A Promise Made (Promise #2)

by Anissa Garcia

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. I had to find out from Evan that my best friend has a boyfriend!” Grace cried, her hands flailing in the air.

  Jaime shook her head. “Oh, who cares how you found out, Grace? Marla, tell me everything—including info about his tattoos and how soft his lips are.”

  My laugh rang out over the music that played. Grace sipped on what I could only imagine was her drink of choice—Glenlivet. “You and Josh. I mean, I can believe it, we’ve all been waiting for this to happen, but I, you know, can’t believe it.”

  I rolled my eyes at Grace and waited until the waitress set down my drink and left before speaking again. “He’s great. A gentleman. Very…”

  “Muscular,” Jaime groaned, clutching her glass and sipping her water. Her eyes glazed over as she slowly listed off each characteristic. “Intimidating. Large. Burly. So, so, handsome.”

  “How’s the sex?” Grace asked point blank.

  My eyes widened as the waitress set my appetizer down and held back her laugh as she asked if there was anything else I needed. I shook my head and picked at my food. “It’s…good,” I said softly. I didn’t want to brag, but when I looked up from my plate and saw the two women in front of me with their arms crossed and eyebrows raised, my smile lifted. “Okay, it’s amazing. The best sex I’ve ever had.”

  “I knew it!” Jaime yelled. “A man like that’s got to have a lot of stamina. Damn, I’m so jealous.”

  “It’s not like you aren’t getting any,” Grace chimed in, looking at Jaime’s belly.

  Jaime waved her hand at Grace in dismissal, “Yeah, but Dean and I are set in our ways. We’ve had to find ways to be creative. You’ll see when you and Evan get married.”

  Grace stopped her glass of liquor halfway to her mouth and gawped. I chuckled, “Get over it, Grace. It’s only a matter of time.” I wiggled my ring finger at her as she stuck her tongue out at me.

  “You’re one to talk, Marla.” Grace downed her whiskey and waved the waitress for another glass. “I’m sure Josh will get you to settle down pretty soon.”

  I shook my head as I spread the fig marmalade over a piece of baguette and placed the cheese on it. “No, it’s not like that with Josh.”

  Jaime gave me a skeptical glare. “What’s that mean?”

  I took a deep breath, my nerves getting the better of me as I spoke my fears out loud. “I mean, he’ll be leaving with Evan when his next movie starts in, what August now?” I knew the date had been pushed back for Evan’s pre-production in Atlanta. And I dreaded the damn day already.

  “So?” Grace shrugged, picking up her refilled glass and taking a small sip. I never understood how she could drink that stuff straight up.

  I didn’t move, my body tensed. “So, when he leaves, it’ll be over.” Grace and Jaime stayed quiet and it was making me feel unhinged. “What? Don’t look at me like that.” They were judging me, but I was being realistic. “You know long distance relationships don’t work. Right now, what Josh and I have is amazing. He’s sweet, sexy, and a powerhouse in bed, but—”

  “Evan and I are making it work,” Grace interrupted. “You and Josh can too.”

  I instantly shot back, “Grace, you have the ability to travel with him. I don’t have that luxury. I need my job.”

  Grace spoke calmly, trying to get me comfortable. “I’m just saying don’t rule out working on it with him. I think he’s worth it.”

  Jaime nodded her head in agreement. “And you’ve always said sex with guys is always mediocre, but you’re saying with Josh it’s amazing.”

  The girls had hope for me. It was sweet and well meant, but I honestly didn’t know if things could work with the handsome Brit. His intensity, whatever he held inside, wasn’t known to me, and I was barely getting to figure him out. He wasn’t opening up easily, and there was a past I knew nothing about. “The sex is great, but I’m not sure we’re fully compatible. Great sex doesn’t equal to a great relationship.”

  “Well, you’re both stubborn as fuck,” Grace quipped with a smile. “And you’re just worried that he’s a control freak like Aiden.”

  “You’re right. I am,” I answered brusquely, the comment stinging. I was tired and touchy, but I was also very wary of what Josh expected from me.

