by Layla Hagen
“Yeah, I do, and I will. I meant what I said to her.”
I place my hand palm up on the table, and she gives me hers.
“I don’t fit in with your people—”
“Those are not my people. They’re just customers. You are my people. You and my family. I don’t care about anyone else.”
Caroline sighs, shaking her head. “Okay, I have to ask. Did you take any courses on how to make a woman swoon or something? I don’t remember you being quite so charming last time around.”
I give her my most cheeky smile. “Can’t give away all my secrets now, can I?” Logan might have given me a piece of advice or ten, and I don’t need to take notes to remember it all.
“Well, whatever you did, it’s working.”
The waiter appears at our table, interrupting the moment as he sets the plates in front of us. I don’t realize how hungry I am until I take the first mouthful of paella.
Caroline eats with small bites, a contemplative expression on her face.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Our lives seem to belong in different spheres. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, but it’s simple compared to yours. After me, you dated models and stars, and I couldn’t help wondering that maybe you broke things off because I wasn’t enough.”
“No! I was young and stupid, and it had nothing to do with you. I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. I admit I also wanted to experiment more. But the thought of being in it for the long haul scared me.” I struggle for words, wanting to make this perfectly clear.
“Dan, it’s okay. We were twenty-one. I get it. No one’s ready for forever at that age.”
“Except our parents.”
She grins. “True.”
“So, you kept a close eye on me, huh?”
Nodding, she lowers her eyes to the plate, pushing around the food with her fork. “Go ahead, laugh.”
“I’m not laughing. I did the same.”
“How? My life wasn’t under public scrutiny like yours.” She frowns, but then her expression blooms into a full smile as she puts two and two together. “Your sisters.”
“Exactly. Alice stayed out of it, but Pippa and Summer were relentless. Every time they told me you were dating, I wanted to punch something. Then I felt guilty because I wanted you to be happy. But the thought of you being happy with someone else....”
Narrowing her eyes, she points her fork at me. “You’ve been sending me negative vibes all these years.”
“I wouldn’t call it that.”
“Hmm, you’re right. Pining is the word.”
“You’re enjoying this immensely, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been pining for you this entire time. It’s nice to know I wasn’t the only one.”
She presses her lips together, as if she fears she’s said too much. She didn’t use to have a filter with me or feel the need to be careful. But right now, she’s peeking at me from behind her guard, not quite ready to lower it. I’m not there yet either, but I want to meet her halfway on this one.
“You weren’t the only one. Not by a long shot.”
She smiles that ridiculously beautiful smile, and fuck if I don’t want to get her out of here, take her home, show her all the ways in which I missed her. But she needs to eat first.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
She sighs, eying my plate. “Can I take a bite of your paella?”
“Sure.”
She takes a spoonful from my plate, chewing slowly, nodding in satisfaction. “Yours is tastier. I should’ve ordered the one with chicken too.”
“Wanna trade?”
She tilts her head, considering this. “No. Stealing from your plate is more fun.”
“That’s my line.”
“Stole it too.”
I laugh, moving the plate out of her reach. “Whatcha gonna do now, Ms. Tease?”
Caroline looks between the plate and me as she taps her fingers on the table. I’m so busy anticipating her next move over the table that I pay no attention to her shenanigans under the table. Right until I feel her bare foot move suggestively up and down my calf. Fuck me.
“If I were you, I’d put the plate right back where it was,” she says sweetly.
I push the plate even farther away, leaning slightly over the table. “If I were you, I’d stop being a naughty girl. You don’t want to turn me on, or I’ll forget we’re in public. You’re not wearing any panties, remember?”
Swallowing hard, she lowers her foot, red splotches appearing on her cheeks.
“I love seeing you blush.”
“You don’t say.”
“Let’s go to my house after dinner. Spend the night there.” I’ve been sleeping at her apartment since Sunday, but I want her in my house, in my bed. I want her smell on my sheets, her hair on my pillow.
