Untouched Perfection

by Mayer, Kristin

  Without missing a beat, Garrick said, “As always, it was a pleasure. I’m glad you could make it. I need to say a few more goodbyes before we leave.”

  “You’re leaving so soon?” The woman seemed unduly disappointed.

  “I wish I could stay longer, but business calls.”

  Is that what we were calling it? Well, it was better than “I’m leaving to have sex with my girlfriend.” And it effectively took me out of the equation with them, which I liked.

  Evelyn extended her hand again to me. This time she engulfed it with her hands. “It was so wonderful meeting you.”

  “And you as well.”

  We left with a general goodbye and headed to find Brenda. Once we found her, Garrick leaned in to whisper something in her ear. She nodded and said, “I’ll handle it. No problem. The event has gone off well. You were right.”

  They spoke a few more words I was unable to hear. At the end, they nodded to each other, and I politely smiled without a clue about what they were saying. “Are you ready?”

  “I am. I need to say goodbye to Kurt first.”

  We migrated across the room. Garrick was a man on a mission, giving only polite nods when people attempted to stop him. At the door, Kurt stood talking with Joe.

  “You leaving, squirt?”

  “I am. Are you staying?”

  He pulled at his bow tie again, this time completely undoing it. “Nah, I’m going to go and get out of this monkey suit. Your dad wore me out.”

  I chuckled. “No one will play him anymore.”

  He gave me a hug. “Can we have coffee tomorrow and talk?”

  “Yeah, why don’t you come to Garrick’s apartment? It’s in the building where I use to work.”

  Kurt’s eyes swung to Garrick for a second before returning to mine. More questions, no doubt. “Okay, sounds good. I’ll text you in the morning for a time.”

  “Sounds good.” I hugged him again. “Thanks for being there for me.”

  “I always will be. That will never change.”

  Kurt left while Garrick discussed something with Joe. I glanced around the room. The man who had challenged us to sing caught my attention. He stood off to one side of the room, blatantly staring. Behind him, Hastings and his parents watched him. I shivered, unease leaving me shaken. Garrick touched my elbow, refocusing my attention. “I got us a hotel room.”

  He got a room? My face fell. “Was I a foregone conclusion?”

  Touching his thumb to my cheek, he shook his head. “Never, Knoah. You’ll never be that to me. I made the arrangements after our dance. If you’ve changed—”

  With his words, the heaviness left me. “I haven’t. I want to go.”

  Garrick nodded to Joe, who spoke into his radio. “Let’s go, sweetheart.”

  “I’m ready.”

  And I was. We exited the side door onto the inlaid marble floor. Hotel guests moseyed about the foyer, taking in the ostentatious arrangements. It was beautiful. At the mahogany-framed elevators, Joe pushed the button and a bellman walked up. “Mr. Shaw, is there anything we can get you?”

  “Will you have strawberries and your finest champagne sent up?”

  “Yes, I’ll get right on it, sir.”

  “Thank you.”

  The elevator doors opened and we entered. Of course, we headed to the top floor. I leaned my head against his chest, wishing we were alone. “You tired, sweetheart?”

  “Not really. I’m glad the function is over.” I almost mentioned Hastings and his family but figured we should wait until we were somewhere… not so open. There were cameras in elevators. I knew my thoughts were extreme, but my what-ifs reemerged, and I felt as though someone was watching us.

  The doors opened and we walked down the hallway. Garrick asked, “Has everything been taken care of?”

  “Yes, we have people staged in the room. Food will be ordered at proper intervals. We’ll have stationed guards, as well. The cameras on this floor and the service elevator have been disabled. Well, technically, they’re on a loop until we’re out of here.”

  Wait, what? “What’s going on?”

  Garrick squeezed my hand. “I’ll explain in the car.”

  Car? I pulled him to a stop, needing a little more. “Is everything okay? Are we in danger?”

  “We’re fine. I’ll explain. Give me just a few minutes.”

