Play Me to Infinity (The Broken Men Chronicles Book 3)

by Carey Decevito

  Filled with optimism for where things could head between Nicole and me, I got in my car to head home.

  What amazed me was that Danica hadn’t had a clue about those tracks her best friend had recorded years ago, but she did know that Nicole had harbored a strong love for music and had managed her own music store.

  When I made my sister listen to the songs, she understood why I had kept the CD for myself. She would have done the same.

  Sitting in the driver’s seat, I checked my messages before taking off and saw a text from Nicole.

  I’ll forgive you if you give me a repeat performance of yesterday. - N

  My lips tugged upward into a smile and my finger hit the dial button.

  “Is breakfast tomorrow morning included?” I asked the moment she answered.

  “Perhaps.” Her voice held a semblance of relaxation. “I could possibly be persuaded to include lunch and dinner for today as well.”

  “You’ll be too busy for that,” I said, self-assured.

  On a harrumph, she said, “Really?”

  My voice went husky. “Yes, really.”

  “Now you’ve got me curious.”

  “I bet. Listen, I have a few things to tend to, but I can be there in about an hour, unless you rather I come by later?” Even to me I sounded like a damn whipped fool.

  “No, that’s perfect.” My relief was immediate.

  With my phone dropped in the middle console, I put the car in drive, all the while smiling as if nothing could get me down.

  It was time to get to business.

  I was in the kitchen, cutting up some vegetables for a salad to go with dinner when Nicole’s doorbell rang. Moments later, she came waltzing into the kitchen with a large vase of flowers and an even larger smile.

  Whistling at the impressive display, I said, “Someone’s well-liked.”

  “Except that I can’t think of a reason I’m getting these.” She stuck her nose into the roses and closed her eyes as she took in the scent. “They’re gorgeous.”

  “What’s in the envelope?”

  “I don’t know. Flowers never come with envelopes this size.” She dug into it with a puzzled expression. “It’s a CD.”

  “Nothing else?” She shook her head. “Pop it in.”

  I followed her to the den where she put the disk in her stereo and pressed play. The soft sound of the guitar kicked off and I saw her face drain of blood. She turned to me in shock when her voice came from the speakers.

  “I haven’t heard you sing this one. I thought you didn’t have any other songs?”

  “I don’t.” She sat on the armrest of her couch, nibbling at her thumbnail. “Well, nothing new. I wrote this in high school.”

  “Why is it recorded?”

  “Dad had a dream for me. He brought me in to record a demo after school one day and then he died a few days later. I lost the CD about a week after he passed.” She looked down as if reliving it all and I noticed fleeting emotions of sadness and pride cross her features. “I have no clue where I’d left it.”

  “It must be nice to get a piece of history back.”

  “It is, but it’d be better if I got the whole damn thing. The problem is that I have no clue who knew it was mine to begin with. The CD wasn’t labeled or anything.”

  She went silent and listened, eyes closed. When the song ended, she powered down the stereo. With a smile and a glint in her eyes, I followed her back toward the kitchen.

  I prepped, she cooked, and at some point, she began to hum to the tune that had played in her den some fifteen minutes before.

  My duties tended to, I found a seat at the kitchen island and watched her. The woman appeared content, which had me smiling.

  It’s working.

  In bed that night, I cradled Nicole’s head on my shoulder, our bodies fitting to perfection. Absorbing the heat of our skin-to-skin contact, an epiphany hit me. I wasn’t falling for this woman… I had already crashed.

  When did this happen?

  An image flittered in my mind of the previous night, when everything had changed. Her armor had been stripped down enough for me to catch a real glimpse of the complex woman that now lay next to me.

  With that image in my mind, I kissed her hair and fell asleep.

  Chapter 25

  According to Nicole, the following morning, I needed to be on the “up and up” because she had plans for us. If I only knew what she’d meant by that.

  I was lathering my hair with shampoo when a pair of breasts with hardened nipples pressed against my back, arms hugged me from behind.

  Without a word, Nicole grabbed the bar of soap and proceeded to wash my body, paying detailed attention to my cock which began to throb with need.

  “Nic?”

  “Shh.”

  I was on the verge of exploding when she turned me to face her and sunk to her knees to take me in her mouth. Despite the hot water streaming between my shoulder blades and back, I felt a sheet of goose bumps blanket my entire body and shivered.

  My eyes rolled to the back of my head and I hissed when her tongue circled the tip of my shaft. “Fuck, that feels good.”

  Her hands massaged my balls and the tip of my dick hit the back of her throat. She moaned around me and my hips jerked at the feel of that sinful mouth of hers. Gentle teeth grazed my length and my hands grasped her hair, finding purchase in an effort to keep me grounded. Nicole was about to send me flying over the edge without a parachute.

  When I hit the back of her throat a second time, she tried to swallow me. The action milked my cock and that was my undoing. I tried to pull out, but she grabbed my ass and pulled me back in, taking all I had to offer. She hummed her satisfaction, causing my body to shake with one last tremor.

  When Nicole pulled away, she looked up with a self-satisfied smirk. It was hard for me to maintain my footing. The woman could have brought me to my knees with the simple sucking of my cock, and I wouldn’t have complained one iota.