“You’re awfully confident about getting me in bed tonight,” she teases.
Leaning back, I drum my fingers on the table. “Oh, I like my chances. Besides, you’ll love my apartment. Lots of windows. It’s in Nob Hill, with a direct view over Huntington Park.”
“Can you see our faux Notre Dame?” she asks, referring to the Grace Cathedral, which is an exact replica of Notre Dame de Paris.
“Yep. I also have a Jacuzzi.”
“Sold.”
***
“Wow, your apartment is beautiful, Dan. And the view, my goodness.”
She does a full turn, scanning the details of the living room. I don’t have much in terms of furniture, just a large white couch, a coffee table, and a recliner in which Alice loves to sit when she visits, but I love my home simple. And I love having Caroline here, in the midst of it all. I can barely keep my hands off her, my self-control dangling from a thin thread. Stepping right behind her, I push her hair to one side, kissing the back of her neck.
“I want to taste you, Caroline. I want to make love to you in every room in this apartment.”
“Then get me naked.”
Her voice is low, full of lust. I love bringing out this side of her. I make quick work of removing her clothes, and when she’s completely naked, I make a confession.
“You’re the only woman I’ve brought here. Except for my family.”
I need her to know that, unlike last time, now I understand exactly how special this is between us. Even the doorman was surprised when he saw us come in.
“Oh, Dan!” She peppers my chest with kisses, whispering against my skin. “You’re not going to regret it. I’ll make you happy.” She kisses up my neck, moves to my ear. “You’ll see. So happy.”
One hand around her waist, I hoist her closer to me, tip her chin up with my other hand. The emotion in her eyes brings me to my knees.
I want to be worthy of this look my entire life. Gently I press my mouth against hers. She opens her lips, inviting me in, and I slip my tongue inside. Taking her in my arms, I carry her to my bedroom, laying her on the bed.
She keeps her hands at the side of her head, her hair splayed around the pillow. She looks so perfect in my bed. She belongs here, and I’ll be damned if I ever let her leave it. Her round, full breasts beckon to me, her nipples peaking.
I drop my clothes near the bed, taking her panties out of my pocket, then lie next to her. Bracing myself on one forearm, I run my thumb in the valley between her breasts, around one nipple and then the other, until they’re both hard.
“Put these on,” I instruct, laying the thong on her belly.
“Now you want me to have panties on?”
“Yes. Put them on.”
She raises a brow but does what I say, shimmying back in them, looking at me as if asking, “Now what?”
Her chest moves up and down with every breath, the rhythm intensifying as I trace the path of my fingers with my mouth, tasting all that sweetness of hers. I lower my mouth to her navel, then farther on her pubic bone, stopping just above her clit, pressing a chaste kiss there over the fabric.
Pulling back, I run my
thumb right over her center, watching the fabric dampen with her arousal, her eyes widening. I blow a breath straight over the darkened patch, and she fists the bedsheet, exhaling sharply.
“Dan, what are you doing?”
“Driving you crazy.”
I’m so hard, I can barely hold back, but I want to give her pleasure more than I need to chase my own. Gathering the fabric covering her pussy between my fingers, I rub the lace gently over her clit.
“Oh, oh—this is so good.”
The lace is a little rough, so I follow every rub with a lash of my tongue, a succession of soft and coarse. She fists the sheets tighter and tighter, but I know it won’t be enough soon. She’ll need to touch herself.
When she finally lets go of the sheet, touching her breasts, playing with her own nipples, I nearly come from the sight. Caroline on her back, spread open on my bed, all wild and uninhibited. I love seeing her like this. I stop when she’s close to climaxing, pulling her panties down, then lick along her crack.
“Dan. Ooooooh, oh, oh. Can you do that again, please?”
I lick again, and again, feeling her glutes contract in my hands, her cries becoming louder, her arousal dripping on her inner thighs.
