Skyscrapers & Camelot (Renovate Book 1)

by Mindy Carter

  “Is it because you have”—she pauses, giving me a hateful look—“company.”

  “Gretchen, I’m going to ask you one more time. Please wait in my office while I get dressed.”

  She thinks about it for a moment, looking between us and then at the picture of us on his dresser. I’m pretty sure she understands that I’m not just company.

  “Fine, but I’m just looking out for you. We really don’t need any distractions right now.” She turns on her heels and walks away, her heels clicking loudly on the floor and the scent of her strong perfume lingering.

  Keegan runs his hands over his face and lets out a long, frustrated exhale. He looks over at me then gives me a quick kiss on the lips before removing himself from the bed, gathering his clothes and getting dressed.

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  I stare at him with hooded eyes, feeling very uncomfortable with him right now. I’m more than irritated right now. This woman has full access to him any time she wants. He doesn’t second-guess her actions, and she just attempted to humiliate me. She speaks to him like she has complete control over him. I don’t like this situation at all.

  He continues, “Gretchen, she’s a little overbearing but completely harmless.”

  Gretchen wants Keegan all to herself, and he’s blind to her agenda. She’s not being protective over him; she’s being a super bitch toward me. She has no respect for our privacy, and that comment about “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before” was meant for me, to make me feel like I’m not special. Little does she know that’s exactly what this is—special. What Keegan and I shared last night was beyond special, and I’m not going to let her ruin it. I’m strong enough not to let myself be bullied. Ironically, that is something Keegan taught me a long time ago.

  “I won’t be long; go back to sleep.”

  I’m not going to be able to go back to sleep after that, nor do I want to.

  Keegan finishes putting his clothes back on from last night, and he still pulls off sexy with day old clothes. He walks over to the bed and leans over to give me a long kiss, which tells me he wants me to stay. Then he walks out of the bedroom to his office, closing the door behind him.

  I lie back, pulling the covers even closer to my neck and staring at the ceiling. After several minutes, I get up and locate my clothes that are strewn all over the floor and smile at myself, remembering exactly how they got there. I dress quickly and head to the bathroom to freshen up, flipping on the light.

  With my hair a mess as I glance in the mirror, I can only imagine the rumpled mess I looked like in bed a little while ago. I do my best to make my hair presentable with a brush I find in a drawer. I also find an unopened toothbrush and quickly brush my teeth. After looking in the mirror, I figure this is the best I am going to do.

  Wanting another glimpse of Keegan, I make a detour to glance in his office on my way to the kitchen and see Gretchen sitting on his desk, legs crossed, wearing another short dress. I begin to wonder if this woman owns any pants. Her closeness is unnerving, and her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me as she harps on him about deadlines and commitments, but she works for Keegan. No matter what I think, she’s important to him.

  I’m craving coffee, so I shut out those thoughts and make my way to the kitchen, looking for the Keurig I remember seeing. I find the K-cups and pop one in the top of the machine. The glasses and dishes are on the counter still from last night, so I make myself busy cleaning up, placing the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and wiping down the counters.

  Gretchen’s scent enters the room with her. “Not only did you sleep with him, but you’re cleaning for him, too? Putting it on a little thick. He doesn’t need another maid, you know.”

  “It seems he needs someone to take out the trash,” I fire back, finding her rudeness uncalled for.

  Gretchen’s eyes bug out for a second, and I know I have hit a nerve.

  “Well, don’t get too comfortable. You’re not the first to warm his bed and certainly won’t be the last.”

  “Thanks for your concern. I’m a big girl,” I reply.

  She looks me up and down and points to me. “Love the outfit,” she says.

  I smile at her through gritted teeth, trying my best to hold my own during this standoff. I’m not going to let her rattle me, not after last night and not ever.

  She gives me one last dirty look before shouting out, “Bye, Keegan. Call me later.”

