Rules of Payne (Cake Love Book 1)

by Elizabeth Lynx

  Her mouth curved so sweetly that my chest burned from its brightness. She laughed, and I tried to force a chuckle but it caught somewhere between my heart and my tongue.

  I wanted to kiss her again, like on the airplane. The way she tasted, what she did with her lips, her tongue and, oh, her little noises it put my sex fantasies of the mile-high club to shame.

  “I didn’t know you knew Shakespeare, Henrik. You seemed more like you would quote Poe or at least Hamlet, rather than Romeo and Juliet.”

  “My father loved Shakespeare. He would read it to me and my sister, Janice, when we were young. Every season would be met with a play from the Bard. He always read Romeo and Juliet in the spring.”

  “Let me guess, he read A Midsummer’s Night Dream in the summer?”

  I shook my head from the warming memories that flooded my head. “No, the summer was for Shakespeare’s histories. We were out of school at that point, so he wanted us to keep learning. He believed the key to staying happy and successful in life was knowledge.”

  “Your father sounds like a wonderful man. He must be so proud of you being an executive at Mimir.”

  I closed my eyes to ward off the ache growing in my chest.

  “I was a bit reckless back then.” I pointed to the ink along my shoulder that ran down my back.

  Chuckling I shook my head. “I thought I was so badass when I was younger. Working hard, playing even harder. I got these tats because I wanted men to look at me and think, ‘I want to be him’ and women to think, ‘I want to fuck him.’ But when my dad would ask how work was going I’d go on and on about the crazy stuff I did. He’d usually scratch his neck like he always did when I got in trouble and then mumble how that wasn’t work.”

  Morgana was smiling, her eyes glowed as if she was reliving the memory. I didn’t want to break that smile, but my mouth kept going before I could stop it.

  “I just wish I could have shown him how hard I work today. That I realized what it meant to do a good job. I want to invent a time machine and go back to before he died just to let him know that I get it now.”

  Morgana gasped and my hardening chest soothed from the light touch of her hand.

  “Henrik, I’m so sorry.”

  My throat constricted and all that came out was a garbled hum.

  Clearing my throat, I turned to watch her glassy eyes. “It’s not as if I help people with my work or create something to make the world better. That’s what he did. He was an engineer for the city. He helped revitalize areas that needed the most help. Even during his time off, he would help build houses for the needy.”

  I waved my hand in the air as if to say, how could I compete with that. “I think he wanted something a little more for me than being a money-making executive. He never minded what I did and told me that if it made me happy, then he was happy for me. But—”

  Why was I saying all of this? I never told anyone, even Tiffany, what my dad said to me.

  The light circle patterns Morgana drew on my chest were the only things keeping me from walking away. Her fingers were the hook preventing me from sinking.

  Morgana was like a truth serum for my heart. That was the first time I had spoken about my family to anyone I knew since the accident, even to myself.

  Her eyes weren’t expecting and softened to give me space. To breathe and let it all out in my own way. The only thing that was of any comfort right now was having her next to me.

  “Am I happy, Morgana? Look at me. Do you think I am happy?”

  I asked the question, but I didn’t want to hear the answer.

  “No. I think you are lost.”

  I closed my eyes forcing the prickling burn down where it belonged.

  Morgana inched closer, curling around my body. It felt good, her hot breath on my neck. “But I’m here, Henrik. You may be lost, but you found me.”

  TWENTY-THREE

  Payne’s Rule

  Answers are found not on paper but in the hidden glances.

  I smiled and she winked.

  My hand drifted up her thigh, hers landed on my crotch.

  I was hard and in a few seconds, I would find her soaked.

  “This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. It’s so wrong it’s shameful.” Jacob Mimir’s baritone voice echoed throughout the room causing me to stop the progress of my hand and Morgana’s grip to firm a little too tightly.

  I gasped.

