All Tied Up (Business of Love Book 2)

by Ali Parker

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Vanessa whimpered.

  I stroked her hair off her face for her. “I’ll be out in the waiting room the whole time. If you need me, just send for me, okay? But I can’t stay in here the whole time. This is for you and Rhys.”

  Vanessa nodded.

  I smiled up at the father-to-be, whose face was drawn with concern for his woman. I reached out and put my other hand on his shoulder. “You guys have totally got this. You hear me? Baby has no idea how lucky he or she is.” I felt my throat tightening around my emotions and I let out a half-sob half-laugh. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

  Vanessa sniffled until another contraction rolled over her. Then I was ushered out of the room by the same nurse who’d let me in. I blew kisses over my shoulder until the door closed behind me, and then I stood in the hall marveling at the fact that this was the last time I would see my best friend before she was a mother.

  “Wow,” I whispered to myself. “Life is a fucking trip.”

  “It is, isn’t it?”

  I turned to find Rick leaning up against the wall with his ankles crossed.

  I wiped tears away that continued to fall.

  “Don’t worry about the balloons and what not. The nurses offered to take them and put the drinks in their fridge.”

  “That was sweet of them.”

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, I am actually. I’m just overwhelmed. And so happy for them. And worried about my friend.”

  “She’ll be okay. She’s in good hands here.”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  He reached out to me. I took his hand and let him pull me toward him. He took my other hand too and we stood about half a foot apart, gazing into each other’s eyes while he ran his thumbs over my knuckles.

  “I know there is likely better timing than this,” Rick said, “but I have to tell you something important.”

  “When has timing ever been on our side?”

  He smiled. God, he was so handsome. “Fair point. Perhaps this is perfect timing then.”

  I waited. Rick searched for the words he wanted to say and my gut tightened with nerves. What was this about?

  Finally, he gave voice to his thoughts. “I love you, Kim.”

  My breath hitched in my throat. “You do?”

  “I do. Without a shred of doubt. I didn’t know what love felt like until you. I’ve been drowning in a sea of trying to feel this for years. A decade even. And now? It all makes sense. What I’ve been chasing is right here in front of me and I don’t want to let it go.”

  His words rolled over me like a soothing wave. Clarity crashed against me as the wave passed and the truth of what I really wanted was right in front of me, clear as day.

  I wanted him.

  I always had. Denying that fact had been tearing me apart since we’d ended things.

  “Then don’t let go,” I whispered. “I love you too.”

  Rick pulled me sharply into him. I fell against his chest and he put a finger under my chin to lift my face to his. Our kiss started slow and soft, and then it deepened. Soon, I was curling my fingers in the front of his shirt and I felt like I was floating.

  Perhaps after all this time, Jackson had finally managed to make up for the series of unfortunate dates he’d sent me on.

  Chapter 39

  Rick

  Kim was dozing with her cheek on my thigh, all curled up in the mint-green waiting-room chairs, when a disheveled dark-haired man in a hospital robe came around the corner. I knew without having to ask who he was. He was the new father.

  I could see it in the brightness of his eyes but the exhausted slump of his shoulders. He was tired, worn out, and completely drained, but he had just fallen more in love in the last hour than he ever had before.

  His baby was here.

  I nudged Kim’s shoulder gently. “Hey, wake up. Someone is here to see you.”

  Kim’s eyes fluttered open. She pushed herself up, raked her fingers through her hair, and blinked around the waiting room until she spotted the tired father. Then she was on her feet and rushing toward him. “Rhys, is everything okay? How’s Vanny? Is—”

  “She’s here,” Rhys breathed.

  I got out of my chair and joined them. Rhys let out a joyful laugh and grabbed Kim to pull her in for a hug. When he let her go, his eyes were glistening with tears.

  “We have a beautiful baby girl,” he said. “She’s seven pounds, two ounces. Happy and healthy. Just like Momma.”

  “When can I see her?” Kim asked.

