“Can I have a hint?”
He shook his head and laughed. “Patience.”
“Patience” was used on purpose as payback after the way I’d teased him before the gala. “I thought you said patience was a line of bullshit someone said to make themselves feel better about waiting.”
“I may have been wrong.”
I giggled, and he grinned at me before refocusing on his computer with his lips turned up in a smile. After analyzing his outfit, I concluded in frustration that the jeans and dress shirt revealed nothing of where we were headed.
Camille laid our lunch in front of us, but Garrick kept staring intently at the screen, so I ate in silence. I didn’t want to disturb him. Since the door closed, he’d been engrossed in his work. Well, actually, for the last two days. I understood. It had given me time to catch up with Kurt and Sawyer.
The first day he’d felt guilty and hung around the apartment. The second day he went to his office and was gone all day. When he got home, I could tell he’d worried about it, but I understood. Being together 24-7 was not sustainable or healthy.
He scowled at the screen and made a note on the papers on the desk. I loved the little furrow that appeared when he was in deep concentration and how he rubbed his ring finger with his thumb when he contemplated.
When he scrubbed a hand down his face, I remembered his whiskers rubbing against my leg.
~ ~ ~
“I love your flawless skin. It’s pure perfection,” he’d whispered against my flesh.
I’d squirmed as his scruff had moved up my inner thigh. Garrick had been at his office all day. The moment he’d walked through the door, he hadn’t been able to keep his hands off me. I’d loved the attention.
“Please. Move higher.”
His tongue had reached my clit and I’d raised my hips off the bed.
“The only place I wanted to be all day was here with you. Feeling you. Loving you.”
“Oh, Garrick.”
He’d tasted me in the most intimate way.
~ ~ ~
“Ms. Knox, are you okay?”
I focused back to see Camille standing in front of me. “Um, yes. What did you say again?”
“Should I clear your plate?”
“I’m still working on it. Thank you.”
Nodding, she refilled my water. “Of course. I’ll check on you in a few minutes.”
Before I could respond, she turned and walked away. Oh geez, I’d been caught thinking about last night. My face heated. Garrick was still absorbed and oblivious to everything else, thank goodness.
He made a few more notes, and I smiled. When we were apart, he seemed starved for me. I felt the same way about him. But I refused to become clingy—it wasn’t in my nature.
Instead, I filled up my days getting Kurt settled. In college, he’d lived with Dylan, and from what I could tell, he hadn’t changed.
Sawyer was a neat freak. Kurt… well, he left things lying around. I wouldn’t call him messy, but things he used frequently found their home elsewhere—jackets on the back of chairs or shoes at the front door. His thought was, Why put it away if it will be used in the near future?
It was going to be cataclysmic. Oh, they were going to kill each other.
Plus, Kurt had a knack for aggravating those he liked. And I imagined that, regardless of his not “shitting where he ate,” he liked Sawyer. But he refused to admit it. If Sawyer hadn’t taken the job, I’d imagined a bit of wooing coming from my friend.
“Mr. Shaw, would you like anything else?”
“Coffee would be good. Thank you, Camille.”
She smiled pleasantly.
I took another bite of the poached pear salad. One of the chefs at a high-end restaurant in town had prepared today’s meal. Garrick definitely lived extravagantly. Thinking about it was intimidating at times, but I remembered I was self-sufficient, financially. The materialistic aspect wasn’t important, but I worried others would question it, considering Garrick’s position.
None of it matters. Only you and Garrick knowing the truth does. My therapist’s words from yesterday helped me keep it in perspective.
Checking my phone one last time out of habit, I saw I’d received a text message prior to takeoff.
Mom: Sunday for dinner sounds great. Let me know what time you want us.
On Sunday, we were having dinner with my parents. Monday we were going to hang out and maybe watch a movie at the apartment.
Garrick clipped the papers together, and then typed on his computer. Beside him, his dinner was barely touched. I gathered my stuff, and Camille was there in a flash. “I’ll get that, Ms. Knox.”
