by Mia Carson
Belle frowned. “Really? You were worried because we weren’t fighting?”
Kelly nodded. “We’re used to your bickering about work and then it stopped… Well, his side stopped. You’re right, he has been acting weird,” she added quietly.
Belle hadn’t even noticed that part. She was too worried about why they were hiding their engagement if he was so happy about it. Maybe Kelly was right, and it was time to call Greyson out on his recent weird behavior. Her stomach growled, and she held it. First, she would eat, then wait until most of the office emptied out for the night. It was Friday, so almost everyone tried to leave on time to enjoy their weekend. Kelly’s eyes lowered to where Belle’s hand rested on her stomach and her lips twitched, but she didn’t smile or say anything else.
The door opened behind her, and Greyson cleared his throat, eyeing them suspiciously. “Something going on?”
“Ah… no,” Kelly said with a laugh. “Thanks for the egg roll.” She winked at Greyson then left the office, leaving Belle to deal with Greyson’s raised brow.
“I’m going to get back to work,” she said and hurried past him back to her desk.
She sat down and dug into her fried rice as she worked the rest of the afternoon away. Greyson never asked her what she was doing with Kelly in his office, and that was fine with her. She was busy figuring out how to ask him why he was being so secretive about their lives with his friends and family. When five o’clock rolled around and she caught Kelly’s over-exaggerated wave from the elevator, Belle noticed she was alone with Greyson.
“Finally,” she whispered and spun around in her chair to face his office.
He hunched over his desk, his lips moving over whatever he read and his hand busy maneuvering the mouse around his desk. Belle stood and walked into his office, knocking on the glass door.
“I’ll be ready to go in a minute,” he said without looking up.
“No,” she said. “We’re not leaving yet.”
He clicked a few more times before he raised his head. “And why not?”
“We need to talk,” she said and closed the door behind her, locking it. The second the bolt clicked home, a very different night in this office flashed into her mind, and from the hungry gaze flaring to life in Greyson’s brown eyes, it was the same for him. “Why are we keeping this a secret?”
“Us? They know about us,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“You know what I mean,” she said and held up her naked left hand. “This—why can’t they know?”
He scratched his beard. “I wanted to wait until the time was right.”
“And when will that be? Next week, next month? A year from now? We haven’t even talked about wedding plans.”
“It’s a little early, isn’t it?”
Belle’s shoulders sagged. “Not really, no… I don’t know. I’ve never been engaged before. I just worry… I don’t want…” she sighed, trying to find the right words as she held his gaze steadily from across the office. “I’m worried that you’ll change your mind or that maybe you already have.”
His face fell, and he pushed back from his desk. “Belle.”
“No, it feels like it. You’re pushing me away and treating me differently, and I’m not the only one who’s noticed. If it helps, I’m scared too, you know,” she admitted. “Terrified, actually. I’m a joint CEO, which by itself is insane, and I’m engaged to the other CEO, which is also insane, and I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m waiting to fail, and this is a lot to take in, but if you decide you don’t want us to be together then I don’t have anything.”
Tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision so she didn’t see Greyson walk across the room. He took her in his arms, and she buried her face against his chest as his hand smoothed down her ponytail and the other held her close to him.
“I definitely want you,” he whispered, his chin resting on her head. “Don’t ever think I don’t.”
“You’re acting weird,” she said as the tears flowed freely, but she had no idea why she was even crying. She was upset and scared, but she never cried like this. “Something’s wrong with me. I’m too much for you, that’s it, isn’t it?”
He chuckled, and the sound vibrated through her body as he leaned back so she could see his face. “Nothing’s wrong with you,” he assured her. “I love you, Belle, but I’m scared I’ll screw this up.”
“You’re screwing it up by pushing me away,” she cried. “And you’re hiding something.”
“I promise I’m not,” he said and kissed her gently.
