped into the hall, and she shrugged. “Okay, you win on that one.”
Honey Bun: Virgin Cove Trillionaire Single Brothers Page 11
