“We’re a little unorthodox, aren’t we?” Gareth asked softly, reaching up and tucking the right side of her hair behind her ear. “I don’t want to waste even a second, Cyn. I want to know that you’ll wear my ring and walk by my side hand in hand. Allow me the honor of growing old together with you. Will you become my wife, Cynthia Marie Ellsworth?”
“Yes.”
Cynthia would have said more, but there was no need. Anything either of them had to say could wait until they celebrated in the most unconventional way. He pulled her down until he could capture her lips, deciding to take matters into his own hands.
It didn’t take him long to unfasten his dress pants, release his cock from the confines of his briefs, and roll on the condom she’d help take out of his wallet.
“Yes.” Cynthia repeated the word, though he was relatively sure the exclamation now held a double meaning. Her warmth surrounded him as she took his cock inside of her. This position allowed her to take every inch of him until their moans mingled into one. “Yes.”
The windows had begun to fog over, and their body heat was enough to keep the inside of the vehicle warm. Anyone walking by wouldn’t have to guess as to what was taking place inside the BMW Coupe.
Their presence inside was patently obvious.
Gareth pressed his lips against her neck, relishing the movement of her hips as she continued to rotate in small circles. She was taking her pleasure, and he was more than willing to give in to his.
Her sweet fragrance surrounded him, and he struggled to allow her the ability to control the pace of their union. The promise of such a bright future ahead of them had him wanting to pound into her over and over, staking his claim. It was a primitive reaction that he could barely control.
Cynthia finally began to quicken the pace, but she was still gyrating and rubbing her clit while keeping him on the edge. He lightly bit the cord of her neck before digging his fingers into her hips, letting her know that he only had so much patience left.
“Take what you need, Cyn,” Gareth encouraged her through his clenched teeth. She was basically killing him, but he’d let her in this moment. He was hers to do with as she pleased. He wasn’t surprised when she began to use her knees as leverage, pulling her off of him before taking him back to her core. “That’s right. I’m yours, Cyn. Heart, mind, and soul.”
Cynthia sat up so that she could rest one hand on the roof of the vehicle and the other on his chest. He steadied her with his grip and prayed that he had the ability to stop his need to complete the act. She was hell on his control.
The warm walls of her sheath began to tighten around his cock, initiating a burning need to meet her halfway. She quickened her pace even more until he was positive the vehicle was bouncing in time with their movements. He recognized the moment she hit that sweet precipice from the way she cried out his name.
Gareth didn’t hold back either, now taking full control and using his grip on her pelvis to drive into her over and over again. He didn’t stop until she was lying on top of him, both of them struggling for air.
“Okay,” Cynthia breathed out, managing to take in enough oxygen to finish her thought. “I can move some of my shoes to the guest closet. That should give you another set of cubbies in the walk-in closet, but no more.”
Gareth pressed a kiss to her temple, always appreciative of Cynthia’s witty replies when she was overcome with emotion. Well, that made two of them. He couldn’t wait to get started on their future.
“I guess we’ll have to start looking at houses then.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“It’s a rather extensive skin care regime.” Cynthia protested by giving him a shove to the side with her shoulder. She saw the way Gareth had been staring at the numerous bottles on the bathroom counter. “And if you say one word about it, you’ll find that you’ve lost that extra section in the closet.”
The golden flecks in his eyes practically glowed with laughter as he pulled her in front of him, not caring that she was wearing nothing but a towel with water droplets still on her shoulders. It was a wonder they were both able to function this morning. They might have gotten two whole hours of sleep.
He’d let her catch another thirty minutes of slumber while he took a shower, but then he woke her in the most spectacular manner. Her knees barely had enough strength remaining to keep her upright in the shower, but she’d managed with the promise of a tall glass of orange juice…which was sitting on the corner of the counter. It promised the energy to carry on.
“Cyn, you can have the entire closet if it means I get to spend the rest of my life with you.” Gareth pressed his lips inside the curve of her neck. She immediately closed her eyes at the sensual stimulation he initiated with the stroke of his tongue as he licked away some of the water. “Hmmmm. You make me want to take the day off so that we can make further plans.”
“Like?” Cynthia asked, her thoughts immediately conjuring up the two of them in bed with their legs entwined. “We never did get to try—”
The light pinch on her ass had her spinning around with laughter, but he caught her before she could pull away.
“Get your mind out of bed for more than a minute, woman,” Gareth said with false indignation. The smile on his handsome face said it all, but he’d awakened her sexual goddess once again. He wasn’t going to get to make a clean getaway that easy. “On a serious note, I want you to take a few days from work so that you can meet my parents. My siblings can wait another week or two. I don’t want you running for the hills quite yet.”
Speaking of running, they hadn’t been taking their daily runs. There had been no time in their schedules, but they’d have to change that. Unless they were going to start substituting their workout routine with a new one.
Oh, yes. This relationship was definitely moving to the next level.
“Does next week work?”
Cynthia didn’t hesitate, never surer of anything in her life. She wrapped her arms around his neck, grateful that she didn’t have to worry about too much height difference. They were perfect for each other in nearly every way she could imagine. She didn’t want to waste another day, but this did call for an afternoon of shopping with Laurel and Grace.