“Thank you.”
For a few seconds longer, I watched Garrick work. The stress on his face grew more evident, and his eyes became tighter. I wanted to comfort him the way he’d done for me on more than one occasion.
Slipping in next to him, I kissed his cheek. “I’m going to go back to the other couch and read for a bit. Do you need anything? You look a little stressed.”
Garrick stopped working and wrapped his arm around me. “I’ve been neglecting you these last couple of days.”
Memories of Garrick making love to me each night and showering me with love flashed through my mind. I looked to see where Camille was. She sat in her seat, reading something. I kissed his neck. “I don’t think I’ve been neglected. In fact, I think you’ve taken good care of me.”
He cocked his eyebrow. “I’ve been working fifteen- to twenty-hour days.”
“You have companies to run. I’m not bored. I’ve made myself busy. If it were safe, I’d be out and about. You know, if you want to hang out with friends, you don’t have to make every night about me.” Though I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, I never wanted to suffocate him.
“Since Hastings, I’ve kept people at more of a distance. It was safer that way. I’d consider myself as having acquaintances, not really friends.”
It was hard to see Garrick as a man who wanted to keep people at a distance. With me, he constantly craved intimacy. “Why’d you let me in so fast?”
His fingers intertwined with mine, and he brought them up to his lips. “Why were you willing to let your guard down so fast?”
Thinking back, I realized that Garrick had consumed me before I’d even seen him. “From the moment our eyes connected, I was lost to you. I was drawn to you unexplainably.”
“Same here. I tried to push you out of my mind the day I saw you with Cameron. But it was futile. Before I made it to my office, I’d already ordered you flowers.”
“I loved the flowers.”
The laptop pinged with an e-mail, and Garrick’s eyes went to it, tightening as he read.
I kissed him again on the cheek. “I’ll let you work.”
“I’ll be working the rest of the flight, I’m afraid.”
“No worries. I’m going to go read.”
His lips grazed my jawline. “I wish we were in the plane with the bed. Then we’d have some fun.”
I slapped his chest playfully. “What were you thinking? That would have definitely been a fun flight.”
Garrick’s hands slid up my sides, but I stopped the progression. “No way. If I have to wait to find out where we’re going, you have to wait, too. And you need to work.”
He raised an eyebrow in challenge. We both knew he could easily win this if he wanted. I slid out from the table. “If you work hard, you might get lucky tonight.”
“I’m fairly confident that will happen.”
I laughed. “We’ll see…”
Taking a seat on the other couch, I blew him a kiss. The predatory hunger I saw in his eyes had desire clenching inside me. He glanced to the cockpit door and started to move.
Yes. I wanted him. I needed him. I loved him.
Camille shifted, and I blinked, bringing me out of the trance. I shook my head to clear the fog. “No, sir. You’re going to have to wait. Patience, remember?”
&nb
sp; “Knoah.” Just my name in that voice was nearly my undoing. The carnal need in his tone sent tingles racing across my skin.
Stay strong. “I love you. Now back to work you go. If you have to work when we get to our mysterious location, that won’t be very fun for either of us.”
The smile on his face deepened, and the hunger in his eyes cooled. “Good point.” He gave me a wink. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”
Once again, I was filled with warm, fuzzy, happy feelings, and I reveled in how I felt at this perfect moment—complete.
Garrick returned to his work, and I grabbed my tablet. For the next thirty minutes, we stole glances at each other. It was sweet seeing his face light up when our eyes met.
I’d found love again. The difficult conversation I’d had with Brooke yesterday came to mind, but I pushed it away. It was too deep for me to digest. I wasn’t ready to face those realities yet. Later.
The purr of the engines caused me to sink further into the couch, and before I knew it, I was curled up and cozy. When I could no longer fight it, my eyes drifted closed.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Hey, sweetheart. We’re here. Wake up.”