  Jaime set her glass down, looked at me square in the eye. “Marla, don’t put a limit on something before it’s even begun. A lot could come from this, and he seems like a good guy.”

  I paused, frowning. “Look, I don’t know him well enough. For now, I’ll just say that we’re having a great time with each other, and he’s a much needed stress reliever.”

  A loud sigh emitted from Jaime’s mouth. “He’s so friggin dreamy.”

  “Yes, he most certainly is,” I admitted. But only that. My feelings would stay under wraps.

  “What the hell took you so—”

  I didn’t let her finish the sentence. The moment the door opened, I stepped forward and took the woman wearing the ice cream pajamas in my arms and kissed her senseless. It had been three days since I’d held her, felt her, and that was too long. I lifted her up as my leg kicked the door closed and I dropped the overnight bags I held in my hand.

  Her little mewling sounds of curiosity were drowned out by my lips as I pressed her against the wall, my body aching as I pushed the seam of my zipper against the space between her legs. Her hands tugged on my hair as I trailed down her jaw to her neck where I nuzzled it, taking in her decadent scent.

  “What did you bring?” she asked breathlessly as I nipped on her earlobe, anxious to get myself inside her body. I braced her thigh as she hooked onto my back with her legs crossed.

  “Do you really care right now?” I muttered into her neck as my tongue tasted her sweet skin. A whimper that sounded like heaven pitched from her lips.

  “I’m so curious though.”

  “And I’m hard, love.” She chuckled and yanked at my hair again, bringing my lips to hers. “Just my overnight stuff.”

  “Hank?” she asked between kisses.

  “Zach’s taking care of him.”

  Her tongue snuck a taste of mine and the muscles of my stomach clenched in anticipation. “Good, because I don’t want him watching what we’re about to do,” she whispered softly in my ear. I pulled her off the wall and carried her to the couch where I let myself fall while she straddled me. With a quiet laugh, she leaned back and stripped her night shirt off, tossing it aside. Her breasts were level with my eyes and my tremoring fingers reached for her, but she lifted herself off of me to remove the rest of her clothing.

  Fully absorbed, she fumbled over the fastening of my jeans and worked at the zipper as I moved to help her shove them off. My shirt followed, and before I could control her movements, she grasped my thick shaft, both hands working it. My lungs felt like they were on fire, my skin was blazing in heat, and when her tongue snaked around me, my entire body went rigid. I was about to lose control, and I wanted to last longer.

  Her head lifted slowly, her eyes looked into mine and I tangled my hand in her hair, pulling her off me. “Wallet,” I breathed.

  She bent toward my jeans, which were still hooked around my knees, and once she grasped what we needed, I kicked off the bloody things and helped lift her onto me again. She gave me a wicked smile as her fingers worked, slipping the condom over me. She then hovered and held me in place as I slid inside of her. My hands gripped her hips, my fingers dug into that soft flesh as I pumped and she rode.

  My husky grunts mixed with her pleasured sighs as I lifted my head to take her nipple in my mouth. Her breathing quickened, as did her movements, and I gripped her waist as she climbed up, then pulsed around me, fell and cried out. The waves of heat flashed through me as her body quaked, and my blood thrummed. I pulled on her hair, drawing her mouth to mine as I bit down on her lip. Like a bomb, I set off and exploded as my resounding groans filled the room.

  Our breathing steadied and I helped pull her off of me, giving her a kiss
before getting dressed. “Now that that’s done with, how was your day?”

  Her sweet laugh filled the air as she rested her head on my chest. “It was fine. Cameron’s still an asshole.”

  “He’ll always be like that.” I kissed her forehead, my arm tugging her closer to me.

  Marla groaned, nuzzling her nose into my neck. “I wish it wasn’t so stressful. Before he showed up, I actually enjoyed my job.”

  Her voice was filled with sadness. I wished I could alleviate it, find a way to take it on for her. “I think you should open your own firm. Start small, have a few team members and work with companies you really care for. You’re great at what you do, sweetheart. You should work for yourself.”