  After she walks onto the elevator and the doors close, I’m finally able to relax, so I locate the coffee cups and finally make myself a cup of coffee and one for Keegan, as well. Then I walk over to the window and look out onto the city, seeing him approach me from behind in the reflection from the glass. He stops behind me and wraps his strong arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give you a proper good morning,” he says, holding me closer.

  “I’m sure you will find a way to make it up to me.” We both look out onto the city together, the morning sun reflecting off the tall buildings, amazed by the scene.

  “You hungry?” I ask.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Since you made me dinner last night, I thought I’d make you breakfast this morning.”

  “I think I can get on board with that. I have to answer a few emails, but they won’t take long.”

  I turn my head to look at him, and he appears younger, more comfortable. I enjoy seeing this youthful man who reminds me so much of the boy I grew up with.

  “Everything all right?” I pry, immediately scolding myself internally for even asking.

  “Yes, I left my phone in my office last night. I was otherwise occupied.” He gives me a wink. I guess occupied would be a word for what happened last night. “Gretchen gets a little antsy when she can’t reach me. She’s quite harmless, just dedicated. She’s been my assistant since the beginning.”

  What he just told me makes me sad. He made something of himself, and I wasn’t around for any of it.

  “Did she say something to you?”

  Really, can he be that dense? I love this man, but I want to knock him upside the head right now.

  “Yes, we are becoming fast friends. We’re making plans to do each other’s nails and makeup,” I reply, making the judgment call to bite my tongue and not throw any more wrenches into our morning by explaining my reasons for why Gretchen and I will never be friends.

  When Keegan looks me over, I give him a quick smile. “Go do your CEO stuff, and when you’re done, I’ll have breakfast ready.”

  He seems satisfied with the quick change in my mood and makes his way toward his office.

  I look over at the coffee I set out for him and make him a fresh cup then walk it into his office where he’s typing away on his computer, placing it on his desk. He smiles at me before quickly grabbing me and pulling me onto his lap.

  “No kiss? I’m wounded,” he says, playfully pouting.

  I think about it for a moment and then grab the sides of his face, giving him the kiss he’s asked for.

  Looking up at me with a wide grin, he says, “That’s more like it. Now make my breakfast, woman.”

  I laugh and give him a salute before removing myself from his lap. “Yes sir.” I give him a wink as I walk out of his office.

  After surveying the contents of Keegan’s fridge, I opt to make us omelets, locating everything I need then getting to work.

  I’m finishing up and placing my creations on two plates when Keegan walks in.

  “Something smells delicious.”

  “I made us omelets. I hope that’s all right.”

  “Perfect,” he says with a cheeky smile.

  Keegan pours two glasses of orange juice and sets two places at the breakfast bar. I place our plates down as he pulls my chair out for me. He’s always been a gentleman—opening doors and pulling out chairs for me even when we were teenagers.

  As we eat together, sitting side by side, his leg br
ushes against mine, making me think about last night. It was the absolute best experience of my life—hearing him say he loves me and then giving our bodies to each other. I would have liked a repeat performance, but we obviously weren’t able to, because of Gretchen.

  After we are finished, Keegan takes our plates and puts them in the sink. I go to clean up, but he grabs me around the middle and tells me, “Leave it.” Grabbing my hand, he leads me into his massive bathroom and turns on the faucet to the bath.

  “Are we taking a bath?” I ask.

  Keegan nods his head, continuing by adding some bath salts, the smell of lavender drifting throughout the room. The smell is one of my favorites, and I am immediately relaxed.

  As the hot water flows into the bath, he saunters over to me with a heated gaze, his closeness increasing my heartbeat. Slowly, he removes my top and drops it to the floor, placing small, delicate kisses along my collarbone. Then he bends to his knees and unbuttons my jeans, pulling them down with my underwear to my ankles. Lifting my foot to remove them one leg at a time, he discards them next to my top.