She wanted to believe him as he deepened the kiss, but at the same time, she wanted to push him away and argue with him. His hands slipped down to grip her hips, dragging her against his body, and Belle lost all train of thought. His tongue licked along her lower lip, and she shivered, her mouth parting for him on a sigh filled with desire and a very different hunger. His arousal pressed against her belly, and Belle’s loins clenched in anticipation of having him buried within her.
Greyson’s fingers fumbled with the buttons on her blouse stretched tight over her heavy breasts. They ached for him, her nipples hardening the moment he slipped a hand inside the cup to hold her. He sighed against her mouth, rolling the hard point between his fingers until she shifted and squirmed in his arms. His free hand reached up to loosen her hair, letting it cascade over her bare shoulders and back. His lips shifted from her mouth to her jaw, following it to her earlobe, sucking hard on it. Belle gasped, pressing her breast harder into his open palm. As his hand buried in her hair, his other left her chest, and she whimpered at the loss of contact until it reached around and unhooked her bra.
She spilled free with a sigh of relief, and Greyson growled, his hands kneading and cupping as his mouth moved to one pert nipple. He drew it into his mouth, sucking hard as his tongue roved over the sensitive skin. Belle’s head fell back as her hands held his head tighter against her chest, her hips grinding against the growing bulge in his jeans.
For a brief moment, she worried someone would return to the office and see them, but Greyson’s hand slipped down to her jeans, popped the button open quickly, and slid the zipper open. When his fingers shifted through her curls and lower, parting her delicate lips, Belle left all her worries behind. As his fingers massaged her clit, rolling and tugging until she couldn’t see straight, his other arm wrapped around her, holding her to his mouth as he ravished one breast and then the other, sending tingles of electricity shooting through her body to pool in her belly. Belle tugged at his shirt, wanting to feel his bare skin beneath her hands, but he laughed quietly and kept her trapped against his mouth and hand.
“I thought… we talked… about this… oh, God,” she whispered when his fingers slipped lower, delving into her wetness and penetrating her in one swift movement.
“And I said I never play fair,” he growled, his finger gliding in and out with a steady rhythm. When her jeans got in the way, he grunted and fell to his knees, dragging her jeans down over her hips. They got stuck on her boots, and he stood, picking her up as she laughed, and set her on his desk. He tugged off her boots, tossing them aside before yanking her jeans off. “This seems vaguely familiar,” he mused, eyeing her with a predator’s gaze.
Belle grinned wickedly as she spread her legs. Her hand slithered down her belly to her swollen lips, and Greyson swallowed hard, his jaw clenching when her hand moved, pressing against herself as her head fell back. She nibbled her lip, moaning quietly. She wondered how long he’d be able to last watching her, then his hand covered hers. He kissed her, swallowing her gasp of surprise when he shifted her hand away and replaced it with his own. His fingers twisted and turned up within her, his thumb pressing hard against her clit, and Belle gripped his shoulders. Her nails digging into his shirt, she dragged him closer, desperate to have him take her as he had so many times before—no holding back, no hesitation.
As he kissed her deeper, his tongue making her dizzy as it warred with her own for control, sh
e managed to find the buttons on his shirt, and unbuttoned them quickly. She shoved at the fabric, forcing it over his shoulders until he shrugged out of it and she was able to feel the hard planes of his chest. She pinched his nipples and he groaned, but it was her cry of pleasure that echoed around the office as his hand worked furiously against her. Her muscles clenched around him, holding him as the rest of her body quivered before falling limp against the desk, but he didn’t let up.
Belle lay back on the desk, her chest heaving. Greyson’s fingers vanished, sending another shiver down her back, but a second later, she moaned and twisted in his grasp. His hands held her hips securely as his tongue licked furiously up her swollen lips to that wonderful bundle of nerves already on fire. Belle’s eyes scrunched shut, and Greyson sucked and nibbled her most delicate places. His tongue penetrated deep within her, and she cried out, her hands searching for purchase—anything to hang onto as the storm that was their love ravaged her body. This was her bear, her intense lover, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Where he’d been the last week or so she wasn’t sure, but here in his office, she knew he was still there and still most definitely hers.