  “It doesn’t make sense. It’s as if not just the EU government, but especially the British government, doesn’t want any foreign business on their soil. Henrik, what do you make of this?” His head tilted and all eyes fell on me. Except Bechmann’s, her eyes narrowed as flames shot out.

  We had been in London several days and departed tomorrow, but the major issue of distribution had yet to be solved. Our final meeting of the day just wrapped and all the people left in the mundane and tiny conference room were the Mimir brothers, Morgana, Evaleen, Kara, and John, Edgar’s assistant. The British team left to get to another meeting across town.

  Reluctantly, I removed my hand from the inviting warmth of Morgana’s thigh for the cold, heartless tundra of the top of the table to lift the paperwork we received this morning from our lawyers.

  The new laws they passed made it difficult for businesses outside their country to create manufacturing and distribution plants on their land. We would be forced to close down our plants that we built less than a decade ago.

  That’s a lot of job losses and a big financial hit to the company. Something everyone at this table didn’t want to happen.

  When I lost my family ten years ago, Jacob and his wife Danni made me live with them for the first few weeks. They took care of me when I thought my world had ended. They became my family. That meant that if Jacob what was happening to distribution in Europe was a problem for him, then it was my problem too.

  “Perhaps there is a loophole where established companies could—”

  I was cut off by Bechmann, “—I discussed this with our lawyer, Mr. Hatter, and the London solicitor earlier. They checked everything. There is no loophole. By the end of the year, we will have to close down those plants and distribution centers.”

  I narrowed my gaze at Bechmann. She lifted her middle finger to scratch her nose as her eyes bore into mine.

  “Can I just ask why Ms. Bechmann is here on this trip? Last I checked she was the head of HR. Are we hiring someone that I don’t know about?”

  Searching the table, I found Jacob appeared equally confused. Once I turned my attention to Edgar it hit me hard, so hard I wanted to vomit. The way Edgar’s brow glistened as his eyes flickered around the table was the first thing that tipped me off.

  But the thing that solidified it was Bechmann. The woman with her usual bitter tics and scathing quips was replaced by a laughing hyena. Followed by a lot of high pitched, “What? Why would you ask that?”

  Evaleen Bechmann and Edgar Mimir were making the monkey sex.

  I shuddered and dry heaved for a moment before the eye bleach worthy images of Bechmann doing anything sexual turned into a sweet thought. I knew a secret about Bechmann. I knew something that could get her fired.

  Oh, life was good.

  The foul queasiness turned euphoric. No more Bechmann. Edgar may get pissed at me, but he’ll get over it. He was used to me being a jerk. And Edgar never stays with women long. He might actually thank me for making it easier to walk away from her.

  As much as I wanted to I couldn’t say anything. Holy hell. Ugh, this was maddening, like an itch in the middle of my back and I had Garrett Marson’s small hands syndrome.

  Jacob didn’t know the real reason Morgana was put on administrative leave. Even worse, Morgana didn’t know I knew about the administrative leave the whole time. She thought I was clueless in the matter.

  If Bechmann told them both, I would be fired and never see Morgana again.

  Double whammy.

  I bit my fist to prevent my mouth from blurting out th
e bittersweet news of Bechmann and Edgar’s coupling. Perhaps I could hold on to this gem until a better time.

  “Yeah, why are you here, Ms. Bechmann? I’m a little curious myself.” Jacob turned his attention to her.

  I took a moment and savored the tiny morsels I had in her suffering as her snorting turned to attempts at speaking before I intervened.

  “I’m sorry Jacob, I forgot that Ms. Bechmann came along to help coordinate with HR here regarding individuals working in both locations and their taxation. The synergy—” Jacob cleared his throat and nodded, conveniently cutting me off before I ran out of buzzwords.

  Glancing over at Bechmann I found her mouth wide open as she stared at me. I winked and tapped the corner of my eye mouthing, “I know,” to her.

  Jacob ended the meeting. We got up and made our way out. I slid up along Bechmann.