  He grazes both of his hands up my legs, tracing a path to my sides, and I laugh as his slight touch tickles me. The path stops at my back where he unclasps my bra, removing my last piece of clothing.

  Lifting me in his arms, he carries me to the bath. I let out a shriek of surprise and grab on to his neck. He gently places me in the running bath then turns off the water. Staring at me with those seductive eyes, he removes his clothes, and I lick my lips in anticipation. Once he’s completely naked, I can see his wanting. I’m so turned on by our dance, if we don’t touch soon, I may just scream.

  He moves into the bathtub, lifting my body slightly and getting behind me, and I fall back into him. He places my hair to the side so he can place more kisses along my neck.

  “I could kiss this beautiful neck all day,” he says in a whisper.

  “Don’t you think your lips would get tired?”

  He holds me closer. “I could never get tired of kissing you. In fact, I think I’m going to kiss every crevice before the day is done.”

  “Please, don’t let me stop you.” Keegan’s kisses have become an addiction that I won’t deny.

  “This is nice. I like your bath,” I tell him as I grab his hand with mine and rest it on my chest.

  “It’s better with you in it.”

  I smile because who wouldn’t love a man who speaks such sweetness?

  “You, Keegan James, will certainly be my undoing if you keep this up.”

  He rubs his cheek against mine, the day old scruff that touches my skin electrifying. “Promise?”

  As we soak in the tub in silence, merely enjoying this intimate encounter, a sigh leaves my lips, proving how very content I am.

  Keegan and I eventually wash each other, and after our skin is pruned, we remove ourselves from the bath. He places a towel around his waist, and I can see how hard his body actually is. Magnificent wouldn’t even begin to describe him. He then places the softest cotton towel I have ever felt around me before he leads me into the bedroom, which I have decided is my favorite room here.

  Removing my towel, we stand face to face in our nakedness as Keegan pulls me close and begins a slow, sensual kiss that lights up my entire body. He lifts me up, urging me to wrap my legs around him, and as soon as I do, he backs us up toward his bed, tumbling onto the mattress with me. My legs release from around his middle as he positions himself between them. Looking into my eyes, he moves a loose piece of hair and tucks it behind my ear.

  “Sometimes, it hurts looking at you because you are so beautiful, Aimee,” he says, letting me know he finally sees me the way I’ve always wanted to be seen, and that breaks me.

  Tears start to fall from my eyes, but as soon as Keegan sees them, he kisses them away, and unable to contain the emotions flooding me, I pull him to my lips, kissing him with everything I feel. The only thing I can think about is having him inside of me as he reaches toward the bedside table drawer and grabs a condom from inside. Licking my lips, my chest heaves in anticipation as I watch him open the silver wrapper and roll the condom on his long, hard cock.

  He stares at me and asks, “Ready?”

  I think that’s a strange thing to ask since I’m sure he can smell my desire, but I nod in return.

  Keegan slowly enters me, and I feel whole again. He pauses for a few seconds before we begin moving together in a synchronized rhythm, first slow and then fast as our orgasms quickly build. I didn’t think our lovemaking could be any better than last night, but this is different. We are more confident and sure.

  We both moan at the same time when Keegan grabs my ass and pulls me closer to him, and I know I won’t be able to last much longer.

  Our rhythm increases even more, slamming his headboard into the wall, and Keegan grabs onto it with one hand then pulls my pelvis closer to his. He’s finally let go, showing me this is how he truly makes love. It is uninhibited, free, and incredible.

  As he thrusts into me hard, it doesn’t take much more before I let go of the orgasm I have been holding. I scream out his name, and he silences me with another passionate kiss while he continues to thrust into me even faster. It isn’t long before I feel him let go and achieve an orgasm of his own.

  He puts his weight on top of me, fully sated. Our fast breathing begins to return to normal as he slowly pulls out of me.

  “There’s that pouty lip again,” he says.

  I can’t help it. His absence disappoints me more than I would like.