I must have fallen asleep. After I blinked a few times, I worked on getting my bearings. At some point, I’d moved to the couch to read. “What time is it?”
“A little after eight.” Garrick touched my cheek. “Camille, would you bring me our coats, please?”
“Coats?” I hadn’t brought a coat. Wait. That meant it had to be cooler where we were. A little shot of adrenaline flowed through my body.
Garrick winked. “I had them arranged to be on the plane.”
I sat up, excited. “Where are we?”
“Brighton, Utah.”
My heart sped up with excitement. “Utah? I’ve never been. Is there snow?”
It was the beginning of November. That’s late enough for it to snow, right? I hoped so. Snow. I had so many things on my bucket list revolving around snow.
Touch snow.
Taste the snow.
Snow angels.
Build a snowman.
And secretly, I wanted to make love while the snow fell outside the window.
“There is. Several inches.”
I squealed and spun around to open the window shade. Past the runway, illuminated by the lights, was a beautiful blanket of white. It was gorgeous. I touched the window, mesmerized.
Flakes of all sizes filled the air. It was beautiful. “It’s snowing!” I stood and leapt into Garrick’s arms. “Oh my gosh! Garrick! It’s snowing! Like real-life snow. This is perfect. Beyond perfect.”
Like a child, I squirmed out of his arms and dashed to the front of the plane where the door had opened. “Knoah, it’s freezing out there. Let me get our coats.”
It didn’t matter. I’d never felt snow before. At the door, I stopped to watch the flakes fall with nothing to obstruct my view. I was anxious to feel it, but I waited and savored the moment. Time stood still. I felt Garrick behind me. He took my hands in his and stretched them out into the flurry. The flakes landed on my skin and melted almost instantaneously. Each one was unique in size and shape.
I’ve checked off an item. The adrenaline from accomplishing something on my list for the first time in a long while raced through me.
Lips pressed against my neck. “No tasting the snow until we get to the cabin. I want that experience for me and you only.”
“You remembered.” I closed my eyes and pressed further against him, the chill becoming more apparent.
“I want my first dance in the snow to be with you.” His voice was deep, serious, and full of emotions. The heat of Garrick’s body helped chase away the cold. “I want to be there when you make your first snow angel.”
“I want nothing more.” Another kiss. Snowflakes fell around us as I turned to look into his eyes.
“Let’s get to our cabin.” His smile was bright and his eyes focused on me, sending little shivers down my spine.
“I can’t wait. Do we need to get our bags?”
“No, it’s already handled.”
The frigid wind blew. “I’ll race you to the car.”
I took off for the car, and Garrick called, “Knoah, your coat!”
I dashed down the stairs. Throwing my arms out, I ran across the lot to the car. The asphalt was clear of snow, but I loved feeling it rush around me. “Oh my gosh, it’s freezing!”
Joe, along with his team, waited at the car. The car door was opened. As I was about to slide in, Garrick picked me up and twirled me around in the falling snow. We laughed. When we were out of breath, he stopped, slid in, and pulled me onto his lap. “You’re going to get sick if you don’t wear your coat.”
I snuggled against Garrick. “I’ll wear it next time.” I paused. “Thank you for the coat. But I don’t think I packed warm enough clothes, either. I’m not sure I own clothes for these temperatures.”
“I had it arranged. We have clothes waiting for us at the cabin.”
A cabin. Snuggling next to the fire in a cozy cabin during a snowstorm sounded amazing. Maybe we’d have a loft that overlooked the living room. That would be heavenly. The two of us. Alone. I wondered where security would be. Hopefully far enough away I could lose myself in Garrick. “Thank you. I’m glad I won’t become a Knoahsicle.”
“You’re welcome.” He held me closer. “Having you frostbitten would be counterproductive to what I have in mind.”
I nipped his lip. “Oh? I’m intrigued. What will it involve?”
“You and me… naked.” His lips almost touched mine, heightening the anticipation.
