“It’s not appropriate to get involved in my personal life. You especially should know a rule like that.” She sneered in a petty manner. She was clearly alluding to his words from earlier.
He looked her over once and glared at her. She was being overly emotional about the job again. He was not surprised.
“Get out.” He told her softly before ignoring her and signing a few papers. He had no time to babysit anyone’s emotions and the way Rachel was acting only made him miss Adie more.
He stood up and paced the floor. He hoped the movement would make him change his train of thought since all of it was Adelaide. The movement however didn’t change his thoughts; it just drove his insides mad.
Everything beneath his skin quivered as his blood ran cold and he could feel his body reaching the point before metamorphosis. He panicked and quickly pulled his phone of his desk.
He had promised he would call Adie after work but he couldn’t wait. He wanted to hear her light and soft voice that could calm and arouse the inner beast in him at the same time.
After three agonizing rings she answered: “Hello?”
“Good Evening Adelaide.”
“Wow, you’re done working early. I thought Wall Street never sleeps.” She joked. He chuckled.
“I’m not actually done. You’ve just been on my mind more than my work is.” He admitted. She smiled and suddenly remembered the man who delivered flowers to her today. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Hey, I actually wanted to say thank you so much for the flowers you sent me. They were gorgeous.”
“I tried to find a flower that would match your beauty but that hunt was impossible. I got the runner up.” He smooth talked. She blushed but had to remain focused.
“I wanted to know if they were for business or pleasure? You sent them on behalf of your company but not until after we shared a kiss. Is that a coincidence?”
“No, no. I can see how it looks bad but I promise you I have no intention to use that as a means to get into your body. I heard what you said today, I’m not going to buy your affection.” James could tell she was very smart and had an eye for sorting out things. He needed to make sure he said the right words.
“So it was for pleasure… I still find it endearing.” She assured him. He let out a sigh of relief and placed his feet up on his desk. Her carefree energy passed onto him through the phone.
“There are a few other things I’d like to give you for pleasure too. If you know what I mean.”
“If you’re talking about a new paint set and some brushes, I wont turn down that kind of pleasure.” She joked.
“You have not failed to make me smile with the things you say.” During this whole phone call, his lips seemed to curl up at the ends permanently.
“I’m arriving at a customer’s home so call me back tonight, okay?”
“You go to customers’ homes? What exactly are they buying from you again?” He asked with slight concern. He had never heard of artists delivering their work. He thought it was odd.
“Oh jeez, not sex if that’s what you’re thinking. Only you try to buy that from me.” She joked before continuing, “since you pulled me away from my duties, the man who normally delivers my paintings didn’t pick them up today. So, I’ve had to deliver these on my own.”
“On your own? It’s going to be dark soon. I’m not comfortable with you being out in New York all alone at night Adie.” He was truly concerned. The news was bombarded enough with stories of women who had fallen victim to late night assaults. There was no need to make it worse by highlighting a story of a woman he actually knew.
“I’m with my friend Kim. We’ve done this before, it’s not a big deal.”
“It is a big deal. Are you guys taking a cab around?”
“No, we’ve been taking the subway because these deliveries are in different Boroughs. Taxi rides would be extremely expensive.” Adie explained. Although she made complete sense, James still wasn’t happy about the situation.
“Mr. Weston, you have a Chinese investor on line one.” Rachel pushed the glass door open and announced, even though he was visibly having an upsetting phone call.
“I’m busy.” He snapped at Rachel before returning to Adie, “Stay right where you are. I’m sending my driver to you and he’ll escort you wherever else you need to go.”
“I think I’d have more of a chance getting robbed if I stand still somewhere than if I keep moving. I’m fine James, you shouldn’t worry so much. I have to go. I’ll talk to you tonight!” She hung up, leaving James on edge.
New York was a dangerous place for a beautiful, curvy, soft girl like Adelaide, or at least that is the way she appeared to him. She was the one who made his heart skip a beat and his mind lose track of all the important things.
He could only imagine how hard it would feel to lose her. He couldn’t help but think of the worst possible things that could happen to her.
“Send the Chinese investor to my line.” He prompted Rachel through the office wired phone and preceded with a business call.
His usual charm with potential investors was a bit off but it wasn’t enough to ruin the deal. He was still worried about Adie. But, he didn’t want to be overbearing.
She was an independent woman and he had no right to disrupt her natural flow so drastically. If she didn’t want him to worry he would respect those wishes. But he still needed to be sure she was safe.
“That was the last one, right?” Adie asked Kim, who was scrolling ceaselessly through emails and calendar dates on her lit up phone screen.
“Yes. I think we need to market this thing: having you as a delivery-person for your own work. People could pay extra for it because they all asked you questions and for a picture plus an autograph. That’s worth tons of money.”
“I like the idea of meeting the people who buy my work but I wouldn’t want them to have to pay extra for that. They already pay thousands for my art work a piece.”
“They would’ve been paying millions if you let me have some say in the financial process.” Kim scoffed under her breath.