“I’ll set it up with my people,” Gareth murmured against her lips, kissing her like he never had any intention of letting her get ready for the day. He didn’t pull away until once again her knees began to tremble. “Mint. I like it.”
“You know, we can always—”
“I have that overseas call regarding the reconstruction of that desalination plant in Yemen,” Gareth said rather regretfully. He smoothed back her wet strands before ending this moment of bliss with a soft kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes and savored his gentleness, taking that mental picture her mother had always told her to take in moments like these. “I’ll go make you a protein shake to get you started. I don’t know if you’ve had time to look outside, but two inches of snow fell while we were in bed. No running today. We need a decent gym with an indoor track.”
Cynthia wondered what she might have done that could remotely have given him the impression that she had enough strength to walk, let alone run after their sexual activities this morning. His faith in her was astonishing.
“I think I burned all the calories I needed to for the day,” Cynthia quipped, managing to get a nice tap on his rear end for good measure after he’d turned to walk out of the bathroom. She continued to watch his subtle swagger as he crossed the threshold. “I could so get used to this.”
“I heard that, and I’m in full agreement.”
Cynthia spent the next forty-five minutes doing her morning routine, choosing a black business suit with her one of her favorite burgundy blouses and matching heels. She did hesitate for just a moment in front of her shoe rack after spotting the pair of black heels that had offered her a string of good luck.
A quick glance in the mirror changed her mind. Even she could perceive the glow that surrounded her afte
r such a magical night. She wasn’t usually the romantic type, per se. It was time to move forward though, and not get hung up on her past.
“I can still kiss you, right?” Gareth asked when she walked into the kitchen, his gaze landing on the matching lipstick she’d chosen specifically to wear with this blouse. “Otherwise, you’re going to have to reapply quite often today.”
“Test it out,” Cynthia encouraged enticingly, closing the distance between them and tilting her head to offer him her lips. She’d purposefully chosen the brand that stayed on during day, even through meals. “You can kiss me all you want, Mr. Nicollet.”
They managed to get out of the apartment fifteen minutes later, though Cynthia did have to take her strawberry protein shake with her in the car. Gareth drove, though he did have to adjust the driver’s seat back into position after their little diversion last night. They were both still smiling when he finally pulled into the parking garage of her work building.
“Lunch?” Gareth asked after they’d entered the elevator. He pressed the correct button, but then leaned forward to place his hand over the sliding doors. “I could make us a reservation at Manny’s.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Cynthia replied, stepping back when she realized that Gareth had seen Marilyn walking toward the elevator. “Good morning, Marilyn.”
“It hasn’t been as good as I’d hoped.” Marilyn was wearing a pair of winter boots and a heavy winter jacket, which she was currently brushing off with a gloved hand. “My car wouldn’t start, and I had to call a car service. Now I’m late, and Paul and Smith have that meeting with their lawyers to go over the transition.”
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Gareth assured her, stepping closer to Cynthia to make room for Marilyn. The doors slid quietly closed, leaving the overhead music to waft softly over them in an attempt to ease their stress. It sure wasn’t working for Marilyn. “I spoke with Smith this morning. He mentioned the meeting wasn’t until one o’clock, so you’ll have plenty of time to get the conference room ready.”
“Yes, but Smith mentioned he had a couple of interviews set up for Vern’s position later this morning.” Marilyn unzipped her coat and then patted the back of her hair to ensure that the sprayed strands hadn’t moved. “I wanted to have the coffee machine going and the list of candidates printed off before Smith arrived this morning.”
It was sweet that Marilyn wanted to impress the man who was going to be her new boss. With that said, the woman had been here longer than any of them, with the exception of Paul. She had nothing to worry about. This place couldn’t function without her.
The loud chime drowning out the music signaled they’d arrived at their floor. The elevator traffic was rarely busy this early in the morning. The other businesses didn’t roll in until eight o’clock, whereas the financial firms were mostly in the office around seven in the morning due to the market hours being on Eastern Standard Time (EST).
“Hey,” Gareth said to Cynthia softly, allowing Marilyn to zip through the glass doors as if her life depended on it. “Noon for lunch. Don’t forget.”
Cynthia’s burgundy heels were rather high, so all she had to do was lean forward so that their lips were touching. She was conscious of who was milling around in the office. Not that it mattered. Everyone was well aware of her relationship with Gareth now, and they also understood that she would never allow her personal life to interfere with her career.
“It’s a date,” Cynthia promised, knowing she’d have to make time for a quick shopping spree with Laurel and Grace later on in the week. “Don’t work too hard.”
“Ditto.”
Cynthia breezed through the glass doors after Marilyn, though the older woman was nowhere to be found. The usual soothing smell of leather, paper, and coffee filled the air. Someone had beat Marilyn to the coffee maker. Of course, nothing could erase the scent of Gareth’s cologne that had rubbed off onto the collar of her coat.
She made it to her office, where she took the time to hang up her dress coat on the antique rack she’d bought in Stillwater. She hadn’t needed to wear her winter boots today, thanks to the numerous skyways of the city. She always kept her spare set was in the back of her vehicle in case of emergencies, anyway.
