The Lonely Apprentice (The Lonely Girl Series Book 1)

by Autumn Skye

  “That’s a good compromise.”

  We gathered up our discarded clothing and together we crept up the stairs and into her room. I climbed into her bed and held my arms out for her to join me.

  When I was again lying in her arms I said, “This isn’t something we have to pretend didn’t happen tomorrow, is it?”

  “No.”

  “Then what does it mean?”

  “Is it something we have to decide right this second? Because I don’t know the answer. I’ve never had another woman in this bed.”

  “Never?”

  “I’m not the relationship type, or at least I wasn’t. Then along came you. I was once in your position and I had someone do me very wrong. I wanted to do right by you, help you realize your potential, and I thought that meant we couldn’t have any personal ties. That’s out the window now, so I have no clue where we go from here.”

  “But you don’t want me to leave?”

  “No, I don’t want that.”

  “You were talking about Madeline. She hurt you.”

  “She did a lot more than that. She broke me, both emotionally and financially, for a while, but I got better. I don’t like to talk about it.”

  “All right, but I do believe she did you a favor. Look how well you’ve done without her.”

  “I’ve done all right,” she acknowledged with unusual modesty.

  “Well, right now, all that matters is that you’re still here when I wake up in the morning.”

  “Where would I go? This is my bed.”

  “Okay, no kicking me out of it, either.”

  “Oh, I plan to keep you with me. We have plenty of time to figure this out. I just want to wake up with you.”

  I fell asleep in her arms. When I awoke the next morning, I’d rolled away from her at some point in the night. She was cozied up to my back with a leg flung over me as if to make sure I didn’t go too far. Like her, I wasn’t sure where all this was going. I didn’t care. I intended to hold on to her as long as she’d let me. Other than that, all I could do was hope she was content to have me and that she wouldn’t be too eager to let me go.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Out of bed, lazy,” Nadine said after she’d had her shower and come out of the bathroom to find me still lying under the covers. I’d never lain on a bed quite like this. It was like sleeping on a cloud.

  “Is the power back on?”

  “Yes, Eva is in the kitchen preparing breakfast, no doubt. Want to eat a quick bite and go for a run?”

  That explained the casual jogging suit she wore. “I haven’t run in a while. I might not be able to keep up with you.”

  “I’ll take it easy on you.”

  “Wouldn’t you normally be in your office by now, pissed off that I’m not there yet?”

  “I can take a day off if I choose. You should be flattered. I haven’t wanted to in ages.”

  “I’m flattered. I’m just worried I’ll slow you down.”

  “I’m kind of hoping you do.”

  “Fine, but I need a shower and a cup of coffee first.”

  “No, problem.”

  I took a quick shower in the bathroom adjoined to my own room and put on a pair of sweats. I found Nadine and Eva in the kitchen. An awkward silence hung in the room. Nadine stared into her mug of coffee and Eva didn’t throw more than a quick glance my way while pouring me a cup. Had she noticed that I hadn’t slept in my room? How would she know? I realized my paranoia might be getting the best of me. There was no harm if she did know. Eva wouldn’t be anything but happy for the both of us.

  “I’ll get those measurements as soon as I get back,” I told her. It occurred to me that Cheyenne had been right all along. I needed to be with someone who understood me. Here, I’d had a beautiful night with Nadine and I couldn’t completely forget about my new project, but she didn’t look offended in the least. She got me. She was me a few years ago.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, taking brisk strides next to Nadine, warming up for the run as we headed out of the gates and down the road.

  “To the water,” she answered, jumping off the pavement and into the woods.

  I followed after her, trusting she knew the way. She did, but once she picked up her pace and broke into a real run I didn’t last long before I had to stop and catch a breath. She couldn’t say I hadn’t warned her. She got a good ways ahead of me before she noticed I’d stopped. My legs were shaking and I was bent over at the waist heaving when she doubled back to me.

  “Hey, how many years younger are you again?” she joked.

  “Not enough to make much difference,” I gasped, embarrassed. I really needed to make more use of the gym.

  “I don’t get it. You’re in great shape. I’ve seen that much with my own eyes.”

  “That doesn’t make me an Olympic runner. We aren’t all as driven as you, Nadine.”

  “You’d better get there if you want to get your business up and making a profit.”

  “I’m more concerned about growing yours at the moment. I can’t find a suitable space for the factory. I’ve looked everywhere in this city.”

  “So, what? We said we were taking the day off, didn’t we? We don’t have to think about any of that today.”

  I rose upright and she put an arm around me. “Ever make out in the woods?”

  “No, I can’t say I have.” This new Nadine, or maybe an old dormant Nadine who I’d awakened was adventurous to a fault. Make out in the woods? I couldn’t decide if it sounded kinky or dangerous.

  “Want to try it before you knock it?” she asked.

  “Outdoor sex? Really?”

  “Why not? It’s private land. Who’s going to see? Besides, there’s something I’ve been wanting to do to you for quite some time and I’m tired of waiting.”