  He removes the condom and ties it in a knot before discarding it in a nearby trashcan and returning to the bed, wrapping his arms around me.

  “Who knew Keegan was a cuddler?” I tease, making him laugh.

  “You know I’ve always been a cuddler. Well, actually, I’ve only ever cuddled with you, come to think about it.”

  I believe him, and that knowledge makes me happy.

  “All those women don’t know what they were missing.”

  He faces me so now we are both lying on our sides. Looking into my eyes, he says, “As far as I’m concerned, there has only been you.”

  “You’re going to give me cavities. I don’t think you could be any sweeter.”

  He blushes. Keegan James’s cheeks actually turn a nice shade of red.

  I smile at him and give him a sensual kiss on the lips.

  “I love you,” I tell him from my heart. I do, so much.

  “I love you to the stars,” he returns, setting my heart aflutter.

  We hold each other close before drifting into a peaceful slumber where I dream of a boy I thought was lost, but now is found. And I have no intention of losing him ever again.

  Hours later, I feel movement beside me as Keegan releases his arms from around me. Standing up from the bed, he goes to his dresser, pulling a pair of boxer briefs out and putting them on.

  I watch him, admiring his physique, and take notice of how his back is just as sexy as his front.

  Keegan turns around, catching me admiring him. “See something you like?”

  “Maybe.” I smirk.

  He walks back over to the bed and hovers over me. “Well, I definitely see something I like.” He places a chaste kiss on my lips that is way too short for my liking. “I’ll be right back. I need to check my messages.”

  He leaves the room, and I roll over, hugging his pillow, smelling his delicious scent. I wonder if he would notice if I took it home with me. I laugh internally at my ridiculousness.

  I look out the window and stare at the New York skyline, remembering that I haven’t even seen my phone since I arrived last night. I’m sure Reese has been texting, wondering what the latest news is. I don’t want to leave the bed yet force myself to roll out of my comfort.

  I pad over to the dresser in search of a T-shirt to wear. After opening a few drawers, I find his T-shirts, pulling one out with the word Syracuse written across the front, Keegan’s alma mater.

  I find m
y purse where I left it in the office along with Keegan; however, his back is turned while he talks on his phone, arguing with someone. Not wanting to disturb him, I grab my purse and take it back with me into his room.

  Sitting Indian-style on his bed, I go through my texts and find several from Reese, some asking if I am getting any, which makes me laugh, and one that advises, if I don’t call her back with all the juicy scoop, she will no longer talk to me. You would think being occupied with Kaleb would keep her busy, but no, she’s as nosy as ever.

  I decide the best course of action is to call her. I dial her number, and after three rings, she answers with, “You’re alive!”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t have my phone, or I wouldn’t have worried you.”

  She sighs. “What am I going to do with you? You’re lucky your boyfriend communicates with his brother.”

  “So why are you so bent out of shape? You knew where I’d be, and you have a boyfriend of your own to keep you occupied,” I tell her.

  The word boyfriend seems like such a foreign word. The last steady boyfriend I had was in college, and we dated for several years before he had to move away. A long distance relationship wasn’t in the cards for us. I cared for him deeply and even gave him my virginity, but I knew all along he wasn’t the one for me. My heart always belonged to someone else.

  “Scoop, now.”

  I pause for a moment then begin. “Well, there’s not much to tell. We had dinner and talked then went to bed.”

  “That’s bullshit, Aimee, and do you know how I know that?” She sounds angry.

  “How?”

  “Early this morning, while Kaleb and I were sound asleep after a full night of hot sex, that blonde bimbo calls my man, giving him the third degree about you. She told him she found you both naked this morning in his bed, and she was not happy at all. I could hear her yelling crap about you, so I grabbed his phone and hung up on her. No one needs to hear that.”

  I can’t believe this woman. Can’t she just relax and worry about someone else? This reinforces my feelings of insecurity over exactly what her history with Keegan is. Why does she have so much power in this whole equation?