  “Up and up!” She pointed down at my dick and giggled.

  My grin was slow and lazy. “You’re evil.” I pulled her up to her feet and wrapped my arms around her.

  Kissing her hard, she moaned into my mouth as my tongue met hers.

  After indulging in her body for a few more minutes, we called our shower interlude a done deal.

  Finding ourselves at the breakfast bar, Nicole set out a bowl of fresh fruit, yogurt, toast, and an assortment of jams and jellies. I grabbed the coffee for us and filled two mugs.

  The doorbell rang.

  When she came back, she held a yellow manila envelope in her hands and another one of her confused expressions. “It came by messenger service.”

  “On a Sunday?” I asked.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Weird, I know.” She opened the envelope and pulled out another CD. “What the hell is going on?” Forgetting about breakfast, she headed to the den and popped the disk into the stereo, knowing what it would contain. She wasn’t disproved as the first strums of guitar strings filled the air. “It’s another one of them,” she said when she noticed that I’d followed her. I smiled. Instead of the same look of shock she had worn last night, she sported a goofy grin.

  “There’s a note with this one.” She handed it to me. I read it, although I knew what it said, seeing as I had written it.

  An angel called and her songs kind of stuck…

  “What’s it mean?” she asked.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Your guess is as good as mine. Are they some of your lyrics?” I asked. She shook her head indicating the negative, lip singing to the words that poured out of the sound system. Was this one a favorite of hers? “Maybe it’s a poem?”

  “A one-liner?”

  “No, I’d say it continues by the ellipsis.” I showed her my observation.

  “There’s more?”

  “Well how many songs were on that CD?”

  “I don’t know.” She paused to think. “Five or six? It’s been so long.”
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  “My guess is that you’re bound to find out.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  Chapter 26

  Sunday was spent with Nicole; laughing, talking, relaxing, not to mention the sex we indulged in had been explosive.

  At the end of the day, however, she had been adamant that no one, mainly the office folks, know that we were intimate. Reluctantly, I agreed.

  By lunchtime on Monday, my excitement had turned into impatience as I waited on what was to come. Irritated that Nicole had left with a few of the office ladies for an early lunch, I ended up being the one to sign for her latest delivery.

  Within minutes of the courier guy leaving, Nicole walked in. I was already at my desk, watching her as she bent to stick her nose into the pink colored roses. She picked out a bloom, grabbed the card from the bouquet and the yellow manila envelope that I had set against the vase before trotting into my office.

  “If the rest of the deliveries have bouquets like the last three and they wind up here, I’ll have to explain myself to the girls.” She giggled. “Then again, these are beautiful and I’ve never been spoiled like this before.” Her eyes sparkled.

  “Did you check the card?”

  She shook her head and handed me both the tiny white envelope as well as the larger yellow one. “Here, you open it. I’m too wired!”

  I unveiled the CD from the yellow manila envelope first and popped it into my computer as she closed my office door. I took the small note, made as if to read it and smiled before passing it for her to read.

  “For years she remained a mystery – an enigma…” She read aloud. “These cards are confusing.” She waved the piece of paper at me.

  I laughed. “Just wait it out. In the end, these things always make sense.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Why aren’t you jealous?”

  “Am I supposed to be?”

  “Well, I mean, you’ve been around for all three deliveries and we’ve been… you know. I’m getting gorgeous, not to mention, expensive roses from a pure stranger which tells me it has to be a man. These words aren’t indicative of a love poem but…”

  “Hmm,” was all I managed.

  “I have no clue who this person is, but my gut tells me it’s someone I know.”

  “For all you know, he could be sitting right under your nose.” I smiled at the irony of my words seeing as she was standing, leaning against my desk as I sat in my office chair. Under her nose was quite literal at the moment.

  As the week went on, things grew busier, but Nicole and I made time to steal away a few moments during our lunches. She hadn’t mentioned any more deliveries, but then again, that’s because I hadn’t scheduled any.

  We hadn’t been intimate since Sunday and despite my physical hunger for her, I was content just being near the woman and getting to know her better.

  Thursday arrived and Danica was scheduled to come in, eager to find out what Winthrow’s new proposition had been about. I knew how to pick my battles when it came to my sister, so I’d given in to her request.

  Nicole had been avoiding me all day, disappearing at lunchtime which meant we didn’t get our usual quiet time. I was annoyed, but when she came waltzing in with Danica at her side, I understood why she’d gone without notice. After all, my sister was her best friend, and I knew they hadn’t seen each other in nearly a week.

  “So about that Fleishman account and Winthrow’s pitch,” Danica leaned against my PA’s desk, “I think we should go for it.”

  What?

  Heads peeked over cubicle walls and that’s when I realized I had spoken aloud. Too loud.

  I growled. “Can I see you in here for a moment?” Nicole rushed to her desk and attempted to sit down, but I latched on to her elbow and kept her on her feet. “You too.” My eyes pierced hers.

  When both women were seated in front of my desk, I slammed my office door, making them jump.