  “Ms. Bechmann, there is something different about you today. It’s as if you are glowing and I mean that in a non-sexual harassment sort of way.”

  Her face turned Satan red. “I have no idea what you are talking about, Payne.”

  I leaned in so only Bechmann could hear. “We are square.”

  “Fine,” she mumbled as we all filed into the elevator. It’s packed and luckily Morgana was pushed back into me. My cock began to push into her ass. I brought my mouth to her ear and closing my eyes I breathed her in.

  Since I told her about my father that first night here, Morgana became extra attentive to me.

  We have been spending every night in my bed fucking like rabbits. It’s a dream come true.

  “Tonight, my room.” Morgana turned her head so only I could hear.

  “I can hardly wait, Ms. Drake.”

  Her body shivered against mine after I spoke.

  It felt like forever until we were back at the hotel. I changed in my room to nothing but a robe before knocking on the adjoining door to Morgana’s room. She opened and was standing there in nothing but her glasses. I didn’t know which I loved more, the fact that she was naked or that she kept on those fucking sexy glasses.

  “Finally, I thought you would never show,” she said and turned. Her ass cheeks bounced as she made her way back to her blue floral covered bed and sat on the edge.

  My hand tingled to seize that ass. The flush on her face crept down to her chest. I had never seen Morgana take control and I suspected she was having doubts.

  Which she shouldn’t. Morgana was beautiful. I’m not even talking about her exquisite body trembling on the edge of the bed, but her presence. That one simple decision, to relinquish her clothes, rendered me completely at her mercy.

  As I stepped in front of her, she kept her focus on her hands. They fumbled with the tie on my robe, but it didn’t take long for my cock to spring out.

  Her lips were so close, I could have swayed my hips forward merely an inch and her lips would gleam. I was throbbing.

  “Stick your finger inside your wet pussy.”

  Her eyes flickered up to mine and she did as I asked. Her legs eased open and her hand drifted between. It wasn’t long before her hips began to move as she rode herself.

  I had to clasp my wrists behind my back to stop from grabbing myself. When her moan rang out, I almost lost my balance as my legs twitched and I knew I wouldn’t last much longer.

  “Stop. Morgana, stop touching yourself.” My voice rumbled. I was breathless and my words crackled with desperation. Morgana whimpered removing her soaked fingers.

  “Let me see your hand.” I took the wrist she offered. Her trembling fingers were so wet they were exquisite.

  Lifting my leg, I rested my foot on the edge of the bed next to her and then guided her slick finger between my legs. At first she thought I wanted her to grab my balls, but I gathered my nerves and firmed my grip. I kept her hand going farther back.

  My mind raced with outcomes to what I was about to show her. Would she frown as others had? Would she understand? I wondered if she could hear my heart pounding in my chest as I guided her hand.

  It’s when I made small circles with her fingertip by my puckered hole that she got it. Morgana closed her eyes only for a moment, but in that second I realized how perfect we were for each other. I rarely had the nerve to show other women what I really liked but with Morgana, I felt like she might understand.

  After showing her how good it felt, how much more intense the orgasm could be, perhaps she wanted me to experience it too. She bit her lip with fascination.

  “Henrik, can I suck you while I do this?”

  I almost came from her words. Her lips parted and her eyes were glazed over as she stared at my cock. Did I mention how fucking stunning this woman was? I would only last seconds if she kept looking at me like that.

  “God, yes. Take me.”

  And she did. Her lips slipped over the head and lightly sucked. Her mouth was warm and so wonderful. The feeling of being pulled into her. I began to groan, but it became a gurgled sound as her slippery finger slowly pressed inside me.

  My fingers tangled in her hair and I tried to remain steady. In control. But I let her do what she wanted to me. And she made a meal of me.

  As her mouth explored farther up and down my cock, her finger grew more confident in its rhythm. She cracked me open only to have me crumble apart. My fist tightened and I pulled her head back. Her eyes, saucers now with almost no color left, stared up at me. She looked as lost as I was and that made any control I had left disintegrate and blow away.