The ringing of her desk phone told her the day was about to get started. A quick look at the base told her that it was an interoffice call.
“Good morning,” Laurel said, obviously having had her coffee. “Smith spoke with Detective Nielsen this morning to get an update on the investigation. It looks as if there’s no change on Kurt Langston’s condition. I thought you’d like to know in regard to the case, at least.”
“Give me a minute. I’ll grab Grace and walk down in your direction.”
Cynthia hung up the phone and then grabbed her strawberry protein shake she’d set on her desk. She hadn’t even reached her office door before Grace appeared with a big smile on her face. It appeared that she had a fantastic evening, as well.
“Pearls.”
The one word had Cynthia instantly reaching for her necklace. She hadn’t consciously realized she’d worn them today, but it wasn’t much of a surprise. She would always equate these beautiful pearls with Gareth.
“Pearls,” Cynthia agreed with a knowing smile, knowing that said it all. “Did you hear that—”
“Shoot,” Grace muttered, having glanced into the trading room as they were walking through the foyer. “Give me a minute. I need to speak with Steve about that option trade he executed.”
Grace veered off to the right, leaving Cynthia to continue towards Laurel’s office. Marilyn wasn’t at her desk, but that wasn’t surprising given what she said about all the meetings this morning. Needless to say, the last thing Cynthia expected was to see Marilyn coming out of Brad’s office down at the end of the corridor.
“Excuse me, ma’am?”
Cynthia was brought up short by who she assumed was someone here for the interviews Smith was conducting, though she was rather distracted at the moment by what was taking place in front of her. It was clear that Marilyn was a bit taken aback, but she straightened her shoulders as she continued to walk forward.
What the hell had she been doing in Brad’s office? No one at the firm had gone into his domain at the end of the corridor since the murder. At least, not that she knew of.
“Can I help you?” Cynthia asked, normally not in this position to greet guests. “I assume you’re here to meet with Smith Gallo?”
Cynthia pasted a smile on her lips, all the while keeping an eye on Marilyn.
“Yes, I have an interview with him this morning. My name is Cade Makin.” The man held out his hand, leaving her no choice but to return his greeting. “Mr. Gallo is aware of my work situation and told me to come in early to allow me to facilitate that need.”
“Of course. It’s nice to meet you.” Cynthia released his hand before gesturing toward Marilyn, who was quickly closing the distance between them. “I’m going to leave you in Marilyn’s capable hands.”
Cynthia was able to excuse herself, but not before she requested to speak with Marilyn the first chance she had. The woman acknowledged the bid before escorting Cade Makin over to the small waiting area back in front at reception.
What the hell was going on here?
Cynthia would have gone straight into the guest office, but the door was already closed. Gareth had mentioned an important conference call earlier. She didn’t want to bother him, but this wasn’t something she could keep to herself.
“Laurel, did you see that?” Cynthia asked, quickly closing the door behind her. “I just saw Marilyn coming out of Brad’s office.”
“I know,” Laurel confessed with a disgusted expression crossing her pretty features. “I still have trouble walking down the damn hallway, let alone actually opening his door. I don’t care if the cleaning crew took care of…well, every possible thing in there. All I see is blood.”
Cynthia took the guest chair, noticing that the protein shake she ha
d yesterday was still sitting on Laurel’s desk.
“Don’t even think about leaving without taking that disgusting drink out of here with you.” Laurel picked up her disposable coffee cup from the café downstairs before leaning back in her chair. “I’d meant to throw it away, but I don’t want the smell in my trashcan.”
“Laurel, I’m obviously missing something.” Cynthia’s fingers were starting to become cold from carrying around the drink Gareth had made her before leaving the apartment. She set it down beside the other one, ignoring Laurel’s arched eyebrow. “Why is Marilyn using Brad’s office?”
“Oh, that.” Laurel dismissed Cynthia’s concern with a wave of her hand. “Marilyn needed to make a private call yesterday. With Gareth using the guest office, she thought no one would mind if she used Brad’s office. She—”
Laurel’s lips formed a perfect O as she quickly leaned forward, splashing a bit of coffee on her desk. It was finally sinking in how odd it was for Marilyn to enter the domain where a murder had taken place, and one that had her in tears not four weeks ago.
“Sorry about that. Steve can be such an ass some—” Grace broke off her tirade about the trader, coming to a stop upon seeing Laurel’s dubious expression. “What happened? What did I miss?”
“Let me ask you a question first,” Cynthia said in the lowest voice possible. Her adrenaline had begun pumping, and the palms of her hands started to perspire. What if they were right? “Do you think Marilyn is capable of cold-blooded murder?”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“I was hoping you’d still be in town.”
To say Gareth was surprised that Meredith Manon had sought him out in the same office space where her ex-husband had been murdered was an understatement. This was the second time he’d seen her in two days, which was a hell of a lot more than he’d had the pleasure of her company in the last two years. He quietly set his pen down on the papers he’d been reviewing while quickly going through a list of reasons she could possibly want with him.
Opportunity (Office Roulette, Book Three) Page 10