  “Okay.” I looked over my shoulder, waiting for someone to pop out of the woodwork. Tonight I had conversed with the mob. People who killed other people. And somehow, I had become a target.

  We came to a side hallway and Joe used a key to call the service elevator. When the doors closed, it felt like we were in hiding. As we descended to the garage, my thoughts churned with what could possibly go wrong.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The elevator doors opened, and a black SUV waited for us. The back of the vehicle had been converted with two bench seats now facing each other. “Sit along the back, Knoah,” Garrick instructed.

  Soft, warm leather greeted me. The moment the doors closed, we drove off. I waited for Garrick to explain what happened.

  After we cleared the garage, Garrick said, “Hastings’ parents lead the Monroe family. Ricardo’s its patriarch.”

  They seemed so normal. I expected something more flamboyant. “Were you close to Evelyn and Ricardo?”

  “At one time, yes. They were abnormally friendly tonight. I’m not sure what that was about.” Garrick ran his fingers through his hair. “They weren’t on the original guest list. Hastings had Brenda add them at the last minute before we arrived. I authorized it—to avoid causing a scene and to see who they interacted with.”

  “Why were they so friendly?”

  Evelyn seemed genuinely happy for Garrick tonight.

  He let out a sigh, and I glanced up at his face. The stress of what had happened was showing, which worried me. “I have no earthly idea. But Hastings better watch his step. I’ve escalated the timetable for selling the company. It should be complete within the week.”

  Whoa. “That’s fast. I thought it was going to take a couple of months.”

  “I have a buyer willing to buy it for a profit.”

  “Who?”

  “My father. I explained to him that I needed Hastings out of my affairs. Dad is going to buy it and sell it off piece by piece. He won’t make much, but it should be enough to cover his expenses.”

  The more I learned about his family, the more I looked forward to having dinner with them over the weekend. They supported each other. “What will keep Hastings from getting on any of the boards of the other companies you own?”

  “He can’t. I own the majority share. And I’m in the process of adding bylaws to keep that from happening. They will be done before I sell the company.”

  I gazed out the window into the black of night, deep in thought. All the lights shone like twinkling stars. “Who was the man who donated all that money to hear Kurt sing?”

  “I don’t think he wanted to hear Kurt.” Garrick’s tone turned icy.

  I turned to face him, a little shocked. “Who was he?”

  “Nicholas Navarro.”

  I gasped. “He—he didn’t look like his picture.”

  “He cut his hair and shaved. And today, he showed up under the alias Michael Cobina. He hung back and watched you the entire night.”

  He watched me the entire night. The thought unnerved me. “Why?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The man had oozed danger. I shuddered as I remembered his predatory stare. “Garrick, I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  Garrick wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer. “I’ll be fine. There will be occasions when I’ll need you to listen to me without question until I have time to explain, like earlier in the hotel. I promise I will always explain everything as soon as I can.”

  “I will.” I shifted a little closer to the safeness he provided. “What are we going to do?”

  “Nothing yet. I don’t t
hink we have the full story. Hastings and Navarro talked at one point during the party. They were back to back at the bar trying not to be obvious, but Joe spotted it. We’re not sure what happened.”

  This was so messy and complicated. It was the mob, and somehow, I was involved. “Is Kurt safe? He basically called out Navarro in the crowd.”

  “I have someone watching him, too. But, yes, I think he’s safe.”

  I pulled back to look at Garrick in the dim light of the back seat. “Think? That’s not going to work, Garrick. We need to tell him what’s going on. I can’t let something happen to him too.”

  For a moment, Garrick gave this some thought. “We will. He’s coming tomorrow, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, we’ll bring him up to speed then. He’s going to be pissed.”

  “It’ll be fine.” From the look on his face, I knew he didn’t agree. I changed the subject and asked, “Where are we going?”

  “Back to the apartment. It’s the safest there. I’m not sure where the Monroes or Navarros have connections here. And a hotel leaves us too exposed in a city they control.”