  She was quiet, then shifted to face me. “I’ve thought it over, and at this point I might just consider it.”

  “You should. When was the last time you took a holiday?” I let my fingers trail over her shoulder.

  Her eyes squinted as she thought over the answer to that question. “I went to San Francisco to visit my family last year, but that wasn’t really a vacation.”

  “Where would you go if you could?”

  “Tahiti.” Her small hand stroked my chest as she played with the chain around my neck, her touch delicate and warm.

  “Mmm,” I hummed with delight at the thought of being in an overwater bungalow with her for weeks. “Snorkeling, hiking, jet skiing, swimming with the sharks. That would be fun.”

  She propped herself up and grimaced as I stared at the red waves of hair that swirled over her face. “More like Polynesian spa days, drinks at the resort, sailing on a catamaran at sunset, nice restaurants.”

  “Okay, a mix of both,” I said with a smile, handing her those pajamas I adored.

  “Who said you’d go with me?” She winked and stood, placing her clothing back on, unfortunately.

  My hungry eyes followed her movements. “Oh, you want me with you, my love. Nobody else would ever please you the way I do.”

  A flush spread over her cheeks as I stood, tugging her into my arms. “Quite sure of yourself, Mr. Muscles.”

  “You know it’s true. And I’d make sure you were satisfied every single night.” I peppered kisses over her face, moving to her neck and chest as she squirmed.

  “I guess you can go on my dream trip then.” We both laughed as I tickled her. I had never needed a woman so desperately. Taking her the way I had, frantically and passionately, was out of the ordinary. I always made sure the woman I was dating was comfortable. I worried about my performance, or how she felt. Not that I hadn’t with Marla, but it was different—a give and take—where her pleasure was synonymous with mine. That passion, the tenacious nature, the smart mouth, she knew how to keep me on my toes, never knowing how she would react to something. I was losing myself to her in the best fucking way, and I loved it.

  I stretched my aching muscles as I woke. Our late night appetites had us working out into the early morning hours—in positions I never imagined I would be able to ever pull off. Those yoga techniques came in handy, even though I hadn’t brushed up on them over the past month. Josh was a sex god, and I was eager to partake in what he had to offer. My sleepy eyes glanced at my alarm clock, and I groaned. Work beckoned, and as I scanned the other side of the bed, I saw that the early bird was already awake.

  After getting ready for the day, I entered the kitchen where the man of beauty sat sipping on his fresh cup of coffee. He held his phone in his other hand but put it away as soon as I approached. “Good morning. There’s coffee ready, and I just fixed you some scrambled eggs and turkey sausage.”

  Josh kissed my temple and pulled me close. My heart skipped a beat at the sweet gesture. “You smell great,” I sighed. His cinnamon scent told me he had showered and used my shampoo.

  “I smell like you,” he chuckled.

  My eyes caught a shiny stainless steel coffee maker in place of my old Mr. Coffee. I glanced around the kitchen in search of my machine. “What’s…?” I approached the new contraption. “What is this?”

  “A new coffee maker, of course, silly.” He put his coffee cup in front of my face. “Would you like to try it?”

  “No, actually I wouldn’t.” My countenance turned arctic, while his seemed confused. “I didn’t need a new coffee maker. Mine works just fine.”

  He laughed, shaking his head. “No, love, it doesn’t. You needed this.”

  “No, I didn’t,” I retorted, my irritation level kicked up. My whole body turned tense as his brow furrowed. “There was nothing wrong with what I had.”

  “No offense, baby, but that machine was the ugliest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “Don’t say that about my stuff!” My ferocity had taken flight as he kept saying things that got him in deeper trouble. “I don’t need you to buy me things, Josh. I don’t need anything from you. I’ve had her since grad school. She works just fine.”

  “She? Bollocks! I’m not drinking another ounce of coffee from that thing. It tastes like sludge.”

  “Don’t make me upgrade to some fancy device just to suit your needs, McKenzie. I’ve been doing just fine without the extravagance.” I crossed my arms over my chest and saw him holding back laughter. He was laughing at me. “What? Don’t make fun of me.”