When I can’t stand not being inside her anymore, I straighten up, balancing on my knees between her open thighs. She lifts her legs, touching my arms with her feet before resting them on my shoulders. I cuff her ankles between my thumb and forefinger, moving her feet until her soles are planted on my chest.
“You’ll have better leverage like this,” I explain.
She swallows. “Are you sure it’s okay for you?”
“Don’t worry, baby. I’m strong. Give me your hands.”
I reach out, and she meets me halfway. With her hands in mine, I slide inside her, just the tip, rubbing back and forth until she gasps my name.
“Dan, please. I want you inside me all the way.”
“Not yet.”
I move lower on my knees, changing the angle, but still only giving her the tip. She whimpers, lifting her hips, trying to slide herself onto me, but I pull back.
“Please.”
“I love hearing you say please.”
“Dan!”
“I’m not giving everything to you. Not yet.”
My words send a rush of wetness through her, and her pussy clamps around me, coating me in her arousal. This is torture for me too, but nothing like it is for her. She writhes, thrashing her head around the pillow. But I need to get her soaked and ready, and she’s so responsive it damn near kills me. She tries to smuggle her hands out of my grip, but I don’t let her go.
“No.”
“I need to touch myself.”
“You’re not allowed to. You’ll only receive the pleasure I want to give you. And love? I’ll give you so much pleasure, I’m not sure you’ll be able to take it.”
She exhales sharply, but stops trying to wriggle her hands free. Leverage and control are two reasons I want to hold her here. The third one is that I need the touch. I want to touch her as much as possible, to feel close to her.
When the quiver in her body intensifies, I change the angle again, sliding in deeper, inch by inch, stopping when I reach her G-spot. Her eyes open wide, looking at me wildly, her mouth forming an O.
“Oh, oh, Dan—”
I slide inside her, staying still when I’m all the way in. When I pull back, then slide back in, her hands tense in mine. I grip them tighter, rubbing my thumbs along her knuckles.
“You’re so beautiful.”
I need it slow tonight, and I need to look her in the eyes the entire time I’m inside her. She doesn’t urge me to go faster, doesn’t push herself against me. And she doesn’t look away from me. We’ve always been in sync, but tonight it’s like we’re reading each other’s thoughts, anticipating the other’s needs.
Her breasts move up and down on every thrust. Christ, she’s a sight. Sweet, sexy, sinful. Nothing is more perfect than getting lost in this woman. I need to touch more of her, so I let go of one hand, holding the other firmly.
I run my palm over her hip, up her waist. Then I bend forward on my knees, changing the angle yet again, and she pinches her eyes shut tightly. I still.
“Open your eyes, Caroline.”
“Just a second.” Her voice is shaky, her breath uneven. Fuck, I love that I can do this to her. Knock the breath out of her, make her shake with pleasure. When she flutters her eyelids open, I thrust again, moving my free hand up to her breasts, pinching one nipple and then the other. Her inner muscles clench so tight around me that my eyes nearly roll in my head.
When she squeezes me tighter and tighter, I press my palm flat on her pubic bone, driving into her G-spot again.
“Dan!”
Her hips shudder, but I stop their upward swing by pressing my palm harder. She is falling apart beautifully.
“I can’t—oh God, this. I can’t...too much....”
“Yes, you can. You’ll take all the pleasure I’m giving you. All of it.”
She grips the headboard with her free hand, holding on to me tightly with the other one.
“Do you trust me?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Say the words.”
“I trust you, Dan. I trust you.”
Between her words and her shaky thighs, I nearly explode. My balls tighten, a zing rushing straight to my tip. I drive into her faster, my palm pressing her down as I hit her G-spot again and again. When her back arches up, I rub my thumb over her clit, and she’s done for. She goes right over the edge, taking me with her. She spasms around me so hard, she nearly pushes me out. Dropping on top of her, my body still convulsing, I stay inside her, cradling her to me, feeling closer to her than ever but wanting—needing—to be even closer.