  I laughed as we both dropped to the ground, thinking we’d go home with grass stains on our suits and wondering if Eva would notice. She was astute if nothing else. She had to already be wondering about us by now, yet I couldn’t seem to care.

  I lied back and inhaled the smell of damp dirt. Nadine hovered over me and kissed my neck. She raised my shirt and let her tongue trail over my belly as her hands slowly tugged my pants down to my knees. I imagine she saw my wetness glinting over my mound before she buried her head between my legs. Her tongue moved over the length of my slit, pushing into my folds and then inside my quivering hole.

  “Ooh, yes,” I moaned, writhing in the earth, breathing in the smell of the forrest which was still damp from the rain. She was turning me into a filthy wet mess and I was fine with it.

  Her mouth went to my nub and her fingers slipped deep inside me, probing and stroking my walls.

  “Mmm, fuck me. I want you to fuck me hard,” I begged.

  “Yes, I’m going to make you come in my mouth,” she murmured. “Poor thing. You need to come so bad, don’t you?”

  My answer was to wail at the sky as her mouth devoured me and her fingers pistoned hard and fast in and out of me. My fingers clawed the ground beneath me as every muscle in me clenched and I stiffened, ecstasy coursing through me. Even after I was spent her tongue continued lapping at my juices as if she couldn’t stand the thought of losing a single drop.

  “You taste so fucking good,” she said as she got to her feet and I situated my clothes.

  “I can’t believe we just did that.”

  “Yeah, since when are you one to play the prude?” she asked, holding out her hand and helping me up.

  “Never, I guess.”

  “Still think you can make it to the water?”

  “Not hardly,” I replied. “I didn’t think I’d make it to begin with, but after that I feel like another nap, or at least a shower. I’m all muddy.”

  “Some other time, then. We can go back if you like,” she said, plucking a leaf out of my hair. “It was worth it though, huh?”

  “Yes, it was. I do need to get Eva’s measurements, though,” I reminded her, still marveling at he
r spontaneity. I couldn’t figure her out. How could such an otherwise uptight woman be so brazen?

  “Ah, yes, tell me more about this project of yours.”

  “Well, Eva was telling me how it’s so hard to find clothes for women her age, attractive clothes, anyway.”

  “So, you thought you’d make her some, huh?” she pressed as we headed back towards the road.

  “Not just her, but I think a lot of women might have that problem. We’re living in an age where women aren’t aging as quickly as they once did. They feel younger and they want to dress more attractively, but not too young, as if they were trying to be twenty something again when they’re really comfortable with their age. In short, I want to start a line that proves a woman in her late forties or older can still be damned sexy.”

  “Interesting. I can’t wait to see what you come up with,” she said.

  “You don’t have to worry, though. I’ll find your factory and do anything else you need me to do.”

  “Well, um, I like the idea of you working on this. Maybe it’s something we could do together, unless you object.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, I believe you’re on to something. Keep me posted.”

  Back at the house, Nadine decided to spend an hour in the gym. I grabbed another quick shower before taking Eva up to the spare room she’d set up to be used as my studio.

  “You and Ms. Robertson seem to be getting along well,” she commented.

  “And?” I asked, sliding a tape measure around her hips.

  “Nothing, just something I noticed.”

  “You approve?”

  “It’s not for me to judge.”

  “You nevertheless have an opinion, don’t you?”

  “You’re good for her. I had a feeling you would be,” she said.

  “She’s good for me, too. I’m learning a lot here.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  “No, I care for her, a lot, maybe more than I should.”

  “I don’t think it’s possible to love someone too much.”

  “No one said anything about love,” I said.

  “Why not? You two are the perfect match. You have so much in common.”

  “About as much as she had in common with Madeline Parker. That isn’t always enough.”

  “Madeline happened before I started working for Ms. Robertson. I don’t know more than the basics of what happened. I know she was crushed when they split, but lots of people survive broken hearts. She isn’t the only one that’s had to go through that.”

  “No, she isn’t.”

  “What’s important is that you both seem happy now that you’re here.”

  She was right, but I couldn’t help wondering what the future held. There was every chance Nadine and I were indeed, the perfect match. There was also the possibility I was dreaming.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Nadine

  I owed Jack Mason for sending Delia into my life. The least I could do was have him over to dinner as I’d promised him I would. Once I finished my work out I went into my office and dialed his number.

  “Are you and Peyton busy tonight?” I asked.

  “No, why?”

  “I’d like the two of you to come to dinner around six o’clock if you can make it.”

  “Depends on what you’re serving.”

  “Very funny.”

  “Okay, okay, Peyton is actually fighting a cold. I doubt she feels up to it, but I’m free.”

  “You’d leave your sick wife at home to fend for herself?”

  “More like to give her a break. She gets crabby when she’s sick. I’m getting on her nerves.”

  “You? I can’t imagine it,” I quipped. “Anyway, you’re coming then?”

  “I’d love to. Will Delia be there?”

  “Of course, she lives here.”

  “How is that going?”

  “Um, better than I initially expected.”

  “What did I tell you? She was the right girl for the job, yes?”

  “Yes, we-well-we’re getting along well. Let’s put it that way.”