  That made sense. Part of me wanted to be somewhere special, but that was silly. We were adults. This wouldn’t be my first time having sex. Nor Garrick’s. I let out a slow, quiet breath to release some of the emotions that had built up inside me. Sex was sex. We weren’t promising forever. I needed to keep that in mind.

  The building came into sight. “Did you make up the hotel charade to see if someone would try something?”

  “Yes. I don’t know if it’s Hastings or Navarro or both involved. But we have eyes and ears on them, so we’ll see if anything happens. Hopefully nothing will.”

  “Yes, hopefully.” But I doubted it, and I could tell Garrick felt the same way.

  The mood had been killed. I still wanted Garrick, but now he felt distant, emotionally. The car stopped, and Joe nodded to Garrick before exiting the vehicle. We remained in the car for a moment. Maybe Garrick had changed his mind, too.

  “Joe is checking everything out to be sure. It’ll be just a minute.” He seemed more detached than ever.

  “Okay.”

  The elevator opened, and another member of security stepped out and nodded. “That’s our cue. Let’s head upstairs.”

  Without a word, I followed Garrick to the elevators. The doors closed, and we were alone. In an instant, his body was pressed against my back. His arms wrapped around me, and I felt his breath tickle my ear. “It was driving me crazy not touching you in the car.”

  “Really? It didn’t seem like it.”

  His hand moved up and touched the underside of my breast. “It was. But when I touch you, I want our thoughts to be of only you and me. Nothing else.”

  Desire came rushing back as I leaned into him and felt his lips against my neck. “For the rest of the night, it’s only you and me.”

  When the doors opened, he swept me off my feet, effectively shutting out all my other worries. I yelped in surprise before his mouth found mine. Nothing else mattered but Garrick and me. His grip tightened on me, and I heard the door open and then close. When my feet found the floor and I stood on my own, I missed his possessive touch.

  “I’m more than falling for you, Knoah.” My eyes met his green ones, which were burning with desire. “I need you to know that before you give this piece of yourself to me. This isn’t some quest to get you in my bed.” He ran his thumb along my lips. “This is the beginning of us.”

  Before I could respond, he turned me around. I was stunned. There had to be a thousand white roses in vases littering every surface and flickering candles spread throughout the living area. “Garrick, this… I… I have no words.”

  “To me, a white rose is untouched perfection. You are a white rose, Knoah. You are beautiful inside and out. You are my untouched perfection.”

  It was at that moment I knew I loved this man. It had only been a few short days, but I loved him. It was hard keeping it inside of me. But I wasn’t ready to say the words aloud. Am I lucky enough to have love reciprocated twice in my life? I hoped so.

  This feeling wasn’t fabricated. It was certain. And deep down, it scared me. Terrified me to the core. Time wasn’t a factor when it came to the heart.

  “Will you make love to me?” I heard the vulnerability in my voice. Making love was more than a hookup or fucking. It involved deep emotions and led to more.

  “I want nothing more than to be with you.”

  His simple response filled me with happiness. Taking my hand, Garrick led me into the room. The fragrant smell of the roses engulfed me. I loved the meaning behind the flower he chose. White roses would forever hold new meaning. Untouched perfection.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Petals covered the floor leading to the bedroom, and I giggled. Garrick turned to me. I said, “I feel like a princess.”

  “Because you deserve to be treated like a queen.”

  Oh my.

  As we entered the bedroom, I was surprised with more white roses. “How did you do this?”

  “I have my sources. I can tell you that as of right now, there are no white roses in the Orlando area.”

  I laughed. “I would imagine there aren’t.” I took a step forward, lifted one of the soft petals from the mattress. Garrick stepped up behind me, lifted my hair off my neck, and pressed his lips against it. His hands circled my waist and inched a burning trail of fire through the fabric.

  My nipples hardened in response, eager to be touched.

  “Close your eyes and keep them closed.” The command was issued in a soft voice, and I shut my eyes automatically.