  “Would you please explain to me why you know it’s about Fleishman, when we haven’t discussed it yet?” I leered at Nicole who shrunk into her seat at my tone.

  “Calm down. I told you he’d have a fit.” Danica had the audacity to giggle as she looked at Nicole, but my PA didn’t seem as entertained as my sister was. She didn’t react to her friend’s words, or speak for that matter.

  “I’m glad that you’ve learned to keep that mouth of yours shut for once,” I said to Nicole.

  “Just you wait a damn minute!” Danica got up to her feet. “Nicole saw something in that proposal that warranted my attention and I happen to agree with her. I know that George has had some cockamamie ideas in the past and Dad entertained most of them, but this,” she threw the document down on my desk in front of me, “for once, is good.”

  “I agree with you that to do it all in one shot would be risky, as we’re still trying to get our feet under us again. If we implemented a portion of what George proposes in here,” she pointed toward the document, “then we might be able to grow stronger. We can tackle the rest later. Just because you know Nicole doesn’t give you the right to undermine her opinion. She’s more valuable to us than you think and she’s got a degree-”

  “Don’t you start with me on her qualifications, Danica! I’m well aware of her degree. What I’m not happy about is how you two decided to go behind my back and make a decision without my knowledge, when I had already agreed to meet with you this afternoon to discuss this.”

  “What decision?” she asked. “She presented me with the package and that was it. We discussed a tentative plan of action based on her conservative approach and nothing more.”

  “Exactly! Don’t you think that I should have been present?”

  “We already knew your stance,” Nicole said in a calm manner.

  “It’s another reason why I should have been involved!” I glared down at her.

  “Don’t you try and intimidate her,” Danica said. “I’m drafting up a plan and I’ll have it to you by the end of the day tomorrow and we’re sticking to it.”

  “Not happening,” I said with finality.

  “You don’t get to make all of the decisions, Michael,” Danica said. “Didn’t you say that the majority of the board was in accord with this idea, Nicole?” I looked at her and saw her hesitant nod. “So there! If we take her approach, we will be fine, big brother. Our financials aren’t as bad as you think, and that’s in large part thanks to you for turning things around, but I had a hand in that too. The Fleishman account is one of our largest, and if this works, and I know it will, it’ll be one lucrative win for us. Enough to ensure that the other offices remain open.” She was right, but the woman kept talking. “I think Nikki should run point on this with Winthrow as the second.”

  “And now you’re taking away my PA?” My tone had grown incredulous.

  “Wait a minute!” Nicole got up and when I turned to look at Danica, my sister had her arms crossed over her chest with a smile of victory on her lips. “I never said anything about being interested in managing this project. It wasn’t even my idea!”

  “So you’re all for it, but you’re not going to guide it into fruition?” I asked Nicole.

  “I’m a PA, what do I know?” She shrugged her shoulders.

  “You’re more than that,” Danica said, trying to boost her friend’s confidence and pointed at me, “and he knows it!”

  Chapter 27

  By the time all was said and done, our monster blowout had captured the attention of the entire office.

  When Danica stormed out – satisfied, I might add – everyone went back to work as if they hadn’t witnessed our latest squabble.

  “Nicole, we need to talk.” I closed the door before she could leave.

  With my PA standing in the middle of my office, I leaned against my office door, running my hands over my face. This was bound to go one of two ways: great or horrible. I was hoping for the former.

  “I’m sorry,” she said when none of us said anything, and her voice came out squeaky.

>   “You’re sorry?” I hissed. “Nic, you went above your boss’s head and introduced a proposition from one of our satellite offices without my expressed consent! People have been fired for a lot less!”

  “I know.” She looked at me, but I still couldn’t meet her eyes because I felt the rage still simmering in the pit of my stomach. “When Dani called and asked me to lunch, I agreed. Then she showed up while you were on your con-call and pushed me to bring Winthrow’s presentation with us so she could revise it before your meeting with her. I didn’t think she’d take it as far as she did.”

  “And that’s where you fucked up! I know you mean well, and I know you’re trying to help, but-”

  “That’s exactly what I was doing!” Her voice had gone sharp. My eyes flew to hers. “I can’t believe that you dismissed something without looking at it first. I mean, these people work for you, don’t they? If you can’t trust them, then how the hell do you expect to even make WI last?”

  “Are you saying I’m incompetent?”

  “It’s not what I’m saying at all, Michael, and you know it!” She sighed. “I believe you’re the one who told me to open my eyes and look around. Well, from where I’m standing, you’re the one blinded this time.

  “Just because your father took the wrong risks with Winthrow before doesn’t mean that his ideas are all bound to fail. Dani thinks it’s good and so do I. Most of the board members are in agreement. The fact of the matter is, this company of yours will fail if you don’t do anything substantial enough to set you apart from the competition. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but further down the line, it’ll happen.

  “Your tactics are sound, but they’re also safe. Too safe. You tell me to take risks and push for others to do so, but you haven’t, have you?” She turned and plopped herself down on a chair in front of my desk and buried her head in her hands. “Now I’m running point on this whole thing, when it should be George. It’s not what I asked for. It’s not what I want.”