“You make me big,” he said. “You make me whole.”
His mouth closed down on mine, warm and wet and enveloping. He thrust in long strokes, holding me and carrying me into them.
After just a couple minutes, he broke very softly and came in me. His thick, hot mess sank through me, but he kept fucking me, never softening, never even slowing.
“Oh Jesus,” I said.
“That’s right, baby, see the light.”
I hurled my arms around him. How could anyone make me so happy, just by doing this?
Because it wasn’t just this. It was our pasts winding around us. It was the promise of what we could be just hanging within reach.
The world condensed to Deacon’s glorious face, hardened in purpose before me, and right as I came, the words nearly spurted from my mouth. I just managed to hold it back to, “Oh, Deacon.”
“What?” he whispered in my ear.
“I…I need you.”
His firm arms enveloped me. “I need you, too, baby.”
Sleep found me quickly, safe in his restraint.
I hadn’t said a thing, but maybe he knew. Maybe he even felt it.
A tremor hit my heart. I couldn’t be sure which worry bothered me more.
That he didn’t know how deep he had me.
Or that he knew he could make me do whatever he wanted.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Deacon
I paced the family board room, circling the red wood walls slowly as Jesse read the report. Hard to tell what was going on in that immaculately styled blond head of his – whether he were actually reading numbers or trying to see if they’d turn into magic eye porn if he squinted the right way.
He had to make a show of it, of course. He’d been the one who made us drop half a mill on an outside team.
Not that I wasn’t grateful for its impact on my love life, but I did want this project passed.
“The summary’s on the last page,” I said. “The team simplified things considerably.”
“I know where to find a summary, Deacon,” Jesse said. “And I also know how to read a Profit and Losses projection, if I choose to set my mind to it. Which I currently am choosing to do. So sit down and relax. Don’t work yourself up.”
I yanked out a chair and sat thumbing through my phone. Kiara’s flight should be arriving anytime according to the tracker. After four weeks flying back and forth to Abu Dhabi, she was tired of it.
Still, she’d insisted on flying back a day later with her team instead of my private jet. They all must know how close our ‘family friendship’ went. No clue what she was trying to prove in this.
The fact she was still trying didn’t bode well for tonight. Cause if she didn’t accept my offer, we’d be both off in our distant lives soon enough. Maybe not next week, or the week after. But soon she could be on a new project on one side of the world, and I could be summoned to a meeting on the other.
Distance might not kill something this special, but sometimes it was better not to roll the dice at all.
Then again, tonight might make her flit away and scatter the dice on her own. Only time would tell.
Jesse flipped another page, eyes burning down on the sheet like blue lasers. I set to work on answering some e-mails until he finally cleared his throat and set down the sheets.
“This is good work,” he said. “I mean the numbers are the same, but the conclusions are imaginative. They're quite different than what you showed me before.”
That sounded promising. “You can write the team a heartfelt thanks, then.”
Jesse rapped a muffled beat on the report. “I suspect I’d have to chiefly address that note to one person. How is she by the way?”
“Kiara’s fine.”
“You two good?”
I ticked my head at him. “She’s not on the market if that’s what you mean.”
“Shame.”
I glared at my brother. “She’s hardly your type. Too much brain, too little bleach in her hair.”
He reclined sleekly on the seat. “Oh, the blondes are just for fun. You know that. I want more than a shack with a fresh paint of coat when I’m looking to settle down. Though I suppose I’m in no rush. I'm happy for you though.”
I eyed him a moment, looking for sarcasm, but saw none. He really was taken.
“Thanks,” I said. “We’ll see what she thinks of me a couple weeks down. But what I do know is that she really liked what she saw out there.”
“Yes, it shows. The pages are positively glowing with energy.”
Kiara had showed me the summary while we were in bed before sending it off to her team leader. Leo had left it all to her, and she had spun the numbers beautifully.
But Jesse’s eyes were dimmed. They looked almost reverential.
“What exactly are you talking about?” I said.
“It figures you’d steamroll over the pages that aren’t directly to your interest.”
He flipped open some pages. “Here. The synergies that she highlights with Stone Oil are interesting, to say the least. Solar reduction of heavy oil. Solar oil refinement. Your in-house team never brought up any of these ideas.”
“They’re small beans, Jesse.” I took the report. “Nice little nuggets, but nothing compared to pure power plays.”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Yes, perhaps, but I can use them to market to our existing clients. Kiara’s ideas are not just for your project, they’re to the benefit of Stone Holdings in general. That’s a message that’ll win minds.”
I flipped through and read her notes again. True enough, every line played back to Stone Holdings. She even mentioned some of our big oil clients by name. She was thinking of me when she wrote this for Jesse. She had even remembered my mother’s words from our country club scuffle a month back.
I told myself I knew how to get the things I wanted. I thought I knew how to play the world. But what would I be without my wealth? Kiara, though... she would get you what you wanted, with just a smile and a push. I had no idea what on Earth I'd done to deserve her.
Like so many other things in my life, getting her was luck. But it was still up to me not to lose her.
“So you like it?” I said.