  “It sounds like something is going on with the two of you.”

  “You could say that.”

  “Are you in a relationship?”

  “I’m not sure what we are. It’s complicated.”

  “If I know you, it’s really not. You tend to make these things so much harder than they have to be.”

  “Don’t lecture me. You just be here at six. I’ll take care of my own love life. How does that sound?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “We’ll be waiting.”

  “We? You and Delia are a ‘we’?”

  “Just get your ass over here,” I barked at him, hanging up before he could give me another smart ass reply.

  Yes, Delia and I were starting to feel very much like a “we.” One part of me was scared shitless about that and the other part felt-rejuvenated, for lack of a better word. My mind wasn’t on my business for the first time in I don’t know how long. I did manage a call to New York. They’d compromised on production cost for my new line, but I was still seriously considering acquiring a factory of my own. Of course, Delia had found me the best prospect in town. There was no rational reason I couldn’t snatch it up, provided it was still on the market. The agent would handle the contracts. I need not ever lay eyes on Madeline. Somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to touch anything of hers, not even for such a sweet price that would immensely benefit me.

  There was a time when I’d loved Madeline Parker with everything I had. In turn, she’d rocked my world, but not in a good way. Madeline was a business woman, not a designer, not really. She’d hired me as her apprentice when I was young and hungry for both love and success. She’d already found a decent level of success hiring designers. She was a marketer, not a creator. She had no passion for the work itself. She did, on the other hand, have a heated penchant for pretty girls, especially ones who could supply her with enough product to keep her in business. She wasn’t quite as big back then, but she’d done well enough to put me in complete awe of her. When she offered to make me a silent partner, it never would have crossed my mind that it wasn’t my dream come true. To sweeten the deal, as if I needed persuasion, she’d taken me into her bed, too. I’d never been in love. I didn’t know something that felt so good could leave me feeling so bruised. It was all fine until my line got the business churning a profit beyond either of our expectations. Madeline didn’t like to share and she loved money a lot more than she’d ever love another human being. If she had any regrets about me at all, it was that after she’d cut ties with me I’d bounced back. I’d taken my business to heights greater than she’d ever know.

  What concerned me now was that I had to be careful with Delia. The plan of not getting personally involved with her had been blown apart. Going forward it was my responsibility to do right by her.

  I told Eva we’d be having a dinner guest and then went to find Delia. She was sitting in the library reading one of those old books she loved so much.

  “Shouldn’t you be out looking for my factory?”

  She set the book face down on her knee. “Sorry, I guess I should.”

  “Relax. I was joking.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know you knew how.”

  I bent over and gave her a peck on the forehead. “Sometimes, I even crack myself up.”

  “You got Eva’s measurements?”

  “Yeah, I’m going to go up to my studio and get to work on the project here soon if you don’t have anything for me today.”

  “You’re free. Jack Mason is coming to dinner.”

  “That’s great. I haven’t seen the professor in a while.”

  “You can probably get away with calling him Jack.”

  “No, he’ll always be the professor to me.”

  “Whatever you call him, you two will have the chance to get caught up.”

  “Are we hiding anything from him?”

&
nbsp; I shook my head. “Nope, I don’t see any reason to, do you?”

  “No, just making sure.”

  “That reminds me. There is one thing you could do for me today, if you have the time, and only if you want to.”

  “What is it?”

  “Would you consider moving your things into my room?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “It’s plenty big enough for two,” I shrugged.

  “Are you positive? I wouldn’t want to crowd your space.”

  “I want you with me, Delia. It’s been a long time since I slept as peacefully as I did last night. However, I’m your boss and I don’t want you to feel awkward about saying no if you aren’t comfortable with it.”

  “I’m comfortable and you’re a lot more than my boss. I think it’s safe to say we’re already past those boundaries. Does this mean I get to use your awesome steam shower? It’s a deal breaker,” she grinned.

  “Then, yes.”

  “Cool. I’ll move my things after I get this new project started.”

  “It’s settled, then. Jack should show up around six.”

  I thought of going back to work, but was now too damned derailed by the image of lying close to her every night. Delia meant more than sex to me, but that didn’t mean the mere sight of her didn’t send my sexual appetites into overdrive. I wound up spending the day by the pool, wishing she’d come join me. She didn’t, of course. For all my warnings not to let her personal life interfere with business, it turns out she was far more dedicated than I, slaving away on that new project of hers all afternoon. I was the one losing my edge.

  Around five I went upstairs to find her. She’d already moved her things into the master bedroom, but hadn’t bothered to unpack them.

  “I didn’t know how you’d react if I took up too much of your closet. If it’s an issue I can use the one in my studio.”

  “I told you I didn’t mind. Forget about unpacking for now. I thought I’d show you how the steam shower works. You’ll love it.”

  “You’re going to shower with me?”

  “That was the idea, if it’s okay with you.”

  “I rather like that idea.”

  A few moments later I had her standing in a cloud of steam, her ass pressed up against the frosted glass as I used my hands and mouth on her for the second time that day. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other and over the next few weeks it seemed we always smelled like sex, the way new lovers often do.