Her eyes closed, she grinned lazily when she heard his jeans hit the floor. She wanted to reach up and grab his swollen length, feel its warmth burn her palms, but his hand came up and captured her wrists.
“What’s this?” she asked, opening her eyes. His gaze raked over her body, and she gasped at the insatiable hunger on his face.
He held her wrists over her head with one hand and spread her legs wider with the other, positioning himself exactly where she wanted him. His crown pushed against her wetness. Her breathing intensified, and her heart pounded against her ribs. He held her gaze as his hips moved, and slowly, he parted her lips and filled her, inch by delicious inch. Her body stretched to accommodate him as he pulled out only to thrust in harder. The third time, he filled her completely, resting with his hips cradled between hers. His brown eyes held hers as his breath grew ragged. Holding her hip with one hand, he drove home, each time sending a wave of charged lightning through her body, making her toes curl and her back arch, wanting to take in as much of him as she could each time.
With each thrust, her inner muscles clenched around him, holding him deep within her before he pulled out again. By the strain of his arms, she knew he held back, and with a yank, she managed to get one wrist free. Her fingers twisted in his beard as she sat up, dragging his mouth to hers. He groaned at the shift in position.
“Don’t hold back,” she whispered.
He worked his jaw, gritted his teeth, and with a grunt, picked her up. He pulled out at the same time and both shivered from the loss, but it wasn’t for long. He knelt with her and turned her around so her back pressed against him. He kissed her shoulders, following her spine as he shifted her body so she was on all fours. His hands massaging her hips, he used his knee to spread her thighs, and Belle’s hips moved back against him in anticipation of being so full again.
Greyson rubbed the length of his engorged erection against her lips, and she pressed back harder before the heat of him thrust home again. She gasped out a moan as he cursed behind her. The warmth of his muscled thighs pressed against the backs of hers, and with each move of his hips, another blast of heat coursed through her body. He didn’t hold back, and Belle’s nails dug into the short fibers of the carpet at the deep angle. She exploded from the inside out and took Greyson with her over the edge into oblivion. They cried out as one, their bodies cradling each other in the most intimate way until Belle couldn’t hold herself up anymore and fell to the floor. Greyson followed her down, pulling her body into his and giving her his arm as a pillow.
Their panting breaths filled his office, and Belle laughed, pressing her rear against him.
“He needs a minute,” Greyson said, kissing the top of her head.
“Fine. I guess I can wait until we get home,” she said with an over-exaggerated sigh. “You promise there’s nothing wrong?”
He tilted her face gently towards his and kissed her. “Swear it.”
She smiled and snuggled against his body. “We should probably get dressed, just in case, you know,” she said, nodding towards the glass walls of his office completely exposing their naked bodies.
Greyson grumbled incoherently, and his head fell back. “Good point.”
Belle puffed out her cheeks as her worries about them ebbed. He loved her, she knew it, felt it. See? Just your over-active imagination trying to find a problem with your happy, happy life.
Chapter 4
Five Years Ago
The last place Greyson wanted to be was a restaurant where he was trapped in a room with his dad, but it was his parents’ anniversary and he’d missed it the previous year. Sally threatened to show up every day at his office to annoy the crap out of him unless he agreed to come if not for Richard, then at least for her. He stood outside the door to the private room they’d booked, listening to his sisters and the rest of his family talk and laugh together. He straightened his button-down shirt, smoothed his beard, and pushed open the door.
“Greyson! There you are,” Sally announced when she saw him, and he groaned inwardly as she pushed through the family to reach him. “Give your mom a kiss!”
“Hi, Mom,” he rumbled, wrapping her up in a bear hug as she kissed his cheek. “Happy anniversary.”