  “Tell me to stop. Pull your hand away if you need this to end and I will stop. I won’t be gentle anymore.”

  Her lips curved as her tongue flicked at my tip.

  Her finger moved, not away, but farther inside.

  Her eyes moved back to my cock, and I knew her answer by the way her mouth moved, never uttering a word.

  She took me deep as her tongue swirled me into a frenzy. I said things. Words that I barely remember but the ones I did were questions.

  “You want more, Morgana?”

  “You love knowing you do this to me?”

  “I bet you drool thinking about my cock?”

  The typical guy thoughts. Things I would not normally say, as I like control. I usually say things with a little more thought behind them, but even my brain was staring at her mouth.

  My hand was guiding her over me, directing her and taking her deeper. When her eyes watered, I choked on the violent force behind my orgasm. My balls tightened and I was done.

  All I knew was I placed my hand on Morgana’s shoulder to stop from tumbling over. Closing my eyes the wave hit me, rolling, crashing, and causing my head to fall forward.

  The intensity of it all caused the spasms. Even after I was finished, I twitched like a junkie. I think Morgana was my drug, the designer kind. Made entirely for me.

  When I recovered, there was no break even though I needed one. I should have lain back, held her, and regained what dignity I lost with my euphoric ramblings. But I didn’t do any of that.

  I pushed Morgana down. She tried to rise but I placed my hand on her shoulder, pinning her in place.

  Hovering over her, staring into her eyes, my free hand drifted down her soft body. My fingers tickled and soothed along the path until they found what they sought.

  Then they plunged.

  Her head rolled to the side as I slipped two fingers into her soaked pussy. I wanted to give her everything I had.

  Or so I thought.

  The words she moaned had me shaking. I faltered. My hand jerked and slipped, and I wondered if I should have let her go. Giving up as I could barely think straight anymore.

  “I need you, Henrik.”

  Those four simple words had me racing. My neck burned as my hand, my arm, and eventually my heart, began to revolt.

  It was just sex.

  That’s all this was. She needed me inside her. Her words were to tell me to fuck her. I wanted to fuck her. I don’t think I could end this night without being inside Morgana.

 
; But when her eyes opened and turned up to mine, I realized that wasn’t what she meant at all. Her need was great. It was deserved, and it was something I couldn’t give her.

  Despite all this need and regret, I continued. Morgana bucked into my hand as my thumb circled her clit. She was close, I felt her tighten around my fingers.

  I should say something. Make a noise, anything.

  After what she did to my cock, I needed to make her believe I was as into it as much as she was. Not wondering if the room was shrinking. Or if the temperature in the room just shot up ten degrees. Or if I needed to see a doctor because my throat was tightening and my heart was about to rip open my chest.

  “Fuck, Morgana. What you do to me.”

  It was true, wasn’t it? No woman has had an impact like this on me. Made me so willing to destroy my own career and break all my rules. Just this thought was making me dizzy.

  Blinking, I shook my head and watched as Morgana rode my hand over the crest. Her back arched and at that moment there was no fear, only soul thumping beauty. Those seconds of bliss rolled off her and I swear I felt them too.

  I smiled knowing I got her there. I did that to her. It was my presence, my touch that sent her rocketing into the sky.

  So when I kissed her it felt good and right. When she got up to clean herself and wash her hands, I didn’t regret a single thing.

  When I got up to clean up, I came back and wrapped her in my arms. We even stayed up a bit talking and ordered room service. But when night fell and I wanted to take her again, it was the thought of that look in her eyes that stopped me.

  It was soft and forgiving and there was too much emotion behind it. So, I turned over and told her good night. I lied and said I was tired and that we had a long flight the next day.

  I was a coward and a liar.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Payne’s Rule

  Don’t get yourself involved in something that could damage your career or the company.

  April was beautiful.

  Flowers bloomed.