“Yes, I can make this work.” Jesse took back the sheets. “Believe it or not, I’m not simply trying to spite you. It’s a pleasant surprise if it works out that way, sure, but not at the expense of the company.”
“So you’re greenlighting me?”
“I will at our next meeting.”
I stood and shoved out a hand. Jesse offered a grim smile and shook it firm. I could have forgiven him for anything in that moment, even if he’d tried to off me.
“Alright, then,” I said, grabbing a last cup of coffee before heading out. “Seems like I have some work to do.”
“Mother won’t be happy at our newfound camaraderie,” Jesse said, sitting.
I paused at the door. “What do you mean?”
He was texting and smiling already, but he glanced up, confused. “Hmm? Oh. Nothing for you to worry about. She’ll side with me on the deal, but I rather suspect she was hoping I’d crater it. Her social circle is all abuzz now that this Roland Tarly bloke is going to end up as governor. And Tarly is still cross with you.”
“What’s the big deal?”
“Well, he is Republican. Which means that he’s staunchly backed by oil men.”
“Every party in Texas is backed by oil men.”
“Precisely. And we’re oil men, too. But now you’re adding complexity with your solar purchase, perhaps shifting the course of the company. That sort of thing confuses politicians, makes them reconsider our support. You and I know it’s nothing big, but Tarly keeps pressing mother about it. She's up in a tiff.”
I rolled my eyes. Socialite politics, I could not bear. “Let her unleash on me at the meeting. I’ll sit and bear it.”
“You’re not very good at sitting, but it’s a solid plan otherwise.”
Luckily,
I wouldn't have to deal with her till tomorrow. Whenever she got back from her fundraiser in Dallas, she would surely head to her golden son first.
“Break it easy if you see her first,” I said, then went out.
I had work to do, and then I’d have to get things ready to receive the girlfriend who had saved my business.
Call me crazy, but that sounded like a fine day.
****
“You better not have gone nuts,” Kiara said.
Making sure to cover her eyes, I led her deeper into my River Oaks mansion. Her dark blouse fluttered with each blind step she took.
“I know the only nuts you like are attached to me,” I said.
She elbowed me in the gut, sharp enough to feel through muscle.
“Deacon, seriously. I just want to relax with you.”
“Fine.” I uncovered her vision. “Dinner for two seem relaxing enough?”
A glass table sat in the middle of the small room. On top, there was already freshly roast chicken and a side of savory browned vegetables just as mouth-watering.
“It’s perfect,” she gasped.
I smiled. This was just the east dining room. The grand one was fit to serve royalty, and it had hosted a Saudi King that I could remember. This one was small and delicate, clean and modern. My mother hated it. That automatically made it one of my favorite rooms in the house.
I helped Kiara into a chair and sat at the corner seat next to her. Rupert would have out and served us, but I’d demanded he let us be. Didn’t want Kiara to feel the least out of place tonight.
We served ourselves and tucked in pleasantly.
“God, this is just what I needed after that flight,” she said. “How does roast chicken taste this good?”
“Marinated in garlic and herbs for a day or two,” I said. “I think they’ve got a special roasting oven, too. You’re eating flakes from wood chips dating back a century.”
“Those guys knew how to cook a chicken.”
We ate in happy silence. The food wasn’t exactly home cooked, but sitting there holding Kiara’s hand and eating was a perfect end to the day. If only there was nothing left to do.
Hell, I actually didn’t feel that hungry, thinking about it.
Kiara sank back eventually, patting her stomach. She looked tired or dreamy. I could carry her off to bed, tuck us both in. But there was this thing to get through first.
I found the words to capture the mood.
“Let’s keep doing this,” I said.
“Definitely.”
I fought the urge to seal it with a joke. She had to know my meaning clear. “It’s nice, leaning back after a successful project.”
“It’s amazing. Especially after what you said about Jesse’s reaction.”
“That was a sight to see, for sure.” The tips of my fingers tingled. I rapped the table.
Why the hell was this so hard? I was Deacon goddamn Stone.
“So let’s keep doing it, then,” I said. “Let’s keep working together.”
She looked over. “Hmm?”
“You go back to your company, they’ll send you somewhere else. Maybe far away. Maybe just here. Either way, most companies aren’t as visionary as we are here. Do you really want to run off to any old project?”
“Wait.” She sat up. “Are you trying to hire me?”
“I sure am.”
Her eyes slowly narrowed, not quite cross, but too intense for my liking.
“The stuff you found out for Jesse,” I went on, “our team had never even considered. You’ve got a knack for this industry beyond just your numbers. I talked to Trey. He’d love to have you.”
“Of course he’d say that. I’m dating his boss’s boss’s boss.”
“You are. And I’m not going to demote myself to make that not the case. People will look at you and they’ll see me before they speak – at first. But they’ll warm up. You win people over by helping them, by easing their burdens. It won’t be long before your name is bigger than mine.”
“Deacon.” She placed a hand on mine. “I have a career path. I’m not going to change all that just for you. We can make this work as we are.”
“I’m not asking you to change it for me,” I said. “Change it for yourself. You can do real good in this company. You know what we’re about. You know what I’m about.”