  I felt the loss of Garrick’s body heat as he moved away from me, and I strained to listen for clues. Clothes shuffled. The metallic sound of a zipper was clear. He was undressing, and the sounds alone were exotic. I was filled with anticipation, waiting for something, anything, from him.

  As I was about to open my eyes, I felt the softness of the rose petal against my back. “Your skin is flawless.”

  I squeezed my eyes tighter, wondering what he would think when he saw my scarred abdomen. It was far from flawless. The zipper on my dress slid down, and I took a deep breath. Garrick wrapped his hands around me, holding the dress up. He pressed his lips against mine, and I opened to him, feeling my unease slip away with his touch.

  His tongue.

  His touch.

  His warmth.

  They filled me. I lifted my arms around his neck, and he let the dress fall to the ground. His tongue danced with mine, and his hands moved up my back, pulling me to him heatedly before slowing. Our eyes opened at the same time. “I want to see you, Knoah.”

  I took a step back, still in my heels.

  “You are a dream come true.”

  Without thinking, I dropped my hand to cover the scar on my stomach, but Garrick stopped it.

  “Never cover yourself. Every inch of you is beautiful. There is nothing I would ever change.”

  A lone tear slipped free. My hands touched his stomach and it quivered underneath my touch. As I suspected, Garrick was in amazing shape.

  Toned abs.

  Hardened chest.

  Sculpted arms.

  The total package.

  “I never imagined finding someone after what happened to Dylan. This feels unreal,” I murmured.

  “I’m here. And I’ll be here when you wake up.” And he would be. I knew it.

  I took an unsteady breath and stepped back to break the connection. He needed to hear what I had to say. For a moment, confusion washed over his features. “I’m not on birth control. I should have told you before we started. The doctors advised against it if I wanted to have a family someday. I don’t plan on going on it.”

  “Then I’ll make sure I use a condom every time. You won’t have to worry.”

  “But they aren’t foolproof.”

  Pulling me back into his arms, Garrick said, “Nothing is. I would never ask you to risk the
chance of having a child.”

  Garrick’s fingers skimmed across my nipples. He rolled the peaks between his fingers. With a moan, my head fell back, and Garrick’s lips descended on my exposed neck. I loved when he touched me there. It was intimate and made me feel completely exposed.

  Our bodies moved until I felt the soft brush of the duvet against my calves. “Lie back, my beautiful girl.”

  Beautiful. Even with all the flaws, he thought I was beautiful.

  My blond hair feathered out around me as I lay back on the bed. Garrick stood above me, admiring every inch. The longer he looked, the more desire licked through me like a slow fire. I moved my legs together for friction to ease the ache.

  His fingers skimmed above my panty line, leaving the flip-flopping feeling in its wake. “I could stare at you all day.”

  I arched my back, and he groaned, coming down to cover me. He sucked my nipple into his mouth and intermittently applied little bites, which only heightened my need while his hand crept into my panties. A finger grazed against my clit, and I pushed toward him, wanting more.

  “Garrick, please. It’s been so long.”

  He switched nipples, and the pressure increased as he slid first one and then two fingers inside me, stretching me. The combination of the sweet pain and tenderness had my head spinning. The tingles from my pre-orgasm started in my feet and worked their way up my body.

  “Yes! Don’t stop!”

  He bit my nipple harder, and I crashed over the edge, euphoria sweeping over me. As I lay boneless, I heard the sound of a drawer closing and the ripping of the condom package.

  I opened my eyes when the bed dipped and Garrick positioned himself between my legs. My panties were gone. “I’m keeping those panties.”

  “They’re yours.”

  “Damn straight.”

  His dick throbbed beneath the latex. It was thick and hard, and I opened my legs wider, inviting Garrick to me. He positioned himself with his head at my entrance. “I’m claiming you, Knoah. Every inch of you is going to be mine—mine to protect. I can’t wait any longer.”

  “Completely.”

  He inched in a little further. “Mine to cherish.”