“No one would buy my work if you had a say in the financial process. You’re way too frugal.” Adie kidded. They made their way to the subway station and took it back to their Borough. They had to make one more stop at the gallery and then they’d be on their way home.
They stepped out of the subway car amidst a crowd of others and Adie stopped in her tracks when she saw a man in a black trench coat. His hands were buried in his pockets and he whipped his head back and forth scanning the area for a woman, who happened to be her.
“James!” She shouted and waved drastically. He caught a glimpse of her and rushed over, waddling his way through bodies.
“Adie, I’m so glad you’re okay.” He pulled her in a tender embrace as soon as he was in her reach. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. He was warm, almost hot and it gave her a tingle down her spine.
“James, this is Kim. My assistant. Kim this is James My…” She struggled introducing him as they had only been on two dates, but felt practically close enough to have known each other for much longer.
“Boyfriend… If that’s okay with you?” He smiled at Adie. She nodded and looked over at Kim approvingly.
“My boyfriend.” She repeated. It didn’t feel forced. It felt right.
“It’s great to meet you, James.” Kim smiled from ear to ear.
“The pleasure is all mine.” James bowed his head respectfully at her. Adie rubbed her hand against his arm as she collected her thoughts.
“You couldn’t wait to call me tonight and find out if I was okay?” Adie asked. She wasn’t mad but just inquisitive. What logical reason would a man have to sit in a subway station all night in the hopes that his girlfriend would eventually get off one of the trains?
“I did call you. I’m not sure if your cell is turned off or something but you didn’t answer again. I decided to just come down here and wait to see you, so
that I’d have some peace of mind.” James explained. Adie reached into her tiny cross body bag and pulled out her cell phone. To her surprise and James’ assumption: it was turned off. It had probably died at some point during their delivery trip.
“I’m sorry. I can see how startling that must have been for you.” Adie apologized sincerely.
“It’s fine. I’m just glad I got to see your face and I didn’t come all the way to this subway station for no reason. We should go.”
“Okay, well Adie I’ll see you tomorrow morning and it was very nice to meet you, James.” Kim waved and turned to leave. Adie’s face immediately turned down in a frown and James decided to do something that was a bit out of his character.
“Kim, there’s no way I can just steal your friend and abandon you.” He knew this was something Adie would appreciate. He loved his alone time with her but if he’d let Kim leave without even showing the slightest bit of concern, Adelaide definitely wouldn’t have been too happy about it.
“I would hate to impose.”
“At least, let us hail you a cab.” James offered. Kim looked at James and then at Adie, they both seemed to be begging to help her with their eyes. She sighed.
“Fine.” She smiled. They walked up the subway steps and into the city, the streetlights and lit up billboard signs captivated them.
You can live in New York all your life and the moment you see the nightlife of the city; you remember why you’ve never left.
“Get home safe. Call me.” Adie waved off her friend. Meanwhile, James paid the cab driver well over the fare Kim needed to get three blocks to her house. He wrapped his arm around Adie and pulled her in as they watched the cab drive off.
“So, how was work?” he asked politely.
“I had to personally deliver paintings. It was pretty fun. How was it at the office?”
“Pretty much the same…Fun.” He said stoically. Adie stopped and furrowed her brows at him. He was clearly lying.
“I doubt it was fun.”
“I mean, as fun as an office can be.”
“What kind of fun? Any gossip going around or relationship dynamics?” Adie probed. She liked to get the intimate details of his life. She was truly intrigued by it.
“No, nothing like that goes on, or at least I don’t know much about it. I’m not very personal with my employees.” He replied honestly.
“Oh, well, I guess that’s fine.” She decided to stop pushing. She clearly wasn’t going to get anything out of him. He sighed.
“There is this girl. She’s my assistant and her name is Rachel. We’ve worked side by side for five years. She has been with me through everything, from launching my family’s small company into the billion-dollar multinational corporation that it is today to making me coffee every morning.” He began.
“I know that kind of person.” She smiled, thinking of Kim subconsciously before waiting for him to continue.
“Well, something was strange about her today. I mean granted, in her defense, I did get up and leave her stranded. But when I came back, she wasn’t the same. She’s always a bit overbearing and tries to get me to be personal with her but she wasn’t like that tonight. She was just… Distant.”
“I wont complain about that. I’d rather have less women fighting for your attention.” Adie told him. He thought it was cute that she was possessive.
“Oh trust me, I’m not complaining about it either. As long as the only eyes on me are yours, I’ll be satisfied.”
He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear with his free hand. She blushed and was speechless for once. James was beyond sweet and everything he said made her heart flutter more and more.
“Where are we even going?” Adie asked as they made it to the end of a block. He laughed and pulled her into him with his other arm. He took a deep breath and beamed down at her.
“Wherever you want. The night is still young and I’m up for anything with you.”
Chapter 5
Hours later, they arrived back at her apartment. The sweat and inhibitions of the day had been exhausted on the dance floor. They decided to go out to the city’s clubs.
James’ hand remained in hers as they opened her door and plopped onto her couch. She draped her legs over his and laid back. The way her legs curved and thickened at the thigh made James weak. He was panicking in his head. She was irresistible and his insides couldn’t wait.