“I’m doing good just as I am.” She yanked her hand away. “I was the fastest riser in my division, even before you came along. I almost get my pick of cases now. Soon, I’ll be leading teams, finding my own clients.”
“So you’re free to do what you want.” I shrugged. “Fine, but don’t kid yourself. You’re still chained, just to a company instead of a project. Even if you make it up to CEO at your firm or at some other... honey, you’ll find a hundred hooks around your neck. The higher you rise, the bigger the things you’ll fight for, and the rarer your victories. Trust me on that.”
“I'm not trying to be in charge. I just want to have my pick of cases and be free to work on what I want.”
“There's always a tradeoff. You might get one project you want to two the company wants. Maybe, even flip that if you're lucky. But they'll still have their hooks in you. ”
She wore a glum look, and had her arms crossed, but said nothing. I pressed in.
“The surest way to get what you want is to go for it directly. Accept no substitutes.”
She gave me an amused look. “That's definitely Deacon Stone philosophy 101.”
I shrugged. “Fair, but it ain't wrong. You come here, you’ll work on one big project I know you care about. You liked what we did in Abu Dhabi. Doesn't seeing it through sound more exhilarating? I don't think you just want to run from this world. Otherwise you'd be a beach bum. Or maybe a monk.”
I clasped her hand again, held it tight. “Decide what you believe in and go for it hard. The only freedom we have in this world is picking the things we chain ourselves to.”
She shook her head, but her face had cleared.
“I don’t know,” she said.
She was close. Time to take her.
“Oh, you’ll also jump up a bunch in title and get a huge bump in salary,” I said. “So your resume will look amazing no matter what ends up happening.”
She took a deep breath. “Well, I’m not going to answer on the spot.”
“Of course not. Run your numbers and get back to me. You know I’ll be waiting.”
“Alright.”
I didn’t let the quiet settle. I grabbed her hand and yanked her over to my lap.
“What?!” she screamed.
“Nothing. Just thought I’d move on to the non-business portion of the evening. Or do you need to think about that too?”
I nibbled into her velvety neck.
“Oh.” She sighed. “All this whiplash is making me dizzy. And I’m full. Let’s take a break or we’re going to be going through a lot more kinks tonight than I’m ready to handle.”
“Don’t worry,” I said, nudging the shirt down her shoulder. “I know how to go slow, too. What my girlfriend wants, she gets.”
“So this is the reason for my miseries.”
That wasn’t Kiara's voice. No that was quite the opposite.
Oh, shit.
I looked over at the door and saw my mother. She stood with her arms crossed, wearing a frilly white pant suit, and fur draped over her shoulders.
“Mother,” I said, summoning all the calm I could. “You’re early.”
“Thank god,” she said. “Who knows what I would have seen if I had arrived moments later.”
She traipsed in the room and Kiara scrambled off to her seat. “Hello, Mrs. Stone.”
“Why hello, Ms. Nobody-from-the-country-club. What a genuine surprise to find you atop my eldest son.”
“It was-”
“It was a date,” I said. “And yes, we were just about to head off to my quarters.”
My mother stood on the other side of the table, peering down at us, but
making no move to sit. I had the urge to just gather my girl and walk out. We had nothing to discuss.
“Jesse mentioned the remarkable work you did on that Abu Dhabi project,” my mother said to Kiara.
“Thank…you.”
“Yes, he’s quite taken with you as well. Apparently, he’s voting to approve the purchase.”
“We can discuss that when the three of us are having a sit down tomorrow,” I said. “What are you doing home today anyway? My assistant heard from yours that you have that gala in Dallas.”
“What am I doing? Why I’m in town raising funds for your father’s old friend. You remember, the man who’s running for governor.”
“There’s no fundraiser scheduled in Houston today.”
“Well, I thought I should go the extra mile once I heard my sons were working to undermine me.”
I rubbed my face. This was derailing everything with Kiara. What could she imagine, seeing what passed for bureaucracy in Stone Holdings?
“We’re not doing anything devious. This is for the good of the company.”
“Is it?” she said, glowering at Kiara for some reason. “I thought you were intent on the business. But now I see that this was all just a tag team effort to pull the hood over your brother.”
“He liked what he saw in the report. I am not capable of tricking Jesse.”
“You were also not capable of going on a date when it was with the daughter of the man who will now become governor. Not even once, even after I begged you. And now, I find you with her, destroying not only our name, but our company too.”
“Watch yourself,” I said.
“I see that I have no choice, but to watch for myself.” She sniffed the air. “I had no choice but to watch as you trample the legacy your father left behind - dirtying yourself in the pointless chores of business. Now, I have no choice but to watch you sully the family name, associating with commoners, promising her who knows what?”
Her eyes narrowed to viper pits. “But I still have some power. Your father was wise enough to see the wisdom in that before leaving you in charge. And for once, I will use it to keep at least some of the Stone legacy safe.”
My arms went cold. “What are you saying?”
“Jesse can vote as he wants, but you won’t get your solar company without unanimous approval. And I am voting against this deal that you’ve concocted with your low-grade hussy.”
Deacon: A BWWM Billionaire Romance Page 14