  “She’s getting some tests done and then the nurses will bring her back into the room to see us.”

  I knew Kim was asking about her friend, not the baby. So I put a hand in the small of Kim’s back and reached out to shake Rhys’s hand. “Hey, man. I’m Rick. I know these are curious circumstances for introductions. But I wanted to say congratulations.”

  Rhys shook my hand. “Nice to meet you, man. Heard a lot about you.” He turned a smile toward Kim. “It’s good to see you both here. Together.”

  She waved him off. “Shut up. Let me see Vanny.”

  We followed Rhys back to the room and stopped to collect the gifts from the nurses’ station. When we stepped into the room with the balloons, treats, and drinks, the new mother’s eyes lit up. Kim cracked open one of the Mountain Dews and passed it to her first.

  Vanessa tilted her head back and took five greedy gulps. She smacked her lips and closed her eyes when she was done. “That is the best thing I have ever tasted. You are the best friend a girl could ask for.”

  Kim rubbed her friend’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

  “Good,” Vanessa said. “I’m numb. So I mean, I’m sure pain is coming. But I don’t feel it right now.”

  Kim smiled. “You kicked ass, Vanny. I’m so proud of you.”

  Both women started to tear up until they both burst into tears and Kim wrapped her arms around Vanessa’s neck.

  Rhys nudged me with his elbow. “So what’s the deal here? You two back together?”

  “We have to work out the details,” I said.

  “So… you are?”

  I chuckled. “It’s leaning that way.”

  Rhys clapped me on the shoulder. “Then it’s only fitting you were here today. I’m glad Kim didn’t have to sit out there by herself.”

  Kim broke the hug with her friend. “When are your parents coming?”

  “They’re on their way,” Vanessa said. “We didn’t want them to have to wait around. We had things under control. They should be here any minute.”

  “We’ll clear out of here then,” Kim said. “You guys have your visit. I’ll come back tomorrow with more food.”

  “And Mountain Dew,” Vanessa said.

  Kim laughed. “Yes. And Mountain Dew.”

  “At least stay to meet her,” Rhys said. Kim glanced up at him. “The nurses should be back with her any second. She’s perfect. And she needs to meet her auntie.”

  Kim wiped away fresh tears. “Twist my arm, why don’t you?”

  Five minutes later, the door opened and a nurse entered with a tiny bundle swaddled in pink blankets in her arms. She brought the baby over to her father first, who took her in his arms and handled her like he was already a pro at this.

  I hung back and watched Kim peer down into the angelic face of the baby girl and promptly melt into a puddle of emotions.

  My woman was real. Genuine. She felt deeply, loved fiercely, and would make a great auntie to the little girl who was just seeing the world for her very first time. I loved every piece of her soul. And later, I would show her just how much.

  But first, I had to call Chessie and check in on her and Jennifer. It was already close to midnight. The baby had come much faster than I’d expected but Jennifer had probably assumed I’d be home from my date by now. So I gave her a call and asked if she could spend the night if need be.

  Jennifer happily agreed and told me Chessie
was already sound asleep in bed. I told her to make herself at home and use the hot tub if she wanted.

  Then I sucked in the last few moments of watching Kim amongst her family.

  My driver parked at the curb outside Kim’s apartment around two in the morning. We ended up staying later at the hospital and I met a handful of people at their happiest, Vanessa’s family primarily.

  I could tell Kim was tired as she got out of the back of the car and I offered to walk her to the door.

  “Do you want to come up?” she asked. “I don’t think I’ll be able to go to sleep. And we have some things to talk about.”

  That was all the invitation I needed. I got out of the car, dismissed my driver for the night, and went into the building with Kim. When we stepped into her unit, it was nearly pitch black. She flicked on the light above the stove and left everything else off as she put on a pot of water to make tea. She also put some toast in the toaster and pulled out a jar of peanut butter.

  “I’ve been putting off grocery shopping, so I don’t have much, but do you want some toast?” she offered.