Joe’s voice came over the intercom. “The roads are a bit slick. I would suggest buckling up if you haven’t already.”
Garrick helped me off his lap and grabbed my seat belt. “Soon, nothing is going to stop me from sinking into you.”
“I hope so.”
His words and the images of what was to come had my clit pulsing for attention. Each time after we made love, I just wanted to do it all over again. My body ached for his when he wasn’t with me. The need became acute at times.
We were on slick roads, an hour away from the cabin. Think about something else. Anything else. I focused on the scenery as we drove. Anything I could find, I focused on: the tree shadows, the rise and fall of Garrick’s chest, counting the number of headlights we met—none of it worked. I let out a deep breath.
“We’re almost to the cabin.” He leaned closer to me. “Then I’m going to worship every inch of your body.”
My reply was breathy. “I can’t wait.” I wanted off this road, out of this car.
My phone vibrated, and I welcomed the distraction. More comments from Garrick would lead to me begging him to make me come in the car, regardless of the audience. I wasn’t sure how soundproof the flimsy barrier kept the back seat, but Joe or the other man riding with him hearing my orgasm did not sound like a good time.
I smiled when I saw Kurt’s name on my phone.
Kurt: Let me know when you land.
Me: Just landed. I got to feel snow for the first time.
Kurt: Remember yellow snow is bad. It’s not lemon flavored.
Me: You’re so funny. Any other colors I should avoid?
Kurt: Anything but white.
I chuckled.
Me: Will do.
Kurt: Stay safe, squirt. If you need anything, call me.
Me: I will. Are you moved in yet?
Kurt: Almost. Putting the finishing touches on the place. I have a few surprises for Sawyer.
Me: Oh no. Remember, she’s a bit of a neat freak. If you want to make a good impression, put your shoes in your room and close the door. No jackets on the chairs. Keys go in a container by the door and not thrown on the counter. And do not drink from the milk jug.
“What are you typing so vigorously?” Garrick chuckled.
I shook my head. “Sawyer and Kurt are a train wreck waiting to happen. They’re opposite in
every way. I fear for my best friend.”
Clearly confused, Garrick asked, “Kurt would hurt Sawyer?”
“No, no, no. Sawyer will cut off his balls and serve them to him on a platter. It’s Kurt I fear for.”
He shook his head, laughing. “I think he’ll manage just fine.”
I hoped so. My phone pinged back.
Kurt: I’ve got this. Don’t worry. Pizza is here. I’ll talk to you later. Have fun.
Me: Take my advice. I can tell you’re ignoring it.
Kurt: Night, Knoah. Quit being a worrywart.
Me: Night.
Kurt: Be safe. And keep me updated if something happens. You mean the world to me.
Me: I will. Promise. Right back at you.
For periods of time, I was able to push away what we were facing with Hastings and Navarro. But in the pit of my stomach, I knew we were missing something. I had no idea what it was—it lingered just out of reach. At least Kurt and Garrick were in a good place again.
Apprehension began to creep in. “Are you sure this is safe, Garrick?”
I’d been so happy to get out of the apartment I hadn’t asked many questions. And I knew Garrick would never put me in harm’s way. But what if they’ve followed us? What if they come here? What if this is the opening they’re looking for?
With a shake of my head, I stopped myself. No what-ifs.
Rubbing my arm, he answered, “Yes, sweetheart. It’s completely safe. Security is in place, and all the necessary precautions have been taken. Would you feel better if you knew the details?”
“Will anyone be staying in the cabin with us?”
“Yes. The security team will be there.” I deflated a little. How in the world would we have alone time with each other if we had people in the cabin? My concern must have been obvious as he continued, “The rest will be in the guesthouse. But it’s a big enough place; we’ll have our own space.”
What kind of cabin are we going to? I couldn’t wait to see what his definition of a cabin looked like. I leaned my head against his shoulder. “If I forget to tell you, thank you. This is one of the best vacations I’ve ever had.”
Untouched Perfection Page 23