  “It’s a twenty-dollar advancement, not an expensive latte maker.” He glanced over to the far edge of the room and my eyes followed, landing on the crooked and decaying machine. “You’ve had that for what, almost ten years?”

  “Twelve. And I like her, Josh. She’s been through hell with me.”

  “It doesn’t mean you have to go through hell drinking shit coffee every morning.”

  “Maybe I want to drink shit coffee!” Now I was just being unreasonable.

  We both paused. He gave an imploring glance as he waited for me to calm down. His voice was soft. “I don’t understand you. This was supposed to be a kind gesture.”

  My body relaxed as he pushed back a wave of hair that covered my face. He tucked it behind my ear carefully as I cleared my throat, staring at his chest. He was right. I was acting like a petulant child. “I’m sorry.”

  He tipped my chin to look at him. “Not used to gifts, I take it?”

  “Not from a man I just started dating,” I said.

  “We aren’t moving in together.” He gave me a small kiss. “Not yet, anyway.” Another small kiss followed. Then he kissed my nose once, then twice. “It was just a gift. I brought it with me last night and thought it would be a nice surprise.”

  I swallowed and nodded with hesitance, my voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you.”

  “We’ll set them both beside each other. How’s that sound?”

  “Okay.” God, why had a stupid coffee maker freaked me out so much? That control factor came into play. I didn’t want him taking over my life, and it started with small things like changing the way I lived. First the coffee maker, then the couch would follow, only to end up having your whole life not be your own. What if he took over my world and I let him? I couldn’t do that. It wasn’t just a coffee maker; it was what I worked for my whole life. It was my independence.

  He served my plate and I picked up my fork digging in to the healthy breakfast. He grabbed a slice of toast and spread it with butter, placing it in front of me. “Carbs?” I asked surprised.

  “For you, not me.” He winked.

  “Figures. Of course you wouldn’t eat bread,” I huffed, but inwardly smiled. At least he wasn’t changing my diet to accommodate his. I took a sip from the coffee he had made, and a dark roasted warmth hit my flavor receptors. The strength of the black coffee was full bodied, the burnt chocolate accent perfection. “Damn,” I whispered, closing my eyes and relishing the taste.

  “Good, isn’t it?”

  “It’s…alright.” I put the cup down as he smiled. My lips pressed closed, but I couldn’t help but grab the mug and drink again. “Fine. You win. I needed a new coffee maker.”

  His laugh filled
the room, and my heart. The man knew what he was doing, not only when making coffee or breakfast, but what he was doing with me. He was treading lightly, but deep down a knowing was there that I needed him. I only hoped he needed me too.

  “Why are you being so stubborn?” Holden grunted through his teeth at Ana who crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

  “Because, I told you before that the idea wasn’t going to run. And Cameron said it wasn’t good enough.”

  I stopped typing my email to my contact for Blencher and looked at the both of them. “Wait, what? He said they ran with it.” Both sets of eyes peered over and I sighed. “Is he here?”

  Holden shook his head as he set his paperwork down on the desk. “No, he had a lunch meeting with Anderson.”

  My eyes widened in shock. “What? He said that was set for tomorrow.” Something weird was going on, and I wouldn’t keep dealing with this miscommunication I was receiving.

  “No,” Ana shook her head, her brown locks flowing over her shoulders, “his secretary said he was with Anderson, that he wouldn’t be back until after one.”

  I lifted from my chair, feeling angry, betrayed, and beyond hurt. It was one thing to say you were working as a team—it was quite another to constantly steal ideas, take credit, and then work behind my back.

  “What are you doing?” Holden asked following me out of the office and to the elevators. “Don’t do anything stupid, Marla.”

  “By the time I get to Roger’s office, let’s hope I’ve cooled off. Cameron has got some explaining to do.” I pushed the button several times, knowing this talk was overdue.

  “Okay,” Holden nodded. “Be brave. You got this.”