  “Sure.”

  We stood at the kitchen island and ate slightly burnt toast with peanut butter and sipped green tea. Kim told me stories about her and Vanessa and I listened in rapture.

  “I’m glad you were there tonight,” she said when she put our dishes in the dishwasher. “It felt like you were supposed to be. You know?”

  “I do.”

  She nodded down the hallway toward her bedroom. “Want to stay the night?”

  Yes. “Only if you think it’s a good idea,” I said. “I don’t want this to happen just because emotions are running high.”

  “That’s not what this is.” Kim walked toward me and took my hands in hers. “I want to be with you, Rick. I’ve felt so hollow and empty since I broke things off with you. Even though it scares me to think what this might mean for my business, it scares me more to think of a future where I’d never know if you were supposed to be my person.”

  “You’re saying all the right things.” I cupped her cheek in one hand and she leaned into my touch, closing her eyes. “If you’re willing to try again, then so am I. I’m all in.”

  Her eyes fluttered open. “Me too.”

  “Tabloids be damned?”

  “Tabloids be damned. I don’t care what strangers think. And I have to believe that good clients will know how distorted magazines are. This won’t ruin my business. And I refuse to let anything stand between us. You make me too happy.”

  I swallowed. “Then there’s one more thing you should know, speaking of tabloids.”

  Kim cocked her head to the side. “Oh?”

  “Verity was the one who sold us out to the press. She gave an exclusive off the record interview to a reporter who ran with the story and worked to catch us in the act. That’s why they were at the dock that afternoon.”

  Kim surprised me when she shrugged. “Honestly? I figured as much.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “About what?”

  “At Verity?”

  Kim licked her lips and didn’t answer right away. When she had her thoughts together, she smiled. “Rick, Verity doesn’t matter. I don’t think she’s going to bother us anymore. And if she tries it won’t matter, because we’re on the same page now. A united front. All in. Right?”

  “I love you.”

  Her smile chased away the lingering fatigue I saw in the corners of her eyes. “I love you too.”

  I pulled her in close and ran a finger along her jaw and down the side of her neck, where I followed the low cut of her dress down between her cleavage. “You’ve been driving me wild in this dress all night long, you know?”

  “Oh yeah? How wild?”

  A wolfish smile stretched my cheeks and I picked her up. She wrapped her strong legs around my hips and let me carry her out of the kitchen and down the hallway. “Let me show you.”

  Her delighted giggle rang in my ears until we reached the bedroom. I set her back down on her feet and turned her around so I could gently draw down the zipper of her dress. I nudged it off her shoulders and arms and then down over her hips. It fell from her body to the floor, where it gathered around her feet. Underneath, she wore a sheer black-lace bra with no padding and matching panties. She turned to me and sat down, and I went to one knee in front of her to remove her boots.

  She watched me work with hunger in her eyes. I slid the boots off her feet, set them aside, and worked on stripping out of my clothes. The lust in her gaze deepened and she took her bottom lip between her teeth and pinched so hard, parts of her lip, which were now only stained with light red around the edges, turned white.

  “Take it all off for me,” I told her.

  Kim stood from the bed and stripped out of her matching lace set. Her body was a work of art. Even though I’d seen her naked countless times now, the sight never failed to take my breath away. She was all long lines and soft curves. Her breasts were full and perky as hell. The perfect handfuls.

  I walked her back against the bed and forced her down on her back. Then I went back down to my knees and pushed her legs apart. She made a soft cooing sound as I settled between her thighs and tasted her.

  She opened up for me and I teased her clit with my tongue and squeezed her hips with my hands. She whimpered and writhed in my grasp as I took my time with her. I edged her, bringing her near to her climax and then backing off and slowing down, leaving her twitching and breathless on the bed. Finally, when she couldn’t take it anymore, she plunged her fingers into my hair and held me there until she came.

  I straightened and she rolled onto her stomach and climbed across the bed on her hands and knees to grab a condom from the nightstand. She tossed it to me.