‘I told you not to ruin this.’ He reminded his inner self, which roared with the fire of passion and intensity for Adie. He sat up straight and on edge, not even touching the couch’s pillows. He felt the impulses rushing through him, causing his whole body to heat up.
When he was eager enough to have sex, that happened. A heat wave surged through his body but he remained calm. The inner beast would wait as the mating process could not be one-sided and he made it his mission to make sure he didn’t do anything Adie didn’t want. No matter how badly he wanted it.
“These shoes are killing me right now.” Adie complained and kicked her foot up. She reached for them but her effort was futile. She was too tired to actually be able to take them off. James smirked before letting out a soft chuckle.
“May I?” He asked.
“Please do!” She responded wearily.
He gently took a hold of her leg and guided it back onto his lap. He unbuckled her heel strap and slipped the shoe off. He threw them off to the side, doing the same with the other foot.
He watched as she twirled her feet and pointed her toes. He stroked her delicate feet with the tips of his fingers. He could feel the blood rushing back to the once-restrained parts of her foot.
“Mmm…” She moaned. She felt a tickling sensation as he fondled her feet and it put a smile on her face. He bit his bottom lip. His insides were turning upside down again. He felt hot all over. Her moaning awakened and exacerbated the issue the dragon had inside of him. His inner beast grew frustrated. He was ready to claim his mate.
“You wouldn’t mind if I took my shirt off, would you? I’m just very hot.” James shared with her.
He wasn’t able to talk himself down anymore but he had to make sure he upheld his respect for her and belief: he needed consent. He wouldn’t do anything she wasn’t comfortable with. She had his word.
“I don’t mind at all.” Adie promised him. She closed her eyes, listened to the sound of him popping open the rest of his shirt and sliding it off his arms. She wanted to wait until he was done before she stared. In her mind, she imagined the lines and cuts on his body but when she opened her eyes, she was even more dazzled. He was beyond fit.
“James…” She whispered. Adie leaned up and held herself up by her elbows.
“Yes.” He responded, patting himself down with his shirt as he sweated. Even the sound of his name made him crazy.
“My house is 70 degrees. Why on earth are you sweating?” She asked. He took a deep breath and shook his head. He wanted to laugh but couldn’t tell if she was disgusted by the sweat or completely turned on by it.
His eyes bounced around the room as he thought of an answer to say because: “I’m a fire-breathing dragon and my core is as hot as molten lava,” wouldn’t suffice.
“I know it’s not hot in here. It’s just you.” He said, lifting her legs up and standing up to slide between them. He stopped as if asking for permission. Adie smiled and nodded softly.
He rested over her, face to face, with his body between her legs. She stopped breathing as she stared into his eyes, which seemed to shine bright despite the lights being off. The only light through the house was from the window that scaled her wall. There was a full moon out.
“Is it really?” She asked, waiting for his next move. He leaned down toward her and kissed her neck. She cocked her head to the side and placed her hands around his waist, pulling him into her.
James deeply pressed his lips into hers. She inhaled and moaned into his mouth. She wrapped her legs around him and their mouths wrestled each other. As they kissed, s
he felt a connection even more powerful than the kiss earlier. There was an understood craving between them two.
“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.” James assured her, breaking the kiss. She ran her fingers down his back and pressed his ear onto her mouth.
“I want you to do anything you want to me.” She complied. James shuddered; she had no idea what she had just asked for. A beast had just been released.
James sent his lips onto hers. They kissed deeply as he adjusted his position on the couch. He grabbed her by her waist and pulled her up so that he could be seated and she’d be straddling him.
The hot wetness between her legs intensified. She ran her fingers through his hair as he gripped tightly at her sides. She pushed herself against him and felt his hardness underneath her.
James had never been so aroused from kissing alone. He parted her lips with his tongue and paused for just a moment. She grabbed the sides of his face and pressed his lips firmly into hers. They swirled their tongues around each other and held on until their last breath.
Adie pulled away and looked down at the man underneath her. His eyes fluttered open and he stared at her. Their chests puffing up and down as they caught as much air as they could.
“Is everything okay?” He asked in concern. Adie smiled. Even in the heat of such sexual tension, he remained respectful and caring.
“Everything is perfect.” She dived back in for another kiss. This time, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed his face into hers in such a way that he couldn’t oppose. He groaned and sent his hand under her shirt. He traced her curves with his strong hand and sent tingles through her body.
His touch was so warm and so welcomed. In his touch, she felt sexy.
She pushed her hips against his swollen center and moaned into his mouth as he pushed up and did the same. That sound drove him wild. They ground themselves up against one another. The sweat from his chest was driving her wilder.
James found his way to her bra and fondled with it, trying to find a way to take it off.
“Do you need some help?” Adie asked, breaking from the kiss for a moment. He laughed and touched the tip of her nose with his.
Romance: Auctioned To The Dragon: BBW Dragon Shifter Romance Standalone (Wild Shifters Book 1) Page 4