“Thank you, dear, and thank you for showing up,” she said quietly, running her fingers over his beard. “This is coming in quite nicely. You should go find your sisters and your dad—he’s around here somewhere.”
“I’ll make my way over there eventually,” he said, wanting to avoid the man at all costs.
“Sooner rather than later, please,” she said and patted his cheek. “I have to get back to my guests, and you better stay longer than an hour, Greyson Taylor, or I’ll track you down tomorrow and lecture you like you’ve never been lectured before.”
He nodded, knowing she was serious, and watched as she wandered over to her sister. It wasn’t long before they cackled together about something or other. Greyson’s plan was to wander the room, say hi to the rest of the family, finally find his dad and shake his hand, smile for his mom, and then leave. But when he turned around, looking for the drinks table, he ran into Richard, who wore a scowl on his face, his hand gripping his glass so hard his knuckles were white.
“Dad,” Greyson muttered and forced a smile on his face.
Richard didn’t even try. “What are you doing here?”
The room fell silent. Richard’s words weren’t exactly quiet, and Greyson wished he was anywhere but facing down his dad again. “Mom told me to come. Came to wish you both a happy anniversary like any good son would do.”
“Any good son would do what his father told him,” Richard snapped. “Your company hasn’t gone public yet. Come to tell me you’ve failed, that you’re giving up? I won’t take you back. You hear me?”
Greyson gritted his teeth, counting to ten in his mind as he was told to do to help control his anger. A few minutes longer, and it wouldn’t work. “No, it hasn’t failed. We’re waiting until we’ve finished development on our first game to announce our launch.”
“Game? You’re going to make your living—a Taylor—off of a damn game?”
“At least I’m doing what I love instead of sitting in some stuffy office looking down on the world around me!” Greyson yelled.
“Boys, please,” Sally said, shoving between them. “Richard, enough.”
“No, I don’t want him here, not until he realizes what a horrible mistake he made.”
“That I made?” Greyson asked and laughed sharply. “I actually had a sliver of hope you wouldn’t be an arrogant ass tonight, but I can see now that you’ll never change. You’ll never accept me for what I do. I’m finished, done. Sorry, Mom,” he added to her as he turned and stormed out the door.
“Good! Leave. Don’t you dare step foot in my presence again!” Richar
d yelled after him.
Greyson didn’t look back, even when Sally called his name. He tugged hard at his collar, which was suddenly too tight. When he reached home—a small apartment out of the way and a place Richard would never approve of—he slammed his door and grabbed the closest piece of furniture. With a roar, he chucked it across the room, smashing it into the wall. The chair followed, along with another table until he tore through his whole apartment and stood at the far window, his chest heaving in anger. He didn’t know how long he stood there, but eventually, he moved to his bedroom, ready to crash, when his cell rang.
He frowned when he saw Mel’s number. “I’m not coming back to apologize,” he said, but she cut him off.
“Dad’s in the hospital,” she announced, and from the strain of her words, it wasn’t good.
His chest tight, Greyson moved back to the door. “What happened?”
“He collapsed when he and Mom got home,” she said, crying. “I don’t know. They said heart attack. Greyson…They said… they said he might not make it.”
“Is he conscious? Has he said anything?” he asked.
“He said—”
“Don’t you dare lie to him! He deserves to know,” Molly yelled in the background.
“What did he say, Mel?” Greyson snapped.
“Nothing. He didn’t say a word. Just get to the hospital,” she said, then yelped, and suddenly, Molly was on the line.
“He said it was your fault,” Molly told him, and he heard the same anger flooding his body filling her words. “Greyson? I’m sorry. I wanted you to know before you came out here.” There was silence on the other end, and Greyson didn’t fill it. He needed the few minutes to gather his thoughts and decide what he wanted to do. “Greyson? You there?”
“Yeah, Molly, what’s going on?”
“Mom called, they said it was a mild heart attack. Not as bad as they thought.”
“Good,” he said, blowing out a breath. “Good. Just keep me posted.”