  “Hurry up,” she muttered.

  “Impatient?”

  “Very.”

  Chuckling, I rolled the condom on. She watched me and reached for me. I followed her reaching fingers and settled on top of her. Her hair was splayed out on the bedding and her lips were parted. She let out a soft moan as I pressed deep inside her, and she gripped my shoulders and lifted her hips to tell me she was ready for more.

  So I gave it to her.

  I gave it to her deep and hard and slow. I rolled my hips and grinded against her until it was too much and she broke open for me again. I cupped her cheeks and kissed her lips and nose and chin and worshiped every part of her.

  Finally, it felt like she was truly mine, and we were all tied up together in a messy but beautiful bow.

  Epilogue

  Kimberly

  Three Months Later

  I woke to sunshine streaming through my bedroom windows on my birthday on the first weekend of May. I yawned, stretched, and rubbed at my eyes. Then I promptly rolled over onto the other side of the bed and stole that pillow to cuddle for another fifteen or so minutes before finally finding the will to sit up and get out of bed.

  I swung my legs over the edge and indulged in another long stretch with my arms over my head. My back cracked. I rolled my neck and moaned with contentment as I heard a few cracks there, too. Then I set my bare feet down on my hardwood floors.

  Only they weren’t as hard as usual.

  They were soft.

  Confused, I look down. Beneath my feet were silky soft red rose petals.

  I frowned and lifted my feet off the floor.

  Rose petals? Really?

  I cursed my allergies for spoiling such a romantic gesture, leaned down, and plucked one from the floor. It was only when I held it up to my eyes that I realized they were fake and made of a matte silk material. I rubbed the petal between my fingers and marveled at the tiny flakes of red and gold glitter in the fabric. It was a beautiful little work of art. I let it fall from my fingers, where it glided back and forth to land gently back amongst its brothers and sisters.

  I put my feet back down and smiled to myself at how luxurious they felt beneath my feet. Then I stood up and fetched my robe from the
back of my bedroom door. I threw it around my shoulders and opened the door, finding that the path of petals led out down the hall and around the corner to the living room.

  I smiled to myself.

  Rick must have let himself in with his key sometime in the night to set all this up. How sweet and thoughtful and romantic. Nobody had ever done something like this for me before. It made me wish we were moving a little faster, but we’d been easing our way into things.

  Three months wasn’t very long in the grand scheme of things and we didn’t want to rush it, especially with Chessie. I was still doing a fair amount of traveling for work and we were enjoying all the healthy milestones of a new relationship—sleepovers, glamorous dinner dates, nights apart to miss each other, late-night phone calls while we lay in separate beds in our own bedrooms and wished we were together.

  That sort of thing.

  I followed the petals down the hall and turned into the living room, expecting to find Rick sitting on my sofa. But he was not. My place was empty. There was, however, a glossy white box tied closed with a big red ribbon. My name was scrawled in cursive on a papyrus card. On the backside of the card in Rick’s capital-letter brick writing, it said: PUT THIS ON.

  I bit my bottom lip and pulled the ribbon open. The sides of the box fell apart and I lifted the lid, revealing glittery tissue. I pushed the tissue aside and found a beautiful summer maxi dress nicely folded inside. The fabric was lightweight, the straps were dainty, and the print was all different shades of blue and turquoise in a feminine pattern. I lifted the dress out by the straps and held it up to myself.

  It was a perfect birthday dress.

  Then I noticed there was more in the box: a pair of flat gold sandals and a dazzling pair of chandelier earrings that I imagined cost an absolute fortune. I let out a squeal of giddy delight at being so spoiled and found yet another card at the bottom of the box.

  A car will pick you up at 11. Don’t be late! Xo.

  I glanced at the clock. It was already nine and I wanted to shave my entire body, do some pampering, and get ready for whatever it was Rick had planned for me. I rushed off down the hall to hop in the shower and get ready.