“This was incredible,” she murmurs on a sigh.
“Mmm, just foreplay. We’re not nearly done for tonight.”
Her inner muscles clench around me, making me smile. She’s as greedy for me as I am for her.
“That Jacuzzi is waiting for us.”
Chapter Nineteen
Daniel
“This just isn’t for me,” Honor says next Wednesday afternoon as we struggle to regain our breaths. We’ve been testing indoor climbing at a hall near the office, since it’s at the top of the list of activities our customers requested. Chelsea’s tested it here herself, recommended us to do the same. “What’s the point of all this climbing if you don’t at least have some gorgeous scenery to enjoy at the end, or some fresh air?”
“I agree. Borderline claustrophobic.”
“And it stinks.”
“Yeah. But the customer—”
“Is king.” She stretches one arm, then the next, looking around at the patrons. “And this place is chock-full. Talked to the instructor earlier, said they’re fully booked almost constantly. No denying it’s popular.”
“Let’s have a drink at their juice bar before we leave.”
“If the boss buys, I won’t say no.” We walk side by side, navigating through the climbers and the instructors still on the ground. “So, what’s the plan for the gym? Are you already scouting locations?”
Perfect moment to throw her the bone, as casually as possible. “As soon as the bank clears us on more loans, I’ll get on it.”
“We’re in trouble with the bank?”
“Liquidity issues. They’re not happy with our cash ratio, but we’re still negotiating.”
She stiffens, casts her eyes to her hands. “Does anyone else on the team know?”
“I told Marcel and Justin. Colbert too. But don’t discuss it with anyone else.”
“No, of course not. Wow.”
I try to read her body language. Arms folded over her chest, drumming her fingers over her bicep. I hired Honor one year after Justin, about the same time as Marcel. I pay her a generous salary, an even more generous bonus. She has no reason to be tempted by the press.
“I guess it was a little prematu
re to brag about being one of the most successful companies in the Bay, huh?”
Her mention of that article rubs me the wrong way on too many levels, but I do my best to school my expression. We have a quick drink at the juice bar, and then we part ways. She’s meeting a group of clients; I’m heading back to the office to sign some papers.
I’m halfway there when my phone rings, Pippa’s name appearing on the screen.
“Hey, sister.”
A chorus of very loud and very exuberant “Uncle Daniel, it’s us” assaults my eardrums. Despite everything, I grin.
“Hi, Mia. Hi, Elena. What’s up, girls?”
“Are you coming to the Halloween party?” Mia asks. Despite them being identical twins, their voices differ subtly.
“Yes, I am. I’ll be the pirate.”
“A pirate isn’t scary,” Elena says, clearly not impressed by my choice.
“Shhhh, don’t be rude,” Mia admonishes. “We need to ask him first, and he has to say yes.”
“What do you need to ask me?”
“Mom said we’re not allowed,” Elena clarifies. These girls crack me up every time. They’ve learned how the world works already. Whenever their parents say no, they turn their charm onto their aunts and uncles. Blake and I are the suckers they can always count on for their shenanigans.
“We need a carriage,” Mia goes on. I almost do a double take in the middle of the street. This escalated quickly. No wonder Pippa said no.
“A carriage? With h—horses?”
“Yes, two. And we also—”
A static sound follows, and a yelp.
“Sorry,” Pippa says, sounding out of breath. “They hijacked my phone, and I had to chase around the house to find them. You didn’t say yes, did you?”
“To a horse-drawn carriage? I was too stunned to answer.”
Arriving in front of my office building, I step inside, nodding at the receptionist before heading toward my office.
Pippa chuckles. “They sure take Halloween seriously. By the way, I heard you’re bringing Caroline.”
“How exactly did you hear?” I ask once I’m inside my office.
“Called Caroline to invite her, thinking you two needed another nudge, and imagine my surprise when she told me you already invited her.”
